5 Things 2015 Wanted Me To Know

January 5, 2016January 5, 2016 ~ Teresa ~ 2 Comments

1. NOD TO THE NOT (it’s ok to pause)

It’s ok NOT to choose a word for the year. I had chosen a word in previous years but at the beginning of 2015 it just wasn’t a priority. I survived the year without a special focus word.

Taking a blogging break is ok. I trusted that my loyal readers, those that are my community, would not forget about me and would be waiting to encourage me when I came back. They didn’t, and they were.

2. THE WORDS WILL COME, GIVE THEM TIME (After all, you are a writer)

I rediscovered the joy of using a pencil on paper. Nothing can compare to that sweet, scratchy sound. I need to practice this art more often.

Even though the writing was meager in 2015 and not writing scared me a little, I learned to trust that, in God’s time, the words would flow again. Because I have to write.

I want my writing to make people feel as if they have come home.

Hope*ologie was great, but Hope*writers is even better. I need a writer(ly) community that says what I do matters.

3. PRACTICE CONSISTENCY AND OBEDIENCE (how hard can it be)

I’m not a morning person, and there is no shame in that. Not being a morning person may sometimes mean that I do better with my quiet time in the evening rather than the morning. One thing I’m learning about quiet time is that consistency is key. Regular time in the word is beneficial no matter what time of day you engage.

Sacrificing for Lent is not the point. Sacrifice is nothing without obedience. Obedience is a daily submission to God’s will for my life. Godly obedience is not the kind of obedience that sounds like a bunch of rules. Rather, it is a willingness to give Him complete control It is 365 days a year, including the forty days of Lent.

4. EMBRACE THERAPY, ACCEPTANCE, AND RESTORATION (God is your buckler)

Binge watching 7th Heaven preached to me in lots of ways; it was my therapy for a large chunk of time during the first half of 2015. One of my favorite posts in 2015 was What I Learned From Watching 7th Heaven.

Y’all, I fell in love with Southwestern Virginia. We spent some lovely days visiting a friend and explored the back roads near her hometown. It was restorative and gave me much Joy In My Father’s World. And, lots of pictures.

Back in 2013, I realized that I need to make peace with My mom having Alzheimer’s, but it wasn’t until sometime in 2015 that I was able to accept that it is what it is, and only God has all the answers. Instead of wasting time grieving over what we’ve lost, I’m starting to embrace the path we are on and I’m beginning to realize that you can never truly lose someone, you just adjust to a new normal.

More than ever in 2015 the truth in Psalm 18:2 sustained me:

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

I also relied on Psalm 91 and knowing that he covers me with his feathers; He is my buckler which according to Merriam-Webster means “one that shields and protects.” I have discovered that I love the word buckler.

I also found strength from the support of my husband. He takes care of me and loves me well. I love doing life with him.

5. ENJOY A SEASON OF STRENGTH AND QUIET (embrace the real you)

I’ve always loved Autumn, but this year I realized that the way I describe Autumn also describes me. Makes perfect sense.

I see Fall as both a little bit spicy and practical. It is no-nonsense, but serendipitous all at the same time. It is a warm hug as well as a brusque nod in passing. It is a steadfast heart that loves without condition, but won’t be trampled. It is chaotic and fragile, but stands strong in the storm. It is a little rough around the edges, as well as gloriously beautiful in spirit. Like me.

2015 taught me that by God’s grace I am stronger than I think.

October loves me – she sent me several postcards this year during the 31 Days Writing Challenge

November is a melancholy month when the skies are gray and somber, and the first real chill is in the air. Lights come on earlier, and we settle in for quieter evenings. I’m ok with that. Because I’m a little bit melancholy.

Advent is a time of waiting for “Emmanuel, God with us“, or as my mother says, “I’m so happy, God is in the house.” A welcome note of praise to celebrate the arrival of the Christ Child…

and then, we slipped quietly from one year into the next.

Growing in grace,

Teresa

Linking up with Emily for What I Learned in 2015

Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus

March 27, 2015September 30, 2015 ~ Teresa ~ 5 Comments

We must focus our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Hebrews 12:2

Last year I decided to give up some things for Lent. I even came up with a graphic to post on my refrigerator based on a suggestion from an online post I had read. This was my formula: water instead of cola, gratitude instead of complaining, prayer instead of worry, 1 x 6 = encourage, which meant I should encourage at least one person each week of Lent.

They were worthy goals. However. . . .

You already know what the however means, don’t you? Of course, I didn’t last through Lent. When a friend suggested that I could probably take weekends off, I gave myself permission to have a cola on weekends which led to a cola at other times. I am still struggling to give cola up completely. I still struggle with the whole gratitude thing, but I think I’m getting better. Worry? Me? The answer to that is for another reflection. I don’t know if I was encouraging to anyone during that time or not. I hope so, but I didn’t keep track.

I failed to succeed because I failed to prepare my heart for the true purpose of Lent, which is “to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ – his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection.” I got on the bandwagon on a whim; so, I was doomed to failure from the beginning. As with most things in life, there was a lesson to be gleaned from my failure.

I learned that sacrifice is nothing without obedience. Obedience is a daily submission to God’s will for my life. Godly obedience is not the kind of obedience that sounds like a bunch of rules. Rather, it is a willingness to give Him complete control; it is an acknowledgment of His sovereignty. Obedience sometimes requires sacrificing and changing plans. It is 365 days a year, including the forty days of Lent.

If I need to stretch and grow in my walk with the Lord (and I do), Lent is a good place to start because it puts the focus on Christ and His ultimate sacrifice. He was obedient to the will of the Father because He knew it would be our salvation.

During this Lenten season, whether you have a list of things you are sacrificing or not, I hope you will “turn your eyes upon Jesus [and] look full in His wonderful face, and [allow] the things of earth [to] grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” My prayer is that you will surrender your life to Him in total submission during Lent and beyond.

Looking to Grace,

Teresa

This Lenton reflection was originally shared with my congregation at First Baptist in Morehead, KY as part of their Lenten Season Reflections on Sunday March 22, 2015.

Hello 2014

February 6, 2014February 6, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 9 Comments

“Look to the Lord and His strength; Seek His face always.” Psalm 105:4

So, it’s February already. And you may be thinking I’m a little late on greeting the New Year. Not at all.

I have come to the conclusion that for me the new year begins in February. I did glance it’s way on a couple of post early in January. I even chose a word for the year. Begin. Yes, I get the irony.

But, I wasn’t ready. It may have been partly due to the worst case of sinusitis I’ve ever had, followed by a horrible bout with gout (see how I rhymed. it just happened).

However, I think the truth is that it takes me that long to decompress and wind up the old year. That whole stretch from Thanksgiving to New Years is not especially kind to me. No matter how much I try to stay calm, for some reason the holidays stress me every time.

If I could just go away for about six weeks at the end of every year to my favorite place in the mountains, I’m sure I’d be ready to say hello on January 1. That, of course, is not usually an option because it is family time and family is important.

So, I take January to regroup. This year I had some brain swirls, but I didn’t feel like engaging in deep thought on a regular basis, so I just left them swirling. Oh, I did make some lists of goals and projects and even daily schedules. Things I was shuffling around in an attempt to come up with a plan for the year.

I even had an epiphany of sorts that sometimes in order to begin you have to stop. If you think about it long enough it does make sense. Sometimes in order to gain perspective and direction you have to stop and take it all in.

Stopping to reassess goes along with the theme of reviewing the old and regrouping for the new. Right? It goes along with setting goals and moving forward. Right? So, that’s what I did. I stopped for awhile.

Today, I decided I was finally ready to greet the New Year. Ready to begin. Please don’t ask me what that means. It may take all year to figure that out. But, you have to start somewhere.

My somewhere is simply to say, Hello 2014.

Beginning in Grace,

Teresa

PS. I am ready for spring and swinging on my front porch. Winter is so last year.

Grace Came Down In A Barn

December 3, 2013December 3, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 3 Comments

I wrote the title after the The Barn event and before Thanksgiving, knowing I wanted to write about the experience, but also knowing that I wasn’t quite ready yet. Thoughts were marinating in the recesses of my mind, traveling on a journey filled with so many emotions. I wanted to absorb, think, process. Then write. Honestly, I’m still not sure I can put into words exactly what I’m trying to say. If you were there, then you know.

If you were there, you understand how words can’t really describe what happened. You understand that much of what was said could only come from grace. His grace bestowed upon us. His grace allowing Emily’s heart to speak to us. His grace opening our hearts to the poetry of our art. Thank you Emily, for helping me to see that I am a poem created by God to be used in his image. I don’t know what that means yet, for this stage of my journey, but I know it matters.

It matters that I was there. It matters that I was in the presence of people that God chose ahead of time to put in my path. God does not work in coincidence. He goes ahead of us on the journey preparing the way. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) He knew in 2008, that I would be in the barn in 2013 and he knew it would matter.

In 2008 I stumbled across the Proverbs 31 devotional blog on Crosswalk.com, Encouragement for Today, purely by an accidental click of the mouse. This lead to reading them on other occasions, which introduced me to The Nester, Myquillyn Smith, when she guest posted, which in turn introduced me to Chatting At The Sky and Emily Freeman. And then, in 2013 I discovered Emily’s book a million little ways and I came to The Barn.

Where I met Emily Freeman, Myquillyn Smith and Renee Swope (from Proverbs 31) and a few other wonderful people. When I entered the door of the barn, grace was extended by a hug from Emily and a gracious welcome. Hearing her speak was a delightful experience. After the event, meeting Myquillyn, accompanied by a hug, was a blessing. She and Emily have both inspired me so many times through their blogs and I found them both to be sincere and real. During the event, I was seated at the same table as Renee, who has also inspired me with her writing . It was during a conversation with Renee that she said something that stuck with me. She was sharing a situation in which God told her “don’t resist or resent”. I knew God intended for me to hear those words. He knew in 2008 where I would be in 2013 and what my situation would be. He knew I would need to hear those words. It never ceases to amaze me how God puts people in our path at just the right moment.

Resisting and Resenting had both been paramount in my life for the past 12-18 months. I had not really admitted that to myself, but just those simple words from Renee opened my eyes. My husband and I moved home in June of 2012 to be closer to my parents who needed help due to health issues – mainly my mother. Her illness has been very difficult and heartbreaking. I have resented that she and we have had to go through this. I don’t ‘understand why. I can’t figure out how it fits into the future we thought we were going to have.

The barn reminded me that I don’t have to figure it out. I know that God’s grace is enough. God also knew in 2008 that I would need to read Emily’s book and hear her speak about how “God is the artist and he has made us. We are his poem and we will make art.” Whatever our circumstances, if we submit to his will, I know that he will allow us to make art. It may not look like the art I thought we were supposed to make, but if it is his art working through us, it will be even more beautiful than I imagined.

How do I know this? GRACE CAME DOWN IN A BARN.