Today is the first day of Spring. Even with the chilly morning air, there is a sense of anticipation and hope of sunny days to come. The early Spring flowers are beginning to push their way out of their winter slumber and birds are filling the morning with song. I love this time of year.
I also love quick pop up thunderstorms in the Spring. The kind of storm that leaves as fast as it arrives and is followed by a beautiful sun and a rainbow. I have always loved rainbows. When I was a little girl, it was one of the only things I could draw with any real talent. I had stickers and sheets and earrings all filling my world with the colorful order of ROYGBIV. As I grew older and discovered my faith, I was in awe of the Biblical promise of a rainbow. Seeing a rainbow in the sky is a reminder to me of how very much God loves me and how He keeps his promises. I simply cannot pause long enough to take in the beauty of a rainbow filling the sky.
This year, my husband and I have chosen the word JOY for our focus. We want to saturate our life and the lives of our children with more joy. Not happiness, but joy. True, heartfelt, deep, abiding joy. The kind of joy that remains on the bad days. The kind of joy that remains when you don't feel happy. The kind of joy that invades our hearts and becomes the very breath we breathe.
A huge task. As I read back over that I think to myself, "really is that even attainable?" I believe that it is. However, I also believe that we have to work for it. We have to intentionally choose joy. We have to seek it out and sometimes even hunt it down. As if we were searching for the end of the rainbow.
I am convinced a direct route to a joy-filled life is through the filter of gratitude. Every time I find myself caught up in the "stuff" of life and lose perspective, I notice that I am lacking gratitude. Gratitude leads to joy and joy is what I am chasing. What I am choosing. What I long for deep within my soul.
To me, choosing joy is like finding a rainbow in the sky after a Spring rainstorm. It is all the colors of my life brought together to be something beautiful.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Wrong Turns, Serendipity and True Love
Recently, Mike and I were able to get away for a few days. Just us. We went to Martha's Vineyard for five days earlier in September. It was a beautiful mini vacation for us. The weather was gorgeous, the place we stayed was comfortable and welcoming and we didn't look at our watches for hours at a time.
One thing that always seems to happen to us is making wrong turns. I have a terrible sense of direction and while Mike is much better, he lacks the attention to detail when following directions given. As you can imagine, we ended up in several places we did not intend to be. Sometimes, this causes friction but many times what we experience is serendipity.
The definition of serendipity that I think I like best is; an occurrence that while unexpected, yields a fortunate or favorable outcome. On our vacation, we discovered many hidden little treasures on Martha's Vineyard. An unscheduled three car ferry ride to Chappaquiddick resulted in a beautiful long walk that was filled with great conversation and comfortable silence on a practically deserted soft sandy beach. Lunch outside at a corner café we happened to walk by was our favorite dining spot. A day spent driving around the island and stopping whenever we wanted led us to a familiar place on Gay Head with a lunch enjoyed on a cliff overlooking Vineyard Sound.
The reason this last spot was familiar to us is because 17 years ago this weekend we spent the day on Martha's Vineyard as part of our honeymoon. We reminisced about how young we were and how much has happened in the last seventeen years for us. We simply relished in being together and investing in our relationship.
We have had a few wrong turns and corrections over the course of our seventeen years together. But we are stronger and closer because of them. But thankfully and truthfully, the occurrences of serendipity far outweigh the wrong turns. These two things have resulted in a love so strong and so true that it literally takes my breath away.
So I will take the wrong turns. Giving grace and receiving it when we make corrections. I will cherish the unexpected and often times fabulous discoveries we experience in our lives. I will choose to love everyday and stay in love everyday. Because for Mike and me, wrong turns often lead to serendipity.
Happy Anniversary to us!
One thing that always seems to happen to us is making wrong turns. I have a terrible sense of direction and while Mike is much better, he lacks the attention to detail when following directions given. As you can imagine, we ended up in several places we did not intend to be. Sometimes, this causes friction but many times what we experience is serendipity.
The definition of serendipity that I think I like best is; an occurrence that while unexpected, yields a fortunate or favorable outcome. On our vacation, we discovered many hidden little treasures on Martha's Vineyard. An unscheduled three car ferry ride to Chappaquiddick resulted in a beautiful long walk that was filled with great conversation and comfortable silence on a practically deserted soft sandy beach. Lunch outside at a corner café we happened to walk by was our favorite dining spot. A day spent driving around the island and stopping whenever we wanted led us to a familiar place on Gay Head with a lunch enjoyed on a cliff overlooking Vineyard Sound.
The reason this last spot was familiar to us is because 17 years ago this weekend we spent the day on Martha's Vineyard as part of our honeymoon. We reminisced about how young we were and how much has happened in the last seventeen years for us. We simply relished in being together and investing in our relationship.
We have had a few wrong turns and corrections over the course of our seventeen years together. But we are stronger and closer because of them. But thankfully and truthfully, the occurrences of serendipity far outweigh the wrong turns. These two things have resulted in a love so strong and so true that it literally takes my breath away.
So I will take the wrong turns. Giving grace and receiving it when we make corrections. I will cherish the unexpected and often times fabulous discoveries we experience in our lives. I will choose to love everyday and stay in love everyday. Because for Mike and me, wrong turns often lead to serendipity.
Happy Anniversary to us!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Dry Cracked Earth
I am a beginning of the season gardener. Every Spring I head to the nursery full of enthusiasm and not much actual knowledge about flowers. I just want them to look pretty in front of my house. I spend the day pulling weeds, raking, planting and mulching. The finished product looks amazing and I make a solemn vow to water and care for my new plants. And I do. For a while.
This year, I have been particularly neglectful to my flower beds. After the first few weeks, I stopped watering all together. For a while, it was hard to tell. The flowers still bloomed and looked full and healthy. As time went by, I began to notice a few weeds popping up here and there. I decided they weren't all that bad and let them go.
This morning, I was out front saying good bye to my kids as they were picked up for car pool and I looked at the flower beds on my way back in. They really looked bad. There are big, prickly weeds taking over the bed. When did they get so tall? The flowers are droopy and no longer producing good blooms. When was the last time I pruned them? The ground was full of deep cracks. When was the last time it rained?
I have been the dry, cracked earth. I have often ignored the care that is required to live a vibrant, colorful, joyful life. The deep crevices in my flower bed were such a strong visual for me today. Sometimes our lives can resemble a neglected garden. I know mine has. Very slowly and without warning, bad habits can begin to take root. If we aren't paying attention, they grow out of control and need to be drastically taken care of. Just like flowers need pruning, we too need to be evaluating our lives on a regular basis. If not, new growth can not take place. The most important often missed necessity is water. We must be involved in activities and practices that water our souls, fill us up and make us blossom into the best version of ourselves we can be.
I know my flowers aren't going to rebound with one watering. Similarly, when we notice an area of lack or neglect in our lives, there is often not a quick fix. Sometimes we have to prune and weed and put in some really hard work to revive our dry, cracked souls into vibrant living. But take heart, it can be done. Choose one thing, start there and eventually, hopefully your garden (and mine) will flourish.
This year, I have been particularly neglectful to my flower beds. After the first few weeks, I stopped watering all together. For a while, it was hard to tell. The flowers still bloomed and looked full and healthy. As time went by, I began to notice a few weeds popping up here and there. I decided they weren't all that bad and let them go.
This morning, I was out front saying good bye to my kids as they were picked up for car pool and I looked at the flower beds on my way back in. They really looked bad. There are big, prickly weeds taking over the bed. When did they get so tall? The flowers are droopy and no longer producing good blooms. When was the last time I pruned them? The ground was full of deep cracks. When was the last time it rained?
I have been the dry, cracked earth. I have often ignored the care that is required to live a vibrant, colorful, joyful life. The deep crevices in my flower bed were such a strong visual for me today. Sometimes our lives can resemble a neglected garden. I know mine has. Very slowly and without warning, bad habits can begin to take root. If we aren't paying attention, they grow out of control and need to be drastically taken care of. Just like flowers need pruning, we too need to be evaluating our lives on a regular basis. If not, new growth can not take place. The most important often missed necessity is water. We must be involved in activities and practices that water our souls, fill us up and make us blossom into the best version of ourselves we can be.
I know my flowers aren't going to rebound with one watering. Similarly, when we notice an area of lack or neglect in our lives, there is often not a quick fix. Sometimes we have to prune and weed and put in some really hard work to revive our dry, cracked souls into vibrant living. But take heart, it can be done. Choose one thing, start there and eventually, hopefully your garden (and mine) will flourish.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Accidental Beauty
We love our backyard. It is such a place of peace for our family. At any given time, you might find one or more of the six of us laying on the hammock, sitting by the fire pit, enjoying the serenity of the deck in the evening or swinging on the play set. It is our place. Nestled against a deep tree line with plenty of perfect fort locations and a creek, we are secluded, for the most part, from our neighbors and their yards.
One thing we love about our yard is all the birds we have visit our feeders. We have seen bright red cardinals, blue jays, nuthatches and a few we haven't yet identified. By far, our favorites are the hummingbirds. My neighbors will tell you that I stole all the hummingbirds from them. For some reason, they just love our yard. There are so many, you might get dive bombed by a couple tiny but aggressive females.
This summer, we got a pleasant surprise under our bird feeder. After several weeks of refilling the seed, we began to see what we thought were weeds growing among the day lilies. Being the not gardener that I am, I let them go. One day, we were greeted by a sweet sunflower. The seeds had been dropped by the birds and took root in our unkept patch of landscaping.
It was accidental beauty. Beauty that we didn't try to cultivate or force. I am learning to appreciate these moments of accidental beauty more and more. It is the small moments that make up our lives. An older brother holding the hand of the youngest, suits and towels lined up on the porch rail after a fun day at the pool, spontaneous "thank yous" and "I'm sorries". The things we take for granted and the things we don't notice are the very things in our lives that can make all the difference.
Take a deep breath, look around and open your eyes up to the moments in your life. If you can, snap a picture of it or write it down in a journal. Then, on the days when you wonder if it all is worth it, be reminded of those small moments of unforced, simple, accidental beauty.
One thing we love about our yard is all the birds we have visit our feeders. We have seen bright red cardinals, blue jays, nuthatches and a few we haven't yet identified. By far, our favorites are the hummingbirds. My neighbors will tell you that I stole all the hummingbirds from them. For some reason, they just love our yard. There are so many, you might get dive bombed by a couple tiny but aggressive females.
This summer, we got a pleasant surprise under our bird feeder. After several weeks of refilling the seed, we began to see what we thought were weeds growing among the day lilies. Being the not gardener that I am, I let them go. One day, we were greeted by a sweet sunflower. The seeds had been dropped by the birds and took root in our unkept patch of landscaping.
It was accidental beauty. Beauty that we didn't try to cultivate or force. I am learning to appreciate these moments of accidental beauty more and more. It is the small moments that make up our lives. An older brother holding the hand of the youngest, suits and towels lined up on the porch rail after a fun day at the pool, spontaneous "thank yous" and "I'm sorries". The things we take for granted and the things we don't notice are the very things in our lives that can make all the difference.
Take a deep breath, look around and open your eyes up to the moments in your life. If you can, snap a picture of it or write it down in a journal. Then, on the days when you wonder if it all is worth it, be reminded of those small moments of unforced, simple, accidental beauty.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Lessons From a Fish
Apparently, the saying "there is more than one way to catch a fish" is totally true. A recent trip to Bass Pro Shop for some fishing supplies resulted in a 30 minute education by a sweet older gentleman named Denny. That 30 minute hook, line and sinker demo was just for catching bass! There are other supplies required for catching catfish, bluegill or my sons' favorite fish a crappie (they giggle every time).
Poles packed and expectations high, we headed up to Indian Lake, Ohio for a mini vacation. Hooks were in the water within minutes of our arrival. Then, the waiting game began. The waiting game then lead to the impatient, frustrated and disappointed game.
Tensions were high as bait got lost, hooks caught on logs and no fish were biting. Oh, except for the youngest Vollette who sings to the fish and moves around a lot. The son who has the most desire and knowledge comes up empty every time.
We did our best to encourage the frustrated fishermen to keep trying. We asked ourselves, what might God be trying to teach us in this moment? The lessons we came away with were worth every bit of disappointment. We learned that even when you make really good plans and are really prepared things don't always go your way. We learned that there will be people around you not following the plan or the rules and they might end up getting the very thing you are wanting. You need to keep on the path you know in your heart is right and not compromise your core values. We learned that if you really want something, you need to persevere and not give up when it gets hard. We learned that sometimes in life it just isn't your turn and you need to accept what is, make adjustments and move on.
In the end, our fish story was a success. The Vollette most wanting to catch a fish was finally victorious. He snagged a fish he had never seen before and loved every minute of it. It made all the waiting and frustration worth it. We learned some great life lessons while sitting out on the dock in the early morning mist and the beautiful evening sunset colors. We packed up our poles and headed home. Happy, slightly sunburned and a little wiser.
Poles packed and expectations high, we headed up to Indian Lake, Ohio for a mini vacation. Hooks were in the water within minutes of our arrival. Then, the waiting game began. The waiting game then lead to the impatient, frustrated and disappointed game.
Tensions were high as bait got lost, hooks caught on logs and no fish were biting. Oh, except for the youngest Vollette who sings to the fish and moves around a lot. The son who has the most desire and knowledge comes up empty every time.
We did our best to encourage the frustrated fishermen to keep trying. We asked ourselves, what might God be trying to teach us in this moment? The lessons we came away with were worth every bit of disappointment. We learned that even when you make really good plans and are really prepared things don't always go your way. We learned that there will be people around you not following the plan or the rules and they might end up getting the very thing you are wanting. You need to keep on the path you know in your heart is right and not compromise your core values. We learned that if you really want something, you need to persevere and not give up when it gets hard. We learned that sometimes in life it just isn't your turn and you need to accept what is, make adjustments and move on.
In the end, our fish story was a success. The Vollette most wanting to catch a fish was finally victorious. He snagged a fish he had never seen before and loved every minute of it. It made all the waiting and frustration worth it. We learned some great life lessons while sitting out on the dock in the early morning mist and the beautiful evening sunset colors. We packed up our poles and headed home. Happy, slightly sunburned and a little wiser.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Stick Families, Vacation Tags and Keeping Up with Everyone's 26.2
Growing up, my friend's family had a huge 2x4 they used as a measuring stick. It was filled with the markings of their children's growth. This family had a large house that was always filled with people who didn't live there. If you were there enough, eventually, your name and measurement were added to the stick.
When we got married and had our first child, we were gifted with our very own 2x4 measuring stick. We have since added several years of growth. We have recently started adding our friends and other family members to the stick. It is a cool guest book of the people who we do life with.
In this time of instant and often too much information, I find that we are all using a number of measuring sticks in our lives. Some of them are obvious. Did your child get straight A+ grades and make the honor roll this year? According to Facebook, lots of kids did. Did you potty train your 18 month old in less than a week? That friend from high school did. Are you at the zoo, at a sporting event where your child is the MVP, or going out to eat again? Seems like everyone else is. Other measuring sticks we use are a little less noticeable but are still there. Are you a runner girl, a super swimmer or a mom with 5 happy stick figure kids? Did you go on several vacations to the town with the palm tree and the moon or visit the always fantastic island of flip flop fun? Seems like lots of cars have traveled that road. Then we have the measuring sticks we stand up against in our own minds. Are we good enough, thin enough, smart enough, nice enough, spiritual enough? The list goes on.
I am not saying Facebook, sticker families or vacation tags are bad in and of themselves. If I could run a marathon, I would probably be first in line to buy my sticker. It is the unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves when we fail to use the only measuring stick that matters. What is that measuring stick that matters? It is most likely different for all of us. The one that matters to me is the one God is holding up. The awesome thing about His measuring stick is that it is full of grace and love and mercy. It is being held by the lover of my soul who has a love for me deeper than I can fathom. When I forget and start measuring my worth from the bumper of a car or a post on my phone, He gently pulls me back and shows me where my focus should be.
Take a moment and look at the measuring sticks in your life. Are they healthy ones that promote growth and change or are they destructive ones that bring guilt and disappointment? Choose wisely and wave at my sticker family when you see me driving by.
When we got married and had our first child, we were gifted with our very own 2x4 measuring stick. We have since added several years of growth. We have recently started adding our friends and other family members to the stick. It is a cool guest book of the people who we do life with.
In this time of instant and often too much information, I find that we are all using a number of measuring sticks in our lives. Some of them are obvious. Did your child get straight A+ grades and make the honor roll this year? According to Facebook, lots of kids did. Did you potty train your 18 month old in less than a week? That friend from high school did. Are you at the zoo, at a sporting event where your child is the MVP, or going out to eat again? Seems like everyone else is. Other measuring sticks we use are a little less noticeable but are still there. Are you a runner girl, a super swimmer or a mom with 5 happy stick figure kids? Did you go on several vacations to the town with the palm tree and the moon or visit the always fantastic island of flip flop fun? Seems like lots of cars have traveled that road. Then we have the measuring sticks we stand up against in our own minds. Are we good enough, thin enough, smart enough, nice enough, spiritual enough? The list goes on.
I am not saying Facebook, sticker families or vacation tags are bad in and of themselves. If I could run a marathon, I would probably be first in line to buy my sticker. It is the unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves when we fail to use the only measuring stick that matters. What is that measuring stick that matters? It is most likely different for all of us. The one that matters to me is the one God is holding up. The awesome thing about His measuring stick is that it is full of grace and love and mercy. It is being held by the lover of my soul who has a love for me deeper than I can fathom. When I forget and start measuring my worth from the bumper of a car or a post on my phone, He gently pulls me back and shows me where my focus should be.
Take a moment and look at the measuring sticks in your life. Are they healthy ones that promote growth and change or are they destructive ones that bring guilt and disappointment? Choose wisely and wave at my sticker family when you see me driving by.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Free to Fall
Have you ever fallen? I mean really fallen. Not tripped or stumbled, but flat out fallen down? I have a few times actually. Perhaps I am a little clumsy. Most of my falls have been down stairs and usually as a result of being in too much of a hurry. I fell this past week actually. I slipped on a wet bathroom floor and went down.
Have you ever fallen....on purpose? This one is a little more tricky to answer. Well, I have done that too. Twice a year, I subject myself to the trust fall. My husband and I are part of a ministry that does weekend retreats for parents and teens and husbands and wives. One small but significant activity of the weekend is a trust fall. If you have never done one, it can be a little intimidating. At least for me.
Every time I approach the trust fall tower, I am terrified. Interestingly enough, it isn't the lack of trust in the people catching me, it is the falling that I struggle with. I have an issue in my life that God keeps bringing me back to. Do you have one of those? Something in your life that you keep giving to God and then find yourself picking right back up? This issue always comes to the light during the trust fall for me.
A couple weeks ago, I found myself approaching the platform Heart beating fast as I climbed the steps. I was staring my issue in the face trying desperately to let go of it. This thing I hold onto so tightly has become my identity and without it, I am not sure who I am. This trust fall experience was different for me in a very significant way. The person leading the activity was a close friend of ours. He prayed with me and helped me line up for the fall. Unlike any other time I have fallen, he kept his hand on my back until I was ready.
I realized that God is doing the same thing with me. He is with me as I stand on the precipice looking my fears in the face. He is in my prayers. He hears my heart beating fast. He knows my fear. He has His hand on my back. He prepares me for the fall. He catches me when I finally let go. And every time I climb up the steps he is waiting for me at the top. Ready and willing to do it all again. As many times as I need to. Not because He has to, but because He loves me and I need Him there. Free to fall. Free to live. Free to be free.
Have you ever fallen....on purpose? This one is a little more tricky to answer. Well, I have done that too. Twice a year, I subject myself to the trust fall. My husband and I are part of a ministry that does weekend retreats for parents and teens and husbands and wives. One small but significant activity of the weekend is a trust fall. If you have never done one, it can be a little intimidating. At least for me.
Every time I approach the trust fall tower, I am terrified. Interestingly enough, it isn't the lack of trust in the people catching me, it is the falling that I struggle with. I have an issue in my life that God keeps bringing me back to. Do you have one of those? Something in your life that you keep giving to God and then find yourself picking right back up? This issue always comes to the light during the trust fall for me.
A couple weeks ago, I found myself approaching the platform Heart beating fast as I climbed the steps. I was staring my issue in the face trying desperately to let go of it. This thing I hold onto so tightly has become my identity and without it, I am not sure who I am. This trust fall experience was different for me in a very significant way. The person leading the activity was a close friend of ours. He prayed with me and helped me line up for the fall. Unlike any other time I have fallen, he kept his hand on my back until I was ready.
I realized that God is doing the same thing with me. He is with me as I stand on the precipice looking my fears in the face. He is in my prayers. He hears my heart beating fast. He knows my fear. He has His hand on my back. He prepares me for the fall. He catches me when I finally let go. And every time I climb up the steps he is waiting for me at the top. Ready and willing to do it all again. As many times as I need to. Not because He has to, but because He loves me and I need Him there. Free to fall. Free to live. Free to be free.
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