Seeing the Potential
Unlearning the addage "the lower the expectation, the lower the let down" is my current focus. I desire to see the potential in people and treat them as such. Why is that so hard with some people and so very easy with others? I've read that God loves, therefore I need to be the same. Faith, hope and love...the greatest is love. May God allow me to live this out. May I learn how...moment by moment. This involves giving no props or allowance of room for my pride, a heart and mind in constant connection with my Redeemer, digging out the cynicism that lies comfortable in the crevices of my being, and planting the seed of previewing possibility in others. Challenging...yes. More abundant living...most definitely. On my own...not on your life. Ahh...the anticipation of the 'what could be' in another...
Choices
the decisions I make today likely will have an effect on numerous people throughout my liftetime and on into the future. wow. this was portrayed rather violently and graphically in the movie Butterfly Effect. it boggles my mind sometime just how much of a choice we have and what that does to people around us. i'm amazed at how the choices of others (namely my parents) affects me...and I don't have a say in the matter. I do, however, have a choice (there's that word again) how to react and respond to those choices, to be aware of how my choices can affect others, and live in a way that will honor the people in my life and bring glory to God, who has bestowed on me the privilege of a life filled with choice. so choose wisely, be mindful of others, and love God with your life.
Fall is in the Air
How glorious. I guess I never realized how much I cherished this season until moving back to a place that actually has this season. The Bay Area is an awesome place, but there's no real fall. Here, the air is crisp and cool, the leaves on the trees are changing from green to yellows, reds and oranges. What is better than that? Ahh...my spirit is lifted.
it's a heart thing
I LOVE it when I'm 'leading' (I prefer the idea of facilitating) a group and unexpectedly I get blown away by someone's perspective or take on things. It happens often enough that I should start making that an expectation, looking out for it every chance I get.
This way cool girl with Annie-ish blonde curly hair, wearing the coolest outfit I've seen someone actually able to pull off in quite a while (would not give it justice if I tried to describe it), made the point that there is a difference between obedience and surrender. She said she could do something, or even say something, without fully surrendering it and until the surrender comes, there will be no change. It's a heart thing. Wow. May my heart get on board...may I unclench my fist so that God can give me what He wants to and not what I think I should hold on to...the security is in letting go...
the other night i heard thanks for the rich blessings of friendships. God has taught me so much about that in the past week or so. It would seem ridiculous not to document it. Sarah for her amazing words of reason and reminders; Nikki for her resolve and reason; JR for searching and journeying and letting me in on it; encouragement and accountability from Brad; reconciliation with Andrea; random call and consistency with Dad; and last, but not least, practicality and whimsy from Mom (my biggest fan). The thing is, this is just a short list. My heart is full, overflowing with the warmth and comfort that amazing people bring each time they come for a visit. May I continue to be all of these and more to these phenomenal people I am honored to call friend.
