GOD GIVEN PURPOSE

Spoiler alert... It's Jesus. 

I have joked around this comic stripe for years... God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things.  Right now I am so far behind I will NEVER die.  ~ Calvin

I continue to struggle with ... "My Purpose."  What are all those things God wants me to accomplish.  How am I doing?  Am I behind schedule?  Am I following the right path?  Doing the right things?  I tease and joke that I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up ... because I am often uncertain what is my God given purpose...

Last night, I was reminded that our God given purpose is Jesus.  We are all called to follow his lead and love like him.  I often realize that when I am too busy complaining about the world around me, I am missing out the things he wants me to accomplish right now.  

Which is to shine his light and live a life that those who don't know him will want to know him because they know me. 

Jesus should be the only purpose I need.  Too often I am too busy chasing dreams of saving the world, when he's already done that.  Shame on me... but thankfully God's gentle reminders are always there to guide me back on his path and his PURPOSE.   #JESUS

I choose to be Happy

Have you ever met someone that seems to be always - HAPPY?  Those people who always see the good.  Always smiling and always full of life.   

Happy people are anomaly these days.  I was running around the park yesterday and not many people smiled or appeared to be happy.  People just looking at there phones, walking their dogs, running or listening to their music.  I guess I wasn't really all that surprised at most of the individuals I past, just trying to enjoy the beautify day or get through life.  But two people stood out to me during that run.  

The first was A young women.  She was my age or a even a bit younger and she was pushing a child in a handicap stroller.  The boy had to be around 4 years old. He had a hat and sunglasses on, no expression on his face, and was clearly paralyzed.  I passed her multiple times each time she had a worn out frown as she pushed the bulky stroller.  The first time I saw her I prayed: Lord, she clearly has so much going on in her life. How difficult her life appears to be. Give her strength. The second time I past her I prayed:  Lord be with her give her Peace.  Please bless her.  The 3rd time I echoed my first two prayers and I smiled at her. I didn't know about her situation or what she was going through but I knew that it was probably difficult and so I wanted to encourage her each time I past her so I prayed a sentence for her and I smiled. The last time I past her she looked at me and smiled back. A God moment... 

The second individual was a middle aged overweight man. He was maybe in his mid forties, balding and walking by himself.  I Running in the opposite direction as him with a pace three times he's speed, I past him often.  Each time he smiled at me.  He was about the only one who smiled every time. Maybe he was thinking to himself - what a good looking lady I was.  But I believe he was probably thinking.  I wish I could run and bit fit.  I prayed that he would keep going and that with each step he would feel better about himself and who he was and if he was trying to get in shape that he would. I didn't know his situation or anything about him but I wished him the most because he blessed me - with a simple smile. 

Often times, we don't know peoples situations and we assume. I did... about two strangers at the Park. Even though I don't know what they were thinking or the life they were living God knows their situations.  
  
I often forget to be happy.   Perhaps it's years of being around unhappy people.  Growing up in around a unhappy family.  Or it's just the fact that I don't feel like I deserve or should be happy when there is so much ugliness in the world. I wonder how many times people pass me in the park and I am not smiling or looking unhappy.

So even when life seems to be crazy and the run is hot and long... and smiling is the last thing on my mind.  I will do my best to choose Happiness.  Life is too short to not be.  #behappytoo  

Breaking up with my job

So I have been given a new opportunity and a new chapter in my book of life.   I am super excited about all the things I know God is teaching me and the ways he's rewarding me... but now I have to break up with my old job. 

After a decade of service ... It's been nothing short of a roller coaster of emotions over the past couple weeks.  They say that quitting your job can be as heartbreaking as ending a romance and is that ever true.  

I have fallen trapped into all the DON'TS.  Don't hold a grudge... Don't annoy your co-workers... Don't act like a short-timer...  My bad attitude over the past week and a half is not who I am and how I want to leave.   I have so many great memories and I find it strange that I am only remembering the bad ones.  

I kept saying I was just following the steps of grieving and I kind of got stuck in Anger.  I am typically not an angry person.  Or I always seem to be able to move on and let things go.  Just because I am sad or just disappointed doesn't mean I am not going to leave.  I am leaving.  At this point, nothing good will come from my disappointment or lack of fulfillment I have started to feel.  God is teaching me to end relationships well... not like a bad-romance breakup.  I deserve more and I am more ...  

So with only one more week ... five more days... I have decided to let it all go.  I will be meditating these great quotes this week... 

CHA.... CHA... CHA... CHANGES

Over the few past weeks (maybe even a few months) my live has seen a variety of changes that will be soon taking place.

After 13 years ... we recently left our church and last month have started settling into a new one.

After 10+ years of employment ...  I just have accepted a new job with a new company.

I have purged well over 2000 things in my home over the past two months in efforts to become less involved with things and more involved with life experiences.

I started blogging more and being more creative.  Painting and playing and reading and learning.
I have found myself cutting out the things in my life that don't really hold value and reducing my overall stress levels.

I have unplugged from many social media sites and plugged into prayer and reading more.  I started writing letters to old  friends and recently rekindled writing in a journal.

I feel God leading me in new ways ... teaching me new things and changing my old heart all over again.  It's nice and scary and I have often prayed to keep trusting HIM.

Change is so hard and so often we know that we want to or need to change.   I think of the Sheryl Crow song often:  A Change, A Change will do you good.  

Sometimes it take a painful situation to make us change.   Sometimes it's just discontentment.  Sometimes it just happens and we aren't really why or how it came to be.   I find the most comfort in knowing that no matter what changes occur in my life that I am willing and able because God is right there with me.   

What are some things you want to change in your life and what's keeping you from doing it?

True Colors...

I am relearning some old life lessons since putting in my resignation at work. 

Sadly, I have seen this with both friends from our formal church ... and once again with soon to be ex-work colleagues. 

 
I find it amazing how people can write "I am so happy for you" and "Oh you will be so missed" and then completely write you off as a person... almost as if you didn't even exist or your years of service and dedication meant nothing. 

Your friendship meant nothing.

Life can be cruel and I am reminded how broken we are as humans. I am constantly meditation on the fact that as a Christian I know that I am to be persecuted. 

 I imagine Christ felt abandoned from his friends and colleagues in the end... He already knew what Peter and Judas's true colors looked like. He knew and he washed their feet anyway.

This week, I am struggling with this. I want to rise above my hurt feelings and show up like Christ. Because the end of Christ was the beginning for us all and I want to be more. I want my true colors to shine through... even when it's the hardest.

A Red Sweater and Blue Sneakers

Growing up a little North of Pittsburgh ... Mister Rogers Neighborhood was a staple in my childhood. In a world of Make-Believe an important life lesson was ingrained in my soul. To play, to be creative, and to always explore and feed your imagination.

Albert Einstein said that imagination was more important then knowledge.  These are words I live by ... So even as a grown up I always make time for play.

I ride bikes with my kids.  I play minecraft with my son.  I paint, color and draw.   We play board games as a family and we take fun family vacations as often as possible.   We value and make sure our kids know that it's important to keep PLAY in their lives.  

We live in a culture it tells us we don't have time to play and that only those willing to make sacrifices will be successful.  Even schools have tried to cut out more and more play.  We're teaching our children and jeopardizing they're brilliant and beautiful minds by not allowing them to keep their playful nature.  

As a kid I always wondered why Mister Rogers came in and put on a sweater and sneakers rather than keep on his fancy dress shoes and suit coat.  Sometimes it's important to take off who we are for just a moment and enter a land of make believe, a place of play that is full of fun and joy.  A little way to relive stress, explore, engage our inner child.  

If you think of your best memories I bet there was a lot of play involved.  So today's challenge is to play a little more!

Unplugged is the way to go

I have been without Facebook for 6 months now and I can honestly say I don't really miss it all that much. 

Occasionally when I am bored I go to open my web browser  on my phone,  I pause, then I close it and smile.   

It takes me only a minute to get over the fact that I can't check in on friends and family but overall its been really good and I am eager to see how long I can stay disconnected.  

Since then I deleted Twitter and Linked as well.  I DO have my Instagram and my blog (of course) and anyone else can send me an email.  

I'll admit, It's been pretty quiet but I have had more time to read some books, paint a few pictures.  I have blogged more.  I have played more games with my kids and a few other things.  

Unplugging is the way to go.  

Same Old... Day after Day

Sometimes as working adults, it seems like every day we wake up and do the same things time after time. 

Sometimes it even feels that we're almost reliving the same day over and over again until we get it right.  We get up, get breakfast, drive to work, work, eat lunch, work, drive home, eat dinner, watch tv, then go to bed.  

It's not that our lives are boring, it's just they are all set and planned.  I have always liked to take a page out of Bill Murray's Groundhogs day were everyday he does something completely different and crazy and wild.  I am constantly looking for ways grow and change and make sure I am not missing living a new and imaginative life - each day.  

Don't miss out because you're trying to fit in and 'just get by.'  Make each day different and more exciting than the last.  #happygroundhogsday

Old Man Look at my Life...

For many people who grew up in the small town of Saxonburg, Pennsylvania in the late 80s - 90s will recall what a vibrant and lively man, James N. Gordon truly was.  His wife Bonnie and he, ran the Famous SMPC Youth Group and opened their home and lives to so many.

Not only were the both so lively, outgoing and caring.. they were fun and made life way more interesting than what small town life sometimes offers.  They had kids piling in Sunday nights, Tuesday mornings, Thursday nights and Saturdays for special events or Habitat for Humanity Workdays.

Jim was a youth leader who had long hair and wore green sweater vest with ripped jeans.  He was a hippy - free-spirited kind of guy.  He loved the Beatles, him mom, and played the guitar.  Jim was different and that made him so cool to so many people (self included.)

During my years as a member of their youth group, I struggled with so many things.  Normal teenage things.   But their dedication and love raised me to become a strong independent women and much of my success in life is rooted in the things they taught me.

But as I reminisce now... all  the good and the bad, Jim Gordon, the most lively person I have ever gotten to know is slowly fading away battling Lou Garrett Disease.  Remember all those Ice Bucket Challenge folks a few years ago.. yeah that's the disease that all the money raised was/is suppose to help.

Jim is fading and that makes me sad to think about.  He was the special kind of guy that could always make you laugh.  Sometimes he was a jerk,  I called him that often, but aren't we all Jerks sometimes.   All and all, he was the kind of person that did his best to love Jesus but made sure you were have fun while doing it.

As I look back on his impact on me... I am blessed to have gotten a chance to pound nails with him,  smoke cigar, Play 24 hour games of softball, run beside,  sing, dance and most importantly punch during my wedding (while he married me..)   He's a bit of legend in his own kind of way and when his time comes to an end... the world will be a little bit less bright without him.   SO ... Today I say "To Jim.. May God be with you and Thank you for your impact in my life!"