Can we have a conversation? and the Soli Deo Gloria Party

It's time to pull up your chair.  Do you know you have one here in this space we call Soli Deo Gloria?  You do.  It's reserved every week only for you.  This place would be different if you weren't here and we miss you when you are gone.  This is a place filled with women who seek to honor your words, you heart, your tears, and your laughter.  Scooch in close.  You won't want to miss a word.

Time is short these days, yes?  But an investment of time (even a small investment), serves to build the community.  When you arrive here, would you look over the faces of those who have already pulled up their chair?  Would you ask God to point to a few people to go visit?  Sometimes, He will lead you into those spaces because He has a gift for you there.  And sometimes, He tugs at your heart because He has given you just the right words to pour into someone else's heart.

To read more about the Soli Deo Gloria community, please click here.

This piece, I've called The Invitation.  Today, I would love to invite you to have a conversation with me in the comments section today.  I'm working out some scripture and I know that God really wants me to get this.  I wonder if y'all struggle with this as I do and I'd love your perspective.

Here is the background story:

On Friday, I was reading my daily bible reading (I'm reading the One Year Bible -- chronologically) and was still in the process of wading through Leviticus (oh, joy!).  In chapter 24, verse 19 caught my eye.  It talks about the whole eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth notion.  As I read, I thought, I need to look up what it says about this in the New Testament.  Alas, I was feeling lazy and didn't want to get my computer for my ever faithful concordance.  I saved it for another day.

Saturday, I get up before the rest of the house and I return to my chronological bible reading.  I'm not exactly sure that anything from my Bible set me off, but I am suddenly overwhelmed with the fact that I have not quite abandoned my scales like I had planned.  I realized that, sure, I had become better about loving with reckless abandon, but I still expected something in return.  Something big.  How am I supposed to get rid of these scales, God? I cry out.  I'm frustrated with myself and my inability to really let go.  So, I turn to the Only One who can truly make me better about such things.

I see the words Matthew 5:38 written in my mind and I think I'm being sent to the beatitudes or something like that.  So, I flick open my other bible and read this:

"You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'. But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer them the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken, offer your coat, too. If a solider demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow." Matthew 5: 38-42

So, no beatitudes, JUST THE VERY VERSE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT I HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR, on a silver platter, delivered by God in my kitchen.  So, the question that I wrestle with is this:

What is the balance between giving your all and being a doormat?

Please, fill me in.  I need some sound guidance here.

SDG Community Builder:  1)   If you are new to this group, will you put as your caption "I'm new!"  We'd love to give you some extra love this week.  2) If you are a seasoned member of this group, will you make sure to visit at least one "I'm New!" person?  Let's show them what SDG is all about.


And because I do shameless things for Starbucks gift cards, I'm posting this picture of me, taken at 6:10 am (okay, I was 10 minutes LATE).

so sorry if I've scared you people off.  you can blame Michelle.

His Grace is Sufficient for You

photo source via Pinterest

For the mom whose child threw a fit in church,
     His grace is sufficient.
For the dad whose daughter went on her first date,
     His grace is sufficient.
For the person who still arrived late, even after leaving fifteen minutes early,
     His grace is sufficient.
For she who is tired and cannot get a full night's rest,
     His grace is sufficient.
For he who looks for a job and cannot grasp a hold of employment,
     His grace is sufficient.
For she who desires fitness, but who feels defeated before the first step,
     His grace is sufficient.
For he who struggles with addiction and fights every moment to be set free,
     His grace is sufficient.
For she who longs to sing, but whose voice is squelched to silence,
     His grace is sufficient.
For the mom who battles depression,
     His grace is sufficient.
For the dad who battles anger,
     His grace is sufficient.

Photo source via Pinterest

For the households that face scarcity,
     His grace is sufficient.
For the children who are home-schooled, private-schooled, or public-schooled,
     His grace is sufficient.
For she whose bones are brittle, but whose spirit longs to fly,
     His grace is sufficient.
For he whose heart struggles to beat, but whose faith is strong,
     His grace is sufficient.
For the hopeless, for the faithful, for the weary, and for the strong,
     His grace is sufficient.
For the ones in chains and for the ones who are free,
     His grace is sufficient.


God says to us, "My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor 12: 9) and sometimes it is a hard Word to take in -- when we feel persecuted, abandoned, insulted, in hardship, perhaps trapped in circumstances that seem to continually implode within our lives.  And yet, even in the hard, may we hear the softness in His voice as He whispers these words in our ears.  May we grasp hold of the freedom that He offers us -- freedom from the need to be perfect, freedom from the need to be strong, freedom from the need to have it all together, freedom from embarrassment, freedom from control, freedom from incessant planning, freedom from...whatever entraps us, ensnares us, keeps us from our Savior.  My prayer is that we would embrace His grace.  May we be sufficient only through Him.

Linking with Michelle at Graceful and Shanda for On my Heart.

The honor of your presence is requested at the Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood, Monday evening through Wednesday night, at Finding Heaven.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Hebrews 10: 23-25

The wrong definition, but okay...

Funny that grit's the word of the day and I'm planning on cleaning my house today.

Mopping floors (well, at least sweeping them).
Dusting (at least the downstairs)
Vacuuming
Straightening
Putting things away (hopefully not just stuffing them in a closet)

photo source via Pinterest

I'm a person that really thrives in a clean house, but not such a nut that I actually dust my blinds at regular intervals.  I guess you could say, I'm comfortable with a small amount of grit, unless say, someone new is coming to my house and I feel that clean blinds would really impress them.

Then, I clean up THAT grit.

How often do I clean up my grit, spiritual and physical, for other people.  Not just for me?  Not just for my family?  Not just for my God?

Am I comfortable with a level of grit in my relationship with God?  Do I leave a layer of grime and figure, I'll just save that for another day?

"Create in my a clean heart, O God," runs through my mind.  What is that grit that I've pretended to overlook?  What is that grit that I look at say, "Everyone has that" just like I might say, "Who dusts their ceiling fans every week?"

STOP.

(Okay, half way through writing this, I pause and think, grit doesn't necessarily mean grime and dirt, it's more about abrasiveness.  Oh well, no editing allowed!  Besides, dust can be irritating, yes?)

Linking with Linking with the Gypsy Mama for 5 Minute Friday.




And with Michelle for Caffeinated Randomness.

Cultivate Gratitude: A Guest Post

When Jen asked me to write a post about gratitude in unlikely places I was thrilled and nervous.  Thank you, analytical self for directing me towards the meaning and root of the word. Gratitude has so many synonyms: gratefulness, thankfulness, appreciation, acknowledgement, and credit. The words grace and gratitude share a common root, the Latin word gratus meaning, “pleasing” or “thankful”. It has been said when you are in a deep state of gratitude you will feel the presence of grace…powerful!

If you were to write a list of things you were grateful for what would that list look like? A year ago, my list consisted of happy moments such as my husband, children, family, and friends, maybe an occasional something that happened in my day.  I was deep in yoga training, reading an assigned book when it broached the subject of gratitude. It spoke about the practice of gratitude, whether the situation is positive or, let’s just say negative for lack of a better word.  It sparked something deep within me.  If I could cultivate gratitude for the happy moments, could I cultivate gratitude for the challenging moments as well?  Find the light within the shadow?  Let me clear, I am not talking about pretending something is positive when it is indeed anything but. I am talking about the lesson (light) to be learned from the challenge.  Challenge is just another road to opportunity.

My youngest child and I were at a Doctor’s appointment to check her hearing for the 3^rd time.  The kind lady at the front desk handed me a bill from the last visit. Never mind I was trying not to think (who am I kidding *worry*) about the test itself but now, here was another costly bill.  Before I started my downward spiral, I made a conscious choice to practice gratitude.  Who wouldn’t be grateful for having an amazing doctor who has been with us since day one? Or for a child who sat on that exam table with a huge smile (a gift I am grateful for everyday)?  

That was the “easy” list. Now for the harder cultivation (practice)…I am so grateful for the money we put into savings to fix her teeth because even though its not her teeth that need our attention now, the money is available to us when we need it.  I am grateful for the stark realization that she may not be ignoring my words or not listening - she may truly not be able to hear me (insert tears for all the times I was irritated). What else have I been upset or mad about without thinking of the why (that’s a whole other post J)? At that very moment I softened to the process, to the moment, to life and what is in store for us.  She happened to be looking at a book about a clam and saw a pearl in the clam’s mouth.  She said, “Is that real?” It couldn’t have been more surreal: a piece of dirt trapped in a clam’s mouth and the clam turns an irritation into a beautiful pearl. Wow, does HE have good timing – a lesson I might not have caught had I been downward spiraling. I will admit I have an attraction to pearls and now every time I wear one, let it be a reminder.

In my opinion, it is easy to cultivate gratitude for the happy moments.  It is less easy to cultivate gratitude in the challenging moments.  To pull ourselves out of the drudgery of life and see the pearl emerge from irritation.  I have been working on celebrating my kid’s mistakes (knowing all the while this the true teacher), the times they take risks (knowing this is what helps them build confidence and humility), and the challenges they face as just another opportunity to learn and grow. It is so hard.  I have found that by practicing gratitude in challenging times and sharing my discoveries with my family it has made the experience so much more profound than if I had preached it.  ( I heard someone say once stop preaching start communicating – ummmm brilliant!)

It has been a gift to share my words and thoughts with all of you lovely and amazingly strong people.  This community is like none other in uplifting and encouraging with kind and thoughtful comments.  Here’s to abundance and opportunity and the thank you’s along the way! From the deepest place in my heart smiles and gratitude!    

In gratitude and all smiles,
Michelle
michelle@michellenorris.com
michellenorris.com

how He always tips the scale to love

I'm guest posting today over at Healthy Spirituality, continuing my thoughts about giving up the scales that have kept me in bondage for quite sometime.  Here's a little teaser...

photo source

Drawing a line in the sand wasn’t working.

And when she expected more harsh words or another “pat” on the rear, I instead scooped her up and held her, this six-year old body, in the same way you might cradle a newborn.  And I started to sing her favorite song while I carried her into my bedroom to sit in the rocking chair that was once my grandmother and my great-grandmother’s before that.

We rocked back and forth, her huddled against my chest, wrapped tight in a hand-made blanket that had come from my grandmother’s house.  We listened to the low creaking and we inhaled the scent of the loved ones since passed on, wrapped up tight in the love that has covered us many time over.

As I ran my hands, pressing flesh into the oak grains, as I curled my fingers around the chair’s arm, I imagined my grandmother’s hand upon mine.  A simple reminder those times I had drawn the line and my grandmother chose love instead of exerting power.  My grandmother, the one with the direct line to my heart, taught me the pull of unconditional love.  She taught me to see to the heart and not worry so much about demanding those things that just need time to grow.

To continue reading,  please come on over to Jean's site, Healthy Spirituality.

Linking this with Journey to Epiphany for Painting Prose and with My Daily Walk for Winsome Wednesday.