Nothing can separate us...

How awesome is it that no matter our circumstances, we are never apart from the love of our God, our Creator. As a child of God, I do not have to worry or be afraid, unless I want to. (Which, I admit sometimes I just do. It's easier sometimes, just worry and be afraid, I'll be confident and courageous when I get over myself.)

We are a little over 2 weeks away from moving to Nashville, TN. We will leaved the Midwest lifestyle for the first time ever and venture out into a new city, a new culture...a new adventure. Right now, I am interviewing for jobs and saying good bye to good friends, a city and neighborhood and a work place that I love. Monday I found a lump on my breast. My first thought was, "Great, another thing to think about." Now, I'll go for a diagnostic mammogram this week and just see what next. I wasn't really worried until I told a couple people and heard a couple horror stories. I was really only thinking of the inconvenience of the timing... There is also the things of selling a home - finances, inspections, appraisals... The kids begin school the week we move and the paperwork sitting here for me to complete. Spencer needs to get his cast off before we move or I will be sawing it off with a kitchen knife. :-) O.k. so, you can start to see that like many of you, I can go on and on about the things that I could choose to worry about. The cool thing - I truly am not worried and I am so thankful for the gift of faith and unending, unconditional love that my God has given me! When I say it all out loud, I realize why people are wondering why I am planning parties and going to ball games. I want to enjoy this process. I don't want to hurry around and miss the life that God is giving, even when there is much to do. Oh, I have my moments (I blame PMS). Maybe in the moment following this session, I will pop open a Blue Moon and get to work. For this moment, I am grateful.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ...No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It's All Good!

‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
-Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30)

It's more simple than I make it to be sure. It is probably the very reason that causes me to have to try to understand, is why I don't completely grasp what Jesus is saying here. It seems to me lately that resting is harder work than it ought to be. The mind just grabs hold of all the things that I am trying to let go of, not "worry" about and hangs on tight. If I am able to let it go during the day - mostly be distracting myself - my mind just goes into overdrive throughout the night. Dreams...headaches...tingling in the hands and feet...(which could simply be hormones too, I suppose).

I dreamt two nights in a row about a woman who was a very good friend to me when I was a senior in high school. In the dream, I was walking and heard (not audibly) a voice, I turn and there is Jo, sitting in a barbers chair. She has a big smile on her face. I then immediately just go over and give her a big hug. That's it. No words exchanged. No feelings of anything but, hey, it's good to see you! 

Our house is on the market, we have multiple showings throughout the week, we are in negotiations now with a potential buyer. It occurred to me that while we keep saying that we are not in any particular hurry, no matter when the house sells we will have a short period of time to secure a job and a place to live. School in Nashville begins mid-August. So, there are just a lot of unanswered questions. I love a good adventure but if I'm honest my favorite part of adventure is getting beyond it and looking back fondly, knowing I made it. (My friends who went White-water rafting with me can attest to that!)

So...I have a lot to learn from Jesus about "finding rest" this week. 

 "It's all good!" is becoming our mantra around here. Gene says it often.  I am believing it, I just don't know the details of just how good it really is, that's all. 

These will be my notes on the scripture passage as I travel through the week: (please share your insights too!)

In earlier verses, just prior to the quote above, Jesus voices his judgement on those who consider themselves intelligent, wise - on arrogant and self-satisfied people. He seems not ony to be speaking of those who are self-satisfied without him, but also those who felt themselves secure in their knowledge of God and Jesus himself (see the earlier versese, 11:20-24),

One commentary on this verse said this: "Jesus embraces the meek, the broken and the little ones, for they are most like him."

inspiring:

At 41, she has done what most would have termed impossible since retiring (for the second time, no less) after the 2000 games: bear a child, get diagnosed with asthma, go through recent knee and shoulder surgeries, and arrive at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials posting faster times than in her mid-20s. Yet, when she touched a wall in the 100-meter freestyle Friday night, she squinted at digits that seemed downright impossible. Torres qualified for the Olympic team by edging out a 25-year-old Natalie Coughlin by five one hundredths of a second – 53.78 to 53.83 – in an event in which Coughlin holds the American record.

I may not be going to Bejing (this was something I thought maybe I would do) but Dara Torres is - and I'll be watching!

take care of your toes today

Come, thou Fount of every blessing, 

tune my heart to sing thy grace; 

streams of mercy, never ceasing, 

call for songs of loudest praise. 

Teach me some melodious sonnet, 

sung by flaming tongues above. 

Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, 

mount of thy redeeming love. 

Here I raise mine Ebenezer; 

hither by thy help I'm come; 

and I hope, by thy good pleasure, 

safely to arrive at home. 

Jesus sought me when a stranger, 

wandering from the fold of God; 

he, to rescue me from danger, 

interposed his precious blood. 

O to grace how great a debtor 

daily I'm constrained to be! 

Let thy goodness, like a fetter, 

bind my wandering heart to thee. 

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 

prone to leave the God I love; 

here's my heart, O take and seal it, 

seal it for thy courts above.

The List

Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?

Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

From date: Saturday, March 1, 2007 (6 months to my 40th Birthday)
Resulting date: Saturday, November 27, 2010



Before 40 (a list that began>5 years ago, to be completed over the next 6 months)
1. Practice calligraphy. Develop my own font.
2. Raise creative funds and acquire a GPS. 

3. Lose 40 pounds.
4. Go sailing. Take sailing lessons.
5. Have an adventure, do something scary. White water rafting.
6. Get highlights in my hair
7. Go to a wine tasting (7/16/08) 8. Volunteer in the Medical Tent at the Iron Man
9. Read 40 books just for fun–may overlap with other reading goals

1. Change of Heart, Jodi Picoult 1/15/2007
2. My Sister’s Keeper, Jodi Picoult
3. Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult
4. The Tenth Circle, Jodi Picoult
5. Purple Hibiscus (book club) 1/17/2008
6. Kite Runner
7. Thousand Splendid Suns
8. 90 Minutes in Heaven (book club)
9. The Sparrow
10. The Magician’s Nephew
11. Chet Gheko Mystery Series (5/10)
12. Children of God

13. Dawn Treader

14. The Silver Chair
15. Eat, Pray, Love
16. The Bookseller of Kabul
17. The Glass Castle
18. The Last Battle
19. Eat, Love, Pray
20. In A Moment                                                                                                                      

21. The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe

22. The Horse and His Boy

23. Prince Caspian

24. Love That Dog

25. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

10. Calculate my carbon footprint.

Your footprint is 17.277 tonnes The average for United States is 20.4 tonnes
The worldwide target to combat climate change is 2 tonnes
* The average footprint for people in United States is 20.4 tonnes.
* The average for the industrial nations is about 11 tonnes.
* The average worldwide carbon footprint is about 4 tonnes.
* To combat climate change the worldwide average needs to reduce to 2 tonnes.

The results of your carbon footprint calculation
Offset 17.277 tonnes

11. Get PALS certified. 

12. Read the Chronicles of Narnia (8/8) 

13. Start a book club.
14. Renew ACLS certification. 

15. Learn how to camp as a family. Go camping. (2) 

16. Attend a professional sporting event. (Bears, Cubs)
17. Buy myself fresh flowers.
18. Make at least 5 changes to my lifestyle to become more “green”

• Using green bags, less plastic
• Rechargeable batteries
• Live plants in the house
• Water plants outside with gray water, re use "gray water"
• transition to non chemical, environmentally friendly cleaning products / bug spray
• moving to an apartment, less than 1000 sq feet per person
• minimal / shared yard

19. Buy someone else flowers – just because.
20. Write a poem.
21. Go kayaking
22. Create a workable calendar for the family. Make it portable.
23. Eliminate the need for storage of unuseful items.
24. Divert Daily: 20/20 (read and journal)
25. Withdraw Weekly: Spend time each week in prayer (1/143)
26. Maintain Monthly: Schedule one 6-8 hour time of solitude. (2)
27. Have updated journals for both Sam and Spencer.
28. Buy a new houseplant and keep it alive for the remainder of days (minimum 500)
29. Drive a Jaguar.
30. Ride my bike ...
31. Grow an herb garden / salsa garden.
32. Develop an exercise routine. (See windows: Every day play)
33. Make pesto.
34. Attend an Author’s book signing/reading.
35. Purge and organize digital photos (back up files).
36. Acquire good digital camera with video options (and audio).
37. Watch the sunrise from Memorial Union in Madison, WI (Sunset on 7/31)
38. Observe a Meteor Shower.
39. Paint on a canvas.
40. Bake an apple pie. (8/1/08)  

61 More Ideas

1. Edit / Revise List 
2. Make list of 50 things to do before we are 50
3. Create new list for next 1001 days
4. Read 10 Life Coaching books.
5. Read 10 Spiritual Growth works.
6. Read 1 Non fiction / History / Biography each month.
7. Subscribe and remain current with podcasts: Inspirational, Theology/Apologetic, Ecclesiastical, Life Coaching, Sociological/Anthropological, Medical
8. Take a class in Natural Medicine
9. Get Certified as a Life Coach / Spiritual Director
10. Find my “word”
11. Choose theme song for life: Sam, Spencer, my own
12. Know enough to vote in the 2008 Presidential Election
13. See five professional stadiums with the boys.                                                                         (3/5: Wrigley Field, 7/28: Brewers Stadium, Lambeau Field)
14. Save a dollar a day (0/1001)–end total must be $1001, does not literally have to be $1 per day
15. Take an international trip as a family. (Italy?)
16. Go to New York City
17. Ride 101 miles on a bike–any kind of bike, inside or outside (3/101)
18. Send a minimum of 1 birthday card each month.
19. Participate in a "competitive" race (walk,run,ride,swim).
20. Write an article for publication.
21. Create my own stationary.
22. Try 10 CDs of artists I have never listened to before and keep track of artists (1/10; See ::Things Heard::)
23. Host and create a photo scavenger hunt
24. Have both boys take MBTI.
25. Read Emotional Intelligence – kids.
26. Read A Writer’s Book of Days and do exercises
27. Read the Bible
28. Post to one of our blogs once a week (12/143)
29. Simplify, rename...update our family blog - cosolidate into one site.
30. Fill at least one Moleskine journal
31. Meditate on one life verse from the scriptures each month.
32. Draft a living will.
33. Reflect on why I chose each item on my list–in blog or journal
34. Complete book - writing prompts
35. Take a picture of myself everyday of the 40th year
36. Organize printed photos / Digitalize as possible
37.  Design 5 Personal Spiritual Retreats for friends who are seeking. (1/5)
38. Back-up digital photos once a month (0/34)
39. Host a garage/yard sale
40. Create a home/family altar.
41.  Lead a "busy persons retreat" with a group of friends (not at church).
42. Eliminate all but one junk drawer
43. Research volunteer opportunities/charities–invest time in something I believe in
44. Start a film discussion group.
45. Read through the excercises found in DaVinci's notebooks, complete 5 of the excercises.
46. Learn a foreign language.
47. Travel outside the country as a family
48. Take a class in natural medicine
49. Get certified as a Life Coach.
50. Give something up during Lent each year (2008, 2009, 2010)
51. Get 7-8 hours of sleep/night on average in a week.
52. Journals – our story, writing prompt
53. Write a book for ebook format. (Mind the Gap) 
54. Save a dollar a day (120/1001)–end total must be $1001, does not literally have to be $1 per day
55. Plan a “date” with Gene once monthly.
56. Synchronize my address book on Mac with my cell phone/PDA/iPod
57. Create photo books for each boy.
58. Update boys journals’ and keep a minimum of monthly Journal entries
59. Learn Design Pro.
60. Watch 101 movies and keep track of the list (10/101 ::things seen::)
61. Review, Update and Keep Current with Life Time line.