The Fish Tank

My instructor told us our next rotation would involve burpees and planks. If any of you workout, you know that burpees are probably the absolute worst exercise ever created in the universe but quite effective. Today, however, he wanted us to do them on one leg. All of us looked at him like he had (clearly) lost his mind. He wanted us to do what? And this after punching and running, and box jumping, and lifting for almost an hour? But, we all got on our way doing our one-legged burpees. This exercise took quite a bit of balance and I knew immediately that I was more dominant on my left leg than right. That was not the first time that morning the word balance came to mind. Balancing on one leg while trying to jump up, back, and into push-up position only solidified my thoughts on the word. I have been thinking about balance for a while now. We talk a lot about finding balance in our lives giving our energy first to God, then our spouse, kids, work, etc. But, I had other thoughts about ...

Stuck. Icemaggedon. Entombed in ice. We were warned days ago that we were going to experience the storm of a lifetime; to be prepared to be stuck in our homes for a few days. The stores were packed and shelves cleared by panicked patrons trying to stock up. I thought we had enough but am now craving enchiladas so bad I'd walk ten miles for them. Funny what you would do when you don't have the freedom to do what you want when you want. As I got a quiet moment in the middle of the day today I began to think about this moment and how many of us are going stir crazy and it's only day two of what could be a four day or more entrapment. God tells us to be still. We talk about, preach about, read about, and pray about being still. However, I don't think we practice being still. I was outside with my middle guy watching him break icicles off plants and eat them while trying to stay on his feet. As I watched him, I listened. There is something very still and quiet after a snow...

Last week I went on an adventure of a life time. I always dreamed of visiting the vast city that moves so quickly. I jumped at the opportunity. As I stepped out of the yellow taxi cab onto the busy streets of New York I was transported back to my 12 year old self needing my mom to guide me through. I didn't know what to expect when I arrived in NYC but thought I would be fine. I grew up in Southern California where a fast paced life style is the norm. Or so I thought. SoCal looks like a slug compared to the bustling streets of Manhattan. But, I was with my trusty sidekick who knows how to keep me in line and focused so I knew we were going to tackle this city like a beast. As we ventured around town what I came to realize is that life is out of my control (duh). We walked for what seemed like forever passing men in three piece suits and the homeless at the same time. It was a bizarre yet seemingly normal site. I thought about the lives of those two and how drastic they lived; one ...

"God spent a long time making you and He doesn't make worthless things!" Funny how God works. The word perfection has been bouncing around my brain for the past two weeks. I've thought about what it means to be perfect, how much I long for perfection in my life, how perfection is really unattainable and not true to reality. I think our on-line world has enhanced the race towards perfection. We see everyone in a way that is not realistic or true to the everyday mess of our lives. When we do let the disaster show, it's a cute concocted picture of something hilarious or something that will garner positive attention. Today, I sat in our auditorium at church and listened to the sermon as it penetrated my soul. The subject: Comparison. Oh man. Wow. For me, perfection stems from two sources: my utter need and desire to have everything neat and tidy AND my quick ability to compare my life to others. Why do I think others' lives are perfect? I know the truth. I bel...

When God is about to work in my life in a mighty way, when He is about to do great things, I often find myself in the the midst of a massive clean out. Things are purged and taken away. Life is altered and shifted to make room for what He is about to do. In the midst of this clearing I can go from completely lost and confused to feeling relaxed and relieved. Most of the time I am unaware that He is working while being pushed, pried, and stretched beyond recognition until I look back on the battlefield in awe of all He has done. I like comfort, normalcy, and consistence. I believe my thorn in my side as Paul talked about in the new testament is change. It's the one thing that actually is, ironically, a constant in my life. Change draws me to my knees and His side. I just finished studying Gideon from the Old Testament. God stripped Him bare in order to use Him in a big way. So often God needs to strip us in order to use us. He needs to reveal our skeletons so that we are able to de...

I am a horrible selfie picture taker. I feel awkward and end up looking like a weirdo. The only time I really like pictures of myself is when I am with my boys or my husband. All these selfies got me thinking. We all want to look and present ourselves a specific way using the perfect angle, editing tools, and filters. Rarely is that selfie in original form before we post it. "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14 We are WONDERFULLY made and, according to Scripture, we should know that "full well." I don't think we know how wonderful we are made. If we did, we wouldn't need to post edited pictures of ourselves, which, in reality, are to make ourselves feel pretty, good about ourselves, and wonderful. Because of the overwhelming impact of social others lives online filtering through their pictures, statuses, and comments creating this extravagant story of their lives which is...

As I drove past our little fire station in my small town the flag was at half mast...again. Again. How on earth was there another tragedy that was so atrocious that our flags were lowered once again? I feel like everywhere we turn tragedy lurks: another school shooting, child taken, soldier fallen, government up in arms, battle to fight. Oh, how easy it is to get caught up in this. We live in tumultuous times. But, just because our world is chaos does not mean we do not have victory. This past year, I witnessed a good friend journey through turmoil. I watched the valleys, mountain-tops, tears, battles, and now, victory. As we chatted last time we met she said something that I cannot shake. She said, "I almost feel bad about being happy; finding joy in my victory. She knew it was crazy but she was honest and real and vulnerable and I appreciated that. I got it; I understood. "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord." Proverbs 21:3...