Awhile back Andy brought home a book by David Platt called Follow Me a call to die a call to live. I immediately said I wanted to read it. I even attempted to during my short little bath times but it quickly made it's way back to my pile of other magazines and books I someday hope to read. As a mom of two young girls it is hard enough to find time to think a coherent thought let alone read a book that takes some time and focus to really hear the words on the page.
Well tonight I picked it back up and to say I have been once again wrecked by what it means to follow Jesus is an understatement. I will admit it, I have, like many others, become distracted by the people and things around me; the mountain of "things to do", and my plain ol' selfishness. I have allowed things that mean nothing, to distract me from my everything!
In a time where follow me leans more to social media then it does Jesus, I feel it is a perfect time to take a step back to really look at how I am doing this life.
How does my life look any different from any other person (follower of Jesus to not)? Who is guiding my thoughts, my actions? Driving my will to do this or that? These are all simple yet important questions I am asking myself tonight.
When speaking on the many people of the world who claim the title "Christian" without really understanding (or maybe just not caring) about the gravity of what following Jesus really means, Platt tells this simple little story:
"Imagine you and I set up a meeting for lunch at a restaurant, and you arrive before I do. You wait and wait and wait, but 30 minutes later I still haven't arrived. When I finally do show up, completely out of breath, I say to you "I'm so sorry I'm late. when I was driving over here, my car had a flat tire, and I pulled over on the side of the interstate to fix it. While I was fixing it, I accidentally stepped into the road, and a Mack truck going 70 mph suddenly hit me head-on. It hurt, but I picked myself up, finished putting the spare tire on the car, and drove over here."
If this was the story I shared, you would know I was either deliberately lying or completely deceived. Why? Because if someone gets hit by a Mack truck going 70 mph, that person is going to look very different then he did before!"
Do I look any different today then when I fell in love with Jesus? I know the answer is yes, and I truly believe and love Jesus with every once of my being and feel that I have been blessed to understand His grace, but am I continuing to look more and more like Him or am I aiming to look like a warped image of who the world and my distractions have made Him out to be? It's not even that my distractions are bad, it's just that He is so much better!
We are coming up against a lot of questions in our home about how to best be effective for Jesus and how to love Him and others well. With those questions come a call to dare to be different and to ask and explore what this so called "different" means.
I don't have the answers to these questions but I know I want to walk the path of finding them and not just be okay surrounded by the pretty things. I am starting my own journey of finding out how to really do the things Jesus is asking of me, do them well, and do them without fear.
Platt quotes from Oswald Chambers My utmost for His highest saying:
"Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender...
Jesus Christ demands the same unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him... If a person is ever going to do anything worthwhile, there will be times when he must risk everything by his leap in the dark. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything that you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly consistent as common sense.
By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ's statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis-- only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the Character of God."
Jesus promised that this life would not be without trials and hardship but he never once said in the midst of or in-between them that this life wouldn't be fun! Jesus demands a unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him, now that is how I want to live!
So here goes. A little less distracted by the petty things in order to leave plenty of room for that unrestrained + adventurous spirit to shine!
Can we all just admit that by having known Jesus and fallen for His way of life we have been ruined.
Ruined for the ordinary life!
Showing posts with label me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label me. Show all posts
Friday, January 3, 2014
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Processing Mr. Banks...
Some girlfriends and I met this afternoon for a much needed fun, kid free, mama-movie-date. We all wanted to see Saving Mr. Banks (I think we all figured this was our chance since most our husbands were not jumping at the opportunity to see a movie about the "making" of Mary Poppins.)
I went into the theater with little knowledge of the movie and the expectation of some lighthearted fun. To be honest, I don't think I have ever even seen Mary Poppins the whole way through and really just went along for the good company of sweet friends. I did not though, bargain for the roller coaster of emotions that hit me at each scene of the movie and the intense thoughts, pictures, memories, and realizations that have swarmed me after.
This is not, I repeat NOT a fluffy film about the making of a Disney movie. This was a beautifully told story of real life actions, consequences, and the path that life takes to make us who we are!
In the two hours I sat in that uncomfortable chair, I saw bits of how I got to be who I am and the kind of mother I want to be!
You see, whether we like to admit it or not, we are greatly affected by the childhood we have. The family we are born into and the way we are raised set the very tone for the rest of our lives. Coming from the mindset of my own childhood this brings up a mixed bag of good and bad. Luckily, the memories of the good outweigh the bad but both emotions do still coexist. This is not about me though, I know there is far more to the story then how I was raised and who I have become. More then that I am overcome with thoughts of what my own Mother has gone through and who I am raising my own daughters to be.
I thought about breaking down each thought but realized in doing so I would be revealing things I have no right to speak on (at least at this point in my life.) So instead I just want to say a quick thought and encourage you to see the movie through your own background and lens.
What each person in this life has experienced is what sets them up for who they will become. For some it is generations of love and good and joys and for others it is not. P.L Travers reminded me so much of my own mom and watching the story of her with her dad showed me how one might become that way.
To consider why someone is who they are is a beautiful gift we have to give. To not write them off for the actions they have (or lack there of) but to truly question, wonder, and ask is a responsibility we have in loving one another well. This movie showed me so clearly how one does not just wake up one day to be who they are: but took me on a two hour journey of how it can come to be.
Find out more about that person in your life who holds so much mystery. Boldly ask them more about their story so that you can better understand them and in return love them well and meet them in that place where they need to be. (I write this from my own vulnerability. So Mom, if you are reading this, I want to know more and invite you to write and share things with me...)
Take the time to invest into peoples lives and go beyond the surface of who you think they are. There are events that lead us and people who change us: each one leaving a lasting imprint on who it is we become. Our own words and actions also do the same for others so the responsibility is ours to be careful and thoughtful, because wounds run deep and impact so much more then our simple minds can see. (note: the entire movie is about just this!)
And lastly, do not give up on the ones you love even if you do not understand them. Be patient and pray and maybe, just maybe, like the film, you will see the whole picture and it will all make sense one day!
ok, Now Go, see the movie for yourself! And do not worry, there are PLENTY of laughs and light hearted moments to balance the intensity :)
well done Disney, so very very well done!
I went into the theater with little knowledge of the movie and the expectation of some lighthearted fun. To be honest, I don't think I have ever even seen Mary Poppins the whole way through and really just went along for the good company of sweet friends. I did not though, bargain for the roller coaster of emotions that hit me at each scene of the movie and the intense thoughts, pictures, memories, and realizations that have swarmed me after.
This is not, I repeat NOT a fluffy film about the making of a Disney movie. This was a beautifully told story of real life actions, consequences, and the path that life takes to make us who we are!
In the two hours I sat in that uncomfortable chair, I saw bits of how I got to be who I am and the kind of mother I want to be!
You see, whether we like to admit it or not, we are greatly affected by the childhood we have. The family we are born into and the way we are raised set the very tone for the rest of our lives. Coming from the mindset of my own childhood this brings up a mixed bag of good and bad. Luckily, the memories of the good outweigh the bad but both emotions do still coexist. This is not about me though, I know there is far more to the story then how I was raised and who I have become. More then that I am overcome with thoughts of what my own Mother has gone through and who I am raising my own daughters to be.
I thought about breaking down each thought but realized in doing so I would be revealing things I have no right to speak on (at least at this point in my life.) So instead I just want to say a quick thought and encourage you to see the movie through your own background and lens.
What each person in this life has experienced is what sets them up for who they will become. For some it is generations of love and good and joys and for others it is not. P.L Travers reminded me so much of my own mom and watching the story of her with her dad showed me how one might become that way.
To consider why someone is who they are is a beautiful gift we have to give. To not write them off for the actions they have (or lack there of) but to truly question, wonder, and ask is a responsibility we have in loving one another well. This movie showed me so clearly how one does not just wake up one day to be who they are: but took me on a two hour journey of how it can come to be.
Find out more about that person in your life who holds so much mystery. Boldly ask them more about their story so that you can better understand them and in return love them well and meet them in that place where they need to be. (I write this from my own vulnerability. So Mom, if you are reading this, I want to know more and invite you to write and share things with me...)
Take the time to invest into peoples lives and go beyond the surface of who you think they are. There are events that lead us and people who change us: each one leaving a lasting imprint on who it is we become. Our own words and actions also do the same for others so the responsibility is ours to be careful and thoughtful, because wounds run deep and impact so much more then our simple minds can see. (note: the entire movie is about just this!)
And lastly, do not give up on the ones you love even if you do not understand them. Be patient and pray and maybe, just maybe, like the film, you will see the whole picture and it will all make sense one day!
ok, Now Go, see the movie for yourself! And do not worry, there are PLENTY of laughs and light hearted moments to balance the intensity :)
well done Disney, so very very well done!
Monday, December 2, 2013
into the woods
We did a little family photo shoot a few weeks ago with two gals I just love to pieces. Lauren has quickly over the past couple years, become one of my best friends. She is kind, real, creative, real, fun, real... All the things that make me tick! We are pretty like minded on a lot of things and it makes being her friend effortless and fun! Lauren styled the shoot, I swear with just me in mind! (did I tell you we have the same taste!) and the wonderfully sweet and fun Caroline took the photos!
It was kind of a crazy time as Poppy did not want to sit still and carried around a minnie mouse lip gloss the entire time, but somehow Caroline managed to get some really cute photos of us!
reading (or am I just trying to keep poppy from running away?!)
the only way to get Poppy in the shot sitting still... allow the lip gloss! haha
close up!
kissing under the mistletoe
loving on my big girl
love how tender Andy is with his girls
me and my man
tangled in lights
just a real life moment
getting squeezed
more k-i-s-s-i-n-g
beautiful girl
cozied up with our first born (while poppy is off somewhere with her lip gloss)
looking out on the city we love
PDX
up close with Poppy
Thank You so much Lauren & Caroline for being patient and good sports working with this crazy crew! I adore you two so much!
tree
Man, Thanksgiving was LATE this year. Usually I am not so overly zealous to get our tree but being that it was really almost December, we decided to take advantage of the dry Saturday and venture out!
Dont get me wrong, I love love love getting our tree! I just like to celebrate one Holiday at a time :)
beautiful poppy in a sea of trees
sweet baby wonderer
family shot on the hayride out to find our tree
can this girl get any prettier?!?
Daddy giving me a funny wink (love pops in the background!)
anxious to cut!
Alomae hugging the tree after Daddy cute it down!
And oh my is our tree big. It did not look so big in the woods, but in our little house it is grand! I just LOVE the girls ages right now and how fun these little adventures are.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
out of this funk. hope restored
I know who supplies my Joy and my Hope. I know who holds my future and I love Him well. Sometimes though, it takes awhile for what you know in your head, to catch up to what you feel in your heart.
Sometimes life is just a bit hard.
Uncertainty and unknowns are hard; but in true Jesus fashion, just when those feelings become suffocating and too much to bare, he gives you a glimmer of hope, a glimpse into whats ahead, and somehow all light is restored! He just gives a little though, enough to bring peace but not so much that we start moving forward on our own accord.
I am sharing all this because I know I am not alone today in the need for a little bit of Hope. Look for Him and answers in all the obvious places, but don't be quick to write off the people He has placed in your life and in the mundane. Quiet your mind, reach out to friends, and don't push away what you know and feel to be true.
He is up to something. I promise.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
two weeks of rest
we were able to take two and a half weeks off in October to rest and restore.
fot the first week we snuck off to Sunriver for some adventure!
Adventure came to us in an unexpected way when Andy decided to drive the Land Cruiser out onto the bank of a river which in reality was very deep, thick, quick sand like MUD.
we got stuck here for 3 hours in 25 degree weather and finally was rescued by an Angel of a white truck!
a pumpkin decorating contest happened
and a couple beautiful hikes
We had a great morning of corn mazing, horse carriage-ing, cotton candy eating, pony riding and the most AMAZING pumpkin donut I have ever had
there were plenty of moments at breweries and coffee shops as well
and of course lots of PLAY
During the next week Andy and I snuck to the Oregon game. it was such a treat to have an evening kid free!
Vacation was Awesome and I cannot wait to do it again. Taking that much time off back to back was LIFE GIVING and so very needed after a long and busy year!
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