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Lessons

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

February 5, 2019 by
Busy, Lessons, Priorities, Rest, Stillness

The Glorification of Busy

Do you ever just want to slow down? Who sold us the bill of goods that busy is to be glorified?  Or cool? I’m the fool who bought into the idea when it wasn’t even on sale.

Once, when shopping with a friend, she found a designer necklace she had been wanting, for 50% off. Over the next thirty minutes, she hemmed and hawed on whether to purchase it or not.  Did she love it or just like it?  We all helped her with the pros and cons of this big purchase, the main pro being that it was currently discounted.  The sales lady came over and apologized for the incorrect signage on this cabinet of jewelry, the necklace was actually not on sale, it was full price. I figured this new info would be the decision maker for my friend, and indeed it was.

“I’ll take it!”, she exclaimed.

Which is exactly what I did when I stumbled across the big, beautiful, perfectly lit display of “BUSY!”.   I knew it wasn’t a good deal and yet I raced to the checkout counter with full price payment in hand.  “I’ll take it!”

Oh, the marketing tricks that have fooled us.  We are living with calendars packed to the edges, which is fine as long as we don’t change the posture of our heart to reflect our schedule.  Living with “busy” as the posture of your heart is exhausting.  And eventually, it will break us.  I want to be productive, without the busy.  Which requires paying attention to priorities.

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October 23, 2018 by
Family, Laughter, Lessons, Love, Parenting

The Soundtrack of Parenthood

It’s overwhelming for me to think about a legacy left behind.  I’d rather leave behind a soundtrack.  Like a mixed tape of my life.  The soundtrack to our life with three teenagers and their schedules would give you an eye twitch.  And I know we are not the only ones.

The soundtrack of parenthood is a real doozy.  “I’ll love you forever” lullabies, the soft hymns of rocking those babies, the Barney song and Bob the Builder tied in with a little Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Then comes the BeeBoop Disney Channel of pre-teens, only to ramp up to lyrics and beats that began the eye twitch.  Although, sometimes when they are sleeping, I’ll sneak in, crawl across their floor and still hear the tune “As long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.” playing softly.

The days are long and the years are short when your children are in the toddler/younger years.  In the teenage years, the days are brief and the years literally evaporate. I’m not kidding when I tell you that one morning you are dropping your darling freshman off for early morning football practice before the sun rises, and the next second you are taking pictures of him walking the stage at graduation.  Brace yourself momma, this is truth.  All the years of their youth are to be cherished.  Not all stages are enjoyable, but cherish the lesson – thus the moment.  We are so lucky to have them. Continue Reading

September 17, 2018 by
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

September 5, 2018 by