Getting nowhere, but doing it fast?

It’s like I’m on an endless treadmill, battling the bottomless clothes-basket and scrubbing the forever dirty-dish. After that comes the endless next thing—errand, meeting, project, appointment, and, as always, the bills. So much stuff needs attention, must be done. I’m over scheduled, under focused and beside myself. It’s like I’m a hamster running on a mini Ferris wheel, with no way to get off, and no end to this race.

All the striving and running left me empty. Even with some measure of success, like cleaning all the dishes or completing a presentation with applause, I got bombarded by the next task and the sense of a fruitless chase.

Chasing Vapors.

Much of our life is spent “chasing the wind” (Eccl 4:4-6). King David’s son (Eccl 1:1), said, “Nothing under the sun is truly new” (Eccl 1:9, NLT), but we break our necks to make things new. We work hard to make a mark, leave a legacy, or influence others. We act like everything is up to us. We think if we don’t do it, it won’t get done and then, well . . . we’re convinced the sky will fall, our kids won’t turn out right, and we will be the ultimate, epic failure. So we stay busy attempting to catch what can’t be caught.

One Way.

The empty exercise caused me to seek God for his view, his take on what I should do. The scripture writer experienced the same pointless pursuits, and his search for answers ended in a summation of life, the reason for existence, the ONE THING that fulfills our longing. “Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty” (Eccl 12:13, NLT) was found to be the underlying meaning of life. And it echoes in other scriptures like “be still and know…God” (Ps 46:10), and the greatest commandment to love God and love people (Matt 22:37-40).

Do you, like me, struggle with this one life-simplifying thing? Does life’s summation to love and obey God seem too spiritual to be relevant? Are you running life’s treadmill, chasing vapors hoping for an end? Have you ever wondered why we work so hard but have no progress?

When we focus on loving God and loving others, we purify our running around. God helps us sift through what we do. He forgives our mistakes and failures while giving us daily direction. Our track becomes focused and the distractions pale in comparison to this satisfying life-purpose.

We beat the busyness.

My renewed focus gives me a clarity, ability and the enlightened truth—it isn’t all up to me. Although I still run, I feel light in my shoes, unburdened, and sort of like a super hero.

I’m going somewhere.

5 year old girl calms dad during a heart attack while taking control and talking to 911 dispatcher.

Pure feminine mind at work doing what must be done and doing it with style and class. What do you wear for such occasions?

Watch this short clip for a glimpse into the feminine way of thinking and acting.

What do you think? Don’t most women handle adversity with some level of decorum  and control? They do what they have to do, but do it with style.
If you’re female, will you admit to thinking and responding like this little girl?
How many of you mothers primped during labor before heading to the hospital?
Leave your response in the comments.

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God: Lean on Me. Don’t trust your own insights, but walk in wisdom.

Those who trust their own insight are foolish,
but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe (Proverbs 28:26, NLT).
Trust in the LORD with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT).

Leaders do this and prosper.

They lean on God. They do not trust their own instincts, but walk in wisdom, obedience to God.

Simply put, good leaders hear from God and do what He says.

“Leave… and go to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).

Step-by-step, listen and obey.

Simple. Yet difficult.

Are we up for the task? How do you lean on God and not your own skill? How can we know when we’re doing it right?

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Ken, a forever student, squeezed a four-year degree into about seven years. I met him in college and I was never convinced that he was ready to graduate or quit learning. We made jokes with him about his professional-student status. Yet, he may have been smarter than the rest of us, not in IQ, or studies, or grades, but in the idea of being a forever learner.

God prefers forever students. Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge (Proverbs 18:15, NLT). Even Jesus grew in wisdom (Luke 2:42). God values growth in knowledge, experiments in new things and continual education. It is senseless to pay tuition to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning (Proverbs 17:16, NLT).

Having a desire for knowledge and education is important for all of us, not only for children. Otherwise we become dusty, archaic, and in need of a child to program the VCR. Which was the last thing I studied when it comes to our video equipment. I have much more to discover, and fast before I become a dinosaur like the VCR.

We need to study, grow and change. The qualities of children, dreaming, creating, and learning includes a childlike faith, a trait God highly esteems. We could take a class in something of interest. An art class, an online course, a business, technology or marketing seminar, or a Julie and Julia cooking class. Let’s foster our own curiosity, ask questions and learn the answers.

One of the most successful dreamers and creators of our day was Walt Disney. Mr. Disney said, “Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” (Restated in the Disney movie Meet the Robinson’s)

Like Mr. Disney and Ken, let’s escape the dusty, old rut and commit to being a forever student.

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After the blue moon on New Years Eve, I had a blue Monday. Ever had one of those days where it seems you have nothing to offer? Maybe it was the yuckyness of getting back to work, or a resolution that I didn’t want to make. It could’ve been confusion over what to do or not really wanting to do what I should. Whatever the reason I felt directionless, passionless and pointless.

The dread of Monday built as it approached and hit full force that morning. On Sunday I sent an email to a ministry friend, Renae Brumbaugh, explaining my disillusionment.

I wrote,

I’ve got to rethink my life.
I’m praying this evening and next morning to decide what God wants me to focus and work on for this next year, six months, spring, and this month.
I need his clear direction.
I need him.
I’m so needy.
This adventure with him is difficult.
I would turn around if I could, but I don’t know how.
Somehow, I have to turn off my wishes and listen to his directions. I often wish I could hear him audibly, that we could sit and have coffee together over a calendar and a notepad. That I could look into his eyes, see his smile, his tears, his pain and his magnificent love.
I want to be in his presence so very badly. I need him.
I’d give everything I had for time with him. I would rather meet him in the secret place than all this speaking and writing, leading and mentoring.
I desire him!
Can’t I just have more of him and forget this ministry?
(sigh)
Let’s take a journey together.
Like a quest in The Lord of the Rings, let’s go find God in his sanctuary. Let’s find him at his table. Let’s search for his delicacies that won’t ruin our diet. Let’s make a pact. Let’s do this thing. Are you with me? Let’s go.

I woke up Monday feeling like my hands were tied, my mind was in a fog, and my ability was inadequate. The Monday slump was a shadowy valley with no map or internal sense of where to step, what to do or how to think. The shadow may have been some outside force. I didn’t know anything else to do but pray. Most of the day was spent seeking God, following through with what I said in the email.

Nothing.

A faint, “Do those things you were last supposed to do,” whispered across my fog.

I prayed and tried writing and planning the projects, articles, and interviews from before the holidays.

Still disillusioned.

Workout. I decided to go workout, get the blood flowing. Maybe then the fog would lift. After the workout, I had dinner.

Nothing. Nothing was working. Maybe I should go back to being a wife and mom and forget this ministry, this headache.

After 9:00 p.m. the phone rang. Edna Winkler, a SBTC Area Missions Coordinator who booked me for an event two years ago, called to say I was on her mind, and had been for over a week. She had been praying for me during that time and couldn’t go to sleep until she found out how I was doing. She had called the office of local churches to see if they had heard anything. When that turned up nothing, she had found my number and called.

She encouraged me saying my ministry touched many lives, hers included. She believed many more were yet to be touched. She told me not to give in or listen to the discourager, Satan. Then she told a story from one of her struggles.

I prayed. I thought I was giving my problem to God. I felt oppressed. An evil darkness lingered for two weeks. Then I said, “God I can’t do this anymore!” I gave up and the oppression lifted. I guess I didn’t really give it to God while I struggled with it in prayer.

She ended our conversation with a commitment to pray for me and help in any way. I was in tears. My God is so good to give me all I need, a phone call as his audible voice over a warm cup, and his eyes filled with love.

May God show himself and his love to you in your days ahead.

*Pic by science.nasa.gov
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It’s Monday again, but not like all the others. This one is full of hope for life change, a wanting something different, and resolutions. Decisions that resemble those we make on New Years.

After bloating on Christmas goodies that so quickly followed Thanksgiving feasts, I decided to reset my heart, mind and body.

Heart: I will enjoy the presence of my God, walk with him, laugh with him and learn to work under his direction. Not that I haven’t been doing such, but I will intentionally spend more time focusing on him and remaining in his presence. Please join me in this adventure or pray for me as I go.

Mind: Along with reading the Bible, I will read more ministry related books and add some good fiction to spur creativity and enjoy the fact that I can read. Are their any books you suggest? Any recommendations of good fiction?

Body: The most common decision and the one where I struggle the most. Resetting my body will mean my heart and mind must be engaged. Eating healthy and exercising takes determination. I’ll need all the help I can get.

I found help in a cool online tool, thanks to a Twitter post by @mdemuth (Mary DeMuth). The Daily Plate is a free tracker of food intake. No writing down what I eat, or counting calories, or figuring out how many calories I burned washing dishes. The Daily Plate does it all. (iPhone App too.)

How I started:

• I went to www.livestrong.com, The Daily Plate is compliments of Lance Armstrong. Go, Lance. Go!
• I typed in how many pounds I wanted to lose per week, my height, weight and age. The Daily Plate showed me how many calories I should eat daily to reach my goal. (Note: I skipped paying for the upgraded version and clicked on the bottom for the free version.)
• I signed up for a profile and got My Plate.
• Once the profile was done, I typed in an orange and coffee for breakfast. The Daily Plate tracker calculated the calories and showed how many more I needed for the day. I typed in lunch, snacks, and dinner and My Plate kept a cool personal record (menu) of what I had eaten. The challenge was to keep the calorie counter from topping its limit.
• I explored the exercise calorie counter. I typed in “folding clothes” and the amount of time it took then it counted the calories I used. I can’t wait to type in my gym workout.
• It tracks glasses of water I drink as well.

The Daily Plate is way cool and gives a visual of my efforts to obtain body health. Every day the tracker brings up a new page to fill in and provides an export of my data. And it’s free. Thank you, Lance.

Go, Robin. Go!

Go, reader. Go!

See you at the gym.

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I married into a wonderful family.

Oh well, they have their quirks. Like on the first Christmas Eve with them, I was awakened by people yelling at me.

“Christmas Eve gift!”

“No, I got her first!”

My new husband laughed at my bewilderment then explained the family’s ritual of tagging everyone before they can tag you. You become “it” if you get tagged with, “Christmas Eve gift.” It’s a fun game where the person that gets tagged has to give the one who tagged them an extra Christmas gift. Nothing big, but acknowledgment of the winner is a must.

The game has gotten very competitive at times. Often a phone call in the wee hours of the morning would wake you up with hollering on the other end. Some would not go to sleep until after midnight to make sure they get the Christmas Eve gift. The game isn’t played by children only. Granny wins the prize more often than not. (You ought to see the competitive way Granny hunts eggs at Easter.)

Your Free Gift

Putting family competitiveness aside, I’m pretending you tagged me. I am giving you a Christmas Eve Gift. Please don’t call me in the wee hours of the morning.

Your gift is a copy of “Tips to Keep Your Audience Engaged.” For teachers, leaders and communicators of all kinds, this gift will help get your point across, keep your audience’s attention and make your presentations memorable.

Sign up now for your FREE gift “Tips to Keep Your Audience Engaged.” This link may become defunct in the future and the Christmas Eve Gift may disappear.

Christmas Eve Gift! on you…

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I get aggravated when things don’t go as I plan. Like preparing a meal only to find out that my husband ate the same thing for a business lunch. Or when I’m doing my normal work and difficulties keep making the easy task impossible. Even when I’m expecting and waiting for some great experience, I get irritated when it doesn’t happen on my timetable. Like when I prayed for and got pregnant. I really wanted this child, but it was Labor Day and we had planned a steak dinner. Going into labor was not on the calendar. And Christmas. The extra rush of the season—decorating, cooking, gifting, and partying, just doesn’t fit into my already busy schedule. Surely I’m not alone in my frustration when life is interrupted.

That’s when I read about three people whose lives were interrupted in a major way.

• In Luke 1 Zechariah went about his duties as a priest when the angel Gabriel showed up and changed his life forever. He was struck speechless when he questioned God about the promise of a child and because of his doubt he would remain silent until the birth. If I was Zechariah desiring a son, I would be somewhat irritated at the situation surrounding this child and being struck dumb. How could I tell anybody?

• Elisabeth, his wife, had her life changed as well. Imagine desiring for so long to have a child, and then in old age with a wordless husband, she finds herself pregnant. I’d go into seclusion too.

• I read further where a young girl’s life took an extreme twist. She was engaged and preparing to be wed, when Gabriel shows up and tells her she would get pregnant and give birth to a special boy—God’s son. Talk about wedding changes. Life interruption!

All throughout the Bible and even today, God interrupts normal lives. I’m glad these ordinary people allowed God’s disruption. Their life intrusion gave me salvation. I will put away my irritations and embrace my life interruptions. Off to celebrate Christmas—the best interruption of all.

What interruptions and irritations can you celebrate this Christmas? Leave a thought or comment.

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In light of this Thanksgiving season, people wrote various things they were thankful for on Twitter and FaceBook. Expressing thanks is a good practice. We ought to declare our gratitude more often. But thankfulness isn’t enough. Our grateful hearts should lead to joy and songs of praise.

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do” (Philippians 4:4-5, NLT).

We are to praise God in all situations, good or bad, hard spots or smooth. Whether we’re working or playing, all we do is an opportunity and blessing from God. If we commit everything to God, even our lives, he promises to forgive our past, guard our today, and take care of our tomorrows. No worries. No stress. Praise and obedient work is all we have for today. That’s something to be thankful for and joyful over, to sing praises about.

I could get so much done if I didn’t waste time with worry or stress. In an unforgettable manner, this little poem pointed out my un-thankful ways.

Build a little fence of trust

Around today;

Fill the space with loving work

And therein stay.

Look not through the protective rails

Upon tomorrow;

God will help you bear what comes

Of joy or sorrow.

Mary Butts ~Streams in the Desert, p. 435

May your Thanksgiving be full of gratitude, joy, and praise.

*image from photobucket.com

I sat in the crowd watching this grown man crumble in sobs. Every mark of strength and manhood couldn’t stop his emotion. Captivated by his experience, I and the other 13,000 watching people joined him with wet eyes.

The Moment
Watch this 18-minute video to see if you can resist. The man’s testimony begins around the third minute and consists of a child, now grown man, whose life was changed because someone gave up a few things to make a difference in the world of another. Be sure to watch it to the end so you won’t miss the surprise. It’s worth every second.

Catalyst 2009 Compassion Moment from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Child Sponsored by Compassion International: A Catalyst Conference Moment.

Will you give up a few things to make a huge difference in a child’s world?
Would you sponsor a child?

Christmas Idea:
Instead of Christmas presents to people who already have too much, last year we gave gifts to charities. Read the funny story at The Best Christmas Heifer! One was a Compassion International sponsorship, a gift that gives back all year by giving relationship, letters, and prayers.

May we make a difference in the lives of others like this man.