Itching to Write

I'm really 'itching' to write something but nothing inspirational has really struck me this last week so I'm going to keep this post short and sweet. I've been reading the New Testament in the Message Bible and I love the way the Beatitudes are portrayed in modern day vernacular. For instance, instead of 'Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven' the Message says, 'You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.' Instead of 'Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted' we have ' You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One who is most dear to you.' The list goes on and they're all great food for thought. If you don't have a Message Bible, I encourage you to look them up sometime. That's really all I've got to say right now. Not much I know, but I wanted to write something.

In closing, since this is a blog on peace, I guess should finish with the version of 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.' The Message says 'You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.'

My prayer is that whoever reads these words comes to the experiential realization of their place in God's family- precious, irreplaceable, and worth the exchange of Jesus' life for theirs.

People Trump Things

A couple of weeks ago, I was trying to 'fit' some time in for myself around housework, childcare, cooking, and the myriad of other tasks that seem to cry out for my attention on a daily basis. I had managed to get both boys to sleep and get some of the 'necessities' done before collapsing onto my bed for a few minutes of R and R (aka listening to my iPod or a bit of book reading) when Joel, my youngest, woke up. I inwardly groaned in dismay because I REALLY REALLY felt as though I needed a break and I hadn't had one and I was tired and to be honest, just a bit pissed off that he'd not slept longer. I sat on my bed for a minute and got 'real' with God. 'I don't know how I'm going to do this! I'm tired, overwhelmed, annoyed, and You know I want to walk in peace, love, and all that jazz but I am truly at the end of myself today and I don't think I have anything more to give out at this minute, especially to my child, who is so dependent on me for everything. How am I supposed to get everything done that needs doing and still keep my sanity?' Not feeling any 'Divine' inspiration at that moment, I got up and walked into his room because I didn't want his crying to wake his brother. As I got him out of bed, this little 'nugget' dropped into my heart. People trump things.

Instantly my perspective became clear and I felt peace return to my emotions. Ah-ha! So that's how it works. Obvious, some may say, but at that moment, it was exactly what I needed to hear to see the forest from the trees again. It's amazing how three words can put so much into perspective. As a full time mother of two very active toddlers, my days sometimes feel like an endless blur of activity and I sometimes struggle to keep my priorities straight. Hearing those words just hit the nail on the head for me. When two or more things are vying for my attention, the one that involves people will always win. Dishes or playing with my sons? Sons win. Watching tv or taking 5 minutes to connect with my husband and see how his day went? Hubby wins. Someone once said that relationships are the only things we will take with us into eternity. I wholeheartedly agree.

Now I know there is a time and place for 'work' and I'm not saying children should run the roost and never learn to entertain themselves, but I know that I can easily become task-focused if I let myself and keeping this little 'mantra' in the back of my mind helps me take a step back every now and then and re-assess what's really important. For me, they are the people in my life. Everything else, no matter how pressing, can either be fit in around my relationships or I will seriously consider whether I need it. If nothing else, it motivates me to be more organised with my time so that I can get the 'things' done that need to be done AS WELL AS spend the time with the people I love.

Three words. Simple, yet they have hugely impacted my life from that day forward and will do so for a long time to come. What's important in your life and are the things you think are priorities REALLY going to matter that much in the big scheme of things?

My first post

Welcome! I've just outlined what I'm doing in my other blog because I thought I would keep everything together in one spot but have decided to in fact, start a blog specifically for this 'journey' I'm taking over the next 10-12 months (maybe longer.) I will recap quickly, otherwise just check out my post on mooseacres.blogspot.com called 'Living in Peace.'

I turned 35 a few weeks ago and, like I do on all my birthdays, took stock of how things are going in my life and where I'm going, what my goals are, etc etc. One thing that really struck me as I was evaluating what my priorities are is how much I actually want to live in an abiding sense of peace on a daily, moment-by-moment basis. So much of my 'inner' life has been marked by anxiety, worry, feelings of failure, and a general 'overthinking' of almost everything I do. Now don't get me wrong, I love life and I would say in many ways I am very happy and very aware of the blessings that surround me, but when I'm really honest with myself, deep down there is often a sense that I could be living in so much more than what I'm currently experiencing. A few days after my birthday this year, I woke up one morning with what I would call a 'compulsion' to live in peace. I have been taking some active steps towards living in a more peaceful state for a number of months now, but this day it was like a little voice was saying, 'This isn't just a good idea anymore, you NEED to make this a priority and allow the internal changes in you to take place to bring you to a place where the outside world doesn't rock you when it's not going the way you want it to.' After all, I will ultimately 'prosper as my soul prospers.' The change starts with me! This 'compulsion' wasn't a fearful one, but it had a no-nonsense feel to it.

Anyway, I made a deep decision that day that whatever had to change about the way I think, feel, and 'view' reality in order to abide in a state of peace, then so be it. I was brushing my teeth a few days later, thinking about how I like to write my thoughts down and all of a sudden I thought, 'Write a blog... you never know who will be blessed by this journey you're on' and so voila! Here it is. I will write as often as I can with any thoughts, insights, and breakthroughs I have as a result of this decision. Already, I have begun seeing changes in my perspectives and paradigms and I'm sure many more are to follow. My desire with this blog is to be as transparent as possible because I want to live in Truth and Light and Love and my sincere hope is that this journey not only inspires and encourages the reader, but also challenges and provokes you to ask some truly important questions about what you're doing here and where you're going. Blessings!