Maybe everyone can live beyond what they're capable of.   Markus Zusak, I am the Messenger Do you sell yourself short?  You know what I mean.  You don't allow credit to come your way for something you've done that's pretty great, you refuse to acknowledge your successes, etc.  See?  You DO know what I mean.  As we keep ignoring the successes in our life and camp at the places of failure we eventually live "down" instead of "up".  We begin to work at lower levels of capability, we don't try as hard in the areas where all we can camp on are the failures - be that parenting, weight loss, work performance, relationships, etc.  And maybe you have tried to live "up" but someone in your life is a voice that keeps you "down".  Those kind of people require a backbone from you.  You must grow one, recognize you have worth and can live "up", and stand up to their voice of negativity with a resounding voice of courage.  Or ma

If you expect to make it last with God you better get friends that edify your faith instead of justify your faults. Royal Tailor Our relationship with God is intimately weaved in with our relationships with others.  Who we choose to spend time with and allow to be an influencing voice in our life will shape our relationship with God, whether we want it to or not.  Oh we'd love to be strong enough in character to be able to spend all of our time in circles where they help us justify our bad behaviors, etc but we stand strong in our faith.  But it just ain't so.  Eventually we allow their justifications to become truth in our lives.  And then we are deceived to who we have become. But if we purpose to spend time with people who will speak truth to us, regardless of its initial sting, because they love us and care about us then we are more likely to stand strong in our faith.  If we purpose to surround ourselves with people who won't let us off the hook on our bad behaviors

It's so hard to forget pain, but it's even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace.   Chuck Palahniuk While being happy is the preferred, the ideal, the coveted it is in experiencing sorrow that we grow in character and appreciate the happier times.  It is easy to forget about happiness as it leaves behind no true reminder of its presence.  Sorrow, however, leaves behind a mark on our hearts and we have a touchstone to go back to after we have learned what we should from the time of sorrow.  It is in the happier times that the touchstone is acknowledged and used because our happier times are made sweeter by the sorrow we have experienced and learned from.  If you do not know what I mean then I would suggest that you have not experienced and learned from sorrow.  If you are tracking with me then we are kindred spirits in the touchstones sorrow has birthed in our lives.

Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.   J.K. Rowling At least with dislike we are feeling something.  When we are indifferent and neglectful that usually means we have fallen into numbness, i.e. we no longer care.  And complacency does much more damage than feeling something.  Complacency leads to lying, neglect (which causes a lot of damage - just look at the homes of hoarders where they have neglected the upkeep), isolation, unwillingness to engage in life, delusion, etc.  Those are all damaging.  But when we are honest about what we are feeling (i.e. "I dislike that person") we are at least allowing feelings to have their voice.  That's the other thing indifference and neglect do, they shut up the voices of feelings.  And shutting up our feelings always leads to great damage.  So dislike if you must but don't become indifferent and neglectful because the damage will be so much greater.  

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.   Jess C. Scott Is the way you say the names of the people you say you love sweet or sour in your mouth?  Be honest.  When you say their name do they feel safe in your care for them?  Even in disappointment, anger, etc is the way you speak their name sweet or sour?  Does the love you have for others overpower those times when you are disappointed, angry, etc?  If it does their names will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.  If the love is not as strong then their names will leave a pucker in your mouth and they will feel unsafe in your presence.  Think about it.  

Be sure that being busy equals being productive.  Time wisely used is immeasurable.   Ian S. Ardern Just because *you* are busy doesn't mean you are being productive.  There is a big difference between busy and productivity.  Too many people equate the two and that simply isn't true.  I know many people who are busy but so unproductive.  And usually occupying yourself with "busy work" usually means you are doing things half-assed.  (Yeah, not apologizing for that.)  When we use busy work as a cover for looking productive we don't do things with excellence, we don't put all that we can into it, we don't actually accomplish anything that is useful.  Be smart about your work.  Is your "busy work" done with excellence and does it end up furthering productivity or is it done half-assed (still not apologizing) and as a cover so you don't have to really apply yourself?  Be wise with your use of time.  If you aren't going to be productive and d

A field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.   Ovid I've talked about rest before, in bits and pieces.  But I love the picture Ovid gives with today's quote so I thought I would "bit and piece" the topic some more.  As I grow in my understanding and ability (just hang with me on that word) to rest I grow in understanding of what Ovid means by today's thought, of why God asked us to observe Sabbath rest, of why - on a very practical level - it is advisable for farmers to literally rest their land every seven years. When the soil rests for a year it replenishes its nutrients, it restores its ability to serve, it refreshes so that the work can continue.  So it goes for our hearts and even our physical bodies.  When we rest our hearts, our minds, and our bodies we are replenishing our emotional and mental nutrients, we are restoring our energy so we can serve/work, and we are refreshing our spirits so we can continue on.  It all sounds good in theory right?  Wher

The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.   Kalu Ndukwe Kalu I've talked  about  legacies before.  It's a favorite topic of mine and something I think about often.  I think about it as I get older and people in my life start to pass on and I go to their memorial services and listen to what is said about them.  What is said about them when they are gone indicates what kind of legacy they have left behind.  Yesterday (Saturday) I attended the memorial service of an old co-worker who, in perfect health, passed away very suddenly last week.  We all were shocked, stunned, and at a loss as to how and why he passed.  His family is so heartbroken.  But they gave beautiful tributes to the legacy he left behind.  He was a good Dad, a good man that had strong work ethic and integrity, a dedicated  and loving husband for the length of his wife's days (she passed a few years ago from a horrible disease).  He mod

You can talk with someone for years, everyday, and still, it won't mean as much as what you can have when you sit in front of someone, not saying a word, yet you feel that person with your heart, you feel like you have known the person for forever.... connections are made with the heart, not the tongue.   C. JoyBell C. I really hope you have relationships that are like today's quote.  We all have those relationships that we talk to people every single day but hopefully we all have those relationships where we don't have to talk to someone everyday but our hearts are knit together.  Have you ever met someone that your heart is instantly connected to without much conversation?  I hope you have.  Conversation is sometimes not necessary when hearts connect without words.  I have those relationships and I  treasure  them and they enrich my life.  I hope you have connections that enrich your heart and life.  

You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.   Jonathan Safran Foer We walk a balance beam when we do things to protect ourselves.  If we build walls to protect ourselves from painful things and people then we have also erected walls against happy things and people.  Oh we might have the  intention of the walls being removable or partial but the reality is they aren't.  A wall is a wall and when we feel the need to protect ourselves we build it at the cost of living a full life.  Life is fullest when there is a balance of happiness and sadness.  If we want the full life we must walk the balance beam between the two and not give in to the temptation to protect ourselves to the point of living a lackluster life.  When we learn to embrace the sadness that leads to fuller happiness we navigate the balance beam with perfection.  

Let us rather run the risk of wearing out than rusting out.   Theodore Roosevelt There's a huge difference between wearing out and rusting out.  One means you worked hard and did your job for as long as possible.  The other means you sat around, allowed yourself to become neglected, exposed yourself to the weather of life and  became  unusable.  Roosevelt makes a good point in today's quote.  Wouldn't you rather wear out than rust out?  Wouldn't you rather be known at the end of your life for being someone who worked hard and with integrity than someone who skated by and became unusable?  Because when you become rusted from neglect you also lose people's respect and become known as a person who doesn't have integrity in their work life.  Wouldn't you rather wear out than rust out?  I know I would.

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.   The Holy Bible (Amplified Version), The Book of Isaiah Chapter 26 Verse 3 This particular scripture in this particular version has played a big part in my life in my 30's.  God literally woke me up one morning years ago by speaking it to me.  I know.  Question that all you want but I know what I know.  I was dead asleep and my eyes popped open at a voice speaking these words to me.  I didn't even know where in the Bible exactly it was until I enlisted the aid of a concordance.  Since that time God has continued to put this verse in front of me to either remind me of its truth or to compel me to share it with others. Want peace?  Then fix, literally, your mind on all of God - his character and his promises - and press in to him.  You will find that there is peace wai

Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones.   Ralph Waldo Emerson Want more responsibility?  Then be a good steward of what you've been given right now.  It's as simple as that.  It's as easy as that!  I know people who moan and complain that they don't have enough to do at work or they promise they can take on more responsibility and yet they can't even do what they have been given correctly.  And they blame shift and excuse away what they don't do.  Want more  responsibility?   Then be a good steward of what you've been given right now.  That includes owning up to your mistakes, not blame shifting, not excusing what you don't do, and going above and beyond and  not just settling for getting by.  

When you are shaken out of your comfortable routines, grip My [God] hand tightly and look for growth opportunities.  Instead of bemoaning the loss of your comfort, accept the challenge of something new. I [God] lead you on from glory to glory, making you fit for My kingdom.  Say yes to the ways I [God] work in your life.  Trust me and don't be afraid.   Sarah Young, Jesus Calling - April 15 Well if today's quote for the day doesn't fit my life recently I'm not sure what does.  I think the second sentence is the one that really gets me.   "Instead of bemoaning the loss of your comfort, accept the challenge of something new."  Yep.  That's pretty much where I'm at.   It's been hard to leave the comfort of Young Life and the work I do there.  And I've been trying not to bemoan it but I have been.  It's been hard to gather up the energy to leave the comfortable and allow myself to be challenged.  But you know what?  If I say "no"

When you find yourself locked in the bathroom, sobbing on the floor because you've just had enough, that does not mean you have failed as a mother.  Being a mother is hard.  That is not failure. That is fact.  Remind yourself of that.   Unknown Can I get a witness?  If you are a Mom you may have found yourself in a similar position at some point.  I know I have.  Usually I'm not curled up on the bathroom floor (I have issues with that) but usually I am curled up figuratively and I am sobbing at the most inopportune times.  Like in front of people, while driving, in the shower (the best place as far as I'm concerned), in the middle of a sentence, etc.  You get the picture and maybe you have your own inopportune time story. Sometimes the fear I get from parenting in today's world threatens to completely overtake me.  It's tough and I'm not sure I have the energy for it.  Scratch that.  I'm not sure I have the confidence or the ability to parent well.  I am

Think very carefully about your choices.  You have planted a large crop, but your harvest is small. You have food to eat, but it is never enough to satisfy. You have something to drink, but you are never filled. You have clothes to wear, but they are not enough to keep you warm. You earn a salary, but the money runs out quickly, as if there are holes in your pocket .  Haggai 1:5-6, The Voice I've been chewing on today's quote for a couple of days.  I can't quite find my way to what is teasing my brain about it so I thought, why not?  I'll just put it out there and see if whatever is teasing me comes out through the keyboard.  :) I feel like initially what struck me about today's quote is that a lot of busy work is described here but not much productivity.  (And look for that quote at some point in the near future because I've got one sitting in my queue.)  So a large crop is planted but the harvest is small.  That tells me that a lot of busy work was don

You get a strange feeling when you're about to leave a place, I told him, like you'll not only miss the people you love but you'll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you'll never be this way ever again.   Azar Nafisi  I think today's quote sums up perfectly how I feel about leaving certain places at certain times.  I can think of a few times that I have left a place and not had the strange feeling but instead a relief!  But generally I feel strange and sad when I leave a place I love.  It happened when I went to Kenya and had to leave Kenya.  It has happened again with my departure from Young Life. 2.5 years ago I came to Young Life on the heels of a deep depression and a time of working from home.  I came to Young Life not knowing that it would become an important part of my life in so many ways and would aid in the settling into my skin that my 30's have been all about.  So now that I am leaving I feel strange and sad.  Not o

You can fool yourself, you know. You'd think it's impossible, but it turns out it's the easiest thing of all.   Jodi Picoult Ah self-deception.  We are good at it aren't we?  We allow ourselves to fool ourselves! We choose to be blinded to things that we need to improve on or be healed from.  We choose to muffle our hearing to the things that others see in us that could be, should be, changed.  We choose to raise walls and build fortresses around ourselves so that others are blocked from speaking truth into our lives.  We let sinful pride be our mode of operation when someone raises a concern or presents a valid criticism.  And in our self-deception the one we hurt the very most is ourselves.  We delay our character development (You never quit developing character btw, it is a lifelong process.  You have not arrived much as you might like to think so.) and any healing we need to experience when we allow ourselves to be fooled into thinking we are better than we are i

If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. Bruce Lee Why do we limit  ourselves?  Whether consciously or unconsciously when we place limits on what we can or will do we place a burden on ourselves and on others.  If I place a limit on what I will do then I have increased someone's workload.  I'm not talking about those things that I literally cannot do or am not trained to do - like fly a plane.  Trust me, you want me to limit myself on that!  I'm talking about those everyday kind of tasks that just need someone to do them and  if I am not willing out of selfishness, poor work ethic, etc then I have increased someone else's workload.  (Yes this does kind of take us back to my thoughts on work ethic last week, doesn't it?)  If I place a limit on what I think I can (or can't in this

I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast!  And when I run I feel his pleasure. Eric Liddell What do you do that causes God pleasure?  What do you do with what he has gifted you with that brings delight to his heart?  He's given each of us something that, when used for him, gives him delight.  My redheads are insanely talented.  One is a legit artist and the other is vocally gifted.  I firmly believe that when they are in the midst of exercising their talents that God is delighted.  I believe that he is thrilled to see what he gifted them with come to life under their commitment to it and bring smiles to the faces of others in the process.  Sometimes when my redheaded artist finishes a piece of work I feel breathless with awe and delight.  Yeah, she's THAT good.  The other night I took the redheaded songbird to a performance of Les Mis and on the way home she was singing one of the pieces.  I was in tears from the beauty of her voice.  So if I am that aw

Life-giving people make an enormous impact in subtle ways.   Chris Hodges Are you a life-giver?  If you are you probably don't know it.  Most life-giving people are totally unaware that they are making a difference in the lives of others.  And if they are told they are they wonder about it, seem confused by it, etc. See life-giving people are just doing what comes "naturally" to them.  Did you know we are all created to be life-givers?  And yet some of us, too many of us really, are actually sucking the life out of people.  I call them "hoovers".  :)  We give life in a million different but usually very small and subtle ways. We can also suck the life out of people in very small and subtle ways.  We all have within us the potential to make an enormous impact, it is up to us what kind of impact to make. I don't know about you but I would prefer to be known as a life-giver rather than a hoover.  I mean right?  Who wants to be known for sucking the life ou

Sparks will fly as grace collides with the dark inside of us.   Tenth Avenue North This is what I imagine it looks like when grace collides with the dark inside of me.  Just like when a welder touches his blowtorch to the metal.  When the heat collides with the cold sparks fly.  Grace is the heat that causes sparks to fly when it is allowed to touch the dark and cold places in my life.  I need grace, so do you.   It is what begins to melt the cold and what lights up the dark so that we can be changed.  Remaining in that dark and cold place means I am unyielding, hardened, unusable.  Allowing grace to touch me means I am willing to be shaped and used.  So when the sparks start flying I know good things are coming.  Sparks flying tells me that grace has touched me.  

How long should you try? Until. Jim Rohn Trying your hand at something takes  perseverance.  And to give up after one or two attempts may indicate you've got some work to do on your personal character.  What does it say about you that you give up so easily?  Why do you give up so easily?  What needs to change in you to have the strength to keep at it?  Those kinds of questions plus others are worth asking and answering.   What kind of answer is " until "?   It's the best kind.  "Until" tells you when it is time to stop or it has been accomplished.  There is no questioning with "until."  It you quit before "until" happens then you will always wonder, you may be stuck in a cycle of defeat, etc.  But if you keep trying right up until the "until" then you will know that you did everything you possibly could.   Don't be afraid that you will miss the "until".  You won't.  How do I know?  I just do.  I know throug

We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking.   Santosh Kalwar Nothing changes until we change how we think about the person, the situation, the (fill in the blank) .  But we like our wrong thinking about the person, the situation, the  (fill in the blank) .  We might say we don't like our thinking about it but we do.  How do I know (outside of the obvious fact that I do this as well)?  Because we "pet" our thinking and encourage it to stay by feeding it, justifying it, looking for and finding reasons to excuse it, ignoring the stench of it, etc.  Our thinking stinks!  And I know this because anything unhealthy that we are unwilling to part with eventually becomes stagnant and stinky.  It becomes like a drug that we can't get enough of.  We are addicted to our stinkin' thinkin'! Pride is the main key, or problem, to all of this.  We are prideful.  We are too prideful to hear someone else try to give us counsel

The next time God calls you to do something completely inexplicable, be open to it. And say yes. Jim Mellado, Compassion International's next President Ever wanted to do something but thought to yourself, or had others tell you, things like: That's crazy to even consider! But that makes no sense! There's no way that can work out. etc etc etc Right?  We've all done that or perhaps are currently doing that.  Usually we stall out and never take action on what it might be.  But a few have been willing to say yes and those are the few that we hold up in high esteem for being courageous and risk takers.  The good news is we can be courageous and risk takers also.  We just have to be open to the adventures we will most certainly travel through to get to the destination.  We have to take the first step which is say "yes" to that thing and then trust the path that God opens up in front of us.  If God calls us to it, asks us to go on adventure with him, then we

For the sake of the church,  brothers and sisters, we insist in the name of our Lord Jesus the Anointed that you withdraw from any brother or sister who is out of order and unwilling to work, who is straying from the line of teaching we passed on to all of you.  You know how essential it is to imitate us  in the way we live life . We were never undisciplined  nor did we take charity from anyone  while we were with you . Instead,  you saw  how we worked very hard day and night so we wouldn’t be a burden to even one person in the community.  We had the right  to depend on your help and hospitality, as you know;  but we wanted to give you a model you could follow,  to lay a path of footprints for you to walk in .  This is exactly why, while with you, we commanded you: “Anyone not willing to work shouldn’t get to eat!”  You see, we are hearing that some folks in the community are out of step  with our teaching ; they are idle, not working, but really busy doing nothing— and yet still expec

Don't mix bad words with your bad mood.  You'll have many opportunities to change a mood, but you'll never get the opportunity to replace the words you spoke.   Unknown The sign of a mature person is one who speaks carefully, even in, or especially in, bad mood (anger, frustration, disappointment, hormone fluctuations, etc).   We have a choice about our words and our moods.  And depending on our choice we will either have regret or a clear conscience.  I don't know about you but I would rather have a clear conscience than regret.  Some days I succeed at this and other days not so much.  How about you?

You know it was a good day if you didn't hit or bite anyone.   Nathanial Parizek, Age 4 Can I get a witness?  :)  Sometimes it's the best we can do in our days, not hit or bite (or in my case pinch) anyone!  Some days we need a little attitude check and then adjustment.  And for the days that we can't get a grip on our attitude I would suggest a stress ball, a glass of wine, a pillow to scream into - to hit - to bite - or to pinch, or whatever will keep you from doing what you are oh so tempted to do.  :)  Again, can I get a witness?