reset button

Today, I headed on my last run of 2016 for a 10 mile loop here in Anacortes. It was such a great start to the day reflecting a bit on the last year and looking forward to 2017.  While New Year's Eve is a bit overrated with high hopes of fireworks, champagne (when you are older), kisses at midnight (if you stay up that late), and watching the ball drop on Times Square,  I do like having a day when we get to anticipate turning the page on our calendars with a chance to start afresh in the new year.  The word that came to mind on my run this morning was the word "reset." 

I wrote this post about 3 1/2 years ago about the "reset" button and thought you'd get a kick out of seeing these old pictures of Anna and Taylor. 

May you always know that you can push the reset button anytime and anywhere (not just when the new year kicks in).  Happy (almost) 2017! 

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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

the reset button

I've had some computer issues lately and have had to simply push the reset button a few times to get the computer unstuck from whatever glitch was going on. Yesterday afternoon, I was reminded that we too need those restart buttons when things get out of whack. 

After a great day with Eva yesterday at Lincoln Park, we had planned to run over to Green Lake for a pre-dinner swim. As we got home later than we expected from dropping her off at her house, it caused a bit of a problem as it was kids' cooking night and Jason had to be somewhere at 8. With the time we had, we knew that we had to figure out some compromises in order to make it all happen.  Taylor really wanted to cook. Anna really wanted to go swim. Jason and I were looking forward to the run.  After going around a few times, we figured out a plan to make it all work out, but in the mix, there was some tension and stress. I said to everyone at one point that we needed to all begin again and have a fresh start. I joked and asked Anna where her "reset" button was and we figure out that it was on her nose. So, I pushed her nose and we both smiled. 

We got the lasagna made, the kids hopped on their bikes, Jason and I put on our running shoes, 

and we headed to Green Lake while dinner was cooking. 

Running is definitely my reset button, and it was so good for my soul to be out on such a 

gorgeous evening running fast with Jason down to the lake.  

And there is something about being in the water that is good for my soul too-- 

refreshing and freeing...

We jumped in and enjoyed a beautiful swim in the lake for a bit and a few leaps off the diving board.  At one point, I swam over to Jason, told him about my chat with Anna about the "reset" button,  pushed his nose and gave him a hug.  

Ahhhh.... 

it was a big exhale

 for us all to have this mini-adventure together 

to recharge and start afresh. 

And, then we dried off the best we could and ran home. It turned out to be a fabulous evening.  

I told Anna and Taylor over dinner that one of the best invitations we have from God is the chance to begin again over and over during the course of a day.  The best thing we can do in our relationships is to offer that chance to others to start over and to begin again with grace, forgiveness and love. 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases and his mercies NEVER come to an end. They are new every morning. 

I am so thankful for the faithfulness that never fails and that gives us the chance to reset 

anytime, 

anywhere. 

(with or without a little touch on the nose....) 

tucking Anna in last night with a reset button... 

just a little press on the nose is all it takes... :) 

family trek to Green Lake last night 

glory, glory. 

reset.... 

quite the treat to have these emerging little chefs here under our roof... 

family time

We've had some good family time this week in Anacortes- enjoying time to read, run, enjoy good food and play some hilarious games.

Have you heard of "Watch Ya Mouth"? See these pictures for an idea of this crazy party game that my sister-in-law Tracey brought for all of us to play:

  

There is a passage in Psalm 133:1 that says, "How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity."  While family time can be a bit nuts at times, it sure is good when we hit those sweet spots when our cups are full and we are brimming over with gratitude for these people God has given to us.  May God remind you of how very very blessed you are to have such amazing parents and such a cool little brother.   

keep him in sight

Today, Jason and I headed out for a run here in Anacortes. You may remember that you can walk right out the front door and be on trails in about 30 seconds here at Gene and Bette's house.

We did a workout of a 10 minute warm up and then 4 sets of 4 minutes hard and 3 minutes easy followed by a 10 minute cool down.  It was a great way to get me out of my pajamas as I'd been reading on the couch for most of the morning and it was a fun run in the rain.

At some points when we were picking up the pace for our intervals, Jason chose some trails I did not know as well so I was a little cautious with the roots and rocks along the way.  I was trying to run his pace for some of the intervals, but I was not able to keep up the whole time. So my goal was just to try to keep him in my line of sight and not let him get too far ahead during those 4 minute stretches when we ran a little harder.  When the trail snaked around a corner and I did not see him, I looked for his footprints to make sure I had not missed a turn.

It reminded me of the passage  from Hebrews 12:1-2:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." 

It was a little reminder to pray for you today that you would make every effort to keep God in your line of sight always. Don't lose heart even when you feel tired and worn out. Fix your eyes on Him. As you do this, I'm confident that you'll find the way.

Stretching

Today, Anna and I followed along with a yoga video for runners. It's kind of ridiculous to do yoga with a girl who does ballet 9 hours a week as she is as flexible as Gumby, but it was fun to have her as a companion this afternoon as I tried to stretch and do some floor exercises.

The prayer I had for you today was pretty simple- 

that in this next year 

that God would stretch you --

not too much that you feel like you are going to break...

but just enough

 that you will get stronger and more flexible 

with the twists and turns ahead...  

whom Jesus loved

This morning, I woke up early (still being on the timezone from Nashville) and everyone was still asleep. I pulled out my phone to check messages and to read a few passages that were the daily readings for today. The gospel reading was from John 13 where it talks about Jesus at the last supper.  Verse 23 says, "one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at the table close to Jesus..."

I got stuck on that phrase, "whom Jesus loved." John is the writer here, and I absolutely love that he refers to himself as the one whom Jesus loved.

I think we all need to adopt that as the way we describe ourselves. Liam- the one whom Jesus loves. Emily- the one whom Jesus loves. Anna- the one whom Jesus loves. Micah- the one whom Jesus loves. Elizabeth- the one whom Jesus loves. Jason- the one whom Jesus loves. Bill- the one whom Jesus loves. Taylor- the one whom Jesus loves. It certainly has a nice ring to it.

But more than something that just has a nice ring to it, it can be something that radically transforms the way we act, speak and think.  When I know that I am loved, I am not looking to others to fill in the gaps.  I am secure in who I am and who God is making me to be because I know that I have God's "Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love" (phrase from the Jesus Storybook Bible) as the foundation of everything.

As I was running with your mom this morning, it was so good to catch up after being away for a week. As we traded stories from the week, I felt so known and loved as I painted a picture from our Christmas about some things that were good and some things that were difficult.  She is a wonderful listener (I bet you've noticed that), and she offered wisdom, support and encouragement along the way.

There are people in our lives who help us know this truth that we are "the one whom Jesus loved."  This morning was a shot in the arm for me in that way.  Reading the passage before our run and then getting to have time with your mom helped to reinforce what that passage means.

So, today, Liam, I am praying that you will know that you are one whom Jesus loves. And I am praying for your friendships (especially with Theo who has been such a wonderful friend to you through the years) and for your family relationships that those would be places that would be tangible reminders that you are loved.

Weights

The last six months of so, I've been dealing with some tight hamstrings.  I went to see a physical therapist in the fall and he gave me a few things to do for strength training in the gym.  Being one who usually just laces up my shoes and runs out the door, this was a bit of an adjustment. But it turned out that it was only about 30 minutes extra in my whole week if I went to do the exercises 3 times a week, and it has been so amazing to me that there has been a good payoff for a small investment of time. While I am not 100% better, it's been so great to be here in Nashville going for a few longer runs and not having any aches and pains. So- it's motivating to keep doing the work so that I can stay healthy and get stronger.

As I was running a few strides with Jason today, I was thinking about this and wondering what these small tweaks might be for you in your life. What small investment of a few minutes a day might give big returns for you down the road? Sure, it might be something for soccer or basketball or running, and that would be great. Or it might be memorizing a few verses this year (Anna memorized a few for her 13th birthday- Psalm 139, Philippians 4:4-9, Colossians 2:6-7, Colossians 1:9-14, Matthew 6:26-34, and Hebrews 12:1-3). We picked 6 verses for her to memorize--one each month for 6 months before her birthday. (I thought of the idea for her birthday 6 months before... not any other special significance other than that. :)  Another thing that might be a great discipline is to keep a journal and write down 5 things you are grateful for each day for a month. Whatever it is, I am praying that you will find small ways to be intentional for your own strength training for your soul this year. :) 

Light

My friend Robert Benson wrote this yesterday on Christmas Eve: "We will gather ourselves up in rooms great and small and hear and tell the Story and sing the songs and light our candles and hold close those whom we love....  The One Who Made Us will once again let there be light, the Light. May we see that it is good." 

Celebrate the light 

and be the light today! 

Merry Merry Christmas! 

Birth - part two

Liam, I just read this and it was so good that I had to pass it on.... 

Merry Christmas Eve!! 

(and a little Christmas cheer from Anna and Taylor pictured above in front of my parents' Christmas tree-- please note that Taylor is on tiptoes as he is trying to be as tall as Anna who is borrowing my mom's clothes and is in her high heels!) 

"Christmas Eve marks the end of Advent and the beginning of the Christmas season. In candlelight services and intimate family gatherings around the world, we enter into a season of celebrating one of the great mysteries of our faith—a God who comes to us as a tiny, fragile human being, making it possible for him to dwell with us in the most intimate of ways.

How this happened and what it means to us is beyond our ability to grasp on most days, but sometimes music, imagery and a really good question can help us dwell more fully in the mystery—at least for a moment.

This year we are drawn to “Mary, Did You Know?” as a way in to reflecting on the mystery of the Christ-life as it was birthed in Mary’s life and in our own. When Mary opened herself to receive the Christ child into her body and soul there was no way she could have known what it would mean for her.  Neither can we.

Fortunately, we are not called to understand the mystery or predict where it will take us; we are called to live in it and say yes to it.  As we begin the sacred journey from Advent to Christmas, we invite you to step back from your work and preparations—just for a moment—and dwell in the mystery of what you know and what you don’t know about the great paradox of our faith we call the Incarnation.

We hope you are moved by this stirring rendition of “Mary, Did you Know?” by Pentatonix." http://www.transformingcenter.org/2016/12/special-music-special-night/

Mary Did You Know? 

Birth

I got to run this morning on Christmas Eve for a long-ish run with my friend Catherine and her daughter Ellie on some of my favorite trails here in Nashville (pictured below). 

They ran with me for a couple miles in the park, but I then went on further and ran a little over 12 1/2 miles which I thought was fun since that is how old you are.... 

I loved getting to carry you with me along the way on my rainy day run today. 

The Advent word for this Christmas Eve is appropriately the word "birth." 

The Jesus Storybook Bible says this about the birth of Jesus: 

"They caught their breath. Then quietly, they tiptoed inside. They knelt on the dirt floor. They had heard about this Promised Child and now he was here. Heaven's Son. The Maker of the Stars. A baby sleeping in his mother's arms. This baby would be like that bright start shining in the sky that night. A light to light up the whole world. Chasing away the darkness. Helping people to see. And the darker the night got, the brighter the star would shine." 

"

O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel. 

May the light of the world shine brighter this year for you 

and may He bless you with a wonder and awe 

as you celebrate this Story again this year. 

Gifts

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—

and this is not from yourselves, 

it is the gift of God—not by works, 

so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8 

  

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, 

as good stewards of God's varied grace:

1 Peter 4:10 

This time of year, the anticipation of giving and receiving gifts can be such fun.  One of my favorite bloggers named Winn Collier wrote, "Some of us poo-poo gift-giving this time of year, and I acknowledge we've run amuck with our lust for more."  But at its best, gift giving can be a reminder to us that it's all about grace and that we are then invited into a dance of gratitude and joy as we receive gifts and also give from ourselves.  My prayer for you today, Liam, is that God would continue to show you that all of life is a gift and that you would live with gratitude for the gifts given to you as you bear God's image and give of yourself to others.  

 

Community

I smiled when I saw the word for the day that is community...

This picture below captures community well: 

When I was talking to our neighbor Alyssa Petrie (the wonderful neighbor who has allowed us to go to their house on Whidbey Island a few times) about her daughter going to college, she shared one of the questions that they have asked their daughter.  More than asking what she was going to major in or what kinds of things she was excited about on campus, they asked her "What community are you going to surround yourself with?"

This is one of the best questions and I want to pass it on to you too to consider as you continue with middle school at Eckstein and look forward to high school and even beyond to college. What community are you going to surround yourself with, Liam?  This will be foundational and will determine your reference points and the environment that shapes you.

I am praying that you will seek after a community that helps you to love God and love others through your life. (One thing I can say from what I know about you is that you sure do seem to attract good folks around you. So keep it up and keep being a light to the world around you!) 

Wonder

When Karl Barth (a famous theologian) was asked in 1962 (on his one visit to America) how he would summarize the essence of the millions of words he had published, he replied, 

"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

Praying that you would know the wonders of His love 

in this Christmas season 

and as you turn thirteen 

and 

that this would be a marker 

through your whole life, Liam... 

Love

The word "love" is certainly overused in our culture. 

I can say, "I love peanut butter" and then turn around and also say "I love Jason." 

I doubt that Jason would be very honored if I equated him to peanut butter. 

Paul gives us a definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13. It may already be a very familiar passage to you, but as you grow up, you will hear this often at weddings: 

When I read this passage and think about this list, it is a wonderful description of how God loves us.  But when I try to insert my name (in the place of "love"), I don't get very far down the list before I must admit that these things are not true about me.  While I am praying that God is making my life more representative of this list each day, I am not there yet and still have a long way to go. 

But I have hope in this: 

Love does not come from me. 

Love comes from God. 

....and so we know and rely on the love of God in our lives...

May the list from 1 Corinthians 13 be more and more true in your life, Liam...

but when you come to the end of yourself and realize that you are far from these things, 

don't despair because that might just be the place where God wants you to be for you to recognize that the love you share does not have to come from you but from God. 

For when you run to God for help, He will remind you of His love and then fill your cup to send you back out with what you need to love others. 

Praying for you to know how much you are loved 

so that will overflow into every area of your life. 

p.s. in case you have not heard me tell you recently.... 

I sure love you, Liam! :) 

XOXO, 

emily 

Faith

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for” ( Hebrews 11:1-2 )

Faith actually doesn't make much sense. It can't be seen or understood or explained when situations beyond our control call for faith to take center stage.  This mystery of faith is one of the most important things I can pray for you to take hold of as you continue to grow more and more into the person God has made you to be. 

When you feel like you are at the end of your rope, 

may you have faith in God and know that He's got you in the palm of His hands... 

SaveSave

Promise

You might remember this picture from our vow renewal ceremony this summer. 

Hard to believe that we all were comfortable in sundresses and t-shirts as I am bundled up here in a cozy sweatshirt at my parent's house Nashville with it being below 30 degrees outside. 

Today's word is "promise," and this time with our small group this summer came to mind when Jason and I re-wrote our wedding vows and shared them with each other with you all as our witnesses. 

Check out this quote that I typed up for our program below 

that is one of the best things I've read about making promises: 

 

My prayer for you today, Liam, is that you will be someone who keeps your promises and who is true to your word.  But I also know that it really is hard to keep promises.  They sound so noble and good and true (like these promises we sang together at my parents' church this morning):  

But then the rubber hits the road and we are shaken. Sometimes we just want to do what we want to do (and not think about someone else in the equation.) We fall short and are not able to hold up our end of the deal.  And that's what I love about the quote from our vow renewal ceremony. We serve and depend on a God whose very nature is expressed in faithfulness.  

He ALWAYS keeps His promises even when we don't. 

So, may you be a person who keeps your word, 

but when you don't, may you be a person 

who runs to God for grace and forgiveness 

because you know there's always a fresh start to be had..

Release

First of all, congratulations on making it to the finish line and entering into Christmas break!!!! It always feels like a mad dash this time of year, and what a wonderful thing to look forward to the next two weeks of break with a different routine and pace.

Today's word is "release."  Of course, I could quote the cheesy song from Frozen as a reminder to "Let it Go," but I think I will spare you.

The thing that comes to mind is something that is from a book I read when I was in college called Celebration of Discipline by a wonderful author named Richard Foster.

He describes a way of praying called “Palms Down, Palms Up” in these steps: 

1. “Begin by placing your palms down as a symbolic indication of your desire to turn over any concerns you may have to God.  Inwardly you may pray, ‘Lord, I give to you my anger toward John.  I release my fear of my dentist appointment this morning.  I surrender my anxiety over not having enough money to pay the bills this month.   I release my frustration over trying to find a baby-sitter for tonight.’  Whatever it is that weighs on your mind or is a concern to you… release it.  You may even feel a certain sense of release in your hands.”  
2. “After several moments of surrender, turn you palms up as a symbol of your desire to receive from the Lord.  Perhaps you will pray silently, ‘Lord, I would like to receive your divine love for John, your peace about my dentist appointment, your patience, your joy’.”  
3. “Having centered down, spend the remaining moments in complete silence.  Do not ask for anything.  Allow the Lord to commune with you, to love you.”  

Know that I am simply praying for you today with palms down for these things----

for this Christmas break, for your family, for life with Sifa, for your friendships, for stuff at school especially with your world history teacher, for soccer, for basketball...   

And I am turning my palms up---

and hearing God's reminder of His love for you. Zephaniah 3:17-19 comes to mind: "The Lord our God is with you. He is mighty to save. The Lord will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with his love. He will rejoice over you with singing." 

Try out the palms up/ palms down sometime and see what comes up for you.  :) 

Praise

the word today is "praise"

praise

prāz/

verb

1. 1. 

   express warm approval or admiration of.

   "we can't praise Chris enough—he did a brilliant job"

   synonyms:

   commend, express admiration for, applaud, pay tribute to, speak highly of, eulogize, compliment, congratulate, sing the praises of, rave about, go into raptures about, heap praise on, wax lyrical about, make much of, pat on the back, take one's hat off to, lionize, admire, hail, ballyhoo;  formallaud "the police praised Pauline for her courage in confronting the thieves"

As I came back from a really early & chilly (but invigorating) run with your mom this morning, this song came to mind: 

Bless the Lord O my soul

O my soul

Worship His Holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I’ll worship Your Holy name

The sun comes up

It’s a new day dawning

It’s time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass

And whatever lies before me

Let me be singing

When the evening comes

You’re rich in love

And You’re slow to anger

Your name is great

And Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness

I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons

For my heart to find

And on that day

When my strength is failing

The end draws near

And my time has come

Still my soul will

Sing Your praise unending

Ten thousand years

And then forevermore

--------------------------

So, today, on this last day of school before break, whatever lies before you, may you be singing when the evening comes.....

Merry Merry Christmas!! 

      

Sign

Today's word was "sign." 

As I was biking home from SPU today on the Burke Gilman trail, I was thankful for stop signs and traffic lights and other signs that help us know where to go and that keep us safe.  

Sometimes signs help us know how much further we need to go on a journey like the one I just found online when I searched for "Malawi road signs:" 

. 

I was reminded today of a quote that I shared with one of the students on our trip to Kenya this summer who had just graduated from college and who was struggling to figure out what she wanted to do with her life:  

The great teacher of ethics John Kavanaugh visited Mother Teresa while working for three months at her “house of the dying” in Calcutta. He was seeking clarity from God on the direction for his future. She asked him, “What can I do for you?”

He asked, “Pray that I have clarity.”

Mother Teresa said firmly, “No. I will not do that.” He was surprised and asked her why. She explained, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.”

Taken aback, he said, “But you seem to have clarity from God.”

Mother Teresa laughed, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.” (Brendan Manning tells this story in Ruthless Trust on page 5.)

While this would be nice to have our lives clearly mapped out for us when we come to a fork in the road, this also takes away our chance to deepen our relationship with God as we ask for wisdom and trust when the writing is not on the wall. 

So, my prayer for you today is that God will give you signs when you need them but also that He will cultivate trust in you as you go along your journey when the signs aren't crystal clear. 

Ponder

Today's word was Ponder. As I was trying to run a bit faster at the end of my run, I was pondering this word "ponder."  The following verses came to mind from Philippians 4 (I've included two different translations here): 

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9, NIV) 

----------

4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. (Philippians 4:4-9 The Message) 

As I look at this famous sculpture called "The Thinker" by Rodin, I wonder what he is pondering.  These verses in Philippians show me that that we have a choice in what we ponder.  We can focus on our anxieties and we can mull over them until we are blue in the face.  But God is showing us that he has another plan for us.  He tells us that instead of worrying, he wants us to talk to Him.  We can come to him with anything on our minds and settle in as if we were sitting on His lap.  We can put all the hard stuff on the table and then we can focus on the things we are grateful for. Gratitude is such a powerful tool as it automatically points us to the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable in our lives.  And then, He gives us this amazing gift and promise of His peace to wrap us up before He sends us on our way.... 

What you focus on grows- so may you focus on the light in the darkness and ponder the good stuff of life today.