A Net in Time

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Faith

My Drive to Watch

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So Miss Kate listed the five minute Friday word and I was surprised to see the word Drive.   Not sure why I was surprised, I just was.  I suppose it fits right?  The Olympics are on right now and we’ve been watching them.  Seeing the drive in these world class athletes is amazing. The power as they swim, fight, board, scull, run and more is all influenced by their drive to do their best.   Amazon affiliate links will be used in this post, no affect on you, helps me be encouraged. 

My Drive to watch, person swimming in race

My Drive to Watch

I suppose how to see
drive depends
on the situation
you are in.

Is drive the mental force
behind which
pushes you on.
Helping you succeed?

Or is drive the emotional
weight of expectation,
the view that others hold
of your capabilities?

Is drive in how you think
or is drive in how you feel?
I’m guessing it’s a
combination of the two.

Thought and feeling mingled.
If emotions become jangled
Challenged by pain or
Expectation.

Withdrawal, self-preservation,
quitting without knowing
happens ever so
easily, so sadly.

I’ve seen the grit,
the determination in
Skateboarders, falling,
then choosing to continue.

Watching as one
comes from behind
digging deep and
finding within, success!

And then observing
as even with deep drive
the mental, the emotional
saddens with loss.

Disappointment
overwhelming individuals
so they can’t
even look up.

And others, despite
that pain of loss
Able to celebrate
the joy of winners longside.

My drive to watch?
Seeing the grins,
the delight, and
the sharing of joy.

My drive to watch
Swimmer

As I consider my drive to watch I stop to think how much of this compares to our lives as believers.   So often it’s easy to sit on the sidelines and merely observe what others are doing.

In two books that I’m reading with my lad “life behind the wall” and “Stranger on the road to Emmaus” (affliate links) I’ve been challenged to remember action matters in the life of a believer.  That watching on the sidelines is NOT what we are called to do.  God calls for us to be perfect, to be holy as he as perfect and holy.   (Matthew 5:48)

In Life behind the wall young people are called to action.  To back up their words with how they act.  Some conversations ensue as the lad and I chat. 

In The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, I see God acting, always on behalf of his people.  Pulling thoughts and ideas together, scripture interwoven together.  Seeing how thought and feelings influence action.  Again, I need to be more like God, see people as his creation.  It’s been mind opening to my faults, my sin in the eyes of a holy God. 

So how will my drive to watch be changed, be … CHALLENGED in light of what I learn?   How can I see people as God sees them and how will to change what I do?  Will I allow this drive of thoughtfulness be mingled with my emotions to show care and concern to a wider variety of people?   I need to do, to become something more. 

Staying Cool Under Pressure

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As I’m writing this post I’m sitting in an hotel room a couple hours from home.  I’m here doing a job and trusting my guys to take care of everything at home.  It’s HARD to trust them with the bunnies especially when I have a rat problem that’s raised it’s ugly and rather horrifying head again. It’s created some stress for me to be honest.  So as I pondered the word prompt “staying cool” what popped into my head is the art of staying cool under pressure.   How does one do it?  The answers aren’t the same for everyone, but perhaps we can figure a few things out eh?

staying cool under pressure
Lonely sad woman deep in thoughts sitting daydreaming or waiting for someone in the living room with a serious expression, she is pensive and suffering from insomnia sitting on couch

The Art of Staying Cool Under Pressure

There is indeed an “art” to it I suppose.  Everyone handles pressure and stress differently.   My go-to that normally works is going for long walks or burying myself in a book.  Both give me time to step away and by the time I’m back to the real world I’m thinking differently about the situation. 

Reading a book gives my brain a chance to totally focus on something else which allows my subconcious to work it’s magic.  Going for long talks gives me time to prayer, yell at God, cry (sometimes), mutter under my breath where no one can hear me, and just use those endorphins raised by exercise to work their magic

What other methods work?

  1. Talking with people NOT connected with the stress.  Sharing our burdens or concerns with others allows ease our burdens. A load shared is a load reduced.  It often will give us a different perspective on the situation as well. 
  2. Any form of exercise: stationary bike, a workout routine, gardening, literally… whatever works for you WORKS.  We don’t always have the freedom to go for long walks, sometimes we have to clean a room and tell the family OUT, let me clean!  You can still be present (if you have people you can’t leave alone), but still work out your thoughts and feelings through hard work.
  3. Prayer and meditation upon God’s word.  Sometimes just stepping back into a moment of peace is exactly what you’d to do. And if you can’t pray, you might know a friend who can.  Let God step into that moment. Accept the peace he offers you. Listen to what he has to say.
  4. Medical intervention!  My recent bout of stress has had me clenching my jaw in my sleep resulting in a sore jaw.  You know what helps?  Softer foods and…. muscle relaxants! (no drowsy). Helps me function better…and then I’m not as stressed about the pain of eating! 🙂 
  5. Sitting down and writing out what the problem is and just what you might do about it.  Sometimes the whole problem with stress is we keep it all in our minds. But if we take the time to write it down then you are more able for say “this I can deal with”, “THAT can wait for another day”, “this I might have a partial solution for” and so forth.   For instance, while I’m away and hubby hurt himself trying to care for my buns I called a friend and asked, could you help a day or two…you’ll get bunny cuddle time as a result?  She was happy to help.  Worry over a young litter of bunnies… son is bringing them in the house overnight when the rats are active. 

Additional Ways of Staying Cool

What other things can you do to help with staying cool under pressure?

  1. Eat well.  Seriously, reduce your sugars and salts, eat good quality food. 
  2. Maybe Essential Oils will help?  They work just the ticket for many folks.  I’ve never found they helped me as they seem like just an odd smell in the air to me.  🙂  But for others… smells are so connected to memories, that just the right odor can be calming.
  3. Music, play whatever soothes your heart and mind. 
  4. Do something different: Puzzle, knit, play a game, learn a new skill, start a new project (only if it won’t make things worse).
  5. Tick things off your to-do list. 
  6. Remind yourself of all the good things in life.  Like on my scary ride home today, I got back and I kept reminding myself..I’m here, I’m safe, and no one got hurt.  Scared yes, but physically no.  It’s all good! 
  7. Make different life choices if the decisions you are making are not working for you.  
  8. If you are feeling caught in the middle between two hard decisions make the one that causes you less internal strife long term. 
  9. Take courses or read articles about how to deal with the stress you are under.   

Did you know that SchoolhouseTeachers has a number of resources for parents.  I’ve shown images above of some of the courses that they offer to parents.  I actually spent some time this morning listening to a teaching on children who fall away from the church and why they do so. 

Shine Bright

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Shine Bright) through Nuts about Books. Affiliate links will be used, thank you for the encouragement this offers which costs you nothing in the end.  🙂 

Shine Bright is a new devotional that runs for 60 days.  it is “designed to encourage you in your relationship with God and equip you to shine bright for His glory.”  (p.9)  It take six weeks to develop a new habit.  So why not use a devotional to help you develop the habit of spending time with God? 

Shine Bright

The Basics of Shine Bright

Shine Bright is a devotional published by BakerBooks.  Nuts about books offered me this way to know God better for review.  I received a hardcover copy.   60 days, each devotional 2-3 pages in length.   Total pages 208, a small hardcover easily tucked away in a purse.   Written by sisters Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal. 

Digging Deeper

The layout of each devotional is a singular bible verse, followed by a reading, followed by either a bible passage or a singular verse to read, along with questions to think deeper about it.  THOUGH, occasionally no follow up scripture was provided and just questions to ponder. 

You’ll find this devotional esthetically pleasing.  The layout is predictable of 2-3 pages per devotional, with what I thought, a pretty chapter heading.

As I view as a book for girls, or perhaps, very new believers, the questions were light.  Something to help you think deeper about a variety of issues affecting our Christian belief.   They did do some self-promotion within the devotional readings which I disliked.  Save that for the close of the book please. 

Some tough topics were covered and it’s HARD to know how to talk about such things sensitively.  Overall, I think they did okay with some of those tough issues.  By no means perfectly, but when you are writing with girls in mind, you do need to be careful right? 

This devotional was lacking a bible verse index at the close of the book. 

Should Shine Bright Be in Your home?

Do know that I have not read every page of this devotional Shine Bright.  I haven’t had it long enough to do so. But I tell you this so you know I can’t attest to every word written.  It’s not an in-depth devotional, but I find that most devotionals are not.  The goal… to get people learning a new habit (at least that’s my assumption!) of spending time with God daily.   The cover makes me think that this devotional is not geared toward adults, but rather toward teens as honestly, at almost 56 years old, most people wouldn’t be saying to me “Girl, you gotta do this”.   🙂 

The chapter on hospitality left me feeling like it should have been more. Not just focused on throwing a party, but on the different ways people can show hospitality that still honours that gifting.  So showing how a person who is gifted in a less “not throw a party” manner, but in a quieter opening up the house manner.  This particular devotion, in Shine Bright, felt shallow.  

So do I recommend it?  Truth can be gleaned.  I’ve read worse devotionals that made me want to throw them away, or left me feeling “icky” for lack of a better word.  This devotional, though some parts were shallow, also had truth, and good questions to ponder.   If I were rating it on Amazon… I’d give it three stars, which is what I’ll do on Goodreads. 

Order of Reconnecting

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Order is the word of the day over at Miss Kate’s.   I’ve two thoughts in mind as I’ve been pondering what to write but hubsters keeps interrupting my thinking as he’s bustling about occasionally asking me questions.  He missed me while I away for my six days of work elsewhere.  So I should expect these interruptions as part of the order of reconnecting eh?  🙂  And perhaps my thoughts will end up going in that direction rather than in the directions I was originally considering. 

Order of Reconnecting

Time away
Work it calls
Another area
Trouble has
Can you help?

Travel reminbursement
Hotel and food
Paying time
Driving
Three hours away.

Certainly I can help
but First must bring
order to home
Helping a boy manage
Things when I’m not home.

Dad will help too
but when hard at work
a boy has to manage
feed rabbits, self
and to his own work.

Gramma one day
Came over to help
Cleaning a house
Bringing order to strife.

Open my return
With arms open wide
a hubster’s wild grin
and a son’s soft smile.

Welcome home
said both
helping unpack
Then order to house
Ensued without.

Checking the bunnies
Seeing wildness
in the garden.
Beans must be picked
Gooseberries be jammed!

As mom worked away
Glad a clean house
not to make
A son and a dad
checks in often make

It’s the order of
Reconnecting
The family you see
When mom’s away
Things not as should be!

Tiredness not withstanding
Things in order must make
So the time away
really was,
something of a break. 🙂

Gooseberry-jelly

Additional Thoughts

I have to admit, I might have made it sound easy coming home and getting the slack taken care of.  I did, at one point, let my tiredness get the better of me when I noticed the lad didn’t pick the gooseberries he’d promised to do.  But forgiveness flows easily around here, especially since the Lord God so easily forgives me.  🙂 

Imagine it… he removes our sin as far as the east is from the west.  So great a distance that can never ever meet. How can I not forgive?  How can my son not?  

And besides, it all gets done evenutally.  You gotta check out the lovely gooseberry jelly I made! 

What is Seen as Strong

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I’ve had a long, somewhat difficult day.  And I was sitting here half asleep listening to a true crime (probably not the best idea, I’ll probably have interesting dreams tonight.  BUT NEVERMIND THAT.  I was suddenly called to mind that it’s the night before Five Minute Friday.  A day spent with people sharing the joy of a single word prompt.   I was somewhat surprised when What is seen as strong popped out of my finger tips. 

what is seen as strong

What is Seen as Strong

Strong
a word that evokes
emotion and thought.

What is seen at
Strong by one
is seen as weakness in another.

How then, does one
define strong
When so much disparity?

Could definition be
found in looking through
such difference?

I saw my mom as weak
Tears so often seen
But tears a release

When sadness released
A strength shows
a resilence in life abounds.

When a child in
pain hits and kicks
a Momma who holds steady.

Bullied? People say
She lets her child
Do what should be corrected!

But perhaps that child
has needs special
or mental health struggles.

Needs a mom
to be steady and sure.
but still needs to learn control.

A quiet face
grief reigns
but stolid he stands.

Strength?
Making choices
to keep routine.

Making choices to
Not lived as raised
but a balancing act

Can be so hard to maintain
Anger flares
Kept under wraps.

But still sensed
so children duck a blow
that never ever comes.

Strength in
choices that some
will never see

As what is seen
as strong varies
from person to person.

Take the time.
Learn the story
Behind the action.

You never know
You might be
Totally surprised

and before you know it
you still strength
that before was weakness.

All Summer Long

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When I first saw theword prompt this week you know what immediately popped into my head?

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love

These words from the song Great is Thy Faithfulness.   Before I knew it, I was mentally belting out all the words to this wonderful song.  Kept me good company while I was doing bunny chores this morning.  🙂   Anyways, it lead to this poem All Summer Long.

All Summer Long, rock on gravel background

All Summer Long

An interesting summer
It’s proving to be.
A part-time job
Keeping me rather busy.

A boy with arm
Broken in two
How will he manage?
What will he do?

A lesson is learned
Understanding gained.
No wonder why mom
and his dad complained!

Couple years back
Limbs broken did.
A bike accident
and a saved kid.

I mentioned to lad
the providence of God.
Mom took a fall
It was rather odd.

But that meant
She was home
When with broken arm
he did roam.

And with a
just fixed truck
to take him as speedily
as a flying duck!

No need to ponder
what do I do?
Mom has it in hand
so I can boo-hoo.

Mom could be there
to just walk him through
Procedures and waiting
in emergency room.

As I sit here and ponder
I see it full well
how all summer long
How God in me dwells.

He knows all the plans
and thinking we do,
He knows how to work
His good will in me too.

All Summer Long, rock on gravel background

Scripture Insight?

Proverbs 15:3 – The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

Deuteronomy 32:10 – In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye.

Psalm 121:8 – The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Everytime I think back to that night I am amazed at how God worked everything out for him.

Hubby had struggled to get the truck fixed, and while it wasn’t perfect, it was legally drivable.  I had walked my route 1000’s of times and never stumbled there, and yet that day, I took a hard fall. My knee was rather stiff but was able to function.  I had just come in from doing the rabbits and was sitting down to work when in stumbled my white faced boy and his wonky arm.

Could he have coped without me?  YES.  I have a level-headed young man in this house.

But a boy who loves efficiency, had to admit that God had this one well in hand.  You couldn’t have asked for a more speedy response with no need for him to problem-solve.   I’ll remember this God-moment, all summer long and beyond I think.

Isn’t God marvellous?

Give Care Well-Deserved

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So Five minute Friday strikes again!  WOOT WOOT!  🙂  Miss Kate has given us the word prompt of Deserve.  When I heard this word I recalled a conversation I had with a rabbit friend over the exchange of a couple of bunnies.  We love our bunnies, but we move them on to other places at times.  Sometimes, we get attached, and then we worry about will they get the home we want for them?   Will they have people who will give care well-deserved? 

Give Care Well Deserved text, image of black holland lop bunny

Give Care Well-Deserved

HEY! I see you have a bunny!
A black one, maybe a fuzzy?

Yes, yes I do.
But only a fuzzy carrier
I think.

Oh, well, let me think
Would you do a trade?

Sure, I know this gal
I’d happily do a trade for
Bunnies such as hers.

So she came
we talked and laughed

Learned a few things
about plants and bunnies
and methods of feeding.

We talked differences in size
and health and temperament.

And so she left
with one bunny but two
And two bunnies stayed.

Her words
I’ve raised and loved them.

And now I can
trust them to a home
that give care well-deserved.

And so I KNOW
Deep within, that

My little ones
Black coated though they be,
Will get care well-deserved too.

Gives me pause to consider
Do we fuss about the care

Other loved ones deserve?
The sad, the hurting, the lonely,
The full-loved, family and friends?

 

These are the parents of one of my new little big ones

Scriptural Thoughts

Proverbs 27:23  Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds,

Psalm 147:9  He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry.

Job 12:7-10  “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

Luke 14:5  And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?”