Before setting up www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com ....I often posted things in a couple other places....going to reprint a few here....so I can keep some of the ones that resonate with me together in one place....
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Stop and Stare Current mood: contemplative
If Jesus walked by you----at your office----or when you were out with your friends----and He looked at YOU----and you knew it was Jesus....and He SAW your heart....and you knew it was Jesus....how would you feel?!?!
Interesting question. That's how Del opened our service this morning.....with that question. Then we sang "Heart of Worship"....you know the part that says...."You search much deeper within...Through the way things appear....You're looking into my heart..."
Always reminds me of Abbi singing it that time in Manteo accompanied by....LOL...Matthew! Funny. Everyone knows I don't believe in coincidences.
It was another one of God's little nudges.....He has had me "looking harder" for a couple of weeks now....
Then right out of the gate.....opening line of the monologue......GUYS DO GOSSIP!!!
Whoa. Another hit really close to home. And he was being gender specific. LOL!!! And then.....all of the power went off. In a sudden, abrupt way. And that's when I knew.....what was coming next was going to be important....and that Satan really, really wanted me to be distracted and disrupted!
A lot of this is paraphrased from Del's message....and then peppered with my own thoughts and insights. If you are reading this, just know that the really good stuff that makes sense is probably something Del said!!!
Take a look at yourself.....and others around you that you care about. Most likely things will look good on the outside....cuz that's what we like to do.....put up a big front because it makes us look more successful, more approachable, happier. Behind the scenes, though, there is a struggle going on and lots of turmoil.
The story in today's message was based on Jesus' first encounter with Matthew. However, much of what was said could just have easily been taken from the pages of our own stories.....so in order to be universal....I am going to use he/she ---and maybe you/me----instead of Matthew or "he" in the telling here.
The things we see in ourselves, we generally don't like. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have friends who see things---really good and positive things--- in us that we can't see, choose not to see, or have forgotten were even there. When Jesus looks at you/me He sees things that maybe no one has ever seen before.
Here's what he/she sees:
He/she does not like his/her career.....he/she does not like the types of relationships they are pursuing....he/she doesn't really like him/herself very much...even though it's hard to admit that or even put a finger on what's missing
He/she knows that God has a life of glory planned for him/her. But somehow, he/she lost it along the way. He/she came to think that the way to find "it" was to go after what he/she wanted.....so he/she is living life chasing after every type of gratification....wondering why the satisfaction is fleeting, momentary and overtime has become so numb that nothing ever feels like much of anything at all....At the end of the day, he/she feels lousy about the life he/she is living but doesn't have a clue how to change or the energy to even make the effort or the hope for anything better
His/her relationships are based on his/her lifestyle and getting what he/she wants....and these relationships---with rare exception---have no substance or depth......and he/she really doesn't like the people he/she is running with....it's just easy to co-exist with others who have no expectations or respect for themselves or others....just like him/her.
Honestly. He/she----me/you----we simply don't like ourselves and how we are living.
Bleah!
At this point, I had to stop and give some serious thought to something that has been troubling me all weekend. On Friday, two people that I really like did something that really disappointed me.....actually, it disgusted me.....and yes, I will admit it hurt me on some deeper level. It's not like I don't have a realistic understanding of how they "present" themselves.....I do. It's just that in coming to know them I have begun to respond more to the things I see that they keep hidden so much of the time. So I was confused by what I actually saw for myself. Then later, when I was confronted by the other person who was involved in the exchange and she shared how disturbing it had been for her.....how lousy it made her feel.....and how the exchange took her completely off-guard..surprising to her because she expects so much more from me and since these were my friends she expected the same integrity from them......it was like a punch in the gut....a slap in the face....I don't know.....it was just lousy for everyone.
Hmmm.....so how does the actions of my friends reflect my view of myself?!?! She expected them to be different because of her view of me....and they are my friends....so is the reality that I am really losing sight of WHO I am ....am I choosing friends who don't really have much respect for themselves or others because that's how I am beginning to feel about myself? Or is our growing friendship based on their desire to make new friends who reflect more of WHO they really want to be....positive, confident, and respected for who they are and how they live?!?
I know that may sound a little arrogant. But for all of my moments of self-doubt, I do know that I choose to live my life openly, honestly, and with integrity. That I treat others with the same courtesty and respect I expect for myself. And I know from my interactions with people on all levels, that for the most part I am viewed in positive light.
There's quite a bit more depth to that situation and even to that story.... and I am still working through it.....not going to share more about that now.
Reminds of the song, "Stop & Stare" by OneRepublic......"I've become what I can't be....do you see what I see?!?!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhpqXbndFvQ
The video is very powerful. Even if you are familiar with the song....if you are at all stalled in your life it should hit home.
Back to Matthew's specific case-----he was a tax collector remember----and the law dictated that he collect $1000 from each but it allowed him to keep whatever he collected over that amount. At the end of the day when he recorded $1200 instead of $1000 beside your/my name, there was a sinking sensation deep inside of him reminding him that he didn't like WHO he had become.....
Gosh! Haven't we all been there?!?! And yet me/you.....we get up day-after-day and do it all again.....because why?!?! Cuz we are idiots!!!
So Jesus walks by.....and sees us.....and we know it's Him and that He's seeing our hearts.....now that's pretty humbling, depressing and humiliating. At least it is for me!
Here's what He sees.....
He sees a MAN/WOMAN. That's right. He sees the identity of who we really are and He thinks, "Hmmmm.....I know he/she has sold her soul for something.....to get what he/she wants ....but that's ok......the man/woman he/she can become is still in there.....just waiting for a chance to shine!"
He sees a "gift"......from God. Even though we are not all named "Matthew" which literally means "a gift from God".....we are all "Matthews." Not that you/I---he/she----recognizes it......or can even wrap around the idea of that. You/I---we hear all of the voices from the past......relive all of the failures and disappointments.....and think to ourselves...."I pity the person who receives ME as a gift!"
*Sigh* This has been a huge personal struggle for me. The whole idea of being a "gift" to anyone. I get up every single morning and try to encourage myself. Since I have been struggling with the concept of invisibility.....I say to the woman I see there in the mirror...."You are special. There is nothing wrong with the way you look. If others don't see you and value you it's NOT that something is wrong with you....it's that something is wrong with THEM!"
Wish I could say that it works all the time.....it doesn't.....but it has helped. I still realize that people look at me....but they don't really see me. And I also know that sometimes it's because I have my walls in place.....and since it's not easy to see "in" they simply don't make the effort....and that's ok,too....i guess.....invisible
So he/she is tired and weary.....and bored with all of the things he/she sees about his/herself that he/she doesn't like. His/her choices have pulled him/her a long way from realizing the "gift" they are.
My favorite piece of advice to my children and friends has always been "Never, ever forget YOU are the prize!!!" Funny that I can so quickly share it but have such difficulty in accepting it for myself.
He/she feels he is wasting his/her life....he/she has lost his/herself along the way. He/She says "What kind of life is this?!? My parents/friends are ashamed of me. I am ashamed of myself. My life is a deadend....I have no hope for anything more in the future. Isn't there something more than this?!?!"
All of us have a tagline for ourselves. Matthew always referred to himself as "Matthew, the tax collector" because that's WHO he had become. And that was not a popular thing is his society and it was certainly not WHO he wanted to be. Whatever he/she tags onto his/her name or identity is what defines the life he/she is living.....the who he/she has become.
"Mary Jane, the invisible"...."Mary Jane, the locked up and guarded"....."Mary Jane, the icky ole witch"...."Mary Jane, the Head 'Ho"...."Mary Jane, the failure as a woman/wife"....
LISTEN TO ME....it's Mary Jane, the professional friend....Mary Jane, that makes-it-happen .....Mary Jane, who isn't afraid to stand up for what's right.....Mary Jane, there's nothing wrong with the way you look....
Invisible.
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! I am none of those things! I am MARY JANE. And you are _________(put YOUR name there) and not any of the things that the voices inside us are telling us we are!
And Jesus sees that in me....in you....in each of us! And what's even cooler is that He puts people in our lives who see those things in us that He sees.
Well, maybe He does in his/her life.....not sure about mine. Ha. Anyone who really knows me well knows that it is one of my strong characteristics......which is often more of a negative to me than a positive.....the ability to look past the way things appear and see the goodness....the specialness....the lost qualities in the people I choose for my friends......and I see those things even when others assure me that I am wrong and that's not WHO he/she is.....and I continue to believe in those things after everyone else has given up and walked away......and in moments of extreme self-pity, I ask, "Ok, where are the people who are willing to see ME and still hang around while I wallow some more in my pit?!?"
The truth is that I do KNOW who you are. I have amazing friends. I would be lost without you.....and each of you KNOW who you are!
So Jesus and the friends He sends to believe in us say...."Come on. Be near me. I want you to be my friend. Follow me. You are going to make a difference."
There is a confidence in him/her----you----that you can do what others/and you don't believe you can do. YOU are the prize, remember?!?!
And here's another universal truth. Standing UP feels good. Life has a way of bringing me/you down. Of saying, just sit down in that pit you are in....wallow around.....if it feels good, even for minute, do it....shut up....accept the embarrassment you have become!"
Friends who see you/me ====the way we want to be----yearning to come out----say, "Get UP!
Walk! Heck, RUN! Find the life that God created you to live!"
Yet voices, including his/hers....mine/yours.....say, "Stay put! It's not so bad here. It's easy. And why take the risk?!?! Besides, it might mean making an effort, too?!? Oh, yeah....and don't foget about the change!!! Change is hard work....and it usually hurts, too.....so why bother?!!? It's not really so bad here, now is it?!?"
Friends encouarge saying "Move forward. See what's out beyond! Move into a new chapter!"
Matthew finally decided that he wanted to live as MATTHEW....and not the tax collector. He called together all his buddies and had a party. He said, "Listen! I am not going to settle any more....I am not going to live my life this way any more. You are not going to drag me down any more! Why not come along with me?!? Let's take the chance together....let's choose to LIVE rather than just exist."
Real friends and buddies never drag me/you down. If the relationships in your/my life are ones that evolved from the lousy lifestyle we've been living then they are probably relationships that help to suck the life out of you/me!
Those friends and buddies are probably not going to tag along on the new adventure! That's ok. The few who really see you/me for WHO we really are will step a little closer.....and new friends who share the same idea of being real and free and happy and fulfilled will find their way to your/my life, too.
So now what?!?! Lots and lots to think about!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Cadence
We wandered in....into uncharted territory...in keeping with our unfolding adventure...and things happened...things that were totally out of our control...
Apparently we were anticpated. Immediately we were recognized. The scent of it hung in the air....surrounding everyone....intoxicating....
It was all about seduction....the attraction was visceral...everyone was drawn to her in some way...her aura was powerful, strong, primitive....
You could almost hear the primal beat of drums.....rhythmic...ritualistic...the cadence was hypnotic....mesmerizing....
Innocently, we were in a dangerous place....
She spoke openly, softly, and urgently. Standing just close enough to make me uncomfortable....peering too intently into my eyes...searching deep inside of me somehow....I recognized the eyes that were locked on mine....but didn't identify them until much later....because at the moment....I wanted to hear her...it was impossible not to want to be a part of her experience right then....she said...."You're beautiful"...oh yeah, deep inside I struggle with that...and it felt good to hear her say it..."really...you ARE beautiful" she said again...."has anyone ever told you how amazing your eyes are?"....she stepped a little closer...and I just stood there...being drawn in by her presence....by her words....she was reaching me by touching me in one of my most vulnerable places....and I liked it...it wasn't weird like she was hitting on me...but she was seducing me...
look it up...seduce: a)to persuade to disobedience or disloyalty b) to lead astray by persuasion or false promises....
Then she changed her tone...."You are too good for that?" she said....persistently she continued in that vein..."listen carefully....you are too good....you deserve better....walk away....don't waste anymore time there.." I didn't have to ask what she was talking about...there was never any doubt. She knew it...I knew it. I shook my head.....trying to clear it somewhere....to hang on to what I knew was the truth. She sensed my rejection of her words. "You're not going to hear me are you? You aren't going to listen to what I came here to tell you, are you?"
She became agitated. I stepped back....trying to disengage....I was becoming confused....and she said, "Why? What makes you think it's worth it?" and without hesitation or even a concious thought, I responded, "Because God told me...."
She shuddered and turned a little to the side....only for a moment though...and then there she was back in my space....swaying....the beat was pounding in the air around us...the cadence...she physically touched me...urgently she took my arm..."Dance with me....I want to dance...with you" she said. "But we must move over here...where we can't be seen...they must not see us dance."
For a brief instant, I couldn't think of anything that I wanted to do more than to dance with her...right there....whether anyone saw us or not...then I came to my senses...seriously, I feel uncomfortable at times when there are just a bunch of women dancing with each other publicly on a dancefloor somewhere...once again I was being drawn in by her charisma...I stepped back.
The cadence continued....just a little below the surface.....under the skin...
Temptation was rampant from then on. She was intent and intense. Yes...she attempted to lure me into her trap...but I was never really the target. Of course, if she could seduce me somehow through my own insecurities & weaknesses...to lose sight of the truth and believe her lies...it was going to make things much easier and my acquiesence would be a bonus somehow...a victory...yet I rejected her...instinctively....I held onto the Truth....and somehow I stood between her and the prize she had come to claim....
At the end of the evening, she approached me once again...and handed me a card with an email address....and a message...she wanted to stay in touch....and I once again found it hard to resist her...she possesssed just the right blend of interesting & intelligent to capture my attention....intoxicating...I think I said that before..
On the card she had written "I am the Morning Star & my bro is David = Revelations" and then Revelations 22:2 or maybe it was 2:22....it all ran together and it was impossible to determine which was the reference...
I refuse to comment or speculate on her encounter or impact on anyone other than myself. I have done a lot of thinking and a little bit of research on the references.
There is no doubt in my mind now who was staring me down through her eyes. I have been eyeball-to-eyeball with those eyes on two other occasions. Each time the stakes have been high....each time before the encounter was totally confrontational and deliberate....each time I have emphatically stated that I am not afraid.
This time....though....seduction....temptation....confusion....came into play. It's all about choices....lust vs. love...the closer he/she gets to losing a stronghold on someone's soul...the more determined and deliberate and dangerous the game becomes...
So I looked it up..."the morning star"....seems to be a long history of confusion there...imagine that....Satan is the author of confusion...his/her power is in his/her ability to confuse & deceive....his/her stategy is to confuse & conquer.
The outcome? Hard for me to say. I only know how I responded to the seduction...the temption....and the beat goes on....cadence....
True story. honest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vu_nmZ1pXc
BEAUTIFUL by Bethany Dillon
www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com
Apparently we were anticpated. Immediately we were recognized. The scent of it hung in the air....surrounding everyone....intoxicating....
It was all about seduction....the attraction was visceral...everyone was drawn to her in some way...her aura was powerful, strong, primitive....
You could almost hear the primal beat of drums.....rhythmic...ritualistic...the cadence was hypnotic....mesmerizing....
Innocently, we were in a dangerous place....
She spoke openly, softly, and urgently. Standing just close enough to make me uncomfortable....peering too intently into my eyes...searching deep inside of me somehow....I recognized the eyes that were locked on mine....but didn't identify them until much later....because at the moment....I wanted to hear her...it was impossible not to want to be a part of her experience right then....she said...."You're beautiful"...oh yeah, deep inside I struggle with that...and it felt good to hear her say it..."really...you ARE beautiful" she said again...."has anyone ever told you how amazing your eyes are?"....she stepped a little closer...and I just stood there...being drawn in by her presence....by her words....she was reaching me by touching me in one of my most vulnerable places....and I liked it...it wasn't weird like she was hitting on me...but she was seducing me...
look it up...seduce: a)to persuade to disobedience or disloyalty b) to lead astray by persuasion or false promises....
Then she changed her tone...."You are too good for that?" she said....persistently she continued in that vein..."listen carefully....you are too good....you deserve better....walk away....don't waste anymore time there.." I didn't have to ask what she was talking about...there was never any doubt. She knew it...I knew it. I shook my head.....trying to clear it somewhere....to hang on to what I knew was the truth. She sensed my rejection of her words. "You're not going to hear me are you? You aren't going to listen to what I came here to tell you, are you?"
She became agitated. I stepped back....trying to disengage....I was becoming confused....and she said, "Why? What makes you think it's worth it?" and without hesitation or even a concious thought, I responded, "Because God told me...."
She shuddered and turned a little to the side....only for a moment though...and then there she was back in my space....swaying....the beat was pounding in the air around us...the cadence...she physically touched me...urgently she took my arm..."Dance with me....I want to dance...with you" she said. "But we must move over here...where we can't be seen...they must not see us dance."
For a brief instant, I couldn't think of anything that I wanted to do more than to dance with her...right there....whether anyone saw us or not...then I came to my senses...seriously, I feel uncomfortable at times when there are just a bunch of women dancing with each other publicly on a dancefloor somewhere...once again I was being drawn in by her charisma...I stepped back.
The cadence continued....just a little below the surface.....under the skin...
Temptation was rampant from then on. She was intent and intense. Yes...she attempted to lure me into her trap...but I was never really the target. Of course, if she could seduce me somehow through my own insecurities & weaknesses...to lose sight of the truth and believe her lies...it was going to make things much easier and my acquiesence would be a bonus somehow...a victory...yet I rejected her...instinctively....I held onto the Truth....and somehow I stood between her and the prize she had come to claim....
At the end of the evening, she approached me once again...and handed me a card with an email address....and a message...she wanted to stay in touch....and I once again found it hard to resist her...she possesssed just the right blend of interesting & intelligent to capture my attention....intoxicating...I think I said that before..
On the card she had written "I am the Morning Star & my bro is David = Revelations" and then Revelations 22:2 or maybe it was 2:22....it all ran together and it was impossible to determine which was the reference...
I refuse to comment or speculate on her encounter or impact on anyone other than myself. I have done a lot of thinking and a little bit of research on the references.
There is no doubt in my mind now who was staring me down through her eyes. I have been eyeball-to-eyeball with those eyes on two other occasions. Each time the stakes have been high....each time before the encounter was totally confrontational and deliberate....each time I have emphatically stated that I am not afraid.
This time....though....seduction....temptation....confusion....came into play. It's all about choices....lust vs. love...the closer he/she gets to losing a stronghold on someone's soul...the more determined and deliberate and dangerous the game becomes...
So I looked it up..."the morning star"....seems to be a long history of confusion there...imagine that....Satan is the author of confusion...his/her power is in his/her ability to confuse & deceive....his/her stategy is to confuse & conquer.
The outcome? Hard for me to say. I only know how I responded to the seduction...the temption....and the beat goes on....cadence....
True story. honest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vu_nmZ1pXc
BEAUTIFUL by Bethany Dillon
www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A Few Random Thoughts...
It was whispered in my ear...."Do you hear Me, MJ?!? Look around. You DO have purpose! You ARE touching lives! Step back. See yourself the way others see you."
In a recent message, Brother Del was talking about finding peace in your life....and he said "glimmer"....yes....that's exactly what he said...."glimmer"....one of my very favorite words.....
There are some people who come along that you need to invest of some YOUR life in...no matter what they are doing...or how hard their hearts are....you still need to take the time for them....
..having flavor in your life is important....maintain a little attitude....get some oomph in your step...rediscovering the flavor in your life = rediscovering your purpose...
Unhappy people don't want others to be happy,....boring, dead people are always resisting people who have life....
The smile that lights up the universe......LOL..
Stop being who you're not....start being who you are!
It's the blindsides of life that get you!
There are times as friends that we have to say something to someone that they don't want to hear.
OFF with their heads....
TRUTH....just speak the truth!
...then DUNK 'em 7 times in the Jordan!!!!
Reasons we don't live in the NOW!
we feel like we have to impress people with our strength
we don't want to deal with the things in our life that are hard
we don't feel like trusting and/or loving God
----Del Medlin insight there....thanks, Del!
...quit trying to be strong...you are not as strong as you think you are...sit down & throw all of YOUR answers out....and weep!!!
What are you doing today to make someday a reality?!?!
let go of your need for answers, MJ...live in the NOW!!!
then there was the day I was having an approach-avoidance conflict...ha ha...priceless yet true!
God chooses the choicest blessings to bestow on me....cuz I am the ONE He loves....oh, yeah...serenidipty!
It's all about choices.....everyone gets to take their choices into their own hands
another whisper...."MJ, you can unplug now....allow yourself to go into "sleep" mode"
Allow yourself to become vulnerable...learn how to open your heart...life can be filled with spontaneous, wonderful, exciting things....that just happen....serendipity again....
....interesting the serendipity event happened AFTER I had recorded these random thoughts in my journal....these musings ramble over the first three months of 09....very cool to look at them now...with the perspective of hindsight....
life isn't very much fun unless you have someone to share it with...
Who do you want to be....TODAY?!?!
Pinnocchio.....he becomes a REAL boy in the end....every single time....
people don't make deep friendships because they are afraid of getting hurt...people are afraid because they don't feel loved....great relationships are built on deep friendships....great relationships = love
be honest & real with YOUR feelings....that opens the door for honesty & real in others
end of ramble....probably makes absolutely no sense to anyone but me....that's ok....these are MY life lessons afterall!
www.lifelesson-mj.blogspot.com
In a recent message, Brother Del was talking about finding peace in your life....and he said "glimmer"....yes....that's exactly what he said...."glimmer"....one of my very favorite words.....
There are some people who come along that you need to invest of some YOUR life in...no matter what they are doing...or how hard their hearts are....you still need to take the time for them....
..having flavor in your life is important....maintain a little attitude....get some oomph in your step...rediscovering the flavor in your life = rediscovering your purpose...
Unhappy people don't want others to be happy,....boring, dead people are always resisting people who have life....
The smile that lights up the universe......LOL..
Stop being who you're not....start being who you are!
It's the blindsides of life that get you!
There are times as friends that we have to say something to someone that they don't want to hear.
OFF with their heads....
TRUTH....just speak the truth!
...then DUNK 'em 7 times in the Jordan!!!!
Reasons we don't live in the NOW!
we feel like we have to impress people with our strength
we don't want to deal with the things in our life that are hard
we don't feel like trusting and/or loving God
----Del Medlin insight there....thanks, Del!
...quit trying to be strong...you are not as strong as you think you are...sit down & throw all of YOUR answers out....and weep!!!
What are you doing today to make someday a reality?!?!
let go of your need for answers, MJ...live in the NOW!!!
then there was the day I was having an approach-avoidance conflict...ha ha...priceless yet true!
God chooses the choicest blessings to bestow on me....cuz I am the ONE He loves....oh, yeah...serenidipty!
It's all about choices.....everyone gets to take their choices into their own hands
another whisper...."MJ, you can unplug now....allow yourself to go into "sleep" mode"
Allow yourself to become vulnerable...learn how to open your heart...life can be filled with spontaneous, wonderful, exciting things....that just happen....serendipity again....
....interesting the serendipity event happened AFTER I had recorded these random thoughts in my journal....these musings ramble over the first three months of 09....very cool to look at them now...with the perspective of hindsight....
life isn't very much fun unless you have someone to share it with...
Who do you want to be....TODAY?!?!
Pinnocchio.....he becomes a REAL boy in the end....every single time....
people don't make deep friendships because they are afraid of getting hurt...people are afraid because they don't feel loved....great relationships are built on deep friendships....great relationships = love
be honest & real with YOUR feelings....that opens the door for honesty & real in others
end of ramble....probably makes absolutely no sense to anyone but me....that's ok....these are MY life lessons afterall!
www.lifelesson-mj.blogspot.com
Serendipity.....
A few weeks ago, one of those quirky encounters with someone or something that somehow changes your life occured to me. I have shared the story of the actual encounter broadly and it never fails to draw a smile from the listener.....and from ME!
Many would poo-poo it and chalk it up to coincidence....*sigh*....but I don't believe in coincidence.....anyway.....at the end of the evening I observed that it was "serendipity"......which resulted in a brief exchange on the meaning of "serendipity".
I said, Serendipity is an unexpected gift......my friend had a different definition....and that made me smile, too.
So I did some research on Serendipity. It seems that the word was coined in regards to an obscure, silly fairy tale titled "The Three Princes of Serendip" and is attributed to Horace Walpole (1717-1797)....no wait, it appears the fairy tale was first printed in Venice in 1557 by Michele Tramezzino.....guess Michele just referred to Serendip though.....seems there are actual historical references to the Island of Serendip....
Walpole says it's "accidental sagacity" i.e. making discoverings of unexpected things by accident or sagacity...the discovery of things you weren't in quest of at the time.
Soooooo.....in regards to my recent experience.....Serendipity IT IS.....and my friend's definition, well, I am thinking NOT.... because while amazing it would almost always be considered an expected outcome....
In my reading on the subject, I came across another great quote that pretty much sums up how I live my life....John Barth, author of "The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor": You don't reach Serendip by plotting a course for it. You have to set out in good faith for elsewhere and lose your bearing serendipitiously.
Interesting, though....the impact of an unexpected gift...something to think about...
All in all, serendipity is an interesting thread in the fabric of my life....if you are interested go to http://livingheritage.org/three_princes
www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com
Many would poo-poo it and chalk it up to coincidence....*sigh*....but I don't believe in coincidence.....anyway.....at the end of the evening I observed that it was "serendipity"......which resulted in a brief exchange on the meaning of "serendipity".
I said, Serendipity is an unexpected gift......my friend had a different definition....and that made me smile, too.
So I did some research on Serendipity. It seems that the word was coined in regards to an obscure, silly fairy tale titled "The Three Princes of Serendip" and is attributed to Horace Walpole (1717-1797)....no wait, it appears the fairy tale was first printed in Venice in 1557 by Michele Tramezzino.....guess Michele just referred to Serendip though.....seems there are actual historical references to the Island of Serendip....
Walpole says it's "accidental sagacity" i.e. making discoverings of unexpected things by accident or sagacity...the discovery of things you weren't in quest of at the time.
Soooooo.....in regards to my recent experience.....Serendipity IT IS.....and my friend's definition, well, I am thinking NOT.... because while amazing it would almost always be considered an expected outcome....
In my reading on the subject, I came across another great quote that pretty much sums up how I live my life....John Barth, author of "The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor": You don't reach Serendip by plotting a course for it. You have to set out in good faith for elsewhere and lose your bearing serendipitiously.
Interesting, though....the impact of an unexpected gift...something to think about...
All in all, serendipity is an interesting thread in the fabric of my life....if you are interested go to http://livingheritage.org/three_princes
www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Yesterday was a GREAT day! And a whole lot of cool stuff has been happening over the last couple of weeks....and honest, I have a whole blog about serendipity on the way.....just need a time to sit down and put it all together in a way that's meaningful.....
...so for now, one quick story.....at an event last nite I had the pleasure of re-encountering a very special person from my past. It has been 22 years since I saw her last.....when I moved away from a career path that I had embraced wholeheartedly....and family & friends who had sustained me....
....actually she was the second person I re-encountered yesterday from my past....the other was from a little farther back....with a 33 year span from then until now....and there she was....looking just as fresh & vital as when we were teenagers.....but that's another story....
in our conversation last nite, I shared with my long-ago friend about my experience on Christmas Eve....at a church service where her father was preaching...I had forgotten that it was going to be HER father there when I went....only after I sat in the pew waiting did it dawn on me who he was.....and I wondered about her then.....
Today, I sent her the blog I posted about the experience because I thought it might be meaningful to her....and when I re-read it as I copied into the email for her.....I realized that it wasn't a random, chance encounter last nite......nothing ever is.....and that I needed to be reminded of that message once again.....and since I had not established this blogspot at the time, I am posting it here TODAY as if it was new.....because really, Christmas isn't just a day....or a season.....it's life.....real....geunine.....life.....when you live in the NOW!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas Eve
For a week or so, I have known that I wanted to go to a Christmas Eve service...not just ANY one.....a specific one at a specific church. This was the first Christmas Eve that I can even remember when I was most likely going to be attending a service by myself....which was perfectly ok with me.
So I kept finding little reasons to make it impractical to go....too tired....too much to do....thought it was at 7 and it was 8....really didn't want to go to a "strange" church all by myself....yada yada yada.....but in the end, I simply went.
It wasn't exactly a strange church......I know that I have been there many times in my life...just maybe not in adulthood. As I sat listening to the pre-service music, it crossed my mind that maybe I had not actually been in the sanctuary there since I was 16 and attended the funeral of a teenage friend. It reminded me of the story....of that friend....lost so at such an early age....and reinforced my intent to encourage those close to me to embrace their stories instead of hiding from them.
When I arrived, I sat midway up on a pew that was completely empty.....and as the church filled up, people began squeezing in other places and no one sat on the entire pew. It started to make me uncomfortable...as if I was a leper or something. I guess it was because I was a "stranger" in their midst......and it was awkward somehow.
Eventually a woman about my age.....who was alone....came and sat down on the end....and then a family filled up the remainder of the pew. Sitting in front of me was a couple....and children....and I believe grandparents. They looked so familiar to me..especially the woman. I am POSITIVE that I know her somehow. When it came time to greet one and other I was going to speak to her because the feeling of familiarity was sooooo strong.....but she left the pew before I could speak. Her husband turned and spoke to me and he, too, seemed vaguely familiar but not with the same intensity. At the end of the service, I was going to speak again.....but she headed for the rear of the church before the actual dismissal.....and left her family to follow at a much slower pace.....made me wonder if somehow it was me she was avoiding.....wish I could place her...it was a little unsettling....
Traditional church....traditional candlelight Christmas Eve service....which is precisely what I went for.....it was beautiful! I expected the dry, bland Protestant sermon.....full of scripture but not very lively.....God, however, had other plans....
...and since I had been so INCLINED....so DRAWN....to be THERE....I am not sure why I was so surprised when the message was FOR ME.....yes, MJ, it IS ok to BELIEVE!!!
It was about joy. Joy. That's been a struggle for me as I have been winding down 2008. Those of you who know me at all know that I have been "choosing happy" for quite sometime. It's a great attitude and for the most part has worked well for me.
But "choosing happy" can be hard work and exhausting at times! And in the weeks since Thanksgiving, I have been afraid that possibly I was beginning to loose some of my "joy" which has been the one thing that has kept me going through the minefield that has been life for the last 3 years.
The message was simple. We are all caught up in pleasure. It's the American way. Seeking all things that are fun.....physically gratifying....easy.....frivolous....good for a momentary high. And we are GOOD at pleasure. Yet quickly, like any other fix, it leaves us high and dry.....empty....emotionally drained.....unfulfilled.....and craving more.
Joy is much deeper....much richer.....and more subtle than pleasure. Joy is the by-product of a life filled with purpose. It doesn't come and go....like pleasure...it is more foundational....an intrinsical part of the spirit.....it is an outward reflection of God in you.
I needed to hear that. As sat in the pew with the beautiful carols being played and sang throughout the service....I closed my eyes and spent some intimate (yes, people were all around me!) time with God.
It was reassuring to know that as uncertain as I am ....and confused......and impatient....that God is constant, unchanging, unwavering, faithful....
Merry Christmas!
www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com
...so for now, one quick story.....at an event last nite I had the pleasure of re-encountering a very special person from my past. It has been 22 years since I saw her last.....when I moved away from a career path that I had embraced wholeheartedly....and family & friends who had sustained me....
....actually she was the second person I re-encountered yesterday from my past....the other was from a little farther back....with a 33 year span from then until now....and there she was....looking just as fresh & vital as when we were teenagers.....but that's another story....
in our conversation last nite, I shared with my long-ago friend about my experience on Christmas Eve....at a church service where her father was preaching...I had forgotten that it was going to be HER father there when I went....only after I sat in the pew waiting did it dawn on me who he was.....and I wondered about her then.....
Today, I sent her the blog I posted about the experience because I thought it might be meaningful to her....and when I re-read it as I copied into the email for her.....I realized that it wasn't a random, chance encounter last nite......nothing ever is.....and that I needed to be reminded of that message once again.....and since I had not established this blogspot at the time, I am posting it here TODAY as if it was new.....because really, Christmas isn't just a day....or a season.....it's life.....real....geunine.....life.....when you live in the NOW!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas Eve
For a week or so, I have known that I wanted to go to a Christmas Eve service...not just ANY one.....a specific one at a specific church. This was the first Christmas Eve that I can even remember when I was most likely going to be attending a service by myself....which was perfectly ok with me.
So I kept finding little reasons to make it impractical to go....too tired....too much to do....thought it was at 7 and it was 8....really didn't want to go to a "strange" church all by myself....yada yada yada.....but in the end, I simply went.
It wasn't exactly a strange church......I know that I have been there many times in my life...just maybe not in adulthood. As I sat listening to the pre-service music, it crossed my mind that maybe I had not actually been in the sanctuary there since I was 16 and attended the funeral of a teenage friend. It reminded me of the story....of that friend....lost so at such an early age....and reinforced my intent to encourage those close to me to embrace their stories instead of hiding from them.
When I arrived, I sat midway up on a pew that was completely empty.....and as the church filled up, people began squeezing in other places and no one sat on the entire pew. It started to make me uncomfortable...as if I was a leper or something. I guess it was because I was a "stranger" in their midst......and it was awkward somehow.
Eventually a woman about my age.....who was alone....came and sat down on the end....and then a family filled up the remainder of the pew. Sitting in front of me was a couple....and children....and I believe grandparents. They looked so familiar to me..especially the woman. I am POSITIVE that I know her somehow. When it came time to greet one and other I was going to speak to her because the feeling of familiarity was sooooo strong.....but she left the pew before I could speak. Her husband turned and spoke to me and he, too, seemed vaguely familiar but not with the same intensity. At the end of the service, I was going to speak again.....but she headed for the rear of the church before the actual dismissal.....and left her family to follow at a much slower pace.....made me wonder if somehow it was me she was avoiding.....wish I could place her...it was a little unsettling....
Traditional church....traditional candlelight Christmas Eve service....which is precisely what I went for.....it was beautiful! I expected the dry, bland Protestant sermon.....full of scripture but not very lively.....God, however, had other plans....
...and since I had been so INCLINED....so DRAWN....to be THERE....I am not sure why I was so surprised when the message was FOR ME.....yes, MJ, it IS ok to BELIEVE!!!
It was about joy. Joy. That's been a struggle for me as I have been winding down 2008. Those of you who know me at all know that I have been "choosing happy" for quite sometime. It's a great attitude and for the most part has worked well for me.
But "choosing happy" can be hard work and exhausting at times! And in the weeks since Thanksgiving, I have been afraid that possibly I was beginning to loose some of my "joy" which has been the one thing that has kept me going through the minefield that has been life for the last 3 years.
The message was simple. We are all caught up in pleasure. It's the American way. Seeking all things that are fun.....physically gratifying....easy.....frivolous....good for a momentary high. And we are GOOD at pleasure. Yet quickly, like any other fix, it leaves us high and dry.....empty....emotionally drained.....unfulfilled.....and craving more.
Joy is much deeper....much richer.....and more subtle than pleasure. Joy is the by-product of a life filled with purpose. It doesn't come and go....like pleasure...it is more foundational....an intrinsical part of the spirit.....it is an outward reflection of God in you.
I needed to hear that. As sat in the pew with the beautiful carols being played and sang throughout the service....I closed my eyes and spent some intimate (yes, people were all around me!) time with God.
It was reassuring to know that as uncertain as I am ....and confused......and impatient....that God is constant, unchanging, unwavering, faithful....
Merry Christmas!
www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Mistaken Identity
All of these years I thought Glenn Eure --- renowned artist & OBX character----LOVED me! What a shock it was to learn that it simply was a case of mistaken identity....that's right....today on a random radio station in Little Rock the announcer shared one of the off-the-wall featurettes that are supposed to be funny....but this time....well, it wasn't....it was heart-breaking....
...seems that there is someone somewhere up North.....like Minnesota....or maybe Wisconsin....who's parents had a funky sense of humor....named her after the pop culture things that were important to them when she was born......
Marijuana (yes, that's what is on her birth certificate) Pepsi Jackson (for Michael, of course)......
.....and here's the kicker......her last name.....it is SAWYER.......
so all that time that Glenn told EVERYONE that I was 'Marijuana Sawyer"......and introduced me to Rotarians and others from all over the world as if I was special.....he actually had me confused with someone else.....
Bummer!
...seems that there is someone somewhere up North.....like Minnesota....or maybe Wisconsin....who's parents had a funky sense of humor....named her after the pop culture things that were important to them when she was born......
Marijuana (yes, that's what is on her birth certificate) Pepsi Jackson (for Michael, of course)......
.....and here's the kicker......her last name.....it is SAWYER.......
so all that time that Glenn told EVERYONE that I was 'Marijuana Sawyer"......and introduced me to Rotarians and others from all over the world as if I was special.....he actually had me confused with someone else.....
Bummer!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Rat Pack Is Back!
Yesterday was an interesting day......one random thing after another.....I am saving some of it for a later post......however, in the midst of it.....I was offered two tickets to last nite's performance of THE RAT PACK IS BACK at the Robinson Center.....& since this was a show I had wanted to see all along....I was THERE!!!!
It's a tribute program to Frank Sinatra (he's IN CHARGE), Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. & Joey Bishop........and the "rats" are backed by a great 12-piece orchestra. Written by Sandy Hackett (son of Buddy Hackett who was an associate of the original Rat Pack), the opening features the voice of Buddy Hackett as God sending these four men back to earth for "one more show!"
Great music.....slapstick comedy which included current topical jokes....and fine performances all around!
All in all it was a memorable evening....and lots & lots of fun.....if you get a chance to go this week....just DO IT!!!!
.....most likely you won't come across your tickets the same way as me.....& that's ok.....it was part of the fabric of my day yesterday.....just grab a friend who loves to laugh & is willing to sing along with the ole favorites....that's what I did.....and enjoy the show!
.....live life in the NOW!!!
It's a tribute program to Frank Sinatra (he's IN CHARGE), Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. & Joey Bishop........and the "rats" are backed by a great 12-piece orchestra. Written by Sandy Hackett (son of Buddy Hackett who was an associate of the original Rat Pack), the opening features the voice of Buddy Hackett as God sending these four men back to earth for "one more show!"
Great music.....slapstick comedy which included current topical jokes....and fine performances all around!
All in all it was a memorable evening....and lots & lots of fun.....if you get a chance to go this week....just DO IT!!!!
.....most likely you won't come across your tickets the same way as me.....& that's ok.....it was part of the fabric of my day yesterday.....just grab a friend who loves to laugh & is willing to sing along with the ole favorites....that's what I did.....and enjoy the show!
.....live life in the NOW!!!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Reminder......
In a random conversation over the weekend.....
He said: "Don't forget......I am ONE in 10 Million...."
Well, he didn't say it in exactly those words.....but still he said IT!
I smiled.
He said: "Don't forget......I am ONE in 10 Million...."
Well, he didn't say it in exactly those words.....but still he said IT!
I smiled.
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