Life as i know it: June 2007

Wounds Can Change Your Heart

Wounds Can Change Your Heart
by Elizabeth Elliot

Living in a world broken by sin, we suffer wounds of many kinds. Perhaps the most painful are not the physical ones but those of the heart. No one has power to hurt us more deeply than somebody we love, somebody we counted on to understand and support us. But there are two ways to receive wounds. One leads to larger life. The other leads straight to death, that is to destruction--of those we influence as well as of ourselves.

By grace we can receive the wounds of our friends as our Master received them--in the strength and for the glory of our heavenly Father. Being sinners ourselves, however, we need to be brought low at the cross. Nothing will do this better than some piercing heart-wound, provided we seek Christ because of it and pray Him to purify us.

There is another way--the world's way. It is anger, resentment, retaliation, retreat into pride and self-justification. These are quite natural, and quite lethal. The choice is ours.

"The wound which is borne in God's way brings a change of heart too salutary to regret, but the hurt which is borne in the world's way brings death" (2 Cor 7:10 NEB).

“A happy marriage is the union of two forgivers.” --Ruth Bell Graham

Transferable Skills

by Alexandra Kuykendall, MOPS Ministry Outreach Representative

After four years of staying home full-time with my daughters, it was time to for me to reenter the world of Dry Clean Only shirts and audience-free trips to the bathroom, and head back to office life at least part-time. Looking over my résumé, it didn't feel right that the years I'd worked the hardest stood out as a "hole in my work history." I wanted words to describe how much I'd grown, been challenged and changed in four years. But, how could I sum up sleepless nights, sloppy kisses and whispered secrets in a few bullet points? I couldn't, they were too precious, too sacred, and the word "job" made them feel too mundane.

In my efforts to make sense of this transition, I tried a different approach. I made myself a list of transferable skills, ways my mommy life could be applied to cubicle life:
• Able to multitask. Nursing a baby, while talking on the phone and making a peanut butter sandwich. No question.
• Strong research skills. Where is that smell coming from?
• Pays close attention to detail. Absolutely, when the difference between the pink and blue sippy could cause serious meltdown.
• Works well under pressure. Potty training by the start of preschool!
• Bilingual. "Mama, Y'ar yu?" Translation: Mommy. I need to see you to feel safe.
• Provides strong customer service. Who else answers the same question 2,421 times in one day?
• Able to manage a team. Getting four people out of the house, clothed and fed within an hour of intended departure takes an organizer.
• Willing to master new skills. I promise cleaning poop off the wall is a new skill.
Looking over my list, I realized that I offer a more confident, tender, fuller version of myself to the world because of my most rewarding and challenging "job." Thank goodness being a mother doesn't have a quitting time, so I can keep my skill set growing.

a few june pictures

people pleasing

generally i have an unflinching ability to state my strong opinion with no concern about others’ thoughts or MY own unpopularity.
I wish some one I know thought of me in terms of===I with i had the strength to do that.!!
but this is real life, & folks like me might have lots of principles and no friends.-- I have figured that much out ..
but to me It's okay.. i am content with that... but some one I know is not .
that was how things were my 1st semester of college -- well I made a couple of good Friends... but people did state that i was TOO opinionated.. etc...
basically i strongly contrast my husband or anyone who is a people-pleasers... -- yeah i do think when I moved here -- I wanted northing more than to PLEASE Don & more importantly in MY head was to impress his friends & get them to like me
I did that in high school as well.. & remained under the Radar... the nice girl -- but did i stand for anything?
generally i think of People pleasers as being women. because women are so relational, but I know a few men who are as well…
These are great people... but i dont like to be run down for who i am...
often i think at different times we have both done everything we can to preserve a connection.. Instead of choosing what might be the Best choice for everyone... making a decision that may hurt someone..
so many times in my life i have done anything to avoid being the bad girl. but i feel at this point in my life - there is nothing i can do

I found at times that my people-pleasing ways not only hurt me, they hurt the people who were my true friends, etc...

the thing with being a people-pleaser --- It isn’t really about “people.” It’s about fear that someone will think less of you or me --
if I’m not agreeable. It’s about an incessant need to have people think You are swell.

I really do think that People want relationships with those who are filled with honesty and integrity.
I don’t know if you can be understanding or supportive of that..
but those are just some of my thoughts.