Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Do you have it all together?

There are so many times I have heard women utter these words, "I just don't have it all together." or "If I could just get it all together." I really cringe when I hear these words. Because I have heard this term, all together, applied to me. (Yes, I know, some of you that really know me are laughing your butts off right now!)

NEWSFLASH! NO ONE HAS IT ALL TOGETHER! IT IS A LIE!

I often say that anyone who tells you, they it all together, is only trying to sell you something. When we think everyone else has it all together there is a huge burden placed on us. We become the only one. We become isolated, because we don't have it all together.

I think if we, as christians, would come to understand this one idea, there would be freedom. There would be life! Because life is all about experimenting. Some things work and we revel in it. But some things don't work as expected and it is then we must move on and learn.

Here is my analogy: Because I learn so much from my children it is from them that I have learned this idea. I watch my girls playing in the stream of water coming out of the faucet. They are fascinated by this. It never fails, they always try to grab the stream. And no matter how hard they grab at it, they are never able to catch this bubbling liquid that flows so freely. I can see the concentration in their eyes, they are quite intense. But the difference comes in their reaction. One becomes frustrated and starts yelling out. But the other one, she enjoys the feeling of the water flowing over her hands and then she sticks her head under neath the faucet. Somehow in her two-year old mind she understands it is not to hold in her hand, but to enjoy it as it passes through her fingers!

To me that is the perfect picture of this idea. We can cry and pout about not being able to hold onto everything. Or we can figure out new ways to enjoy life!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Somethings never change!

The national budget must be balanced. The public debt must be reduced; the arrogance of the authorities must be moderated and controlled. Payments to foreign governments must be reduced, if the nation doesn't want to go bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.
Cicero, 55 BC
Roman author, orator, & politician (106 BC - 43 BC)