Why is it important to commit
This is a fifty minute video. I have never before posted anything I thought would take you more than 10 minutes to read/watch. This one is worth it. If you need to carve minutes out, the funny intro comments stop at about 4 minutes.
Take the time, Mamma. This one is so very worth it.
http://www.aspenideas.org/session/four-commitments-choices-create-your-life
I’m grateful
Good morning, Mommy. How is your week going so far? Are you mostly on track? Mostly is good.
I always try to live in an awareness of how blessed I am. On Wednesdays I try to take the time to actually write it out. Awesome exercise. Give it a go, see what you think.
What are you grateful for today?
I’m grateful for swing dancing and big band music and Converse all-stars.
I’m grateful that there is food in the fridge. That my children are healthy and happy and that they enjoy being in this family. Thank you, God for those children. My joy. My life.
For hot and cold running water. For clean air outside. For dependable electricity.
For crispy fall apples. For hot nachos with melty cheese. For carrot juice and wheat grass. (For my children, aghast, who hate wheat grass, “Mom! That’s like, LAWN CLIPPINGS!”)
For snuggling on a cushy sofa with blankets and reading books out loud. For popcorn. And frozen junior mints.
I’m grateful for videos of people hugging on facebook, especially people hugging cops, or folks of different colors or backgrounds. We are all human. We all want to be loved and respected and valued. I’m grateful for every single human being who takes any step toward affirming that.
For stinky little boy feet. And lavender bubble baths.
I am grateful that all my children can go to the school of my choosing. I’m grateful that I have a husband who agrees that the material sacrifice we undertake in order to send them to private school is worth it. That my kids are allowed to talk about God in school, I’m grateful for that. And grateful for their uniforms, less competition, less distraction, easier mornings.
I’m grateful for green tea, my friend since my body decided it doesn’t like coffee anymore. And for crispy almond butter toast that I share with the dog every morning. I’m grateful that my husband does not see me feed the dog my toast.
I’m grateful that my legs work. And my eyes. And my brain.
For my husband and I making it through the tough times. Because there will always be tough times. For the times of laughter and warmth and love that are also a part of choosing a life partner.
For strength of mind and heart; for knowing who I am, because I didn’t always.
What are you grateful for?
With love,
About God
Good morning, Mamma. Beautiful, blessed Sunday to you. You know I rarely, if ever, post on a Sunday. And I rarely, if ever, talk about my faith. Faith is such a personal thing, and I don’t want to come across as saying anything about your faith if I share my own. Your faith, or no faith, is between you and God. I love you the same whatever that looks like.
So even though I don’t usually talk about faith, I had an extraordinary experience this week I just have to tell you about.
On Monday, I lost an account that represented about half my potential business for 2016. In one of my company’s product groups, this was our number one customer. No fault of our own, they are moving to the East Coast and will be finding another supplier.
I was stunned. The time and energy I had spent with this account, now moving to benefit someone else! Not to mention the loss of revenue. Ouch.
That night, hurt, afraid, floundering, I prayed. This was not an articulate or eloquent prayer, more a cry to heaven from a hurt child. Help me!
Here’s where it gets weird, and I know will be hard for many of you to believe, because I could hardly believe it myself.
The next morning, I got an email at 8:01 AM. It said something to the effect of, “Hello. We know last week we said we didn’t want to work with you, but we changed our mind. Can you come by today to sign the contract?”
Then, that same day, at four-twenty-something in the afternoon, I got a call from another account. They said something to the effect of, “Hi. It was great to meet you last week. We’d like to start working with you immediately, how quickly can we get a contract together?”
So, there I sat. Not even twenty-four hours later, I had two new accounts. The sales cycle in my business is typically very long. It was an extraordinary experience to get two new accounts in a day.
I was telling friend about this, a rock-star engineer who flies around the world doing massive installations. A brilliant woman, her. She’s a good friend, but still I worried she’d think I was nuts. “God is good.” She responded. And then she said, “And you stayed in it, to allow Him to answer your prayer. You didn’t give up and stop answering your phone. You were up and at it again the very next morning after you loss. God can’t answer our prayers if we’re hiding at home.” Very true.
So. Like any good business woman, I try to give credit where credit is due if a teammate comes through for a big win, or with a great idea.
And I’m grateful this week to God for answering my prayer.
I know, loss of business is certainly not the worst thing that can happen to a person, and bad things happen to good people. Free will, and all that. And sometimes just life being it’s messy self. My week was no shroud of Turin, but it affected me deeply to feel cared for and protected.
If you’re struggling with something today, maybe trying looking up. I can’t guarantee an email by tomorrow morning at 8:01, but I know He’s listening, and I know He cares.
Happy Sunday, Mamma.
With love,
Sunday morning peace
A peaceful Sunday morning, snuggled up on the sofa, kids still asleep upstairs. Just sent a grateful husband out for his workout. Tea, toast, liquid dog asleep on the cushion next to me. Sun barely breaking, clock ticking languidly in the quiet of the room as I sit and thank God for my life.
Counting my blessings. Hope you will too.
With love,
Live
Oh-so philosophical this morning. How could I not be? Because of my friend’s wife’s devastating diagnosis, I spent all day yesterday wondering what I would do if I was told I had weeks to months to live. Distills and clarifies life down to what really matters right quickly, doesn’t it?
Mamma, you are so very precious and so crucially important to your family. They need you in their lives today and they need you in their lives for a very, very long time. Much of our health and energy is dependent on us, on our behaviors. Are you taking care of yourself?
We cannot prevent every terrible diagnosis. Heck, we can’t even fight off every cold, but we can BE HERE while we’re here. We can be here at our best energy, at our most aware and joyful and generous. We can make sure that we aren’t giving that precious life energy to cigarettes or Ding-Dongs or hours of sitting mesmerized by a TV.
There are twenty-four hours in every precious day we are given on this earth. How do you want to spend yours?
(Sorry… told you I was feeling philosophical this morning…)
My family plays a game called “Things”. A question is posed, we all write down our answer, and then we take turns trying to guess who answered what. Great game.
This last weekend, one of the questions was “Things I want to do before I die”. My youngest son, my gentle giant who just turned fourteen, my youngest son answered, “Live”.
Go live, Mamma. Go in gratitude and joy and determination. Go hold your kids tight, kiss that man in your bed upstairs, dive into your work with courage and truth.
Taste the apples, breath the sweet air, feel your beautiful body move in space.
Live.
With love,
How am I supposed to work when I am worried about my kid?
Good morning, darling! Good Monday morning to you. Coffee-coffee? Toast, muffins, breakfast bar?
I’m worried about one of my kids this morning. Worried enough to wonder how I’m going to get through the work day. Ever been there?
And I can’t really call in — “Hi, yeah, I’m a little concerned for one of my kids, well, a lot concerned, and I probably won’t be able to focus super well today, so I’m just going to stay home and pray”. Unfortunately, not an option.
We got a message from mission-trip kid just before six last night, after thirteen hours over dirt roads, they were still a couple hours from their destination. And then we didn’t hear from him or his team again.
Funny enough, a friend who’s still deciding about God told me just yesterday there were times she envied my faith. Well, today is one day I’m grateful for that faith, because I am going to pray my way through this day.
I don’t know how I would do it otherwise.
My husband just kissed my forehead and headed off to his job. He paused, with his forehead touching mine and said, “Let me know when you hear anything”. He’ll be praying his way through the day too.
Someone said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle”.
We, all of us, at one time or another, carry some worry or pain into and through our day. And the people we work with (hopefully) have no idea. If you too are carrying pain and worry today, my heart goes out to you. Know that you are not alone.
One foot in front of the other. Get one thing done. And then the next thing. When your brain is 3/4 full of fretting for your family, it’s probably not the day for multi-tasking.
Hang in there, Mamma. You are not alone.
With love,
Easter weekend
Hello, Mamma! Good morning. Easter weekend. Bunnies and baskets and children in pajamas running around the house screaming, “I found one! I found one!” Enjoy yourself this weekend. Take pictures!
And Easter is also about renewal, forgiveness, new life. Lovely holiday.
I plan to take some time this weekend for reflection – early tomorrow morning, before anyone else is up. Me and my coffee and my journal, out on the front porch, listening to the birds wake up. I want to look at where I’m at. What do I love, what am I not so happy with. And then I want to take the time to rough out a road map to get to where I want to be. We are the architects and construction crew of our own lives. Renewal.
And I’ll count my blessings, because there are so many. And I’ll pray, because it’s important to say thank you.
And I’ll forgive the hurts and slights and pain that inevitably come with life, because it’s the weekend for that.
And I’ll celebrate the new life I’m given, with God, with spring, with every morning that wakes up fresh and gives me another chance at the whole lovely mess of it.
Happy Easter, Mommies.
With love,
I’m grateful for…
I love Wednesday. Gratitude day. I love waking up, realizing it’s Wednesday, and thinking, “what am I grateful for today”? What a hands-down, lift-your-heart, fantastic way to start a day! Try it! Seriously. Just stop what you’re doing and start a list of all the things you’re grateful for.There is a lovely, quiet warmth and light that comes over me as I start my day this way– padding around my kitchen, making my toast and coffee — a lovely peace as the awareness of everything I am grateful for just sort of washes over me. Fabulous way to start the day.
Ready? Here goes.
I’m grateful for Grandma Ruth. Why are you on my mind this morning? The smile, the every present smile, her eyes that crinkled up with joy. I am grateful that you gave us the gift of food, more than that, the gift of cooking. Cooking, that simple act of preparing and sharing food, cooking that bring us together on a level that absolutely defies logic. Visceral in the most literal sense. I’m grateful I was taught this and grateful to live it. Love in the lemon bread.
I am grateful for illness. Sounds goofy, yes? But I am. I deal with a chronic illness, and when it pops up it reminds me that I need to take better care of myself. I’m grateful, because it just doesn’t’ let me get too far down the road of sloth and potatoes chips. Alright sister, time to live right. And I’m grateful that my particular cross is manageable. Everybody has something. I can carry this.
I’m grateful for polar fleece, sweatpants, and fuzzy boots – personal armor that gives me courage to face a chilly winter morning. And I’m grateful for coffee. And the ritual of making coffee. And I’m grateful for paper cups with lids — some days just the right thing. This morning for sure, just the right thing.
I’m grateful for a loving and generous husband who makes me eggs with curry, sun-dried tomatoes, and cauliflower (where do you come up with these things??) and who’ll bring it to me at my desk because I’m so intensely deep into studying, I don’t want to take a break. I am so blessed to have you in my life.
I’m grateful for kids whose forgiveness of my shortcomings, patience with our life’s limitations, and enthusiasm for our adventures together make my life possible, make it joyful, make it worth living.
I’m grateful for IT guys who get the machine working again. I’m grateful for men in brown who bring me boxes (and boxes and boxes) from Amazon. I’m grateful for the teachers who make my children’s worlds bigger than I could on my own.
For Christmas lights that I just can’t take down quite yet. For a clock that ticks softly nearby. For the day that is waiting for me, just over the horizon.
For a God who loves me. For a heart to loves others. For the love I receive in return.
Good morning, Working Mommy. Your day is waiting. Go get it, girl!
With love,