Sunday Seven

1. dream – I find that when I’m frustrated or disappointed, dreaming is fundamental. Dreaming (and writing that vision down) helps me get out of the ditch of disappointment and helps me navigate through life with more hope. You should totally give it a try.

2. friends – I met with a good friend this week and I was so thankful I did. God sends me the most amazing people. I enjoy the heart connection. I enjoy the encouragement. I enjoy the sound of iron sharpening iron.

3. mentors – I believe God puts mentors in our lives so we can soak up their experience. I also appreciate the fact that they have been where I am and they can wisely guide me and encourage me. I think the best moments are when I’m done meeting with them and I have a million other questions to ask. Healthy relationships are fascinating.

4. God as a source – I have experienced God as a firm foundation this week. It seems that when all you have left is God, He really comes thru. I’m enjoying all the new experiences. He is as wonderful as His Word says plus way more.

5. group exercise and faith – You know I’m a fan of group exercise. I have been studying the dynamics of my latest class. I see that the language the instructor uses seems to be similar to religious language. I don’t agree with the rhetoric but you can’t argue with results. I also see that a lot of people “worship” the teacher – trust me, I’ve heard them praising her figure and saying they want to be just like her. This curious stuff makes me ask myself, what am I doing here and what is my motivation? The answer is, I’m trying to get stronger (and I am) and my motivation is to take the second chance God gave me to fix my lifestyle. I worship the Lord God only and I know for a fact that fitness is not the answer to everything.

6. my tree – I have a great looking lemon tree in my backyard. In our previous home we had so much good fruit we had to give it away to at least 50 people. The fruit of this tree does not taste good. I can’t seem to be able to do anything good with it. As I read the Gospel of Matthew I can relate to being known by your fruit. My Bible teacher said we’re to be "fruit inspectors." This tree in my backyard reminds me of that. The fruit was just not good last year and my hope is really low for this year. There’s nothing worse than harvesting stuff just to throw it away. I pray that when people inspect the fruit in my life, they’ll find it so good that it will bring glory to my Father in heaven.

7. marriage – I’m finding interesting that with an approaching wedding anniversary there is still a lot to be learned about having a healthy marriage. I’m not a perfect person and that translates into every relationship I have. I find myself constantly in prayer for wisdom in how to be a wise wife (and mother). I have seen the more I allow God to change me into His image, the more my marriage benefits from it. Every major lesson I’ve learned about relationships was understood through friction, challenges and making the hard decision to submit to God’s plan. My hope that God will be faithful is pretty much non-negotiable. I’m thankful for almost 9 years of marriage to the most honorable and amazing man alive.