Out my Window: Winter Wonderland. This morning the world looked like a snowglobe. (As much as I would like the snow to hold off until Dec. it has been beautiful.)
Enjoying: Having my family together. Just hanging out.
Listening to: I am still podcast crazy right now. I am very much enjoying listening to conversations that are humorous, informative, and deep. The Holy Post Podcast https://www.holypost.com/holy-post-podcast The after interview on the Ruthless Elimination of Hurry episode was very good. https://www.holypost.com/holy-post-podcast/episode/9438d169/episode-376-the-ruthless-elimination-of-hurry-with-john-mark-comer
Also still listening to Bob Goff’s Dream Big interviews. They have been very good. I love how Bob just reminds you to love God and love people. It all comes back to this and it is far simpler than we make it even in all its complexity and messiness. https://dreambigframework.com/podcast The Ian Cron and Mike Foster ones were very good.
I also listened to John Branyan’s podcast on John Crist after reading his blog post https://johnbranyan.com/the-discussion-about-john-crist/. I knew it would be interesting and thoughtful. https://johnbranyan.com/listen-podcast/
Reading: My carry around book to The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman. I listened to the audio awhile ago but I had wanted to get the book to re-read and mark up. It is an easy read, but with some depth, and real nuggets to ponder. I moved Unhurried Leader: The Lasting Fruit of Daily Influence by Alan Fadling by my bed and that has been a good fit to read just a little before bed.
Received a new book from Revell to review, The Heart of Recovery: How Compassion and Community Offer Hope in the Wake of Addiction by Deborah and David Beddoe. Been reading it in the evening, review coming soon.
Pondering: Narratives… stories we tell ourselves, stories we tell others, the story God is writing, and how they interweave and impact our lives and our identity. I had a young lady talk about her “dating” life and how she had tons of boyfriends up until 4th grade, and then she went on to say when she was three, she had her first kiss… she called her 3 year old self a “little ho” because she ran up to some older kid and gave him a kiss. I asked further questions and tried to help her reframe that experience as an innocent 3 yr old, but she was going to stick with the “ho” narrative. I remember being like that quite a bit when I was younger, dramatic about past events, putting a false narrative, or interpreting an event with a skewed narrative either for attention, or because that was the way I saw at that moment. In my heart I prayed for this young lady. I think she was just trying to clue me in on the fact that she no longer liked boys, but what I heard was more of a young lady who wanted attention and love.
I have been listening to quite a few podcasts of Bob Goff’s, he and his guests have said more than once about everyone’s narrative is really about the desire to be seen and loved. We were created for relationship, but we live in a broken world that sometimes warps what that looks like, or we compromise and meet that need in our own way. I have been thinking of the silence that existed in some of the narratives of my life over my family, and some of the major challenges. The overlying narrative was we were fine, and we will be fine, but the truth was we weren’t fine. We had a parent that struggled with an undiagnosed mental illness and another parent that just wanted it all to be fine. I am realizing there is more residual effects on my life narrative from them ignoring the truth, or dealing with it the best they knew how at the time than I have realized. So I am pondering what does it look like to walk in truth and love with my past, present and future? What does it look like to allow God to re-tell the story and add more of His true narrative to it?
Learning: The more I learn, the more I realize I have much to learn in all areas of my life. And it is a good thing.
Home: Just basics….
Fitness and Mental Health: Not a specific plan yet, but I did go for a hike and did some Pilates so moving a bit. Mental health: listening to podcasts, processing a bit with a friend, candles, gratitude practices…
Giving Thanks: To have both my boys home and just hanging out a bit as a family. Much laughter and music in my home, good conversation, silliness, people being brave and sharing their stories, God’s redeeming power, friends who remind me to speak life and hope over my kids and the kids I work with, young adults being honest and wrestling with God instead of against Him, women reaching out and loving other women who need to be seen and loved, provisions, a warm home, surprise gift from a new friend, catching up with another friend, my life, God’s goodness….
Inkblot Life 