Seeing with New Eyes

Sometimes our past selves have a lot to teach us. So quickly we forget where we have come from.  I cut and pasted what I wrote 4 years ago on this very day below: "I was reflecting today on this past year. A year ago at this time, we were awaiting some news about our sweet boy. We were waiting to hear whether or not our lives would change forever. We were waiting on God. Waiting for Him to show us what would be next. It was hard. Probably one of the scariest moments a parent can go through. Wondering if your child would have a normal life. If he would be healthy and thriving. And on November 16th, 2012, we got a phone call that our son was just fine. He was completely normal. And we breathed a sigh of relief. I vowed to try and remember that place of desperation as I moved forward. Easier said than done. It's hard to be in that place when life is cruising along. Until something else happens. You are right back there in that place. 6 weeks after I had our sweet baby boy, ...

I wrote last week about the desire to hide behind masks to save "face" or preserve integrity. We do it more frequently than we may think and in at least my case to salvage pride.  The problem is that when we keep the masks on, we forfeit authentic relationships. If we can get to a place where we lay down our masks and acknowledge that we really don't have it all together, that is when we begin to see ourselves come alive. Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. In keeping with the theme of Halloween, it would be fun to demonstrate my ongoing thought with our actual costumes this year. Our family dressed up as superheroes. A couple of a bat people, wonder woman, and a tiny spidy (Spiderman). I think there is a reason we (as a human race) like, at least the idea, of superheroes. They embody what we would look up to. Justice, hope, power, to name a few. At our core, we want to have those qualities or powers that truly impact the world. Make ...

Yesterday was Halloween. I loved this holiday as a child. I got to be a different person for one day and collect as much candy as possible. How cool is that? Well, sort of. There is the whole cavity and pre-diabetes concern. That aside, the idea that you get to be someone else and get rewarded is fun but a bit twisted. Hear me loud and clear Halloween lovers: I am not knocking Halloween. It's a perfectly fun holiday. Just bear with me for a bit. As I sprayed black dye onto my daughter's hair, I thought about how much of our life is spent pretending to be someone we are not. We are often told to from a very early age that we must act a certain way or put on a happy face or not throw a tantrum. If we are "good," we get a treat. Whether it's candy, an A+, or even a trophy. In reality, we never grow out of that. We are constantly bombarded with messages to perform. We have to "fake it 'til we make it" in jobs, as students, even as parents. I will agree...