What I Learned in September

     Life brings us something wonder-ful  everyday.  Here is what I wondered about and learned in the month of September.

1.     I've learned that I really do not like clutter around the house.  I think that I have always known this, but with six people or more in the house de-cluttering seemed like shoveling snow in a blizzard.  More came in than ever went out.  Pat and I are deliberately rearranging.  We've tackled the pile of shoes at the entry way by redesigning our entry closet.  Now there is space for a breath when we come home. We also have begun very intentionally to edit the items in our house.  We have removed clothes, furniture, and "get to it someday" items.  A little girl was blessed with a dollhouse and a desk went to a neighbor.  Many things have gone to Goodwill.   Our home is more peaceful and welcoming.  What a difference empty space makes.

2.    My daily planner was misplaced over the summer (see item 1)  and I needed a new one, especially with school starting.  I stumbled across this one and I LOVE IT!  In fact when my husband saw mine, he ordered one for himself, without flowers,  and for our daughter.  Patty is using it as a school planner for college.  There are several different styles and sizes.  Mine fits in my purse, so I have it with me always.

     There are three sections on each of the week at a glance pages.  The top section replaces all those lists on the back of envelopes and random sticky notes.  Your ideas, plans and need to do's are listed under categories that you determine.  Mine say Family, Church, School, Medical, Errands, Blog, and Projects.  The middle section is where you assign things from the top to a particular day.  The bottom section is for appointments.  I love this planner because it organizes  my ideas into action.  I really do get more done.  (The Planner Pad folks do not know me and are not subsidizing this post in any way.)

3.     I've learned that people want to hear your story.  That when we share what God has done for us, it blesses others. 

     A dashing young man asked me to dance and my life changed in an instant.  Thirty four years later I'm still dancing and loving this man.

 

4.     I read the book Speak Love:  Making our Words Matter, by Annie Downs.   It is such a wonderful and uplifting book.  As a teacher I have seen and experienced the effects of harsh words and mean girls - and boys.  Not all of them are children, either.

     It is a book of encouragement to use your words to build people up, not tear them down.  To speak love, healing, and hope into peoples lives.  It was a blessing to read.  It makes you aware that what you say and how you say it are truly important.

5.     September is always a time of new beginnings for me.  It is the month of my birth.  In 2009, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I wasn't sure how many more birthdays I would see.  Of course, none of us really know that.  Still September is a time of reflection for me.  I take time to think about what I've done, what I need to do, and what I want to do.  I think about how I can serve my family, my job, and the greater world around me.
     As a wife and mother I love my family and am grateful to God for allowing me to be a part of their lives.
      As a teacher, I really do enjoy the smell of newly sharpened pencils, crisp Fall air, and traces of chalk dust.  I am so happy to be able to go to school and enjoy learning with my students.

What have you learned this month?

Oh, Poop!

     From the archives:  October 2, 2005,
     On a beautiful Saturday morning eight years ago, Mr. Odell came to clean out our septic tank.  Now I know many of us have them, but most of us don't discuss them, particularly at church on a Sunday morning.  I did just that.  Here is what I shared.
     When the big septic tank truck roared up our driveway my youngest children, Anthony, age seven, and Connor age four, hurried out to see what was happening.  The truck with its huge hoses was far more interesting than any Saturday morning cartoon.  Even better, the man driving the truck had a shovel and was looking for a good spot to dig.  The boys were excited.  They were under the mistaken impression that a treasure was going to be found right in our front yard!
     Mr. Odell has known Pat and I for years and so we chatted while he was digging.  Connor was yanking on me, climbing me and being his usual charming self.  Anthony however, was full of questions.  "What are you doing?  Why are you digging?  What will you find?"
     Mr. Odell patiently explained that the truck was a "poopy truck."  He continued digging and explained the general process of toilets, pipes, and septic tanks.  Anthony's eyes got bigger and bigger with disbelief.  He thought Mr. Odell was telling him a funny story with some bathroom humor.  Mom certainly didn't tell stories as good as this.  He moved closer.  Mr. Odell was clearing the dirt away from a round door hatch with a small handle.  Anthony was thrilled, clearly Mr. Odell had found something.  Mr. Odell lifted the hatch and tossed it aside.  I took a firm hold of Connor so he wouldn't go for a swim.
     Anthony crept even closer for a look.  Sure enough there was something down there.  Anthony peeked in the tank, gasped, and jumped back.  He was overcome and appalled.  He was looking at two years and a family of eight worth of yuck.  Anthony peered up, his brown eyes huge, and solemnly said, "Mommy, I will NEVER poop again!"
     Mr. Odell and I laughed as Anthony, full of impossible good intentions, ran into the house and closed the door.
     This reminded me of a passage in Romans written by Paul.

     I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is the sin living in me.  I know that nothing good lives in me, for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do, this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but is sin living in me that does it.
     So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.  What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?  ~Romans 7:15-25

     We all know what it is like to have good intentions, to set our minds and hearts on accomplishing some task.  We make great plans; to eat a healthier diet, to start an exercise program, get up when the alarm rings, get to places on time, to somehow be good enough.
     In our minds, we say, "This time I'm really going to get it together."    But then we eat the donuts, the exercise bike sits alone in a corner, we hit the snooze button, and we are running late everywhere we go.  Some of us feel that we should clean ourselves up before we come to God or even deepen our relationship with Him.  Like Paul and Anthony, we want to do good, but we don't.
     Fortunately, it is not what we do that saves us.  It is what Jesus has already done.  Jesus has done all that needs to be done for our forgiveness.  He has paid the price for our sins.  Nothing we will ever do will add to our salvation.
     Who will rescue me from this body of death?

     Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.  ~Romans 8:1-2

Project 52: Resolution

    Project 52:  The challenge is one photo each week for a year hosted by my3boybarians.com .  While I'm not sure that I will be able to manage this, I sure would like to give it a try.  The first theme is Resolution.  I was immediately reminded of this photo I took in October.  I know, not taken this week, but I just found the group.  So I ask your forgiveness and promise that I'll take weekly pictures from this point on.

     This is a picture of the stone carving "Prayer" found on the property of Opus 40.  Read more about our trip here.  Prayer is described as a young girl supplicant on her knees.  This carving speaks to me of resolution in prayer, of setting our face toward our heavenly Father and offering praise or making our requests.  
-Donna

Dwell Deep

 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.   2 Corinthians 5:17

     As the calendar turns to a new year, many of us review our accomplishments, goals, and plans, and consider the future.  We decide to do things differently.  We make New Year’s resolutions.

     Now I can make resolutions that will knock your socks off and keep me and my family busy all year.  But activity and busyness isn’t the same thing as accomplishment.  I want to say to God what Jesus said in John 17:4.

“I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”

    Jesus was in his early thirties when He said this.  He hadn’t healed everyone.  He hadn’t preached to everyone.  He certainly hadn’t converted everyone.  In just a little while, He would be arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death.  Most of his followers would abandon Him.  Jesus hadn’t filled His days with frantic rushing and busyness.  The first 30 years of His life were spent very quietly.  Jesus had left room in His planner for God.  He had accomplished what was important, and then set His face toward the cross. 

     Rather than make a list of resolutions, I have begun to choose one word to frame my year.  Read about my previous words here.

      This year, I considered a host of words.  I wanted a word that I would see at Hobby Lobby on a box or a sign - like Praise, Hope, Love, or even Eat.  But this year, the word that I kept coming back to was “dwell.”   To dwell means to reside, to abide, to rest.  It implies permanence.

Psalm 84:1-4

How lovely is your dwelling place, 

   LORD Almighty! 

My soul yearns, even faints, 

   for the courts of the LORD; 

my heart and my flesh cry out 

   for the living God. 

Even the sparrow has found a home, 

   and the swallow a nest for herself, 

   where she may have her young— 

a place near your altar, 

   LORD Almighty, my King and my God. 

Blessed are those who dwell in your house; 

   they are ever praising you.


I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:5

     I want to:
        Dwell in possibility.  
        Dwell in hope.  
        Dwell in grace.  
        Dwell in Christ.  
        Dwell in health.  
        Dwell richly.

     In   Jeremiah 49 the inhabitants of Dedan are told to, “dwell deep.”  In 2012, I hope to learn to dwell deep.

One Little Word

-Donna
Update:  Linking to:
http://www.thenester.com  Home Goals
http://www.serenitynowblog.com Weekend Bloggy Reading
http://www.raisingmightyarrows.com Proverbs 31 Thursdays

Kindle Afresh the Gift of God

"I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled" Luke 12:49

     As many of you know, I am a list maker.  In January as the calendar turns, I sit down and make a list of things that I want to accomplish in the coming year.

     In 2009, I changed it up just a bit.  Instead of a list, I choose an over arching phrase to frame my year.   I decided that “make room” would be my priority.  Make room for Jesus in my heart, my marriage, with my family & friends, in my home and in my job.  I had vague thoughts about cleaning the house and getting organized. Instead God answered my prayers with a diagnosis of breast cancer and I found myself “making room” in very unexpected ways.  I flung myself into the arms of faith and was caught and held ever so gently by my Lord.  I began to look at everything with new eyes.  I discovered as I sat in doctor’s offices, went for treatments, and even took naps that some things weren’t as important as I had previously thought they were.  I appreciated my family more and fell in love with my husband all over again. After all, the really important things, aren’t things at all - they are the people God has given us to love.

   When 2010 was ushered in, I embraced making room again as my focus for the year.   

     When 2011 arrived I held onto the important people and I narrowed my theme to One Word - Kindle.  I was inspired by my husband’s Christmas gift to me.  He gave me a new Kindle.  I have had one for years and I absolutely love it. 

     Synonyms for the word Kindle are: to blaze, burn, light, inflame, ignite, glow, excite, set fire, arouse, awaken, challenge, stir, provoke, stimulate, inspire, thrill, energize, enliven, impel, and animate.

     In Luke 3, John the Baptist told his followers this of Jesus,  “I baptized you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”.  Jesus gives us a fire of love that kindles a decision to turn our hearts to Him.

     Paul wrote this in 2 Timothy 1:6, "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you (NIV)."  Another Bible version says, “I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God.”

     We are to kindle afresh the gift of God. We need to revive the fire.  Arouse it.  Ignite it. Make it glow!    

     General Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army once sent a message to those under him.  He wrote, “The tendency of a fire is to go out; watch the fire on the altar of your heart.”  Kindle afresh.  Fan into flame the gift of God.  Revive the fire.

Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; 

   the whole earth is full of his glory.”

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”  

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

     Jesus came to bring fire to the Earth.  How do you Kindle afresh the gift of God?

Tomorrow I will share my word for 2012.
-Donna

Books I've Read in 2011

"You can't get a cup of tea coffee big enough or a book long enough to suit me."  C. S. Lewis

     I must confess that I am an avid reader.   When I was younger, it was not unusual for me to be so involved in a book that I was oblivious to what was happening.  My burning toast has set off the smoke alarm far too many times to count.  I am fortunate to have a Kindle and so there is always a book waiting for me to read at any moment of the day.  Here is a list of books that I read in 2011 that I thought about long after I turned the last page. 

  

     My (not so) Story Book Life, by Elizabeth Owen

     Grace for the Good Girl, by Emily Freeman

     The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins

     The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Bauermeister

     Poke the Box, by Seth Godin

     Dwelling Place, by Elizabeth Musser

     The Mill River Recluse, by Darcie Chan

     Loving Frank, A Novel, by Nancy Horan

     The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted: A Novel by Bridget Asher

     Winter Sea, by Susanna Kearsley

     One Thousand Gifts:  A Dare to Live Fully Right    Where You Are, by Ann Voskamp

     Little Bee, by Chris Cleave

     Room: A Novel, by Emma Donoghue

     The Story of Beautiful Girl, by Rachel Simon

     Ellis Island, by Kate Kerrigan

Linking with Nesting Place.

What books do you suggest for 2012?

-Donna