Check-in, announcement and a freebie

it has been awhile, gentle reader.

things are messy and ugly and completely upside down seeming in the “outside world.” close to home and in my inner world, it is well with my soul.

still seeking what i am called to be and what “vocation” aligns with that.

for now, i am launching a Virtual Assistant service; check it out at ConnectWorkTasks.com.

today’s freebie is to strongly encourage you to go out and seek information for yourself; do not just believe the current regime’s rhetoric and the talking points from the talking heads in the media. spend some of your browsing time seeking truth. for example, are you confused about the C-19 sh*ts? go to the CDC website and read; i would recommend also looking at the vaccine adverse effects reporting site data there or go to openvaers.org and see a dashboard of the CDC’s data. make an informed decision, weighing information and reputability of sources.

~living free and seeking truth, on the Indiana prairie

What I am learning about Spiritual Direction – part 1

Spiritual Director helps me make sense of the witess of the Spirit – assisting me to respond well to the questions: How is God present to me and how is God, through the ministry of the Spirit, at work in my life?

In this case, “to direct” is to be a companion with an agenda to help me, the directee, to direct heart and mind to listen to the One most needed, Jesus Christ. Another way to say it is that the agenda of spiritual direction is to direct the attention of the other to the Presence of God in his/her life.

Questions: Where do you sense the Presence of god in your life at this time? As I listen to you, I wonder if . . . might be good to consider?

It is a personal and individual meeting of attention to one person, at this time and in this place.

In the time and space of Spiritual Direction, I can give my purposeful, focused attention to the state of my own soul with the Spiritual Director being co-listener and fully present to me and to God.

Nothing but two things: assisting me to make sense of of my experience of Christ and to make application of the Scriptures to my specific circumstances.

Spiritual Directors foster Godward orientation.

Spiritual Direction rests on this fundamental truth: God is good and faithfully benevolent toward all that He has made. Grace sought is to foster my capacity to know, love and serve Jesus.

It is intentional conversation about the work of the Spirit in my life. When I come to spiritual direction I affirm that Christian life is lived in radical dependence on the Spirit and through intentional response to the Spirit. And the Spirit sets the agenda of the sessions.

Question: Where is the Spirit present to me and calling for growth in faith, hope and love.

One goal for spiritual direction: that I would know God, grow in my capacity to hear God, and mature in your faith and obedience to God and to God’s call.

Transformation is a by-product of knowing Christ.

What is happening to me emotionally? Where is there sorrow or joy?

Waking up; behind the scenes

what i see playing out before me is not new; King Solomon got it right that there is nothing new under the sun. since almost the beginning of time, The adversary and his minions have been anti- everything that God created and called good. the assualt has been relentless, vicious and destructive. its ultimate end is death and separation from God forever. this plays out every day and has played out every day since the beginning. people; circumstances; types of oppression, destruction, chaos, confusion, hate, and division have changed (think “progressive”) over time, but The adversary’s plan and purpose and activity have not deviated. kill, steal, destroy.

the Good News is that The adversary has already been defeated; he is a created being, and his Creator has already won the victory. everyone gets the opportunity to share in the victory, though the prize is yet to be experienced. which have you chosen? which will you choose? life or death? freedom, joy, peace and eternal life free from the cares, sorrows and evil of this world await. why wait? choose life. what have you got to lose?

~contemplating and fully awake, on the Indiana prairie

Disappointments and bittersweet memories and a freebie

Did I expect to be facing the multitudinous bummer circumstances in my world right now? It feels like I was blindsided by about 90% of it, so, nope. I especially did not expect to experience such a long season of disappointments nor to be continuing to process through them even to this very moment. Unprocessed events are experienced as trauma, no matter how “big” or “small.” So, yeah — let’s process, God.

Consequently, today’s freebie is: be present in the moment in which you find yourself. Fully experience it and process it. Suck the marrow out of those bones. Have no regrets. Give everything you have to that moment. Feel every feeling. Consider carefully and thoughtfully your words before you speak, but speak up and let the world know how you are experiencing it/them. Love whole-heartedly, open-handedly and unoffendably. Forgive readily without being asked, right way and without delay. You will be so glad that you did.

On this other side of 50 years on this earth, I find that I am amazed and saddened at what I simply do not remember. I love finding photos, hearing stories, reading cards and letters and journal entries from those days, but I also grieve because the brain memory sometimes is just not there. I also find that I am thankful more and more every day for a full life so far. I am blessed beyond measure. Despite the disappointments of the past year, I have been given so, so, so much that is truly valuable and eternal.

I will be 57 years old on Sunday. A lot of cliche things are running through my mind that I could type. As I am not guaranteed tomorrow or even the next minute, I choose to remind myself of my “freebie.” My heart is so full that it spills out of my eyes, and I give thanks to God.

~de-cluttering, processing and remembering, on the Indian prairie

Unacceptable

Starting with the stay at home order in March 2020 up until now, this season has been unacceptable. . . at least in many spheres.

I am currently continuing to unpack that.

God is still on the throne, is still a good Father, is still kind intentioned toward humanity, is still working out His redemtptive plan and is still at peace.

And that is more than enough for me.

~wrestling with my humanity, on the Indiana prairie

A Woman’s Inner Journey Through COVID-19 Phased Re-Opening: Part 3

Ok. Yes. I said that Part 2 was probably the last one.

But here we are in Phase 5, which we launched into without much fanfare or noticeable change. . .

. . . except the reality that masks, social distancing and the command to wash your hands frequently are still in place. When will we just live life, assuming the risk for our own health? When will we navigate this virus like we have navigated in the past the common cold and the flu? This highly contagious virus is not going to be stopped. Slowing the spread means that it will take longer for it to spread through the population and become normalized. I say “let my people go.”

I do support our Governor because I do believe that he is trying to make the best decisions possible for the residents of our state. And I do hope that when the election is over, common sense will return to leadership at every level and sphere.

So, yes, I do follow the safety guidelines. And, no, I do not believe that they are great safeguards. That’s just where I am at present.

I am still greatly encouraged and believe that we are on the precipice of some wonderful and exciting things that God has planned for us in the USA and around the world. I see His fingerprints in the natural in big ways and in small ways, too. Just yesterday a woman shared with me that she was celebrating 60 days of sobriety — freedom that she is experiencing in the midst of a so-called pandemic. Come on, people. That is some amazing and God-accomplished news!

Something else that is going on related to my inner journey is a class in which I am enrolled. It is a Virtual Class the helps a person look at her journey so far in life, process through the parts of said journey that God is highlighting and then listen to hear what He is saying for now and in the future. I have worked through on my own the resource our class is focusing on; it has been a fantastic enriching experience to be a part of a community that is working through the “maps.”

One of the encouraging things that has come out of this second go at the maps is that I see that God has done a work in me — I am not the same person, at all, who worked through the maps before. Though I have not read my entries from the past and then compared them to my entries now (I am looking forward to doing that after working all the way through all of the maps), I remember enough about my struggles and resistances to the maps from 10+ years ago. Thanks be to God that I can see the work He has done in me.

Another encouraging thing is that I feel close to the people with whom I often interact in the virtual class and to my listening partners. This is a new experience for me. I really did not know any of the people in the class in a real time way when we started; now I cannot imagine life without them.

And of course I see His fingerprints and hear His voice. My lingering question at this point is: What would it look like to live wholeheartedly as the me He created me to be from a heart full of love? Something He is saying to me over and over through various means is to focus on partnering with Him, seeking Holy Spirit’s guidance and being connected to Him every moment of every day; this one focal point is key. It is so simple, but it is not easy. How quickly and easily I forget and go my own way.

What is He saying to you lately?

~living free, on the Indiana prairie.

A Woman’s Inner Journey Through COVID-19 Phased Re-opening, Part 2

I guess I have been hopefully waiting for our state to enter the final phase — to take that last half step forward. Not sure when that happen, so I will write Part 2. I expect this to be the last one in this “series.”

Am I discouraged? No, I am not.

A few weeks ago, I thought I heard Him say, in that out-of-the-blue way that He sometimes speaks, “the tide has turned.” And He said it multiple times over that week. He continues to say it to me often. And He keeps showing me clues about the reality of this.

Undergirding that is the proven knowledge that He is loving, good, kind, faithful and always with me. I am thankful for His peace.

In my day-to-day life, I see more product on the shelves in grocery stores, was finally able to buy a can of Lysol spray (there was a whole shelf of it, too) and notice that people around me in my spheres seem more and more relaxed.

[The can of Lysol became a quest for me because I was “supposed” to have some in order to help clean after our youngest’s home school graduation ceremony in a local church. That was in June. I have searched in every store that I have patronized since that time without success. Yesterday, I found and bought one. It’s like a trophy, because I doubt that I will ever “use” it.]

In my worldview, I have been in phase 5 since the time we were released from the stay-at-home order. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom, so not even the SAHO truly restricted me. Yes, I wear my mask, try to maintain social distancing and wash my hands frequently. With my freedom and my free will, I choose to follow the guidelines because what can it hurt?

Am I concerned about the loss of individual citizen rights during this pandemic. Yes, but I can do both things at the same time.

How are you navigating your current circumstances?

Eventide June 30, 2020

It’s been calling to me for days now. . .

I feel like there is MORE to be pursued and to be doing.

How to love more and to make a positive impact more?

How to encourage and to uplift and to empower?

How to give away truth kindly and compassionately with mercy?

How to overcome evil with good?

MORE of You, God, and less of me.

Only in a culture that values and honors living Third can liberty and justice for all thrive.

Will you join me in pursuing the MORE of living Third?

~longing for true change for the good, on the Indiana prairie

A Woman’s Inner Journey Through COVID-19 Phased Re-opening, Part 1

Times fun when you’re having flies 😛 !

Our state has been released from the “stay-at-home” order for a couple of weeks now. From what I glean from our governor’s updates, he is not itching to go backward, but he is also aware that we might have to do so. My fondest hope and earnest prayer with regard to the virus is that we do not go backward, no matter what happens. Staying at home is not living life and cannot be sustained economically. Instead we are slowly phasing back into more public freedoms, and I am happy about that.

During the past month, I have remained hope-filled and expectant about the other side of tranisitioning to greatness, where we are not hemmed in by so many additional rules. Because I am generally a rule-follower, I do what is asked of me and recommended. But I have soooo many questions. . . which I believe will be answered over time.

I am incredibly thankful for strong leadership at all the levels and spheres which impact my life.

I miss face-to-face contact with my family, my friends and my tribe.

I am thankful that I have a haircut on the books, though I could not get one before June 3.

Undergirding all of this I am thankful for safety and health, and I have a strong desire to arrive on the other side of this better than before.

~living free, on the Indiana prairie

A Woman’s Inner Journey Through COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Order, part 2

April 4, 2020

Another week of “writing for an hour” repeating itself on my Bullet Journal task list. . .

I was hopeful a week ago that our country and our state would be slowly getting back to a new “normal” this week. Or, if not this week, then before Easter weekend. Most of you are probably aware that the country is still under the “stay-at-home” for the rest of the month. I am not discouraged or panicked. I am however, looking forward to things starting to open up again.

Mid-week I decided to stop reading and listening to other inputs aside from the President’s Task Force updates and the Governor’s. I feel like that is the best decision for me right now.

Thankfully I am still working as is dear hubby. Even the few things I have to do for the church are continuing on, plus they are making some changes. It will be interesting to see where “we” are in another week.

Connecting with people digitally and/or virtually is interesting, but also very, very good when that is the only option. I am so grateful for technology that allows us all to do that. Right after I typed that I had a couple texts and a FB message ping through.

I am enjoying not needing to drive to and from work anymore and find myself feeling way less rushed and stressed because of it. I suppose I was reaching my threshhold for busyness before this all started.

Internally I am still encouraged and hopeful. I am not in denial about how difficult this is, has been and will be. I just expect it to all work out.

I find myself concerned about the comments I read on social media that are so incredibly negative, spiteful, malicious, and gossipy. It also concerns me that people are sharing “news” that is unsubstantiated. With our population descending into being less and less mentally well, I am concerned about those posts having dangerous affects on others. I do fully support the freedom we have to “speak,” but thinking before sharing feels like another one of the things we can do to protect the most vulnerable. Just sayin. . .

Something really fun that happened is that I applied for a job kind of on a whim a week or so before this whole thing escalated. Thursday night I had an email letting me know that I made it through from stage 1 to stage 1.5 — I am part of the 25% of the applicants who will be whittled down from for stage two. Fun and unexpected! It was challenging filling out the application because it required a lot more thought and input that a standard applicaton. I had decided to look at it as a fun opportunity to learn some things through the process. I hoped that I might have even the smallest chance at being offered the job. So, I feel like I have had a win already!

Finally, I was chatting on the phone with a friend this week and was inspired by our combined suspicious imaginations, so I am going to pop off of here and get some fiction scenes typed up.
~staying at home, on the Indiana prairie