I cannot believe that it has been two weeks since my last post! I have been working and running around a lot...leaving no time for thinking or writing. After a very full two weeks, I have had this weekend to catch up on some rest, get some time to reconnect with N, and enjoy my home. I am a person who needs peace and uninterrupted quiet to recharge and refuel. This is what has been missing lately! I am grateful for time to just take a breath, catch up on things, and chill out.
Today is Palm Sunday, a day to celebrate Christ - God's ultimate gift to us. I wish I was better at showing that gift to the world...telling people that their stress and frustration can be healed at the feet of Jesus. In fact, I need to remember that myself lately! God gives, gives, gives to us in so many ways. Patience, love, grace, loyalty, forgiveness, understanding, peace, mercy, the list of His gifts could go on and on. I celebrate His giving this Palm Sunday. Celebrate what I have and all that I am; celebrate the opportunities and hope I see around me; celebrate my family and friends; celebrate my blessings.
Resting in His love + spending time with my true love and partner N = Bliss.
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Today's Bliss: Forgiveness
My blog today is a confession. Remember back on Ash Wednesday when I was so excited to start my Lent calendar? Yeah, well, I am not following it at all! As you can imagine, I have a long list of excuses for not sticking to my calendar plan, but none of them truly excuse me. I am definitely not proud of my effort.
Forgiveness is a huge, wonderful part of my relationship with God, my relationship with my family and coworkers, my relationship with friends. I am so, so far from perfection, as we all are, that I am in need of forgiveness every day! I am slowly learning that being hard on myself and beating myself up for not doing something (or for doing something I shouldn't) is a waste of time. Things happen...all we can do is ask for forgiveness, forgive ourselves, and try to do better the next time. After all, we are all human and we all have to be forgiven sometimes, right?
I praise God for His blessing of forgiveness. Praise to Jesus for dying for me so that I can live a redeemed life, whether I deserve it or not. That is a deep blessing that I will probably never really grasp. Knowing about Divine mysteries like this is why I count my life as blissful.
And, who knows...maybe I'll stick to my Lent calendar tomorrow? :-/
Forgiveness is a huge, wonderful part of my relationship with God, my relationship with my family and coworkers, my relationship with friends. I am so, so far from perfection, as we all are, that I am in need of forgiveness every day! I am slowly learning that being hard on myself and beating myself up for not doing something (or for doing something I shouldn't) is a waste of time. Things happen...all we can do is ask for forgiveness, forgive ourselves, and try to do better the next time. After all, we are all human and we all have to be forgiven sometimes, right?
I praise God for His blessing of forgiveness. Praise to Jesus for dying for me so that I can live a redeemed life, whether I deserve it or not. That is a deep blessing that I will probably never really grasp. Knowing about Divine mysteries like this is why I count my life as blissful.
And, who knows...maybe I'll stick to my Lent calendar tomorrow? :-/
Monday, February 20, 2012
Today's Bliss: Energy
It has been a while since I last posted anything here; the winter blahs have been in full force for me lately. I have also had some stress at work and it has overwhelmed my ability to think clearly and feel at ease in my office. But today was different. Today, I felt energized, motivated, ready to face the day with gusto! Today I greeted the day with a new sense of confidence and readiness to face whatever came my way. It was a good day, especially considering it was a Monday!
As a look back at my day and ask why I felt so renewed, the only answers are: rest and God. This weekend was incredibly restful and relaxing at our house. With little on the agenda, I had time to catch up on some things, accomplish looming tasks, and enjoy time with N. This was complimented by yesterday's church service, which was a very refreshing time. The service began with all of us making a list of things that we wanted to get from the service. I noted: comfort, peace, direction. These pieces of paper were then collected and placed on the altar. Taking time to really think about what I needed from the service was powerful and it really helped the experience be a meaningful one.
Another major highlight of the service was the music. We had a choir visiting from Boston and they had some soul. They moved me with their spirit, energy, and ability to communicate faith through song. I clapped, swayed, and rejoiced with them! The sermon was good also, a reminder of the light that we are called to shine in every corner of the world that we live in. A reminder to be what we are called to be: a shining example of God's love. One of the most powerful parts of the sermon was the gentle reminder that every single person we encounter has God's light inside them...whether they know it or not, whether it is obvious or not, it is there and we are called to help bring that light out so that it can shine in the universe also.
When I left the service, I felt that I definitely received all of the things that I listed on my paper at the beginning of the service. And I was reminded of my very favorite scripture verse. One that I have tried to live every day (even though I frequently do not succeed as much as I wish I could).
Philippians 2:14-18
Do everything without arguing or complaining so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life - in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
The feeling of peace that I felt after the church service was still with me today. Praise God! And I pray that it will be with me tomorrow...and the next day...and I pray that others around me will have the energy and peace to faithfully face the day before them as well.
We are all called to be bright lights in this world. I hope you will help me shine like a star. I'll try to help you, too.
As a look back at my day and ask why I felt so renewed, the only answers are: rest and God. This weekend was incredibly restful and relaxing at our house. With little on the agenda, I had time to catch up on some things, accomplish looming tasks, and enjoy time with N. This was complimented by yesterday's church service, which was a very refreshing time. The service began with all of us making a list of things that we wanted to get from the service. I noted: comfort, peace, direction. These pieces of paper were then collected and placed on the altar. Taking time to really think about what I needed from the service was powerful and it really helped the experience be a meaningful one.
Another major highlight of the service was the music. We had a choir visiting from Boston and they had some soul. They moved me with their spirit, energy, and ability to communicate faith through song. I clapped, swayed, and rejoiced with them! The sermon was good also, a reminder of the light that we are called to shine in every corner of the world that we live in. A reminder to be what we are called to be: a shining example of God's love. One of the most powerful parts of the sermon was the gentle reminder that every single person we encounter has God's light inside them...whether they know it or not, whether it is obvious or not, it is there and we are called to help bring that light out so that it can shine in the universe also.
When I left the service, I felt that I definitely received all of the things that I listed on my paper at the beginning of the service. And I was reminded of my very favorite scripture verse. One that I have tried to live every day (even though I frequently do not succeed as much as I wish I could).
Philippians 2:14-18
Do everything without arguing or complaining so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life - in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
The feeling of peace that I felt after the church service was still with me today. Praise God! And I pray that it will be with me tomorrow...and the next day...and I pray that others around me will have the energy and peace to faithfully face the day before them as well.
We are all called to be bright lights in this world. I hope you will help me shine like a star. I'll try to help you, too.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Today's Bliss: One More Weekend
I have had a long, restful break from work this holiday. I am very blessed that I was able to have so much time with my family, with Scooter, with N, and with myself. When I am not running around in the midst of a hectic schedule, I have the opportunity to read, think, write, and accomplish things that have needed some attention for a while. I am so glad that the year has ended in this way!
One of the things that I am doing this week is reading a book called Catch. (I am studying for some church duties that I have for 2012.) I am only about half way through, but it has been an interesting read so far. The writer comes from a church that focuses solely on ministering to the non- and nominally-religious in their community. When I read this, I thought: isn't that what we are all doing? But...is it? Really? How many churches worry more about their current members than those outside their walls? One point in the book that really got me thinking was a statement about church congregations. The author was encouraging her readers to help their church's congregation focus on the mission of ministering to the non- and nominally-religious. She wondered what the church members were more worried about: reaching out to their community or whether or not they got their parking place and their pew of choice. Huh...good question. I think that every church has a mix of people and each person has a different focus for some reason or another. But no matter our differences, our primary identity should be love. Receiving it from God, showing it to each other, and showing it to our community.
I hope that 2012 will bring more depth to my faith and my love for the people around me.
I have one more weekend of my break. I have some fun things planned for the end of this long respite and I look forward to enjoying every minute of it! I hope you feel blessed and blissful as you enjoy the last two days of 2011!
One of the things that I am doing this week is reading a book called Catch. (I am studying for some church duties that I have for 2012.) I am only about half way through, but it has been an interesting read so far. The writer comes from a church that focuses solely on ministering to the non- and nominally-religious in their community. When I read this, I thought: isn't that what we are all doing? But...is it? Really? How many churches worry more about their current members than those outside their walls? One point in the book that really got me thinking was a statement about church congregations. The author was encouraging her readers to help their church's congregation focus on the mission of ministering to the non- and nominally-religious. She wondered what the church members were more worried about: reaching out to their community or whether or not they got their parking place and their pew of choice. Huh...good question. I think that every church has a mix of people and each person has a different focus for some reason or another. But no matter our differences, our primary identity should be love. Receiving it from God, showing it to each other, and showing it to our community.
I hope that 2012 will bring more depth to my faith and my love for the people around me.
I have one more weekend of my break. I have some fun things planned for the end of this long respite and I look forward to enjoying every minute of it! I hope you feel blessed and blissful as you enjoy the last two days of 2011!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Today's Bliss: Biscuits
Today was a really nice day. N and I met my parents for a tour of Cheekwood and a late lunch at the Loveless Cafe. We were celebrating my dad's birthday!
Cheekwood had several exhibits that we really enjoyed: a garden train, Buffalo Bill memorabilia and wild west artifacts, and holiday trees and decorations. We also saw a birds of prey lecture which was interesting...we even got to see a bald eagle and pet a screech owl. It was a beautiful day outside and we had a chance to enjoy it as we roamed through the Cheekwood gardens and grounds. Every exhibit had something special to offer to our day and we definitely appreciated it all!
After our morning filled with learning, we had to get something yummy to eat and the Loveless did not disappoint us. I had not been there in years; N had never been. We loved every bite of fluffy biscuits, crunchy fried chicken, and creamy corn that we had on our plates! It was a good meal and a good way to end a day of fellowship.
Breaking bread is an ancient tradition. When you have a meal with someone, you have time to talk, enjoy their company, savor the blessing of food that you've been given, and celebrate a day of life. I am so grateful that we had this nice day with my parents. N and I are lucky to have a strong, loving, healthy family in our lives. Take a moment to savor the people around you, break bread (or biscuits) with them, and tell them how they make your life feel like bliss!
Cheekwood had several exhibits that we really enjoyed: a garden train, Buffalo Bill memorabilia and wild west artifacts, and holiday trees and decorations. We also saw a birds of prey lecture which was interesting...we even got to see a bald eagle and pet a screech owl. It was a beautiful day outside and we had a chance to enjoy it as we roamed through the Cheekwood gardens and grounds. Every exhibit had something special to offer to our day and we definitely appreciated it all!
After our morning filled with learning, we had to get something yummy to eat and the Loveless did not disappoint us. I had not been there in years; N had never been. We loved every bite of fluffy biscuits, crunchy fried chicken, and creamy corn that we had on our plates! It was a good meal and a good way to end a day of fellowship.
Breaking bread is an ancient tradition. When you have a meal with someone, you have time to talk, enjoy their company, savor the blessing of food that you've been given, and celebrate a day of life. I am so grateful that we had this nice day with my parents. N and I are lucky to have a strong, loving, healthy family in our lives. Take a moment to savor the people around you, break bread (or biscuits) with them, and tell them how they make your life feel like bliss!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Today's Bliss: Home
There is no better feeling to me than going home. And home can mean several things: home is my childhood home where my parents still live; home is N and I's current home; home is the place in Indiana where I visited my grandfather so many summers growing up; home is N's parents house in the country. And no matter how long you are away from your familiar surroundings, all of your memories rush back as soon as you return. There is something special about being in a place that is comfortable, familiar, yours. As soon as I step through my doorway, I feel so much more relaxed. I can be myself, rid of the stresses that I encountered on the outside.
Home is a place that I can express opinions, wear pajamas at 5:00pm, cry when I am frustrated, laugh a bit too loudly at a movie, talk to my dog as if he is a human, play childhood boardgames with N, chill out on the couch for four hours straight and not apologize...I could go on forever with this list!
I am very grateful for my home and for living in a country where I have the freedom and the means to have this comfortable place to live. I am grateful to share my home with my sweet husband N. I live a life of bliss everyday in our home!
Home is a place that I can express opinions, wear pajamas at 5:00pm, cry when I am frustrated, laugh a bit too loudly at a movie, talk to my dog as if he is a human, play childhood boardgames with N, chill out on the couch for four hours straight and not apologize...I could go on forever with this list!
I am very grateful for my home and for living in a country where I have the freedom and the means to have this comfortable place to live. I am grateful to share my home with my sweet husband N. I live a life of bliss everyday in our home!
Here is a photo of N and our home sweet home:
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| Christmas 2009 |
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Today's Bliss: The Weekend
The past few weeks have been crazy at work and we have been traveling every weekend. I have enjoyed seeing people and doing some fun things; I have even enjoyed most of my crazy workdays. However, you get to a point eventually where you are ready to stop and rest, take a moment to breathe, and relax. I am definitely at that point today and I am very grateful for a weekend at home. We do have some things on the calendar that need to be done, but nothing that will hinder my relaxation. :-)
Something that our society is missing is a true sabbath. Even at church we have Sundays FULL of meetings and events, keeping us away from a peaceful day of rest and meditation. I am certainly guilty of packing my schedule so full that I feel like I will never be able to stop and sit and take a moment to be thankful for what I have. (That is what this blog is all about, after all.) But I hope that I can keep in mind the need to pause, pray, and rest in the love that Christ so generously offers to all of us. His love is the key to our sabbath: taking time to give thanks for it, accept it, and share it with others.
Something that our society is missing is a true sabbath. Even at church we have Sundays FULL of meetings and events, keeping us away from a peaceful day of rest and meditation. I am certainly guilty of packing my schedule so full that I feel like I will never be able to stop and sit and take a moment to be thankful for what I have. (That is what this blog is all about, after all.) But I hope that I can keep in mind the need to pause, pray, and rest in the love that Christ so generously offers to all of us. His love is the key to our sabbath: taking time to give thanks for it, accept it, and share it with others.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Today's Bliss: Hearwarming Stories
My boss forwarded an email today that had a a link to a heartwarming story. I was teary-eyed by the end of the article and found myself giving thanks for the chance to take a moment during a busy morning to be reminded of how precious life is and how important it is to show love to people around us.
Click HERE to read the story. You'll be glad you did!
Hearing stories about other peoples' struggles, triumphs, successes, and failures can really inspire me. I am reminded that when I fail, I am not alone; when I succeed, I am in good company. Jesus used parables to help us learn. I think that there are many modern day parables all around us, just waiting for us to pause, discover, and share the stories that can help all of us be better people.
Click HERE to read the story. You'll be glad you did!
Hearing stories about other peoples' struggles, triumphs, successes, and failures can really inspire me. I am reminded that when I fail, I am not alone; when I succeed, I am in good company. Jesus used parables to help us learn. I think that there are many modern day parables all around us, just waiting for us to pause, discover, and share the stories that can help all of us be better people.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Today's Bliss: Grace
I mess up all of the time. I snap at my husband, N, for no reason...I get angry over silly things...I don't show love to my neighbors like I should...I make mistakes. Thankfully, I am surrounded by grace. N is a very forgiving person and is always accepting of my apologies, friends understand when I have an unpleasant attitude, family members show me love even when I don't deserve it.
Even more valuable than grace from people around me is grace from God. Jesus was perfect...I am very imperfect. But no matter how much I mess up, God forgives. He teaches. He shows me a more righteous path that I can take; a path that will make me a better person. I just need to listen for His voice, be directed by His guidance, and try to live out His plans.
Thank God for His grace that heals, loves, and provides for me every single day. I pray that I will accept the grace that God offers and that I can have grace for others around me, too.
Even more valuable than grace from people around me is grace from God. Jesus was perfect...I am very imperfect. But no matter how much I mess up, God forgives. He teaches. He shows me a more righteous path that I can take; a path that will make me a better person. I just need to listen for His voice, be directed by His guidance, and try to live out His plans.
Thank God for His grace that heals, loves, and provides for me every single day. I pray that I will accept the grace that God offers and that I can have grace for others around me, too.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Today's Bliss: Scooter
Coming home is always a wonderful feeling, but when this sweet face is waiting for you, life is bliss.
This photo was taken during a winter day and Scooter had snow caked in his beard! We couldn't get it out so we had to let it melt for a while. Scooter is 4 1/2 years old and he has been a faithful companion to me through thick and thin. His tail is always wagging, he's always happy to see me, and he is my sweet boy.
Animals are dedicated to their families, they are not judgemental, they forgive easily, and they are always ready to show love. We all could learn a little something from our furry friends.
Animals are dedicated to their families, they are not judgemental, they forgive easily, and they are always ready to show love. We all could learn a little something from our furry friends.
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