Take the Trip. Do the Dance. Love Without Limits.

No, this is not a country song. At least not that I am aware of. It is, however, advice from a 63-year-old crazy lady. LOL

I was reminiscing this morning about the trips my husband and I took with our children when they were young. Yes, it was a lot of work to travel with kids. It wasn’t the dream vacation where you lie back in a hammock and drink margaritas. However, I will never regret the times that we invested in our children on the trips we took. Even when the fighting, the "he touched me" and the "are we there yet", felt overwhelming. 

We took them cross-country on a 5-week trip in a Class C Motorhome. It was the best trip ever. We had lots of adjustments to make living in such tight quarters, but we made it work. Was it hard? Yes! Was it worth it? Absolutely!

Travel when you have the chance. Don’t wait until you think your life will be more manageable, you lose 10 pounds, or you have the mortgage paid off. Save up some money and go. Many people wait until retirement to travel, when schedules are freer, and kids are out of the house. The problem with this is that retirement years often bring health problems that make travel more difficult. Travel when you are young and missing a night's sleep on an airplane isn’t going to put you out for a week, and eating too much international cuisine won't cause you intestinal discomfort for days. (If you know, you know.)

Take the trip!

Do the dance. We’ve all heard the saying dance like no one is watching. Just do it. Celebrate and dance and live your best life now. Don't wait until you know all the steps, are in the right crowd, or have the perfect shoes. Kick off the shoes...celebrate a wonderful life. Celebrate a great relationship with your spouse, a new marriage, or an adventurous trip!

Do the dance!

Love like Jesus loves. Love without inhibition, fear, or reservation. Love with freedom. Bless people with unexpected gifts. Help a homeless person or a single mom. Write somebody a note and let them know how much you appreciate them. Compliment someone on their beautiful smile. Give someone a hug. Don’t wait until a funeral to say something wonderful about a person. Let them know now how much they have meant to you. Don’t wait until you feel loved. Be the instigator. Love with abandon.

Love without limits!

Say yes to enjoying the life that you have been given.

Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17

Tired Feet, Thankful Heart: Finding Gratitude in the Journey

Last night I was praying for my sore foot and ankle and was feeling a bit discouraged with the pain I was having in both after a long day. I have had numerous issues with both of my feet and one ankle over the years, and I keep pressing on and pressing through. It is tough at times because of the fact that every movement affects your feet. When you feel pain with every step, it can suck the life and energy out of your spirit.

Last night, I had my red light therapy pad on my foot/ankle, and I was sitting there looking at my foot, reflecting on all the foot pain I have had over the years. All of a sudden, my spirit turned towards gratitude instead of despair. I began reflecting on all of the places my feet have taken me. My feet have walked the streets of Jerusalem, and they have taken me on hikes in the Swiss Alps. I have walked the streets of New York City...many miles of that city, I might add. I have had countless walks in my neighborhood, the beach, the mountains, Europe, South America, the US and the Canadian Rockies, and more.

(I will spare you all the photos I have taken over the years, of my feet in different places doing fun things.)

So what am I going to choose to focus on?

I can live in frustration that my foot/ankle pain limits me, or I can be exuberantly thankful for the life I have lived despite the pain.

I choose thankfulness. I will endeavor to keep my mind fixed on the beauty and not the disappointment. 

We all have those pains, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, that can suck the life and energy out of us. We all have the same choice. What will you choose to focus on?

Isaiah 40:31

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.”

Lockstep...trust-obey-stay in step

For years, I have been praying a prayer to the Lord that I would stay in step with Him. This has been my heart’s desire. I don’t want to jump ahead of His timing and force my will and attempt to push doors open before God is ready for them to be opened. And, I don’t want to lag behind when God opens a door, out of fear, unbelief, or thoughts of being unworthy or ill-equipped.

If you have been a faithful follower of my writings, you have probably picked up by now that I had many insecurities to overcome before I totally surrendered to the call of ministry. My sights weren’t set on pastoring…not in a million years. My husband failed to reveal his childhood impressions of a call to ministry while we were dating. Me, a pastor’s wife? That would have been laughable back in my young adult years! It’s a good thing I didn’t know any of this before we were married, because it could have made me run from a relationship with him.

Most people know me for my sweet demeanor and easy-going manner, but those who know me well know that I can have a slight rebellious streak and can be a bit edgy or feisty. In my mind, those traits didn’t translate well to a submissive, sweet, front row sitting, fish bowl living, life of a pastor/pastor’s wife.

But over the years, God softened my heart and made me see that He uses the most unlikely people to carry out His plan. His disciples had some rough edges, and so did/do I, and He helped me to see that He had a greater purpose for me than what I had ever dreamed.

Fast forward to today, where not only do my husband and I pastor a growing church, but we also oversee other pastors across the US. In each season along the way, we have had to learn not to push doors open when we sensed God was moving us in a specific direction, but wait for His timing and for his divine opening of each door. We (mostly me) also had to learn that sometimes God opens a door that we weren’t expecting, and it would require courage and faith to walk through those doors, even while questioning our ability to carry out this new call.

Thus, my prayer, stated at the beginning of this blog, developed. Lord, help me to stay in lockstep with you. Help me to wait on your timing and not jump ahead of you, and help me to not lag behind you, dragging my feet…digging my heels in when you call me into something new. Help me to run with you, arm in arm…lockstep. Courageously! Boldly! Filled with faith! Overflowing with confidence that you equip those you call, and you will never leave us or forsake us, wherever you take us. And as we trust you, obey you, and stay in step with you, you will lead us into the fulfillment of both our destiny and your greater purpose. 

 

Galatians 5:25 “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”