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Courage

Books, Courage, Friendship, Gratitude, Growth, Laughter, Makeup, Rest, Stillness

What is saving your life right now?

Barbara Brown Taylor has made a practice of asking others and herself that question often*.

Salvation is a word for the divine spaciousness that comes to human beings in all the tight places where their lives are at risk, regardless of how they got there or whether they know God’s name. Few of us can choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we respond to them.  To be saved is not only to recognize the alternative to the deadliness pressing down on us but also be able to act on it.”

This morning when I awoke, I started a list. Shallow and thoughtful.  Spiritual and materialistic.  Here is what is saving my life right now. Continue Reading

Character, Courage, Growth, Lessons

Echo Chamber

I have lived a large portion of my life in an echo chamber.  Even once I was old enough to make my own decisions, I was more comfortable staying in the echo chamber than venturing out.  Voices would come and go – as my opinions and beliefs did – but the only voices within hearing distance were the ones that echoed my own.

There is something super comforting about others agreeing with you, happily confined to our “us against them” mentality.  We stay inside our bubbles and only listen to the people who make us feel good about our opinions.  “See? We are all right.”

Mental high fives all around.

Life is lived easy in an echo chamber.

I just don’t believe that is what we were called to do.  I believe we were called to reach across the aisle and try to understand what others are saying too.  Life isn’t one big, clear window to look out.  It’s more of a beautiful stained glass window with an intricate pattern that can only be seen from a higher perspective.

From your spot, you may look out and see everything from a rose colored tint.  From mine, a yellow hue.  Another may see the world out of the lens of royal blue.  Sometimes we are wedged in a spot where the glass is bubbled and thick, which limits our clear view of anything.  Our view colors our perspective of reality, and we become comfortable with only the people with our same view.

One fact is that we can always move to another spot of the stained glass window.

Don’t like your view? Change it. Continue Reading

Brave, Courage, Grace, Lessons

Let it Go…Pivot on.

“Sometimes the place you are used to is not where you belong.”

I woke up this morning in mental quicksand.  I had a dream that elaborated and twisted about a situation that happened years ago in real-life.  A situation I hadn’t thought of in years.  One that never found fairness in my eyes, because no matter how I explained my intent, I was already found guilty by the other party.  The whole thing left me feeling icky and rotten.

Continue Reading

Brave, Character, Courage, Courage, Faith, Family, Fear, Grace, Hope, Lessons, Love, Parenting

The journey to a different pasture

I have hesitated in sharing the following writing for almost two years. One reason is respecting the privacy of my child and protecting the safe space to let him grow and mature. Another reason being I didn’t want to give a tiny handful of people the satisfaction of getting a glimpse into our lives. For now, that pride has been worked through and has been replaced by a healthier pride.  A mother’s pride. Continue Reading