Earth Day

Make sure to scroll down and pause playlist to stop music before playing the Earth Day video.

Ahhhh, the beach!

Yesterday was a great day taking in the waves and salty air as the kids made their beach sculpture. I am eternally grateful for all the blessings in my life. My kids are making my day and my life. They are great fun even with all their shenanigans. I couldn't ask for anything better! Thank God I woke up out of my drunken slumber in time to enjoy all of this.

Holy Week

It's Holy Week and now is the time for prayer. As I walk this path, keeping my eye on my own cross, I realize how fickle we humans can be.

I am faced with the supreme challenge of loving a friend whom I have worked so hard to sever the ties with. This friend was my drinking buddy, my hiking buddy, my working buddy. She even landed me my job, which is my passion. But things got toxic. Her husband is a mirror of me and my former self. It was just nine months ago to the day that he hit what looked like the bottom. It scared me so much that I started blubbering to my dad that I was not far behind. I could see myself in him. So I quit. He has since hit other depths and tonight is yet another. I know this because his daughter is my daughter's best friend. She has come to spend the night. I don't ask what has happened because I know. It is a beautiful spring night and the heart takes flight with a lovely glass of chardonnay on these nights. The heart soars to the heavens after a bottle. So now I dig for love for a friend that is suffering because of this substance which is supposed to be nectar of God. Why does this stuff have to exist?

This so called nectar is my cross. So here is the path that I must follow. I must realize that no matter how tantalizing that glass of wine is, I must not turn away from the cross. I must keep walking down that path toward a different kind of flight. The flight my heart takes when my child looks to me and says, "Thanks mom." The heavenly laughter from two children who are growing into fine young adults. The blessing of being able to be someone else's rock. These are the flights I must keep my eye on.

Also, I must try to love the friend that had been my best friend for nearly 25 years. I have to look past all the annoyances and find compassion in my heart for this woman who struggles for the same love as me.

Take the Plunge

Go ahead, take the plunge! Twitter directory. I have been having so much fun following the tweets of celebs, politicians, and news pundits. In fact it has become a new distraction for me. Friday nights used to be a nightmare, without my good ole friend named Chardonnay. Now I find friends all over the globe plunking away at less than 140 characters each in Twitterville. Usually, their tweets point to a particular Website that the "Twit" finds interesting. For example, Ashton Kutcher pointed to a site one night that highlighted genius children. I would not have picked Ashton Kutcher as someone to follow, but he is so prolific in the tweet universe, that he is a curiosity. Not to mention the fact, that he often references his wife: Demi Moore (who also happens to be in the Twit world). Before this advertisement goes any further, let me just say I have nothing to do with the inception of this verbal diarrhea. It just happens to be a distraction that keeps me from thinking about all my friends that are happily passing their weekend nights sipping on the elixer that once was my distraction.

So now I ask what am I trying to be distracted from? Frustrations in my life which I have no control maybe. Yes! I am trying to constantly control the universe, to no avail. No surprise! If I would just let go and trust God that everything works out in the end, then I could sit back and enjoy the ride instead of trying to throw a wrench into it. So now I am partaking in mindless Twitter to take my mind off anxieties that make me think drinking was not such a bad idea. Go ahead take the plunge, I dare you! It is afterall, where I found the above photo...


http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/11/16/beautiful-examples-of-tilt-shift-photography/

March Madness

It is like the last mile....that dark of the morning just before spring hits. The light that is about to take over our hearts is just around the corner, yet somehow I can't keep from creating wreckage along this final stretch. Relationships are strained in every corner of my universe. I am intent on completing tasks, not realizing the tasks are just a stage to bring me closer to fellow human beings. Just as I am thinking that these human beings are getting in my way, I realize that these are the people that are in the canoe with me as I am hitting the rapids. Instead of grabbing their oar and hitting them over the head, I should be patiently awaiting their contribution. It is after all, with each oar in the water that we make it through the rapids. So as I enter the final turn on this river, I will keep my hands on my own oar and dig deep into the water. I will resist the temptation of blaming those around me for my discontent. I know that this puts me in bondage. If the slaves could free their minds while in bondage, surely I can keep my mind my out of bondage since I am free. I am free from the bottle. It no longer creeps into my mind in the middle of the day. It no longer robs me of my retirement fund. It will not keep me up late at night, making swiss cheese out of my liver. It will not clog my arteries, keep me from the gym, stupefy my mind, desinigrate my judgment, and keep me from growing. Thanks be to God!

Weapons of Self-Destruction

This man has been making me laugh for years. I am sure he will have loads of material after he gets out of the shop (after his tune-up). He had to go in for some heart work. He was in the middle of a tour called, you guessed it, Weapons of Self-Destruction. What do you think his weapon of destruction is: butter? Yes we do manage to do ourselves in even when we know the consequences of the multitude of indulgences. Maybe it is because we forget the word indulgence. Perhaps what was once an indulgence becomes a mainstay. Since I have given up the weapon (alcohol) because it was leading me to self-destruction, I have found myself opening my eyes to many of the weapons in my life. Not all of them are gastronomic. Some are ways of being: judgmental thinking, limiting my options, self-centered perceptions, and just plain gossiping. During this Lenten season, I am focusing in on these types of "indulgences" and trying to weed my garden of these weapons of self-destruction. My hope at the end of these six weeks is to form some new habits so that I might begin to see other habits that are destroying my growth. Funny how it is, you start to do something in the right direction and only then do you see how far you have strayed from the path. At least I can see the path and am no longer staring at the edge of a cliff.

Your postings have been a huge part of this awareness. For this I am so grateful!

Prayers for the funny man above.


Picture credit:
http://www.portland-oregon-magazine.com/news/196/ARTICLE/2982/2008-11-17.html

Soup Night

Wednesday nights are Soup Nights during Lent. Different groups at church bring soups that can be shared before the Lenten services. Tonight I made cabbage carrot soup for cleansing. I put ginger in it to give it flavor and boy is it spicy! It tastes a lot like the coconut soup at a Thai restaurant. The impetus to make this soup was that at my work we are competing in our own version of the "Biggest Loser." We are teamed up each week with a different partner and we weigh in on Wednesday to see what percentage of weight each team has lost. This week's winning team's secret: CABBAGE SOUP! So I am embarking on the second week armed with my own version of cabbage soup. I used purple cabbage since purple is the color of Lent. It looks like I may have started a new tradition for my family. We might end up calling this our Lenten soup. It is after all, a great cleanser. I am really getting into the mode this year, cleansing mind, body, and soul. I have made it to the gym every night sans Wednesday when I go to Confirmation class with my boy.

Cleansing my spirit seems to be the most difficult. I am constantly engaged in turmoil this time of year. We call it March Madness. I think the weather is really starting to get to everyone, including me. As the arguments increase, I am reminded that it is no easy to task to walk the path of peace. However, today I did notice mini miracles that keep me trying. Strained relationships showed signs of healing, a co-worker shared her joy about being able to teach about God. She had come from a school (private not public) where it was not permitted . To be able to point her finger at the target that we are trying to hit really strikes her as a miracle. While we always fall short, we at least have in view of what we are shooting for. Imagine, pointing kids aimlessly, without a clear role model. Sure we could point them to the president, the Pope, the principal, but they will fall short just as we do. So Jesus gives these kids a real hero to follow. To be able to talk about Him is a miracle.

Soup nights are great because it takes us out of the routine of preparing meals and brings us to the table to reflect on a time when society did not have the liberties that we do. It gives us pause to bring about peace. It is a great way to start a diet of the mind, spirit, and body. To bring myself back to the center.