New Blog Site

Hey Friends,

If you're checking in here, chances are you've been with me on the journey these past few months.  Many of you have been kind enough to email, text, fb message...whatever.  But you've asked for a better blog platform where it's easier to post comments and resources.  So as of today, my new blog address is:

http://AWAKEMYSOULBLOG.COM/

I sure hope you'll come over and check it out, leave your comments, and pass it along to others who might be encouraged or want to join the conversation.

Blessings,
Laura

The Lucy and Ethel Road Trip

I never, EVER thought there would be a day in my life when I would accidentally end up in a nudist camp, looking for the Giant Lady’s Leg Sundial in rural Indiana. But that's exactly what happened.

I just got back from the road trip my daughter Maggie and I took driving a U Haul, moving her to D.C. and stopping at quirky sights along the way.

Our trip included car dancing, U turns, bonding with fellow truckers, and stops like the sundial, a space acorn (we just missed the UFO convention) and a hot dog bun “museum” of sorts.  It was a blast. Three days of adventure filled with laughter.


 I kept thinking of Deuteronomy 30:19 that reminds us to “choose life!”  The life that God has created includes everything from the inspirational, to the sacrificial, to the…FUN!  So...on this holiday I hope each of you find a giant orange moose, or something that gives you delight!  

Multi-tasking God

I know it’s braggy, but I’m a great multi-tasker.  In a normal 4 – 5:00 p.m. timeframe during the day I may be g-chatting with my daughters on-line, switching over a load of laundry from washer to dryer between answering emails, wrapping a present, browsing articles, and monitoring the cookies in the oven, all with the t.v. on in the background.  And this is in a season when I don’t have a “real” job!  If you’re someone working full-time outside the home or a mom with young kids you might multiply that list times 10!

I love the quote “Ginger Rogers had to do everything Fred Astaire did, only backwards and in high heels.”  Women in particular just seem to be good at multi-tasking.  But what struck me today was that I bring that same drive to multi-task into my prayer life. 

As much as I believe, like I wrote the other day, that the casual comments and “little nothings” we share with God throughout the day are not “fake prayer”, I realized that I can get sucked into majoring on a multi-tasking relationship with God that’s very shallow.  He’s GOD, and I realized He seldom gets my completely undivided attention.  At least my undivided attention in prayer. 

I have a friend who was at the grocery store with her toddler in line at the check out, unloading things, crossing items off her list, juggling an infant in a baby carrier, all while her toddler was sharing a very “important” story.  She tried to engage with him, and threw in a “Great, honey” every once in awhile, til finally from his seat in the grocery cart he got up and held her face between his chubby little hands, turned it towards his and said, “MOMMY!  Listen with your eyes!”  In other words, “I want your full attention!  I’m important!”

One of the things I do to try to overcome this tendency is to journal, but that still feels in the end more about me than about God.  Another thing I do is prayer walks, but…this is GOD I’m talking to!  He is my friend, but also my creator, redeemer, and Lord.  Surely he deserves my total focus. Is this ever an issue for you?  Are there ways you overcome the tendency to multi-task God?

Empty G Chats, Garbage, and Value

Here’s the text from a recent g chat with my daughters:

Maggie: am i the only one who cares about this group chat?!‬

 ‪Katy:  I’m back!

 ‪Maggie: good!‬

 ‪Katy: not sure for how long though‬

where's mom?

 ‪Maggie: i don’t know

Later…

Maggie: NOBODY is talking to me!

NOBODY cares!

Ok, I just realized I’m in an empty chat again, talking to myself…

Ever feel like you’re in an empty G chat? 

When I go out walking or riding, I try to ask, “Lord, what do you have to teach me about myself or Yourself today?”  Now I’m sure God is probably shouting a million messages to me given that I have a lot to learn about both of us, but I’m also a little ADD plus I tend to think that first I need to tell HIM what He should know about ME and My problems. 

However,I try to pay attention, and every once in awhile He gets through.  And it’s not like a slap in the face, but more like a gentle-soft “pat-pat” on my hand like my grandmother used to do with love and a twinkle in her eye.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m contributing anything of value to the kingdom.  I doubt I’m alone in that, but the other day it was particularly on my mind.  I was finishing a ride around Lake of the Isles when I passed a group of mentally challenged young adults along the path picking up garbage.

I thought:

• Does anyone thank these folks?
• Do they feel like what they’re doing is worthwhile – honorable?  Or does it feel shameful?
• Do they feel loved and celebrated by God or anyone else?

Lord, what do you want me to see about You and about me in this picture?

As I reflected on this, several verses came to mind, verses that reminded me of God’s character and heart.  Now when this happens, it really is a God thing because as hard as I try, I’m not good at memorizing scripture, so usually the “pat-pat” is an image or vague memory of something from scripture that I look up and say “Is this where you were leading, Lord?” 

Anyway, “sparrow verses” came to mind and led me to “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”(Mt.10:28-31)

And the “small things” verse that is often a good reminder to me came to mind.  “Who dares despise the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10)

And lastly, “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’  On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable…God put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” (I Cor. 12;22-26)

I went on through my day and then in the afternoon I was at a busy intersection and there was a woman pulling weeds from around the stoplight.  I’ve never seen that before and it made me smile.  I think it made God smile too - that there was another person caring for His creation.

I wish there was some huge deep insight from this, but rather, I think that God just wanted to remind me that we’re all honored by Him.  He sees and rejoices in our smallest contributions.  And we’re to value others even as He values the smallest sparrow. 

I think He was delighting in His children picking up garbage on the path and pulling weeds at the stoplight would like them to know that.

Who are the “small people” in your world that you’re tempted to dismiss as less valuable?  Have you found ways to honor others who may be doubting their worth?  I’d love to hear!

Second-hand Faith

I had a great phone conversation last night with a high capacity leader on the other side of the country.  She is confident, bold, and faithful in using the gifts God has given her.  She inspired me, and challenged me. I walked away from our conversation encouraged…with renewed passion.

I LOVE to read how God is at work in the lives of others!  I love to ask people where they’re noticing the work of God.  Love to hear stories of big faith and audacious prayers. Conversations like I had last night are an important part of living into community.  But if that’s all I’ve got, that’s not enough.  We can’t just live off of someone else’s story.  We each need a first-hand experience of God.  I love the way Mark Batterson says this.  “God’s dream for you is bigger than a second-hand faith.” 

Yep, God appeared to Moses (Exodus 3:5), but he also showed up and spoke to Joshua too (Joshua 5:14,15).  And Hagar!  He showed up for Hagar!  An outcast in the desert!  Similar situation, different God-story.  He walked with Abraham, wrestled with Jacob, whispered to Elijah, argued with Job, and struck Paul blind to get his attention.  

Whose faith inspires you?  How do you feel about the idea of a first-hand experience with God?  Isn't it incredibly exciting that the story God has scripted for you and me isn't inferior to Joshua's or Hannah's or Ruth's or anyone's?!

Got Home?

I haven't been posting very regularly because we've been gone, and I'm also working on transitioning this blog to a new platform, but I figure everyone is getting in as much time as possible outside, playing hard before we go back into the school year routine.  Who wants to be at their computer when there are picnics to be had and lakes to swim in, and bikes to ride?

We just got back from a week visiting family and friends in the suburbs of Chicago.  I grew up in a shady-treed town with a little lake for ice skating in winter, and small town parades celebrating homecoming, 4^th of July and boys little league baseball.  I’m blessed to have a close, faith-filled extended family who still live there.  I always feel replenished and encouraged after time with them.  They are a reminder that, even if flawed, good healthy, loving relationships are possible.  It’s safe.  It’s life-giving.  It feels…”right”.

I’ve been thinking a lot about “home” lately.  I’m a “nester”.  I sink deep roots and love intensely.  Which can be good. 

And bad. 

When I think of models in the Bible there are a lot of folks who love deeply, but don’t have geographical roots…aren’t attached to a house they love or a town with great bike paths, or their small group from church. 

 

Think of some of the great heroes of the faith.  They all had to leave “home”!  Abraham….Moses…Ruth…Some were uprooted more violently than others (Joseph, Noah?) Paul’s life was spent living out of a suitcase!  Sure, their culture was nomadic, but when 1 Peter 2:11 says “Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it”, I resist!  I like it here!

Can you relate?

I’ve been thinking, maybe those places that feel the most safe,

  the most life-giving

    the most “right”

are like the delightful aroma of just-baked cookies that linger in your mother’s kitchen.  A reminder of the way God created the earth to be before the Fall and the way it will be again someday.  A reminder of our true home.

So maybe our “nesting” instincts, our desires to create beautiful, welcoming spaces, to be rooted in love, are part of bringing heaven to earth…creating kingdom havens.

What are the places you think of as home?  What’s one way today that we can create a heavenly home away from home while we wait for the real thing that will be permanent?  Is there one way to nurture, bring life, encourage with words, create boundaries for safety, or honor God that you can choose today?

G Chatting, Prayer, and Little Nothings

There’s the supernatural feeding of the 5,000, the miraculous pillar of fire in the wilderness, and…G Chat.  Unless you’ve been living under a rock (like I was, apparently), you know about this magical little box that appears at the bottom of your screen if you have Gmail and allows you to carry on a conversation with friends and family while simultaneously doing “work” on your computer.  This has been a delightful discovery, introduced to me by my daughters, one in Guatemala, and one in Washington D.C.  Sometime during most mornings we’ll each show up, sign on and Maggie will text, “Well, we’re all here.  How’s the fam?”

Off and on, as we leave and then jump back into the conversation, going about our daily stuff, we tackle problems like looking for a new home for Katy in D.C., prepping Maggie for job interviews, weighing in on important fashion questions, and planning a road trip together.

Years ago, when she was in high school, it was Maggie who learned how to text without looking at the screen of her phone, holding it under her desk and chatting with me while in class.  She taught me the wonders of texting too, kind of like a special ed teacher working with a very slow student.  I figured communication with my teen was at least as important as what her Spanish teacher was saying so I didn’t discourage this impropriety.

I think back to my family growing up and accessibility was one of the highest values.  My parents have had the same phone number for 50 years.  That phone # represents their presence and availability.  It never mattered how high the phone bill was, and I always knew that any time of the day or night they were there for me.  I knew (and know) that talking to me was their highest priority.  I remember the night I called them at 2 a.m. because I was so excited that it was snowing where I was in Texas and without missing a beat they shook off their sleep and joined me in my enthusiasm.

With our daughters it’s mostly texting 24/7, but last night I got a call from Guat.  Both of us home alone for the evening in our respective countries, we talked about important things like Miley Cyrus, and Bill Clinton, a friend who’s pregnant, what we were fixing for dinner, and how much we like Sandra Bullock as a comedienne.  We laughed a lot and missed each other.  It was a lot of little “nothings” that added up to an important “something”. 

It’s kind of like a card we have loved to send to each other in our family.  On the front are Pooh and Piglet walking together. 

“Pooh!” whispered Piglet.

“Yes, Piglet?” said Pooh.

“Oh, nothing,” said Piglet.

“I was just making sure of you.”

I wonder if it’s like that with God.  Do we tend to dismiss the casual thoughts, hopes, anxieties of our day that we may toss up to God as “not legitimate” prayer – a lot of little “nothings”?  I wonder if it’s exactly those little “nothings” that add up to the “something” of an authentic, present relationship with God.  What do you think?