i choose better

As I continue to read A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, the quotes are jumping off the pages! I want to share lots of them on this blog! And perhaps i will. But for now, as i consider my own story, i thought this small section would be a good one to post:

My friend Josh Shipp is one of the greatest communicators I've heard. He's only in his twenties but speaks around the country at high schools and is often a guest on MTV. Kids love him because he is funny and direct. Josh grew up in more than twenty foster homes, never knowing his real parents. And yet he is incredibly successful. I asked Josh why he's so healthy, so emotionally stable, considering his childhood. Josh told me something I'll never forget. He said, "Don, when something hard happens to you, you have two choices in how to deal with it. You can either get bitter, or better. I chose to get better. It's made all the difference." (pp. 180-181)

I. LOVE. THIS. It's probably the simplest form of expressing this idea that I've come across. It is SO true too. There really are only those two options, bitterness or betterness (new word??). As I reflect on my own life, there have been different situations that have easily lent themselves to justifiable bitterness. It made sense that i would feel bitter. But God wanted more for me. He knew that if i allowed myself to remain in that bitter stage, I would not become the woman he made me to be. So after some time, I chose to get better.

Making that choice is step 1. Step 2 is actually getting better. That's the hard part. That's the part that's painful and icky and forces your emotions to go to places you'd much rather avoid. It's what i like to call the growing pains. In order to grow, we must experience these pains. If we havent yet, then have we really grown??

Step 3 is a sheer delight! It happens when you reach the other side of the pain and realize that you are better! And not just like "better" in the form of "i'm better from my cold, therefore I'm back to who i was before the cold." It's like an abundant, awesome, "let's celebrate!" kind of better. You're not who you once were. Rather, there's a lightness in your soul. Bitterness is no longer the lens from which you view the world around you. And best of all, you are free to be the best version of you!

Only through the love and grace of Jesus have i been able to release my bitterness in the past and move forward, embracing that freedom and joy. As my future unfolds, His love and grace will allow me to keep choosing better. Praise the LORD!!

photos and the gym

It's been 2 days since i wrote my last post and i am happy to report that my creativity and motivation to do new things is going well! Yesterday and today, i got up early and went to the gym! A month or so ago, this was turning into a habit, and then i hurt my neck, then my foot and yada yada yada, i havent worked out in a good while. So this is a great accomplishment! And it feels great to force myself to wake up and take control of my day from the start!

Last night when i got home from work, i had the apt to my self for the evening. Immediately when i walked inside, i was craving some lounge time! My determination kicked in though, and i forced myself to keep moving...tidying up, cooking dinner, etc. By the time i had eaten dinner, i was still energized and excited to tackle my shutterfly photobook project. And that is what i did for the majority of the evening. It was quite lovely!

creativity

I'm sitting at my dining room table writing on this here blog while my wonderful husband writes in his journal. We have a box of crayons and markers in between us, along with a sketch pad to his left and a coloring book to my right. Photos are being uploaded onto my Shutterfly account in the background. We are relaxing. But not any kind of relaxing... creatively relaxing!! And it. feels. good.

We've decided to RECLAIM CREATIVITY!

We human beings are filled to the brim with ideas, colors, imaginations, art, song, dance, music, and the list goes on and on... And yet, i dont know about you but for me it can be oh so difficult to even so much as pick up a book at the end of the day. But whenever i get going on some sort of creative task, i find that i gain energy! My husband feels the same way. So we have decided to make time for it.

We both were feeling somewhat aimless today, reflecting upon the past few weeks which have been filled with life and busyness. Good things yes, but leaving no time for creativity. In fact, one of our friends wrote a post on his blog this morning expressing similar feelings. Going, going, going without much time to smell the roses, let alone draw them!

Thus, my husband and i decided tonight that we want to ACT, not just talk about acting. We want to make positive changes in our lives NOW instead of wishing that we had made them 10 years from now. But as I have experienced in the past (example: project wake up = fail!), veering from our individual version of "the norm" takes major discipline, diligence and determination... and God!!!

So we'll see what transpires in this new season, as we seek to make time for and embrace creative moments more often.