Forgiveness … again

This guy just ripped off some stuff that belonged to friends of mine. It was clearly not his stuff and he took it just to be spiteful and selfish.

It seems like a season of that right now. Personally and toward my friends there has just been a rash of hurtful and rude words and actions. I get torn between a sense of justice and wanting to make things “right” and knowing that, in most of the situations, forgiveness and turning the other cheek is the best route.

If I can just do that, the hurt and mess falls away and God helps me pick up the pieces and move on, sometimes in the most fun and miraculous of ways.

Lori <><

Relationships

The pellet stove and I are best friends now.  There is snow on the ground.   It is absolutely gorgeous, but it may take awhile for me to consider the snow more than just a beautiful acquaintance.

Lori <><

Learning to Walk Again

I find it absolutely frightening how little people act like themselves (I include myself in that). By the time someone is an adult they act the way they’ve been taught to act, or been shamed or scared into acting.

I think of the things that I have let go of because someone disapproved of what I was doing. I grieve for the years I only did what was expected of me, instead of living fully doing the things I was designed to do.

Although I’ve made some headway in expressing myself more genuinely, I continue to find it a bit intimidating to initiate change. Sadly I’ve met with more than my fair share of resistance from others.  It sucky to have to stand against family and/or friends just to develop something as simple as a hobby or to have a different opinion.

Some of what I do, I call “stealth growing.”  “See the afghan I just crocheted?  I love my new hobby.”  It’s harder to argue with something that’s already done.  But a lot of changes just have to be made as you go along in full view of everyone and you just have to suck it up and deal with the fallout.

It’s sad/funny that we so want to be unique individuals, yet we tend to tear down those who are trying to be true to self and explore who they are designed to be.  I don’t have any brilliant answers here.  I wish I did.  I only know to continue the quest to “grow up to be me” and encourage others to do likewise.  I probably won’t save the world, but hopefully I can help save a few folks a bit of sanity.

Lori <><

Think Backwards

When I plan, I typically think “here is where I am, there is where I want to be, how do I get from here to there?”

The other night a friend of mine was talking about how God used a movie to get her to think backwards.  In effect, “there is where I want to be, how do I back step to where I am here?”

I don’t think either way is the “right” way to plan, but the freshness of doing something a different way always helps.

Lori <><

I Am Rich

Last night as I curled up in bed, I couldn’t help but say to my husband, with the biggest grin on my face, “I am rich.”

Over the last week or so, my family and I had begun to unpack our stuff and shuffle things around to fix up our home.  It’s not the stuff that makes me rich though.  It’s the coffee table that makes it possible for us to play Settlers of Catan (my son is literally undefeated, but I still hope of victory).    It’s the unbelievably beautiful view from our living room window (we look out over a valley and another mountain range).  It’s the silly sock monkey salt and pepper shakers than remind us of our travels together (I bought them at The Cracker Barrel on our move here to Washington) .  It’s the sense of home and family that warms me.  I am truly rich with the things of life and love.

Lori <><