Pay bills. Take son to football practice and grab his project from the table as he walks out the door. Drive back home; take shower; wake up daughter. Wait for school bus. Get gas. Pick up extra yummy, high calorie breakfast from Panera!! Work. Read to Bri’s class at 11:30. Take dog to vet at 2:00. Piano lessons at 4:00. Pick up birthday present. Pick up pizza. Go home and be thankful we have no plans this evening!
Michelle Obama recently gave a very moving speech to a women’s convention where she talked about the load women carry on their shoulders. We try to be the best mother, the best partner, the best daughter. We walk into our jobs with a feeling of still needing to prove ourselves equal while society still expects us to be the room mom, bake cookies for the teacher’s birthday, and drive forgotten lunch boxes to school. And we do all of this without asking for help because we still paint ourselves as the martyr.
But we know we can’t do all things and be all things, at least not successfully and for sure not long term. Something will not go as planned and the self induced guilt of failing at one of our many roles sets in. How often do we live in that uncomfortable gap between our unrealistic expectations of ourselves and the realistic level we can actually accomplish? So, ask yourself what role you will play today. Let all the roles not chosen float away for another time and be brilliant in the ONE you select!
~Steph
Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
which came first
Last night Brianna brought home an egg. Not an egg from the grocery store but rather an egg from a nest. She was very excited about it and held if very carefully as she walked it around to each of us. We asked her if she was planning on sitting on it until it hatched and after a very brief explanation on how baby chicks hatch from their eggs, Brianna bundled up the egg in several blankets and gently sat on it.
~Steph
~Steph
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
he had nothing to do with it
A man's sign cought my attention this morning on my way to work. "I really hate doin' this but I am hungry." I could appreciate the blow that must have been to his pride and reached in my wallet for some money. When I handed it to him, he asked if I was a Christian. I told him no and he said "Well, God bless you anyway". It stikes me as so odd that God is seen as exclusive to Christians as this is definitely not the case!
~Steph
~Steph
Sunday, October 3, 2010
my old pair of blue jeans
After almost a year of trying out a Christian church and not ever really feeling it, I returned to my old church today. Troy and I discovered Northwoods about seven years ago. Avery came home very upset after our neighbor’s son told him people who do not believe in God burn in Hell. We felt the need to balance out his religious experience. Since then I have returned to Northwoods over and over again, and like a pair of old blue jeans, it always feels so comfortable no matter how much time has passed between my visits.
At first glance, it looks like any of the other churches that hide behind the trees in The Woodlands. It is a two story structure made of wood that really blends into the surroundings. There is an over-grown area with several native flowers and plants surrounding a nicely built deck, a footbridge going over a rock river, and little well-worn paths. A small gray haired woman serves as your typical greeter, welcoming you and handing you an order of service. The worshiping area is unassuming, painted in earth tones and framed in wood. There is an information area, music section, and a place for the minister. The reset is filled with cloth backed chairs with hymnals on every third seat.
And there is where the similarities come to an end.
When entering through the doors into the worship area, you pass under a sign that states “We are a welcoming congregation.” Next to these words is the religion’s symbol, the chalice, in bright, rainbow colors. There is also a chalice at the front of the room that seems to be swallowed up by the two story wall behind it. The wall has many pieces of wood that go up to meet a large, round window that is filled with the sun’s rays shining in. Together, taken in all at one time, they resemble a candle. The congregation is filled with all races, all ages, all sexual orientations, all with one thing in common: the desire to be bigger than oneself without the judgmental, exclusive dogma of most religions. They believe in the worth of every person, justice, encouraging spiritual growth, a free search for truth, the use of democratic processes, a focus on the world community, and the interdependent web of all existence. Troy says it is where all the hippies from the 60’s hang out. And the people are definitely interesting. You will find guys with long hair and girls with shaved heads. Grandmothers talking about their most recent rally march; dads holding their babies tightly in wraps; and a youth group that represents every possible expression of individualism. The music played closely resembles the folk music at those anti-commercialism coffee houses. The sermons are overly cerebral and do not benefit from multi-media or flashing lights.
But it is a safe place for me. A place where the tension leaves my shoulders and I immediately feel accepted. A place that calms my mind and opens my heart. A place which I will continue to return.
~ Steph
At first glance, it looks like any of the other churches that hide behind the trees in The Woodlands. It is a two story structure made of wood that really blends into the surroundings. There is an over-grown area with several native flowers and plants surrounding a nicely built deck, a footbridge going over a rock river, and little well-worn paths. A small gray haired woman serves as your typical greeter, welcoming you and handing you an order of service. The worshiping area is unassuming, painted in earth tones and framed in wood. There is an information area, music section, and a place for the minister. The reset is filled with cloth backed chairs with hymnals on every third seat.
And there is where the similarities come to an end.
When entering through the doors into the worship area, you pass under a sign that states “We are a welcoming congregation.” Next to these words is the religion’s symbol, the chalice, in bright, rainbow colors. There is also a chalice at the front of the room that seems to be swallowed up by the two story wall behind it. The wall has many pieces of wood that go up to meet a large, round window that is filled with the sun’s rays shining in. Together, taken in all at one time, they resemble a candle. The congregation is filled with all races, all ages, all sexual orientations, all with one thing in common: the desire to be bigger than oneself without the judgmental, exclusive dogma of most religions. They believe in the worth of every person, justice, encouraging spiritual growth, a free search for truth, the use of democratic processes, a focus on the world community, and the interdependent web of all existence. Troy says it is where all the hippies from the 60’s hang out. And the people are definitely interesting. You will find guys with long hair and girls with shaved heads. Grandmothers talking about their most recent rally march; dads holding their babies tightly in wraps; and a youth group that represents every possible expression of individualism. The music played closely resembles the folk music at those anti-commercialism coffee houses. The sermons are overly cerebral and do not benefit from multi-media or flashing lights.
But it is a safe place for me. A place where the tension leaves my shoulders and I immediately feel accepted. A place that calms my mind and opens my heart. A place which I will continue to return.
~ Steph
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