Did You Know?

Did you know there once was a king who gave up his crown to live a life as an "illigitimate" child growning up in a home with his mother, half-brothers and half-sisters, and a step-dad.

As he grew, he chose to leave the comforts of a home and he became a homeless person, traveling around  serving, and helping people he met along the way.

A lot of the people he chose to hang out with were people that most of society ridiculed, looked down on, or considered dirty..even hated.

Did you know that this person, really lived and there is documentation about him?

Did you know this is a person I look up to very much...and I hope that my life will even remotely resemble his by the time it is all said and done....?

Diverse City

Hmmm....one thing I love about people is their differences! Yeah, exactly....what makes people uinque and different from others is what really gets me intereseted in a person. I like to meet someone who has a little flare in their style. A person who may say some words I am not used to hearing. A person who kinda stands out in a crowd - is the person I am drawn to.
Perhaps it is because, unwillingly, I was made aware of differences at a very young age. I had moved about 10 times by the time I was 11. I had a very unusual name..."Callico Sunshine Jones" , hair that looked very similar in color and shine to a brand new copper penny, and lots of freckles, was usually one of the taller people in my class and...oh yeah- did I mention I had glasses? I guess you could say I stood out in a crowd...and I remember not really liking that fact!
I had a best friend in High School whose mom was white and dad was black. This was more unusual when I was younger than it is now. We went to a predominently "white" school. I thought she was just the prettiest and coolest girl in the world. (She was VERY beautiful, was very athletic, smart, and compassionate- she was one of those people who will walk in and stand by someone when everyone else walks out.) I enjoyed learning how we were different- but loved the fact that our differences didn't matter- they made each of us individuals and therefore special. We were also very much alike in many ways...oh....she will always be so dear to my heart!
One of my favorite songs as a child was a song that talked about a little boy who went to school and the teacher wanted them to draw and color a picture. He painted his with many colors. He thought it was beautiful! Then the teacher told him that it was wrong. "Green grass is green, blue skys are blue." The little boy said, "There are so many colors in the rainbow, so many colors in the morning sun, so many colors in the flowers, and I see every one!" He ended up learning from her to paint in the way she wanted-- forgetting about all the colors and beauty he once saw! That song  WOULD MAKE ME CRY as a little girl.
I was watching a kid at The Ohio State University walk down the road listening to his walkman (I am dating myself!) as I sat in my car at a light on the way to class. He was JAMMING! I was staring at him thinking, "How cool is it that he is singing at the top of his lungs, dancing spastically all over the place, and doesn't care about the line up of cars with people in them at this light he is right beside!" Then, he got really close to my car and flipped me off...and I realized I was staring and he had no idea that as I stared I had thoughts of how impressed and almost proud I was of him....
Living in Colorado now, I ADORE Boulder!! Why? I love the artsy feeling that surrounds me when I am there. I also LOVE the people I see there. Individuals everywhere! It is sooooo cool to me!! The beauty of God's creation everywhere- including people who get that they are individuals and do not have to conform. It is like a breath of fresh air to me!!
I have learned of two little girls in my life over the past year who have a mom of one race, and a dad of another. The little girls have people that point them out as different. They may even get labled in some ways. It saddens them and their parents because they grew up to a certain point not realizing they were at all different from anyone else around them. Suddenly, that is changing. I remember what it felt like to have those differences pointed out to me..."freckle face", "four eyes", "skinny minny", "toothpick", "carrot top"...have kids sing songs making fun of my name...It made me feel like the odd ball out...a strange creature...weird! I didn't like it. I wanted to be just like everyone else.
What happened to the song I used to love?? The beauty and freedom of seeing, accepting, and loving the beauty of difference and color and uniqueness?? I was trying to conform. Blech!
I am fortunate, as an adult, I have been able to recapture that awe for life and love of unique and I feel that I have passed that on to my children. It is the very thing, at times, that makes people different, that also makes them unique and beautiful!
How boring would the world be if everyone was the same. Looked the same, acted the same, sounded the same....How boring would it be if truly all grass looked green and the entire sky was always the same shade of blue?

A Mother's Prayer

Heavenly Father,
I pray for my daughter right now.
I pray beginning with her head, Lord, that You would help her to take her thoughts captive. That she would focus on good, noble, and beautiful things, Father.I pray her concerns would rest on doing what pleases You. I pray that she not be distracted or easily swayed.
I ask that her eyes be protected- not to see things that would put bad impressions in her mind- and that they would also be open to see things and people the way You do.
I pray that her ears hear Your truth and that she believe, but that she is able to block out untruth and harmful sounds. I pray for her mouth, that You would use it to bless others, to encourage and to uplift, to sing words that praise You and let others know who You are and how You have blessed her.
I pray, Father, that you guard her heart. Please help her to be loving, but to be wise with the emotion and love that she gives away. I pray that she would love You more than anyone or anything in this world and that she would seek You in all things with all of her mind and heart.
I pray, God, that she would trust You - know that You have her best interest at heart and plans for her life for good and not harm. I pray, Lord, that her heart would break over the things that break Your heart- that she would have compassion and mercy. I also pray that her heart would be filled with joy over the things that bring You joy.
Heavenly Father, I ask that her hands would be used to serve others and care for Your people and to care for those others might consider less than worthy. I pray that she would see the value and worth in every life- as You do.
I pray that she would be prayerful always...bringing all of her life and all of her dreams, goals and desires before You. I pray that she would also bring others to You in prayer on a regular basis and would realize that battles we fight are not battles of the flesh...but spiritual, and that she must rely on You.
I pray that she would keep nutritional and healthy things going into her body and take care of herself  physically.
I pray, God, that she would hunger for You. I pray that she would know that she is a priceless and precious creation - made from Your hand- and that her body is Your Temple and needs to be cared for accordingly.
I pray that where her feet would go would be on the path that You have cleared and gone before her. I pray she would follow You always and be able to rest in the shadow of Your love and protection. I pray against her being distracted and led down dangerous paths.
I pray for the people in her life- that she would be a leader to others and that she would also be able to accept wise counsel. I pray that she would be surrounded by those that love and cherrish her.
 I pray You would put people in her life that keep her accountable and help her along life's journey who also love You and that these relationships would be like iron sharpening iron.
I pray for her spouse - I pray that if it is in Your plan for her to marry, that You would help each of them remain pure and have less baggage to bring into their relationship.
 I pray that You would let them be like-minded in their beliefs in raising children, following You, dealing with finances, and serving others. I pray You would already be protecting him and helping Him to follow You and love You above all else. I pray You would guide that relationship and anything and everything it entails.
God, I also pray that You would start with me. Help me to be the mother You know she needs. Help me to be a good example to her of a woman, a wife, a friend, a sister, a mother, and Your daughter. Give me the right words to say when she needs to hear them. Help me to support her and encourage her and love her the way you know she needs. Help me to be a warrior on her behalf. To fight against the evils of this world that would try to knock her down and destroy her.
She has changed my life and I love her. I trust You with her and thank you for her life and the blessing she is to so many. I praise You, because she is fearfully and wonderfully made!
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen

Intentional...

Intentional...Intentional....Intentional.

That has been the buzz word as of late for me! It keeps buzzing into my ears and then it lingers in my heart after I hear it!

So, what does it mean??: conscious, deliberate, intended, knowing, purposeful, purposive, set, voluntary, willed, willful (or wilful), witting....

The context in which this word keeps coming up is RELATIONALLY.

So, what does it look like to be INTENTIONAL in RELATIONSHIPS??

Well, let me say that in the beginning of most relationships we have- we try to reach out to the other person. We call, write, see them as often as we can, perhaps we do things for them that we know they will like, we say sweet and encouraging things to them...basically, we do and say what we can when a relationship is new to let the other person know we care about them and the relationship we have with them.

Sooner or later, we reach a point in most relationships, however, where we kinda sorta don't keep doing all of that. I am not sure if we just get to a place where we feel like the other person should know we care by now, or we just don't realize that we are no longer placing as much energy there because we have started placing our energy in other places.

I am convinced that LOVE is what makes the world go round. I am a big fan of LOVE! I wear lots of "heart jewelry" and even have a "heart tattoo". I value relationships above all else! People are important to me and it is important that people I know - know they are valued and important to me.

Hmmmm....what I have realized lately, though, is that I am not always as intentional as I could or should be in making sure people know I care. I am usually not as intentional about it as I was when the relationship first began.

I am working on that now... No matter how long I have been in a relationship with a person, it is imperative that they KNOW they are still as important today as they were the day our relationship began! Heck, they are MORE important today!!!!

In the day-to-day living I do I am going to be sure I pray for them. I am going to be more intentional about keeping in touch. (With all the technology we have today that shouldn't be so hard!) Phone calls, emails, writing on their facebook wall, a text...make a "Skype Date", hopefully, setting up travel dates!

The people that are physically closer to me...I am going to turn the distrations off- the music, the TV...so we can TALK. Make plans with them to do things together...go back to the basics...SHOW them INTENTIONALLY that they matter as I use words of encouragement, serve them when I can, spend time with them, hug them- pat them on the back, and as I can, give them little gifts.

Love is action...showing someone that I love them means I must DO something. I cannot just assume they know I care. I must be INTENTIONAL!


So, let me start here...if you are one of the people I have not been being intentional with about letting you know you matter to me, you DO matter! And starting now, let me try to reach out and remind you of how special you are!! :)

Incredibly Thankful!

Sometimes, I take life for granted!
Sometimes, I forget to really look at all the many wonderful things I have been blessed with.
Sometimes, I am given an opportunity to slow down and I have a chance to really reflect- and those are moments that cause me to stand in awe....

In the everyday living...homeschooling, taxi-driving, cooking, cleaning, helping with homework, cheering on my kids and husband, playing nurse, counselor, caring for our animals, helping others, working out and ...well, you get it...everyday living...I sometimes lose sight of how I am blessed!

This weekend, I was able to spend time with my 12 year old daughter. As we spent time together, she looked at me with a big smile on her face and said, "Mommy, you really have taught us a lot!" I said, "I have?" (We went on a little mini-retreat together to talk about life- changes that were coming her way and whatever she might have had questions about along the way...more teaching moments, I suppose...and some very cool memory making- with 4 kids within 5 years of eachother, it isn't often I get to have such a big chunk of time with just one!)

She went on to say, "Yes! You taught us to read, and tie shoes, and walk, and write, and roller skate and swim, and do math ...about God, how to treat people- you have taught us a LOT!"

In that moment, and with those words from my young daughter, I supppose I felt more blessed than I ever thought possible!! I am sooooooo thankful that I have been able to be with my daughters so much - to be able to spend so much time with them and to be so influential in their lives in day-to-day living!

What an honor and a privledge to be able to have children...and then to be able to be such a big part of their learning and their lives! I am incredibly THANKFUL!

Helpless but not Hopeless

People who know me- even those who don't know me well...usually know that I am active. I am not one to just sit around relaxing for the most part. Those who know me also know that if someone I love has a problem, I do whatever I can to help. If you are sick, I can make soup. You have dirty floors? I can clean them. You need a schedule to help you get things done; I will make one with you. You need help with your kids- count on me. You need to talk; I will listen. Ask for prayer- I'm on it! You get what I am saying, I am sure. I love to serve. I love to help. On the other hand....I hate feeling helpless....like there is nothing I can "do".

I have this thing called "Mercy" at the top of my list when it comes to Spiritual Gifts . "Acts of Service" and "Quality Time" are how I show love and feel loved, if you are studying The Five Love Languages. And if you are familiar with Living Your Strengths , my top five are Achiever, Maximizer, Relator, Strategic and Responsibility. If you understand any of this, you understand that I am very much a "do-er" and that urge to DO is fueled BIG TIME when I feel compassion about a situation or person(s).

I tell you ALL of that to say this...Since we moved to Colorado, I am perhaps further away  from some of the people I love than I have ever been in my life. I am experiencing something very new to me because of this. I FEEL HELPLESS! I can easily count on all my fingers and toes people I am far away from right now that my heart is longing to help. To hug, to see, to be there and do whatever they need as often as I can to help them in some way as they go through some very difficult things right now.

It actually makes me cry as I think about them and the circumstances they are in. What they are going thru. With tears in my eyes, I realize that the best thing...really the only thing I can do is pray. I have always prayed for people. I always will. But this is new to me. I am used to being able to pray and do something. I can do nothing BUT pray now....

I was in the same situation of feeling helpless when we moved here and I watched one of my children struggle with this move they did not wish to make. Though I tried to do what I could to help them adjust and feel good in the new situation they were in, I really couldn't do anything but pray. Sometimes I cried myself to sleep. Or just cried as I listened to her or thought about her.

This feeling of being helpless is difficult for me.

It reminds me though, that God wants us to be like little children when we come before Him...and one thing all little children are is helpless. We come into this world so dependent on others. I guess just as a child depends on adults for protection, food, shelter, comfort, etc., we are dependent on God. I am dependent on God. It is really HIM that takes care of those I love. Even when I DO what I can to serve them and help them...it is HIM working through me to help them...and no doubt as I sit here and pray for, think about, cry over people I love and their situations...HE is HELPING them. Maybe this time around He is just working through other people to DO...and I am sitting here learning again that it isn't always about what we are physically doing...maybe I am learning to have more faith and more trust, like a child trusts and relies on their parent when they are helpless...

I may feel Helpless, but I am not Hopeless!