Firsts

So many times in our lives the momentous occasions are those that happened for the first time.  I remember clearly my first overnight away from home (it was a 2-week Girl Scout camp when I was 10).  I remember my first kiss....my first real heartbreak...the first time I drove a car alone...my first job...and so on and so on and so on.  Those firsts are forever imprinted in my brain and in my heart...and God has undoubtedly used them to shape me into the person I am today.

Yesterday commemorated another first.  It was the first time my children experienced their first day of school as a 1st/3rd/4th grader.  The night before there was some significant nervousness and reluctance in returning back to school, and those feelings lingered as I walked them to their respective classrooms yesterday.  By the grace of God, however, they each reported to me that the first day of school "rocked." 

The firsts that the 3 little Indians experienced yesterday did not go unnoticed by me.  As I sent them off to begin a new school year I was reminded that if we live an adult life that honors God, we should experience many firsts just like our children as we travel on our faith journey.  These firsts are imperative if we are to grow.

I experienced my own first this past weekend...putting myself out there in a way that made me feel uncomfortable, uncertain, and downright sick to my stomach.  It was a task necessary for me to accomplish in relation to my new church calling...but it was definitely NOT something I was looking forward to.  Just hours before it began I prayed to God to fill me with peace during this event.  He did exactly that.  God removed my fears and anxieties, and the gathering of believers proved to be more powerful than I could have ever anticipated.  The Holy Spirit showed up.  In a big way.  And it was amazing.

I recently read a wonderful book about teaching and learning.  This book uses the analogy that we are like rubber bands.  When a rubber band is stretched, it never fully returns to its original shape.  That rubber band is never the same.  The same goes for us.  Once we learn or do something for the first time...especially if it glorifies God... we are never the same.  We are forever changed.

And, that's exactly what a life of faith is all about.

Amen

Source: etsy.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Back in the Saddle Again

This morning I got on my bike after a nearly 2-year hiatus.  It felt awesome.  I rode those 14 miles exerting a ton of effort...I huffed and puffed more than I remember doing in the past...but it was an exhilarating feeling to be riding....to be doing something I love but that I had let slide.  Even when the bug flew into my mouth at 25 mph...I was lovin' it.

The last year has been a challenging one.  40 was difficult.  41 didn't start out so great, either.  But, I'm feeling a turn-around...in both my health and my attitude.  I feel as if I'm back in the saddle again in many ways, and I like it.  I like it a lot.

For starters, I'm a working girl now.  It's only part-time.  And it's an interim position.  But I think it's cool that I am employed some place that values family first.  And that they're letting me try the job on for size to see if it fits in with my life.  I love having a place to go to focus on something other than laundry and groceries.  And I love being able to leave that place in time to pick up my kids from school.

I've learned to let go.  Of potentially harmful relationships.  Of my need to be in control.  Of responsibilities that I no longer feel called to be a part of.  I'm trying to focus on doing a few things really well rather than a ton of things half-way.  It's completely liberating.

I'm making time for those things I love to do rather than things I have to do.  I'm going to bike more.  Craft more.  Play guitar more.  Spend time with friends more.  BLOG more.

I've made new friends.  Unexpected friendships have developed in the least likely places.  And it's the real deal friendships with people I feel so completely at ease wtih and who love me as I am.  I love that.

I've learned how to work through difficulties with those I love in a more healthy way.  If the relationship matters, than it's worth fighting for.  Besides, those rough patches can only serve to strengthen the bond if they're addressed with love.

I've stopped trying to be someone I'm not or live up to others' expectations.  It's so much easier to be myself.  Who else is better qualified?

My ride this morning punctuated a 2-week-long uphill swing for me.  I'm feeling stronger.  Empowered.  More clear-headed (hopefully).  More joyful.  And ready to take on not FOUR triathlons that I had so ambitiously claimed I would do...but maybe just one.

Will there be hard days?  No doubt.  Will I still struggle, doubt, question, cry, and lose my temper?  Absolutely.  Because I'm human, and I'm a chick.  But I'm hopeful that the way I'm feeling now will enable me to deal with life's stuff with more patience, grace, love, and forgiveness.

That is my prayer.

February 17th: I Love.....

...birthdays.

It doesn't matter whose.  

Anybody's birthday is cause for celebration in my book.

Today happens to be my birthday.  

41.  

I'm officially...in my 40s.

I had fun plans in store.
Really fun.

But, as life would have it...

those plans have changed.

Obligations have come up.

I was pretty bummed about it.

Honestly?  I still am.

I bought myself some tulips in an 

attempt to lift my spirits.

They worked a little.

And music from
Jason Mraz always makes me
so happy.
Lately I can't get enough of his songs.

Bottom line?

I'm super-blessed.  

And anything I spend doing on my birthday

is to be treasured.

I'll be repeating that to myself today.

Thank you, God, for giving me 

another year to celebrate.

And for giving me the 

hope and courage

to stretch my wings a bit 

as my 41st year takes flight.

Change is definitely in the air.

And it feels good.

February 14th: I Love....

...my Valentines.  

My heart swells with love for them.  

And I'm joining Brene and others as we strive to be
extra-generous...
extra-kind...
extra-loving
this Valentine's week.

 

Who knows?  Maybe it'll be habit-forming.
World-changing.
At least in someone's world.

February 10th: I Love....

...powerful quotes.   

Like this one I stumbled upon the other day.

"Courage doesn't always roar.  

Sometimes courage is the little voice 

at the end of the day that says 

I'll try again tomorrow." 

~Mary Anne Radmacher

February 5th: I Love....

.....Texas.

This video says it all.  

My fellow Texans will totally get it.

Think you might see this if you
watch the Superbowl
(which is in Dallas, TEXAS) tomorrow.

Yee Haw.

February 4th: I Love.....

....snow!

I can say that I love snow since I'm not knee deep in it.

I can say that I love snow since I don't have to shovel it
on a regular basis.

I can say that I love snow since I'm not stuck at home 

with the kids after consecutive snow days in a row...

pulling my hair out and going stir-crazy.

Last night brought us only a light dusting...

pretty much what you would expect as far as 

snowfall in South Texas.

But it was just enough.

The pups loved it.

 

So did the kids.






Here is an example of what can happen

when you let your sister dress you.

An attempt at throwing a snowball.

Deven's goggle mark.  

 

Which morphed into a happy snow face.

After awhile...we had had enough fun for the time being.  

It was time to go inside and thaw out...

which is only possible with hot chocolate, I'm told.

Apparently this light dusting of snow covered 

significant ice patches on the rode...

hence, our SNOW DAY---staying home from school.

So far I've had to break up 4 fights 

and put 1 kid in a time-out.  

It's only 10am.

Think it might be a long day.

Thankfully, we're thawing out tomorrow.  Sunny and 65.

Unpredictable, ever-changing Texas weather at its best.

February 3rd: I Love....

...mornings.

And I think I always have.  Just ask my family and peeps...I'm a self-proclaimed "annoyingly cheerful morning person." 

Call me crazy (and I have plenty of friends out there who will), but I love waking up.  I love that first cup of coffee.  I love how excited the puppies are when I greet them and scoop them up out of their kennel.  I love putting the pups on the kids' beds...watching their little tongues kiss the children to a full state of wakefulness.  I love breakfast foods. 

Now there are some in my family (Animesh & Priya to be specific) who do not feel as I do about mornings.  In fact, where those two are concerned, the word grumpy comes to mind.  And they freely admit that so I can blog this without guilt.

But the boys and I are early-birds.  Catching the proverbial worm at sunrise.

Just don't expect me to answer the phone past 9:00pm.  I'll be asleep by then.

February 1st: I Love...

...this quote on Brene's blog.  

Thanks, Brene, for sharing this.   

How powerfully this captures what it means to

love deeply and completely....

and vulnerably.

Last February I was inspired by a friend to 

share month-long blog posts 

capturing people & places & things that I love.

This February I'm hoping 

to do the same.

And I'm also hoping that you'll be back to visit...

and also to share some of those people & places & things 

that you love.

The Last 34 Days

I can't be sure, but this might be my longest blogging dry spell yet.  I've thought about posting something here and there, but the inspiration never sticks around for too long.  The lack of blogging certainly has nothing to do with the lack of activity around these parts.  Because there has been lots of activity.  Let me see what memories I can extract from my nearly 41-year old brain....

In the last 34 days:

...we celebrated the birth of our Christ and rung in 2011 with sweet friends.  

...we have had more jammie days than I can count thanks to Christmas holidays and 4-day weekends (yes, we've already had a 4 day weekend).

...as a result of those jammie days each member of the family has perfected a Wii sport.  Daddy, golf.  Deven, basketball.  Priya, sword fighting.  Trevor, baseball.  And me?  Well, archery, of course. 

...I have knit 5 scarves from start to finish.  Priya has knit 2.

...I have NOT taken my Christmas tree down.  :) 

...Deven turned into a mean Scrabble opponent.

...Daddy cleaned out the garage.  Amen.  And amen.

...the kids and I have watched our new favorite movie, "Despicable Me," so many times ("oh yeah!") that we can quote entire scenes at the dinner table.  Driving Daddy absolutely insane ("not cool.")  Maybe Daddy will have a brilliant idea ("light bulb") and hide the movie from us.  Because we are out of control ("booyah!").

...I've cooked more meals at home.

...I've spent more days at home while the kids are in school.  Getting things accomplished.

...I joined the gym again.  Because after a triathlon-drought last year, there are races to be raced in this year.  I'm aiming for 4.

...my hair has finally grown out enough to be put in a pony-tail--albeit a messy one at that.  Pony-tails are saving me from whacking it all off (again).   Yea!

...we have cheered on our San Antonio Spurs at many games as they work to win another championship!  GO SPURS GO!

...we have cheered on Deven as he began his basketball season.  Number 8.  The age he turns in May.  I think I am going to cry.

...our family grew by 8 feet.  Meet Linus & Lucy...our little brother & sister Shih-poos.  They are precious.  They keep us on our toes.  But they sure do bring a whole lotta love to our family.

They joined our family December 24th, and the kids have been on cloud 9 ever since.  They love to keep each other company and don't annoy big beagle brother Spridle.  Too much.

Basically, the last 34 days I have made a concerted effort to focus on my 2011 Word of the Year:  Peace.  Like the quote says above in the margin...peace doesn't mean that my life...our lives...will always be quiet or calm or organized or easy.  Peace means to be in the middle of the craziness...and still be quiet and calm in my heart.  Knowing that it's all good in the 'hood.

Because it really is.