My goal this year was to gain better focus. During this beautiful, busy chaotic time of year, I find myself easily distracted by everything happening around me. My mind moves in every direction not to miss any excitement around the season. Instead of punishing myself for lack of focus, I apply focus to each distraction. Each time my mind wanders I ask myself why I am thinking about this particular issue. No matter how small or large the issue, I pray for clarity and opportunity to move forward. I give thanks to Jesus for a solution before a solution is…
Suffering is difficult and very personal. For several years now I have been a full-time caregiver. I have learned some things worth sharing, however, every situation is uniquely different. In The Book of Joy, I remember reading that the Dalai Lama approaches every situation and person with compassion. Every interaction, whether through the eyes, the voice, the touch, everything from a perspective of joy. Before reading The Book of Joy, I had numerous interactions with Path to Faith, an organization founded by the Nemeh’s with the mission of bringing people closer to God by experiencing His love and…
I was reminded today of the importance of being tactful. There are so many ways to say or do the same thing and we have a choice on how we address every situation. While living in my current home, I have been approached three times with issues. Each time the issue was legitimate and each time was handled very differently. I would like to say that I have never been at the center of an issue, but many times I have been at fault without realizing it. The first time was shortly after I moved in, my yappy yet incredible…
As we prepare for the holidays I take a deep breath and remember it is a special time to spread love, make memories, and be thankful. I have already started to prepare myself for the normal stress of the season. Understanding that things will come up, everything will not be perfect, and yet we can still enjoy the reason for the season. I have come to realize that our purpose can be overshadowed by the quest to over-schedule our lives. Looking back, I have learned to ask our family about their favorite moments. Asking what parts are special and…
I know the plan I am to follow, it’s time to take action. There are excuses that I can allow to block me from my purpose, but I know what is right. It is clear what is expected of me, the question is will I take action? Will I let go of what I want for myself and surrender to Jesus’s plan? If I continue down my intended path, my life will be far richer than if I choose my own path. Despite knowing that, it is difficult to let go of what I desire and continue with…
Do you feel ready for the unexpected? Sometimes we allow stress and worry to get in the way, particularly when we allow the outside world to guide our every moment. There are things I do to help me be prepared for the unexpected. Although it might be nice if life were consistent daily, we need to be ready for the unknown. Living in the moment allows me to ebb and flow daily as life brings new challenges. That doesn’t mean I have abandoned the future or don’t have dreams or goals, but it does mean I’m open…
It normally takes endurance to run with Jesus. Sometimes, he will take us on a 50-yard dash, but often, our journey involves running a marathon. We have to pace ourselves so that we are up to the challenge. Enduring through difficult times is important, but so is understanding when your path needs to be changed. I endured through years of infertility. But at the same time, I was exploring various paths and alternatives to becoming a parent. Each alternative was investigated until the path came to a dead-end. Quitting was not an option, but changing the path was…
In life, I look to avoid tricks and strengthen the treats. This chaotic world does not make it easy to identify tricks and treats. Tricks are often wrapped in beautiful packaging looking too good to be true. Sometimes we convince ourselves that the beauty is real, but deep down we know what’s in the package is not authentic. We might sense that something is off but still want to hold onto the dream that it is real and kind. Disregarding the pit in our stomachs, forging forward through the mud until we hit the dead end. Hindsight tells us…
Should we or shouldn’t we, the question of resistance. As we hold on to control what we do and don’t resist, becomes ours to decipher. When we let Jesus take the reins, we simply follow the path of peace. Giving control to Jesus is simple, but not always easy for those of us who like to know where we are going. In this case, we are totally surrendering to Jesus and the path he intends for us to follow. It is likely we might not want to do some of the things on that path. We might even…
It’s not often that we get an opportunity to slow down our life. We can’t turn back the clock, but we can do what’s important with the time that we have available to us. We can evaluate how we use that time and make choices that align with our priorities. That means we first have to identify our priorities. That is not easy particularly when life brings great chaos. Most of us probably have a handful of priorities we can articulate immediately. But are we living our lives according to those priorities? Are we spending our time…