I'm Ready for Something New....

This is what God says,
the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies---
they lie down and then can't get up;
they're snuffed out like so many candles:
"Forget about what's happened;
don't keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I'm about to do somthing brand-new.
It's bursting out! Don't you see it?
There it is! I'm making a road through the desert,
rivers in the badlands....."

Isaiah 43



How about you?

Old Friends, Great Perspectives

I had the pure joy of spending the weekend with some dear, long-time friends of mine. My girlfriend from elementary school married my husband's childhood friend and now they have three beautiful kids to show for it :-) These friends are my "fun" friends. We see each other about once per year and we laugh constantly for 2 straight days. I always feel about 18 years old when we're together. That is, until one of the 7 little kids runs in the room and interrupts my "flashback" fantasy world.

My girlfriend is going through some rough times. She just got "let go" from her awesome part-time job because of company cut backs. I listened to her fears and did the best I could to love on her. At one point she was showing me some recent family photos that were taken of her entire in-law side of the family. We were oooing and ahhing over how great they were and then she made a profound comment. She said, "They're just such an awesome family. They are always right there to help, whenever there is a need.........no matter what."

I've been pondering that ever since we got home. What an incredible sense of "family." What a gift..........to be loved and to know that love. To be scared but know that there will always be someone there that's got your back. In the midst of her struggles, this reality brings her comfort. She has experienced the beauty of real family.

In the Moment

Isn't that hard to do........just be in the moment? It seems my mind wants to be worrying about the future, figuring out the present, or contemplating the past. Today one of my children helped me realize what it means to be "in the moment."

We were reading our history read alouds this afternoon for school. Our passage was several chapters in Exodus, where Moses is continually going to Pharaoh (on behalf of God) to request he let the Israelites go into the wilderness to make sacrifices and worship God. The Pharaoh obviously refuses many, many times and so God demonstrates his power through various disasters and plagues. The kids and I were really into the story (Josh kept making sound effects to embellish my reading). We were deep in discussion about the Egyptian culture and how Pharaoh (and his people) believed him to actually BE a god, and how God kept making a point to say, "I AM GOD." It was so cool how certain disasters would cover everything in Egypt EXCEPT Goshen (where the Hebrews were). I was just thinking out loud and said, "Man, what would it have been like to be one of God's chosen people then?" And without skipping a beat Zach said, "It would've been so fun, mom."

I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear when he said that. To me, that is a heart that is living in the moment. A heart that sees the adventure in following God, watching and waiting for God to show up in the midst of disaster, uncertainty, and storms. I know I'm partial, but I think that boy may be on to something :-)

Instead of being stressed because I can't figure out how a situation is going to work out, I'd like to see it for the adventure that it is: another opportunity to see God's grace and power on behalf of his grateful child. I think maybe then, the joy and beauty of any given moment won't be so easily stolen by grief and worry.

Ahh......A New Beginning

It has been way too long since I've had my own blog. Writing provides an outlet for me and it helps me shape my own thoughts and beliefs as I attempt to put them into words. I am really looking forward to sharing the churnings of my heart as I'm reading various books. It is not uncommon for me to have several books going at once, all of them influencing me in various ways. I am especially hoping that this blog will serve as an extension of a book club that I am part of (hint, hint girls). I invite all the ladies of our group (a.k.a. Her Heart for His Kingdom) to use this format as an extension of our discussions, available every day of the month. I will also likely post our "group happenings" somewhere on this blog...if I ever get it all figured out. So, here's to a new beginning and a broad horizon, lined with books as far as the eye can see.