All tagged my view from the chair
Simple Gestures Matter
Slipping out of my professional armour, I pull on my comfortable yoga pants, loosely layered, soft tops and a puffy black coat that some poor duck gave it’s feathers for. Slipping my feet into the neon running shoes, I head out into the blackness to wash my soul of the mind numbing busyness that I so easily slip into. There is just something about frigid temperatures; clear black nights; and crunchy ground that clears my soul.
Cup-O-Noodles, My Foreign Tongue, and Invisible Prisons
Lightly browned, white skin; sun-kissed blonde hair; and a foreign tongue, left me highly visible as I strolled down the aisle of India Air flight 627. Completely out of my comfort zone and fully awake. All my senses were on high alert.
It's Not About Size!
I come from a place of tall evergreens; large maples; and lush green forests. The place my heart calls home for nine months of the year is flanked with two majestic mountain ranges and surrounded by a salty abundance of blue water. Outdoorsy humans move to this place with daily opportunities to savor the deep colors; fragrant aromas; and stunning natural beauty. If you take a few moments and chat with the locals, they will be quick to tell you that it is not a place you land accidentally. It is a place you choose.
Stuck? What's in Your Hands?
Gently sliding out of my 1000 count Egyptian Cotton sheets, I wrestle my well-developed legs into my favorite pair of yoga pants. Quickly finishing dressing, I grab my ipad and head out the door to get some writing done before the world awakens.
I adore early Saturday mornings when the world is bathed in mist and the sun is still a promise. It is my favorite day of the week! I reserve the morning portion entirely for me and my Creator to get some writing done and the afternoon for whatever relaxing activity I bump into. I always wear my favorite yoga pants and fluorescent pink Nike tennis shoes with no socks. My top attire varies according to activity and mood. As a high-functioning Asperger adult, texture is EVERYTHING, and Saturdays I get to wear all my favorites even if they don’t need to match.
This Saturday is no different. Landing at a corner table, I set up shop and start to write. Instantly, I am distracted by a shuffling human, slowly making its way toward the coffee shop. It is frigid outside and this human looks like it might not make it to this warm environment. Returning to my task at hand, I try to ignore the niggling whisper. This human is now at the door, just about two feet from me. I look up and our eyes meet. He is just standing there.
Snowmageddon Lesson
With the effort of an elephant trudging through knee high mud combined with the determination of an Olympic athlete, I don my winter gear and step out into a once-in-a-lifetime ,Pacific Northwest Snowmageddon! I have set my goal at walking seven miles a day and I will not be detoured by twenty plus inches of snow.
Completing a few laps, the numbness has overtaken any rational reasoning and my mind is aimlessly drifting towards thoughts of warm beaches, sandy, azura blue waters and swimming with my sea creature friends.
If You Really Knew.....
f you really knew the darkness that tries to creep up, like a unexpected predator and swallow me, you would probably realize how human I am. If you really knew the effort that my enemy exerts in order to silence me, you would be surprised. If you really knew how black the darkness was in my moments of struggle, you might think differently of me. But here is what I suspect - you do know exactly what I am talking about because you struggle too.
Wild and Crazy Thoughts on Parable of the Talents
Like a 13-year-old adolescent girl, I scan the Facebook feed stopping to pursue delicious looking new recipes; family snow day or vacation photos; rants about any number of things; and my favorite writer’s blog posts. Most of these people are personal friends. I honestly care about their lives and want to be able to stay caught up. Startled by my phone buzzing, I realize that I have just lost ninety minutes of writing time. WHAT was I thinking? I know how this game works and yet, I took the bait and dropped into the land of Facebook. It’s just one click away from where I write in Squarespace. Hum…
Unexpected Enticing Fragrance
Entering from a silent white world, the warmth of home wraps itself around me. Instantly I am in a race with my internal thermometer to remove all the excess clothing that was necessary for a walk on this stunningly beautiful snowflake decorated evening. Successfully disrobed down to a thin layer, I shuffle through the kitchen. Stopping midway I am overtaken by a tantalizing fragrance.
Boobs, Butt, Lips, and Every Other Piece!
Eyes fixated on the photo, my mind races back to the event. Sixteen and well-proportioned. Ready to attend a party. My adult mind wonders what in the world I was thinking leaving the house dressed like a bunny. Sunlight dances through the studio windows as I crouch on the area rug savoring each of the photos. They each show a different moment of my childhood. Sweet silence fills this room, my sanctuary, my safe place. My mind is filled with a rapid succession of funny memories about that night. (Just for the record, I was asked to leave the school party.)
Saboteur + A Smile = Refreshed Heart
Genetics had gifted her with a smile that could electrify the room. I had personally seen the atmosphere of a room alter when she arrived with that genuine smile. Her eyes were part of the deal. She could make you feel seen across a room full of people. It was a gift that she used daily in our workplace.
Just Show Up! - Philippians 2:4
Moving like a Tinman that still needed to be seriously greased, I methodically packed one more box. Exhaustion makes a nasty companion. Anyone else ever feel that way? Two o’clock had somehow sneaked up on us and we were still working on packing the first room. Exhausted emotionally and mentally, I stood calculating just how long this was going to take us. Silently, a small electrical shock wove its way from my wrist, up my arm, and to my numbed brain. An offer of assistance was being made from an unexpected source.
Do this Third
See this lady? (The one on the right.) She has called out things in my life that are both gifts and things that needed to change. She has spoke life into me. She has allowed me to interrupt her life with my struggles. She has taught me to pray and believe. She has walked me into the inner sanctuary of His presence and stood nearby as He healed my heart. She wakes up and often prays for me, before I have the courage to ask for prayer. She has been a gift and blessing to me! She has also spoken to my pride issues. She is a warrior disguised as an everyday woman. I pray you have one of these kind of warriors in your life. She has taught me that this third piece is vital to not just “surviving” but being able to walk through pain, suffering, and disappointment.
Do This Second! - Zephaniah 3:17
We are in this mini series called, “No Exemptions”. If you missed the first and second post, jump on back and give it a quick read. Today, I want to share what I do second. To set the stage, here is an excerpt from my journal in October (Can I warn you, It’s not pretty): Sunday, October 28, 2018 6:33 pm
I should not put these thoughts to words. I should not put these words on my iPad. BUT, I have no more space to stuff them and them are spilling out.
I can’t breathe. No, really….I am suffocating. It’s been slowly coming this Fall, but today something snapped. I don’t really know what the last straw was. Maybe it was coming around the corner at Costco and seeing the Precious’ One’s first husband lovingly helping his son? Or, maybe it was the volatile poisonous verbal barrage I endured from a mentally ill loved one? It doesn’t matter, the pieces of tape that were so carefully holding all the pieces of my reality together, dissolved.
Do this First! - Psalms 63:7
It truly doesn’t matter what your voice sounds like! This is the truth - your song to Him will change the atmosphere! Think about the story of Paul and Silas. They sang while imprisoned. It certainly had an impact. (You can read about it in Acts 16:25-34.) I wish I could hear them.
Chains - Philemon 1:4
I have a confession. When I see cool things in the world, my mind does this funny thing. It starts playing with it to see how we might be over to pull it over and use it for Jesus. Awhile ago a friend of mine was explaining "Prayer Beads” and how they help her remember to pray certain prayers. If you have been in the Catholic church, this should sound familiar. As I was listening, I had a lightning bolt moment.
Cravings! - Ephesians 4:29
Cravings can be unbearable. I remember being pregnant and craving steak. It was completely overwhelming and I wanted it for every meal. Okay, I know that is strange, but I was probably lacking some vitamin. There have been other seasons when I crave sugar. Now, I can see most of you smiling! I have found many of my cravings difficult to manage
I Lied - James 5:16
I had lied. Plain and simple. Not sure why I chose to say what I did, but the truth was - I had not been honest. This wasn’t something I usually did, so it had quite the shock value to my heart. It wasn’t like there was even any good reason to say what I had said about “the towel”. It just spilled out of my mouth, like maple syrup falling over pancakes - fast and easy. Honestly, I was shocked at myself. Why? How come? I didn’t think I needed to impress her. She looked at me with a simple knowing look. You know the kind. It’s how your mom looked at you when you took the cookie out of the cookie jar and then said you didn’t. She said nothing
Eight Words That Can Change EVERYTHING - Luke 23:46
Standing in the middle of the Red Light District in Nagpur, India, I was the obvious visitor. My blonde hair stood out against the bright colors and dark haired residents. The ladies were gathering for some teaching in the center. One stepped to the front and started praying in a language I did not know. Somehow though, it didn’t matter because my heart simply joined in. Prayer and worship intertwined in a symphonic dance that carried me away. I could not understand the words, but my heart knew the rhythm and the one to whom we were with. There was one phrase though that grabbed my undivided attention.
Death in the Greenhouse - John 12:24
My view from "The Chair" this morning - John 12:24. From my fleshly view, death seems so final. It seems like the end, but maybe I’ve been wrong. Here is what I am discovering, it is most likely just the beginning! One of my words for 2018 was “Death”. Yes, you read that right, “Death”. I was NOT happy with that word and honestly we had a BIG wrestling match over it.