Floating...

You know that life is good when you are floating on your back in the Shuswap Lake trying to not get hit by all the crazy boat drivers. We always talk about the importance of joy, but don't you think that being happy is ok to? I mean, my life is pretty smooth right now and I'm enjoying how happy I am. How happy my friends make me when they hug me and tell me how much they will miss me. How happy my mom is when I sneak into the house and surprise her. How happy my puppies make me when they are hyper and run around in the grass. How happy I am to see flowers everywhere when I run by the river and how happy I am that the world really smells good because of them. And, today was another one of those moments. To spend 10 minutes floating around in a beautiful lake made me so happy. I never want to forget to be happy.

Bologna and Bonding

Last night I ran a Survivor Party for my middle school kids at church. There are three essential parts to a successful middle school event: gross and silly games, junk food snacks, and the willness to make a fool out of yourself. All three were accomplished last night and the evening ended with me letting the kids throw bologna on my face and I'm proud to say that many succeeded! Last night (hopefully!) will be one of those moments that they remember for years.

So where does this leave church and Bible study? What do we do when the majority of sermons and Bible lessons get forgotten as we walk out the door while a night of spitballs and tossing sandwhich meat becomes a significant life changing event? Ok, maybe life changing is pushing it, but it is an experience that will stand out in my pre-teens memories and be that nudge that brings them back to both church and the next event. We didn't open a Bible, we didn't sit in a circle and pray, but we shared an experience together and developed friendships. The classroom isn't the only place to teach and influence the lives of others; each day is full of little teachable moments that we can choose to grasp and use or let slip by. When Jesus taughted others, he took advantage of these teachable moments. He influenced Mary and Martha when he was over for dinner at their house. He told fishermen as they worked that they would no longer be fishing for fish, but for people. As he walked by fields of different crops, he explained the different effects of the Gospel on our hearts. Jesus did teach in the synagogue, but he also influenced others at the dinner table, walking through the market, or on a journey to a new town. He influenced others because he lived his faith and saw the crowds around him as people, not students. Jesus sees us with love as friends and God's children rather then pupils that need to learn. That's why I follow him.

A night of silly games shows us the importance of joy and laughter, friendship, team building, and how to have fun without hurting others. It teaches us to include and spend time with those outside of our friendship group. It develops friendships and comforts the lonely. Who knew bologna could do all that??

Choose a positive thought

Well, I'm back to blogging!

I love the movie Hairspray and one of my favorite songs is Queen Latifah singing, "I know Where I've Been". So often we consider some part of our past "wasted years" and long to forget it or wish that we made better choices. I disagree and I believe that it is so important to remember "where we've been"; that is, our experiences, choices, and emotions. Books by John and Stasi Elderidge speak of wounds - experiences that have hurt us deeply and have shaped us into who we are today. I agree with this in some sense because many of us walk around with extra luggage. Often, we choose to carry bitterness, sadness, hostility, and anger around on our backs instead of choosing forgivenes and healing. I want to be a person who feels deeply, both joy and love as well as pain. I have been hurt in my life, but I have also experienced healing from the "wounds" that I had in the past. While I don't carry around that extra luggage anymore, I still want to remember what I've been through and how God worked in the midst of it and how his goodness prevailed. When Jesus appeared to the disciples after he had risen from the dead he instructed Thomas to see and feel the scars in his hands, feet, and side because they testified his identity. Jesus did not resent those who betrayed him, hurt him, beat him and hung him on the cross because he allowed his wounds to heal with the decision to forgive and not become bitter. They remind us of the pain Jesus went through, but also of God's great plan of drawing us near to him. In the same way my scars tell my story and God's plan for my life which never has any wasted years.



Lululemon inspires me to be healthy, both physically, emotionally, and mentally (although not financially!) and their manifesto says, " The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought. " I've made my choice. What do you think?