True Identity in living with Fingerprints

" To live a life of perfection is not to make all A's or to never miss a Sunday at church; rather. it is to live a life true to our identity." - Melissa Moore

Dishes in the sink
       
           Crumbs that seem to never end

                                        Fingerprints on the french doors
                                             
         Stereotypes of what a mom's world is like- little mole hills that notoriously turn into mountains for those of us who want or think we need to be "Supermom." I've had  ladies tell me to enjoy every little smudge in my freshly Windexed french doors, to think how quickly these stages go by, and how one day I will miss the madness of dashing from one chore to the next with a little one toddling behind leaving yet another trail of toys to pick up.
    Admittedly, this is not easy for me do. I don't want to ignore smudges. I don't want to be tired. I don't want to complain. I don't want....blah blah blah. Oh, and I don't want to make dinner either.
 It's a little embarrassing really- forced to be human- to say " I can't always" and be "okay" with it.
Perfection is not really me- that is what makes me laugh about this whole thing. Many of my friends and family know that if it works fairly well- it's good enough for me. So why this struggle to perform like a super woman?  The quote above kept coming to my mind and the question, "Am I living in my true identity" barraged my thoughts. What is my true identity? Identity defined by Webster's Dictionary summed up is " sameness in all that constitutes the objective reality of a thing "  (With definitions like that, it's no wonder I didn't think it necessary to mention in my 5th grade book report that Noah Webster wrote the dictionary. Totally didn't deserve that C.) Anyway- as I thought about my identity this verse came to mind, "Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts..."
(Colossians 3 ESV)

Suddenly all the mountains become mole hills. I am a chosen child of God. His Son gave me the only necessary identity there is. The pressure of perfection has wasted away into the beauty of the cross. Absorbed into the rough, cracked wood- blossoming into peace-- by the living grace of Christ. I am free to live unchained to the mediocre expectations of what this world calls perfect. Living a life wholly leaning on the One who is perfect and who delights to see me living in the freedom He died to bring me. So, the quote at the beginning- for me becomes this: " To live a life of perfection is not to have a sparkling house every day, or to always have a five star dinner; rather, it is living in the wholeness of Christ's love for me in my human-ness and in my mistakes. It's knowing that I can enjoy my identity as a mother because that is Christ's calling for me. That my identity is perfection- it's Christ--and that is perfect.

Fingerprinting...

       

Opening Ceremonies Unlike any Other

 From brightly colored tunics and headdresses to sports jackets and fedoras, people from large countries like South Africa to smaller ones like Trinidad and Tobago, come marching out proudly bearing their countries flag. Excitement is thick in the air- people are dancing, singing, laughing  for there is much to look forward to.  Over the next few weeks competitions will be non stop, athletes have trained for years to be ready, their muscles are strong, reflexes are quick, nothing can break them from focusing on the prize. Eyes closed and breathing slow they feel the weight of a gold coin hanging around their neck, people are shouting their name, their heart is pounding- the snap of the starting blocks jolt them into motion--flashing through their mind are clips of their coaches pushing them to higher performance, some are here running completely alone-  determination and purpose their only prod. Injuries, obstacles, dreams, sweat their very souls are fighting for the goal they have long set after. Achieving distinction among others as a true athlete, receiving honor for a fight well fought. A gold coin, draping from their hot and strained body- adrenaline pumping through every vein- arms held high--they have won.

As I watched the opening ceremonies for the summer Olympics, it was amazing to see the crowds of people from all over the world. Some countries I have never even heard of, boasting only a couple of athletes yet there with just as much reason as any other. Each culture so different yet all together with one common thread- they are all athletes. Fast forward to Sunday morning, standing in church with many brothers and sisters singing "All who gather in His holy name- Bless the Lord." I suddenly realize how amazing the "opening ceremonies" into Heaven are going to be! Just like the Olympics, people from every country marching into the presence of our great God! Each person very different from the one standing next to them, yet all connected through the saving grace of their common Savior, Jesus Christ. On earth they fought hard battles, they wearied over daily tasks, but they pursued long and pushed forward for a prize greater than a gold coin. For now instead of just believing, they are seeing, beholding the glorious God that reached down to them in love saving them from eternal separation from Him. Hearts are no longer weighted down by the sins of their earthly life, they are forever pure, forever holy, forever rejoicing that their prize has been won. The sacrifices and heartaches were not in vain, the people they loved, reached out to-each one a gem in their crown. To live eternally in the happiness of knowing fully our Great God! Press on my fellow laborers, strive for excellence, seek to love others as Christ would love them. We are guaranteed a hope unlike any other, I want to see you there- I want to march with you-we will have won- it's going to be a glorious day! 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

(1 Peter 1:3-9 ESV)

Mama Doe Wisdom

My Mama Doe and Me

Tall, damp grass tangles around my toes, soggy earth perfume fills the air, a red apple falls from the twisted and knotted old tree bordering our rural wilderness. Standing still, her ears twitching this way and that, a mother doe slowly and cautiously leads her two spotted fawns closer to the fallen fruit. Just a few feet behind her, the fawns follow, their white tails wagging and ears twitching, patiently waiting for their mother to give them the "okay." She steps forward and begins to eat, the little ones follow suit coming up on either side of her finding plenty of apples. After a little while watching I turn back towards the house, the sound of my slight movement makes Mama Doe start and look around, she sees me and begins to sniff the air and snort. The fawns look up at her, curious to see why she has stopped grazing. She turns and waits for the fawns to notice, then gracefully bounds back into the woods, the fawns following in their feebler and not yet determined gait.
Events and experiences are more keenly felt and understood, once one has or in my case, will soon be, experienced for oneself. As I approach the new stage of my life, motherhood, I can't help noticing all forms of mothers, children, and families. Time spent with my own mother is seen through a new looking glass, and I wonder at the amazing and beautiful example I've had for a mother. It fills me with questions: will I be as strong and as brave as she, will I have the wisdom, the compassion, and the perseverance that all growing up seemed to be so natural and easy for her. As my mom and I sit and talk over lunch, she tells me, " You're going to be a wonderful mother." Laughing nervously in my doubt, she continues, " I wasn't the perfect mother, and you know I made mistakes, but if you trust in the Lord- He gives you the strength, He gives you the wisdom, and He gives you the courage to wake up everyday with a smile on your face, ready to claim the greatest calling of your life. Being a mother is so much fun!" 
I've watched, learned, and followed my mom, just like the little fawns did this morning. I'm so grateful to know that I've had the best teacher, for she has followed the greatest teacher of them all, Christ. So as I step out in faith, into a field strewn with apples, I take confidence in knowing that my God is greater than any weakness I have and that He will provide whatever it is I need to be the mother He is calling me to be. What a joyful and happy place to be...

Preggie Pops and Snake Pillows

It always amazes me how so many birds begin to sing, just as one is drifting off to sleep. Normally, I love the sound of all my mite infested, feathered, frie...creatures. Although, I used to sleep like I'd climbed Mt. Everest and swam the Channel twice over, so waking up to the smell of delightful coffee brewing,and the chaotic mess of noise coming from my window was merely a gentle nudge to get up and seize the day! Now I find that being just four months pregnant, your joints and back refuse to let you get comfortable. The lovely people who know absolutely everything about be pregnant, midwives they call them, tell me, " One cup of coffee a day." Gah!! Do they know who I am?! Also, I can't sleep on my back anymore, or on my belly and if I sleep on a side- it should be my left. Great! I have an option. Except this is the most uncomfortable, so the night is spent flip flopping like the fat carp that shoved it's way to the top of the pile at Pymatuning Dam for a bunch of stale bread. However, the wonderful world of catering to complaining expectants, have come up with this "Snoogle" as they call it, namely, a pillow that slightly resembles a snake. Properly used this snake pillow allows the prego pop mom to sleep like they would with a Boa constrictor, completely motionless and for Pete's sake on their LEFT side. My inner cheapskate has a hard time paying more than twenty dollars for anything, much less a snake pillow so I came up with this ingenious idea. Using the cute decorative pillow that Husband always throws on the floor (he has a lack of appreciation of the finer things) I place between my knees and sleep peacefully as if on a cloud of cotton. That is until it goes flat, or scooches down to the bottom of the bed, or until Husband yanks at it thinking the blankets are all twisted. All that to say, this morning, the owls, doves, wrens, crows, chickadees, and chipmunks were facing great peril of a pellet gun, that is until I felt the small flutter of a five inch baby inside my belly asking for breakfast of eggs, bacon, waffles with boysenberry syrup, and COFFEE. So glad it's taking after me...

Joy of Life in Christ

"There is nothing that can replace the absence of someone dear to us, and one should not even attempt to do so. One must simply hold out and endure it. At first that sounds very hard, but at the same time it is also a great comfort. For to the extent the emptiness truly remains unfilled one remains connected to the other person through it. It is wrong to say that God fills the emptiness. God in no way fills it but much more leaves it precisely unfilled and thus helps us preserve -- even in pain -- the authentic relationship. Further more, the more beautiful and full the remembrances, the more difficult the separation. But gratitude transforms the torment of memory into silent joy. One bears what was lovely in the past not as a thorn but as a precious gift deep within, a hidden treasure of which one can always be certain."
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer

There's something in the crisp white of the snow and the way it falls ever so gently today, that makes life seem so peaceful, so beautiful. Life is beautiful, what a wondrous gift our Creator gave each of us that are alive. Even greater than life,however, is the death of one who believed in our Creator. The glorious faith that allows that person to move from earthly sorrow, pain, and struggling toil that life often brings, to a place more suited for a child of God. Heaven is a place that we believe in. It's the palace with streets of gold and pearly gates. One will never cry, for there will be nothing to be sorrowful about, no one will hate for only love encompasses everyone there, hearts our free, bodies are perfect not sick or crippled, and the most wonderful thing above all others- is that they are with their Lord and Savior- the man who chose to die to give them this life of perfect beauty. Today a beautiful lady, with cheeks that felt like velvet when you kissed them, and soft hands that held ours tightly when she hugged us "hello," and a stature that was poised and elegant like a Queens, is accepting her crown full of jewels for a job well done here on earth. Praise God for His love and her willingness to accept Him as her Savior. For though I'd barely begun to see into her heart, I'm going to miss her very much for in the little time that I knew her, she showed love, kindness, and a joy that comes from loving God. What joy it is to know that I will see her again someday, ready with her hair just so and all her pins fastened, to show me what Heaven is like. Thank you Grandmother Center for loving us, we will miss you so much!

"The sun does not shine upon this fair earth to meet frowning eyes, depend upon it." Charles Dickens

Thunder claps shake our little house, wind is howling through every cracked window and gap, a flash of lightning scatters shadows all over the walls... You'd think this is a summer storm, but one look out the window tells you much the opposite. Jack frost is clinging stubbornly to the window, a fine, fierce snow is blowing in every direction, and little crystals of ice are pulling every small branch further and further into a frown. Mornings like these, though intimidating for those poor creatures who must journey out, are quite tranquil and comforting for those of us snug in our cozy abodes. It always amazes me at how much we complain about how wretched the winters are in Erie, for every year is very much the same as the last. When it snows in the winter we are shocked because we got "too much," when it's 85 degrees in the summer we are mad because we're too hot, the springs are too long in coming and overly muddy, the falls are a beautiful array of color, but then there are thousands of leaves to rake and mulch so lets complain about that too. Gracious, just writing that makes one feel grouchy! However, this morning as I read from Psalms, the perfect verse for Erie was right there, " The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. " Ps. 19:1-4 What a difference that verse makes, when you remember that everything around us is displaying the glory of our God! That all His creations are living proof that He is God, He has made everything, and it is all GOOD. In fact, it's WONDERFUL, how thankful I am for the beauty that God has shared with us, by making each season different, each with a purpose, and all for us to enjoy. I feel blessed to live where all four seasons are experienced, so bring on the snow, mud, humidity, and leaves, if the wind and trees are clapping their hands to praise their Creator I'm gonna be right there with them...

Rockwell and Me and other Nonsense

My head slowly starts to bop to the music, my fingers begin to tap in rhythm of bongo drums and I fancy myself in some warm sunny place with lots of sand and sun. The crunch of the espresso bean between my teeth wakes me up to reality, and I remember that I'm sitting in a coffee house in the middle of winter, feeling just slightly too warm for the three layers I have on.My husband, Jared, has had classes for two days in Cleveland, looking at it as a mini vacation I immediately said “Yes” to his asking if I'd coming along. However, after spending the first day staring out the windows, drinking cardboard roasted hotel coffee, and spilling more tears than I thought possible watching all the TCM specials with Cary Grant -I decided to brave the intimidating city life for some fresh air. Besides the fact that I had no other choice since check out was at 11 a.m. Walking around the block once was enough fresh air, I was beginning to feel like soon someone was going to start following me- thanks to Alfred Hitchcock deepening my already over reactive imagination. The valets standing outside a ritzy hotel were sure to be fakes, and their smiles were so not legit. I detoured so as not to pass them again, and slipped into the haven of Erie Island Coffee Co. Since I've worked as a coffee barista for almost four years, this place was the closest thing to home and it even had ERIE in it's name. I felt a little like Audrey Hepburn did about Tiffany's, nothing bad could possible happen to anybody here. Still not wanting to look out of place, I ordered quickly, acting like this is what I do everyday. I set up my laptop plug it in, dabble around on the desktop pretending to look for the “super important file” that I’m supposed to get in by such and such a time. Looks like I'm gonna be here all day working on it, that is until Jared gets out of class and saves me from my charade of looking aristocratically important. Just to make it look even more believe-able I pull out my super nerd RayBan glasses and put them on...not for too long though, with contacts in I wouldn't want to spoil the effect by falling off my chair with self induced vertigo. So here I am, sitting, drinking my latte, and listening to coffee house music- which is always a genre of it's own- the same songs played somewhere else never sound like the same song. People watching is pretty good from where I'm sitting, right in the front window- sideways- so I don't have to turn my head to watch ( with my amazing peripheral vision ) plus the reflection of all the angles of the windows allows for extended views of people coming and going. Now before I start to sound creepier than I really am, let me say this, people watching is my profession, a very ill paid one for sure, but that is why I work at a coffee house- so I can people watch and get paid for it. Watching people is a form of art I believe, which is probably why I like Norman Rockwell paintings more than Van Gogh's. You see, Rockwell's paintings you can look at and know exactly what he is portraying, it's life, painted with all the details that make life interesting and fun. He emphasizes the things in life that people remember, and therefore, they hit you in your core because you can relate to almost any of his paintings, for you've been in them yourself. Watching people is for me, kinda like watching a Norman Rockwell painting in motion, making a dull and boring day somewhat exciting and new. Ordinary people become more interesting, their smiles more defined, and their mannerisms more exaggerated. Knowing how to see people as they are yet catching onto their individual personalities can be a great way to get to know people. So many times I have misjudged a person by the way they smile or look at me. It's easy to think the the frowning elderly man is an ogre, and thus all the stories of the dreaded “ old man next door” that will eat you alive if your cat climbs up his tree- begin. Then one day as he's taking his daily stroll down the road, whacking at rolling pop cans with his knotted wood cane, and muttering to himself, he stops before you and says, “ Hey, kid how's it goin'?” Starring speechless at first you awkwardly answer,“ Fine Mr. Smith, how are you?” “ Above ground!” He says, and walks away laughing at the morbid joke that he just made about himself. Suddenly the scary old man next store isn't as scary, he's just a lonely old man with a very dry sense of humor- and what's more is he has his own cat, it's just as old as he is and doesn't climb trees anymore. How does this make getting to know people any easier, you may ask? A.K.A. Is the answer to that question, Also known as, ASK, Know, and Apply, by Asking someone about themselves, and listening with genuine interest, you will Know better how to Apply yourself to establish healthier relationships. *****Blip of changing the current subject**** Big fan of watching people by Ella Fitzgerald, even the snowflakes seem to be floating to the crescendos of her voice, ah, winter isn't so bad*** So, back to the moral of this story, don't just assume that the people you see everyday are the same people you see everyday. If you look close enough, I bet you can find something new about them and make that relationship even better- or worse depending on your motive. So go ahead and try it out, pick someone you know (or think you know really well) and find something new out about them, I bet you'll be surprised at how much better you can get to know them. Now wasn't that enlightening?