Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Empty Tank

The end of a school year always seems to happen when your gas gauge is on "E"...it's as if you economize the final weeks of the school year so you can chug through the last few days and try to finish strong. I was thinking about empty tanks and how we get them filled. My personal fuel, next to building and growing in my relationship with the Lord, comes from my family. From one daughter, I get affection and laughter. From another, I get serious reflection. From another, I get affirmation. And another, honesty and integrity. From my son, I get encouragement and praise. From my grandchildren, I get hope and a vision of the future. I need this fuel to move forward, and I'm so grateful that God has equipped us to meet one another's needs. Summer will give us some lazy days to be together, some traveling and traipsing about to explore our turf, and some time to just enjoy the moment. Being a part of each other's lives refuels me, and as I look at my new job and my shyness in getting to know this community a little better, I know I'm going to need lots of "premium" fuel to make it. How about you? Where does your fuel come from?

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Give me Jesus



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1O_Jf_fdkI
Follow the link to Give Me Jesus by Fernando Ortega

My need for Him is so profound...is yours?

Friday, May 27, 2011

Mean Sisters

Someone was asking me about the nuns in the story, and I was thinking about their personalities in relation to friends I've had in the past. Sometimes hard things that we need to share with one another come across as mean, yet it is in fact exactly what we need. I have trouble helping my friends in this way. I want to nurture them, make them feel good, help them heal. The very thing that heals us may be the most difficult thing to hear. Are we willing to risk it? Am I willing to give it or take it? When Sister Ivy told Drea that her self-protection was in fact an act of arrogance, I had kind of an "ah ha" moment. I realized that by remaining wounded, it was a way of drawing undue attention to myself/my plight. By allowing God to heal me once and for all, I was free to focus my attention on others, on the world outside of myself. I don't think God wants us to ponder our navel. I think He wants to heal us, and grow us into mature people who can make a difference in the lives of others.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Best Laid Plans


I thought I'd be able to make a Facebook page for A Woman Like Me, so we could talk about some of the feelings, issues, and topics that come up while reading the book. But when you share on Facebook, you're sharing with a wide audience, and there may be some discussions that we want to keep private. So I decided to create a link to this blog, and I hope we can freely exchange our thoughts, prayers, wishes, and dreams for each other and our children. Let's take this Journey together.