A lesson from the checkout line...

Everyone has their own style of unloading the grocery cart.  I'm pretty haphazzard with the exception of watching that the tomatoes don't get crushed.  John groups like with like--which means he typically waves me away giving me time to read supermarket tabloids without actually buying them.

Last week, when we were at the grocery store, John motioned for me to watch the man unloading in front of us. He was a normal looking sort of person.  Tall, slender...dressed like he worked in an office.  As he unloaded, he took extraordinary care with the positioning of the items.  Often setting and resetting until labels were aligned and there was no wasted space between items.

It didn't take long for us to realize he had OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and while I watched a process that was probably more painful for him than it was for me, it occured to me that we all have OCD.

It may not manifest in exactly the same way as his, but there is something in all of us that is just a little bit crazy.  (In fact, I'm curious if a person's 'cool factor' is defined by just how well they hide said crazy.)

The better we know people, the more we know their crazy. (And we REALLY know our spouse's crazy.) If we are self-aware, we know our own. The completely irrational things we do over and over simply because we do them. Our little ways of controlling our world so that we don't feel so defenseless.

The thing is that we can be heavily invested in things that really don't matter (like having all of the labels line up); and in doing so, I wonder how often we miss the things that do.

On having a sense of mission...

Some people simply seem to know where they are going.  And--maybe more importantly--where they are not going.

And while those of us raised in the US are often told in school that "we can grow up to be anything...including president," I wonder if it isn't really about that. I wonder if it is more about learning who it is you really are, then going the places and doing the things that you are uniquely equipped to do.

Oh, I believe there are different flavors of that.  We all have different circumstances...things we cannot change.  However having a sense of mission can influence our satisfaction with our circumstances and can give us purpose allowing us to move forward in life.

Developing a sense of mission is a practice.  Pausing and choosing instead of reacting. Aligning your life to the high goals.  Believing that others have value and purpose too.

No matter what the intangibles, I am always drawn to people living their lives intentionally. Maybe it is because they inspire me to be missional too.

On being open...

On business trips, I almost always have travel time to read.  This trip, I'm in the middle of the Naked Presenter--possibly the best book I've ever read on presentations.  The author, Garr Reynolds, lives in Japan and much of the book applies Japanese thinking to the art of presentation.

In one of the sections, he talks about the symbolism of bamboo. Reynolds writes,
"Find wisdom in emptiness...One cannot fill a cup that is already full.  The hollow insides of bamboo stems remind us that we are often too full of ourselves and our own conclusions.  We have no space for anything else."

The idea really struck a cord with me.  There are many places that our lives are full.  Our schedules are full.  Our closets are full. Our head is full.

The practice of emptying is a powerful one. Of building margin into our days. Of giving away things. Of letting go some of our ideas so that we can hear new perspectives and learn from others.

Maybe the most powerful thing about practicing "empty" is that it is an exercise in trust.  Trust that God will provide for us, care for us...keep company with us.

I read in a devotion this morning, "the open heart never fails to find inspiration."  I think I need to develop more of the spiritual discipline of 'empty.'

Creativity

I am a big believer that everyone has a creative spark inside.  It may not be for drawing or painting, but if we are made in the image of God and God created the universe, then somehow that creator DNA translates.

Both my SIL and BIL are writers and actors, so it isn't surprising that all four of their daughters have been encouraged to develop their creative spark, which is why it was really cool that I had the opportunity to take my nieces, Sydney and Taylor to ArtLoveMagic's Underground show this weekend.

One of the things that makes ArtLoveMagic events special is that the artists are there creating live and there are opportunities for attendees to participate.  Both Sydney, Taylor and Taylor's boyfriend, Forrest added to the collaborative art piece.  And, because the artists were there they had the opportunity to ask questions about different processes.  (Sydney and I watched a body painter for a long time because the whole technique was really original and interesting.)

Afterwards we were too hyped up on coffee to go home, so we popped into Spiral Diner--an awesome vegan restaurant--for desserts.  Sydney wasn't crazy about the mint sundae, but my oatmeal cookie and Taylor's smoothie were fantastic.

Taylor also taught us how to fold a dollar bill into a shirt--which I'm pretty sure she placed in the tip jar.

Tangible tokens of affection

As much as people talk about Valentines day as being a "manufactured holiday to sell greeting cards," the reality is that there is something powerful in tangible tokens of affection.  This doesn't just have to be between lovers, it can also be gifts of friendship, hugs from family members or words of affirmation from co-workers.

We need things that we can "see."  Tangible proof that we are loved and have value.

Giving these gifts can be tricky, because it is never about the amount spent, but it is almost always about how well the other person knows you.  (For example, if I had woken up this morning to a book on grilling I would have started to question how well my husband knew me.)

Having a day that reminds us to tangibly show the people closest to us that we love them is actually really cool.
Happy Valentines Day.

Simply Vegan | Kale Chips

During my "week as a yogi" I experimented with all kinds of living foods, but one of my favorites turned out to be kale chips.

The recipe is simple, and the results are a high nutrition, low calorie, tasty snack. Here is the technique:

Set your dehydrator to 105 degrees, or if using your oven to the lowest setting you can get.

Rinse the kale, dry thoroughly and tear into chip-size pieces, removing the stalks.

Toss the kale in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of sesame oil (for flavor).  Add a splash of soy sauce or sea salt and a couple of shakes of Louisiana hot sauce (optional).  Mix the kale in the bowl until coated evenly, then position flat on dehydrator trays or baking sheets. Cook until crisp.

 Then pull out the crispy chips and enjoy!

Meet Pepper

This is Pepper.  My last experience left me gun-shy about getting a rescue, so John looked at Craigslist.  Craigslist doesn't sell dogs in the classifieds, but they do have a 'pets' community where people post information on dogs they are trying to rehome.  There were no collie listings, so we started looking at Aussies.

Australian Shepherds have many of the same characteristics we wanted in a collie, and we were excited to find a family with a litter of tri-colored ones.

We met at the Petco in Rockwall and the minute I took her in my arms, I was delighted.  She is soft and cuddly like a real life teddy bear.  Not only that, but her owners have had and shown Aussies for the past 30 years, so though she has no papers, she is full Aussie and they had even given her first two rounds of shots, and gave us some advice on training her. (Their daughter even typed me up a sheet with her birthdate, details on the shots and other things to give to our vet...which I really appreciated.)

Toby and Lucky are doing fine with her, and Mia--who we puppysat while Bethany was at work-- kept trying to get her to play. At bedtime, Pepper cried when we put her in the kennel.  After a few tries, I figured out that if I placed the kennel where she could see me, she was cool with it. 

Today will be a quiet day.  I have a sore throat and cough, so I don't plan to leave my bed today except to go to restorative yoga (which is a good practice when you aren't feeling well).  John's superbowl plans are well underway and Pepper is just hanging out curled beside me chewing on a rawhide. 

I did try to get some additional pictures, but most of them turned out like this. 

She was curious about the camera!

What we believe matters...

What we believe matters.

Who we think we are in the universe.  Whether or not we believe in a God who loves the world or who can't stand it. If we believe that good truly triumphs over evil.

I've met many people in my life who said they believed things, but then lived as if they weren't true.
It is why I find "position papers" and "doctrinal statements" largely irrelevant.  You can hold onto those things with your mind, but whatever you believe in your heart is what actually gets lived out.  And it seems there is often a disconnect. We even have a psychological term for it.  "Cognitive dissonance." It is the ability to hold conflicting ideas simultaneously and the discord that causes within ourselves.

It would seem that beliefs are formed less through study and more through experience.  For example, I can read that 'God so loved me' but unless I experience that, I don't truly believe it.  Instead I will embrace the feedback of kids on a playground, my parents, the rejection of a romantic interest, or my worth on the job market.

If we can't own the idea that God is love.  Not just loves us, but actually is love, then what we believe about everything else gets skewed, because what we believe about the character of God influences every single interpretation.

I think there is a lot of skewed interpretation.  Mostly by people who haven't experienced love. 

Jesus said the greatest commandment was to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”  There is no docrtinal statement there.  There is only action.  And action is what creates experience.

Not good enough...

It's a discouraging thing to be told you are not good enough.

John and I went through the process of trying to adopt a dog through a rescue organization and received this note today. "Thank you so much for inquiring with our organization. Based on your past vet records and information and discussing it with our Board of Directors we will not be able to place one of our dogs into your home."

The process was strange. I was asked if I had ever poisoned a dog or hit one with a vehicle on purpose. I know it sounds naïve, but the thought had never entered my mind that was even possible.

Yet, here I am. In the same column as dog poisoners and people too cruel to think about.
Worse, the dog who would have been cuddled, loved and celebrated all of its life remains in rescue.

I think I need a good cry….

Of Will

I am becoming more and more aware of the significance of freedom in the design of creation. The evidence of that importance though seems proved more effectively on the negative side.

All you have to do is look at the results of the absense of free will and you can see that it is bad.

Slavery is the ultimate lack of freedom. And though we wish that was just a term from the history books, it isn’t. Humans sold to do the will of other humans is still a thriving, ugly practice.

Rape is a violation of will.

Addiction breaks will--a type of slavery without a master.

In the Judeo-Christian tradition an important tenet is that God created man with free will. The ability to choose, or not choose Him. The freedom to obey His commandments or not. And while much of my early religious education focused on teaching me “the rules” and stressing how important it was that I follow them, I’ve learned as an adult that most of God’s commandments deal with living in accordance with our design. Most of the ten commandments are about relationships…how live in relationship to God and each other in a way that love rules all. The Jewish dietary laws are all about health. Even taking one day a week to rest and worship isn’t meant as a burden of practice, but something our bodies and souls need.

So if the religious laws are actually good for us, then why give us the ability to break them? Why put Adam and Eve in a garden with a rule that if broken would mess up creation for thousands of years to follow?

I think part of the challenge is that most often we think of ourselves and our choices like the man in the arena in Frank Stockton's short story, The Lady or The Tiger.  As Wikipedia frames the story, "The semi-barbaric king of an ancient land used an unusual form of punishment for offenders in his kingdom. The offender would be placed in an arena where his only way out would be to go through one of two doors. Behind one door was a beautiful woman hand-picked by the king and behind the other was a fierce tiger. The offender was then asked to pick one of the doors without knowing what was behind it. If he picked the door with the woman behind it, then he was declared innocent but was also required to marry the woman, regardless of previous marital status. If he picked the door with the tiger behind it, though, then he was deemed guilty and the tiger would rip him to pieces."

If every decision is a choice between heaven and hell, then we can become overly impressed by what we choose. And, we become extremely concerned about what others choose.

But the reality is that most choices aren't dramatic Lady/Tiger choices.  Do we watch tv or do we clean the kitchen? Do we throw out that piece of paper or do we keep it? Do we like the blue one or the red? 

The more important ones are about how we respond. Do we choose humility or do we choose pride? Do we choose forgiveness or do we choose anger?  Do we choose to engage our faults or do we choose self-pity? Do we choose for ourselves or do we choose to lay down our life for others?

Our choices form us.  They form the type of world we live in.  Subtly. Without fanfare.

As long as we view our choices about being right, we will justify enforcing our will.  But viewing choices as forming our identity is a different lens. A lens that gives us more time to choose and margin to adjust trajectory when we find we don't like who we are becoming. 

Probably more importantly, if we live in a world where the God of the universe doesn't force His will on us, then it would seem extremely arrogant for us to take any other stance.