Thursday, September 20, 2007

Appreciating Structure (Renamed later: A Place to Shine)


Oh, even the title sounds boring! By nature I am carefree, spontaneous and creative. I feel squelched at the thought of writing my life's plans down on a calendar, and clocks and I -- well, you could say we really tick each other off! God has, these past couple of years, however, introduced me to both the need for structure in my life and the desirability of structure.

I have many examples He has provided me along the way, but here's the most recent: I was watching a jewelry channel in the middle of the night (volume down, just watching the pretty jewels go by to get myself back to sleep), when the seller began to display just the settings of jewelry. One after another, some not-so-pretty items were pictured, rings with settings but no stones, the framework but none of the glorious beauty of gems.

"That is structure," I said! The setting itself is not magnificent, but it provides a platform on which to secure the jewel so that it may rest there, that it may be safe in that place and that it may shine forth its beauty. And that's what structure can do for me: Grant me rest, provide me safety and give my creativity a place to shine.

This is a long, difficult road, the learning to better structure myself -- my time, my money, my belongings. Gradually, though, God is bringing about changes in me. With gentleness and creativity (thank You, God), He is making what I once ran from something I am beginning to desire.

And only He could do that!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

On Nurture and Home Environment

I used to think investing time and money in improving my home was worldly and materialistic. While it could become both, it need not be either. It is simply influencing my environment so it, in turn, can have a positive, nurturing influence and effect on me and those I love. And there's nothing wrong with that!

Something New

So much of what I'm learning at present involves mind and body connection. Having lived out of my head and from my heart (which are both really good things), I'm now finding I have a body. My mind can nurture my body, AND (new knowledge) my body can be a blessing to my mind. I just read that the consistency of happy tears and sad tears are different from one another. That means when I cry, my body is getting rid of something it needs to release.

My newfound amazement with the body and its role does not subtract from my faith in God. It is He who made me and not me myself. Such new meaning the following verse is having to me: The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me!

Part of my Brain

There's a part of my brain (I can point to it) that was made to take dictation. When I record what others are saying as they say it then put it into written form, something in me feels more alive and connected. It is by no means the whole of who I am, but it is part of me, and I am happy to say I am not neglecting the gift that is within me regarding that part of my brain!

Maybe

I don't have to wait to feel wonderful to move forward. Maybe feeling better comes in the moving forward itself. There's something to this idea that the Lord uses process to bring about change.

Life

It's not always fair or beautiful or amazing as I'd love for it to be. But it's life, and it is made up of many textures, for which I am just beginning to be grateful.

More Lessons From Mexico

God was not messing around when he confused people at Babel. Language is a huge, frustrating barrier. When God wanted to divide the people into nations and they decided no, they'd rather build a tower themselves reaching to heaven, he confused them by giving them each languages the others would not understand. He indeed had the last word.

What I Learned in Mexico

My part is to offer God whatever He gives me to do; His job is to perfect whatever I offer.

This truth has been most freeing as I learn to believe and live it out in more and more areas of my life.