Sunday, November 18, 2012

Go forth!

Thank you Renee at renee's FUNKY country for transforming my little clarion call of "I can do hard things" into this handmade treasure that makes me smile every time I head out to greet the world (it's hanging on my mud room door). I am praying that it is also a wonderful reminder to my husband and son that we "can do everything through Christ who gives (us) strength." (Philippians 4:13)

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Against the Wind...for Diane



I know that I have life
only insofar as I have love.
 
I have no love
except it come from Thee.
 
Help me, please, to carry
this candle against the wind.
 
-Wendell Berry, Leavings
 
(A special thanks to my kindred spirit, and going on 32-years friend,
Diane who has lived this hot-wax-on-hand life of love
and who introduced me to Wendell Berry.)

Friday, November 9, 2012

Flesh Journeys


I have been on the most magnificent and challenging journey this past year. I could write a book on all I have learned about myself. I confess much of it has not been particularly attractive. Necessary however. I suspect there are fewer lines on my face; my furrowed brow is more relaxed. A few of the many bonuses to slowing down, way down. I realize that at any moment this all may change. But for now...

Confronting self is deadly. Amen! 
Stations of the Cross
Sacred Heart Retreat House
Sedalia, CO

Luke 9:23 - Amplified Bible
23 And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [[a]disown himself, [b]forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, [c]refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [[d]cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also].

 

Psalm 139:23 - Amplified Bible

23 Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
 
 

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Exceptional in the Ordinary

"It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, and this is not learned in five minutes."

Oswald Chambers
My Utmost for His Highest
October 21

Thursday, November 1, 2012

We Are on the Same Team and Fighting the Same Enemy

I'm delighted to share with you a guest blog by Sheri Rose Shepherd, one of the authors at Tyndale House Publisher. As you know from my blog I am a review blogger for Tyndale House and so was delighted when approached to have Sheri as a guest blogger for Thimbleful of Time.
 
Enjoy!
 

We Are on the Same Team and Fighting the Same Enemy
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

By Sheri Rose Shepherd
Bestselling Author and Bible Life Coach
 
 
Think about what makes your heart melt when you watch a great love story. It's not the hero's physical strength or his beloved's beauty, is it? No, you and I are drawn to the power of true love and its inexplicable ability to prevail over tragedy
and adversity. The greater the conflict, the stronger the love must be in order to resolve the issue. When the hero does whatever it takes to save the relationship, our hearts soar with renewed hope. Likewise, as we seek to truly listen and understand our men when differences between us create friction, we set ourselves up for more satisfying and loving relationships.

The Author of love and life and the Designer of our differences knew there would be conflict between men and women. The real problem comes, though, when we get accustomed to seeing relational problems solved in the time it takes to eat a bag of popcorn. Our hero and his beauty have less than two hours to defeat the dragons and overcome unspeakable challenges. You and I are not going to magically resolve deep relationship conflicts in our own wisdom and definitely not in less than two hours.

When I met my husband, Steve, I was sure we were a match made in heaven. In fact, we have had the privilege of being in ministry together for most of our marriage. I wish I could tell you it's been an effortless, wonderful life for the two of us, but I would be lying to you.

I learned to fight loud and strong by watching my parents. My brother and I would hide together in my bedroom as our parents tore into each other during arguments, often screaming and throwing things. Because of my broken family, when I first got married I was sure that every conflict between me and Steve would end our marriage.
 
Steve was raised by parents who had stayed married, so it was impossible for him to relate to my fears and worries. He was raised in quieter surroundings. His parents dealt with conflict quite differently from mine. There was no rage. No yelling. No broken furniture. His parents rarely fought—and never in front of their children. But his family also had no system to resolve conflict. That meant issues went unresolved—though not unnoticed.

Steve's and my fighting techniques were drastically different. However, neither of us had been equipped to deal appropriately with marital conflict. That led to major challenges early in our marriage whenever we attempted to resolve a disagreement. To make things even more difficult, when I married Steve I was a new Christian and had not yet learned how to channel my anger properly.

I tried everything to get him to react or resolve conflict with me, and as I waited, I became more bitter and he became more distant. One day I couldn't take Steve's calm, cool responses anymore. From my perspective, he obviously needed some lessons on how to fight for our marriage. I'd had enough of his "let's work it out peacefully by ignoring our problems" act. In my mind, he was being polite only to annoy me.

"Why don't you ever show some emotion and prove to me you care about our marriage?" I yelled.

Steve stood there quietly, shaking his head and looking down at the ground. Then suddenly, he turned toward the mirror on our bedroom closet door and kicked it as hard as he could, smashing it to bits.

Wow, I thought, what a performance. He sure learns fast.

Suddenly I began to laugh hysterically through my tears. I was so shocked I wasn't sure if I was relieved or ready to run from what I saw. His toenail was jutting out at a bizarre angle as he asked me, "Is that enough emotion for you? If it would help, I could probably throw myself on the floor and work up a good cry." We both began to laugh together as we attempted to pick up the glass fragments scattered all over our bedroom floor. In that moment I realized how much we had shattered each other just because we were different and had not been trained on how to resolve conflict. Our marriage was not the problem; it was our hearts. Neither of us had a teachable spirit.

It took several years, a lot of tears, and one expensive closet door mirror to repair the damage inflicted during those early years. We still have conflict, as all couples do, but we now understand that we are on the same team and that it's okay not to agree on everything.

After twenty-five years of marriage, we've decided it's worth letting go of the little things and fighting to understand one another. Conflict comes no matter who we marry. We may be fighting about different things with different men, but there will always be major differences between men and women. I once heard a pastor say that if spouses agreed on everything, only one of them would be needed. Let's not allow our differences to divide us any longer!

For a sneak peek of Sheri Rose's Your Heart's Desire Group Experience, or to learn more about her ministry, visit www.biblelifecoaching.com.

Watch the trailer:

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