The Mothership

I like that name...slimnastics... I typed in "exercise" to see what words were synonyms and this was one of them. Ok, people...I have something I want to say... It might be news to some of you, but to those of you who know me, maybe not so much of a surprise... I do not like exercising... I don't. I know.  Super motivating. I am just in aw of people who say, " I do because it's my one hour of peace "...or " I thrive on it. I NEED to do it. " I have yet to be in a workout that is actually peaceful for me...even Yoga, yes calming, but yeah I'm not buying peaceful. AND I also have never said the words, "I NEED to go workout, I've missed it." P-sh! I get it. One hour without someone pulling/climbing/whining all over me is quite delightful and filling, but not peaceful for me. I enjoy being active, and with other people, and such, but the actual act of getting myself to the gym or outside to run by myself...It's just hard m...

Normal is relative... Regular - to an extent - is relative... Without context most circumstances are relative. Before kids I was busy and tired. After kids I'm busy and tired. I don't think either was more or less tiring, it was just different times of my life and different energy was needed for what I was accomplishing for the day. This can be said for my time with Jesus. I have always wanted to spend time with him.  But my time availability is all relative.  And excuses can be made for each time of my life for not meeting with Him enough...but in reality, it's what I had energy for...and I think as long as you are pursuing Him, it is enough.  It is not a measured work of actions how much time you spend with Him.  Each person is different and each relationship with Jesus is unique.  Not everyone comes to him in the same way.  And I have not been able to always continue my routines whether they required more or less time. Change has been inevitable. ...

So, I love the "pull-up and receive my groceries without even stepping foot out of my car indulgence" ...but each indulgence comes with a consequence...or maybe a few... I am QUEEN of awkward interactions - and I am an outward processor so I outwardly process the awkward moment usually RIGHT in front of the person I had the awkward moment with - make sense?  Pretty much, I'm a weirdo, and I'm ok with it because hilarious things happen and I get a front row seat to the chaos. So, when I pull up for my hand delivered groceries I think to myself, "This is extra time I have to...reply to an email...check Facebook...take a picture and send it to my friend...take a video to send to my friend...sing a crazy whack song with my kids just to have fun..." and it never fails... The poor person delivering my groceries catches me off guard - which I'm not sure why because it's not like I didn't know they were coming - and it's like awkward magic....

I really do like spaghetti squash...I do.  But the texture to just eat it plain is hard for me.  So I keep playing with a casserole type of variation with it every so often.  I am trying to only buy grass fed beef - so I buy it as long as the budget allows.  We don't eat a ton of red meat, but when we do we think it is important to be grass fed. I usually prepare my squash before I need it to cook and just set my oven with an automatic start time because...LIFE! Squash it up! Ingredients: spaghetti squash, halved and un-seeded olive oil salt & garlic powder 1 lb of ground beef 1 zuchinni, chopped into bite size 1 yellow pepper, chopped 1/2 an onion, chopped cumin 1 bar of monteray jack cheese, shredded dried oregano cherry tomatoes, halved spinach Recipe! Baste your halved squash with olive oil and sprinkle eat half with salt and garlic powder. Place face down on a greased cookie sheet. Cook squash in your oven for about 1 hour and 15 min...

This post took me awhile to formulate. I even took notes and reflected on past journal entries. It is neat to see how God works over time and you don't notice it until you go back and look at all of the details. So I will save you all the back & forths and try to compile my thoughts One fall October morning at a ladies study, we were asked to pick up one of the leaves that were piled in front of us, that drew us in.  So I started for one and jokingly said to another lady, "Oh! I was going to pick that one!?!" I think I threw her off guard and she put it down not knowing my humor...so I picked it up so I didn't look like more of a jerk...anyway, it's funny because I ended up picking up two and this one seemed to reveal more to me than the other one.  At this time in the year, I felt like I was in a lull with God - not in a bad way, but in a "I'm happy doing these things you've laid on my heart and I am enjoying them, but what's next...

Moms...there are all kinds, types, shapes, sizes. We are a breed of people that have abounding love for our little treasures and yet at the same time need an escape.  I see you... I see you mom, in the cute hat covering your not so showered hair because who’s got time for that. I see you and I send you a fist bump.  I see you mom in line at the grocery with the child chowing down on a bag of Cheetos...I see you and I raise you a bag of gummy bears!  I see you new mom with the infant weighing each and every decision to the fullest because you don’t want to screw up this new human. You are doing great and we’ve all weighed that question of what is the BEST Swaddling cloth and pacifier for fear of supporting sweatshops and putting the wrong kind of plastic into your baby. I see you and know those questions are big ones right now. I have no answers. But probably about 4 more questions if you think you have the time to answer;) I see you mom baby wearing two kids and ...

Hurt is all over the place. We see it in the everyday... ...in the parent-less child ...in the destruction of marriage ...in the tearing down of people ...in the the drug epidemic that plagues your neighborhood ...in the mentally sick ...in the weapons that are used in the face of fear ...in allllllll the sickness and amidst it all, there is goodness.  Goodness for God's redemption story. It's all about perspective...it's all about how you handle "the news". Sure there are loads of opportunity to be depressed, and down and feel as if you are never making it out. But what is that doing for you?  Is that forward progress? NO! When bad news comes it would be unrealistic to be happy when you should be sad.  But Jesus, Jesus is the defining line to sad and depressed...he is what pulls me out from the depths...he is what changes my perspective and shows me that he has SHOWN UP in the terror of the bad news. Jesus is there.  Among the worry, among the hopele...