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Leveled
I was cruising along this semester running four distance classes, one of which was still in development and another which was in redevelopment and two that were in need of several updates. I was driving at full speed and worked my way up to a 31 hour week – from home with two kids in the midst of snow days. A couple weeks later, I found myself on a second week of insomnia (constantly waking throughout the night), down probably…
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Drawing in
In trying to draw closer into Jesus this season of Lent, today I was reminded again how I’ve often approached scripture with a self-focused goal. I’ve looked for the stories of his life to prescribe what I should look like, what I should feel, whom I should love and how I should serve, rather than reading them to see and in response, worship the God described. When I don’t begin with worship, I start in on a path I am bound to fail. If for one moment I…
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Lenting it out
Hellebores, “Lenten Rose” It’s the season of Lent, so the hellebores in the garden tell me, and I’m giving up my determination to be uncomfortable with the person of Jesus. Let me clarify – Jesus should make me uncomfortable in that his life and his love compel me to be transformed, but the kind of discomfort I have felt for so long was of feeling like I didn’t belong in his company. I found it much easier to reflect on and reach out to God the Father…
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How Monkey Joe’s Happens to Families
Well it happened. I knew it was only a matter of time before it happened. We were circling the snake floor of the science museum and the oldest complained, “Mom, this isn’t fun. Can we go to Monkey Joe’s?” To think – we even got to see the sloth. THE SLOTH. In the ten times I have visited the museum over the past couple years (which is maybe why it wasn’t fun anymore), the sloth has been awake once. This was the moment…
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Conversations
At 7 am on the dot, Scooby jumps into bed, sandwiching Joe, and soon after the littlest bun Wookie joins in making me the jelly. “Why don’t you give me math problems, mom?” “Okay, what’s two times eight?” “Hmmmmm. Sixteen!” “Thirty-six!” chimes in Wookie who is three and counts “oooone, two, free, SEVEN!”, when you ask him to count to four. “Okay, Wookie, what’s eighteen plus eighteen?” “Thirty-six!” Scooby bursts into laughter. “What’s two times three times two times three?” “Thirty-six!”…
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Framing
This post may come across as rather obnoxious, but I don’t intend it to do so. It’s not a #firstworldproblems bit and it’s not a “just think of the starving children” bit. It’s a post about letting gratitude frame my experiences and frustrations. It’s not about being grateful since other people have it so much worse. It’s about counting my blessings before letting the frustrations tear me down. I’m not sure how many times a day I ask my oldest…
