Goodbye 2013, You've been good to me, Hello 2014

I can't believe that 2013 is almost over!  And what a year it has been.  A year ago, as I was contemplating the upcoming 2013 year, I decided that I was going to step out and try things that scared me a bit.  To step up out of my comfort zone, so to speak.  And, I think I mostly succeeded.

Now, some of the things I did were not what others would call "scary", but they were things that I normally wouldn't do.  Such as...

Start this blog.  I had quite a few people comment to me that I should write a blog.  I ignored the first few comments, laughing it off.  But, after a few more people said that to me, I decided to give it some thought.  A blog was certainly WAY out of my comfort zone.  I didn't feel like I could add anything more to what was already out there.  And a blog requires a certain openness and vulnerability that I was most definitely uncomfortable with.  I don't feel like I am particularly wise or knowledgeable.  And, the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I felt.  Then, a little thought started at the back of my pea sized brain-- it said,  "Remember your pledge for the year 2013?  Doesn't this fit perfectly?"  So, this blog was born.  I still don't feel like I am adding much value to the world with this blog, but I am doing it.  And, to my surprise, I am enjoying it.  Who knew?

I traveled to places that were a little beyond my comfort zone.  I went to countries where I didn't speak the language, I didn't know much about their customs, and maybe I was just a little concerned about being there.  One example was when we visited Turkey.  In fact, they were having protests in a part of Istanbul while we were there.  Jeff and I both discussed the wisdom of going into the country with our 15 year old.  In the end, I decided that I wasn't going to let fear of what might happen keep me from experiencing something new.  And what a fabulous experience it was!  Turkey is a wonderful country!  The people were amazing!  The food (which is important to me) was fabulous beyond description!  The landscape beautiful!  This will probably rank as one of my top life experiences.  And, I can't wait to go back!

There were other, smaller things that I did throughout the year.  Such as going out on a small catamaran with Jeff and Keagan as the "captains."  I love them both dearly, but I have a few issues with trusting them to not get me lost at sea or to not break the boat.  And, other than Jeff hitting me in the head with the sail once (he forgot to tell me he was moving the sail), we had a fabulous time!  Although I wouldn't say I conquered my completely unreasonable and non-sensical fear of people touching my eyeball, I did go and sit (mostly)  through an eye exam.  And my eyes are fine.  Which is good, because it may take me another 10 years to work up enough nerve to go back.  These are just some of the  silly little examples of what I did, but the whole process has helped me to  say no less often, and to say yes to new things, more often.  And, it's a process I intend to carry on through the rest of my life.

So now, I am looking at 2014.  And, as I've tried to come up with a goal or theme for the year, I decided to really pray about it.  Now, I would like to tell you that I had this flash of brilliant revelation. I didn't.  But, the words I felt drawn to are these:

Honor  -

"Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your barns will brim over with new wine."  Proverbs 3:9-10

"Honor your father and mother, so that you may life long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." Exodus 20:12

This year I will continue to honor God and those around me.  In fact, I will look for new and more ways to do so.

Gratefulness & Thanksgiving --

"I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;  I will tell of all your wonders.  I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."  Psalm 9:1-2 NLV

"I'm thanking you, God, from a full heart, I am writing the book on your wonders.  I'm whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy;  I'm singing your song, High God."  Psalm 9:1-2 The Message

"I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me."  Psalm 12:6

I will continue to be grateful and express my thanksgiving for all the goodness in my life.  In fact, as  a family we are doing a Good news Jar.  Every time something good happens to us this year, we are going to write it down on a piece of paper and put it in the jar.  At the end of the year, we will open up the jar and read them as a family.

Wisdom-

"For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:6

"Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you."  Proverbs 2:11

"A wise woman builds her house."  Proverbs 14:1

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.  This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones."
                                                                                                                  Proverbs 3: 5-8

I will continue to pray for wisdom (those of you who have teenagers have a deep understanding of why I need to pray for a large amount of wisdom).  Wisdom in my family decisions, wisdom in my financial decisions, wisdom in my words and actions.  I will continue to seek opportunities to learn new things.

Compassion-

"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act."  Proverbs 3:27

"Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God's hand for that person."
                                                                                                Proverbs 3:27 the Message

"A kind hearted woman gains respect."  Proverbs 11:16

"When you're kind to others, you help yourself."  Proverbs 11:17  the message

"The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped."              
                                                                                                Proverbs 11:24-25  the message

"It's criminal to ignore a neighbor in need, but compassion for the poor--what a blessing!"
                                                                                                    Proverbs 14:21  the message

I will continue to look for opportunities to show compassion to others in whatever way I can.  God has blessed me so that I can bless others.  My challenge is to look through eyes of love, not judgement.

Peace & Happiness

"A heart at peace gives life to the body."  Proverbs 14: 30

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful."  Proverbs 15:13

"A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart, and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle."
                                                                                            Proverbs 15:30  the Message

"When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him."
                                                                                                           Proverbs 16:7

I will continue to seek peace in my life.  I will promote peace.  I will try to live each day joyfully and peacefully, fully amazed by God's goodness and grace in my life.  I will strive to live in peace with others.  And when worry starts to nip at my mind, I will focus on the fact that God has everything under control.  I will not take myself too seriously and I will remember to laugh at myself often ;)

And finally-- my favorite verse that I am claiming for the year 2014-- drumroll please.....

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."  Proverbs 16:3


Can you tell that one of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Proverbs?  I really can't think of a better way to approach this new year than with the wisdom I find in these verses.  Now, I'm not going to say that I will always succeed, I will probably have gapping failures this year in every area.  I'm completely, and humiliatingly, human.  But, I am going to stumble, run, crawl and walk down this path to the best of my ability.  A little improvement is better than nothing right?  And, you can laugh at me, and with me, as I live my life as gracefully as I can.

So my wish for you for 2014 is that this new year is filled with honor, gratefulness, thanksgiving, wisdom, compassion, peace, and happiness.  My this be the best year yet!

Memories of Christmas Past

Ahhhh... It's the day after Christmas.  Christmas 2013 is done and now a memory.  We had a wonderful Christmas and I hope you did as well.  As I am sitting here, enjoying my coffee in a quiet house, I am remembering Christmases past.  Some are funny memories, some bittersweet, but all are precious.  I thought I'd just share a few with you.

One Christmas, while my brother and I were still in elementary school,  we discovered a couple of our hidden Christmas presents.  Needless to say, we were thrilled at the discovery.  Unfortunately, my brother was a little too excited about the discovery.  I was old enough to know that we needed to keep this discovery under wraps. I knew that if mom and dad found out we had been snooping, it could spell trouble.  When my dad walked through the door, My brother was right there talking away, ignoring the fact that my eyeballs were burning holes through his head and that I was frantically making shut up motions with my arms.  He walked right up to my dad and said, "Sissy and I know what we want for Christmas, and then proceeded to describe, in detail, the toys we had discovered.  My dad, being a smart man, figured out halfway through my brothers speech, that we had found our gifts.  Sigh.....

Then there was the Christmas when I was a teenager where it snowed so much it buried cars and shut down the whole city.  Unfortunately my Dad and a friend of ours (who was staying at our house for Christmas ) had procrastinated on purchasing their wives Christmas gifts.  Since the roads were not drivable, they set out to walk over  to the local grocery store which was about four blocks away.  The blizzard was still taking place, and when they returned, with presents in tow, they were so covered and caked with snow that they were unrecognizable.

Jeff and I's first Christmas as a married couple will always stand out.  We were two college kids with no money.  I was determined to have my fireplace mantel in our little apartment decorated.  Unfortunately, I didn't have money to spare to purchase decorations.  So, I made Jeff stand guard while I went out to the evergreens growing behind our apartment and trimmed off some branches to decorate the mantel with.  Our presents to each other that year were a pair of big, warm socks.  You see, our apartment was all electric heat.  The whole backside of our little one bedroom was all windows.  And, it was the coldest winter on record for Ft. Collins.  Our first heating bill was more than our rent.  So..... we turned the heat down and wore lots of layers.  The socks were all we could afford, and they were also a necessity.

There was Keagan's first Christmas, where due to the fact that he was the first grandchild on both sides of the family, he had an embarrassing amount of gifts to open.  In fact, he had to stop opening presents and take a nap, then resume his playing with the paper and boxes ;).

I remember the year that Keagan wanted to leave scrambled eggs out for Santa, so we did.  I loved the years of creating Santa "snow prints" in the house using Jeff old workbooks and powdered sugar.  The many years of putting out Reindeer food (chex mix).  The Christmas mornings spent just trying to get all the twist ties and safety bindings off of toys so that he could play with them.

I remember the careful way my grandma Clark always unwrapped her presents.  For her, just the fact that she had presents to unwrap remained magical.  She always carefully folded the paper after removing it from the present.  It always reminded me how amazing every gift was, no matter the cost.

I remember my dad doing Christmas Eve family communions at the church, where the congregation came individually as families to have communion together.  We would always be the last family to go and partake, then we would gather at our house for a dinner of Ham Delights and games.

Ahhhhh... wonderful memories.  And this Christmas will join those as a wonderful time of celebration and fellowship.

These memories always remind me of how good life is.  How thankful I am for God's great gift of his son.  Hope you enjoyed this small trip down memory lane.  Merry Christmas!

The Most Beautiful Day.....

This is the time of year where we throw around words like peace, joy, and happy.  And, I truly love those words, and the deep meaning that I associate with them.  However, as I look back on this year, and my life as a whole, only one word comes to mind.  That word is grateful.

As I sit here typing, my house is quiet and calm.  My guys are sleeping.  I am not sleeping because Jeff brought home some chocolate covered coffee beans, which I greatly enjoyed, but are now keeping me awake.  My cat is up with me and he is currently standing in front of my screen and pushing random items off my desk, like pens and papers.  I am looking out my window at the Christmas lights, and I am feeling all of those words I mentioned above:  peace, joy, happiness.  But mostly, I am feeling grateful.

"Every spare moment we have is a chance to practice gratitude."

"God thunders marvelously with His voice;  He does great things which we cannot comprehend."  Job 37:5

I am grateful that I can't sleep right now because it has given me time to sit here and just reflect quietly.  And as I do so, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude and thanksgiving.  My life is filled with infinite blessings.  I can't even count them all, for they are numerous.  I don't even have enough words to express my gratitude as eloquently as I would like.

I am grateful for the materials things, such as my house and my car, etc...  But that's not not what is really stirring this feeling of gratitude.  What I am completely in awe of are the blessings that are a little less tangible.

I am grateful for God's never ending grace and mercy.  I am so grateful that I can screw up royally, and yet still feel the love and grace of God in my life.  I am grateful that every day I can, and do, learn something new.  I am grateful for the shared moments I had today with my son and husband.  I am grateful that today I had the chance to feel the sun on my face, even if it was a little cold outside.  I am grateful for a cat that makes me laugh.  I am grateful for the Christmas music that I have been listening to. And the list goes on and on.  I just feel like my life is an amazing gift, and I'm so thankful for all of it.

My challenge to myself and to you today is to take a little time each day during this busy season and just pause, and be grateful.  To find joy in the ordinary.  Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life.

Merry Christmas!

Take a Time Out....

Does it seem like Christmas is rushing in this year?  It sure seems like it to me.  It's almost as if this year is in a hurry to be over with.  You see, I'm a compulsive list maker, and right now, as I am sitting here looking at my list of things to accomplish before years end, I have the distinct feeling that I need to hurry up and rush to get it all done.  Yet, even as I am feeling that compulsion, I am also sensing a need to slow down, soak it all in, and enjoy the little moments that will only happen this year.

I'll admit, I wasn't going to blog today thinking that I really didn't have the time.  And I was going to skip through my breakfast and coffee this morning instead of slowing down and enjoying them in front of the Christmas tree.  But then I began to just think about this past year and about how blessed I am.

So, I decided to slow down and take a time out.  If I don't get everything accomplished on my list for today, I can always do it tomorrow.  But this time to slow down and just enjoy this particular moment today won't come again.  Admittedly, I'll have a different opportunity tomorrow to slow down, but it won't be the same.

So, I took a few moments to just sit back and enjoy the way my coffee tasted.  The way the lights on the Christmas tree cast shadows on the walls.  To enjoy a short cuddle with my cat, and to laugh at him as he went to explore (and chew on) the presents sitting under the tree. To enjoy a peacefully quiet house.

And I am now taking a few minutes to blog and remind you the importance of taking a time out.  To encourage you to take a few brief minutes to just enjoy the moment.  So, watch this video and take a  little time to just relax and enjoy!

The Perfect Gift

Ok..... it's time for me to admit it.  I completely suck at this whole Christmas gift idea.  Not that I don't give gifts at Christmas time or that my gifts are bad.  What I am no good at is waiting until the ACTUAL day to give the gift, especially if it's a good gift.

Let's take this year for example.  My parents came to visit us for Thanksgiving.  I had talked to my husband ahead of time and we agreed that we would have them open their Christmas while they were here on Thanksgiving Day.  Now, in my defense, this gift has involved months and months of planning.  I've known about this gift and have been planning this gift since the springtime.  So, my parents arrive and I'm so excited to see their faces that I totally cave the first night they are here and give them their gift.  FAIL...

My husband's Christmas has already arrived and is sitting in the garage.  Of course, his gift is one that he picked out for himself, but still, this falls in the failure category.  And, there's no way it can fit under the tree.  I guess I could plop a big old bow on it for Christmas day, but what's the point in doing it now? My sons gifts are wrapped and sitting under the tree.  So, I guess that's something.  However, he already knows what it is so that can also count as a FAIL.

You see,  I love the giving part of Christmas.  It's my favorite thing to do.  I especially love to give gifts that are unexpected.  I love to watch the face of someone  when they receive that unexpected gift. For me, the saying that it is more blessed to give than to receive, is true.  I feel so overwhelmed by the blessings that I've been given that to not share that blessing would be, in my mind, criminal.  And I find that the more I try to reach out and bless others, the more blessed I become.

Of course, I learned about giving precious and unexpected gifts from the best.  God's gift of his son to the world was and still is the best, most unexpected, amazing, beautiful gift ever given.  And I am so thankful for that gift.  I'm so overwhelmed by that gift. In my imagination ( and believe me, I have a vast and weird imagination), I can almost sense the joy that God has whenever someone opens up and accepts his wonderful, extravagant, amazing gift.  Wow!

So, this season, I want you to really enjoy giving gifts.  Big, small, or otherwise.  Really take the time to relish in the simple act of giving.  Share that joy.

Well, as you probably know, I love Kid President.  So here is his latest video about the Perfect Gift. And it's my gift to you. Enjoy.

A Picture of Greatness

I am joined with the rest of the world in mourning the loss of Nelson Mandela.  His influence will be felt throughout history.  So today, I pay a small tribute to him by sharing a few of his words.  Thank you Mr. Mandela for your inspiration, wisdom, and determination!

"Difficulties break some men, but make others."

"Great anger and violence can never build a nation.  We are striving to proceed in a manner and towards a result, which will ensure that all our people, both black and white, emerge as victors."

"Without democracy there cannot be peace."

"When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace."

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

"If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy.  Then he becomes your partner."

"There is no passion to be found playing small-- in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

"We can change the world and make it a better place.  It is in your hands to make a difference."

"The greatest joy in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

"A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination."

"It always seems impossible until it is done."

"As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison."

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."

"We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right."

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head.  If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart."

"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."

"Once a person is determined to help themselves, there is nothing that can stop them."

"There is no such thing as part freedom."

"It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory, when nice things occur.  You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership."

"Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great.  You can be that generation."

"A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger.  You don't have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed."

"If people can learn to hate, they can be taught to love."

Let the games begin....

Wow!  Thanksgiving flew by!  I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday.  My mom and dad flew in and spent the week with us.  We enjoyed a week filled with food and laughter and maybe just a wee bit of competition.  Wait.. did I just say competition?  Yup.  You see, we tend to play games when we are all together.  And although we mostly tend to be mild mannered people, we all like to win.  Which is a problem, because we can't all win.

Now, we don't get nasty about it or anything.  We just tend to do things like question the rules, question a play in the game..... Nothing serious and it's all in good fun. (Unless you are playing a game of Sorry with a group of teenagers and your brother and you decide to get everybody to help you cheat and then he gets mad and stomps off....  I may or may not be guilty.  But that was still fun and funny.)

The best quote of the week came from my son.  We were playing domino's where you are trying to score points by playing tiles in such a way that they add up to a multiple of five.  At the same time you are trying to count what dominos are still left out there and block others from scoring high points.  In the middle of all this seriousness, Keagan blurts out "This game is like being in school. It is making me think too hard."  And so another "family saying" was born and I'm sure we will be using that line again and again in the near future.

I love when we gather around a table and play games.  I love that we look each other in the eye instead of all staring at various screens.  I love that we laugh at each other and ourselves.  I even love that we get a wee bit competitive.  And, as we are playing, we often sit back and tell stories about other family members, some long gone, other memories of times where we sat around different tables and played games.

Playing games is more than just time spent together.  You learn how to win and how to loose with grace. At least in my family you do, because we will call you out if you don't.  And then we will use that graceless instance against you for years to come by telling the story of the time when so and so lost his/her temper or got too cocky.  You learn perseverance.  No one in our family wins because someone "let's" them.  A win is earned.  So, if you loose every game one day, you get up the next day and play again, because, if you stick it out, chances are that eventually you will win one game.  You learn strategy and how to solve complex problems.  And, at least in the case of my family, you learn how to negotiate, and sometimes argue your point.  You also learn how to cooperate with others, carry on conversations, and how to laugh at yourself.  All of these are great life skills.  All of these help strengthen bonds.

Some of my earliest, and best, childhood memories are of my family playing games together.  So, if you are looking for a simple way to make family memories, I encourage you to gather around a board game.  My challenge during this busy season is to remember to take some time to slow down, look each other in the eye, and take part in some friendly(and yes maybe competitive) game play.