My First Sabbath

My first Sabbath is winding down, and although I'm not going to get this posted tonight (Friday), I wanted to get some highlights down a reflect a bit. My day has consisted of waking up without an alarm clock, drinking some coffee and eating weekend party cereal. Weekend party cereal is stocked in our house because when I work every day of the week, it helps me know what days are actually the weekend :) Okay, so maybe it's just an excuse to eat cereal that has too much sugar, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

The house is clean, laundry is done. Am I allowed to do that on a Sabbath? How about if I told you that cleaning, and being in a clean house, calms me? I'm hoping that makes a difference, because although I know it's doing "stuff," it's allowing me to relax, too. I made some lunch and Nick stopped by from work to have some great grilled cheese and pasta salad. I walked downtown with Nick after he got home from work and we took a look at the glass tray I made while Keri and Cindi were here. 

I picked up a few fall-scented candles which have made the cooler weather much more bearable. Don't get me wrong- I love fall, really. But Long's Peak had it's first dusting of snow this past week and I'm not looking forward to driving another winter. Would any of you come to my house for physical therapy? Hmmm...

Of course, one of the main purposes of my Sabbath is to reconnect with God. I opened the Bible to Luke 11. Immediately I read Luke 11: 9-10 that says, "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." God, you really want me to specifically ask you? Don't you know know what I need? Sometimes prayer is something I have had to grapple with. I pray. I believe in the power of prayer, I really do, but part of me wonders if God's will be done, then why specifically lift up my desires or needs in prayer? The bible says this (and many, many other things) about prayer:

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. :Romans 12:1:

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. :1 Thessalonians 5:16-1:

As for me, I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. :Psalm 55:16-18: 

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him. :Psalm 40:1-3:

This week, this Sabbath, prayer has been such a focus for me. I will cling to it as I get through the next few weeks without having a day off. Next on the list of things I want to be more intentional about? Being quiet and listening to God.

A Metaphor

You must let go of the old trapeze in order to reach the next one and move forward.

Getting ready to fly!

Friends, Part 2

Can I do a post called Friends, part 2, even if they don't have much to do with each other? Other than the friend part, of course.

This weekend, Nick and I had two of my very best friends visit us here in Colorado. Keri, Cindi and I have been friends since our Kappa days at UC. Bid night back in September 2002, I called Keri to see if she was going to the event that night and the rest is history. Cindi and I lived together in my first-ever APT my sophomore year of college and again my junior year in Kappa. They are the kind of friends who tell it to you straight and love you no matter what. I needed them this weekend to listen and let me cry, and even more so to let me laugh. They are the type of friends who you pick back up with immediately no matter how long it had been since you have seen them last (and it had been a long time! I think back at Cindi's wedding in 2008!). I miss them dearly but so appreciate their friendship and love. Oh, and this Colorado trip? Going to be an annual thing. I'm pretty pumped. Here's our weekend in (a lot) of pictures!

We made fused glass trays to remember the trip

A little hiking at Devil's Backbone in Loveland

Reds versus Rockies baseball game!

Keri made her first smore in our backyard

She REALLY loved our dog :)

Hiking in RMNP (that's for you, Keri!)

Stunning weather

Overlooking Nymph Lake

Nick joined us once he found a parking spot (and I made him run around the lake by accident). Cindi was pumped he caught up!

Dream Lake

Nick and Cindi slid down some of the remaining snow. Apparentlythey moved faster than they expected!

And of course we wrapped up with a little Elk viewing

Friends

I had a conversation with a dear friend yesterday. She said words I desperately needed to hear. God was in that conversation and I believe it was a transformation point for me. I have been trying to control this adoption process, which, to those that understand the process, is a joke. I have calculated everything. Worked harder than I have in my life. Last night I realized I'm not giving God the opportunity to work big miracles. I'm micromanaging my life and therefore cutting Him out. In essence, I've been saying I don't need His intervention. For those that have been keeping up with me recently, you might know I've hit rock bottom. I have nowhere else to go. You know what else I learned through that conversation? God needs me to do big things! YUP, He NEEDS me. NEEDS me to sit down and shut up.

I am going to be focusing on SABBATH. It's interesting. The idea of focusing on sabbath. A day of rest. During this resting time, I am going to be reconnecting with God, my family and myself. I'm looking so forward to it, although it is going against what I have believed for the last six months about work. I needed a change, and this is it.

You know how Dove chocolates have a little saying inside? I opened one the other day that said "Have no limits today." Dove got it wrong. I'm going to be putting up boundaries, stepping back from commitments and giving more attention to the most important things in my life. I'm looking forward to the blessings God has in store for this new phase of my life.

Come Say Hi!

What a BEAUTIFUL weekend in Colorado! We are certainly enjoying the sunshine and cooler breeze and are praying it sticks around throughout the holiday weekend. We are really excited to be a part of the first annual Kids for Kyla run scheduled for Monday, September 5!

We learned of Kids for Kyla at the recent kids consignment sale (Forever Trendy Kids) and loved what they are doing. Their mission, taken from their website, is to reach to reach out to couples in need, providing hope through financial assistance, advocacy and support allowing them to attain the dream of creating a family legacy through infertility treatments and/or adoption. We'll be having a booth at their event, selling some scarves, t-shirts and other items to raise money for our adoption.

Learn more about Kids for Kyla by checking out their website.

 

General Information:

Kids for Kyla Legacy Run

Monday, September 5, 2011

Garden Theater University of Northern Colorado
10th Ave & 18th St Greeley, CO

You can register in person on race day or online

Schedule of events:

Race Day Registration/Packet Pickup: 6:30am-7:45am
Race Start: 8am for 10k  8:30am for 5k
Expo: 8am-1pm (Need to be set up and ready by 7:45am)
Kids Fun Run: 11am (1/2 Mile Kids 12 yrs + under)
Diaper Dash: 11:30am (50 meter dash 3 yrs + under)

We'd love to see you over in Greeley on Monday. Stop by our booth and say hello!