PATTERNS

We recently listened to a message about "this world" - what in THIS world are we doing? What is THIS world really? And why does God want us here, as opposed to removing ourselves from the threat of the stains, the dirt, the scars.

Ever wonder about that?

Ya'll, if I could only have Jeremiah 29:11 tattooed on my hand. Or forehead. Wait, then I'd have to look in the mirror to see it and it would be backwards. Retract. 

If we just didn't have all this darned temptation around us...the distraction, the food, the mess, the heartache, the choices. If life were just...simpler.

My, oh my, how many times I have prayed for that. A simpler existence. I see your blog over there, lookin' all neat and tidy and you have time to home make all your teacher gifts off Pinterest and you recovered those chairs using hot glue and the love of God and you have timeouts for quiet prayer time three times a day programmed into your iPhone.

Some days are like that and Pinterest scores a few points. Some days. Some days we painted those pots and planted seeds for Mother's Day. Some days we make sandwiches with cookie cutter shapes to match the seasons.

But most? Most are just lived IN.



















He is always a happy man but he looks especially happy in this picture and I'm sure it's because he knew he would be 6th place and that his dime of a lady would get 5th. YOU HEAR THAT? Yes, I beat him.

Most days are "how do we seriously go through a jar of peanut butter a week in this house?!" and "where are your shoes?" and if I can make it through three pages of my 1000 Gifts book by Anne Voskamp then we shall declare that success and I will shake my butt around!

This world is not simple. But Christ calls us to not walk in the ways of the world, but rather to walk in HIS ways and love the world.

When you compete, when you make choices to become a healthier person, you expose yourself to the criticism of others. I have struggled with lack of family support. I have had to make choices to leave some relationships at a distance because they do not align with what I believe I am here to accomplish. This is not easy. And it made me, at times, want to hide what I was doing - somehow not be proud of what I was doing. I haven't experienced that in a long time until this weekend...at a family party. I packed my lunch because I knew I would need to and when everyone started making plates, I thought to myself "I'll just wait and eat in the car on the way home so I don't make a spectacle of this."

I could feel it rise in my chest: I work hard for this. For every question about fitness, for every inquiry about my workout routine, every opportunity I have to share what I do and how amazing it is. I work HARD for this. And I will be proud of the steps it takes to get here.

Muffin the size of his head. With delicious sugar topping. "I don't like it," he declares. "Too sweet." Says NO CHILD EVER. Except mine. 

So out came my tupperware and chicken and sweet potatoe an d broccoli and into the microwave and I was happy to tell others about what i was eating and why it's so important.

Take a seat at the table, ya'll. You never know who might be listening in the seat across from you.