Today

“I want it all!”

Parents out there

May remember

The Berenstain Bears.

Years ago,

My kids

Had one of their videos.

That was sister’s theme throughout:

I want it all.

Me, too, Sister.

Me, too.

I’ve begun to de-clutter.

It’s not really “stuff” I want.

I have an amazing family.

I’m not about to trade them in.

Friends…

The best anywhere!

So,

What is this ALL?

I want to truly soar,

Knowing I’m accomplishing

What I was created to do.

I want to draw near

To the One who keeps me airborne.

I want to fulfill His plans and purposes.

And

I want to pursue my every area of interest…

Now,

That’s a tough one…

Especially when I try to do it

All at once.

Eclectic…

That’s the only word to describe

My interests.

So,

Today (and every day)

I need wisdom that overflows.

I will focus on Today

And seek to soar

Where He directs…

In thought,

In word,

In deed.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (Matthew 6:9-12, NIV).

That’s Flying!

A blinking cursor…

Nagging at me

To put into words

What words can never express.

I tear up just thinking

About the last twenty-six hours.

(And I very rarely cry.)

I shared in the most amazing event.

You see,

I’m in training to become a doula…

Before you ask what that is,

Let me tell you…

A doula provides labour support.

I like to think of it

As being an educated friend.

For me,

It brings out

All my best

Mothering tendencies.

(It helps that I’ll be old enough

To be all the mom’s mothers. [grin])

For those who think birth

Is the most incredible happening

On the planet,

You may understand

How I’m feeling.

For those who don’t,

It’s OK.

Just know,

For me,

Attending a birth…

Now, that’s flying!

Thank you Mommy and Daddy and Mr. Baby for letting me be part of the team. Now I know why the word “awe” was invented.

Sons are a heritage from the LORD,  children a reward from him (Psalm 127:3, NIV).

The Right Direction

Soaring high

From mountaintop to mountaintop.

The only thing

That should have held me down…

The weight of my blessings.

I often asked…

Why me?

But not for the usual reasons.

I didn’t deserve

Those blessings

Any more than anyone else.

And now,

I guess I’ve matured.

Now

I must re-evaluate

Things I’ve known forever

And

What fuels my flight.

Even from the heights,

I have two choices…

Choose to see only the beauty

As I soar

Or

Use the perspective

To look ahead.

I must ensure

I’m riding the right currents

In the right direction.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, NIV).

A New Perspective

What a weekend it has been!

I’ve learned some wondrous things.

I’ve soared among the clouds.

I’ve seen things from a new perspective.

Of late,

I’ve been examining my heart.

Some places are bright

And bring me joy.

Others are shadowy

And make me question

What darkness lies within.

The blackness

Can hold me back

And tie me down.

Even worse,

Those cords can get wrapped

Around my heart

And threaten to extinguish

What is good.

However,

I have come to the realization

That if I was truly weighted down

I couldn’t see the dark places.

From the heights,

I gain the needed perspective.

I surrender to the Only One

Who sees with perfect clarity.

I know

As I do so

I will rise higher and higher

And the darkness

Will one day

Be gone forever.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV).

Holding the Tether

If a hot air balloon is never released

From the ropes that anchor it to the ground,

It’s a bad thing.

It will never get airborne.

It will never reach its destination.

On the other hand,

If a child’s balloon is released,

It will merely float away,

Taken wherever the wind blows.

And the child will be devastated.

And then there’s me.

There is a time to be tethered

And a time to sail the currents.

My number one need…

Wisdom.

When do I take the survival knife

And cut the ties?

And when do I hold onto the tether

For all I’m worth?

It can be exciting to ride the wind.

However,

I must exercise caution

Or

I will leave behind others

Before it’s time.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him (James 1:4.5, ESV).

Neglected

A best friend

I rarely talk to at length.

A father

Whose love letter I too often don’t read.

A counsellor

I visit only infrequently.

A teacher

Whose teachings go unstudied.

A provider

I thank only sporadically.

A guide

Whose instructions I refuse to heed.

An encourager

From whom I turn away.

A love

I take for granted.

Thankfully,

Even when neglected,

He is exceedingly patient.

So,

If I want clear direction.

If I want to soar.

If I want to make the truth known.

I’ll have to make some changes.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor (Psalm 8:3-5, NIV).

Ground Tied

“I give up.”

Three tiny words.

One life-destroying attitude.

And talk about

Clipping your own wings.

The same is true

At work,

At home,

At church,

Wherever I find myself.

If I don’t do

What I know I should

I won’t fly.

That cloud hanging over my head…

Well, d’uh!

It’s only over my head

Because I haven’t spread my wings

And taken to the sky.

I know how.

I’ve known that for years.

And yet,

Here I sit,

Ground-tied in the muck.

(Horses that are ground-tied

Are not truly anchored

Where they stand;

They just think they are.)

So,

Note to self…

I will not give up.

I will not give up.

I WILL NOT GIVE UP!

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins (James 4:17, NIV).

Not Alone

There is one sense

Everyone is alone.

No-one has had

Exactly the same past.

No-one thinks exactly

As I do.

No-one understands

Precisely what I’m feeling.

No-one is me.

No matter how well

I express myself,

No-one can relate

100 percent.

Is that so bad?

Not really.

It makes me strive for two things…

1. to be understood.

2. to listen carefully to others.

I’ll never truly soar

If I spend too much time thinking

About my internal isolation.

And

I’ll never reach the heights

If I don’t make a conscious effort

To reach out to others.

I can at least let them know,

In their feelings of isolation,

They are not alone.

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:4, NIV).

I Rejoice

I believe in eternity.

I also believe in the wonders

Here and now.

But sometimes,

I get bogged down.

Questionable motives.

Deliberate deception.

Vague answers.

No answers.

And then,

I shake my head.

Why am I flying

Under the clouds

When the heights are calling?

I remember the wonders

That mark my life.

I’m reminded

Of mind-boggling blessings.

Those blessings

Flood

Ever corner

Of my existence.

Yet,

There are times

I forget.

Or worse…

I remember

But it doesn’t

Take me to the mountaintop

And beyond.

When I rise,

I remember.

When I remember,

I rise.

So,

For every blessings–

Past, present, and future–

I rejoice!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3, NIV).

Soar in Silence

My clients ask,

“How can you talk

And count at the same time?”

As I tell them,

“If you know me for five minutes,

You realize I can talk

And do anything.”

Surprisingly,

When I think of soaring,

I imagine doing so

In silence.

Far from the ordinary.

High above the darkness.

With no need for words.

That can be a wonderful place

To recharge

And refresh.

However,

Beyond the day-to-day chatter,

There are many

Who desperately need to hear

The Truth.

May I never

Soar in silence

When others are waiting to hear.

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:13-15, NIV)