Contented
Posted: January 10, 2012 Filed under: Parenting, Spirituality, Thoughts 2 Comments »
credit: Flicker
I realized something yesterday. It was during a job interview process and the subsequent rejection that I realized something about myself. I’m not very hungry. What I mean by this is, I’m fairly content with the life and journey God has me living.
I’ve spent a lifetime trying to attain peace and contentment. It isn’t easy, and I’m not sure I’ve “arrived.” However, I’m much more content than I was 30+ years ago.
When my career was threatened a few years ago. I shrugged. That isn’t to say I wasn’t stressed and that it wasn’t a horrible situation – but I knew who I was, where I was going, and where my values lay. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my family, my calling, or my convictions in order to satisfy someone who didn’t agree with me – no matter how powerful he was. It just wasn’t worth it. Next thing I knew, I was unemployed.
Adolescents and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
Posted: December 31, 2011 Filed under: Parenting, Spirituality, Thoughts 2 Comments »
I remember being 19. It was heady. I knew everything, had no fear, and I saw life as full of opportunity. I was anxious to explore freedom and couldn’t wait to get away from the chains that held me back. I actually thought I was smarter than everyone else. I was not open to advice, and I couldn’t wait to make my mark. My only restriction, as I saw it, was money. If I just had a good cash flow, I would slay any dragon put before me.
Now, 30 years removed from that time, I’m watching someone I love very much make decisions based on a similar worldview. I am grieving the future loss of his innocence.
When I was 19, I knew I could try out some of my dreams, and if they didn’t work out, I’d just step back into my old life and continue on as if nothing had changed. The problem with that thinking? Everything changed.
Over the course of the next five years of my life, by the time I was 25, I had acquired experiences that changed me forever; I was enveloped by addictions that I still wrestle with, and some of my actions disqualified me for some of my current dreams. I can’t go back, I can’t go home again, and because of those few years of my life, I’m no longer innocent. I’ve tasted the forbidden fruit – and I’ll never be the same.
”disobedience and lack of trust that changed her”
Five Strategies to Help Your Kids Hear You
Posted: October 24, 2011 Filed under: Parenting, Thoughts 1 Comment »
I think my parents would be amazed to hear me say I learned something from them. Oh sure, they taught me to make a bed, tie my shoes, and be polite – but what about the truly big things? I actually learned a few of them. Unfortunately, I was about 25 before they sunk in – and had already failed miserably.
My Dad always said, “Don’t wish your life away.” For instance, don’t wish you were 16 so you could drive; don’t wish you were 21 so you can drink; don’t wish you were 25 so your insurance will be cheaper; and so on…. After a lifetime of wishing I was 16, 18, 21, and 25 – I finally figured out what he meant. He was right!
