Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Wherever thanks is possible…joy is always possible.”—Ann Voskamp

This year, my family and I are feeling particularly and joyously thankful.

Our wonderful God has brought us a long way this year.  He has taught us how to give thanks in the midst of great difficulty, to search for the beauty in  the seemingly mundane, to find joy even when circumstances are less than ideal.

Gratitude has become a way of life.  Everyday is a treasure hunt of sorts to find the blessings within.

Tomorrow, we will gather at Doug’s sister’s home with our nephews, our niece and their significant others. It is always a day full of excellent food and much laughter.

I plan to treasure every moment and thank God for the precious gift of family.

He has been so good to us.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! 🙂

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name. For the Lord is good…Ps. 100:4

Photo credit: AlaskaTeacher

The other night, the fall sports awards were held at our local high school.

The big highlight was the fact that our football team had an undefeated season and were the state champions in their division.

Excitement was high as the night began with a  rousing video of the team’s season  set to the song “Footloose”. Prolonged, enthusiastic applause followed the video and all eyes were on the beaming football team.

That was a tough act to follow.

However, the show must go on and the  first awards of the night were given to the school’s golf team. As the team captain made his way to the microphone, he grinned at the crowd and said, “I’d like to announce that we will now all be treated to a video of me playing nine holes of golf!”

Loved that kid!

One by one, the coach of each team came forward to present various awards to each player.  (My daughter Julia received her letters and gold pin for her participation in volleyball. I have no photos to show, however. I did take some but they were all blurry for some reason. Epic fail. Sorry, Mom!).

The captains from each team all said a few words as well…and I began to notice a theme. If a team had not had a winning season, the kids all seemed to adopt an apologetic tone and their heads were not held quite as high.

Finally, at the end of the night, the principal took the microphone and said she needed to share something. She went on to say that having a winning season was not the main thing.  The most important thing was that the athletes were out there giving their best at every game.

She ended by saying, “You don’t have to be a champion to have the heart of a champion.”

I could not agree more.

Of course, we all love to win. Winning is wonderful!

However, nobody can win all of the time.

A friend was telling me yesterday that her son-in-law, who is a world-class runner had intended to qualify for the Olympic games this year until a stress fracture dashed those hopes. There will be no Olympic medal for him next year but he intends to keep training and try again four years from now. That’s the heart of a champion.

A young lady with Down’s Syndrome plays both volleyball and basketball at my daughter’s school. She does not let her disability limit or define her and plays hard at every single game. That is the heart of a champion.

One of my daughter’s friends at school has been diagnosed with Lyme Disease. The disease robbed her of being able to play soccer this season. However, she was at every single practice and every single game (sometimes sitting in her wheelchair holding an umbrella when it rained) cheering on her teammates, shining her light and spreading her joy. That is the heart of a champion.

And yes, the boys on our football team who practiced for hours and played the best games of their young lives have the hearts of a champion.

“Most look up and admire the stars. A champion climbs a mountain and grabs one.”—Unknown 

Who do you know that has the heart of a champion?

Photo credit: circler

The other day, a friend was telling me about spending the weekend with her widowed father and his new companion.

She was a little uncertain about how it all would go, as she had never seen her father with a woman other than her mother, who had died nearly a year ago.

To everyone’s great relief, it turned out to be a delightful time for all involved.

There was one thing in particular that my friend noticed about the new lady in her dad’s life…she loved to eat.

“What was unique about that?” I had to ask.

My friend went on to explain that her mother rigorously watched what she ate her entire life. She never indulged her sweet tooth and certainly never seemed to enjoy food. Yet this lady was exactly the opposite. She ate whatever she wanted and relished it all.

As I went about my day, I was reminded of a story my cousin once told me about her mother, Betty. Betty was a tiny woman, partly due to genetics but mostly due to the fact that she ate like a bird in a never-ending quest to remain thin.

During the last week of Betty’s life, my cousin Elaine decided to stop by the nursing home  to see her and brought along the biggest hot fudge sundae she could buy. Betty was delighted and Elaine so enjoyed seeing her mother savor every single bite of that sundae.

I remember telling Elaine how sad that was…she had spent her whole life denying herself until the very end. And yes, she died thin…but so what?

After my dad died from a heart attack at the age of 71 after a life full of healthy eating and exercising (and trying in vain to get my mom involved in those same pursuits), my mom instantly developed a new philosophy:

1. Exercise.
2. Eat well.
3. Die anyway

A magnet with those very words hangs on her refrigerator to this day. She is a woman who enjoys her food.

I’d say that philosophy is working for her. 🙂 (That’s not her car by the way).

I went through a stage when I lived as a vegan a few years ago. I learned a lot of new recipes (which was no small feat for someone who has a plaque in her kitchen that says, “The only reason I have a kitchen is because it came with the house!”); I lost weight; I had a lot of energy and generally felt pretty good.

However, eventually I got tired. Tired of never eating the same thing my family was eating. Tired of having limited choices. Tired of ordering salads when we went out to eat since that was the only vegan thing on the menu.  Tired of people looking at me as if I were some kind of  New-Agey, PETA-loving loon (none of which is true). Tired of getting a lecture from the lady at the health food store—the health food store!—when I inquired if they had Ener-G Egg Replacer in stock. She looked me up and down suspiciously before finding one dusty box at the back of a shelf. As she handed it to me, she said, “What’s the matter with you? Why don’t you just eat eggs? Eggs are good for you!”

It ain’t easy being a vegan in New England.

Sometimes a girl just wants a bite of steak or an ice cream cone, you know? So, I stopped being a vegan.

Obviously, I am not advocating over-eating,  not exercising, being unhealthy, or placing too much of an emphasis on food.

However, life is short. Food is meant to be enjoyed and savored in moderation.

So for today…enjoy and savor! 🙂

I have lived in New England a long time.

I do not remember ever having snow before Halloween.

Until today.

The rain turned to snow around 6:30 this evening. My daughter immediately began cheering and ran outside, spinning in joyful circles around the driveway, arms outstretched, face upturned.

What happened next would surprise those who know me and my typical less-than-enthusiastic greeting of the winter season: I went outside and joined her. 🙂

This would not have happened in the past before I read Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts.

That book has truly been life-changing for me. I have learned to treasure each moment I have been given, both big and small. My life has become a river of thanksgiving to my beautiful God and the result has been overflowing  joy.

So, rather than stay inside and bemoan this early start to our snowy season, I decided to embrace it and soak in this moment with my daughter.

My son joined us and the three of us took a walk around the neighborhood. The night was still and silent, as it always seems to be during a snowfall. Our neighbors’ windows glowed bright and warm.  The air was crisp, fresh and clean. I inhaled deeply and could not stop smiling. All three of us turned our faces up to the snow, feeling  the big flakes fall gently onto our faces.

It was so good to be here, in this place that I love with my two favorite redheads, laughing and enjoying our first taste of winter.

This was so much better than sitting inside.

One member of our family refused to join in on the fun…

Buddy was born in south Florida and I don’t think he ever got over moving this far north. In fact, I think he holds a grudge.

He was quite the curmudgeon when he saw the snow. From the comfort of the doorway, he gave a quick sniff, looked disdainfully at me as I urged him to come outside, then promptly turned away, retreating to the comfort of his  favorite spot near the fireplace.

Long after Josh and I had gone inside, my girl was still enjoying the first taste of winter…

The only thing that finally brought her back inside was her daddy coming home.

After greeting him, she promptly began listening to “Let It Snow”  on her laptop and played it a few million times.

As is typical of New England weather, tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and clear, near fifty degrees.

But for now, my family and I are watching “It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” while the snow continues to fall.

Sing halleljuah
the sun’s breaking through

To take back the dark sky
And make everything new

We knew joy was coming
We just had to wait

And now we sing hallelujah 
‘Cause it’s a brand new day

So let’s sing hallelujah
The dark night is gone

Creation is singing 
So come join in the song

The Father is calling
To come out and play

So we’ll sing hallelujah
Cause it’s a brand new day

Sing hallelujah
It’s a brand new, beautiful day

Notice the rainbow cross in this photo

It’s a brand new, beautiful day…to love freely and deeply…to live filled with gratitude for gifts big and small…to laugh often…to celebrate the Savior who gives life and makes all things new.

This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it. (Ps. 118:24)

*”Sing Hallelujah” by Steven Curtis Chapman

*Photographs by my son Josh

Photo credit: Ashok Gazula

Did you ever have one of those days?

I am having one today. 🙂

I overslept, which meant that I got my kids to school just in the nick of time.

When I got home, my dog Buddy had left me an unwanted, smelly “gift” to clean up. The entire time I was scolding him, he looked up at me with those innocent big brown eyes of his as if say, “Who, me?”

I logged onto my computer to see an email from my daughter that said, “PLEASE READ THIS!”

Somewhat alarmed, I opened the email to read that her field trip had been cancelled for the day, which meant that she had her Honors English class after all. Could I please bring her folder to the school?

My eyes slid over to the kitchen table, where the bright blue folder lay. Just a few minutes earlier before I took her to school, I suggested that she might want to take that with her “just in case.”

She said she wouldn’t be needing it due to the field trip and would like to conserve room in her backapck.

Sigh.

I suppose I could have refused to take the folder to her but this is her favorite class and she had no way of knowing the field trip would be postponed for a week. However, I do plan to gently remind her that she might want to take her mother’s advice from now on. 🙂

I looked at the clock, knowing I didn’t have much time before her English class began. That meant I didn’t have time to put on any makeup.

I am not a natural beauty. I have rosacea, bed-head hair, and big bags under my eyes when I wake up in the morning. It’s not a pretty sight and takes me quite awhile before I look presentable to the public.

There was no time to worry about that now, though.

I put on my favorite comfy sweatshirt jacket (which went nicely with the sweatpants I was wearing), grabbed my purse and the English folder and headed out into the cold, rainy morning. As I drove to the school, I hoped that I wouldn’t see anyone I knew.

After pulling into a parking space at the front entrance, I lifted the hood of my jacket over my head and tucked the bulky English folder under my jacket to protect it from the rain.

As I hurried to the entrance, I noticed the policeman who patrols the school walking toward me.

He looked mildly alarmed.

“Hey…what you got there?” He called out, hurrying closer.

I realized suddenly how suspicious this looked…a hooded person holding something large inside a jacket while moving purposefully toward the entrance of the school on a dark and rainy morning.

“Good morning officer!” I said in my brightest voice, pushing the hood off of my head and opening my jacket to reveal the English folder. “I’m just delivering my daughter’s folder to her.”

He glanced at the folder, then at me  before nodding and wishing me a good day.

Now my hair was wet, which only added to my fabulous look.

I made it to the front door only to hear the bell ring and see that the halls were instantly flooded with students. The secretary buzzed me inside where I joined the stream of kids on my way to deliver Julia’s folder to the main office.

If I saw one of my kids’ friends, I saw ten.

“Hi Mrs. Brown!”

“Hey Ms. Brown!”

I could not believe it.

How many times had I come to the school with my hair done,  fully made up,  not wearing sweats as I was today…and saw no one?

I delivered the folder, ran back outside to the car and turned on the radio as I left the campus and headed home.

I burst out laughing when I heard the speaker on the radio quote this verse: “This is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it!” (Ps. 118:24)

You can’t tell me that our God does not have a sense of humor! 🙂

I hope this day finds you rejoicing too, despite the weather or your circumstances…because life—even on the messy days— is such  a precious gift.

Photo credit: hockadilly

Has someone ever tried to make you feel responsible for their own emptiness/loneliness?

That happened to me yesterday when I received a phone call that was heavy with silent accusation, simmering resentment, and childish petulance. (Let me just say that if you know me personally and we spoke on the phone yesterday, I am not writing about you! 🙂 The aforementioned person does not read my blog).

I was given a  long list of grievances and the unspoken message to me was, “Now what are YOU going to do about this? You have the power to make it better for me, so do it!” 

When I did not take the bait, a “suggestion” (which was nothing more than a thinly veiled demand) was made.

It was time to draw a line in the sand.

I told this person in no uncertain terms that this request would not be granted and then I explained why with firmness and finality.

It did not go over well and the call soon ended.

I was not playing the game. I refused to play the part that this person had written for me and anger was the result.

Years ago, I would have taken on this responsibility, feeling that I had to do what I could to alleviate this person’s pain. I might have pushed all my other responsibilities into the background so that I could make this person my priority.  After all, they needed me!  That was my job, right?

Wrong.

I am not responsible for anybody else but me.

I cannot control another person.

I am not in charge of someone else’s mood.

I am never called to take ownership of another’s issues.

I am not to blame for real or imagined lack in another’s life.

I am not responsible for the poor choices they have made.

I cannot prevent them from making those poor choices.

I am not capable of meeting anyone’s deepest need.

I cannot be everything to everyone…I am no one’s savior.

There is only one Savior and His Name is Jesus.

I can tell that person about Jesus…that He is the only one who can handle the sheer depth of their need and not turn away, not become weary, not become irritable, not throw up  His hands in despair.

He loves with a perfect love…a love that is both tender and tough, fully satisfying and incredibly challenging, sweet and fiery, intense and passionate, deep and wide.

He alone is the only Answer to every question and the Meeter of every need.

Almost as soon as I got off the phone, the Accuser started right in on me. He hissed, “Ha! You call yourself a Christian??? Aren’t you supposed to serve others and not think of yourself? You weren’t very loving right then, were you??? That poor person…her entire day has been ruined because you can’t be bothered to help! You are incredibly selfish. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

As much as I knew that the enemy speaks nothing but lies, I began to feel a sense of unease. So, I called my mom.

I asked her how does one know when to help (with healthy boundaries firmly intact) and when to disengage and rightfully say no?

My very wise mother reminded me of God’s priorities:

God
My husband
My kids
(In that order)

She helped me to see that if I had given in to this person’s  particular demands, all of those relationships would have suffered and I could not have fulfilled my God-given (and joyful!) responsibilities.

Once those top three priorities have been taken care of,  then I am free to minister to others. But I dare not place anyone else above those three. Anytime we operate outside of God’s order, we are inviting chaos and disorder into our lives.

I will admit that I do not like the fact that this person is angry with me right now. I want everyone to like me and be pleased with my decisions. However, that is just not realistic or possible and my sense of self worth cannot be determined by another’s opinion.  I must allow God’s Word to be the definitive and final verdict on my worth.

So, I rest in the fact that I am doing what I feel Jesus has led me to do and I will trust Him with my reputation.

I am grateful for the  fact that He allows me to operate in  such  freedom within relationships.  That ultimately brings peace to my heart…even if those around me are operating in chaos.

What about you? Do you have a problem saying no? Or have you gained victory in that area?

Today, let’s remember our priorities and refuse to take on responsibilities that were never ours in the first place.

photo credit: jurvetson

Last May, I drove away from the homeschooling co-op my kids and I have been involved in for the past four years with tears streaming down my face.

That place and those people had been such a huge part of our lives. The wonderful memories came flooding into my mind, one right after the other. It was so hard to imagine what life would look like in the new season God was calling us into.There were so many unknowns.

We tend to be thrilled when we leave a rough season of heartache or heavy testing.

Yet, it can be so hard to leave a sweet season that you thought was going to last longer.

I have learned to trust the wisdom and the timing of the One who guides my life.

Today, I marvel at the amazing surprises,  new adventures, gloriously answered prayer and filled-to-overflowing  joy  that Jesus had for our family since we clasped tightly to His hand and agreed to go along for the divine ride He had invited us to take.

This day marks the beginning of classes at the homeschooling co-op. Last May, I imagined that I would greet this day with tears, but that is not the case.

I treasure the friendships the kids and I have made there and know that they will continue. (My mom still keeps in touch with friends she has had since kindergarten. She has taught me well).

But it was time for us to move on and I am at peace.

If Jesus is calling you to a new season, don’t be afraid.

Treasure the joys of the season you are leaving behind while looking up and reaching out in anticipation to all that He has in store for you.

He knows what He is doing.

After all, He is the Author of your story…and it will be good.

“When responding to God’s direction, the bitterness of a heartbreaking goodbye can’t be compared to the sweetness of a divine hello. It is worth whatever you’re still clinging to.”—Kelly Minter, No Other Gods, p. 188

My daily routine now includes picking the kids up from school every afternoon.

I arrive early, put the windows down, then enjoy some reading time in the relative quiet until the bell rings and a flood of school kids stream from the building in a rush of sheer exuberance.

I am a big people-watcher and it’s always fascinating to see the various vignettes that play out on any given afternoon.

Here are some of the things I witnessed today:

*”Hi Mrs. Brown!”
The chipper voice and friendly wave belonged to a beautiful young girl who attends our church. Her radiant smile and upbeat attitude are constant, despite the fact that she is dealing with a debilitating disease that often leaves her in a wheelchair, as it did just last week. This day, she stood tall and proud, wearing her trademark bright pink. She was surrounded by her friends and when her mom arrived in the parking lot, she hugged her without a trace of self-consciousness.

I am privileged to know this family. They face a heartbreaking situation, yet continue to move forward in faith, trusting their Savior who they know loves them with a fierce, protective, and perfect love.

*I watched another member of our church leave the school. A group of students standing near the entrance all called out to him enthusiastically. He is a beloved math teacher and is also dealing with a serious illness. Tears formed in my eyes as I watched him smile and wave to the kids before heading across the parking lot to his car. It was obvious from his slow and measured gait that he was in pain. I prayed for his healing.

He and his wife are two of the dearest people I know. Each of them posses such a warm and loving spirit. In spite of all they deal with, they are always the first to ask, “How are you doing?” They live their lives with quiet but unmistakable joy. They choose not retreat into their pain but continue to reach out to others with beautiful acts of service and words of encouragement.

Their example inspires me.

*As the crowd began to thin out, a young man in a sports uniform walked toward the field, an athletic bag slung over his shoulder. Behind him came a heavy-set boy who was hurrying to catch up to his classmate. He called out his name. The athlete turned around without breaking his stride, barely glancing at the boy. The boy called out a question as he continued to follow. For a moment, it looked as if the athlete was going to ignore the question. However, he did turn his head to give a very quick response before breaking into a run, widening the distance between the two of them.

I saw the hurt look cross the boy’s face. He slowed down, no longer trying to catch up. He adjusted his backpack and continued on alone.

Heartbreaking.

*Both the football and soccer teams were practicing. I found myself wishing I had just a fraction of their energy. 🙂 I also found myself reminicsing about how much fun Friday night football games were when I was in high school a million years ago.

*My heart broke for the young girl who wore an extremely revealing outfit and let loose with a stream of profanity as she walked to the vehicle parked next to mine. Aside from the mom in me who wanted to cover her up, I felt grieved that she seemed to think so little of herself. I longed to tell her that her Creator has crowned her with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5) and she is more than the sum of her parts. Rather than seeking attention through her body and shocking language, I wish she knew that she is seen and loved at all times by Jesus.

*Finally, I saw my favorite 15 year old walk to the car (I would pick up my daughter later after volleyball practice). I am discovering that I am really enjoying logging all this time in the car with the kids. We have great conversations. Climbing into the front seat seems to immediately loosen their tongues and I am privileged to have the chance to hear all that is on their minds.

It’s my favorite part of the day.