Acceptance.

When I wrote here last, I was trying to think of a word which I could keep in mind for the entire year of 2014. A word to help me cope with daily challenges, while encouraging me to work towards my goals for the year.

The word I have come up with is Acceptance.

I can’t change much, I can only change myself and that is difficult enough. In the meantime, all I can do is accept that life is the way it is. I can find the good in the worst circumstances if I only accept that this is the plate I’ve been handed. I can find peace in letting go and taking what I have been given.

Wish me luck with that!

A Year in Words

Last week, when I was cleaning out one of the three junk drawers in our kitchen, I found my Christmas letter from 2003. Yes, from ten years ago! I know, do I ever clean my cupboards or drawers! To make this find even better, the darn letter was three pages long! Single-spaced, standard margins, font size 12. Whoa! Has a consecutive series of 365 days in my life ever been that worthy of mention? No, and it wasn’t so ten years ago either. But it was fun to read it over and see what was going on then. Of course, I tucked the letter back into the folder and into the drawer.

This year’s Christmas letter barely made a single page. I don’t know that my life has become less exciting, but maybe I just find less excitement in it.

I won’t reiterate the entire letter here, just the highlights.

My son, my daughter, my husband and myself all continue to be gainfully employed. Nick has a puppy, Val has a live-in boyfriend, Himey has ME.

Val and I returned to Kenya this spring. Me for two weeks and Val for three months. When she came home she started a nonprofit organization, Tumaini Volunteers, Inc. I am supposed to be spending my spare time working on the IRS forms to get tax exempt status but I just haven’t done it.

My second book, “The Christmas Story in 40 Days”, was published in the fall. I admit that I have been disappointed in sales, but the bigger disappointment is how much of a slacker I have been in marketing it. I don’t know how other authors do it; I just am not a salesperson more than an hour or two a week.

The hubby and I went to Lifest in July and to Milwaukee on vacation in September. I ran in a 5K in July. That’s about all that I can think of that happened this year that is worth mentioning. I also have no resolutions for the New Year, in case you were wondering.

Somewhere or other, I saw a thing about having a word for the year. An uplifting or inspiring word, like “Hope” or “Achieve” or “Diet”. (I don’t know if “diet” was one of the examples, but it could be someone’s word.)

I thought about choosing such a word, something to put on my bulletin board, to keep in my head to keep me motivated. I have yet to select a word. Maybe you can suggest one, or at least pick a word for yourself. Let me know.

Have a safe and happy New Year. 

Surrounded with Blessings

For the last six weeks, I have shared with you passages from my book “The Christmas Story in 40 Days”. For the past one week, I have been wondering what to write about today. Should I post a passage about the wise men visiting the Christ child? Should I post about the real meaning of Christmas? Should I reflect on the past year?

Still, this morning, nothing concrete had come to me. And so, instead of throwing together a meaningless article because I have to post something on my blog (and considering I didn’t write one for Thursday), I wasn’t going to write a blog post again today. Yet here I am.

Yesterday I took a short walk through my woods (my woods isn’t very big, so I had little choice in making it a short walk). I am so blessed to live where I do, have the family and friends that I have, be able to share my life with Dino the Wonder Dog. What it all boils down to, as great as of all this is, it would still just be “stuff” had God’s Son not come to Earth and lived among us. He is there in the people I love, in the pets I am allowed to raise, in the trees and in the snow. He is everywhere, surrounding me with His love.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3 NIV

(I am such a slacker today. This is the Bible passage that came up on Bible Gateway, the website where I look up verses. I thought it would work.)

Remember What We Are Celebrating

Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. 

Luke 2:19 The Message Bible

Every mother has high hopes for her baby from the minute he or she is born. What will he grow up to be? Who will she look like? Will he be smart? Will she be popular? A million questions run through every mother’s head when she sees her newborn baby. Mary had the same questions, and one more that we wouldn’t ask. What will happen to the Son of God?

If you have read the entire Bible or have never opened one, if you’re in church every weekend or just for funerals and weddings, you probably know the story well. You know how this baby’s life on this earth ends. Most people have heard that the baby Jesus grew up and shared the truth about His Father, only to die an unimaginably painful death on a cross.

Imagine that you are Mary or Joseph, and you could see your baby’s future and know that horrible end? How could you have any joy in your life? Believe it or not, God knew the horrible end His Son would face, and He sent His Son to us anyway, so we would not have to face that pain ourselves. That is how much God loves us. He sent Jesus as a sacrifice, a perfect Lamb, to die in our place.

(From "The Christmas Story in 40 Days".)

Countdown to Christmas - Week 6

The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.” 

Luke 2:10-12 The Message Bible

The shepherds had been told about a baby born in Bethlehem and the angel was there to convince these men to go visit the infant. The angel told them several of the names that the baby would one day be called. In Isaiah 9:6, there is an even longer list of names: Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Throughout Scripture, Jesus has even more titles – the Anointed One, Redeemer, Emmanuel.

Why so many names for one person? Well, why not? There are not enough superlatives to describe Jesus. There is not just one name that expresses who He is. He is the One.

Do you have a nickname? Does your spouse call you "sweetheart,” or "honey,” or some other affectionate name? Did your mom call you by your full name when you were in trouble? The name we were given at birth is important, but sometimes the names that we go by matter just as much.

(Every Sunday for the last six weeks, I shared an excerpt from “The Christmas Story in 40 Days”. A friend of mine gave me a rubber duckie Nativity set to add to my rubber duckie collection. I went a little crazy taking pictures of these ducks, but hopefully, if you find my words boring, at least the pictures have kept you coming back for more. Hopefully you have already ordered your copy of “The Christmas Story in 40 Days”. If not, we should keep Christmas in our hearts year-round, so it's really never to late to order. ) 

Snow Poem

The snow had been falling lightly that afternoon

Now though, as darkness settled

The temperature dropped        

The snow stopped

Not the usual route on my way home

The road no longer white with snow

But dirt brown and winter grey

Out of the corner of my eye

An older white Chevrolet

A split second to react

Do I swerve?

Do I brake?

Do I curse myself for not taking five minutes more

In the store?

Or less?

Impact

I am ok

Physically

The car is not

Some calls

Some paperwork

The temperature continues to drop

Underfoot on the side of the road

The fresh snow

Marked now only by my tracks. 

This month's poetry challenge was to write a poem which included snow in some way. You all know from past experience that I am not a poet, but still I try. As you may have guessed, I did not win this month's poetry challenge. My next poem about snow will have to include this beauty, which, if you follow me on Facebook, you know I never would have seen had my husband not taken me to work all week because my car is in the shop. 

A Minor Inconvenience

Last Thursday night at 6:30 was the retirement party for a co-worker. She had been working at our clinic almost as long as I have and I miss her already. I wanted to go her party, but it had been a crazy day at work, and even on a good day, I just want to go home and be anti-social after dealing with people for eight or nine hours.

I had one quick errand to run, so figured that if I could get out of work by ten to six, I could make that stop and arrive at the party fashionably early for a change. All went as planned. By 6:05 I was heading back through town on my way to the restaurant. As I drove through a busy intersection, movement caught my left eye. I turned to see another car barreling towards me. For a split second a hundred thoughts ran through my head. Should I swerve? Should I brake? What can I do to avoid this? And then there was impact.

Nothing I could have done. It just happened. In the wrong place at the wrong time. Oh, if I hadn’t ran up to the store, if I had stayed at work longer, if, if, if. It doesn’t matter how many scenarios a person runs through their head. Look up the definition of “accident”. It is something that just happens that you have no control over.

So I have been inconvenienced for the week. And I didn’t make it to the party.

How crazy is it that I can think of more good things to say than bad. No one got hurt. I have full coverage on my car, but it wasn’t my fault so the other guy’s insurance should pick up the bill, including the deductible. The body shop guy in town is a family friend. Honestly, I know he’s not going to give us a deal or finish my car before all the other vehicles in his garage, but I trust him and to me that is worth more than gold.

I was going to go Christmas shopping the next day, but I decided I would just have to stay home and clean house instead. Until a friend, who also had the day off, heard of my plight. She wanted to go shopping too, but didn’t want to go by herself. Not only did she do the driving, I melted into the heated seats of her truck. The ride there and back relaxed me so much that I didn’t care about much of anything after a while.

I bought everything on my list and had coupons and got good deals. At every checkout, I wanted to ask the clerk if they rang everything up because I couldn’t believe how low the bill was.

I wasn’t able to get a loaner car from the garage and my insurance policy doesn’t cover a rental car. Yes, since the other guy was at fault (in my opinion, though I have yet to receive a copy of the police report), his insurance should pay for a rental car, but how long is that going to take to go through, while in the meantime, I have to pay for the rental up front?

I feel like George Bailey from “It’s a Wonderful Life”. You don’t realize who your friends are until you need a ride back and forth to work for a week. One of our neighbors took me to church Saturday night, another one brought me home from work tonight. A co-worker brought me home last night. I’ve had lots of other offers. I feel so blessed and so loved. Who knew? 

 

 Think my cute little car will look this good again?