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I was sitting by the river when it came to me in a flash.  It was that moment of rest where I was just soaking everything in.  I wasn’t really doing much except reading when I knew that my word for 2015 was present.  It’s hard to explain but I just knew.  This word can have a few different meanings but I was taking it as the act of being fully where you are.

You know what?  Being present is hard work in this day and age.  I don’t know about you but there is always a lot on my mind.  It’s hard to focus on one thing.  Even as I’m writing this it’s taking everything in me not to think about my to-do list and the craziness of yesterday and and and…  Distractions abound in our lives.  We’ve come to believe that if you’re not multitasking you’re doing it all wrong.  But what if we were never really meant to multitask?  Did you know that the word multitask was originally used in reference to computers/machines?  It wasn’t until around the 1990’s that it became an adjective to describe humans.  Mind blowing right?

Really it should be surprisingly simple, this act of being present, yet I often find it’s not.  Being present usually means doing less because you’re just focusing on what’s at hand.  Being present means fully embracing the moment.  We’re missing out if our brains are in more places at once than our bodies are.  Recently I received an email and there was a phrase that stood out.  “Be where your feet are.”  Simple but profound.

Are we really here?  Are we embracing these moments?  How often is my mind a million miles away even while my body is sitting there staring at someone hearing the words coming out of their mouths but not actually listening? Ouch.  Today my four year old nephew was over and I was physically sitting there watching him eat his lunch but I was totally distracted by “all the other things”.  Thankfully I had a wake up moment and realized I needed to just focus in.  When I did it was so beautiful.

I saw my nephew’s smattering of cute freckles and laughed as he tried to eat a dried mango.  I saw his long lashes and bright clear eyes and I saw that smile of his that melts me.  I was all there.  I was all there when he picked me to be on his team for the game.  I was all there and I hope he felt loved.

So maybe my word for 2015 was present but what I’ve learned is that it’s a life long word.  It’s a lifetime practice this act of being present.  When I am present I get the joy of having the sweet gift it gives of soaking up this time and not having a discombobulated existence.  Friends I hope you keep your head where your body is.

She walked in the door and I could see that it had been a rough day.  Tears were close to the surface.  It was one of those days you dread but you know you have to go through anyways.  She’d done the hard thing though and I was so proud of her for it.  Victory

Another friend called almost in tears she was so upset about some relational things going on in her life.  But she’d made it through the week and I was proud of her.  Victory

I sent a birthday message to a sweet friend and I knew it was a hard day because another birthday for her just marked another year still sick.  I was so proud of her for persevering.  Victory.

I’m part of this awesome blogging group on Facebook.  Someone posted today that her post had been pinned by someone else.  She was excited and rightly so.  Day after day I get on there and I see people celebrating things like getting to 400 followers on Instagram or figuring out how to run a new part of their blog.  Everyone joins in on the fun.  Here’s what I’ve realized through all these posts.  I’ve realized that celebrating the little things is super important.  I’m learning that we need to celebrate even the seemingly tiny wins.

So when my friend walked through the door almost in tears (and after a good long hug) I pulled out some fancy glasses and a bottle of Martinelli’s.  “We’re going to celebrate!”  “Celebrate what?”  “We are going to celebrate the fact that you did something that was really hard for you even when you didn’t want to do it.  And we are celebrating that it’s behind you!”  “Now?”  “Yes, now!”  So we poured the Martinelli’s and immediately her demeanor started to change.  We may have even pulled out some chocolate too since we wanted to make sure we really celebrated. 😉

Tears turned to laughter.  My friends, life is hard and messy and can cause a lot of pain.  Sometimes it’s easy to just get bogged down in all that but today I hope you don’t.  From here on out I hope you find the little things to celebrate even if it’s just getting out of bed.  For some people that’s a huge accomplishment.  (I know from years of being sick in high school or from others who’ve been through depression.)

You see it’s the little things that go unnoticed that actually end up making the most impact in how you live.  To some people having 400 followers on social media or making it through the week might not mean much but to others it could actually mean a great deal.  Instead of always wanting the next big thing what if we celebrated the little victories right were we are?  What if we chose to see that all the little victories add up to a life that celebrates that we get to be here.  You can either look a the glass half empty or half full but I hope you look at is as half full of Martinelli’s.  I hope you keep a bottle of it in your fridge at all times so that you’re prepared to celebrate the little wins.  I promise it will change your perspective.  Find something to celebrate today.  Find a friend that needs some encouragement and celebrate them.  It really is the little things in life that make the difference.  Cheers!

P.S. I just want to say to any Christians that since Jesus defeated death and we are now his there is ultimate victory in what he has done.  Let this fact cheer your heart today!

You know that moment when you open up social media and there in front of you is someone with a post showing you exactly what you want but don’t have and they do?  I know I’m not the only one that’s had this happen!

Recently this happened to me in such a specific way that it pierced my heart.  A sweet girl had accomplished a dream that was so crazy similar to mine that it was hypothetically spelled out the same way.  I’d worked toward that specific dream a few years ago only to have door after door shut in my face.  It wasn’t the right time.  It wasn’t the right season.  But seeing her accomplish what I had longed for and had fought for was painful in that moment.  To top it off the opportunity had been dropped in her lap.  It’s hard for me to admit this to you.  Yet the reality is I was resentful.  I wasn’t upset with her but I was upset that I didn’t have it too.  It’s not that I didn’t want her to have it but I wanted both of us to.

People will get what you want and you wont.  That’s the simple fact.  But what do we do when someone gets exactly what you want?  How do you deal with that?  I’m not here to say I have all the answers on this one but I do hope to encourage your heart.

What happens to be the best story for one person isn’t always the best story for another.  As a Christian woman I ultimately believe that God is in control yet so often my life shows otherwise.  Typically I like my life as long as it’s going according to my plan.  God graciously reminds me again and again that his plan while different is always best.  He doesn’t just do things for my good but my best! That’s really amazing if you think about it.  If you trust Jesus with your life then you can rest assured that the God that knows every single outcome is picking the best one for you.  Let me clarify, this doesn’t mean that it will feel best.  As my mom says, “Lord can you please give me a blessing and not one in disguise?”  The reality is that sometimes blessings do come in painful ways.

So what do we do with these painful circumstances and denied desires?  We are longing.  Every one of  us is longing for something and even if we do get it then it will be replaced by a new longing…unless we are satisfied.  Those longings can remind us that we are ultimately longing for heaven and Jesus.  He allows denied desires to point us to him.  Because he’s the only thing that can satisfy.  He’s the infinite good we’re looking for.  He’s the ultimate purpose we crave.  He’s the beauty our hearts seek.  He’s the worth we are trying to find.  Let those denied desires draw you close to the heart of God.  Let those longings turn your gaze to the One who can actually satisfy them.

The story isn’t over.  This isn’t the ending.  Sometimes God allows us to eventually get the desires we see others getting and sometimes he doesn’t.   Either way we can calm our hearts knowing that he loves us enough to do what’s for our best.

This week on my walk I had an experience that I just can’t stop thinking about.  It stopped me in my tracks and honestly let me feeling a touch of sadness.  “I’m invisible.”  Those were the words he spoke.

It started with my mom and I doing our normal walk route.  Part way through we saw a small group of four people chatting and admiring the most gorgeous huge white haired dog.  We smiled and kept going but a few blocks later we met the same man and his dog.  It was hot out and we were in a hurry to get home but due to the way we crossed paths the dog stopped us and we politely petted him.  We made small talk about the dog and my mom asked the dog’s name.  We’d made eye contact with the owner and exchanged pleasantries.

Somewhere in our conversation he said that short phrase that broke my heart, “I’m invisible to most people.”  I asked him his name and his jaw fell open.  “Not once has anyone asked my name when I’m out,” he responded.  And then I’m pretty sure my jaw fell open.  When I reached out to shake his hand the look of complete shock was something I hope I never forget.  This man thought he was invisible to people.  And that’s not okay.

It reminded me of another time last year when I was standing in line at an event and while I was waiting I asked the man who was helping orchestrate things how his day was going.  He just looked at me surprised and said I was the first person (at the end of a line of 200 people!) that had asked him anything about himself that day.  That’s not okay.

How many times in my hurry and rush do I forget about people?  How many times do I not stop to see those who are right in front of me.  Because honestly it only takes a few seconds but it matters.  People shouldn’t be invisible.

I can’t remember where but I do recall reading an article that talked about how sales people are often just asked questions about things all day and rarely does anyone even say hi first.  They just dive in with their questions of “what aisle can I find this?” or “can you help me with…”  I know I’ve done it.  Ever since then I’ve tried to remember to say hello first and even ask how their day is going.  One time I forgot and just started in with all my questions to the check out lady and then remembered mid sentence and stopped and said, “You know I didn’t even say hi, hello!”  And she thanked me because she said most people don’t.  See the theme here?  People because invisible to us so quickly.

Maybe you feel invisible today.  Maybe you feel like everyone else’s life is going beautifully and you’re just over there feeling unseen and plodding along.  I want to tell you today that you are seen and known and NOT invisible.  The God of the universe knows your name and he cares.  You’re not forgotten.  Your life matters.  So today this is my little love note to whoever needs it to say I’m so glad you exist.

And for all of us I hope that whomever we come in contact with will know that we truly see them.

Do you feel invisible?  If so please leave a comment below so I can give you a virtual hug!

I walked outside yesterday to glorious sunshine and the world smiling in flowers.  The tulips had their best lipstick on in shades of purple, yellow, and flaming red.  And then there were the weeds.  So.Many.Weeds.  Here’s the funny thing.  We didn’t plant them.  But we do let them grow.  We also didn’t plant the beautiful tulips either but they came with the house and were a surprise the first year we lived here.

It made me stop and consider.  What’s growing in our thought gardens?  Thoughts pop into our heads all day long.  We either water them or pull them out.  There isn’t much neutral ground.  (Yet the ground does matter.  If we fertilize the ground things will grow better but either way if there is water and some sun things will grow.)

What will you allow to grow today in your mind?  Will you let the weeds take root?  Will you water the negative, ugly, anger, frustration, disgust, and other miserable thoughts?  Weeds grow easily.  It takes work to keep them out of any garden and our minds are no different.  We can dwell on them or we can tell them to leave.  But dirt isn’t too pretty either.  So if you’re going to take something out and something is guaranteed to grow there why not plant beautiful things?

There’s so many things these days that say to think positively and it will change your life.  While I’m not into the whole “just be happy deal and think that it will fix everything” I do believe that what we choose to listen to, dwell on, and tell ourselves matters.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8

We don’t always get to pick what enters our minds but we do get to choose if it will stay.  Here’s the thing though, pulling weeds isn’t fun or easy.  You can’t just pull off the heads of the flowers you have to get the root.  Getting the weeds when they are small or first pop up is easiest but the longer you let them sit the harder they are to pull and then they multiply.

Here’s some really beautiful news though.  Remember those tulips I mentioned, the ones we didn’t plant?  Well someone else took the time to plant them.  Now today my family and others who walk by get the enjoyment of them.  The same goes for the encouraging and beautiful words we say to others (and ourselves).

We can plant beautiful things.  We can leave them for others to benefit from.  Your words may even lie dormant for some time just like our tulips do each winter.  Yet, every spring we are surprised again by them.  Maybe your encouragement to someone won’t help today (although I’m sure it won’t hurt!) but it may spring up in their minds some day down the road right when they are walking down a place that’s not too pretty and needs some beauty.  Isn’t that amazing.  You can plant little seeds of grace, love, and beauty wherever you go.  I hope you do!

There’s an important word in that verse, the word practice.  Practice means you do it over and over and over.  Practice is the repetition of an action.  What will you practice today?  Will you practice encouragement or doubt?  Will you practice joy or frustration?  Will you practice grace or condemnation?  What will you allow to grow in your thought garden?  Are there some weeds you need to pull up by the roots?  Are there some spring flowers you need to water?  Friend, I hope your garden is filled with the most beautiful and lovingly cared for thoughts today.

Please “sow and plant” some encouraging thoughts for others to read in the comments below and then text a friend what you shared with us!

Do you ever just feel frustrated with your day?  A few weeks ago I was standing in the kitchen talking to my mom about how I was feeling that way.  I didn’t have any ideas for posts for the following week and I was a bit stressed about it.  Right there she stopped and asked me if I had what I needed for the current week.  I did. “Well then you have manna for today.”

So here’s the thing.  Manna is a weird food that the people of Israel used to gather daily as their sustenance.  Every day they would gather what they needed.  If they gathered too much it would rot.  Key word in this example is daily.  They couldn’t gather for two weeks and sit back and be done. They couldn’t even gather for two days except on the sixth day so they could have a rest day.  No, this offer was only good for 24 hours before it had to be renewed.  What do you need today?

So here’s some easy tips for you.

Are you feeling frustrated with all you need to do next week, tomorrow, in a month? What you need today is to focus on the tasks at hand.  This will make all the difference.  This doesn’t mean you don’t hustle and get things done.  It does mean you can stop stressing about it.  Today you just need to put one foot in front of the other.

Write out a list of everything you need to do.  I know everything probably feels like a priority but order them in such a way that highest priority is at the top.  What’s at the beginning of the list needs to get done first.  Do that item.  Take a break.  Do the next thing on the list.  Work your way down.  Don’t put things that can be done another day on the list!

This leads me to my second tip.  Work in 25-30 minute intervals with a 5 minute break.  At first I thought this was a super bad idea since I feel like it’s usually at about 30 minutes in that I finally get ideas flowing and progress made.  Yet since my progress was seriously lacking of late I decided that maybe I was just getting too brain dead staring at my computer hours at a time thinking I would actually get more done. (I wasn’t.)  When I stick to the 30 minute method I get WAY more done.  I think knowing you only have a short amount of time forces you to move past the distractions and zero in.  It’s also a great motivation knowing that once you’ve put in those 25-30 minutes you can be rewarded with a little break.  I know a few other people that do this and they’ve said it works for them as well.

During your breaks grab a snack, drink some water, have a mini dance party, or go the bathroom.  Maybe check social media…but make sure you set your timer!  The bottom line is to be intentional.

You can’t do everything today.  That is okay.  Start with what you have, where you are, and let today be your focus.  Worrying about future days only robs from today.

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

What do you need to do today?  Let me know what’s the highest priority for you today in the comments below.

Have things ever just not made sense to you? Maybe your life today isn’t where you dreamed it would be five years ago. Maybe the career, the education, the spouse, the children, the travel or the success you’d imagined hasn’t gone according to plan. In fact maybe you’ve even started to believe that because things are so opposite of what you’d envisioned that you feel you’re going backwards. Confusion may have you stuck in a rut wondering how things got the way they were.

If you’re in a season of things not making sense then you’re not alone.

This week is a poignant one for me. It’s Holy week. The week that we pause a little bit more and reflect on the man Jesus. As a woman who deeply loves Jesus this week is essential for my faith. It’s a week though that had you had lived it, it wouldn’t have made any sense. I wonder what this week really felt like to the disciples.

The disciples had their whole world turned upside down in a short matter of time and it was pretty traumatic. Here are the disciples following their Lord at the beginning of the week to shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt. 21:9) Just a few short days later though and they are watching as their leader is arrested and tried. The one they thought was their triumphant king was marred beyond recognition and killed before their eyes.

Let’s pause and consider here. These disciples believed that this was the person whom their entire culture had been pointing to for thousands of years. They had left everything to follow this man. They’d seen things that people had never seen before. They’d seen blind people given sight and lame men walk. They’d seen someone who broke through cultural restraints and fed the multitudes. They’d had a front seat to seeing the glory. Now the very one who had led them was buried. Suddenly everything didn’t make sense. In a twinkling they went from being the disciples of a praised man to men fearful for their very lives.

Sometimes this is the view we have of our lives. You know the feeling where everything is dark and unclear? That’s the in the grave view. Here’s the good news though. That isn’t the end of the story. In fact it was a very short part of the story (albeit a traumatic part). Three days later everything started to make a whole lot more sense. Jesus really was who he said he was. And the disciples realized something even more important. This man they were serving really was a king. He was the king of the whole world and he’d come to make all the bad things untrue.

Your story isn’t over either. Right now you may feel buried. You may feel like everything is dark. You may feel like hiding like the disciples. Things may not make any sense at all. My friend it’s not the end of the story. God is in control and he’s aware of what’s going on. He hasn’t left us and he never will. So in the midst of the confusion remember that God isn’t surprised by what’s going on. He knows and he cares. He cares so much he was willing to die. He’s not going to leave you in the dark. He’s come to bring light and life.

How does knowing this make a difference in your life?  Please feel free to share in the comments below! Have a great Monday friends. 🙂

The most beautiful thing just happened to me.  It was one of those moments of kindness that still has me smiling.  I was on my walk and having a conversation with Jesus and one of my neighbors saw me and came over.  She offered to let me pick a little bouquet of daffodils that fill the corner of her yard.

Now you have to know that I love, love, love daffodils.  They are like happy little dew drops of straight sunshine and they make me smile.  I’ve been wanting daffodils for a few weeks now since they started popping up.  I had just been thanking the Lord for the day and thinking how I really wanted him to just show me something special.  Lo and behold it wasn’t even a moment later when my neighbor was so kind to offer me one of my very favorite flowers.  The thing is though that she didn’t know they were my favorite.  In fact she doesn’t really even know me.

It was like the Lord just winked at me and wanted me to know that he was giving me a bouquet.  He romances me like that and it’s really the most astonishing thing.  It awes me.  I don’t need flowers.  Yet he knows how much my heart delights in them.  So just because he could he made sure I got some.  Here’s the thing, the God of the universe who is making sure the sun stays in place also takes the time to see a girl taking a walk and sends some of her favorite flowers her way! That’s amazing!  He used a neighbor just being spontaneously kind.  It was just a moment but it made my day.

I wonder how the world would change if we took more opportunities to be a moment of kindness to someone else?  Not to make us feel good about ourselves but to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  Sure random acts of kinds are awesome but what if we were more intentional about doing little things to show people we care.  In the long run I think it’s the little things that can make the most impact.  It’s taking the time to notice someone and say, “I see you.”

All around you there are people needing to know they aren’t forgotten.  Showing someone kindness can change their day maybe even their life.  There have been certain moments of kindness shown to me that I will literally never forget because they made such a huge impact on me.  Yet I bet that if you were to ask those amazing people about it they wouldn’t even really recall it with much clarity.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”Mother Teresa

I hope today you choose to give a moment of kindness to someone.  I hope it’s for a bigger purpose than just feeling good about doing it (although that certainly is a perk!).

Friends let’s love well.

Will you spread some joy with us today by sharing of a time when someone did something “small” for you that made your day?  I’d love to hear your stories about moments of kindness so please leave a comment below. 🙂