Namaste

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My Lenten journey of doing exercise has not been as successful as I had hoped. I am so thankful that the Lord does not depend on my faithfulness or success in my resolutions for our relationship. Another good reminder that Lent brings us...He is faithful even when we are faithless.

I have been exercising more than usual and doing different things. Monday morning when I had hoped to go to Spin I went to a class called "Monday Morning Moves". It was SO FUN! I am so uncoordinated but the instructor was so gracious. We did cardio-boxing and line dancing. What a blast.

Yesterday Maegan and I did a 20 minute run/walk challenge through the Running Room in the evening. It is so fun having her along. She's always been a girlie who enjoyed doing what I did which has always been fun but now she is more of a companion. Such a great time. Someone once commented to us (while we were singing harmony to Show Tunes) "It must be so fun to be you". And really it is.

Tonight I went back to "Flow". This time the class was being taught by a young girl who was just so beautiful, confident and soft spoken. She was easy to follow and the Spirit was so gentle. What a blessing. I think what I appreciate most about yoga is the pace of it. It really does allow you the time to contemplate. It is easy for me to center my thoughts on the Lord. My day was full of stress and struggles, but as I stretched and appreciated the beauty of how God created the human body, I realized how much greater our God is than any of the things that cause me to desire control.

As we concluded our class tonight, the beautiful young girl who instructed told us what "Namaste" means. It means "The Light in me recognizes the Light in you". As I thought of that I realized how true that is for those of us in the family of God. I remember the first day I met my BFF in the back row of choral class. There was an instant recognition of the Spirit in her. So often in other instances I have had similar encounters. It's a beautiful confirmation of our Kinship.

I really need to thank my friend Kellie Willie. She was a student nurse at work who also has a degree in Kinesiology. She did a 30 day challenge of Yoga to start 2012 off and kept a blog. Through her blog I was introduced to Yoga and realizing the Spirit in her and how she engaged with God through her Yoga made me investigate it. Her smile and gentle disposition drew me to her at work. I recognized the Spirit in her. So Kellie, if you read this...thanks for sharing. Namaste.

Day 2: Go with the "Flow"

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So today Maegan and I went to Servus Place with my friend Amanda from work to do a class called "Flow". This is a combination of Yoga/Pilates. I have to admit I have always had a hesitation with Yoga because of the Eastern Spiritual roots in the practice. So, I went in guarded.

I was pleasantly surprised at how relaxing (at times) and how stretching (more often) the experience was and how I had opportunity to meditate on the Word of God that I had hidden in my heart and focus on Him. I went in with incredibly tight shoulders and neck which were occupying my mind and walked out rejoicing in the intricacy of how our body is put together. Each muscle and joint; each organ and cell...individually created, beautifully, by our loving Creator. It was very cool.

At the conclusion our instructor put "essential oil" on our wrists that was like a menthol extract, which, when inhaled opened the airways beautifully to allow for breathing deep and strong. What an amazing reminder that we are to be the aroma of Christ, allowing for those around us to breathe Him in.

Not sure Yoga will be "my thing" but it was enjoyable and as I take this Lenten journey I am so thankful for the opportunity to 'be still and know that He is God".

LENT: Drawing Close to God Through RememberingI

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So, my sweet daughter has decided that she would like to give up Junk Food for Lent. Cupcake is more than just a pretty teenager...she is sensible and loves keeping her body a temple for all the Lord has allowed her to do.

Over the past several months, and more in the recent past, I have felt a real hunger after knowing the Lord and depending on Him. I desire to know His Word learning more and more how faithful He is to keep His Word. I have learned as I read about the life of Christ that He truly did not come to condemn the world...yet so often as a Christian I struggle with condemning my world, my family, myself.

Exercise is NOT my favourite thing to do. I have been motivated by the amazing strength of my BFF in starting running, acheiving amazing results, and her drive to keep up the race. But it isn't in THAT race that she is moving me.

She has grown up. Her faith has soared and as she grows she hungers...much like her appetite for running has. But she is ravenous. The more she learns of the God she serves, the more hungry she becomes for Him AND the more she is fed.

That is a race I want to run. That is a race I want to win!

So I've started running. Not thinking that that is the magic key to intimacy with God but needing to get moving. I have learned more in those runs about being still and listening to God than most anywhere else. I gain perspective as I need to depend on Him for every breath. I see the beauty of His creation and realize what an awesome, creative God I serve.

So, as I embark on this Lenten season and decide to commit 40 days of exercise, I am aching to identify with Christ.

Well...I better get moving before day 1 expires. WiiFit Plus is all I can fit in but I can hardly wait to try some new ways of drawing breath from my God.

I'd love to hear if you celebrate Lent and how you are doing it!

If any of you lacks wisdom...ASK!

When I was a little girl I dreamed of being the best mom ever. I dreamed of how I would reason with my reasonable children, they would be able to master their sin nature, and be sparkling sources of pride and joy.

I did not dream of THIS!

But it has become a dream coming true.

Pita is an impulsive sort of fellow. We have had to deal with defiance with many strategies which include removing certain items from his reach. These would include computers, game boys, and television. It's a slippery slope defiance. It is almost more addicting than the items we lose while pursuing it.

We become addicted to attention.

Imagine the emotions that whelled up inside of me as I discovered yet another act of defiance less than 24 hours after being punished from a previous infraction.

I walked out to my kitchen following the discovery to find my tulips, my favourite flowers, drooping and sad. That's how I felt, droopy and sad.

"The anger of man does NOT bring about the righteousness of God".

It kept echoing in my mind.

I fed my poor, starving and thirsty flowers some soothing warm water with a touch of sugar to revive them and walked away.

As I walked away I prayed. "Lord, I don't want to punish him to make me feel good. I want to discipline him to love righteousness...Your righteousness".

It was time to pick Pita up from school. I still had no idea of what I was going to do with the dear child. I prayed that I would not be overcome with anger or start to lecture.

"If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives generously to all, WITHOUT REPROACH, and it will be given to him. "

As I drove I prayed and as I prayed my pounding heart slowed. My anger subsided. And I listened to that still small voice tell me that my flowers and my son are not so different. Both crave attention and both need water.

I exposed my knowledge to a very solemn Pita and as we drove in silence, a perfect opportunity to lecture the poor boy, became the perfect opportunity to pray.

The punishment was laid out calmly.

When I asked him if he had anything to say, he said, " I would say I'm sorry but you won't believe me."

The offense was clearly exposed.

He continued..."but will for forgive me".

Tears streaming down my face I affirmed that he was forgiven.

The next day while reading a Bible Study homework assignment I was directed to 2 Timothy 3:16,

"All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for reproof, teaching and training in righteousness".

This verse was like ointment to my weary soul. You see, when I recognized that my anger was not going to bring about the righteousness of God, I begged God for wisdom for what would...

"All scripture...is profitable for...training in righteousness".

God is not one to make promises lightly. When He instructs us to ask for wisdom and He promises to give it...He does...and He did.

Have I arrived? Do I know exactly how to disciple my sweet Pita, or any of my children for that matter? No. But I am slowly learning that all I need "for life and godliness" has been provided for me in the Word of God.

When I returned home after doing my studying I looked on my window sill to find my droopy, thirsty tulips looking healthy and strong...

Coincidence? No! Tacky object lesson? Absolutely.

I pray that I will give to my children what I was eager to give my flowers...the Water of Life!

Grace...Where's the Grace?

Today I learned a lot of things. I was invited to attend a local homeschooling conference which featured a family who has in recent past become well known for their home and family management systems. They are a beautiful Christian family with 8 children. I believe they have a great heart for the things of the Lord and have seen fruit as a result of their focus on servanthood as a family.

As I listened to the wife speak (she spoke on scheduling, chores, controlling anger and depression, and loving your husband) I was so encouraged. She was very real. Very transparent. She shared her testimony and what the Lord had taught her through her life's adventure with humility and grace. I desired to somehow be like her, even though our situations are so vastly different. Her presentation encouraged me to draw closer to my God and my family.

Her husband on the other hand spoke very differently. He shared his experiences but with Pharisaical pride. With the attitude of "these are the things we have done and these are the things you must do. If you don't you will lose your children and you will have no family peace". He was judgemental, condemning, condescending and scary.

Pita and Cupcake went to youth classes. The presentations by their children, from what I have learned, were similar to that of their fathers, proclaiming the things that were wrong for them, were wrong for everyone. The teaching was so harsh that it brought fear to Pita, to the point of tears.

The dear friend who invited me to the conference was totally shaken by what she heard and was not able to stay for the rest of the day. She is a beautiful, mature Christian woman who was "pummelled" by the legalistic position that was presented.

I'm not typing all of this to condemn the family. The Lord has done good things through their ministry. But it got me looking at my life...and my walk.

Am I boasting in the things I have accomplished in my home and life as gospel? Am I presenting our lives as Christians as a list of do's and don'ts? Do my children believe that they must measure up?

My faith is grace based. There is nothing I could do to earn God's favour. It says in 1 John 3:1 that God has lavished His love on us and calls us His children. LAVISHED. No where does it say He measured it out according to our good works, our neat clothes, our spotless presentation. LAVISHED.

I pray as I live and breathe that my works will never speak louder than my God. For it is My God who has poured Himself out for me that I might experience the greatest gift I'll ever receive...GRACE. May I live it! May I give it! May I crave it!

That Still Small Voice

There is so much noise all around us. So much of it is good noise that we need to hear and requires a response from us. But there is, amongst the noise, things that crowd out the good noise because of its volume, flashiness, expense, urgency. How do we determine what noise to listen to and how do we respond.

Yesterday Pita was playing basketball. He's on a highly competitive team where there is often a lot of noise. The crowd cheering on their team, team mates on the bench, team mates on the court, and coaches yelling out instruction. I was watching my boy play with so much heart and hustle but I could also tell he was becoming overwealmed by the stimulation of all of the noise around him. As he would stand there, eagerly wondering who to listen to, I would yell above the crowd "Get your man, Bud!". Not greatly inspirational but that is about all I know about basketball...you have to guard your man. Each time I would he would look for the opponent and go to him. He knows my voice and he knows my heart for him. I would never steer him wrong (which is why I'll never yell any other instruction) and he is confident in that.

I got to thinking of that. Feeling good about the relationship I have with Pita and how above all the noise he would trust the voice of his mother, his greatest cheerleader, the Lord asked me the simple question, "Who are you hearing among the crowd?"

As I desire above all else to be a godly example to my children, I had to stop and really consider whose voice it is that I am listening to. I have been blessed with several godly mothers around me who have encouraged me with stories of their experiences. I have read many more books, listened to miriads of speakers, and heard convicting sermons. It's all good noise. Noise that urges me closer to my Father...but am I listening to my Father? God doesn't push and add to the noise in the crowd. He does not yell or demand our attention. He sits among the crowds, our teams, our coaches, as our greatest cheerleader and in a still small voice tells us what we need to hear.

If Pita did not focus on the one voice he had confidence in, his head would swim in the sea of noise and he would aimlessly run through the traffic on the course. If I don't focus on the one, still small voice, of the One I have confidence in, where will I be?

Help me Lord, to seek to hear Your still small voice amongst the noise in my world.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me". John 10:27

When I Grow Up I Wanna Be...a Jellyfish

My New Year's Resolution has been to become a Jellyfish. It is a high and lofty goal and one that I pray I can accomplish. This resolution is unlike any other I've made before. Unlike my yearly resolve to lose weight, this one does not alter my size. And of course I am frequently resolving to be more consistent in my running or exercizing...but this resolution does not require that kind of activity. This resolution requires me to do ONE THING...it requires me to be me. Let me explain.

I was listening to Phil Vischer on Focus on the Family one day. Many of you may know him from his Veggie Tales fame. Now, after finding the blow of loss, he is back on the scene with "Jelly Telly". When he shared his testimony, he shared a very unique angle on jellyfish that made such an impact on me...that I resolved to become...a jellyfish.

You see, he shared, that jellyfish at rest are blobs. They are unattractive and they are icky. BUT when they are moved by the current they open up and become all that they were meant to be and they are GORGEOUS.

I have since looked at images of jellyfish online and discovered that he was absolutely right. Jellyfish on the move, by no effort of their own, are beautiful creatures.

He went on to draw the analogy between Christians and jellyfish. Like jellyfish, we as Christians just sitting are nothing special. We can become complacent, judgemental, discouraged, disinterested, and the list goes on. BUT when we rest and allow the Holy Spirit to move us...WOW! The fruit is amazing and we become the sweet image of our Heavenly Father.

That is what touched my heart. In my day to day living, am I moving by the Spirit or am I sitting in a Christian blobspot? What moves me? I want to be on the move by the power of the Holy Spirit to show the world, my world, my friends, my family, my children, the beauty of God in my life.

So...when you ask me what I want to be when I grow up I will tell you with great anticipation, a jellyfish!