Wednesday’s W: Which one is it?

30 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by Barbara Isaac in question

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Follower, Leader

Simple question, really, yet not so easy to answer:

Your life, are you leading it or following it?

Leading life, or being led by life?

Cultivating Thankfulness with Ann Voskamp

#106 the Gift of Leading

#105 the Gift of Following

All Day Long

29 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by Barbara Isaac in Thankfulness

≈ 30 Comments

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Time

I fight with myself all day long,

All day long, all long day.

And sometimes I win, and sometimes I lose.

And the dances go on, all day long, all long day.

And I laugh all the louder, at the top of my lungs.

What to do at the end when the singing is done,

And the pain just remains, all day long, all long day?

I will turn to the Lord, Creator of all things,

And give thanks.

Just. Give. Thanks.

For the breath in my lungs, all day long, all long day.

The experience of pain, and of love, and of depth.

The knowing that I am, and I feel, oh I feel.

All day long, all day long, all long day–yes I feel.

Just. Give. Thanks.

For the moment to live on the edge of myself

For the love that I know He has poured out on me

All day long, all long day.

Just. Give. Thanks.

And the fighting gets smaller,

And the joy just gets bigger.

The breath fills my whole being,

All day long, all long day.

I give thanks for the key:

Just. Give Thanks.

All day long, all long day.

Counting One Thousand Gifts with Ann

#104 the Gift of Surrender

#103 the Joy of being loved

#102 the end of the fighting

#101 the peace after the storm

#100 His victory in me

Linking up with Tell me a Story, SDG, Life in Bloom, Play Dates with God, Raising Mighty Arrows, Imperfect Prose, God Bumps, What Joy is Mine and Gratituesday

A God kind of Romance

27 Sunday May 2012

Posted by Barbara Isaac in beauty, Christ centered, love

≈ 17 Comments

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Romance

God has been romancing me these days.

He brought me tulips the other day, my favorite kind. He whispered in my ear that I could get a new start–and showered me with hope that washed me clean deep down.

He took me on a walk in the woods, held my hand and told me how much He enjoyed my company–and He deposited the fragrance of love in the pores of my heart.

He robed me with precious blood, righteousness and compassion. And I read in His eyes that He found me beautiful–and He etched a deep smile inside of my restored soul .

Cultivating Thankfulness with Ann Voskamp

#99 the company of God in my day

#98 yellow tulips, my very favorite

#97 my patio in the spring

#96 my first asparagus roots

Linking up with Fresh Brewed Sundays, a Mama’s Story, Hear it on Sunday, Finding Beauty, State of the Heart, the Better Mom, the Alabaster jar, On, In and Around Mondays, Women Living Well and Playdates

Five Ways to Keep Truth Vibrant in my Mouth

25 Friday May 2012

Posted by Barbara Isaac in carefulness, Christ centered

≈ 9 Comments

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Effective, Power, Speak

“God is still on the throne.”

“He’s got it!”

“Don’t worry, He is Lord.”

“He sees it all.”

“He will come through.”

Generic words that cover it all easily uttered when someone I know faces a difficult situation; one-size-fit-all band-aids.

So true. And yet so lame.

Sometimes, the obvious has been said so much that it loses its weight. It doesn’t heal or encourage because it’s familiar, used up. Like an “I love you” said for the thousandth time in a marriage.

So lame. And yet so true and necessary.

How can we keep truth vibrant within and communicate it with power and anointing?

1. Don’t be flippant about your words. Even if you have said it 243 times, mean it with everything in you on the 244th time. Because if you do, it will catch my attention and my heart.

2. Have a kind, but firm response to the “yeah, yeah, I know” answer that comes. Because you will face me with my unwillingness to really listen.

3. Don’t say it because it is expected of you, or just because it is the right answer in a situation. Say it because you believe it to be true and helpful. I am human too, and I can read right through you.

4. Back your words up with actions. If you tell me that you love me, do something to show it. If you tell me that God will provide and you can be a part of the solution, do it. Because I know that it’s for real when you put your hand to the plow.

5. Speak with your entire body–mouth, eyes, hands, body, posture. Because it will wake me up from my slumber.

How do you make familiar words count?

Cultivating Thankfulness with Ann Voskamp

#95 kindness demonstrated

#94 all my ducks in a row before going to bed

#93 a settled spirit when the storm is raging

#921 healing words

#91 an evening at home all by myself

Linking up with Faith Filled Friday, Still Saturday, A Mama’s Story, Titus 2sday and RJD

Wednesday’s W: Wonderful

23 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by Barbara Isaac in beauty, everyday, Maine

≈ 1 Comment

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wonder

Wonderful = Full of Wonders. This life is sure wonder-full.

Isn’t it amazing that when you fly in an airplane, you are actually sitting in a chair in the sky?

And isn’t it mind-boggling that in order to live, a seed has to die?

And isn’t it marvelous that every November 24th, the swallows leave North East Argentina and arrive to Baja, California, on February 18th every single year?

And isn’t it awesome that God still knows how many hair are on my head this very day? And that skin on my body recreates itself all the time? And that babies are born with all of their parts?

Wonderful–life is full of wonders indeed.

Cultivating Thankfulness with Ann Voskamp

# 90 my eyes that see the green grass

#89 the awe that overwhelms me when I look at the ocean

# 88 My Backyard Oak Tree

Waking Up like every Day is Saturday

22 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by Barbara Isaac in everyday, meaning

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

Bubble bath, Monday

Do you drag yourself out of bed, dreading the day because it’s Monday? Do you divide your life in work (no fun), evening (better but chores), vacation (great!) and retirement (finally!)? Does today matter more because it is a no-working vacation day?

Are different days in nice little filing cabinets?

Maybe we should goop all the days together– not one more important than the other. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday–all good. So you have to go to work on Monday to make the money to provide for those you love, but does that make it a rough day? Or is it a blessed day because you get to go to work to provide for those you love?

As soon as we figure out how to live our purpose in our everyday life, we can live on purpose no matter what day it is. And that is excellent.

Did you know that people with a strong sense of purpose have boosted immune systems and lower stress hormones? Yep.

None of us finds fulfillment in an automatic, robot-type life, but we all thrive when we add purpose and adventure to our days. Purpose beyond Saturday mornings. Purpose for life on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. And Saturday and Sunday.

It’s all about perspective, and learning to fit our purpose in all that we do. When the kids are screaming and the milk is spilled and the boss is unhappy. When the bacon burns and your mom is upset and the money is tight. When all we want is a bubble bath and a dream life that doesn’t exist on this side of Heaven.

How the heck do you do that, you ask. Well, truthfully, I can’t answer that for you. Because it’s your life, and your purpose. You are the one who has to figure that one out. Yep.

But there are some guidelines that work for each one of us, and the very first one is this: Do it on purpose. Your Monday, do it on purpose. Your ugly Tuesday, live it fully. Your exhausting Wednesday, experience it fully. Your boring Thursday, choose it. Your almost-the-week-end Friday, don’t waste it. Your long awaited Saturday, enjoy it. Your family Sunday, make it happen.

Once we live on purpose, our purpose becomes so much more defined. And it can fill each moment of every day.

What do you do to fit your purpose in all that you do? Let’s hear it!

Cultivating Thankfulness with Ann Voskamp

# 87 Monday mornings

#86 the end of a fruitful day

#85 my new phone

Linking up with Gratituesday , Just Write, Deep Roots, Women Living well, Pieces of Amy and Far Above Rubies

Gravity

20 Sunday May 2012

Posted by Barbara Isaac in Christ centered, Strength

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Law, love

There are some rules in life that are non-bendable. Like gravity. As babies, we all learned to cope with it, to accept it, to make our choices in view of it. And then, we never questioned it. It is what it is. Non-negotiable.

My being called by God is one of those givens in life. He has given me that position, and He makes decisions in view of it. He is God and that’s that. Non-negotiable.

Simple, isn’t it?

It only gets messy when I second-guess Him, reasoning with myself that He must have made a mistake because I certainly wouldn’t have picked me and I know better than God Himself.

Like when I feel far from Him because of my sin, obviously misunderstanding the grace of God. My sin or lack of sin have nothing to do with His choice of me. The blood of His Son does.

Or when I just don’t want to belong to someone other than myself, or I don’t want someone to tell me what to do with my hours, my energy, my resources–which in itself is pure stupidity that gets me in big trouble, just like ignoring gravity would. Because no one is free from responsibility, period. And no one is his or her own master.

There is nothing to discuss. I belong to Him whether I like it or not, whether I mess up or not, whether I am useful or not. And He loves me, whether I sense it or not, whether I drink of it or not, whether I acknowledge it or not.

His love for me and His calling of me are just like gravity–facts that must be accepted and reckoned with.

I can sit in a corner, pout and get frustrated about the law of gravity–but right there in my corner, I am still under its law; haven’t ever floated away yet. Or I can take full advantage of gravity and plan my life and days in view of it, resting in the security it brings. My choice.

I am benefiting exponentially from God’s call on my life, loving every minute of Him calling me His precious daughter. I revel in His call, in His love for me, in His plans for me, in the safety of my salvation. I know what it means to let go off fear because there is a bigger law in operation in me now: God’s got my back.

And I’m good with that! How about you?

Cultivating Thankfulness with Ann Voskamp

#84 a new candle

#83 God’s choice of me

#82 a walk in the rain

#81 success in baking scones for the first time

#80 Living with the knowledge that God’s got my back

Linking up with A Mama’s Story, Titus 2sday, God-bumps, Raising Mighty Arrows and Play Dates with God

Your World

18 Friday May 2012

Posted by Barbara Isaac in beauty, kindness, life

≈ 38 Comments

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Elderly, Touch

I am not quite sure how old you are, not that it really matters. So far from me, yet just a few feet away, you rock back and forth on your chair, seemingly not aware of the world all around you. Rhythmic tapping of your fingers on the wood of your chair, eyes half shut, saliva dribbling down on the front of your wrinkled blouse, teeth missing. And you smell old. Deteriorated. In another world.

I kind of want to want to enter into your world, but I can’t see past the rhythmic tapping of your knotted fingers on the wood of your chair, and the smell, and the saliva dribbling down. I want to want to reach out to you, but I don’t think you hear, let alone care.

Yet you have a name, and a life woven with threads of love, and pain, and sweat, and broken dreams and hope.

You are just like me. I hope I never become just like you.

Are you still inside this shell clothed in wrinkles and filled with pain, Olivia? What does your tapping mean? What do you need, what do you want?

I force myself to reach my fingers to your almost transparent cheek. You lift your arm and grab my fingers with your shaky hand, as though wanting to hold on to the life in me. I gently weave my fingers with yours. Your eyes open a bit. In the silence of interwoven skin, we connect. You let me in. And in that holy moment of touching fingers, our very hearts become intertwined.

The rhythmic rocking of the chair back and forth has slowed, and the saliva doesn’t matter any more. You smell like life, breakable, real, delicate. You are so beautiful.

My eyes well up with tears. I want to tell you all that I feel, but my emotions choke the words. I let my eyes do the talking. And then you start to cry as well.

You are just like me. Maybe one day I’ll get to be just like you.

Cultivating Thankfulness with Ann Voskamp