mindaTHINK

Skills a wastin'

70 words

Speedtest

When I was in the work world, I had a boss for a time who gave me this advice, "Never let them know you can type"

Guess after four years of staying home its okay to admit it.  I can.

Spiritual Journal - Rich Man

The other day someone on www.tallyscrapper.com directed us to the photos in the collage above.  These are photos of a scrapbook room like no other.  Everything is brand new.  Everything has the perfectly selected place.  Everything is available in abundance.  I included only a small sampling of the photos of this shrine to scrapbooking.  While looking at them I started to feel a little ill.  Now I know nothing of the owner of said scrapbook room, so this isn't a judgement on her specifically.  But looking at that room made me think of Matthew 19, and the story of the Rich Young Ruler.  So often we want to know the formula for achieving perfection.  Just tell us what would make it perfect, and we will go about with the plan.  This woman certainly did her research and her execution was flawless.  She arrived at the place in the story where she could say, "All these things kept; what am I still lacking?"  In the Bible story one supposes the earnest young man sensed a lack, even after following the laws.  He was seeking something deeper, I think in all sincerity.  Jesus knew this man's heart.  He knew that what was blocking this man's ability to have a true and deep relationship with God was his preoccupation with the external.  With the things of this earth.  So Jesus told him to lay them down.

Having a $200,000 scrapbook room or working out of a paper bag with a glue stick isn't the point.  It is neither a formula for success to have it all or have nothing.  The formula for success only has one step: turning everything and everyone over to God, and listening to His Spirit guiding us each step of the day.  There is no checklist.  God wants a personal, involved relationship with us at which He is the head. 

It is interesting to me that Jesus said, "If you wish to be complete..."  I'm sure the man was put off by this remark.  If this woman were to ask us "Can you think of anything else I am missing?" She would not expect to hear "If you wish to be complete..."  Especially if after all her hard work to make this room just right the solution would be to sell it all and give the proceeds to the poor.  It would seem counterproductive to all her research, hard work and she certainly would be getting pennies on the dollar.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying she needs to do any such thing.  I wouldn't know what she needs to do, if anything.  Because the Word of God is a living thing, personal to each of us, meeting us where we are at, divining what is in our heart of hearts, separating bone from marrow.

For those of you following along, journal about being consumed.  Do you have something or someone in your life that you feel unbalanced about?  Is there something or someone that is the focus of most of your thoughts, time and resources?  What is the center of your universe?  Reflect on this obsession and how it affects your daily life. 

Spiritual Journal - Eye for an Eye

A much simpler page today.  Text is from Matthew 5 & 6, two of my favorite chapters in the Bible.

"Here's another old saying that deserves a second look ' eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.'  Is that going to get us anywhere?  Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.'   If someone strikes you, stand there and take it.  If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it.  And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life.  No more tit-for-tat stuff.  Live generously.

You are familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.'  I'm challenging that.  I'm telling you to love your enemies.  Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.  When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves.  This is what God does.  He gives his best---the sun to warm and the rain to nourish---to everyone, regardless, the good and bad, the nice and nasty.  If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus?  Anybody can do that.  if you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal?  Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. 

In a word what I am saying is grow up.  You're kindom subjects.  Now live like it.  Live out your God-created identity.  Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.

But be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it.  It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding.

When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself.  You've seen them in action, I'm sure---'playactors' I call them---treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds.  They get applause, true, but that's all they get.  When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks.  Just do it---quietly and unobtrusively.  That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

I sometimes think if I could really meditate on this passage daily and make it real and alive in me, I would really change in a miraculous way.  I keep coming back to this when I feel lost.  I'm a girl who struggles with the bugaboos of fairness and pride, so these are my touchstone verses.

Heavenly Day Patti Griffin

Oh heavenly day, all the clouds blew away
Got no trouble today with anyone
The smile on your face I live only to see
It's enough for me, baby, it's enough for me
Oh, heavenly day, heavenly day, heavenly day

Tomorrow may rain with sorrow
Here's a little time we can borrow
Forget all our troubles in these moments so few
All we've got right now, the only thing that
All we really have to do
Is have ourselves a heavenly day
Lay here and watch the trees sway
Oh, can't see no other way, no way, no way
Heavenly day, heavenly day, heavenly day

No one at my shoulder bringing me fears
Got no clouds up above me bringing me tears
Got nothing to tell you, I've got nothing much to say
Only I'm glad to be here with you
On this heavenly, heavenly, heavenly, heavenly
Heavenly day, all the trouble's gone away
Oh, for a while anyway, for a while anyway
Heavenly day, heavenly day, heavenly day

You could say I chickened out...

I know, I know, I promised controversy and danger in my post today, but turns out those topics aren't fully seasoned yet, and I don't want to rush them.  I did ALOT of reading today, hours and hours worth...so perhaps soon.

In the meantime, I did work and finish the cover to the journal today.

Lots of texture-y goodness and color variation that you SOOOO can't see in this photo, I wish you all could touch it and see it IRL.    I wanted the purpose for this book to be right on the cover and I like how my little Making Memories letter stamps made it all possible.  I may find myself coloring in the wings a bit someday, but for now its done.

I promise I will coax out a couple of topics tomorrow, it looks like I'll be home alone most of the day.

Up Next for the Spiritual Journal...

...It's either healing, death or submission...that's bound to get some people talking!

One of My Happy Places

Happy Birthday JANS!

One of the many wonderful people I have met through www.tallyscrapper.com.  Jan is a sweetheart and I have really enjoyed getting to know her more and more over the last year.  She's been with Tally since the beginning I think and has a true heart for family history.  She is a design team member this quarter, just in time for the luscious vintage kit, which she rocked!

Here's a little mini taste of her great work, and if you LOVE the vintage-y ones rush to Tally and buy that kit before its sold out!

I hope your birthday is extra special Jan!

View slideshow

Is this goodbye?

The other day when I was out walking this group of men ran past me.  They were new recruits for the Marines, and I quick snapped their photo as soon as I realized this.  Why?  Well because my son Jason has just signed up for the Army National Guard and has been doing a little running himself to get into shape for the start of basic training in October.

Yeah, looked like he was going to leave for three months of basic training right before his sisters wedding.  We were sad about that, but everyone wanted to be supportive of this decision he has made to work on his future.

Then he called me again today.  I had left him a message about babysitting on Sunday, taking his little brother out to a twins game so that Scott and I could head to Orchestra Hall and have a nice afternoon date together.  Turns out he can't babysit.  Until fall.  Because FRIDAY, yes, THIS FRIDAY he is flying to SOMEWHERE IN THE SOUTH to begin his training.  He'll graduate sometime in AUGUST.  This all came up today, so he has no details.  He won't have a cellphone for the first part of the training.  He will immediately be learning how to get by without cigarettes.  He may or may not have weekly access to email.  He doesn't have a mailing address yet.  He is busy between now and Friday getting ready to leave, so I won't be seeing him again...until AUGUST. 

I'm. not. ready.

Happy Birthday to...me?

Scott's birthday was on Monday.  I made his favorite cake (recipe to follow), made chicken curry for dinner, picked him up a couple of books that I knew he didn't have and would enjoy.  Andrew got him some Sea Monkeys (who's life is complete without sea monkeys?)  I took Andrew out for the afternoon so he'd have some quiet time to write or sleep or whatever.

Then on Tuesday he took Andrew out to the park to play in the creek.  I read and took a nap.  They came back just after I woke up, and came walking in with this:

I was SOOOO thrilled!  Many of you know that I rediscovered biking two summers ago when my friend Mike was in a biking accident that nearly took his life.  I have been borrowing Scott's bike because mine was so old and beat up we couldn't really recover it.  It was a bit too big for me and the brakes needed some work, but basically it worked fine for the type of biking I do.  With Scott trying to get more healthy we had been talking about replacing some parts on my bike to try to get it going again so we could all go biking together.

What a special treat to see them walk in the door with a brand new bike for me.  And they got a great price on it because it was on sale and Scott returned something that wasn't really working anyway.  We ate a hasty dinner and then we all set out on a nice little 5 mile bike ride.  It was very windy, but warm and beautiful, and I loved how easy the ride was thanks to this nice bike.  I never had to walk it at all!

Today I set out again on a 4 mile ride, while leaving Scott and Andrew at the archery range.  Its another gorgeous day here. 

Tomorrow we are off for 24 hours to Duluth for a little mini vacation.  We got a great deal on a hotel room at a waterpark and are meeting a couple friends up there.  Then Scott has the rest of the weekend off.  Woo hoo!