Category: In the Everyday

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The Parable of the Dishwasher

I wrote this in March of 2017. Who knew I would be posting it on my blog – not me. What I do know is that God is so timely and always relevant. What He so sweetly spoke to my heart three years ago is still emboldening me today. I wholeheartedly pray this draws you to the peace and wonderment of God’s love for you.

There are two kinds of dishwasher people in this world – the ones that wash their dishes before loading and those that carelessly put crusty dried on food right into their machine, which must be magic! Okay, so you must know by now. Yes! I wash my dishes before putting them in the dishWASHER! What’s wrong with me?

You are probably wondering why in the world I’m talking about this. Well, let me tell you. Our God is a personal God. He is a real, loving heavenly Father who knows how to speak my language – your language. He speaks to us in ways we will hear and understand. That’s what the parables were, right? In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable of the sower – He was talking to FARMERS! They sow seed! He knew they could relate and that they would understand. How personal our God is!

Okay, so here it goes, my parable…

I decided a few days ago that I was going to just put in my dirty, crusty, unwashed dishes into this magical machine, turn it on and see what happens. To my utter amazement, it did it’s job! Crazy! I could hardly believe it. That’s when I heard the sweet voice of my personal Savior, my God, speak so gently to my heart.
“Just as though you do not trust the dishwasher to clean the dishes and you take control and do it, just in case, you have been doing that with Me. I am your God, your Savior, and your King, but just in case I don’t come through, you have been doing My job for Me. Give these areas over to Me. Let me have the control. TRUST Me to do what I say I will do. Trust the dishwasher to do what it was made to do.”

He met me in my world. My stay at home mom dishes world. He spoke my language to me so I could hear. So, how do I release control and let God do what only He can do? I pray Romans 12: 2 over myself. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Every time I want to go back to washing my dishes before loading them, I will go back to my parable.

Trust.

Release Control.

Let the dishwasher do it’s thing!

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HOPE

This word holds weight. It’s heavy. It’s good&bad, lost&found, scary&bold. I don’t know about you, but my day can carry so much promise and great expectation one moment and in the next crash into disappointment and despair. Hope: it’s a loaded emotion, statement, proclamation. It can be spoken and felt with true belief or with almost a begging-you have nothing else to hold on to. It brings joy, anticipation, giddiness and at other times tears and frantic prayers.

Hope lies in the simplicity of trusting the sun will rise tomorrow.

Hope is conceived in the expectation of goodness.

Hope is birthed in the daring to believe that there is goodness despite the painfully dreadful things in this life.

Hope grows in the faith that there is a season for everything.

If Minnesota has taught me anything, it is the truth of Ecclesiastes 3. I get to experience and delight in the absolute authenticity that seasons are legit. California family and friends, this is a public service announcement: There are four seasons to every year. These include Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. I guess I kinda knew this, but not really. I mean, I did see my first icicle on our drive here. One day we were out and one of the kids asked what the temperature was and I answered, “It’s not very many degrees.”. It has become a common phrase in our house. But you see, this too shall pass. Another common phrase that people say to comfort us or encourage us, but ultimately just makes us even more angry about the too that we are currently in. And how do you know this will pass? I’m suppose to just hope it will maybe someday? This is not the hope I’m talking about, but the hope I think the majority of us feel most of the time when we have been hoping for something so long we think the longing won’t pass and the season won’t change.

Hope, it’s loaded – like a gun. Assurance of protection or angst of harm. Blissful hope turns quickly to anxious hope as though our feelings will determine the outcome.

Here’s the danger of relying on feelings instead of truth. Hardest. Thing. Ever. I don’t know about you but my emotions can be large and in charge when I allow. I have to remind myself that I allow that. I am not saying feelings and emotions are not real. They are definitely, most assuredly, legitimately, utterly, wholly, absolutely, without doubt – for real. With that being said, they are not always true.

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. -Ecclesiastes 3:1

Not much emotion to this. Just the straight up truth. When we read further down, here comes all the feelings…

But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I’ve had a good look at what God has given us to do – busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in it’s time – but He’s left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether He’s coming or going. I’ve decided that there’s nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That’s it – eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It’s God’s gift. I’ve also concluded that whatever God does, that’s the way it’s going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God’s done it and that’s it. That’s so we’ll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. Whatever was, is. Whatever will be, is. That’s how it always is with God. -Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 (MSG)

Let me share why this brings me so much peace and joy. God just wants us to hope in Him. Here’s the deal: life is what life is. There’s no way around this. Yes, we have choices that get us to where we are going, but so much is not in our choices, it’s in our hope. God has given us a gift and it’s called celebration. He’s given us this gift in every single season we will ever be in. Good, bad or indifferent we have a choice to receive this gift. We get to have a good time and make the most out of life. Laugh, eat, drink, and simply worship Him because He loves you. This is hope. Spring time will come. Winter does not last forever. But in winter, we can eat yummy warm soup and drink hot cocoa after a victorious snowball fight!

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Thought of the Day

Surprises are everywhere and usually in unlikely places.

I receive an email every morning from my son’s middle school. It contains valuable information about the day’s schedule, upcoming events, and announcements. But, my favorite part…

Thought of the Day.

I have to admit – I don’t read the email for daily schedule (my son knows his schedule), or the events or announcements. I open and read the thought of the day. It’s short, sweet, and always relevant. Here are a few examples. I just have to share!

“Good things are not done in a hurry.”

“It takes no more time to see the good side of life than to see the bad.”

“Success doesn’t come to you… you go to it.”

“If I want to improve the world, I can start with my own life.”

“I am responsible for my own well-being, my own happiness. The choices and decisions I make regarding my life directly influence the quality of my days.”

“Life is a big canvas. Throw all the pain on it you can.”

And my favorite so far… “I will take time to smile.”

I could honestly go on and on. It makes my day. I think we need to stop sometimes and breathe in the surprises from the unlikely places. Stop and be thankful for these things that make us smile, think. I have so many times written the thought of the day in my journal so I can look back and read and feel that thought alongside my entries. See the faithfulness of how my God aligned the simple, unlikely thought of the day in a middle school daily email to what He was doing in my life and my heart. Because, see, that’s how much He loves me and that’s how much He loves you. We don’t always see these little lovely drops of love because we don’t take the time or stop and see them, smell them, and then embrace them. His love for us is ALL around us. It’s in the sunshine & raindrops, the sweet & sour, in smiles & tears, hope & the temptation to give up. It’s in the obvious & the mundane, the expected & unexpected.

The hardest part is to take this thought of the day and turn it into my anthem. My life – your life – IS A BIG CANVAS. I’ll be honest where I get stuck… I don’t want to make a mess. Throw paint. HA! HA! You straight crazy! Can you imagine the mess I will have to clean up? No thank you! To change this from a fun cute little thought to my anthem…

Can you imagine how beautiful the canvas will be?

That’s hard. That’s life. How are we going to leave our mark on this world without a mess?

I’m going to leave you with one of my favorite thoughts, or quotes you could say.

“Well-behaved women seldom make history.” – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

I will definitely go into this more. Later. For now, let’s think on this. We may have to make a mess.

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This & That

Oh those that just know what they want. You know, that friend or cousin who somehow miraculously knew from birth they wanted to be a teacher, doctor, marine biologist, etc. and they stayed the path and that’s what they are. Those ones. They probably have lived in the same house forever- like their kids get married in the backyard kind of house. They are settled, grounded, content. I am not this person.

I have always wanted to do a million different things. I also really like to start things. Hey, it’s the fun part! I was just thinking, the other day, about all the things I have wanted to do or have done or tried. Here it goes…

Kindergarten teacher, nurse, CNA, wife, mom, medical assistant, wedding coordinator, doula, receptionist, restaurant hostess, Scentsy consultant, pastor’s wife, lactation educator, childbirth education instructor, author, worship leader, It Works! consultant, house flipper, professional party thrower, baker, entrepreneur of really anything, preschool teacher, massage therapist, teacher and preacher, blogger, financial aid assistant community college, esthetician, (I think that’s it).

And, I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up! Jeez Louis!

My husband and I were just having a conversation with our son last night about the moves we have made and possible future ones. One thing I do love about the unknown is the trying. We tried. We are trying. How do you know if you don’t try? That was the heart of the conversation. Our children will know the lived out definition of trying. I don’t know if they will just know how they want to spend their adult years or if they will try out to find out. They do have the confidence of “everything will be okay” because, guess what?, it always is. It’s not always easy or fun or pretty, but it’s always okay. I’m not sure if knowing and being settled and carrying out your future focused and on a path already wandered is easy or pretty or fun. I would guess, not always. Either way, I think we all have a little bit of this and that. Some of us figure it out earlier than others. This is the beauty of life. The beauty of new beginnings and old familiarities.

So, cheers to the unknown, to the risks we take, to the steady path, to life itself. I pray wherever you are on this spectrum, that you be you. Don’t settle or shy away from the hard stuff or the risks or the unknown. I’m preachin’ to myself, just so you know…

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This is Significant

What to do when we don’t like our ordinary everyday life enough to even attempt to make moments sacred?

I can think of so many everyday moments that I chose to see as special. Even if just I realize it or take it in as extraordinary. For instances, when I pick up my daughter from school and that moment our eyes lock and we are so happy to see each other. Or hearing the kids laughing so hard. And when my husband walks in the door and I can’t wait to kiss his lips. These moments.

I don’t claim, ever, to have all the answers. I just want to share what I’ve learned and in turn, learn from you. So, what do you do when the everyday mundane wears on you so heavily that it’s hard to be grateful? Do you ever feel guilty because you’re sad and you really have no reason to be? I mean, sure life is not perfect and we all have areas to learn and grow, but I have a home and food and clothes on my back. I have Jesus. But sometimes I have a hard time pushing through the e v e r y d a y.

It can feel lonely and passionless. It can feel like all the million little things you do are pointless. The other morning I realized I will fix my children breakfast, pack their school lunches, and serve dinner for 22 years. Now, I know many of you reading this will have many more years than that, but the thought hit me while making making breakfast and packing lunches. Sometimes the really important stuff can seem so unseen, therefore we can feel unseen, unappreciated.

So, here’s what I am going to do.

I heard a snip-it from a sermon by Pastor Steven Furtick and he was saying the things that don’t seem significant (like packing lunches) say, “This is significant” as you do it. I’m going to say, “This is significant” and I’m going to practice meaning it. I’m going to show my Heavenly Father that I will be faithful with what He has gifted me.

In the mundane, in the everyday, I will keep on going. I will keep on looking for the moments I can hold on tight to, even if it’s in the midst of my hard. When I feel alone, I will pray. When I feel passionless, I will dance. In the million little insignificant things, I will chose to make them sacred. E V E R Y D A Y is a gift, even when it feels like just another day. I have found, it’s truly all about perspective.

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Car Dancing

This morning I was honored to be part of a conversation about courage and strength. These qualities seem to have a natural nemesis: fear. So, it got us talking about fear. One of the questions posed was, “What would your life look like if you lived without fear?”. My immediate response was, “I have no idea.”.  The ladies gave such eloquent, beautiful, thought out answers. Some said they would live more boldly and do more. Another shared that they would have more joy because they wouldn’t be so fearful of what the future holds. 

This question has lingered within me all day.

My conclusion: I would have so much FUN!

So, here’s the deal. Without overthinking or going into some internal weird place, I came to the realization that most of my decisions are fear based. Like, car dancing. Yes! You know when you really want to or you are, but then a car pulls up next to you and you either stop or simmer way down? Why? Well, honestly, deep down, it’s a fear they will laugh or think I am silly or crazy. I don’t even know this guy! Fear. It creeps in all too easily.

I began to pay attention to my every day, my ordinary. Do I compliment the stranger on her cute shoes? Do thank the cashier for always being so kind. Do I wear those new earrings? Do I strike up a conversation with the sweet lady behind me in the Starbucks line? I have a thing about complimenting others, particularly strangers. Ninety-two percent of the time I do it. I just do it! Once I really felt the Lord asking me to tell a woman how beautiful she was. I heard others around making comments that were less than kind. I found myself entangled in fear and I didn’t do it. I regret it and think about to this day. That was seven or eight years ago. I tend to think, how would I respond if a stranger approached me and said that? I think, I would be so blessed and it would make my day! 

What do I do when I see people car dancing? I watch, I smile, and sometimes a laugh pops out. They are so joyful, so into the song, so not caring about what anyone else thinks. They are my inspiration. I will forever and ever car dance. I will do it when I feel like it. I will do it when I don’t feel like it, because car dancing can change my whole day. It can turn my sadness or too seriousness or my anger into joy. Fear, in my life, is the illusion that I have control over things that I do not. No, I cannot control how a stranger responds to my smile or kind gesture, but I can be courageous and do it. No, I cannot jump into the future and see how my close friend will respond to a hard conversation we need to have, but I can have the strength to do it anyway. Living without fear would open up the floodgates to passion, joy, and adventure I can’t even imagine. I don’t think I’ll ever nail it, completely, but I will die trying. I’m going to start with dancing, in the car. 

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Fresh and Clean

What do you think of when you hear these words? 

A brand-new baby? Maybe a new pair of kicks? The beginning of each new day? A fresh coat of paint? That new car-smell? The changing of seasons? OutKast lyrics dancing in your head?

To me, one of the first things that comes to mind is a new house, a place to make a home. My family and I have moved quite a bit in the past seven years and I love me a new house. In fact, we have moved nine times. I have to admit, I enjoy newness, fresh beginnings.

Today I have been reading through some of my old journals. It’s amazing how old thoughts can bring new, fresh perspective. I looked back in October 2017 at an entry where I was enjoying the beach in Port Hueneme. I was walking along the shoreline, listening to the waves crash, my toes warm in the sand, searching for sand dollars. I have been to this particular stretch of beach many times as this was one of the moves we made in the past seven years. We lived 3 blocks from this beach. I have found at least one sand dollar EVERY single time I’ve searched, but not today. Not a trace of one.

See, sometimes we go to the place, the familiar place, where we find that thing, the thing we need. We think, if I can just get back to that place, that time, that memory, that routine, that feeling, I can find what I need, I can find myself, I can find that peace. Come to that place, but search for something new. You will find what you need, it just might not be what you expected. New, we need new. We need fresh.

Sometimes we go to these places that are so ordinary and familiar to us and they are made sacred. Moments happen that we cannot longer call mundane or routine or just because. They are imprinted on our hearts, they change us. Expect something new, something sacred in an ordinary moment, a familiar place. Beautiful things are coming. Fresh and new is upon us. Choose to see it, feel it, embrace it.

Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is!– Isaiah 43:19 (MSG)

This Scripture takes the pressure off of us. We don’t have to work so hard at trying to find what we need, or what we think we need. He gives us simple instructions: Be Alert and Be Present. 

We have an opportunity right now, today. It’s a fresh month, a new season. Let’s be present in our ordinary moments and make them sacred. 

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Our Entire Attention

Do not worry… We hear this all the time. We read it in God’s Word, people tell us this, we tell people this. It’s actually even the chorus in one of our family’s favorite songs. What I love about our Jesus, is that He doesn’t just tell us NOT to do something. He tells us what to do instead. 

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7

I also love that He knows what worrying can do to us. He wants us to live in peace, not torture. I know that is what worrying can do to me. I can go round and round in my mind about what “could” happen. Isn’t that what worrying is… something that may or may not even happen. When we really think about what worrying is, it can seem quite silly, or dare I say… crazy? We cause ourselves so much unnecessary stress and anxiousness over something that may NOT even happen. Jesus help us! 

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
Matthew 6:34

Let’s try this. Giving our entire attention to today. Trust God. Pray about everything. Let God help when hard things happen. 

The best part… We don’t have to do this alone. We have one another!

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You’ve Got a Friend in Me

Oh how I pray you have friends that will lay down their life for you!!! My deepest heart desire is for every woman to have that sisterhood, that friendship, that bond that unites souls through Jesus! There’s no friend like a friend that loves Jesus! 

Today I needed my friends. My sisterhood of women gathered around me and held me up in prayer as I navigated through some serious emotions. They prayed for me, encouraged me, and continued to check in with me. I’m FOR REAL about to cry right now sitting waiting on my to-go tacos. I want to scream, “I have the best friends in the whole wide world!!!!”. 

If you don’t have friends or even a friend like I’m talking about, please don’t stop praying for that friend, that sister. She’s out there… and I bet you a million dollars… she’s praying for you too. 
This evening I pray you feel the love that never fails, will never run out on you, will never betray you. The only perfect love, the love of our Heavenly Father. I also pray you find that sister or if you’ve already got her (or even a few) hold on tight! Pray with her. I promise it will be the best thing your friendship will ever have!

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

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Let It Rain

“Open up, heavens, and rain. Clouds, pour out buckets of my goodness! Loosen up, earth, and bloom salvation; 
Isaiah 45:8 (MSG)

I love the rain. Well… I love to listen to it from the warmth of my living room while sipping a hot cup of coffee or enjoying a warm bowl of my favorite soup. I love to play board games with my family or watch a great movie snuggled on the couch with my babies. That’s how I enjoy the rain. As I am writing this now I can hear it pouring outside my window as worship music plays in the background. It’s like perfect harmony. 

Soon, though, I will have to leave the comfort and shelter of my home to pick up my kids from school. I will be faced with the wet and cold effects of the rain. It seems as though this feels like life sometimes. We love the effect “rain” has after the fact. You know, like April showers bring May flowers. It’s a suffering before the breakthrough. It’s an inconvenience before the reward. It’s messy before it’s beautiful. 

I love how it says in Isaiah, open up, pour out, loosen up, and THEN bloom. I pray the frustration of whatever you are going through can be a reminder of God’s incredible salvation, love, and adoration for YOU. Let Him pour out all He has for you TODAY. Take it one day at a time. It’s worth it.