Good morning to everyone. Grace and peace be with you.
This week has been a good week for me. I had a little time off for just silly stuff, went to a dinner concert and learned a new song and a new technique for falling asleep, and last night I learned a new wedding tradition. I was completely lost until I googled it this morning, but the concept is solid. The symbolism is that after the couple is pronounced husband and wife, a broom is placed behind them/below them if they are on a stage and they, in unison, jump over the broom together. After my google search, I found out that by doing this, it is a representation of solidifying the marriage, plus, sweeping away the old to start anew. I did not know that tradition until last night. Very cool.
When I was in school, learning new things was not really a thing for me; unless it was how to be better in softball…then I was all over it (as long as it did not require too much exercise-haha) Yes, I am an oxymoron. As I homeschooled my children, I learned far more than I did when I was in school. I guess because I valued the importance of an education more and I wanted to set the right example for the kids. I am a firm believer in something that my dad used to tell us … “If I do it, I cannot expect you to not do it; but if I do not do it, you can bet that I will be all over it with you to correct it.” To be fair, he was (in my opinion) referring to drinking (which he did), smoking (which he did), drugs (which he did not do). He would tell us that he could not fault us for drinking or smoking because he did it and he could not expect us not to follow his example. However, drugs were another story. In my mind he set the standard and I either needed to meet his standard or exceed it. I can honestly say that I never smoked (I tried a couple of times and got sick), I tried the drinking thing (not for me), and drugs were NEVER in my wheelhouse.
A disclosure…approximately 5 or 6 years before he died, dad did do a stint of marijuana for pain. I must admit, I was very disappointed. I understood the why…but to me it felt like he was saying drugs were ok; because of the precept in which he raised me. My hero, my precipice for standard, my steadfast example … had failed. I was hurt and angry. I was holding him to a very high standard and forgetting that he was human.
Over the years, before his death, I discussed this situation with him, and he stood his ground on his decision. Though he was doing exactly what he taught me to do…stand for I believe in … I was angry that he was okay with breaking what I thought of as, his promise to us.
Where I have set my life to follow the example of my dad, to show what honesty, hard work, and goodness should be, I fall every day. Mostly with snarky or inappropriate comments. My example is not pristine by any means. But just as my dad fell off the example that he was setting, and I fall off mine, we are forgiven in the eyes of the One who saved us. Where I have tried to be like my dad and even exceed his expectations, I work daily to be like my Father knowing that I cannot exceed his example, but possibly I can reach for his garment and get close.
We, as a human body, tend to set examples and expectations for ourselves that are not reachable. We also tend to expect what we know and do to be known and done by others. We are human and we have many faults. Today I say that we jump over the broom as the body of Christ, start the day with a new love and understanding and reach for the hem of His garment.
Be blessed today my friends.
*** In that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal. – Isaiah 26:1-4
This week has been a good week for me. I had a little time off for just silly stuff, went to a dinner concert and learned a new song and a new technique for falling asleep, and last night I learned a new wedding tradition. I was completely lost until I googled it this morning, but the concept is solid. The symbolism is that after the couple is pronounced husband and wife, a broom is placed behind them/below them if they are on a stage and they, in unison, jump over the broom together. After my google search, I found out that by doing this, it is a representation of solidifying the marriage, plus, sweeping away the old to start anew. I did not know that tradition until last night. Very cool.
When I was in school, learning new things was not really a thing for me; unless it was how to be better in softball…then I was all over it (as long as it did not require too much exercise-haha) Yes, I am an oxymoron. As I homeschooled my children, I learned far more than I did when I was in school. I guess because I valued the importance of an education more and I wanted to set the right example for the kids. I am a firm believer in something that my dad used to tell us … “If I do it, I cannot expect you to not do it; but if I do not do it, you can bet that I will be all over it with you to correct it.” To be fair, he was (in my opinion) referring to drinking (which he did), smoking (which he did), drugs (which he did not do). He would tell us that he could not fault us for drinking or smoking because he did it and he could not expect us not to follow his example. However, drugs were another story. In my mind he set the standard and I either needed to meet his standard or exceed it. I can honestly say that I never smoked (I tried a couple of times and got sick), I tried the drinking thing (not for me), and drugs were NEVER in my wheelhouse.
A disclosure…approximately 5 or 6 years before he died, dad did do a stint of marijuana for pain. I must admit, I was very disappointed. I understood the why…but to me it felt like he was saying drugs were ok; because of the precept in which he raised me. My hero, my precipice for standard, my steadfast example … had failed. I was hurt and angry. I was holding him to a very high standard and forgetting that he was human.
Over the years, before his death, I discussed this situation with him, and he stood his ground on his decision. Though he was doing exactly what he taught me to do…stand for I believe in … I was angry that he was okay with breaking what I thought of as, his promise to us.
Where I have set my life to follow the example of my dad, to show what honesty, hard work, and goodness should be, I fall every day. Mostly with snarky or inappropriate comments. My example is not pristine by any means. But just as my dad fell off the example that he was setting, and I fall off mine, we are forgiven in the eyes of the One who saved us. Where I have tried to be like my dad and even exceed his expectations, I work daily to be like my Father knowing that I cannot exceed his example, but possibly I can reach for his garment and get close.
We, as a human body, tend to set examples and expectations for ourselves that are not reachable. We also tend to expect what we know and do to be known and done by others. We are human and we have many faults. Today I say that we jump over the broom as the body of Christ, start the day with a new love and understanding and reach for the hem of His garment.
Be blessed today my friends.
*** In that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal. – Isaiah 26:1-4
Good morning to everyone. Grace and peace be with you.
This week has been a good week for me. I had a little time off for just silly stuff, went to a dinner concert and learned a new song and a new technique for falling asleep, and last night I learned a new wedding tradition. I was completely lost until I googled it this morning, but the concept is solid. The symbolism is that after the couple is pronounced husband and wife, a broom is placed behind them/below them if they are on a stage and they, in unison, jump over the broom together. After my google search, I found out that by doing this, it is a representation of solidifying the marriage, plus, sweeping away the old to start anew. I did not know that tradition until last night. Very cool.
When I was in school, learning new things was not really a thing for me; unless it was how to be better in softball…then I was all over it (as long as it did not require too much exercise-haha) Yes, I am an oxymoron. As I homeschooled my children, I learned far more than I did when I was in school. I guess because I valued the importance of an education more and I wanted to set the right example for the kids. I am a firm believer in something that my dad used to tell us … “If I do it, I cannot expect you to not do it; but if I do not do it, you can bet that I will be all over it with you to correct it.” To be fair, he was (in my opinion) referring to drinking (which he did), smoking (which he did), drugs (which he did not do). He would tell us that he could not fault us for drinking or smoking because he did it and he could not expect us not to follow his example. However, drugs were another story. In my mind he set the standard and I either needed to meet his standard or exceed it. I can honestly say that I never smoked (I tried a couple of times and got sick), I tried the drinking thing (not for me), and drugs were NEVER in my wheelhouse.
A disclosure…approximately 5 or 6 years before he died, dad did do a stint of marijuana for pain. I must admit, I was very disappointed. I understood the why…but to me it felt like he was saying drugs were ok; because of the precept in which he raised me. My hero, my precipice for standard, my steadfast example … had failed. I was hurt and angry. I was holding him to a very high standard and forgetting that he was human.
Over the years, before his death, I discussed this situation with him, and he stood his ground on his decision. Though he was doing exactly what he taught me to do…stand for I believe in … I was angry that he was okay with breaking what I thought of as, his promise to us.
Where I have set my life to follow the example of my dad, to show what honesty, hard work, and goodness should be, I fall every day. Mostly with snarky or inappropriate comments. My example is not pristine by any means. But just as my dad fell off the example that he was setting, and I fall off mine, we are forgiven in the eyes of the One who saved us. Where I have tried to be like my dad and even exceed his expectations, I work daily to be like my Father knowing that I cannot exceed his example, but possibly I can reach for his garment and get close.
We, as a human body, tend to set examples and expectations for ourselves that are not reachable. We also tend to expect what we know and do to be known and done by others. We are human and we have many faults. Today I say that we jump over the broom as the body of Christ, start the day with a new love and understanding and reach for the hem of His garment.
Be blessed today my friends.
*** In that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal. – Isaiah 26:1-4
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