Timed Rhythm

It has been said that the most important things learned in school were not learned in the classroom.  That doesn't mean that classes aren't important, but rather that there is much beyond reading, writing and arithmetic to learn.  Here are a few of the lessons I learned from my school years OUTSIDE of the school day: If you are afraid to jump in, just because you can't guarantee comfort, jump anyway!   In life there are many opportunities that are there for only a moment, a year, a space, and then gone.  Fear of the unknown can keep us from experiencing these opportunities.  It can keep us from experiencing life.  When we take a risk and jump, we not only learn and grow, but we inevitably find more of ourselves.   Be careful not to injure your teammates.  If you do, everyone will be mad at you.  You are stronger than you look.  Except for professional body builders, this is probably true for everyone.  We can handle m...

I looked up today after having my head 'down'... (for 7 months!!!) ...quietly escaping into the natural wilderness, or staring at my computer screen and living on Zoom, Google Meets, Skype, and FaceTime.  Inside my mind the word has felt halted, like a really long snow day: an unexpected pause in time.  Unfortunately, time doesn't actually pause.  When we put our heads down to focus, to hide ourselves, to survive, etc., time continues.  Life continues.  We may pause, but the rest of the universe is still in motion.  Even our atoms are ageing (or, rather, decaying).   It's strange, though, to think about HOW the world is changing around us when we really can't see it moving.  After COVID, things can't go back to 'normal' because life doesn't pause, and 'normal' only exists in the expected.  We have no way to prepare our minds for all the changes that will have taken place in these 7 or 10 or 14 months we live in isolation.   Mar...

Oftentimes I find myself wondering... I wonder why certain things scare some people and not others. I wonder why the world was created in the way it is (for beauty, for purpose, for desire, etc.). I wonder why death claims one and not the other. I wonder why we bottle things up instead of releasing them, talking about them, and letting them heal. I wonder why we're afraid to step outside our comfort zones...when we know growth is beautiful. I wonder why people repeat what they know instead of exploring the new. I wonder why it's so challenging to admit our hardest struggles, when we all struggle deeply. I wonder why people give-up and let go so easily. I wonder why cheddar cheese is dyed orange, why music sinks so deeply into the soul, why flying cars haven't yet been built (it is, after all, 2020, and I seem to remember a writing prompt from middle school... "Write about how the world will look in the year 2025, when scientists predict there will...

50 practical pieces of wisdom and encouragement I woke up this morning thinking about perfectionism, how it has impacted my life and the lives of those around me, and how many I know struggle as they strive to be perfect.  I couldn't sleep. So, I wrote down these simple encouragements and words of wisdom that were dancing around in my mind: You are perfectly imperfect. Fail on purpose sometimes, just to prove to yourself that you can. Those who stand with ‘perfect faith,’ but never risk a step, don’t have perfect faith. Asking for help means that you trust someone, and are willing to allow them to bless you.  You cannot be successful at deep relationships until you can do this. If you move the ‘wrong’ way, can you mess up God’s plans?  Nope! You are not that powerful. I don’t want to be friends with a perfect person.  (I’m not perfect enough for that). Prove to me that you aren’t perfect. If you never fail, then you haven't been trying as hard as y...

I was surprised this morning to see the death toll from yesterday in the UK was over 180 people taken by COVID-19.  That's a lot of people.  That is a lot of families who have lost someone they love.  That is a lot of death. I imagine for a moment if even 100 of the people I loved disappeared, forever. I would be crushed. Tears start to well up in my eyelids.  It's okay to cry when we feel pain, or empathize with the pain of others.  If no one told you this before, they should have.  Cry away.  Those are healing tears.  They are letting go rather than burying. Grieve out the pain.  Grieve away. This year I lost my grandmother.  She was a woman whose loss was most definitely worth grieving.  Ironically, she was also a woman who could find the silver lining to any situation.  As I think of her, I remember that there are usually two sides to every story.  In the case of COVID-19, there is (and this is not bad to have)...

...an allegorical tale of a Beast, a King and a Bella Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there lived a young man who was the son of a very powerful king.  Now the king was gentle and kind, loving and patient, but also very wise.  The son knew how awesome and powerful his father was.  He trusted the king and understood that whatever the king did was best.  As a child, before making any decision the son would lovingly go and ask his father for advice and direction so as to be sure his pursuits would be successful.  The king adored his son for his trust, and ordered beautiful items to be placed at his feet. As the boy grew older the king lavished his son with riches, the best company, and experiences that others marveled at.  And through it all, the king diligently protected his son, whom he loved.   Decidedly sure that the King’s love and protection knew no bounds, the young man set out to prove his trust and loyalty ...