Lessons from Shiloh...

You can learn so much from kids.  Shiloh will be 1 in two days. 

On Sunday, she was standing looking out the slider at my sister's house, and I was across the room, and I rolled a giant exercise ball (you know, the kind you sit on) towards her.  I guess I have really bad (or really good) aim - because I realized it wasn't going to end up close to her, it was going to hit her!  I was too far away to stop it, and I was freaking in my head, thinking - I'm going to hurt this child that I love - and she's going to be sad, and cry, and it will all be my fault...  I started towards her just as it rolled right into her.  Mind you, this thing is almost as tall as she is. 

Then, the coolest thing happened.  She turned to see what it was - and smiled and started playing with it.  She was happy.  I was happy (and relieved!).

I've just been tripping on what we can learn from that.  hmmm...

 - she was open to whatever it was that was interrupting her

 - she embraced it (literally!)

 - it ultimately brought her joy

I've been thinking lately about how everything is in our perception.  If I see the ball (or whatever) coming at me as an intrusion or threat, because I have my agenda - it's gonna screw up my whole day.  If I get interrupted, or things don't go as planned - and I am open to it - a whole new world could open up to me.

Let's look at every thing with awe and wonder, and embrace it, whatever it may be - change, loss, trials, random people striking up a conversation, anything that is unexpected.  I believe joy will follow.

Shiloh and her mommy.

True-faced or two-faced?

http://donmilleris.com/2011/05/04/when-doing-good-isnt-really-doing-good/

This blog from Don Miller is coming at me very timely.  We're doing a book study called 'TrueFaced', and it is kicking my self-righteous butt!

Just realizing how many things I've done through self-effort over the years, and selfishness.  Living in the realm of 'Pleasing God' - trying to do the right thing, and be a good person - rather than the realm of 'Trusting God' - letting him love me, just because he loves me - and he made me just who I am.  The book & video have a couple stories of different women, and how they have hurt others under the pretext of protecting themselves, or taking care of themselves.  Building a wall around you in order to protect.  And in doing so, others get hurt.

Yep, that's me. 

One of the things John Lynch said in the video last night was that when you wear a mask - you don't receive love - only the mask receives love.  Sad.

Sometimes the truth hurts, but - I believe - that 'when the student is ready, the teacher appears'.  So it's time for me to take down those masks, to be who I really am, to let God (and others) love me.  Then I will in turn be able to love others.

I wrote this poem when I was 16, Hmmm, I wrote it about someone else, but it seems appropriate...

Masks

Too many faces, I don't understand
Wearing your masks to no man's land
Seasons change, and so do we ~
But there's no need to hide from me.
I loved every face that you showed me,
though I know that they're really not you.
And every time I learn your ways,
you act out something new.

~tc