In a perfect world, everyone we dealt with would be kind, considerate and sweet, but we all live in the real world. In a perfect world, everyone we interacted with would like us and think we were pretty cool, but we all live in the real world.
The fact is, we come in contact with difficult people every day, people who maybe don't like us for whatever reason or act in a way that is rude or annoying. I'm going to make a confession here - there are days when people's behavior or words annoy, hurt or upset me. I am not always filled with the milk of human kindness.
The thing is though, as much as I'd like it to be different, the only person's behavior I have any control over is my own. So, even when faced with the difficult, I have a choice to make. I can give in to my all too human feelings of irritation and become difficult myself. Or I can choose to be gracious - which in hindsight, I'm always glad I did, but isn't always so easy to do in the moment.
I've come up with five things to do when dealing with a difficult person.
1. Smile and look them in the eye. You aren't responsible for their behavior, so there's no reason to act ashamed or uncomfortable. Let them deal with the after effects of their behavior.
2. Be confident in what you are doing at that moment. Another person's actions don't detract from who you are. Their actions don't define who you are.
3. Be clear on who you answer to (especially if it isn't them!) Especially if it is a work situation, keep it in the forefront of your mind that the person being difficult doesn't have any authority over you. You don't have to answer to them.
4. Be kind but firm - in other words, don't let yourself be bullied. This doesn't mean you need to be nasty, but it also doesn't mean you have to lay down and write welcome on your forehead either. Being gently firm usually works.
5. Keep the overall goal in mind - don't let their obnoxiousness make you lose your focus. What are you there to do? What is the goal? Keep that in front of you and keep heading in that direction.
So, how do you deal with the difficult people in your life? I'd love to hear about it!
~ Blessings, Bronte
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
I WANT MORE
Today's God-sized Dream post is to tell everyone what you want more of. As I thought about this post, a lot of things flitted through my mind because, to be honest, there are a lot of things I want more of - more patience, more graciousness, most listening and less talking, more trust, more stillness - but like Goldilocks, none of those seemed just right for this post.
Then I knew - I want know God more, to experience His presence more.
I don't mean that in a strange, lights flash, angels appearing way (although that would be very cool). I mean I want to KNOW God more. I want to be taken a little deeper into His intimacy. I hesitate to write this because it sort of makes it sound like I'm trying to be uber spiritual, and I am not.
The truth is, in the past few months, my quiet times have not been quiet and still - they've been rushed, harried and sometimes just not at all. I've been in this odd place of hurry and paralysis which you can read about in my previous post - and it made me a little distant from God. He never moved, but I did. I was a little put out that He would let me get on this team and then refused to show me which way He wanted me to go. Even though I asked - a lot!
Turns out He had already told me; I had just figured my way made more sense.
Since I realized how I was insisting on my own way, the way that made sense to me over what God had asked of me, my quiet times have had a new sweetness and well, quietness.
I love that! I didn't realize how much I missed that sweet communion until it was there again. I would like to say that I am just super spiritual, but I'm not. I've just gotten hooked on God's presence in my life.
I love the life of Moses - probably because I can relate so well. I may not have been an Egyptian prince or a fugitive, but I get the whole fear and anger issues Moses dealt with. I can also relate to something else about Moses - Moses wanted to see God.
He craved His presence so much, he asked to see God's glory. God allowed Moses to see the back of Him while God hid Moses in the crevice of a rock and covered him up with His hand. He told Moses that if Moses saw His full glory, Moses wouldn't live through it. Moses came down and his face shone so much he totally freaked the children of Israel out and had to wear a veil. People do tend to look at you a bit askance when God's reflected glory is shining out from your face. Some people will want to know why, but others will avoid you because it makes them uncomfortable.
Another time, God was so disgusted with the Israelites that He told Moses that He would send an angel with them and let Moses claim the Promised Land, but he'd have to go without God's presence. Moses refused to budge, saying he wouldn't go anywhere without God.
Moses had a lot of faults, but the one thing I love about his life was his continued desire to be in God's presence, to see God's glory.
I like to think that at the end of his life (this is just my imagination NOT actual Scripture, btw), as the people he had led so faithfully were preparing to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land, and Moses was headed up the mountain , that the last thing he saw was the God's glory in all its dazzling fullness - that he died having gotten his dearest wish. To see, really see, God's glory and His presence.
So, what do I want more of? I want God's presence, His glory, the intimate knowledge of Him in my life. I want people to see God's glory reflected in my face. Because really, without Him, my dreams lose their shininess, their sparkle, their very purpose. Without God's abiding presence in my life, everything else just doesn't matter anyway.
"You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence, there is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever." Psalms 16:11
Blessings, Bronte
Join us at Holley Gerth's link up and read about what other dreamers want more of in their lives!
Then I knew - I want know God more, to experience His presence more.
I don't mean that in a strange, lights flash, angels appearing way (although that would be very cool). I mean I want to KNOW God more. I want to be taken a little deeper into His intimacy. I hesitate to write this because it sort of makes it sound like I'm trying to be uber spiritual, and I am not.
The truth is, in the past few months, my quiet times have not been quiet and still - they've been rushed, harried and sometimes just not at all. I've been in this odd place of hurry and paralysis which you can read about in my previous post - and it made me a little distant from God. He never moved, but I did. I was a little put out that He would let me get on this team and then refused to show me which way He wanted me to go. Even though I asked - a lot!
Turns out He had already told me; I had just figured my way made more sense.
Since I realized how I was insisting on my own way, the way that made sense to me over what God had asked of me, my quiet times have had a new sweetness and well, quietness.
I love that! I didn't realize how much I missed that sweet communion until it was there again. I would like to say that I am just super spiritual, but I'm not. I've just gotten hooked on God's presence in my life.
I love the life of Moses - probably because I can relate so well. I may not have been an Egyptian prince or a fugitive, but I get the whole fear and anger issues Moses dealt with. I can also relate to something else about Moses - Moses wanted to see God.
He craved His presence so much, he asked to see God's glory. God allowed Moses to see the back of Him while God hid Moses in the crevice of a rock and covered him up with His hand. He told Moses that if Moses saw His full glory, Moses wouldn't live through it. Moses came down and his face shone so much he totally freaked the children of Israel out and had to wear a veil. People do tend to look at you a bit askance when God's reflected glory is shining out from your face. Some people will want to know why, but others will avoid you because it makes them uncomfortable.
Another time, God was so disgusted with the Israelites that He told Moses that He would send an angel with them and let Moses claim the Promised Land, but he'd have to go without God's presence. Moses refused to budge, saying he wouldn't go anywhere without God.
Moses had a lot of faults, but the one thing I love about his life was his continued desire to be in God's presence, to see God's glory.
I like to think that at the end of his life (this is just my imagination NOT actual Scripture, btw), as the people he had led so faithfully were preparing to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land, and Moses was headed up the mountain , that the last thing he saw was the God's glory in all its dazzling fullness - that he died having gotten his dearest wish. To see, really see, God's glory and His presence.
So, what do I want more of? I want God's presence, His glory, the intimate knowledge of Him in my life. I want people to see God's glory reflected in my face. Because really, without Him, my dreams lose their shininess, their sparkle, their very purpose. Without God's abiding presence in my life, everything else just doesn't matter anyway.
"You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence, there is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever." Psalms 16:11
Blessings, Bronte
Join us at Holley Gerth's link up and read about what other dreamers want more of in their lives!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
AT MY OWN PACE
When I was little, I didn't talk very much until I was about three years old. Then, I proceeded to talk in full sentences and paragraphs with quite a good vocabulary for a toddler.
My mom will tell you that she thinks I was waiting until I figured out how to do it the right way before I started to really speak.
I think my mom is on to something. All my life, I have gone at my own pace. I have always hated being pushed into doing things I didn't feel ready for - take those swimming lessons. Being forced - on the first day of class when I was terrified of water - to jump from the diving board into the deep end was the absolute WORST way to get me to learn to swim. Instead, my Dad helped me learn at my own pace, in my own way.
My mom has always said I march to the beat of my own drum - and that's pretty much true. I tend to circle around things, approaching from the side rather than head on. I want to see things from all angles, try things my own way rather than the prescribed set of instructions. People breathing down my neck, micro-managing me makes me want to rebel. Pushing me (even when it's MYSELF doing the pushing which I'm sure a psychologist would have a field day with) just makes me stubbornly dig my heels in or worse freeze in panic.
So, that brings me to an epiphany I had today. See, in December, I found out I had been chosen to be on Holley Gerth's God Sized Dream Team. Holley Gerth happens to be a best-selling Christian author with a high traffic blog and a sought after speaker.
I was beside myself with excitement. At last, my dreams of being a writer were going to come true! It was a God thing that I got chosen out of all those applicants.
January 1st came (coincidentally the first day of our link up on Holley's blog) and I was dizzy with excitement. I was ready to start running the path.
The only problem was, I wasn't sure what path exactly I was supposed to be running. There are a lot of different kinds of writing and multiple means of sharing that writing.
Was I supposed to overhaul my blog and drive more traffic there? Was I supposed to start a new blog with a new focus? Was I supposed to write articles, Bible studies, short stories, essays or even (let my heart be still) a novel?
I felt like I was standing in the middle of a woods with trails leading in all directions into trackless forest and I felt a tremendous amount of pressure to pick one. Right now. But uncertainty made me paralyzed.
What if I started down the wrong path and got hopelessly lost? What if I blew this opportunity?
Suddenly, I could hear the clock ticking in my head - I only had six months on the God sized dream team and I needed to make the most of it. I felt panic bubble up inside me and every day I got up with the intention to be productive.
But somehow, I was getting nothing done besides my weekly articles for our local paper. I felt like a dog chasing his tail - expending a lot of energy getting nowhere and experiencing a lot of frustration in the process.
On the one hand, I had a clear call from God to write and my understanding was that there were two things I needed to write: fiction and about the stories of the daily difference God makes in my life and those I am privileged to meet.
On the other hand, there was one little problem - finances. I felt like I was expending a lot of energy for little monetary return at the paper. Yes, I got some good feedback from people in the community. Yes, I was helping people who had something to share get the word out, but the bottom line was I was tired. Weekly deadlines for years tend to do that to a person. Not to mention, our need for more income continued to nag at the back of my mind. (the amount I am paid is pretty standard for a newspaper stringer - it's just the bottom of the freelance food chain).
Ideally - at least in my mind- I wanted to find a part time job that I enjoyed but that I could leave at work at the end of the day. On my days off, I could concentrate on my own writing. But every place I applied, while I was told I was in the top couple candidates, never worked out.
So, I decided that I would create a freelance career. I could make good money writing and wasn't that what I wanted anyway - to make a living from my pen? Yes, my fiction and other writing would have to take a back seat for a while, but I needed to establish my career. I decided since I love all things dogs, that would be my niche and I'd become a pet expert. I even came up with a cute name for my future blog base - Come.Sit.Stay.
Yet, it didn't feel right to me. I was restless. I found other things to do and procrastinated getting started. I tried to shove away my doubts, telling myself that hey, it's outside my comfort zone - that's why I feel this way.
Then this morning I read two blog posts from fellow God-sized dreamers. One was Laurie Wallin's here and one was Carey Bailey's here.
From Laurie's post I realized that I wanted things to be easy. The newspaper job a lot of times was hard and stressful - people bailed when a deadline loomed, photographers didn't show up, or a story fell through at the last minute - but no matter how many times I have tried to leave, God has blocked my path.
From Carey's post, in which she talked about Sarai trying to force her dream into her own mold, how she thought it would be, a light bulb went on in my head. Because of the things I thought I should do - like make more money and be what I termed "successful" in my writing career - I was trying to force the dream God gave me into a shape that just didn't fit. I was pushing myself in the wrong direction and while logic said that direction made sense, my dreamer heart knew differently.
Earlier this week, I talked to a woman who is a life coach, and when I explained my chosen direction, she said to me, "Honey, don't take this the wrong way, but you need to ditch the dogs. That's not where your heart is." I knew she was right, but I resisted.
It seemed logical - after all, you don't make money writing fiction or even spiritual blog posts. I'm no Anne Voskamp. And I felt this urgency to hurry up and DO something that would give me a tangible return - increased income - before my six months on the dream team was up.
But the thing is, while I could write good, informative articles for pet owners and I do love to help friends with training and socializing tips - that's NOT what God has called me to. That's not really my God-sized dream.
It's hard to give up the safe writing route though - I feel kind of like hyperventilating just thinking that - because it seems a lot more sure, a lot more reliable than writing stories. Writing stories almost sounds childish doesn't it? Not something an adult does as a job, surely.
But, God has called me to write stories - stories that are magical and touch people in a way that even a really good, informative piece of journalism can't. Why? Because, for most of us, we connect with stories more than facts. Let's face it, way more people have read The Chronicles of Narnia than Mere Christianity. Sorry, Mr. Lewis.
Even non-fiction pieces benefit from the true stories that make those facts alive and relevant. Which is why God has also called me to share the stories of how God meets me and others in the ordinary and does something extraordinary through my blog, my weekly newspaper column, and probably a written Bible study someday.
The thing is though, I haven't been obedient to God's call. I've put Him off, saying, First I need to... After I do this then I'll write... I've pushed my calling to the bottom of my to do list.
God showed me today though, that until I start doing what He's called me to do, I'll stay stuck at that crossroads in the woods, bewildered and frustrated and never going anywhere.
Instead, God wants me to start down the path He's already clearly marked - it just didn't look as promising or easy as some of the others.
"Two paths diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference. " ~ Robert Frost
Are you on the path God's called you to? If not, it's time to lace up your hiking boots!
~ Blessings, Bronte
My mom will tell you that she thinks I was waiting until I figured out how to do it the right way before I started to really speak.
I think my mom is on to something. All my life, I have gone at my own pace. I have always hated being pushed into doing things I didn't feel ready for - take those swimming lessons. Being forced - on the first day of class when I was terrified of water - to jump from the diving board into the deep end was the absolute WORST way to get me to learn to swim. Instead, my Dad helped me learn at my own pace, in my own way.
My mom has always said I march to the beat of my own drum - and that's pretty much true. I tend to circle around things, approaching from the side rather than head on. I want to see things from all angles, try things my own way rather than the prescribed set of instructions. People breathing down my neck, micro-managing me makes me want to rebel. Pushing me (even when it's MYSELF doing the pushing which I'm sure a psychologist would have a field day with) just makes me stubbornly dig my heels in or worse freeze in panic.
So, that brings me to an epiphany I had today. See, in December, I found out I had been chosen to be on Holley Gerth's God Sized Dream Team. Holley Gerth happens to be a best-selling Christian author with a high traffic blog and a sought after speaker.
I was beside myself with excitement. At last, my dreams of being a writer were going to come true! It was a God thing that I got chosen out of all those applicants.
January 1st came (coincidentally the first day of our link up on Holley's blog) and I was dizzy with excitement. I was ready to start running the path.
The only problem was, I wasn't sure what path exactly I was supposed to be running. There are a lot of different kinds of writing and multiple means of sharing that writing.
Was I supposed to overhaul my blog and drive more traffic there? Was I supposed to start a new blog with a new focus? Was I supposed to write articles, Bible studies, short stories, essays or even (let my heart be still) a novel?
I felt like I was standing in the middle of a woods with trails leading in all directions into trackless forest and I felt a tremendous amount of pressure to pick one. Right now. But uncertainty made me paralyzed.
What if I started down the wrong path and got hopelessly lost? What if I blew this opportunity?
Suddenly, I could hear the clock ticking in my head - I only had six months on the God sized dream team and I needed to make the most of it. I felt panic bubble up inside me and every day I got up with the intention to be productive.
But somehow, I was getting nothing done besides my weekly articles for our local paper. I felt like a dog chasing his tail - expending a lot of energy getting nowhere and experiencing a lot of frustration in the process.
On the one hand, I had a clear call from God to write and my understanding was that there were two things I needed to write: fiction and about the stories of the daily difference God makes in my life and those I am privileged to meet.
On the other hand, there was one little problem - finances. I felt like I was expending a lot of energy for little monetary return at the paper. Yes, I got some good feedback from people in the community. Yes, I was helping people who had something to share get the word out, but the bottom line was I was tired. Weekly deadlines for years tend to do that to a person. Not to mention, our need for more income continued to nag at the back of my mind. (the amount I am paid is pretty standard for a newspaper stringer - it's just the bottom of the freelance food chain).
Ideally - at least in my mind- I wanted to find a part time job that I enjoyed but that I could leave at work at the end of the day. On my days off, I could concentrate on my own writing. But every place I applied, while I was told I was in the top couple candidates, never worked out.
So, I decided that I would create a freelance career. I could make good money writing and wasn't that what I wanted anyway - to make a living from my pen? Yes, my fiction and other writing would have to take a back seat for a while, but I needed to establish my career. I decided since I love all things dogs, that would be my niche and I'd become a pet expert. I even came up with a cute name for my future blog base - Come.Sit.Stay.
Yet, it didn't feel right to me. I was restless. I found other things to do and procrastinated getting started. I tried to shove away my doubts, telling myself that hey, it's outside my comfort zone - that's why I feel this way.
Then this morning I read two blog posts from fellow God-sized dreamers. One was Laurie Wallin's here and one was Carey Bailey's here.
From Laurie's post I realized that I wanted things to be easy. The newspaper job a lot of times was hard and stressful - people bailed when a deadline loomed, photographers didn't show up, or a story fell through at the last minute - but no matter how many times I have tried to leave, God has blocked my path.
From Carey's post, in which she talked about Sarai trying to force her dream into her own mold, how she thought it would be, a light bulb went on in my head. Because of the things I thought I should do - like make more money and be what I termed "successful" in my writing career - I was trying to force the dream God gave me into a shape that just didn't fit. I was pushing myself in the wrong direction and while logic said that direction made sense, my dreamer heart knew differently.
Earlier this week, I talked to a woman who is a life coach, and when I explained my chosen direction, she said to me, "Honey, don't take this the wrong way, but you need to ditch the dogs. That's not where your heart is." I knew she was right, but I resisted.
It seemed logical - after all, you don't make money writing fiction or even spiritual blog posts. I'm no Anne Voskamp. And I felt this urgency to hurry up and DO something that would give me a tangible return - increased income - before my six months on the dream team was up.
But the thing is, while I could write good, informative articles for pet owners and I do love to help friends with training and socializing tips - that's NOT what God has called me to. That's not really my God-sized dream.
It's hard to give up the safe writing route though - I feel kind of like hyperventilating just thinking that - because it seems a lot more sure, a lot more reliable than writing stories. Writing stories almost sounds childish doesn't it? Not something an adult does as a job, surely.
But, God has called me to write stories - stories that are magical and touch people in a way that even a really good, informative piece of journalism can't. Why? Because, for most of us, we connect with stories more than facts. Let's face it, way more people have read The Chronicles of Narnia than Mere Christianity. Sorry, Mr. Lewis.
Even non-fiction pieces benefit from the true stories that make those facts alive and relevant. Which is why God has also called me to share the stories of how God meets me and others in the ordinary and does something extraordinary through my blog, my weekly newspaper column, and probably a written Bible study someday.
The thing is though, I haven't been obedient to God's call. I've put Him off, saying, First I need to... After I do this then I'll write... I've pushed my calling to the bottom of my to do list.
God showed me today though, that until I start doing what He's called me to do, I'll stay stuck at that crossroads in the woods, bewildered and frustrated and never going anywhere.
Instead, God wants me to start down the path He's already clearly marked - it just didn't look as promising or easy as some of the others.
"Two paths diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference. " ~ Robert Frost
Are you on the path God's called you to? If not, it's time to lace up your hiking boots!
~ Blessings, Bronte
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
THE WORLD NEEDS YOU
Today we are supposed to write a letter to other God-sized dreamers. To be honest, when I first saw this assignment, I kind of wrinkled my nose. As someone who hasn't realized my own dream, I was wondering what in the world did I have to say that could spur someone else on?
But then I started to think about how being not just a dreamer, but a dream pursuer is hard. Sometimes, encouragement comes just by knowing you aren't alone on the journey.
Dear Dreamer,
I want to thank you for dreaming in the first place. It's hard to be a dreamer in this world. Either you feel like you are all alone or that you are part of such a big crowd, that you just don't matter.
But you do.
Because the thing is, the world desperately needs YOUR story - whatever it is. God created you; He has plans for you. Even if you failed. Even if you think that your story could never help anyone. Even if you think you are too broken or messed up to ever make a difference, never mind have a God-sized dream.
The truth is, God can use anything and anyone - if they just give it all over to Him. If you look through the Bible, God used a lot of very flawed, messy, broken people to accomplish His will for this world.
Abraham - who told everyone his wife was his sister. Moses - who killed a man in cold blood, hid in the desert and then argued that God couldn't possibly know what He was talking about because there was no way, he (Moses) could talk to Pharaoh or lead anyone anywhere. Jacob - who had multiple wives and was a liar to boot. Then there is David - you know, the guy who slept with someone else's wife and then killed him to cover it up.
What about the women in the Bible? Tamar who seduced her father in law dressed as a prostitute, or Rahab, a real prostitute or Ruth, the Moabitess - all were part of Jesus' lineage. Mentioned by name.
Yet, God used them all. He gave them each a God-sized dream and then helped them to fulfill it.
Each person's dream, the way God made them and the desires He put into his or her heart is different. Dreams come in all shapes and sizes.
But what is the same is that God is rooting for you to succeed. I remember listening to a speaker (and I'm so sorry but I can't remember who it is because it was a while ago) and she had a special needs child.
This child did not reach milestones like the other kids. She struggled to do the most basic of things. One day, the little girl sat up - by herself.
While most children her age had long since passed this milestone, her mom was thrilled with her. She clapped her hands, singing out, "That's my girl!"
Sitting up meant so much to that mom because she knew how hard it was for her daughter. She recognized the struggle this seemingly simple thing was for her little girl to accomplish.
So many times, we act like God is up in heaven, tapping His foot impatiently at our fumbling attempts to get things right down here on earth. When we finally do, we think He sighs and rolls His eyes, saying, "It's about time!"
But no- He's clapping His hands and saying "That's my girl!" Because He knows how hard it is for us. He's aware of what being human means.
"For He knows our frame and He is mindful we are but dust." Psalms 34:14
God loves you. He has plans for you. Nobody can tell YOUR story, and somebody NEEDS to hear it - whatever it is.
And when you finally step across into your Promised Land, rest assured that God will be waiting - a huge smile on His face, saying, "That's my girl! Way to go!"
Blessings, Bronte (a fellow dreamer)
But then I started to think about how being not just a dreamer, but a dream pursuer is hard. Sometimes, encouragement comes just by knowing you aren't alone on the journey.
Dear Dreamer,
I want to thank you for dreaming in the first place. It's hard to be a dreamer in this world. Either you feel like you are all alone or that you are part of such a big crowd, that you just don't matter.
But you do.
Because the thing is, the world desperately needs YOUR story - whatever it is. God created you; He has plans for you. Even if you failed. Even if you think that your story could never help anyone. Even if you think you are too broken or messed up to ever make a difference, never mind have a God-sized dream.
The truth is, God can use anything and anyone - if they just give it all over to Him. If you look through the Bible, God used a lot of very flawed, messy, broken people to accomplish His will for this world.
Abraham - who told everyone his wife was his sister. Moses - who killed a man in cold blood, hid in the desert and then argued that God couldn't possibly know what He was talking about because there was no way, he (Moses) could talk to Pharaoh or lead anyone anywhere. Jacob - who had multiple wives and was a liar to boot. Then there is David - you know, the guy who slept with someone else's wife and then killed him to cover it up.
What about the women in the Bible? Tamar who seduced her father in law dressed as a prostitute, or Rahab, a real prostitute or Ruth, the Moabitess - all were part of Jesus' lineage. Mentioned by name.
Yet, God used them all. He gave them each a God-sized dream and then helped them to fulfill it.
Each person's dream, the way God made them and the desires He put into his or her heart is different. Dreams come in all shapes and sizes.
But what is the same is that God is rooting for you to succeed. I remember listening to a speaker (and I'm so sorry but I can't remember who it is because it was a while ago) and she had a special needs child.
This child did not reach milestones like the other kids. She struggled to do the most basic of things. One day, the little girl sat up - by herself.
While most children her age had long since passed this milestone, her mom was thrilled with her. She clapped her hands, singing out, "That's my girl!"
Sitting up meant so much to that mom because she knew how hard it was for her daughter. She recognized the struggle this seemingly simple thing was for her little girl to accomplish.
So many times, we act like God is up in heaven, tapping His foot impatiently at our fumbling attempts to get things right down here on earth. When we finally do, we think He sighs and rolls His eyes, saying, "It's about time!"
But no- He's clapping His hands and saying "That's my girl!" Because He knows how hard it is for us. He's aware of what being human means.
"For He knows our frame and He is mindful we are but dust." Psalms 34:14
God loves you. He has plans for you. Nobody can tell YOUR story, and somebody NEEDS to hear it - whatever it is.
And when you finally step across into your Promised Land, rest assured that God will be waiting - a huge smile on His face, saying, "That's my girl! Way to go!"
Blessings, Bronte (a fellow dreamer)
Friday, March 1, 2013
5 MINUTE FRIDAY - ORDINARY
Today, at Gypsy Mama it's 5 Minute Friday - that day where we write on the topic at hand for five minutes, uncensored and unedited. Our word today is "ordinary."
Ordinary is something we all take for granted until things aren't. Last fall, my youngest son suddenly started exhibiting extreme anxiety and OCD-like symptoms. He literally went from being fine one day to being a seemingly completely different child the next.
To say it was scary is an understatement. We prayed. We talked to doctors. We even visited a Christian psychologist. We asked questions and tried to find out what could have happened to produce this drastic change. Nothing seemed to help and he only seemed to get worse and we had no answers.
This lasted for about eight weeks and then it gradually subsided. He got better. He still has moments of anxiety, especially if he isn't feeling well, but overall, he's back to himself.
I remember the day that my hope returned. He had a friend over - the first in a while because you can't have another sixth grader over when your sixth grader spends several hours sobbing every day - and I heard his laughter.
I cried.
It had been at least a month since I had seen him smile, never mind laugh. The ordinary sound of laughter that I had taken for granted so many times - now it was a gift.
During that scary time, I wished with all my heart for the ordinary. It's so easy to take our days for granted - the gentle rhythm of each day, the passing of weeks, months and seasons. It easy to even feel a sense of boredom or wish for things to be more exciting or different. It's so easy to rely on the fact that tomorrow will be like today - ordinary
But then it isn't.
Suddenly, in the face of an accident or a diagnosis or something like we faced, ordinary starts to look pretty good after all.
The fact is, most of life happens in the ordinary. It's a place that can be full of joy and contentment. I know I'll never take ordinary for granted again.
~ Blessings, Bronte
p.s. My son experienced something called PANDA. You can find out more about it here
Ordinary is something we all take for granted until things aren't. Last fall, my youngest son suddenly started exhibiting extreme anxiety and OCD-like symptoms. He literally went from being fine one day to being a seemingly completely different child the next.
To say it was scary is an understatement. We prayed. We talked to doctors. We even visited a Christian psychologist. We asked questions and tried to find out what could have happened to produce this drastic change. Nothing seemed to help and he only seemed to get worse and we had no answers.
This lasted for about eight weeks and then it gradually subsided. He got better. He still has moments of anxiety, especially if he isn't feeling well, but overall, he's back to himself.
I remember the day that my hope returned. He had a friend over - the first in a while because you can't have another sixth grader over when your sixth grader spends several hours sobbing every day - and I heard his laughter.
I cried.
It had been at least a month since I had seen him smile, never mind laugh. The ordinary sound of laughter that I had taken for granted so many times - now it was a gift.
During that scary time, I wished with all my heart for the ordinary. It's so easy to take our days for granted - the gentle rhythm of each day, the passing of weeks, months and seasons. It easy to even feel a sense of boredom or wish for things to be more exciting or different. It's so easy to rely on the fact that tomorrow will be like today - ordinary
But then it isn't.
Suddenly, in the face of an accident or a diagnosis or something like we faced, ordinary starts to look pretty good after all.
The fact is, most of life happens in the ordinary. It's a place that can be full of joy and contentment. I know I'll never take ordinary for granted again.
~ Blessings, Bronte
p.s. My son experienced something called PANDA. You can find out more about it here
Monday, February 25, 2013
INSPIRATION
This week, for our Tuesday link up with Holley Gerth, we will be sharing a story of someone who has inspired us to keep dreaming. It can be someone from the Bible or our family or down the street.
To be honest, this one kind of stumped me. There are so many people to choose from in my life that it's hard to narrow it down to one. With the articles I write for the paper, I meet a lot of very inspiring people - people who have realized their dreams through a lot of hard work, perseverance and faith.
I also have family members who inspire me, and this doesn't even touch all the people in the Bible that inspire me, too. The list some well-knowns like Moses and Paul, but it also includes some people you may not have heard of like Shiphrah and Puah.
The person that inspires me the most though is Enoch. We are first introduce to Enoch in Genesis 5, and he has the distinction of one of the few people who never died. Instead, God just took him up to heaven.
"Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." Genesis 5:22-24
Enoch is mentioned again in the Faith Hall of Fame listed in Hebrews 11:5. "By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God."
Why does Enoch inspire me? It's not because he never died. It's because the only thing the Bible lists that Enoch did was walk with God. For hundreds of years. The result of walking with God was that God was pleased with Him.
There Enoch is, sandwiched in that faith hall of fame with Biblical greats like Noah and Abraham - men whose deeds have been well-known Sunday school stories for generations.
But Enoch - his only claim to fame was that he walked with God.
I find the story of Enoch to be inspiring because he didn't please God with great deeds. He pleased God because he chose to daily make the quiet choice to put his hand into God's and just walk with Him.
Why is this inspiring to me? Well, the truth is I tend to get really hung with up with doing and things like making a difference, having impact, and being productive, but just as Jesus told Martha to take a page out of Mary's book, that sitting at His feet was far better than bustling around, Enoch reminds me that no matter what my dreams, no matter what I accomplish - even good or great things - the most important thing in all of it is that I walk with God.
Without God, without that daily intimacy of trusting God enough to put my hand in His and move forward wherever He leads, even realized dreams are empty and meaningless.
So, Enoch inspires me. He inspires me that it is the quiet, daily devotion to God that makes the biggest difference - both in my own life and in those around me. He reminds me to be still and know that God is, well, God which means I'm not. I don't know about you, but that takes a world of weight off of my shoulders.
I don't have to have all the answers. I don't have to be uber organized with graph charts and to do list systems and measure my productivity.
I just have to walk with God - that is enough to make Him pleased with me.
~ Blessings, Bronte
To be honest, this one kind of stumped me. There are so many people to choose from in my life that it's hard to narrow it down to one. With the articles I write for the paper, I meet a lot of very inspiring people - people who have realized their dreams through a lot of hard work, perseverance and faith.
I also have family members who inspire me, and this doesn't even touch all the people in the Bible that inspire me, too. The list some well-knowns like Moses and Paul, but it also includes some people you may not have heard of like Shiphrah and Puah.
The person that inspires me the most though is Enoch. We are first introduce to Enoch in Genesis 5, and he has the distinction of one of the few people who never died. Instead, God just took him up to heaven.
"Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." Genesis 5:22-24
Enoch is mentioned again in the Faith Hall of Fame listed in Hebrews 11:5. "By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God."
Why does Enoch inspire me? It's not because he never died. It's because the only thing the Bible lists that Enoch did was walk with God. For hundreds of years. The result of walking with God was that God was pleased with Him.
There Enoch is, sandwiched in that faith hall of fame with Biblical greats like Noah and Abraham - men whose deeds have been well-known Sunday school stories for generations.
But Enoch - his only claim to fame was that he walked with God.
I find the story of Enoch to be inspiring because he didn't please God with great deeds. He pleased God because he chose to daily make the quiet choice to put his hand into God's and just walk with Him.
Why is this inspiring to me? Well, the truth is I tend to get really hung with up with doing and things like making a difference, having impact, and being productive, but just as Jesus told Martha to take a page out of Mary's book, that sitting at His feet was far better than bustling around, Enoch reminds me that no matter what my dreams, no matter what I accomplish - even good or great things - the most important thing in all of it is that I walk with God.
Without God, without that daily intimacy of trusting God enough to put my hand in His and move forward wherever He leads, even realized dreams are empty and meaningless.
So, Enoch inspires me. He inspires me that it is the quiet, daily devotion to God that makes the biggest difference - both in my own life and in those around me. He reminds me to be still and know that God is, well, God which means I'm not. I don't know about you, but that takes a world of weight off of my shoulders.
I don't have to have all the answers. I don't have to be uber organized with graph charts and to do list systems and measure my productivity.
I just have to walk with God - that is enough to make Him pleased with me.
~ Blessings, Bronte
Friday, February 22, 2013
BOOK WALLOWING
I am a bookworm. From the time I could first read I was always diving into stories - well, I take that back. Before I could read, I relentlessly pestered the adults in my life to "read me a story." I couldn't get enough of stories.
Even now, my husband says that I inhale books, and it's true. If I get a good book, there's a chance that by the time I put my head on my pillow to sleep, I will have read the last page.
My love of books is one of the reason I want to be a writer. If I read a particularly well-written story, I often cry when I turn the last page because it hits me in a very tender part of my heart that THIS is what I want to do - to touch someone's heart, to change their perspective, to widen their view and open their mind.
In the past few weeks, I've been running breathless. I've been looking at my dreams, honing in on what I need to do and where my focus needs to be. That's a good thing. In order to realize a dream, I can't just fantasize about it. I have to pull on my boots and start walking toward the peak of the mountain. There is no magic "beam me up" in realizing a dream.
But in the process of getting on the path and moving toward my goal, I have been missing the scenery. Yes, realizing a dream can be hard work. Sweat may be involved - even tears, but if I trudge along, with my head down, I am missing out on the beauty of the journey.
This week was my "birthday week," and yes, if possible, I try to stretch out the celebration as long as possible. So, after getting my "have to" work done, I decided to give myself a little present - the freedom to enjoy a few good books.
To be completely honest, I needed a little break from learning about developing platform and designing my blog and narrowing my niche. I needed to clear my head from researching potential markets for my work and remember why I write in the first place - to honor my first love which has always been and will always be fiction.
So, yesterday and today, I've been a bit of a loaf. Yes, I got my necessary things on my to do list done, but instead of trying to squeeze a few more things on there, I sat down. And I read.
It was like my soul went "ahhhh."
As someone who feels like I'm always about two steps behind, it's hard to give myself permission to just be. The thing is though, busyness does not beget creativity. Creativity blossoms in times of stillness, in times where there is enough non-activity to peel back the brain from the present urgency that often surrounds and presses down on me.
So, this week, I'm book wallowing. I have a small stack of well-written, interesting stories, and as a birthday present to myself, I'm giving myself a little time - time to read, to wallow in the written word.
What book has touched your heart recently? I'd love to hear about it as I'm always looking for a good read!
~ Blessings, Bronte
Even now, my husband says that I inhale books, and it's true. If I get a good book, there's a chance that by the time I put my head on my pillow to sleep, I will have read the last page.
My love of books is one of the reason I want to be a writer. If I read a particularly well-written story, I often cry when I turn the last page because it hits me in a very tender part of my heart that THIS is what I want to do - to touch someone's heart, to change their perspective, to widen their view and open their mind.
In the past few weeks, I've been running breathless. I've been looking at my dreams, honing in on what I need to do and where my focus needs to be. That's a good thing. In order to realize a dream, I can't just fantasize about it. I have to pull on my boots and start walking toward the peak of the mountain. There is no magic "beam me up" in realizing a dream.
But in the process of getting on the path and moving toward my goal, I have been missing the scenery. Yes, realizing a dream can be hard work. Sweat may be involved - even tears, but if I trudge along, with my head down, I am missing out on the beauty of the journey.
This week was my "birthday week," and yes, if possible, I try to stretch out the celebration as long as possible. So, after getting my "have to" work done, I decided to give myself a little present - the freedom to enjoy a few good books.
To be completely honest, I needed a little break from learning about developing platform and designing my blog and narrowing my niche. I needed to clear my head from researching potential markets for my work and remember why I write in the first place - to honor my first love which has always been and will always be fiction.
So, yesterday and today, I've been a bit of a loaf. Yes, I got my necessary things on my to do list done, but instead of trying to squeeze a few more things on there, I sat down. And I read.
It was like my soul went "ahhhh."
As someone who feels like I'm always about two steps behind, it's hard to give myself permission to just be. The thing is though, busyness does not beget creativity. Creativity blossoms in times of stillness, in times where there is enough non-activity to peel back the brain from the present urgency that often surrounds and presses down on me.
So, this week, I'm book wallowing. I have a small stack of well-written, interesting stories, and as a birthday present to myself, I'm giving myself a little time - time to read, to wallow in the written word.
What book has touched your heart recently? I'd love to hear about it as I'm always looking for a good read!
~ Blessings, Bronte
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