Narcissism, Needs and Nothing New

"Isn't it all pretty egotistical!?!!"

This is how my mom sees the uber-popular FACEBOOK and other assorted social networking and blogging sites. I love my mom. Granted, she is not into using the internet for much more than email or the occasional COLDWATER CREEK clearance sale, but her point is taken. Her sentiment reflects also that she does not need or desire to know these details about people in her life (past&present) that the sites provide. I think we all naturally gravitate toward the habits that fill our greatest needs.

For certain, there are some who use these to make much of themselves, yet there are also those who use them simply to connect and be a small part of (as Matt Chandler would put it) "doing life together." As a friend put it to me yesterday: "Blogging can be as much about what God teaches you in the writing process as it is about whomever chooses to read it." That hits the nail on the head for me. I want to get better @ writing (practice, practice, practice!!), I want to process and share what is going on in my life (which is synonymous with what God is doing), and it is gravy if people choose to read and start a dialogue about any of it.

I fully get that, as the book of Ecclesiastes puts it, there is "nothing new under the sun." I know the lessons I have learned or am learning are not earth-shattering or any sort of modern enlightenment, but they had enough meaning that I wanted to put them on paper (so to speak). There is nothing here that God doesn't cover much more eloquently in the Bible, but, hey, knowing doesn't equal doing- now does it! ;) So, in all their (lack of) glory, here is a short list:

*Do not assume people know what you mean.
*Sometimes it is better to be quiet, than to offer an opinion.
*Forgive daily and move on.
*Choose to laugh.
*Don't say anything you wouldn't say to the person about which you are speaking.
*Seek resolution. Say your peace. Let it go.
*Don't put things on FACEBOOK (or in email,etc) that could be misunderstood.
*You do not need to be right or have the answer for everything.
*Consider other people's interests first.
*Don't stay mad. It is a waste of time.
*Do the harder thing.
*Connect with God constantly.
*Retreat and pray when emotions overtake me.
*Limit technology.
*Lead by example.
*Don't put trust in those who have shown themselves untrustworthy.
*Use manners all of the time.
*Take every opportunity to talk about God with anyone, especially my kids.
*Open your ears daily to the needs around you.
*Don't get worked up about much of anything.

**Listening to Pandora while I am writing this and the SHANE & SHANE song "Over The Sun" came on. How funny! It talks about how, in the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon looks for meaning and satisfaction in EVERYTHING under the sun and He discovered that it is all found on the other side. This song is a letter from Solomon telling us to stop looking here, and start looking over the sun, where our source of life is hidden. Chandler was doing an incredible series on Ecclesiastes when we first moved to Dallas in 2007-I need to download it onto my Ipod and listen to it again from the beginning!!**

The Eagles Have Landed...Holla!!

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I have just returned from dropping Austin (7) off @ 2nd grade, Ella (4) off @ half-day Preschool, and getting a coffee (a necessary reward for getting thus far in the game). Seven years now as a SAHM (Stay-at-Home Mom) and now a new door is gradually opening.

People ask: "What will you do with the time?!??"

Ooh, ooh, ooh-I can think of 100 things! While I am praying about what comes next work or volunteering-wise; for now, my first desire is to get back to one love I have been greatly neglecting...WRITING!! ;) I have had tons of quotes, ideas, lessons, and failures that have accumulated lately-so much so-I started carrying a little notebook in my purse because I cannot stand losing ideas...who knows some of them might actually be good ones...maybe..so anywho...

Thought I would take today to chat about what's going on for me right now and maybe tomorrow I will look back @ some of the aforementioned lessons and quotes.

A huge deal has been my choice to change what I eat and drink. You've heard 1Cor 10:31- "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." Yeah, me too, I think I even wrote it in a Christmas Card once a while back I liked it so much. You know what I have been up to the last 30 years? (Yes, world, I turned the BIG 3-0 this summer) Well, I have been going out of my way with all of my energy to do the EXACT opposite! And not just a little bit, but everyday and all day.

Ok, so you could Romans 3:23 me and say that we all "fall short of the glory of God," but since struggling in the area of eat/drink is probably one of the most accepted/least frowned upon sins in the church world-I have been able to excuse myself out of dealing with this idol for a LONG time...like..oh..my entire life. More about this struggle in the future-but for now I share this to say that this was a huge coup d'etat of what my life is centered around and a much needed yielding to the Spirit!!

BTW-I write this blog not because I have all this or that figured out, but because I think all of us (Christian or not) have similar struggles with different names. I want to be authentic, I want to be real, and I want to be positive about everything. I can't promise I will not disagree with people, issues, etc in my soiree in the blogosphere-but I hope to do it in a way that is ultimately useful, encouraging, and done with love (and humor).

In the little bit I have blogged so far in my life, I have had two people (that I was once close friends with) come to me and say they felt talking about Jesus or anything "religious" was being preachy. To all friends, family, other people randomly reading this blog that are in that category, I would tell what I told them:

If it is where you're coming from that the discussion or mention of Jesus, the Bible, faith, etc. are just not a topic you like to discuss- I can totally respect that. I do try to go out of my way to only give a glimpse of what MY journey has been-not to tell people what they should do. I find that there is a difference. ;) Yes, there will be times I will ask questions of Christians in a critically thinking manner-but I do not expect that those who are not will completely understand or relate to where I am coming from.

We are all passionate about different things. There may be something you feel deeply about and would make my eyes glaze over because I cannot relate. I would not find it rude or an invasion of privacy at all for you to share about that with me.

Also, my blog will always have a lot to say about how I think "religion" is ridiculous and how life is not about religion. I want to live my life open-handed and as an open book. Anyone who chooses to read what I write is welcome to be just as genuine with me with all of who they are-and all I want is for my blog to be more about the ways God is working on one broken soul than anything in the neighborhood of being judgmental to those who do not see the world the same way as I do.

Now that I went on about that...guess I will have to bid adieu til tomorrow! Peace.