Less Traveled

               When I fail or have experiences that don’t line up with the promises of God, I am standing at a crossroads.  One path, which I’ll call the road Less Traveled, will lead me to my destiny much more quickly than the other path, which I’ll call the road Default.  Responding with an intentional choice rather than reacting is a key to the journey ahead. 

                Choosing the road Default looks like the easiest path in the sense that it requires less effort – it’s all downhill from the intersection.  Another attraction of the road Default is it is a familiar, well-worn path, and though it is ugly and leads into a pit at the end, it feels comfortable along the way.

                The road Less Traveled appears initially intimidating because it is steeply uphill.  Taking that first intentional step requires me willing me to walk by faith and not by sight.  Do I choose to believe what God says is true about me in this situation or let what I am experiencing or have experienced define my identity?

•  “I may be struggling financially, but God supplies all of my financial resources.”
• “I may be stuck in a dead end job, but I have a good future and prosperity ahead of me.”
• “I may have just blown it in my job, but I have the wisdom of God today for every situation.”

                    “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

                    I took the one less traveled by,

                    And that has made all the difference.”   Robert Frost, "The Road Not Taken"

               

               That is the road I want to choose, the road Less Traveled, because I know that it will indeed make all the difference.   

               How do you overcome in the crucial moments of life?

Acknowledgement:  Many thanks to Steve & Wendy Backlund for their inspiring and transforming book "Igniting Faith in 40 Days," the inspiration for this post.


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January 30, 2012

Elpis (el-pece’)

(Warning:  The following is my own perspective and inspired thought about that Greek word.)

I think Jehovah sneaky, with His sense of humor, is reminding us where true hope is found.  To me “el” points to Elohim, the one true God, and “pis” sounds like the word “peace.”   Get it?  “God’s peace” in Greek is translated to “hope” in English in the following:

May the God who gives hope fill you with great joy. May you have perfect peace as you trust in him. May the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope. i

Yes, I’ll have some of that hope, joy, peace, trust and power of the Holy Spirit, please, today!

What’s your word for today?

---

i Romans 15:13, New International Reader’s Version

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Another Good Word

“Don’t turn small stuff into big stuff.”[i]

That’s a good word right there! 

What follows may not “feel” the same upon first contact…just sayin’.  However it too is a good word.

“…disciplines provide a track for us to run on when [stuff] threatens to derail us…Sometimes we must take our will by the scruff of the neck, whirl it around and force the rebel back on track.” [ii]

Without further ado, here are the disciplines, the preparations, if you like that better that reverberated within me.[iii]

v  Confession and Cleansing

v  Fall on my knees and call upon God

o    “I love the LORD because he hears and answers my prayers. Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath!”[iv]

o    “You bestow glory on me and lift up my head.”[v]

o    “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”[vi]

 

v  Journal

v  Self-imposed solitude

v  Serving others

v  Worship

v  Soak in His presence and receive His love and grace

Most of the book was review for me; I guess I was paying attention the first time around.  I think believing in the never failing goodness of God and His everyday intervention in and attention to my life is what will make the difference in my spirit.  Just as I have implemented new strategies for dealing with the physical and emotional symptoms, I must recognize the spiritual side of this life change and embrace the Kingdom tools He has handed to me.  Hope, abiding faith and breakthrough are in process in my life!

---

[i] “Jump Off the Hormone Swing, Pintus, p. 189

[ii] Ibid, pp. 169-170

[iii] Ibid, pp. 170-181

[iv] NLT, Psalm 116:1-2

[v] NIV, Psalm 3:3b

[vi] NLT, Isaiah 55:11

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"Jump off the Hormone Swing" Notes so far

Originally I titled this as a book report, however I am not going to be that organized or put that much time into this post.  I have some other projects that are actually a higher priority in terms of work; this is a higher priority in terms of feeding my spirit. 

The following are notes I jotted while reading because they resonated with me.  I hope they will help someone else, also.

v  Brain Foods (p. 56)

Ø  Blueberries

Ø  Yogurt

Ø  Nuts

Ø  Meat

Ø  Whole Wheat & oats

Ø  Spinach

Ø  Tomatoes

Ø  Broccoli

Ø  Olive Oil

v  Brain workout ideas (pp. 57 – 62)

Ø  Brush teeth with opposite hand

Ø  Listen to music (http://www.vth.biz/driver/imusic/sample)

Ø  Read aloud

Ø  Nap

Ø  Write PMS poetry or hormonal haiku, including limericks

Ø  Laugh

Ø  Do crossword puzzles

Ø  Pray

v  Top  Ten Picks for Physical Relief

Ø  Take a nap

Ø  Snuggle with a heating pad

Ø  Take a naproxen product

Ø  Restrict salt

Ø  Cut caffeine for the week

Ø  Sip warm tea, like chamomile

Ø  Take supplements

     Calcium – yogurt

     Magnesium – spinach, sunflower seeds & almonds

     Vitamin D – tuna, sunlight, beef liver, egg yolks

     Vitamin E – nuts, broccoli, whole grains

     B-6 – meats, avocados, fish

Ø  Drink water

Ø  Cut the sugar

Ø  Eat 5 small protein-packed meals daily

Other notes:

Wait 3 days to make major decisions

Chart Symptoms

Check out www.pms.org.uk

More notes to follow as I am almost finished reading the spiritual chapters. 


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Jump Off

I started re-reading “Jump Off the Hormone Swing” recently, spurred by some dark hormonal days that were more intense and long lasting than in the past.  The first time I read the book I was in an emotional place of “everything is sunshine and happiness.”  This time around the timing of the book becoming available for check-out through inter-library loan was perfect – immediately following those aforementioned dark hormonal days so that the painful memories were still excruciatingly fresh. 

Chapter one summarized my recent trip through the valley of the shadow:  “…the tension between my desperate desire to serve God and others, and my utter failure to accomplish this when my hormones went berserk, caused me unending agony.  I hated the thoughts and emotions that charged through me.  It was if a week before my period, some wretched, selfish, totally undisciplined woman took over my body.”  Now the timing of my dark hormonal days is not exactly the same as the author’s, but that is the ONLY difference.  Out of her experience and those of others, author Lorraine Pintus promises to mentor me through the physical symptoms, mental/mood symptoms and spiritual symptoms I often experience every month.  The focus of the book is said to be on attitude, practical help, stories, life skills and healthy habits.  It’s an empowering book, with a Bible study included in the back of the book.  I anticipate transformation occurring as a result of this book written with Kingdom purpose.

“Consider the vastness of our Supreme Exalted King.  Then ask yourself is anything big to Him?”  G. Gorden.

What things to do you do that help you jump off the emotional hormone swing?

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The 3 R's plus a Confession

Reframing and renewed seeing are themes today.  Perhaps I should add remembering to the list as well.  To take every thought I am having about today and to reframe it and see it from Heaven’s perspective would be truly transformational.  For instance, this morning I have step-by-step done the usual daily grind items for today:  made whole-wheat pancakes for breakfast, started supper in the crockpot, started laundry, started the dishwasher and started my kiddos off into their school day.  That’s something creative and a lot of new beginnings already in my day (cooking is a creative outlet for me, generally speaking, especially when I love to eat what I am cooking/baking).

I have also answered and sent emails, listened to narration from a couple of my students and blessed my kiddos.  Kingdom connection has happened!

Another privilege that I get to practice is loving and honoring my kids daily. 

And lastly (for now), I listened to a podcast that confirmed previous similar admonishments from a dear friend:  make time for community, show up when in community and be authentic when in community.  If I am going to become a normal Christian like Jesus, I must receive this timely message as from the hand of God.  That’s an act of reframing and  of renewed seeing.  Remembering to pay attention is a key to the activation of these admonishments.

My confession:  today it is much easier to see and to reframe and to remember all of these benefits.  On my hazy hormonal days, I struggle.  Remembering to keep my eyes on my Friend and to find joy in Him is the trickiest part of those days, because my natural circumstances look dark almost regardless of the light they bear in reality.  (Soon I will be re-reading a book that I hope with give me some more tools and encouragement, Jump off the hormone swing : fly through thephysical, mental and spiritual symptoms of PMS and perimenopause.)

“Let hope arise!”  Today’s themes water and give nutrients to the seeds of hope, abiding faith and breakthrough, my 2012 words.   

What are the themes Holy Spirit is highlighting to you today?

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Leaning into Hope

The areas of my life today where I must lean in and embrace hope are:

• Husband’s job  
• Daily routine benefiting me and others
• Daughter’s teeth
• Our kids’ relationships with each other growing into friendships

In church two weeks ago Garner shared this Graham Cooke quote:

“When the Holy Spirit points to a part of our life that is not working, He is not pointing out our sin.  He is not exposing us; He is manifesting the Father.  He is exposing only the warmth, the beauty, and the radiance of who God is for us.  He is also pointing out the site of our next miracle of grace, indicating our next transformation.”

Garner quoted this in the context of when we experience conviction.  I am grabbing ahold of this truth for every situation in which I am wrestling with not having hope.  In other words, regardless of who is pointing to a part of my life that is not working, I am choosing to believe that Holy Spirit is manifesting or wants to manifest the Father; that He is exposing or wants to expose only the warmth, the beauty and the radiance of who God is for me; and that He is pointing out or wants to point out the sites of my next miracles of grace, indicating my next transformations.   

Another choice I am going to make in order to lean in and embrace hope is to encounter it through the devotional Igniting Faith in 40 Days once again.  Holy Spirit has reminded to do this me several times already. 

Lastly I think I’ll take Kate’s idea (see comment via link) and sketch out being "on tiptoes with anticipation as I lean further into this new thing."

Where in your life is Holy Spirit poised to manifest the Father?

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2012 Words

Thanks to Kate and to Melissa Dinwiddie for the inspiration to pray about and ponder out words for the year.  Through a series of “serendipitous” events, my words for 2012 have emerged – hope, abiding faith and breakthrough. 

Kate shared her word in her blog post as well as the brilliant reminder she created. 

Melissa Dinwiddie shared her three words in a blog post and then again in an attractive accordion book.

I was planning to skip right to the artwork part, when I heard my Counselor’s still voice say, “you are avoiding writing.”  Right away I thought, “yes, but I am being creative.  And I can also hardly wait to start the knitting and crocheting projects that I have lined up and waiting…” 

“Yes, but” is never a good answer to my Counselor.  So here I am writing about what I intend to express in other ways, too. 

I recognize that my artwork is at best, rudimentary.  Consequently it astonishes me that I have NO FEAR  about showing my artwork to others or even posting it on my blog.  It’s just me expressing what’s inside as led by my Counselor.  What happens after that is His deal. 

I have expressed a kind of hope in the previous paragraph .  When I say the word “hope,” I don’t mean as in “wishing for.”  I mean “having the joyful anticipation of good in every area of my life and leaning into it.”  With my creations, I have no problem having hope.  At present it is settled in my heart, mind, soul and spirit that I NEED to create, that what I create is an expression of who I am and that these creations have value because I am created in His image and valued by Him.  He has this huge refrigerator and loves to hang up my stuff on it.  I am creating for an audience of One, and I am ok with others viewing my stuff.  Good is already happening because of this new pursuit and focus.  I am on tiptoes with anticipation as I lean further into this new thing.

You can probably guess that I am not as full of hope in all other areas of my life.  It’s not that I mean to not be.  It’s that I don’t realize I am lacking hope until I’m in the midst of the messes of life and whining about them.  So, this year I want to lean into the messes while remembering that everything that could ever happen in my life, Jesus has a promise for.  None of this is new information; I have quoted and meant “for we know God works all things together for the good…” for years now.  This that is happening now is revelation. 

Out of hope will develop abiding faith that will in turn attract breakthrough. ( Now that’s a good word right there!)  I want to see the development happening in my distress as I anticipate the demonstration of what God has declared.  I want to see God’s mercy and kindness in the fact that He does not allow me to fail the tests He gives to me; He lets me take the test again and again and again and again and again until I pass.  May I learn to embrace the test so that I pass them sooner!

What is your word or what are you words for 2012?  What do they mean to you?

For more inspiring words, check out these links:
2012: A Year of Promise
Transformation


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Simple Holiday Felicity

Christmas and my birthday present the same kind of challenge for me.  Generally I don't have ideas about "what I want" for either special day.  This year I did have a some ideas, and two of them were rather pricey for our budget.  In the process of "trying on" the idea of a Keurig single cup brewing system, hubby and I were enjoying our usual coffee break on date night when the idea of a pour over coffee maker seemed to be a better fit.  My dear hubby had already researched the item and was enthusiastic about it as an alternate gift idea.  On Christmas morning, I was thrilled to open my new Melitta Pour Over Filter Cone.  

I was ecstatic after sampling my first cup of homemade pour over coffee.  


I should back up a step before charging ahead (I am noticing lately that I seem to have a habit of starting in the middle, going back to the beginning and then filling in the details after the middle).


Hubby and I decided to give each other a shared gift of a Mr. Coffee Automatic Burr Mill Grinder (we bought ours from Target).  We did not wait until Christmas to use it.

So my fabulous first cup of pour over coffee on Christmas day was made thus partly because of the amazing burr mill.


Then today on our way home from church, we stopped in to our favorite coffee shop and discovered they were selling their seasonal blends buy-one-get-one-free deal.  We picked up one regular seasonal and one espresso seasonal.  


Felicity!  I discovered that I adore the espresso seasonal milled on the setting three clicks to the left of the middle, 4 tablespoons of coffee beans to 10 oz. of not quite boiling water, then cooled to lukewarm.  Oh the joys of the holidays!


Felicitous 2012 to everyone!

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