faith – Long walks and dark chocolate

Removing the barnacles

This picture was taken from our dock and you can see all of the barnacles on the piling; the longer they are allowed to grow, the greater their adhesion. We have to remove them from the boats because they will slow us down and cost more fuel.

I think on occasion there are things in our lives that resemble barnacles, slowing us down, causing a “drag” so to speak, that can feel like a large noose around our neck. Sometimes, these can be what the bible describes as hindrances, weights, or besetting sins. At other times, it’s just something that shouldn’t be a priority in our life, but we’ve fallen into bad habits, or we know something is bugging us, but it’s in our power to rectify it (this one is often one of my issues due to procrastination) and we haven’t.

If your goal is like mine, to live life to the fullest, to run this race with all you’ve got, then at times we have to take inventory. We have to look at our lives with eyes of faith and a sense of our purpose and recognize and accept when change is necessary. Sometimes, we even have relationships with people who are spewing forth cynicism and gloom and doom, bringing us down. In this area, of course, we must handle with love and kid gloves and always try to help and encourage first. We don’t want to hurt others, but we can’t forever be the receptacle for all things negative, either.

Spring is on it’s way and is always a good time for cleaning house (inside and out)! So, I guess it’s time to get out the gloves, pressure cleaner and the scrapers and get busy.

To watch or not to watch

February 3, 2013 3 Comments

Maxine comics

Are you watching the Super Bowl today? I am not unless my family is home and watching it and I just happen to be in the room (translate as I will watch with my family if they want to because I love them). I used to, but along with all the other wonderful freedoms that come with age and maturity, I don’t feel compelled anymore to follow the crowd. I wonder how many people out there today are planning to watch and really wish they were doing something else? Been there, done that.

The bigger question for me is when did any type of event start to always turn into a huge monstrosity of a party for so many.

We can’t have sweet, simple little birthdays anymore. Those become events when the child is around, let’s see…one. We have to hire a circus, dancing monkeys or something just as fabulous to keep up with everyone else. I’ve done it too; I’m not judging. I just remember a simpler time and I miss it.

The new holiday items are on the shelves before we finish buying for the last holiday. Everything is so commercialized and there is so much STUFF out there until when you do buy a gift anymore, even for a small child, you have no idea what to get because they really do have everything.

The electronic revolution has helped catapult us into approaching every new holiday or event with the mentality of honoring it with the best post, funniest tweet, most awesome pinterest folder, most unique desserts, best costumes and decorations and gifts. We are prodded and poked with ideas, pictures, suggestions. Even if we had a good idea of our own, we probably couldn’t eek it out of our already overstuffed brains sometimes.

Does anyone else agree? Am I getting old or cynical? Or am I realizing that while there are people starving and devastated and lonely, I am spending too much time on materialistic trivialities to bother taking the time to pray for them, to think of them, to do anything to help.

I am grateful for all of the ways we have to communicate nowadays, I really am. My prayer is that I would use them to encourage and uplift others and to spread the word about truly meaningful events.

I do believe we have to have fun, relax and all of those things – I’m not “dissing” anyone who is truly enthusiastic about watching the Super Bowl today – may your favorite team win. I’m just reflecting on my own priorities and wanting more than ever for them to line up with God’s will for me. I want to place the correct and proper value on things and events, not the value that everyone else says must be placed on them.