Tag Archives: conflict

Just a little timid

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I mean, if you played the trust game with someone – you know when you fall backwards and they catch you – but they let you fall or dropped you, you probably wouldn’t jump up to do it again with the same person right?  Or with anyone for that matter.  It’s a little harder to be “gung ho” when you’re about to do something you’ve done before and gotten hurt.  I get irritated with myself for being such an emotional person.  I’m working on decreasing the frequency of my knee-jerk emotional reactions to things but they still happen.

I keep telling myself – this is another chance to keep trusting God, people are people and no matter where you go or work there will be times of conflict you have to work through, no person or place or church or job is perfect, blah, blah, blah.  Continue reading →

Notes from the last few days of class

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I’ve been learning a lot the last few days, thought I’d share from my mental “notes”:

Fasting from facebook has been good for me, but is sometimes difficult.  It’s just so fun to catch up on everybody and, I have to admit, play a few games in free time.  My 10-year-old niece added me as a friend (I got an email telling me) so I went on facebook JUST to add her.  I didn’t want her to think I was ignoring her – she doesn’t know I’m not using facebook right now.  My middle girl came downstairs while I was on the facebook page and asked me with hands on her hips, “Mom, what are you doing?”  Continue reading →

Just Do It

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nike-just-do-it

The famous Nike slogan “Just Do It”, coined by Dan Wieden, co-founder of the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, was considered one of the top ad slogans of the 20th century.  I’m adopting it as my personal slogan.  The tricky thing is that I have a lifetime membership in “Procrastinators Anonymous” (I think we’re having a meeting tomorrow, maybe).  For some reason I avoid tasks that seem unpleasant or difficult in the attempt to have peace, comfort, or time to partake in some other more enjoyable activity, only to find that I feel more stressed and restless.

Have you ever stood in a kitchen with dirty dishes stacked precariously high, piles of laundry looming, kids messing around when they’re supposed to be doing homework, stacks of clean clothes yet to be put away, bills to pay, a closet to organize, dinner to fix…?  You get the picture.  It seems much easier in those times for me to just to try and forget all I have to do as I get a diet coke and go sit down.  However, it’s all still there when my moment of intentional oblivion is over.  My mom used to tell me, just start on ONE thing.  Just do it.  Continue reading →

Harmony…but at what cost?

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It’s interesting to see how God leads me along this path.  There is order and purpose to the steps even when I don’t see it at first.  In the last few weeks he’s been revealing some things to me about myself that I need to own up to.  I need his healing hand at work on some dysfunctions.

I had a conversation with a good friend recently in which he told me to be careful not protect people I love from their weaknesses…that it is actually a disservice and not a loving or helpful behavior.  I was a little confused but took it to the Lord.  “What is he talking about?” I asked God, “Specifically how do I do that, try to protect my loved one in their weakness.”  I also immediately wished I could sit down and have a heart to heart with my sister, Jodi, who is very perceptive and good at analyzing people’s behaviors and the reasons why they probably behave a certain way.

Well, I finally got my wish.  My sis sent me a buddy pass to come see her and I did that this week, flying out to sunny Arizona for a blissful 4 days with her and her sweet family.  We had much time to just sit and talk, walk and talk, drive around and talk.  It was exactly what we both needed.  We often find, in our visits, that we are learning similar lessons from God or dealing with things in similar fashion.  I shared my conversation with her and asked her what she thought my friend meant by me not protecting a loved one in their weakness.  She helped me to see that shielding someone from facing natural consequences of their behavior is not really a help.  It actually enables them to continue in their weakness and not be motivated to change and grow.    A light started coming on….ohhhhhhh. Continue reading →