Being Awed (Beth B)

Did you know that there are 100 billion neurons in our brains? Or that there are between 1 sextillion (21 zeros) and 1 septillion (24 zeros) stars. Crazier than that is the number of atoms in a grain of sand, i.e. approximately 2.2 x 10¹⁹ atoms - 22,000,000,000,000,000,000!   Our heart beats an average of 35 million times per year. These are numbers that we can not really fathom. From massive areas to the smallest materials, the universe is awesome.

I've been subbing in a lot of elementary classrooms lately. The thing that energizes me about young kids is that they are completely amazed by things in this world. Not only do their jaws drop, but they can't wait to tell everyone about the things that they just witnessed or learned. It is contagious. The things that happen around us every day are straight up miraculous.

Lately, I've heard several people bemoan the fact that they haven't seen a miracle. On the contrary, I think everyday we see so many miracles, that we take them for granted. Given, if we stopped in wonderment at everything, we would never get anything else done. But what ever happened to our sense of awe? Perhaps stopping to be astonished by God's handiwork, is what Christ meant when he told us to have faith like a child? If we stop to contemplate the everyday miracles, we can't help but be reminded of how incredible our God really is!

setting boundaries. (Beth P)

Ok, so Beth B's husband Ken said months and months ago that I should read the book "Boundaries:When to Say Yes How to Say No" by Henry Cloud.

  I downloaded it.


And then gave myself permission to read it "later".  Well, I am reading it now (many, many months later).

Wish I had read it months ago! lol!

This is gonna sound corny, but y'all, EVERYONE could benefit from reading this book.  (Unless you are a single hermit living in the mountains with a bear named Ben,  then you could skip it.)

I am a "yes" girl, a "people pleaser" a girl who often grabs onto other peoples problems and runs with them, tries to fix them, or at least ease the load, or pressure or whatever my little heart can do. That sounds really "sweet" doesn't it!

HA! It's not.  For so many reasons!

I often don't set good boundaries, at home, at work, and even at church. I often say yes to the wrong things and no to the wrong things! And miss focus on the things I should be doing first.

I have 18 pages of notes from the book, y'all, and I am not even done.  Where do I start?!?!

Here is the first quote that hit me:

"Part of taking responsibility, or ownership is knowing what is our job, and what isn't..... she ends up taking on problems God never intended her to take on...."

DANG! I do that! And what a weight was lifted when I realized that I do that! Then I realized I might be missing other important responsibilities when I am busy taking on ones that are not mine to take on! I want what HE wants for me not all the stuff I latch onto! This problem stems from not having proper boundaries!

Ok, so maybe you cannot relate to that.

Try this:

"...don't be afraid to confront my critical internal conscience that is sometimes too harsh..."

Come on, tell me I am not the only one with an overly critical internal conscience?!?!

Ok, here is another random quote:

"Confronting an irresponsible person is not painful to him; only the consequences (of his irresponsibility) are."

Yep!

Sometimes, "....It is not good to rescue someone from the consequences of their sin, for you will only have to do it again. You have reinforced the pattern." Proverbs 19:19.

I could go on an on with quotes and principles about boundaries.  Want me to? Want more or do you just wanna read the book!?

He goes on to confront myths that surround setting up boundaries.  Then talks about the war over boundaries, and also gets into resistance when new boundaries are set.  Really good stuff, cause he relates this to every relationship - spouses, parents, children, friends, co-workers, church family, etc.

I think y'all get that I love this book.  Just saw that there is a workbook!!! AND a series that dig deeper into the specific relationships. Man, I need a firm grip on boundaries!

How about y'all?

Tell me about a boundary you have set OR NEED TO SET!

Forming Your Legacy (Beth B)

His name was Albert. He was brimming with love for his wife, even after 71 years together. Each spring, he would clear the forest in front of their home so that Phyllis, his wife, could see the river from her front yard. Every year, Albert would watch his beloved Twins, complain that they were "no good" and yet he never missed an inning. Even at 92, he went deer hunting. Since there's no point to living, if you have to miss a hunting season. His favorite saying to his children was "well, you aren't the best but you are better than the rest." Secretly, they knew that he burst with pride over his children, but he never wanted them to get a big head. He and his wife always had a huge garden and plenty of fish and meat on hand because, "You never know when someone might need a little extra hand".
Albert was also set in his ways. Men should have good haircuts and be clean-shaven, otherwise they are just being lazy. Meat should never be tough. Foods should never look as though "Its already been eaten once". Men take care of their families, no matter what. You do what is right, regardless of what others say about you. And you serve your community. Albert took care of the sick and the aged, calling on them daily. He advocated for conservation practices, although he steadfastly refused to talk politics with anyone. He would cuss at the dog and feed it table scraps. Often he would secretly slip money into the hands of his grand kids. Lastly, Albert never complained about things that were outside of his control. He was a content man.
Albert is my grandfather. He passed away last week. He took part of my heart with him to heaven but he left me with so much more. My grandfather's legacy amazes me. He and my grandmother always stressed family. You love, support and accept the kin that God gave you. To them parenting meant that you accept your children and train them to choose what is right. Never settle for being your child's friend when you can be their parent. As I sat at his funeral, I witnessed Albert's beautiful legacy. We are a rag tag group of very different people. Yet, we are there through thick and thin for one another. This is a result that I am certain made Albert smile.
It has also caused me to ponder, what sort of legacy will I leave? What will my loved ones say about me in my eulogy? As I pause to remember my grandfather, I think it would be fitting to make sure that I am caring on his legacy. It is a worthy one.

living young. (Beth P)

I turned 43 today!

So far I like being 43! lol!

To be honest it feels the same as 42 so far.  *wink*

I am thrilled to still be on this earth at 43!

What a gift!

How about I make a list (43 would be too long) of 10 things you may not know about me at 43?!

1. I ate fudge for my snack this morning.  It rocked.

2. I love sleep.  I need sleep.  I now nap on a regular basis. And I am learning to not feel guilty about it.

3. I gave up sugar and white flour and it wasn't even that hard, thanks to (THM). And I don't mind having a birthday without sugar!

4. I am finally letting go of the fear of what others think of me..... wish I could say I learned it sooner, but better late than never.

5. I have committed to being more vocal.  More courageous with my words.  I have a lot to say that y'all don't even know!!!! *smile*

6. I am so excited about what God is doing in my life lately! Oh! And in my church family.  It is pretty cool, no, it is amazing. Ask me about it! I would love to chat with you!

7. I am learning how HUGE, I mean REALLY H.U.G.E. God really is. It is life changing.

8.  I often struggling with the aches and pains of an aging body, but I feel 33, yea, and I forget that I am 43 and it is probably a good thing I forget. I forget a lot of stuff. *wink*

9. I DO know I am not at all the same person I was at 41. THAT, I do know. And it is all because He is changing me in wonderful and fun ways! Sometimes painful, but mostly fun.

10. I wanna live like there won't be a 44 for me, and act like I am 33.

I watched this video last night (back when I was 43), both women are just precious. While I am often fearful and more like An in the video sometimes, I want the joy of the Ria at 78, don't you!?!?!

You will smile and laugh through this whole video! ENJOY!

Saying Yes (Beth B)

No, I have not completely lost my mind. (Yet, at least!) Last time, I encouraged you to say no and today I am encouraging you to say yes?! I believe that you have to learn to say no, before you can really say yes. The purpose of saying no is to prioritize your life. Hopefully this act will help you carefully choose where and when you should volunteer. And you should volunteer, the world needs you.
It seems like Americans are in a bizarre competition to see who can be the busiest. We cram our lives full of activities and exhaust ourselves. We should, to quote Bob Newhart, "Just stop it." However, I have also noticed that we are also not as busy as we think! The average American watches 34 hours of television per week. That is almost a full time job. If we took one hour of that 136 hours of television viewing per month and volunteered, can you imagine what we could get accomplished?
Currently only 26% of Americans volunteer. If we could even bump that up to 50 percent, that would be millions of increased hours. There are thousands of volunteer opportunities too! Could you give blood, rock babies, give someone a ride, or do a craft with an elderly person? Maybe you would be willing to walk dogs or bake some cookies? What an amazing life lesson for your kids, if your family went and pulled weeds at the community garden, served at a community wide free meal or sorted donations at the food bank! I guarantee that it is a much more rewarding experience than watching a bunch of fake reality television shows! So go and celebrate National Volunteer month by finding a way to give meaningfully of yourself.

Saying No (Beth B)

Have you ever been in charge of some big project? One where you had to get volunteer help and a lot of people were counting on you? Well I have and I learned many great life lessons from the experiences. Far and above the most important thing that I learned, was the importance of saying no.  Most of you have heard about this from the volunteers' perspective. It is very true that you need to put up boundaries to protect your emotional and spiritual health (as well as your family's). If you are saying yes just to please people, you will fail at the task. It is never a good idea, and you will end up disappointing more people than you are able to please.
Today, though, I want to speak to you from the organizer's perspective. There is nothing worse than having someone say yes and then fail to follow through. I have so much more respect for the person who honestly admits that they do not have the time, effort or motivation to assist in the project. There is no shame in that honesty. On the flip side, there are those who say yes and then leave people with a mess to clean up. Either the volunteer was stretched too thin, uncommitted or ill-equipped and as a result the work doesn't get done. This leaves the organizer scrambling and, quite frankly. frustrated. It is so much better to be able to find someone up for the task way before the event, than playing catch up days or hours before deadlines.
So next time you are faced with a volunteer opportunity, pause and consider your answer carefully. Remember to let your yes, be yes, and your no, be no. Everyone will be appreciative of your truthfulness.