Wisdom for Wednesdays

"We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives
Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best."

-Philip James Bailey

Words

I'm curled up on my bed with my laptop, you know, on top of my lap. (ha. funny.) I'm reading Pinterest quotes. All the good ones I've pinned into my quotes folder. For times like these. For nights like these.


When I forget who I am. When I see my sin and selfishness and I'm overwhelmed. When I feel the weight of unfulfilled desires, unchecked to-do lists, and unprocessed emotions. When I'm convinced I'm stagnant, boring, empty, worthless. When guilt and discouragement blind me.


I sank into the chair earlier. Desperate for prayer yet distant from Him at the same time. I leaned my head back and rested for a moment. My mind was silent then jolted awake by my heart speaking to God unexpectedly.


Do you want me? it asked, pleaded, as two crocodile tears slipped down my cheeks unbidden. I was startled by my heart's cry. It wasn't what I had come to pray about.


But perhaps it was the root of my struggles.


Did I believe in a Father who loved me--liked me even--and wanted me, as His child, as His beloved? Or did I believe I was simply His servant--His slave?--who never was good enough, never quite who she wanted to be, so perhaps not who He wanted her to be either?


I see it written out and I know the truth. I know it in my mind. But my heart doesn't grasp it sometimes.


So I'm reminding my heart tonight. And you know, I think God uses even Pinterest to speak to us sometimes.


{And yes, of course I'll share my quotes board with you!}

N.A.S.-- Beauty

This week's topic for the N.A.S. blog group is beauty. That elusive, misunderstood, coveted quality that we're all seeking whether we admit it or not. And honestly? Our seeking for it uncovers a deeper desire for the One who is Beauty itself. I'm a lover of the good, the true, and the beautiful...but God is the very definition of each one of those! So as I seek these qualities, I need to remember HE is the source of them, and He wants to be found.


As for my thoughts on beauty as it applies to women, here's an interview I did for another blog not too long ago on this very topic: Questions of the Heart; Answers of Real Women.


[Shhhh. I know. I'm cheating this week. I'm not writing anything new. I'm recycling an old post! But hey, I'm also introducing you to a new blogger friend!]


See you next week!

Wisdom for Wednesdays

"The woman’s soul is fashioned as a shelter in which other souls may unfold."

 -Edith Stein

Wisdom for Wednesdays

"If the will to walk is really present, God is pleased even with your stumbles."

- C.S. Lewis

NAS: Goals for the New Year

I'm uninspired tonight, but determined to write.

(hey that rhymed...maybe I'd be better off with a poem right now!)

Happy New Year, my friends! There's nothing like the pressure of writing the first blog post of the year. Just kidding. I'm actually excited about this post. Maybe I'm not uninspired...just pensive. Reflective.

Because this post is supposed to be about my resolutions. My goals. My ideas for a fresh clean slate of a new year. (One of which is to blog more, so stay tuned!)

The NAS girls always have great topics, so I'm joining with them this week:

In what ways can you grow/stretch RIGHT NOW that could affect the whole of 2014?

Ew. As much as I appreciate personal growth, the stretching part of it is not so fun. It requires things like discipline, patience, endurance, humility. I'm rather a novice when it comes to those.

But.
I do like goals. And I love God's grace. And some days my Type A mind learns to look at the unknown as an adventure.

So bring on 2014.

And we'll make some goals to be safe.

Like in the area of food. Goal #1. (I know, so typical. But wait for it. There's a unique spiritual goal at the end of this post.) I want to improve in two aspects of this area. Budgeting my groceries and eating healthier snacks. After tonight. Because I'm really enjoying these salt and vinegar kettle chips. But vinegar is healthy. Pinterest says so.

Goal #2. Exercise. My fingers are frozen on the keyboard. What can I say for this one? I know I need it--I'm a cardiology nurse, after all. But making the time for it is just so tricky when you work full time. And when you like to sleep in the morning. (In my defense, I get up a half hour early to pray. The idea of even earlier to torture my body with a workout makes me tremble.) Getting back to the goal: three times a week. That's it. I can do this. Zumba counts. So does a long, long walk. (or maybe running...I used to love running. Before the snow and cold came.)

Goal #3. Blogging more often. I love writing. And I love connecting with you wonderful people. Being inspired and encouraged by you. So I would like to write once a week (not counting my Wednesday quotes! Unless I have to.)

Finally. The serious one. The spiritual one. Goal #4. For the past 8 years, I've made a New Year's resolution that focused on a heart quality, a virtue, I wanted to learn more about and grow in. (thankful heart, steadfast heart, joyful heart, and so on). I love having a specific word/focus for the year. Some years I've grown more than others. In keeping with the NAS question above, I have a feeling this year's goal will stretch me more than some of the others. I'm asking the Lord to help me have

an inviting heart.

I want to invite others into my heart, into my home, into the Catholic Church. I want to invite new friends and old friends into my life even when I feel busy. I want to invite people into my vulnerability. Into my messiness (including my home at times!). I want to invite people in deeper relationship with Christ. By my word. By my example. By open arms and heart and listening ears.

Welcome, 2014!

(Interested in joining the link up? Visit Jen or Morgan for more details!)

Wisdom for Wednesdays

"I am commissioned to be a light, but I can't illuminate this world while competing with the lights of others. I mean, really? It isn't possible to miss the point any worse. Together we are a city on a hill. When one of us shines, it is a community victory. If we [Christians] all lived radiantly, we simply couldn't be hidden any longer."

-Jen Hatmaker, in Seven