how the light gets in

Category: JANUARY 2019

• Grounding

  Posted at 10:24 am by How the Light Gets In, on February 8, 2019

  Any of you in therapy? You should be. Now now, it’s not just for crazies like me.

  Think of therapy as investing in a life coach to unravel your layers of crap so you can start moving; or in my case, start Grounding.

  Seeing that I am a 2 on the Enneagram, aka The Helper (generous, demonstrative, people-pleasing, possessive); it only makes sense that I would gift you the How-To on Grounding because I want to help. Also, I am an external processor.  Okay, I’ll stop now. I’m just transparent and it’s important to me. (Dang this self-awareness.)

  This is how I practice Grounding:

  First, I look down at my feet and make sure they’re planted firmly on the floor (car floor, hospital room floor, lacrosse turf, Trader Joe’s, etc).

  Next, I look around me to SEE what I see; sunshine, or an anxious kid, or a table full of family around the table, or maybe a sad friend.

  Then, I take a deep breath in and relax my hands.

  And last, I make a mental list of where I am.

  That’s it. Just like that, I end up aware of where I am.

  In an easy scenario, my feet are flat on my kitchen floor, I’m sitting next to Lily at the table. We’re making a play-doh “feast” for her Calico Critter families. I notice one of her bottom teeth looks slightly off; which means my baby will be losing a baby tooth soon. And, then I notice her soft round face. I take a deep breath in and feel so grateful to have my hands in play-doh, at 43 years old, next to my 5th healthy child, in a great house, with the machine gun rattles of Fort-Nite coming up from the basement, Luci strumming her Ukelele and Honey begging for food.

  I lock it into my heart’s memory.

  In a not so easy scenario, my feet are flat on the kitchen floor but this time I’m watching Joseph hold his head, telling me “I can’t focus my eyes, Mommy.” Fear from the past claws to the front, trying to force me into diagnosing him, making a note of which doctor I will call to demand imaging. But, no. I remember, he’d just been sick the night before. He needs water. Maybe I do too. I relax my fists and take a deep breath. And remember, we’re not in 2017 anymore. This is 2019.

  Grounding is a practice that literally makes a present out of the present.

  Grounding is not where you were, not where you will be.

  Grounding is about where you ARE right now.

  Grounding is a way of noticing where you are rooted and how you’ve established patterns in your life.

  I don’t know where you are physically in this very moment. But you know what I DO know about you?

  You are rooted in God’s love. You are established in God’s love. And that love is so wide and so long and so high and so deep; right where you are.

  Remember that the next time you plant your feet on the floor.

  Get Grounding.

  Posted in JANUARY 2019, Uncategorized | 2 Comments | Tagged enneagram, Ephesians 3:17-19, Grounding, How the Light Gets In

• Geek for Ancient Greek

  Posted at 10:46 am by How the Light Gets In, on January 17, 2019

  NERD ALERT: I love digging for word meanings. 

  You say ‘Ancient Greek’ or ‘Hebrew’ and I am all in. When there are those extra layers to word meanings, I get giddy. Like, nerd giddy.

  The word right now that has me excited is ‘clouds.’ Random and seemingly insignificant, yes, but I’m digging into clouds (and the Ancient Greek definition) because of my 2019 Word.

  I don’t want to lose you here. But, if you remember, I don’t do New Years Resolutions. Instead, every year I pick ONE WORD — my one word

  My one word for 2019 is PERSISTENCE.  As tradition goes; once I find the word, I pick a scripture to go with it.  The verse should encourage, define and propel my word. And so, I chose Hebrew 12:1-3.

  Now that you have the backstory, here’s where clouds come in. Take a look at the verse I chose.

  •Hebrews 12:1-3 says “Since I am surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let me throw off everything that hinders me and the sin that so easily entangles me.  Let me run wih perseverance the race marked out for me, fixing my eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of my faith… Consider Jesus, so that I will not grow weary or lose heart.”

  When it comes to persistence, this verse is perfect with phrases like “let me run with perseverance” and “fix my eyes on Jesus.” However, it’s the cloud that grabbed me.  What kind of cloud do you think of when you read this verse?

  THIS

  

  Cloud 1

  OR THIS

  

  Cloud 2

  I have always believed the cloud in this Hebrews verse to mean a small fluff, floating in the sky representing loved ones who have passed on or even Saints who are praying for me from above.

  And yes, clouds are fluffy, floating things. But the Greek word for cloud, Nephos, has another meaning. Ready? Can you feel my excitement? Nephos, according to one of my faves Ancient Greek, also means the highest seats in the bleachers of a stadium. {Thank you Rick Renner renner}

  And that right there is why I knew this was the verse for me and my goal to persist this year.

  There is a stadium full of people who are watching, encouraging, texting, loving, challenging, laughing, crying, running this race of life with me. And that is how it should be! Life is not meant to be lived alone.

  You’re in my stadium.

  And I am in yours.

  Now, I am NOT a theologian or bible expert. I only know me and how God moves in my life. Based on my knowledge, I believe with my whole heart that the cloud Paul writes about in Hebrews 12:1 is not some fluffy white poof.

  Instead, Paul is saying (again, my thought) that God has built a stadium around you. And you are choosing who sits where.  Not only that you are deciding who gets the loudest voice. That is powerful so let’s make it bold and centered.

  You are choosing who sits where and who gets the loudest voice.

  The seats in my bleachers are filled with so many kinds of people. I like to think there’s a suite for my loved ones who have passed but whose encouragement I still hold.  There’s a 20-something section, where Allie and Barb and Taylor stand and cheer and I can’t believe I am lucky enough to call them my friends.  I have a middle school section where all my Wyld Life peeps listen to my voice and they don’t even know the impact of their voices on me!  My girls and the friends in my life from forever ago to this moment, my friends fill my stadium with their love. Jake Cox, you have a special seat bud.

  I have my family, front and center – front and center.

  Who’s in your stadium? Fill it well.

  Who’s stadium are YOU in? Cheer them on.

  Don’t you forget, Jesus is on the field, beside you. He always has been.  He already ran the race. That’s why I’ll be looking to Him on how to live PERSISTENCE well and to all of you to keep me going.

  [Remember, Lily chose AAIOIPATPIOIPEAO for her ‘one word’ last year? I’m happy to report Kindergarten is serving her well and she chose ‘Organize’ for 2019. Not sure what the elephant, lion or frog with a Santa Hat have to do with her word. Maybe 2020 will bring ‘clarity’]

  

  Posted in JANUARY 2019, Uncategorized | 3 Comments | Tagged 2019, Ancient Greek, Clouds, Hebrews 12:1-3, How the Light Gets In, Nephos, One Word, Persistence, Rick Renner, Stadium