When Five Plus Seven Does Not Equal Twelve

Where has the time gone?  I cannot believe this is the 28th anniversary of my 29th birthday (smile)!

But it does go by so fast!  I'm taking Becky Higgins' 12-week course, Project Real Life.  The first two weeks have focused on two of the principles from Stephen Covey's best-seller, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

• Begin with the end in mind.
• Put first things first.

When I think of the end in mind...I think of eternity and what impact will my life have on eternity.  I think about the kind of legacy I leave my children and grandchildren.  When I reflect on this...my priorities come clear.

And while they may become clear, keeping our priorities in check, i.e., putting first things first, is a daily challenge.  So many distractions compete for my attention.  And sometimes the tyranny of what is urgent can be disguised as what is most important.  Often it is not.

I think of Christ's advice in the promise of Matthew 6:33,

Seek first the kingdom of God's and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added unto you. (ESV)

I think it is pretty clear where my first priority should be and that will influence the rest.

Stop...Breathe...Control my Cortisol

Wow...I walk into the office this morning...a call from our intensive care unit about a medically-ready, medically-fragile child not able to go home because of bureaucratic glitches that I have to untangle.  I call them "untangling the Christmas lights."

I had an appointment with a new primary doctor late yesterday afternoon, straight from work...upon entering, my blood pressure was slightly higher than usual.  We took it again before I left and it was back to its normal spot.  We talked about the nature of the beast of working in health care and yet we don't take care of ourselves...the pace of it all and the stress we endure.

My camera and the mindfulness photography requires, has been like streams in the desert for me...and I don't know a time in my life when I have been so attracted to flowers...

 

This quote should also say "or stress"...

 

 

Why is that?  Could it be subconscious?  That there is some message there I'm to heed?

 

These are neighbor Shirley's flowers...I had never seen these kind before.  They were gorgeous.  She said, "Do you know that they only bloom for one day?"  But boy, what they do in that day!  They just shine!  They got my attention.

What is it with me and flowers...think, think, think...and then I remember how Jesus spoke of the flowers.  Could it really be that it all comes down to the simplicity found in this children's Sunday School lesson?

And then I think of Paul's advice to the Philippians:

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.

So...today I will watch my Moments video...say a prayer...and follow my own reminders I've written today and bask in God's blessings.  And learn the lessons of the lilies...

 

With gratitude,
 
PS:  All the photographs above used a pattern technique learned from Kim Klassen's Beyond Layers class...she's a blessing!

Life's Passions

Today I'm combining photos done from my Beyond Layers class with some concepts as part of the Behind the Scenes e-course as part of my blog post today.  (I changed my header using some prompts and thought-provoking suggestions from Behind the Scenes...how do you like it?)



This is a color storyboard - a technique learned in Kim's class.  In the blogging e-course, we've been challenged to ponder what we are passionate about to help us focus on the purpose of our blog.

In the background is a blurred photograph - the last one take with my parents and their children, my brother and sister.  A year later, my died six months after being diagnosed with glioblastoma.  My mother would be in a nursing home unable to be maintained at home with her Alzheimer's.  And the house would be empty.  Life, at best, is brief...focus on what is important!

After some thought - my passions include:

• my relationship with Jesus Christ
• family
• photography
• God's daily mercies through his overlooked gifts
• God's Word
• Creative expression through multiple mediums such as writing, photography, art, music, journaling, blogging
• Connecting with others like me
• Legacy work
• Genealogy
• Advocacy for those who are invisible in society
• Pediatric palliative care
• Solitude and contemplative worship
• Ann Voskamp
• Did I say ANYTHING WEST VIRGINIA?????
• My home, husband, and marriage
• Birdwatching
• Escaping the tyranny of the urgent

So you'll be seeing bits and pieces of all these things in the days to come...as I blog more.



This photo, also applying Kim's technique, was taken at Stonewall Resort in West Virginia on vacation.  Sadly, a few days prior, a great man, former West Virginia University coach, Bill Stewart, died on the golf course as part of a golf outing for fundraising.  He was the epitome of West Virginia...my second home...and died while living!

That's all for now...be seeing you soon!

With gratitude,

A Week of Quotes and Words - Day Four

Today's word from Kim Klassen's e-Course was focus.


She was like a camera chronically out of focus until someone came by and twisted the lenses into alignment.

-Deborah Harness

While this quote seems to be about focus, it is also about properly aligned priorities.  I wanted to capitalize the word "someone," as it was Someone who aligned things in my life so my perspective was corrrected.  As the great John Newton hymn says, "I was blind but now I see."  And when things start to blur, I know things are getting out of alignment once again, and that Someone becomes my focus and things miraculously line up again.  Beth Moore says, "Worship is focus."  And so when I am able to worship, I am able to focus, and I'm able to say Eucharisteo, and even though I may not see the ending or the final outcome, I am able to see His hand in all, knowing all has sifted through God's hands for my good and His glory.

But how do I get this alignment in check...where everything is in focus?  It can only come by spending time with Him, listening to His heart through His word, and allowing Him to do what He needs to do in me to be able to align me as is necessary.  The alignment process is often unpleasant.  This is my greatest area of failure, and when I am not doing it, it shows.  And as a result, the enemy gets a foothold and I can no longer see anything properly.  And, boy, does it show!!!!!

Again, my time spent with God cannot be seen as optional but a spiritual discipline.  At times, though it should seem as natural as breathing, it can feel like work.  The rewards, however, are worth it and cannot be quantified.



With gratitude,