Serious About Faith. Light-Hearted About Life.
There are some people in this world that I just want to be like.
Well. Not completely. But some of their specific attributes.
It’s not usually to the level of envy (at least I don’t think it is) but I do aspire to learn from and emulate a few folks in my circle. [Read more…]
Welcome to another week of our Everyday Jesus link-up. Be sure to link-up below this post, comment on your neighbor’s blog and share with your friends… Because Jesus is everywhere, every day!
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A couple of weeks ago, I bid adieu to my 20’s and welcomed in my 30’s.
As the extrovert I am, I was pondering what I should do to usher in this new decade of life. Should I party like a Jesus rockstar? Get another tattoo? (Oh wait. Already did that after my marathon…)
But, as the Lord often does, He surprised me and told me He wanted me to do something a little bit different… Hence, the #30Years30Acts of kindness project was born.
On my actual birthday-day, He had a doozy for me.
Check out the video to discover why I was wearing my wedding dress and drinking mineral water in a wine glass on a random weekday afternoon. [Read more…]
Welcome to Wilco Wednesday! If you are a new around these parts, “Wilco” is Army-speak for “Will Comply.” Think of it as saying “Roger, God. Got it. Will do.” So that is what Wednesday here at 7 Days Time is all about– exploring his decrees and seeking guidance for what complying with Him looks like in everyday life. The best part? He loves us for who we are, not what we do. Remember: He doesn’t want perfection, just obedience. Share. Enjoy. Interact. And let’s respond to God’s call with a hearty “Wilco, Lord!” Welcome today my wise and loving friend, Katharina as she shares her heart with us.
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Last week, I met with one of my friends. We met eight years ago at our last duty station. It is great to be stationed together again and to reconnect. One of the great things about our friendship is that our children are the same age and they love playing together. While this season of reconnection has been great, it is coming to an end as they are moving to another continent in a few weeks.
You might think, “And? So you’ll stay in touch with all the great social media forums out there”. That might be true, but for me it is hard to stay connected that way, since my love language is quality time and physical touch (from the book The Five Love Languages by Gary D. Chapman). I always miss the one-on-one time, as well as the hugs.
In my life coaching business, I discovered that one area many of my clients feel the most stuck in, besides balancing their life, is friendships/relationships. Some of us get hurt or burned by our friends to the point that it is really hard to make new friendships. Or others are longing so much to be loved and accepted by others that they forget to protect their hearts against false friendships. [Read more…]
I sure sang some weird songs growing up.
Well, I mean they didn’t SEEM weird at the time. But now as a grown-uppish kind of person, I have started to learn about the “background” info of some childhood tunes.
“London Bridge” is rumored to be about a viking siege, child prisoners or a colossal architectural disaster.
“Ring around the Rosie” is based on a song created about a plague. Yeah. The “ring” was a rash. The “posey” was something an afflicted person carried in their pocket to ward off the symptoms of the disease. And I bet you can figure out what “Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!” was referring to. #UmYikes
Can’t I just be five years old and naive again?
Recently, I was thinking about another song that we sang in elementary music class… The One-Eyed, One-horned, Flying Purple People Eater.
Did I ever actually LISTEN to the lyrics? How am I not scarred for life?
Admittedly, this song was meant to be silly and light-hearted. But the insinuation of eating humans seems like something of a nightmare.
And for some reason, I realized with just a slight name-tweak of that “monster,” I get a result that scares me even now as an adult.
The Purple People PLEASER. [Read more…]
Welcome to another week of our Everyday Jesus link-up. Be sure to link-up below this post, comment on your neighbor’s blog and share with your friends… Because Jesus is everywhere, every day!
Happy (almost) Thanksgiving, friends! I pray your day is filled with gratitude and Jesus… Today, I wanted to share with you something God revealed to me last Thanksgiving. I have literally held onto it for an entire year, for this exact occasion to share with you today. (Because to read through all the way to the bottom… Because there is a pretty cool twist at the end.)
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The Enemy doesn’t take a holiday. And that is also true for me. He has been attacking me from all angles lately and today, even on this Holy Day of thanks, he showed up.
So I retreated to my prayer closet and this is what happened: [Read more…]
I eyed the calendar suspiciously.
I blinked. That can’t be right. Didn’t we just do this like five minutes ago?!?
But as I looked again, I realized it to be true. The holidays are upon us.
Sure, that sounds a bit cliche, but seriously– it seems the older I get, the faster the pages of the calendar turn.
Don’t get me wrong– I am not stunt double for the Grinch that Stole Christmas. I like the holidays. I really do. The fun, the family time (when applicable– hey, it’s the army!) and the festivities make that little spot in my heart get all warm and fuzzy.
What I DON’T appreciate is the stress that seems to come with the holidays.
Because really, if I am wound up about the holiday season and stressed to the max, I fail to enjoy it. I spend more time worried about all the things instead of reveling in the blessing that comes with all the things.
So this year, I am going on strike regarding holiday stress. Starting NOW, I am making a holiday switch from stressed to blessed. And I wanted to share with you some of my proactive techniques and expectations I am setting in advance.
Keep on reading about my switcheroo techniques over at Army Wife Network.
Dear reader, which of these tips resonates with you the most? What would you add to the list? I always love to hear feedback. Chime in and leave a comment.
And may you have a beautiful holiday season as you make the switch from stressed to blessed!
So Blessed,
“May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” ~Psalm 115:15
Linking up today with Kelly, Laura at Playdates with God, Joan’s Beauty in His Grip, Jen over at Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood, and Hazel via Tell Me a Story. Be sure to join our #EverydayJesus link-up community right here at 7 Days Time every Thursday!
Welcome to another week of our Everyday Jesus link-up. Be sure to link-up below this post, comment on your neighbor’s blog and share with your friends… Because Jesus is everywhere, every day!
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I have been spending some super-duper quality time working through the book of James.
And for those of you who might be new to this Jesus journey, James is what one would call a “practical” book.
Which means major life application.
Application = Challenging.
Every time I get out out my Bible, notebook and pen that has like eight different color settings on it (Thanks, Lindsey) to dig into this word, I start to squirm. I have to fight the urge define my faith in light of my success (ahem, or failure) of God’s word in my life.
Slow to speak? Nope. Slow to anger? Negative. Showing favoritism? Yep, did that. UG! [Read more…]
Welcome to Wilco Wednesday! If you are a new around these parts, “Wilco” is Army-speak for “Will Comply.” Think of it as saying “Roger, God. Got it. Will do.” So that is what Wednesday here at 7 Days Time is all about– exploring his decrees and seeking guidance for what complying with Him looks like in everyday life. The best part? He loves us for who we are, not what we do. Remember: He doesn’t want perfection, just obedience. Share. Enjoy. Interact. And let’s respond to God’s call with a hearty “Wilco, Lord!” Welcome today one of the most insightful, humorous writer-y friends I have ever met, Lindsey.
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By Sunday night, I was a wreck. I curled up into a ball on my side of the bed and stared at the wall, contemplating life’s meaninglessness and ultimate inevitably. Tears ran down my cheeks as I tried (unsuccessfully) to quiet the deep snortles coming from my tantrum-caused stuffy nose. Dust in the Wind played monotonously in my head… “all we are is dust in the wiiiinnnddd….” and I nodded. How right you are, Kansas, how right you are.
My husband came in and lightly touched my shoulder, startling me out of my pout-fest with Kansas. He asked me if I needed a hug. I venomously snarked that a hug wouldn’t solve my despair! Wouldn’t give me purpose! Wouldn’t stop my one-way ticket to becoming dust in the wind! He put his hands up as surrender and slowly backed out of the room. [Read more…]
Sometimes reminiscing is one of my favorite things to do.
Especially on days when the present is just a little much for my heart/brain/everything to handle.
I loved the days when we were young, growing up in rural Kansas. The days when my biggest worry was how angry Mom was going to get from our muddy clothes or if a horse drinking a bucket of tadpoles was actually dangerous.
Those were the days.
As I recently sat pondering about my current roles involving marriage, motherhood and ministry, my mind drifted back to another of our favorite past times.
Climbing trees. [Read more…]
Welcome to another week of our Everyday Jesus link-up. Be sure to link-up below this post, comment on your neighbor’s blog and share with your friends… Because Jesus is everywhere, every day!
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As you might know, I recently ran my first ever marathon.
And it is my tradition to share some of my mile-by-mile thoughts, because I think of Jesus most miles and I think of some pretty crazy stuff… But it is too good to just waste on a Facebook status.
Plus, we all need a good laugh, right?
So, per request, here is a breakdown and the nitty-gritty (rainy? painful?) details from my first-ever full marathon experience during the Columbia Gorge Marathon on 10.25.15… Enjoy! [Read more…]
It's been awhile since we have posted a fresh Factor of 7 here at 7 Days Time. We've done a few small ones over the last several months, but we wanted to share one of most recent random acts of kindness with you. Because it was fun. And hey, who … Interested? Read on...
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