Thoughts of Thanksgiving

 

Hello everyone! Happy Thanksgiving week! 

I hope you find yourself with many things to be grateful for, no matter how big or small, if it stirs up gratitude in your heart it's significant!

Holidays always remind me to take a step back and 

reflect on life, so I thought I would share the above picture with you. A few months ago I was with some friends sharing brunch on a Saturday morning (who doesn't love brunch on the weekend?!) and as we visited with each other we flipped through magazines and cut things out that caught our attention. What came about were remarkable, quirky creations on poster board! We just talked, ate, sipped coffee, laughed, cut and pasted .... most of us didn't have a plan for our clippings but it was neat to see what evolved. Mine (as it fits my personality) turned out to be a reflection about this year. 

Let me briefly explain... 

 In January I feel like Jason and I were given a 

"random" treasure map winding, bending and steering us through this year. Like a good, classic treasure map things have popped in our path, out of no where, surprising us! They have been both good and scary surprises leaving us wondering, "what's next"? Sometimes it's been a comical or exasperated sigh while other times it's been a confident battle cry, "Bring it on 2015"! A few times I feel like we flipped the map sideways and then before I realize what happened, I show up in blue jeans to a cocktail reception honoring scholar students (of whom my husband is one) eating hors d'oeuvres with head faculty, program supporters and the president of the organization himself! Yes, this really happened and I felt just as ridiculous as the nut cracker above! In those kind of situations I recommend ignoring your unsuitable outfit, turning on the charm, holding your head just high enough so people look you in the eye rather than at what you are wearing. And then for the next event pick out 2 outfits and always dress up if you are unsure (hence the penguin above)!

In a nut shell, 2015 has been a wild adventure, 

it hasn't been tame. But it's these adventures that have shaped us by allowing, sometimes forcing, us to grow and change. If we can appreciate the opportunity to stop and meditate on what it is that we've learned and apply the lesson, than each adventure will move us closer towards becoming "champions of growth"! To me this means you simply (hopefully) become good at accepting change and growing with it.

No matter who you are, where you have been,  

 where you are going and who you bring with you, I believe at different times in our life we need something that helps us to take a step back from the path to observe God's story that he's writing as He creates our map. For me, I need something like this poster which loudly grabs my attention to remind me that life isn't out of control and that my life with Jason and his pursuit of medicine is important, not just to us and society but also to God. That it's hard but, as God is the author of our map guiding us though, we will find the prize at the end! I may make a separate poster that reminds me what it is that I love about Jason. And that I need to respect that he is valued and being led by God so that when his pursuit of medicine consumes his time and energy I have something to look to that keeps me from wondering down the path of lonely self pity believing lies about him or our relationship that simply aren't true. Don't let yourself go down that path of believing lies, its a dangerous way! It's important to have something close by that will scoop you out of those spiraling thoughts!

But don't just reflect on your map or just your story. 

Ask others about theirs and share yours! Adventurous and non-adventurous moments in life are meant to be shared for the purpose of encouraging others to press on, to not give up, to laugh at the ridiculous puddles (or ponds) of mud you splash though and to remember, you aren't the only one with a wonky and wild treasure map called "LIFE"! 

Here's to you friend and your adventures this past year! 

Happy Thanksgiving!