This summer I have been lucky to spend one week with each of my sisters. My sister in Winnipeg and I got a week together while our kids were each at camps. We relaxed, went out for lunches, went on great bike rides through Assiniboine Forest and hung out. It was great! It is rare that we get time without kids to distract us and prevent us from visiting. In September I went to Colorado Springs where my youngest sister and her family lives. The scenery is amazing and the weather was great. We spent time together hanging out with the mountains on one side and Garden of the Gods on the other. We shopped, got a pedi, went out to eat, hiked and just spent time together.
Many of my friends have commented on how lucky I am to have sisters and more importantly sisters that I get along with. You know I don't take it for granted either. When we were growing up it was not always this way. My sister Melanie (she is two years younger) and I have had our moments. We had to share a bedroom for a couple of years and we had the masking tape down the room and my side was the messy side and hers was the neat side. We fought, called each other names and pretty much stayed out of each others way. My younger sister, Monica who is six years younger was the baby that I took care of at home. If I told her I was going to cut her hair she would let me and even though it looked like a person with a knife had cut it she did not complain. I really took the role of older sister to heart with her and become a strong caregiver.
Over the years we have dealt with our parents divorcing, family tragedies and raising kids together. We have sought out each others advice and email and chat one another for opinions, to vent and suggestions. I really can't imagine life without them. So, many others don't understand why they do not have that connection with their sister and I feel for them. I need my sisters to just get through the week. My life would not be the same without them and I am blessed to have them. When I have gone through struggles my sisters were the ones who checked up on me, called me, pushed me along, encouraged me and laughed and cried with me. My one sister gave me a little sign that says "how do people make it through life without a sister?" I have no idea and I am so glad that I don't have to find out,
Saturday 6 October 2012
Thursday 21 June 2012
A Life Without God
Sometimes I look for different ideas of what I want to write about. It will sometimes be a short story that I end up typing on my computer or it might be a couple of chapters or sometimes it is just a blog. I get ideas from experiences, family and friends. Today my ideas came from God. He planted them and I thought instead of letting them fall in hard ground and not let them take root which I will sometimes do I thought that I would give them roots and let this thought grow.
I don't know about you but I go through periods in my life where I don't feel the need for God. He doesn't leave me but He steps aside and lets me flounder. I say these childish prayers before bed and figure that will be enough. I'll throw out little prayers here and there without much thought. I won't read my bible but instead read a Christian novel which I think will be enough because at least I am not reading some crappy harlequin romance. Sorry, to those that like them but honestly? I become a little more critical, less tolerant of others, colder, less loving and caring dissatisfied with life, obsessed with small things, etc. Just to name a few. That is my life without God.
I know that there are many in this world that do not have a life with God. They have chosen a permanent life without God and they are happy. They are great people, making a difference in the world, can fully function without having to go to God to help them along the way. They may believe in a type of God or believe in a higher being but they do not need their God to get through life. How do they do it? I really contemplated this question today. How is it possible to live a fulfilling life without God and how is is possible to live a fulfilling life with God? Do you lie in bed at night wondering if you are making a difference in this world or if you are following God's direction to make a difference in this world?
I go through many ups and downs. Sometimes they are self inflicted and other times they are hormone inflicted. Darn hormones! I already told you in paragraph two about those moods and how I become quite a boot. I am not one that can have a smooth sailing life without having to work on it. I need to work on it. I need to force myself to see the good in things some days instead of going the opposite way. Not always fun but when I let God take over He shows me the good that I miss when I do it on my own. My days and even weeks that I push God aside are selfish weeks. They are self centred, feeling sorry for myself weeks. I NEED GOD! I may think at times that it is hard to sit down and read my Bible or write in my journal or spend time in prayer with Him BUT the alternative for me is a selfish life. If I don't put God first in my life I miss the opportunities to reach out to others because I am not listening to Him. My children need me to put God first in my life. My family and friends need me to put God first in my life. They need me to immerse my life in Him to let His Grace pour over me and let it saturate into every pore of my being.
Many have lived their lives without God and they have remained happy, well adjusted people (at least on the outside). Me, I can't live my life without God and honestly, why would I want to. Can a life without God be all that it is meant to be?
I don't know about you but I go through periods in my life where I don't feel the need for God. He doesn't leave me but He steps aside and lets me flounder. I say these childish prayers before bed and figure that will be enough. I'll throw out little prayers here and there without much thought. I won't read my bible but instead read a Christian novel which I think will be enough because at least I am not reading some crappy harlequin romance. Sorry, to those that like them but honestly? I become a little more critical, less tolerant of others, colder, less loving and caring dissatisfied with life, obsessed with small things, etc. Just to name a few. That is my life without God.
I know that there are many in this world that do not have a life with God. They have chosen a permanent life without God and they are happy. They are great people, making a difference in the world, can fully function without having to go to God to help them along the way. They may believe in a type of God or believe in a higher being but they do not need their God to get through life. How do they do it? I really contemplated this question today. How is it possible to live a fulfilling life without God and how is is possible to live a fulfilling life with God? Do you lie in bed at night wondering if you are making a difference in this world or if you are following God's direction to make a difference in this world?
I go through many ups and downs. Sometimes they are self inflicted and other times they are hormone inflicted. Darn hormones! I already told you in paragraph two about those moods and how I become quite a boot. I am not one that can have a smooth sailing life without having to work on it. I need to work on it. I need to force myself to see the good in things some days instead of going the opposite way. Not always fun but when I let God take over He shows me the good that I miss when I do it on my own. My days and even weeks that I push God aside are selfish weeks. They are self centred, feeling sorry for myself weeks. I NEED GOD! I may think at times that it is hard to sit down and read my Bible or write in my journal or spend time in prayer with Him BUT the alternative for me is a selfish life. If I don't put God first in my life I miss the opportunities to reach out to others because I am not listening to Him. My children need me to put God first in my life. My family and friends need me to put God first in my life. They need me to immerse my life in Him to let His Grace pour over me and let it saturate into every pore of my being.
Many have lived their lives without God and they have remained happy, well adjusted people (at least on the outside). Me, I can't live my life without God and honestly, why would I want to. Can a life without God be all that it is meant to be?
Sunday 27 May 2012
FAILURE - THROW IN THE TOWEL OR STEP IT UP
Why do some of us give up after a "so called" failure? We try out for something and don't get chosen. We try and jog that first mile as we begin our training for a marathon and collapse at our doorstep. We try and write a short story for the local paper and receive the rejection letter in the mail. Whatever it may be for you; we try to achieve something that we feel we are good at or something we have been dreaming of doing and the powers that decide our fate turn us down. We give up and decide there is no point in trying again because we are bound to fail. Some may say that we are lacking in confidence and need to read a few self help books on self esteem and build ourselves up. Maybe we are seeing the glass as half empty instead of half full. Whatever the reason is we have given up on pursuing our dream or passion because one person out there did not feel we made the cut.
The other day I was talking to my daughter on the subject of failure. It's such a strong word to use so I sugar coated it a little by saying 'not accomplishing something that you had set out to do.' That really is what failure is. Anyway, I was talking to her about it and I thought I would say something profound to make my point. So I said, do you know Einstein did not invent the light bulb the first time he tried. She looks at me with a funny look. In my mind I am thinking this is not the contemplative look that I thought she should be using at this point in the conversation. So, I repeated it again to be sure she understand my point. You know kids...they never listen the first time. She said to me "Mom, you know that Einstein did not invent the light bulb?" There went my moment of trying to sound wise. So, we laughed and it helped lighten the conversation and made her mother look like a fool once again.
There are so many great authors, actors/actresses, writers, inventors, athletes and a host of other people that have had rejection after rejection, failure after failure, disappointment after disappointment. We don't know about the ones that never made it. We only know about the ones that do. They are in our history books, in the newspaper articles that we read and in the media that we see. Can you imagine how often they felt like giving up along the way? Something pushed them to succeed. Somewhere along the road they saw a glimmer of hope and they followed that light.
We are our own worst enemy . We eat some chocolate and give up on our new weight loss plan because we will never be able to stick with it. We plan a party for a group of friends and the only one that shows up is our mom. We apply for a new position at work and don't get the job so we give up on trying to move up the corporate ladder. There are so many little things along the way that we may think that we fail at and we throw in the towel instead of stepping up. Look at all of those people that try out for American/Canadian Idol and Canada's/America's Got Talent. Some of the worst auditions come out saying I am not giving up I know that I can win this thing? How does someone that bad have such confidence and not see it is a failure? Why is it the ones that may really have a chance to do well do not see themselves in the same way as the not so good ones?
I think failure gives us the opportunity to learn, gather together our emotions, give ourselves that little pick me up speech and move on. Maybe that next time will be the right time and the time that you will succeed.
The other day I was talking to my daughter on the subject of failure. It's such a strong word to use so I sugar coated it a little by saying 'not accomplishing something that you had set out to do.' That really is what failure is. Anyway, I was talking to her about it and I thought I would say something profound to make my point. So I said, do you know Einstein did not invent the light bulb the first time he tried. She looks at me with a funny look. In my mind I am thinking this is not the contemplative look that I thought she should be using at this point in the conversation. So, I repeated it again to be sure she understand my point. You know kids...they never listen the first time. She said to me "Mom, you know that Einstein did not invent the light bulb?" There went my moment of trying to sound wise. So, we laughed and it helped lighten the conversation and made her mother look like a fool once again.
There are so many great authors, actors/actresses, writers, inventors, athletes and a host of other people that have had rejection after rejection, failure after failure, disappointment after disappointment. We don't know about the ones that never made it. We only know about the ones that do. They are in our history books, in the newspaper articles that we read and in the media that we see. Can you imagine how often they felt like giving up along the way? Something pushed them to succeed. Somewhere along the road they saw a glimmer of hope and they followed that light.
We are our own worst enemy . We eat some chocolate and give up on our new weight loss plan because we will never be able to stick with it. We plan a party for a group of friends and the only one that shows up is our mom. We apply for a new position at work and don't get the job so we give up on trying to move up the corporate ladder. There are so many little things along the way that we may think that we fail at and we throw in the towel instead of stepping up. Look at all of those people that try out for American/Canadian Idol and Canada's/America's Got Talent. Some of the worst auditions come out saying I am not giving up I know that I can win this thing? How does someone that bad have such confidence and not see it is a failure? Why is it the ones that may really have a chance to do well do not see themselves in the same way as the not so good ones?
I think failure gives us the opportunity to learn, gather together our emotions, give ourselves that little pick me up speech and move on. Maybe that next time will be the right time and the time that you will succeed.
Sunday 15 January 2012
A New Year, Another Year Older, New Opportunities
January can be a tough month for me. It's January and it is usually cold which prevents me from going biking or jogging outside. It is my birthday month and sometimes it is not so much the growing older part that gets to me but more so have I seen a change in myself in the last year. Have I grown spiritually and emotionally but not physically (I am not trying to grow in that area - my hips are a good size and I don't want them getting bigger)? That is the part that has me dragging my butt and feeling the winter blues hit. Have I become a better person and grown into the individual that God has called me to be?
In the past year I have changed up my eating. I have been eating healthy and left meat and dairy for others to enjoy. Many don't understand it and many think it is plain ridiculous. My choice, my body. I am not picketing on the street corners to save the shrimp (family joke) and have others jump on the bandwagon. It is a decision that I made for myself to take care of this body that God has given me because it is the only one I got as well I really love to eat this way. I really feel that I have gained some really great food choices. That is something that was a fairly big change for me.
That was one decision or change that I made in 2011 that showed a "moving forward" sign in my life instead of a step backward. Check my inventory list - physical changes - check - doing better.
In 2011 I changed my roles at the Credit Union a few times. I am working with the public again and I love my job. I wrote in my letter to apply for my new position "I believe that this is the job I have been training to do for the last 10 years." I love to help and encourage people and I get to do that everyday!!! Wow! Isn't that great? Okay, inventory list - growth at work - check - improving everyday (with the help of great co-workers).
In 2011 I found myself going through a bit of a spiritual desert. I complained and blamed others for why I was not involved in a local church. I did not commit to a church body because... (you can fill in your reasons because mine sound quite stupid as they go through my head right now). One day I made a decision - SHUT UP and do it. Not the most spiritual revelation that I have had but it did the trick. I made a decision to SHUT UP with all of my excuses and follow God's leading in my spiritual growth. Step out of the comfort zone which included going to church if I felt like it and joining in if it worked for me. Self centred you may say Heck yes I was (and still am). Joined a small group which was really great and started going to church regularly with a willing spirit instead of a closed one. What a difference that makes?
My inventory checklist for 2011 was looking better and I have to say that this has been my best January in a lot of years. I am thankful for those that have the patience and love to help me along the way in my personal growth. Where would we be without those that come alongside us and push us forward (sometimes screaming and kicking)?
2012 might be your year to step out, step up and move forward. I am hoping that in January 2013 I will be able to go through my checklist and see that I have accomplished what I set out to do. Hey honey! If I can do it so can you.
In the past year I have changed up my eating. I have been eating healthy and left meat and dairy for others to enjoy. Many don't understand it and many think it is plain ridiculous. My choice, my body. I am not picketing on the street corners to save the shrimp (family joke) and have others jump on the bandwagon. It is a decision that I made for myself to take care of this body that God has given me because it is the only one I got as well I really love to eat this way. I really feel that I have gained some really great food choices. That is something that was a fairly big change for me.
That was one decision or change that I made in 2011 that showed a "moving forward" sign in my life instead of a step backward. Check my inventory list - physical changes - check - doing better.
In 2011 I changed my roles at the Credit Union a few times. I am working with the public again and I love my job. I wrote in my letter to apply for my new position "I believe that this is the job I have been training to do for the last 10 years." I love to help and encourage people and I get to do that everyday!!! Wow! Isn't that great? Okay, inventory list - growth at work - check - improving everyday (with the help of great co-workers).
In 2011 I found myself going through a bit of a spiritual desert. I complained and blamed others for why I was not involved in a local church. I did not commit to a church body because... (you can fill in your reasons because mine sound quite stupid as they go through my head right now). One day I made a decision - SHUT UP and do it. Not the most spiritual revelation that I have had but it did the trick. I made a decision to SHUT UP with all of my excuses and follow God's leading in my spiritual growth. Step out of the comfort zone which included going to church if I felt like it and joining in if it worked for me. Self centred you may say Heck yes I was (and still am). Joined a small group which was really great and started going to church regularly with a willing spirit instead of a closed one. What a difference that makes?
My inventory checklist for 2011 was looking better and I have to say that this has been my best January in a lot of years. I am thankful for those that have the patience and love to help me along the way in my personal growth. Where would we be without those that come alongside us and push us forward (sometimes screaming and kicking)?
2012 might be your year to step out, step up and move forward. I am hoping that in January 2013 I will be able to go through my checklist and see that I have accomplished what I set out to do. Hey honey! If I can do it so can you.
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