Seeing with New Eyes

This past Sunday's episode of "This Is Us" created quite a stir. I would argue that it stole the Lombardi Trophy right out from under the Eagles. If you don't watch the show, then you are probably wondering what the fuss is all about. I've been trying to get my husband to watch it since the first episode. I almost had him that night. But he just couldn't dive in. Maybe he's afraid he will join the ranks of all the obsessed viewers. Or maybe he's just not willing to cry with me every Tuesday night. Whatever the reason, it's an incredible show with amazing talent. The writers weave past, present, and future together to open our eyes to the bigger story. It is clever and suspenseful. It is captivating and heartbreaking. So much life packed into a television screen. That's what good stories do. They draw in you as the reader, viewer, or listener, and make you a part of it. You find yourself feeling the emotions of the character. You can see a...

Lauren Daigle has been on repeat around my house, in my car, and pretty much any time I write. So much so that my youngest might know her songs more than any TV show theme song. She wrote a song for the newest Blade Runner movie called Almost Human. Lauren explains how her newest song came about in the video above. I love hearing the story behind the story (or song).  Not sure why it is so fascinating. Maybe because it's fun to compare my own ideas of what I think the books, movies, or song lyrics are about. Or maybe I like to hear about the story behind the story because it reveals the person, her life, struggle, a little bit more. It peels back the facade of what she put out and lets you see the process to get to the end product. It makes the seemingly perfect outcome a bit more human, real. "Embrace human nature, where we are at until He comes. That makes us almost human" - Lauren Daigle So much of our life is spent seeing the end product and not a lot of how it...

I watched a documentary the other day.* It was about these crazy mountain climbers who attempted to climb the uncharted Mount Meru. They slept on the side of a cliff inside nothing more than some poles and tent material as avalanches fell around them. One man suffered a stroke and kept going in order to make it to the top. They ate a few tablespoons of frozen couscous and came down resigned to a temporary wheelchair and trench foot. What in the world possesses people to do these things? And not just once!  I've always been fascinated by these kinds of movies. Something about the death-defying adventure seeking gives me that weird pit in my stomach. I admire these seemingly fearful men and women, and yet I have no desire to follow in their footsteps (or their carabiner lines). A few thoughts came to mind as I reflected on this thrill-seeking life: every human, at one point, desires to reach the top of their own peak. This may not just be a physical peak. How we attempt to get...

Have you ever been to the doctor sure that you are sick with something very serious and the doc just smiles after the examination? That exact thing happened last night. Jocelyn has been on medication for an ear infection for the past week, and she began complaining her ear was hurting again. She pointed to space right behind her hear. If you google ear infection, pain behind the ear, it is not good. I began to panic a bit. We hopped in the car at 745pm and headed to urgent care. After an hour of waiting and most likely contracting about 4 strains of the flu not a part of this year's flu shot, we were escorted into the examining room. My 7-year-old complained a few times in the room about her pain, but she definitely did not seem sick. Our doctor arrived, looking a bit disheveled and exhausted from his day. He asked a few questions and then had a look into her ears, nose, and throat. He pressed around her glands and then behind her ear. She winced a bit. "What do you think, d...

We attempted to roller skate at Skate City today. It's been a while for me. My kids, on the other hand, have never truly set skate in such a rink. Kids, big and small, got out on the floor and rolled their way around to some DJ remixes and old school tunes. Some people glided with ease, while others could barely stay upright. Some kiddos needed their wheels tightened to keep them skating, and a few had roller "walkers" to help them along. What every person had in common is the direction they were headed. And that they wanted to have a little fun. Every so often someone would fall. The skates would wobble, and confidence waned. They would hit the wall or fall forward. Sometimes the other skaters nearby would get caught up and fall down too. Never once did they stay there, lying on the floor.  Each victim to the skates either got up on their own or had a little help. At some point in their fall, they resolved to get up and keep going. As we enter 2018, why not take t...

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born. Unto us, a Son is given. The government will be on His shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and  Prince of Peace .  Peace; we pray for it. It is used as a salutation or a greeting. Sometimes it's a hand gesture in pictures. It is often a mantra in times of war. Its symbol adorns jewelry and tye dye shirts depending on what's in style. I'm sure I am missing some others. No matter what country or time period, humans cry out for peace on every level. It is one thing most people try desperately to gain both personally and within relationships. In fact, I would guess many people would say being at peace can actually be better than being "happy." When you are at peace, you find contentment. You accept yourself and others around you. This weekend we move on to the last name the prophet Isaiah uses to describe Jesus, the coming King. He calls him the Prince of Peace. Out of the fou...

Isaiah 9: 6 For unto us a child is born. Unto us, a Son is given. The government will be on His shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father , and Prince of Peace.  This week I've witnessed some incredible fathers in action. Without going into detail, I saw men sacrifice, protect, provide, carry, worry, and powerfully pray for their children. Where did they learn these things? Are they modeling taught behavior or simply acting out of instinct? As we continue with our Advent passage for the third week, we come to the third name Isaiah calls God; Eternal Father. In other versions, He is an Everlasting Father. The name Father is used almost 200 times in the Bible. When a descriptor such as this is used so much, we can't ignore the significance. John 8:41 - God Himself is our true Father  Acts 13:33 - I have become your Father 1 John 3:1 - See how much our Father loves Romans 8:15 - We call Him Abba, Father The word used in Roman...

Isaiah 9: 6 For unto us a child is born. Unto us, a Son is given. The government will be on His shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God , Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace.  What do you feel when you hear the roar of a lion? Does it excite or scare you? Maybe you feel a little of both. The lion, one of the most ferocious animals in the animal kingdom, is often used in stories to symbolize power. I recall one scene from a beloved Disney movie, the Lion King. Mufasa rescues his cubs from some mangy hyenas with a simple, yet powerful roar. Another bone shaking scene comes from Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe. It's the part where the White Witch confronts Asland about his deal and she questions his authority. Asland's roar, so intense, the witch can't help but step back and sit. Our God, Maker of the universe, Master of the skies, King of creation, including lions, is described as Mighty the verse above. In other words, h...

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born. Unto us, a Son is given. The government will be on His shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor , Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace.  Have you ever watched someone try to put together a piece of IKEA furniture without the instructions? It's a difficult task even with the cryptic little man demonstrating each step. To enter into the project sans the directions could be deemed insane. Almost all IKEA furniture comes in a flat box.   It's contents: a bag of hardware and multiple identical shelf-like parts with holes both big and small. And somehow it all fits together perfectly to create a closet system. Or a bookcase. Or a bed frame. Or a toy box. Or a Lexus. Okay, maybe that last one is a stretch. The IKEA engineers are quite genius, in my opinion. They created numerous furniture items with just a few basic patterns, and all the same, basic building blocks. When you walk around an IKEA showroom, you might never gue...

I have a holiday hangover. Thanksgiving came and went. I asked for prayer to enter the week with a grateful heart, and I left the week ungrateful, unrested, and with a bad attitude. No real reason for it. I skipped my quiet times with God. I focused on myself and what I wasn't getting, i.e., my way, my time. In our house, we call that out as a "do-over." Usually, it's just a day, not an entire week but you get the point. If someone comes down to breakfast with a bad attitude, that person has to go upstairs, maybe pray, cry, journal, whatever strikes his/her fancy, and return with a 'new attitude' (enter Patti LaBelle: Greatest Hits, Track 8). So I am asking, right now, for a "do-over" this next season. I want to begin today, December 1st, with a new attitude. One with gratefulness, thankfulness, and focused on what really matters. Or rather, who really matters. It is His birthday, after all. Isaiah 9:6: For a child will be born for us, a son wil...

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...

It was fall break for my daughter this past week. Our household has had a couple of issues that would probably go unnoticed most weeks. I would not say that they were minor, just things that slide under the surface on any given day due to busy lives. Lying about homework was the first one. Jocelyn didn't want to do a page of her homework. We do a page a day, so we aren't bombarded at the end of the week. She had already finished one page the day before. I instructed her to do the next one. She should have had 2 pages completed when I checked that night.  I found only one page complete and no more. Bummer. Yesterday, both my children, decided that it would be ok to take a penny from the horse ride jar at King Soopers (our local grocery store). Both of the children had to return to the scene of the crime and place the penny back in the jar. Bummer again. I could take these things to signify that: A. I am failing as a parent  B. My kids are hooligans C. Both of the ...

Our world is so amazing! The planet we live on has so many awesome things. Did you know that most of the earth is made up of water? 70% of it! So only 30% of the earth is made of land. And land that is where 7.6 Billion people live. Those billions of people live in 193 countries. Each country has a unique group of individuals. They speak different languages, eat different foods, and wear different clothes. If we put one person from each country, all in one place, it would look a lot like what Heaven will be like. How cool is that? My daughter goes to a really cool school. It teaches languages and cultures that are found all around the world. Every month, we get to learn about a new country. I love this because it exposes my family to areas that I never knew existed. Now I will be honest and let you know that Geography is not my strongest subject. I'd be willing to bet there are many people that share my same disadvantage. This month, our school is studying a country by...

I can't help but write about the butterflies right now. They are everywhere. If you are anywhere other than Colorado, there has been a Monarch butterfly migration through our state this past week.  To me, they are like little love notes from God. Just when I think there is nothing to smile about on any given day, out pops a butterfly, or two, or a whole swarm! I have always loved the butterfly analogy and how it relates to us humans.  We so desperately want to be the thing we were created to be but we aren't there yet. It's like we are stuck. It is a strange tension between the already, not yet. Think about the life cycle of the butterfly. It is already a butterfly by its nature, but not yet. It doesn't know it yet because it has to go through the refining process. It is destined to become something more. It is a butterfly in progress. It's called something different before it actually emerges, but it is still a butterfly. It has to go through a journey, maybe a...

I hate strongly dislike obligation. Well, at least, when I am the one obligated. E specially when I committed to something   and then 10 other things get stacked on it even with the best intention . There is heaviness that hangs around my neck when I am obligated to someone or something. I just don't like the idea of having to be in debt to anything. That feels like prison. Not freedom. But obligation is not a law or a requirement. The actual definition is "to bind or compel someone, especially legally or morally." So if I boil it down, it's not something I have to do. It's more like something that is highly suggested. This is where it gets tricky. While I don't agree with it entirely, there is thought process in this generation that you have to do what makes you happy and you don't have to do what doesn't. Obligation only exists in a world of rules and order. I often look at obligation through the tainted glass of the world. I view it less as a pr...

After dropping the kids off at school today, I came home to a long to-do list. I didn't know where to start. My heart was craving some time with the Lord but I had so much to do. But today, those "more important" things became less important and I chose to sit quietly with my Creator. I craved to hear His voice. I sat in silence and allowed my thoughts to become prayers. I asked Him what He wanted me to read in His word. I kept hearing 1 Corinthians 12. Not sure why.  To be honest, I wasn't sure 1 Cor 12 existed 😁. I obeyed and turned to it. Guess what? It does exist. It's right before the infamous wedding chapter 13...Love is... Today, chapter 12 fed my soul. It filled me up. It gave me much needed context for the next chapter. After pulling apart chapter 12, I read on to the first part of chapter 13 and it's was like I read it for the first time ever. My eyes were opened to seeing the Love chapter in a brand new light. I'm going to stop there. Not b...

My husband used to refer to certain things I did or said as: the world according to Jenna. He coined the phrase after many debates regarding my view being very narrow, small, and from my perspective only. Now, I do believe that I have improved in seeing things through a larger looking glass but I still slide back every now and again. Eh hem, last night. I don't believe that my perspective is bad or wrong (obviously) and neither does my husband . But everyone has their own perspective. I describe people in two ways: they see the forest through the trees or they see the pine needles on the forest ground. Both are very important POV's. One focuses on the grand scale. The big picture. The past or future. The other discovers the minute details. The brush strokes. The here and now. Here's the dilemma: if we always revert to one way of looking at things, we miss out.  We miss a bunch. Even worse, we miss Him, with a capital H. We can't get a full picture of God when we don...

In light of this week's hurricane and the craziness of the holiday, I'm going to make this short and to the point. What do we do when people are in need? How do we respond? Bottom line: we help. However that looks for each person is different. But it's that simple. We help. The wonderful thing about helping others, beside the obvious, that it helps others, is that we are blessed by the opportunity to do so. We get to be the hands and feet of Jesus in these times. What an amazing gift! We get to be the helpers. Proverbs 22:9 - The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor As you go into your holiday weekend, I encourage you to take a moment, if you haven't already, and just pray for those along the gulf coast. And ask God to give you some opportunities to help. Engage your kiddos: Activity: Pray for the people affected with your kids. Talk about the hurricane and show them a few pictures that help them understand the impact....