In our 30+ years of marriage we’ve experienced:

• Marriage – now THAT’s a life changing event!
• Miscarriage #1
• Birth of 2 daughters
• Miscarriages #2 and #3
• Loss of 7 jobs through lay-offs
• Loss of just about everything including our house
• Move to California
• Adoption of our oldest daughter
• Move back to Texas
• Marriage of our oldest daughter
• Birth of 3 grandchildren
• Death of 3 parents in 4 months

And these were just the “biggies”. We all experience perspective altering events throughout our lives, but the one constant question has to be: “Do I trust that God is ultimately in control of everything?” Will I let this event send me into the depths of worry or will I hold everything loosely and understand that I serve a great God who is not surprised by any aspect of my situation? Will I sleep peacefully tonite, or will I toss and turn while letting my mind go to the craziest, most desperate places? Will I trust God completely, or will I take this situation wholly on myself and doubt that He will provide? Believe me, I can spout the “words” of faith quite well while secretly panicking like a crazy person. I can play the part of the “faithful follower” while working myself quietly into an ulcer or nice cozy blanket of depression. Been there, done that. But over the years I’ve learned to take big “life events” in stride. Oh I’ll still give in to worry occasionally, but those moments are brief, thank goodness. Now I am more likely to pray first – and then it’s amazing how worry disappears. It’s amazing the calming effect just trusting in God can have. It’s pretty simple really.

“For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him until that Day.” 2 Timothy 1:12

I believe that God is in control. I believe He is not surprised by any situation. I believe that His plans are for my good. I believe He is my provider. I believe He loves me and will continue to guide and direct my path – wherever it leads. I KNOW God is good. All the time.

Taking joy in the journey (wherever it leads!)

Lori

Noun: A situation involving exposure to danger.

Verb: Expose (someone or something valued) to danger, harm, or loss.

Synonyms: noun: hazard – peril – jeopardy -   danger – venture – chance  verb. hazard – venture – jeopardize   – adventure – chance

Taking risks is not something I’ve ever been too excited about. I was always the “safe” kid – didn’t want to do anything that might upset my parents, friends or peers. I was more likely not to do something that even looked dangerous. I preferred to go with the flow, maintain the status quo and whatever other clichés are out there. My motto was always “better safe than sorry” and I lived that way quite happily for quite a long time. Or so I thought.

Loving is risky. When you open yourself to love and be loved there is a certain amount of risk you have to be willing to take. Will you be loved in return? Will that person hurt you at some point in your relationship? Will you be rejected outright? Having children can be risky, but oh so rewarding. In reality, living is risky! We take risks every day whether we realize it or not. The key is in our attitude.

When I choose to love, pursue a relationship or even get up in the morning I am taking a risk. Just look at the synonyms above and you’ll see the very thing I’m talking about. You put your life in jeopardy when you get in your car. Take a chance when you make a new friend. Venture into potential peril when you board an airplane. Life is a risk.

So what makes the risk worth it? The end result. Getting in your car may take you to a destination full of joy and happiness. Venturing onto an airplane might lead you to an adventure you’ve always dreamed of. Making a new friend might bring fulfillment to your life in a new dimension. But you’ll never know until you try. Until you take a risk and jump in. Fear not.

I take a risk every time I write a blog. It’s scary, but I’ve been so encouraged by the feedback I’ve received from you that it’s worth it to keep writing.  This joyful journey is a risk. And it’s worth it.

Taking joy in the journey,

Lori

I’ve done a lot of research online and it’s amazing the variety of “best” diets and exercise out there. Everyone seems to have an opinion on what foods are awful, great, better, best. I think it comes down to common sense in the end. I’m being more intentional in my food choices and have cut out some things entirely. No more sodas was the first biggie. No more coffee – green tea is now my morning drink and I honestly don’t really even miss the coffee. We are eating at home more – which is starting to save us some serious money!

The biggest change I’ve made is to journal what I eat. The calorie/exercise/weight tracker on my iPhone has been a huge help. I can search restaurants, recipes, grocery store items, etc. and keep a fairly accurate calorie count. It keeps me accountable and on track with my goals.

A huge part of this process has been the support of my awesome husband. He’s been so patient as I try new “healthier” recipes and hasn’t complained about the lack of sweets in the house. I even made him an angel food cake last week as a thank you! Surprisingly I’ve not been tempted with sweets at all. I thought bread would be tough (it used to be my personal kryptonite), but I’ve found some good alternatives so it hasn’t been terrible.

Going forward I’ll be adding in some strength training to the walking I’ve been doing. I even started running for short bursts this week – which is huge for me. The weight is coming off slowly, which can be frustrating, but I told handsome hubs last night I think I will be more motivated to keep it off because I know how much hard work it took to lose it! I understand that this is not a race – it’s a marathon. A marathon I need to commit to running for the rest of my life.

Taking joy in the journey,

Lori

For me, setting boundaries is always a matter of prayer, first. My natural inclination is to react first, then reconsider later. Our pastor recently encouraged us to “take 20” before reacting to any news or information, good or bad. Whenever you receive news (email, phone call, etc.) take 20 minutes (at least) before you react in any way. Pray, think about something else, just don’t react until you’ve taken that time. Setting boundaries can and should be approached the same way.

There will always be people in our lives who are challenging or even difficult to love. People who constantly demand our time and energy without investing anything in return. Needy people, challenging people. Relationships are tricky. Believe me, I’m including myself in those categories! I had a sometimes difficult relationship with my mother and eventually had to set some clear boundaries. It took a long time (until I was 40!) for me to give myself permission to set those boundaries. I realized I had to choose my husband and children first and my mom second. This did not mean I no longer loved my mom. We just couldn’t continue to operate in our old, established patterns any longer. It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary and the rewards were great. That decision has given me a totally different attitude toward my relationship with my daughters – and changed how I view being the mother of adult “children” (and mother-in-law/grandmother). I also view my other relationships with a greater understanding of when and how boundaries need to be set. Honestly I reevaluate my relationships regularly and ask God to show me where (and how) I need to change as I relate. It keeps me humble, to be sure, and grateful for lessons learned in that class on “Making Peace with Your Past”.

Taking joy in the JOURNEY,

Lori

On January 2^nd I started the 21 Day Cleanse again. I even added light exercise this time, and at the end of the 21 days I’d lost a whopping 4 pounds. Not discouraged, I immediately increased my exercise and started a calorie counting program. As of today (1/30/12) I’ve lost 7.5 pounds! I finally figured out something that works for me – and calorie counting seems to do the trick. I’ve never been one to stick to a prescribed “diet” plan – where I have to eat certain things at every meal. I don’t like a lot of the suggested foods, and with my schedule (and trying to keep my awesome hubby happy) it’s difficult to maintain. I found that if I focus on eating healthy foods (fresh fruits and vegetables – organic when possible), lean meats and LOTS of water, I am not only losing weight (albeit s-l-o-w-l-y), I feel better!

I know – we’ve all heard this stuff before at least a thousand times. Everywhere you look there’s somebody touting the latest diet that guarantees you will lose 20 pounds in 20 days. But until I discovered the best way for me, it was all just noise. I had to be determined, dedicated and yes, stubborn about wanting to lose weight. No excuses. Going to the gym 4 times a week. Every week. I’ve never done that before in my life, but I have to say after missing one day last week I actually felt deprived! Weird.

So here’s my commitment. I’m going to lose 20 pounds and keep it off. I’m going to exercise regularly and tone up the wobbly bits that have gotten out of control (bye-bye muffin top!). And I’m going to continue to eat healthy, balanced meals after the weight is gone. I want to be fit and sassy when I’m 80 years old!

Here are the two tools I’m using to help me win the battle of my bulges: www.myfitnesspal.com and www.beyonddiet.com  My Fitness Pal has an iPhone and iPad app that makes counting calories and tracking exercise easy. It keeps me honest and helps when I’m eating out. I’ve even made a list of my favorite restaurants with the calorie counts of things I can eat so I don’t even have to look at menus. It really boils down to choices – I know now there are things I just can’t eat any more and I’m ok with that.

This is going to be a process, but I’m determined!

Taking joy in the journey,

Lori

P.S. If you like this post, would you please take a moment to comment or rate it? I love feedback!!

1 a: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires: delight b: the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety

2: a state of happiness or felicity: bliss

3: a source or cause of delight

Where does your joy come from?  The Bible has much to say about joy. In fact, the NIV version has 244 instances where joy is mentioned in some form.  In the Old Testament we are encouraged to be joyful, shout for joy, serve God joyfully, make a joyful sound, sing for joy and celebrate joyfully. Joy is often associated with feasting (one of my personal favorites), giving presents to the poor, found in God’s presence and in His salvation. Joy is referenced 59 times in Psalms alone!

But where does my joy come from? Is it found in relationships? Possessions (maybe that new pair of really cute shoes)? I think my favorite definition of joy is #3 above: A source or cause of delight. Very simply, my joy (or delight) should be found in the Lord. Honestly it’s not always that way, but in reality joy is a choice. I can choose to be joyful no matter the circumstance, or I can choose to rail against my circumstance and be miserable. If I can find joy in the midst of trial – even if it’s as simple as remembering the joy of my salvation in Christ – then my circumstance doesn’t seem so insurmountable.  One thing is always true, no matter what. Jesus Christ is my Savior and the true source of my joy.

I choose joy.

Taking JOY in the journey,

Lori

That first experience at giving something away happened about 4 months after we arrived in California. Eight months later it happened again. I was driving to my part time job at our church one morning and saw our Music Pastor on his way to serve communion to one of our members in a nursing home. It was August. It was unbearably hot. And he was riding a bicycle. I knew that he and his wife only had one car, but it had never dawned on me that riding his bicycle was something he did on a regular basis. To and from home (probably 5 miles away), to the hospital or a nursing home. My heart starting beating faster as I heard that still, small voice again. “Give him your car”. Now, you’d probably expect me to put up a fight, especially after the $50 incident. Oddly enough, the idea of arguing with God about this request never entered my mind. It just seemed so right. And so enormous. All at the same time.

How would I tell Rhett? How would we manage? What about my freedom to go and do whenever I needed/wanted to? Rhett had a very small truck – barely enough room for us and the fortunately-at-the-time small girls. All those thoughts ran through my head and promptly out the other side. None of that mattered. Someone needed my car more than I did.

Now, don’t misunderstand. I am no martyr or saint! It was not an easy decision, but it was the right decision. I waited with some trepidation for Rhett to come home that night, not sure how he would respond. He walked in the kitchen with a strange look on his face as I was fixing dinner. “We need to talk” he said. “Me first” I said, and started telling my story. God is so cool. Really. God had been speaking the exact same thing to Rhett all day long. We were in perfect agreement about who, what and when we were to give our car away. God even told Rhett to “purify the offering” and put 4 new tires on the car. We washed, shined and polished that car until it looked new.

The night we gave our car away was one I will never forget. We invited our friends over for dinner and presented them with the keys. We all cried and prayed in wonder and thanksgiving at what God had done. And in that act of obedience, God released a spirit of giving in our church. People randomly bought tires for a family, a new suit for another pastor, provided groceries to a needy family – the list was amazing. Later God showed us what He did during that time-He used us to release a spirit of giving in our community. And I finally understood the true joy of giving.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:17-19

Taking JOY in the journey,

Lori

In 1988 Rhett and I moved to California for what we thought was “the job to get us back on our financial feet”.  (See my previous post on “Marriage” for more on that journey). There was so much to learn during that time – probably enough to fill a book – but “giving” was not something that was on my radar much before then.

I grew up in the Baptist church, so tithing was always a part of my vocabulary and experience. I understood (or thought I did) that 10% of my finances belong solely to God. No problem. But I had never given until it hurt. Sacrificially. Shortly after we moved, God began moving on my heart to begin giving over and above that dedicated 10%. Wait, what? Finances were already extremely tight (that’s putting it mildly) so I had a little trouble figuring out how I was going to give MORE. Oh how naïve I was.

It started fairly simply. I wanted a new camera so I could preserve the memories of our California experience. I scrimped and saved for several months until I had $50 saved up for the all-important camera purchase. Precious cash in hand, I headed to the Walmart in Modesto where my brand new camera awaited me on the shelf. I knew which one I wanted because I had been scoping it out for a while. As I drove into the parking lot I noticed a young couple with a baby sitting beside an old car holding a “Please Help” sign. “Bless their hearts” I thought and headed toward the store. As I pulled into the parking space I heard a still, small voice say “Give them your $50”. That was it. I then began a futile argument with God. I know, right? When He wouldn’t let me go, I went into bargaining mode. “Ok Lord” I said, “If the camera I want isn’t in stock (I had just seen about a dozen of them a few days before) and the couple is still there when I come out, I’ll give them the money”. Yep, you guessed it. There were NO cameras in the store that were under $100!! I must have walked around for a good 30 minutes, so sure that a camera in my price range would suddenly appear. I can just see God looking down at me and shaking His head. Sure enough, when I went out to the car the couple was still sitting in the parking lot. With a somewhat willing attitude (ok, so I pouted a little) I drove over to where they sat, got out of the car and walked over to them. They looked up in surprise when I handed them my folded up $50. I just said “God bless you” and started walking back to my car. Halfway there I heard a very excited “THANK YOU!!” and my heart broke.

How selfish could I be? I had a home, husband who was employed and two healthy little girls. I cried all the way home, so humbled that God would use me to bless someone else. It was the beginning of a new chapter in my life. The one entitled: “Give it Away”.

Taking joy in the JOURNEY,

Lori

Someone recently posted this question on Facebook:” What New Year’s resolution have you kept so far this year?” I was so happy to answer that I have exercised 4 days a week since the first of the year!

This may not seem like a significant accomplishment to you, but as a devoted non-exerciser this is HUGE. I am ashamed to admit that I joined a gym last year and had not been more than a few times. Oh I had great reasons for not going; I had minor surgery last year, then pulled a hamstring muscle which took a long time to heal, I broke a fingernail. Reasons? Or excuses?

As I approached the new year I determined that THIS was to be a year of fitness. Of course, I’ve said that before and failed miserably after a very short time. But this year there’s something different. I am more resolved this year to make health and fitness a priority. It’s not the result of a doctors warning – I had a physical and heart scan in December, both of which were great. This is more of a heart/spiritual change. I realized that my physical inactivity was causing me to be lazy in other areas of my life and something had to change. Relationships, quiet/devotional time, even my jewelry design has taken a serious hit because I lacked the energy to do much of anything.

This year I will persevere. I am 11 days into a 21 day cleanse, but I’ve only lost 4 pounds. Historically this would be discouraging enough to send me running for the chips and Ranch dressing, but I am unwavering in my resolve to lose 15 pounds. In the words of Tim Allen in Galaxy Quest: “Never Give Up! Never Surrender!” I will go to the gym and walk at least 3 miles. I will stretch and do toning exercises. I will continue on the diet and not cheat. I will push through the plateau and lose the weight. I will win my personal battle with weight and be leaner, healthier and happier on the other side. I will persevere!

2012 is my year to prepare for the rest of my life. I plan to live a very long time.

Taking joy in the journey,

Lori

It took a while for me to understand that God really does care about the decisions we make, large or small, important or insignificant. There is nothing that escapes His notice. I mean, if even the hairs on your head are numbered (Matthew 10:30) don’t you think He cares about all the decisions in your life? Of course, this can be carried to the extreme. I remember at one particularly frustrating point in my learning process I actually said “Do I even have to ask God about cutting my hair”? It didn’t get down to that, but I began to understand that He really does care about the decisions I make.

Too often we get in a hurry and try to help God along. Silly, I know, but we’re human so it’s part of the package. When we get ahead of God, rush headlong into something because it “feels” right, we put ourselves danger of lengthening the process. Note that I did not say we derail or abort God’s plan. Just look at Abraham. He was said to be a friend of God, but he failed Him several times – miserably. But even in the midst of Abraham’s failure, God was still faithful.

Then there’s David. God’s anointed king. His chosen ruler for Israel. Failure in the eyes of many (Murder? Adultery?) but still saw God’s faithfulness in his life. There are many other examples like Noah, Job, Peter and me.

I am so bad about thinking I need to “help” God. Really? How arrogant can I be? God doesn’t need my help – he needs my obedience. When I ask God to intervene on my behalf, I should do so with the understanding that He is not at all surprised by my circumstance. In fact, He already has a solution ready and waiting long before I even ask.

I don’t want to move down this road ahead of God. He’s the one who’s got the map.

Taking joy in the journey,

Lori