Tag Archives: seasons

October 27, 2016 · 1:30 pm

Love Your Now.

I have found myself this week struggling to enjoy this season of busy schedules. I’ve thought, “Can we just go back to Maine where we eat six meals a day and linger at every beautiful sight?” Because, it was really easy to enjoy every moment there. It’s not always easy when you’re back in your regular routine. I probably found ten things making my life more difficult last night. A driven daughter who wants to do it all, these lessons, that practice, the broken air conditioner, the light that won’t come on in our living room, the drive to and from the farm that adds an additional hour to it all.

My life is harder and more exhausting than some. BUT, it is so much easier than MOST.

And, that’s where I had to get back to. It’s EASIER than most. That was my first perspective shift.

My next shift was a reminder that I create my world. I create what makes me tired, what makes me happy, what makes my day. I do. So, get control of what you’re creating, Dusty. WE are the creators. Not our children, not our circumstances…WE create it all. What do I need to take off of the table? Or, what do I need to reframe in how I think about it?

My last shift came when I thought of something I saw a while back: “LOVE YOUR NOW.” We don’t live in the past where we think, “Well, that season was a good one.” So, only loving our past won’t make us happy today. Sure, it’s great to remember good times and let them make you smile. But, it isn’t sustaining happiness. Also, we can’t be in love with a future we are hoping for either. Vision and goals are necessary and wonderful. Dreams keep us striving for something better. But, we miss true happiness when we fail to love our now.

Loving my now means I don’t take for granted the fact that one of my dearest friends walked into my office and loved on me today. Who gets to experience that kind of goodness everyday? This girl right here.

Loving my now means I get to go to bed, albeit exhausted, every night knowing I loved on my children and supported their gifts. Loving my now means I that choose to not despise my 30 minute drive, and instead, come home to the farm in the middle of the day to absorb every bit of peace it brings me. Exactly as I’m doing right now as I type. And, can I tell you how much peace and serenity it brings me? Worth the drive. Worth it all. Because, of this.

farm

Loving my now means that I might choose to celebrate life exactly like this guy who says, “Best day ever,” EVERY SINGLE DAY OF HIS LIFE.

jett-man

Loving my now means treasuring this season, because all five of us are still doing life together. In 4 1/2 years, one will be off at college. And, I will probably be in a corner sucking my thumb needing someone to remind me to love my now.

Loving my now means that when my husband gets home from his trip, I get to pull him close and thank God that in that very moment, we are together. And, I get to draw from his tender goodness and peaceful existence. I also get to say, “Bam, bro, enjoy your kids a while. I’m going to be loving my now in my room by myself a tick.” Just kidding, Ivar. Not really.

There will always be something to distract us from loving our now. Always. Even when the hard days of rearing children are done, something will have the potential to distract me. So, we have to conscientiously fight to own our now and love it. We have to discipline our emotions. We have to reframe our perspectives.

And, we have to say YES to now, so we can fully love our now.

Always say ‘yes’ to the present moment… Surrender to what is. Say ‘yes’ to life – and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you. Eckhart Tolle

Unraveling.

There are seasons in our lives when it seems the world is caving in around us. There are days where anything that can go wrong, does. There are moments we are sure that one more blow is going to take us completely out.

So, we begin unraveling.

Piece by piece. Thread by thread.

Until, we hit our knees. And, the tears begin to flow.

I have those moments, too. Just like you.

And, then the thought of throwing my hands in the air and surrendering it all to God just seems too easy. Sometimes, it’s my pride that gets in the way. Because, if I surrender my feelings, my day, my season to Him, then, I have nothing left to hold onto that says, “I am stressed.”

“I can’t do this anymore.”

“I have had all I can take.”

Whoever said God will not give you more than you can handle was wrong. Way wrong.

He will.

Because, He wants you to need Him. He wants you to depend on His strength. That’s why Paul says he was thankful when he was weakest, because, that’s when God was strongest.

Tonight, I began unraveling. So, I let go of my pride. I let go of my stubbornness to hold onto something that really doesn’t belong to me.

I threw my hands up in the air. And, I told Him, “God, this day is Yours. This season is Yours. I can’t do this without you. ”

And, He took it from me.

Perhaps, you are unraveling, too.

Surrender. Let Him into your mess. Call out to Him. And, know that His power works best in your weakness.

He will not fail you.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

7 Comments

Filed under God Stuff, life, Spiritual Journey

Tagged as more than you can handle, overwhelmed, seasons, strength, stress, surrender

April 13, 2010 · 7:17 am

Grace For the Season.

What was I thinking? I mean, starting all over again with the baby stuff? The sleepless nights, the diapers that require hazmat suits and masks, the feedings….by hand?

I was thinking that God wanted a Mr. Jett Takle to be born into His Kingdom. And, I know that God already knew him long, long ago.

I’ll admit I had moments throughout my pregnancy where the thought of enduring this season again seemed overwhelming. Shoot, there are moments at 2:00AM that I feel those same overwhelming thoughts now. Will I ever blog again? Will I ever sleep again? Will I ever eat slowly again, because I have all the time in the world? But, I know it’s just a season.

My sweet friend, Cindy Beall, sent me this message when I was in the hospital with Jett:

“God has given you the grace you need for this season. You are fully equipped as a child of the King to accomplish what He wants you to.”

My response to Mrs. Beall was simply, “I receive that.”

The truth is you can receive that, too. No matter what season of life you are in. No matter where God has you. He will give you the grace you need for your season. He will equip you to accomplish what He wants you to. Do you get that? Do you get that God wants to use you for His glory no matter what season you are in?

So, even when I am patting the back of my amazing baby boy…..

Even when I’m resting my cheek on his sweet smelling head….

Even when I’m wiping the sleep from my eyes at 2:00AM….

I will remember that God has given me the grace for this season. And, I will soak up every minute of it. Because, I will blink my eyes, and it will all be over.

8 Comments

Filed under God Stuff, life, Motherhood, pregnancy

Tagged as God Stuff, God's grace, Motherhood, newborns, seasons

December 3, 2009 · 6:00 am

‘Tis the Season.

I experience different seasons of life just like you. Some are easier than others. Some do not end quickly enough. Then there are seasons where I hardly stop to notice the season. Know what I mean?

I’m noticing this one. But, not the things one would expect for me to notice.

It’s not hard. It’s not easy. Financially? I’ve seen more. I’ve seen less. I don’t notice a real difference in myself as a mother (unless I look at my protruding abdomen.) I’m sure my children have grown a tenth of an inch this past month. I can’t really tell until their jeans hit above their ankles. Kris still makes me laugh out loud just like he does in every other season.

What I am noticing this season is a greater intimacy in my relationship with my heavenly Father. I know He’s always tender. He’s always gentle. But, I’m especially noticing a sweet calm – a peace – that can only come from Him. I think about Him when I take my kids to school and on my drive back home. I think about how good He is when I serve my husband. I think about how a perfect son of God was born in the most humblest of circumstances.

I think about Him.

All the time.

And, my heart overflows.

I am in love.

Totally.

And.

Completely.

With Jesus.

I love this season.

3 Comments

Filed under God Stuff, life, Love, Relationships

Tagged as intimacy, peace, relationship with God, seasons

September 23, 2009 · 6:00 am

New Season. New Thing.

I put long pants and long sleeves on my four year old yesterday morning. I didn’t need the AC blasting on high. I lit my Pumpkin Spice candle.

Autumn had officially begun.

There is something magical about the start of Spring and Autumn that sends an excitement pumping through my veins. Spring means I can break out my favorite flip flops. It means that new things are getting ready to appear. Fresh things. Leaves begin to make a once barren tree beautiful.

It’s a new beginning.

Autumn means I can break out my comfy Ugg boots. It means I can bear to sit outdoors a little longer without wiping sweat from my brow. The leaves turn the most amazing colors before they touch the ground.

I’m glad a new season is here. I need a new season. I need a falling away of the old so God can do something new.

I am trusting God to do something different this season. Something new. Something good. As a matter of fact, when I have prayed recently, I have referenced the changing season and claimed new and good things over my family.

So, along with the joys of candy corn and soups on a stove, I’m going to walk in the joys of God doing something new in my life.

Do you need God to something new in you or your family?

Forget the former things; do not dwell in the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Isaiah 43:18-19

1 Comment

Filed under Favorite Things, God Stuff

Tagged as Autumn, Fall, new things, seasons

September 15, 2009 · 6:00 am

Hormones. For A Season.

Hormones are a funny, unpredictable thing. Especially, those pregnancy ones.

You know the ones where you find yourself crying over the most random of things.

Like misplacing your favorite comfy shorts. The only ones that fit.

Or, putting your four year old to bed then turning to your husband and saying, “You do know she won’t always be sleeping down the hall from us. One day, she’ll be all grown up and out on her own.”

Then, you just start sobbing.

Yeah. Those hormones.

But, my thoughts and tears of my children growing up are very real. Truth is, I am loving this season in my life. I love it so much that if I could pause time, I think I would. When I first found out I was pregnant, my initial response was “Wow. I’m starting over with the baby stuff all over again.” Then, it hit me. I will blink, and this little one (making me so weepy right now) will be in Kindergarten.

Time doesn’t slow for anyone. And, I can’t press pause. There are different seasons in life. This is mine. One day my season will look much different. I won’t be picking up light sabers and Webkins every day and putting them back in their respective places. Pop Tarts will be a thing of the past. A little girl won’t make up her own song at bed time and sing it to me. A little boy won’t wrap his arms around my neck and pull me closer to him.

My house will be quiet.

But, that little boy and little girl will be fulfilling the call of God in their lives.

One day that little boy will read the scriptures and become overwhelmed by how great God is like I do.

One day, that little girl will hold her own child in her arms and know exactly what I feel when I kiss her sweet face goodnight.

They will experience a new season.

I will experience a new season.

And, God will still be at the center of it all.

To everything – turn, turn, turn
There is a season – turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
– The Byrds

7 Comments

Filed under life, Motherhood, pregnancy

Tagged as hormones, Motherhood, pregnancy, seasons

October 1, 2008 · 6:00 am

Oh, Autumn. You’re just too marvelous for words.

Hello Fall! Well, almost. October is here. Hip, hip hooray! I’ve never heard a living soul say “I don’t like Fall.” The foliage turns into the most perfect colors. It provides the most enjoyable months, weather wise, in the Sooner State. The winter months here are COLD, and I’ve experienced far too many icy road conditions and power outages. Spring brings tornadoes and hair destroying winds. And summers are so dang hot, it melts my make-up. So, Fall it is.

I remember when I first moved to Oklahoma (a.k.a. tornado alley). I noticed an umbrella broken in half lying in Kris’ backyard. (I’m sure cleaning that up was on his list of things to do.) “High winds”, he said. High winds my, um my….my hiney. In the words of my grandma, Callie Mae, “I’m not going to gee-haw with you,” I told him. Try TORNADO. I suppose he thought I would turn myself right ‘round and head back south if I knew the truth. Thus, the lies began.

Oh, I kid.

Anyhoo, I do love this time of year. I celebrate my birthday – my favorite day of the year. Right, Cindy? I light pumpkin-scented candles and bake pumpkin bread. I sit on my back porch and enjoy my 2 inches of yard. I pull out my yummy sweaters and embrace them as though I’m seeing an old friend. I LOVE this time. Did I mention that?