Super Saturday: Let's Focus on Reruns

Do you like reruns?

We usually like new things better than a repeat of something we've seen or done before, but there is value in reruns.

Reruns can show us something we missed when we saw it the first time.

Reruns can introduce someone to something they weren't even around to enjoy the first time it was produced.

Reruns can seem brand new when you get old enough to forget the first time you saw it. (We've been watching some of the Marvel movies recently and I'm amazed at how often I don't know what's going to happen next, even though I know we've watched the movie before.)

So I'm going to do a sort of "rerun" for my blog post this week. 

If you're feeling like me, you're maybe a bit stressed about all that has to get done before Christmas arrives on Tuesday.

Last Sunday I sang my "It Is Well" Christmas Stress Song in church. I wrote it for Gary five years ago and he asked me to sing it for our new congregation. 

It's a good reminder for all of us as we prepare for that special day. Gifts, cards, and meals are all good, but the most important thing to focus on is Jesus. Keeping him first in our minds and hearts can help us put things in perspective and bring a little more peace into our lives during this busy time.

I'll keep this short for those of you that have heard me sing it recently, but I'll print the words below and include a link so you can see me when I sang it for the first time back in Allison, Iowa in 2013.

Merry Christmas to you all!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)

Are you stressed out about Christmas? How can focusing on God help you to feel more peace in the days ahead?

"It Is Well" Christmas Stress Song (by Robyn Mulder)

When peace like a river attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

"It is well, it is well with my soul"

It is well (it is well), with my soul (with my soul)

It is well, it is well with my soul

(to the tune of "Good Christian Men, Rejoice")

Christmas is almost here

I tremble with great fear

Cards aren't mailed and gifts aren't wrapped

I think I'll have a heart attack

Have to make that great big meal

And stress and strain are all I feel

I can hardly say... I can hardly say...

It is well, it is well with my soul

I have to change my attitude

Change it to one of gratitude

Set aside the things undone

And focus on the only one

Jesus Christ the newborn king

Is more than all these other things

I can almost say...  I can almost say...

It is well, it is well with my soul

I think my Christmas joy will start

I feel a peace within my heart

Gifts and food are good to give

But this is how we really live

Giving thanks for everything

Now my heart can truly sing

Christ is born today...  Christ is born today

(to the tune of "It is Well with My Soul")

When Christmas is coming and my stress level climbs

Let this be the thought that controls

The babe in the manger was born for these times

And his life was lived here for our souls

It is well (it is well), with my soul (with my soul)

It is well, it is well with my soul

*Here's a link to the song on Youtube.

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Delegating

I'm not very good at delegating.

I don't know if it's pride or stupidity, but for some reason I usually end up doing most things myself.

I have all sorts of reasons for not asking someone else to help me do something:

They're so busy, I don't want to stress them out.

What if they don't do it right? I'll just do it myself.

I offered to do this. I have to do it now, even if I keep putting it off because of my insecurities or lack of know-how.

I don't want anyone to know I can't do it all.

But I can't. I can't do it all. I don't have enough energy, time, or knowledge to do everything I'd like to do.

Over a year ago (could it even be closer to two years?) I took home a bag from church with a half-finished prayer shawl. 

I like to crochet, so I thought I could help by finishing up the shawl. 

The trouble was, I had never finished someone else's project and I wasn't sure I'd be able to match the stitches. I put it off and mostly forgot about it, except when I happened to glance at it when I was in the den.

I really should finish that, I fretted, but I did nothing.

Until Wednesday. On Wednesday I spend some time with a friend. A friend who loves to crochet. She crochets baby blankets, hats, scarves, and little sombreros for hot crock pot lids.

I asked Charlotte if she might be interested in trying to finish a crochet project for me. I explained what it was and she was enthusiastic about giving it a try. I wouldn't be surprised if she has it done and ready to show me on Sunday already.

Whew! A little bit of stress left my life.

As I look around, I see other projects I'm not getting done. I see dust gathering on the furniture. I see dishes piling up by the sink. I see a clothes basket overflowing with towels. In the basement I see a Scooby Doo costume from the daycare with ripped-out seams (ruh roh!). 

I have two children at home. Why do I think I need to do everything instead of delegating a little of it to them?

I volunteer at Allison Little Lambs Child Care and I often do little things that could be done by other staff members when they have a few minutes free, or even by the children in some cases.

There are things I keep avoiding at home because I don't know how to fix them, or how to complete them. They just cause me stress whenever I see them. It's time to delegate or get rid of them. 

Even delegating a few small tasks can free up a little of my time to pursue other important projects, like those books rattling around in my head that have yet to make it onto the page.

I love this quote from Michael Hyatt (even though I haven't fully embraced it yet): You want to dedicate as much of your energy as you can to the tasks only you can do to move your work and life in a new and better direction.

I think it's high time I start practicing the skill of delegation.

Hey, kids...I have some towels for you to fold!

"Moses' father-in-law replied, 'What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone...select capable men and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens...have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.'...Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said." (Exodus 18:17-24 NIV)

Do you get stressed out from having too much to do or from keeping projects around that you have no idea how to finish? How can focusing on God help you to be willing to delegate some of those things to others who may be very willing to help?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Christmas

It's December 22. Just three days until December 25.

Am I ready for Christmas? No.

I finally got the kids to help me put the decorations on our tree tonight.

There is one measly wrapped present under the tree, and it's for Erin from Blake.

I haven't sent a single Christmas card.

We haven't made Christmas cookies yet.

I haven't freaked out about all of this, but I'm kicking myself for not getting started sooner on the things I could have done weeks ago. Obviously some of this will have to wait until after Christmas next week.

When I went to pick out a background for this week's graphic, I typed "Christmas" into Google images and picked out this pretty picture:

Before I started adding text, I suddenly realized I was making a big mistake.

Pretty Christmas decorations are definitely part of the Christmas celebration, but they are not the best representation of this special holiday.

As a Christian, the nativity scene is the best image for me to use when we focus on Christmas. 

Jesus was born in that lowly stable. Mary and Joseph welcomed God to our world in the body of a tiny human baby. That baby grew up and died on a cruel wooden cross to pay for all of our sins. Amazing!

It's nice to put up a Christmas tree...

See the one pitiful present? It's not all my fault - the kids mostly want money this year.

sing carols, bake cookies, enjoy the pretty light displays, and exchange gifts with friends and family members, but the most important part of Christmas is worshiping God by focusing on His Son Jesus. 

My Grandma Morrison gave me this nativity scene for Christmas many years ago.

If we do that, we can have a truly wonderful Christmas, no matter what does or doesn't get done from our to-do lists.

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 NIV)

Are you ready for Christmas? How can focusing on God help you to relax and enjoy the real meaning of this holiday instead of becoming stressed about getting everything done? 

*A few years ago, I wrote a song for Gary and sang it in church for Special Music. Check out my "It Is Well" Christmas Stress Song on Youtube.

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Christmas

It's almost Christmas. Are you ready?

You'll be happy to know that we finally decorated our tree last weekend:

I finally got online and ordered some presents for the kids, but they're not wrapped yet.

Our Christmas letters are not done (I can partly blame a broken printer for that). They'll wait until next week when we get a new printer.

My depression has flared up a bit over the last week or so, but I'm doing what I can to stay on top of it and not let it get worse. Part of the reason I'm feeling down, I think, is that my knees have been bothering me since our hiking trip in the Grand Canyon, so I haven't been exercising very much. It really makes a difference!

As you've probably figured out by now...my Focus Friday posts usually contain things that I'm thinking about or struggling with. I wish I could just write a cheerful entry about the joys of Christmas, but I have to acknowledge that it can be a stressful time of year and many people may struggle with emotional problems around the holidays.

If you are experiencing any of that, try to lower your expectations and focus on the real reason for this season: Jesus Christ. 

God came to earth as a tiny baby. It's almost too much for our human brains to comprehend, but if we stop and really think about what that means it can help us get our perspective back. 

Jesus lived and died here on earth for us. And it all started in that stable many years ago.

So, I have one more day to get ready for Christmas, but as I wrap presents and bake cookies and write my Christmas letter I'm going to think about that baby and how thankful I am for his birth, his life, and his death. He did all of that for me, and that gives me hope. 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

"She [Mary] will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21 NIV)

Do you get too stressed out around the holidays? How can focusing on God help you to feel more peace and remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Joy

Some days you just have to choose joy. There is so much stress in this world. We have so many tasks and demands pulling for our attention. It can get to be too much and can make us anxious and grumpy. I get that way sometimes.

Well, today I chose a little joy. I started out this morning with the song "Taylor the Latte Boy" running through my head, so I just had to go to YouTube and watch it - twice, because it's fun to see how different people sing it. My favorite is by Kristin Chenoweth:

Then I happened to notice that there was a "Taylor's Rebuttal" song (sung by Ben Hensley). I had never heard it before and it was so funny!

This brought me quite a bit of joy. Such cute lyrics and a catchy tune. I was singing "Taylor the Latte Boy" all day long.

Then a little later I saw a video on facebook. Candace Payne posted a video of herself with a Chewbacca mask she bought at Kohls. If you haven't seen it yet, you really need to. The joy she experienced from such a simple thing. I don't remember the last time I laughed as hard as she does. That brought lots of joy, too.

https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/4k6d8p/oh_im_such_a_happy_chewbacca/


These things reminded me how important it is to choose joy. We will always have trouble, but we can have joy in the midst of it. It lightens our hearts and can encourage others around us. 

I don't want to make light of the terribly sad situations some of you may be experiencing right now. You may have no desire to hear songs about Starbucks baristas and watch a lady get hysterical over a silly mask. That's okay. Take time to grieve, but make sure you still choose joy in the midst of your pain. Find it in a beautiful spring flower, the smile of a young child, the hug your spouse gives you. Your happiness will come back in due time. 

For those of us with our regular life stresses, it's so important to choose joy. The tasks and demands will wait. Maybe taking some time to laugh will help us approach those things with a little more energy and patience. 

It couldn't hurt to try, right?

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22 NIV)

Are life's little stresses getting you down? Do you need a good laugh? How can focusing on God help you to find joy in the midst of stress?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Surviving

I had planned to write a sweet post this week about how much Blake has grown over the years and how proud we are of him as he graduates from high school on Sunday...

But:

I have to finish finding pictures of him and get them up on poster board and/or into a slideshow.

We have to sort through awards and memorabilia stashed all over his room and see what we want to display.

We finally went shopping on Thursday so now I can start to make the banana split desserts Blake requested.

We have to do a little prep work so the chicken spaghetti can come together easily on Sunday after church. (Because split breasts were on sale and I like to make things harder than they have to be, I'll be spending a little more time cutting the chicken off the bone before cooking it.)

I should clean the house a little? (At least we don't have much family coming so most of that may be able to wait 'til after graduation.)

So, this week is not a sweet post about Blake's growing up years. It's a post about surviving without having 500 meltdowns between now and Sunday evening. It's a post about regret for procrastinating and not having the pictures done months ago (I knew this was coming, right?). It's a post about not beating myself up for all of the mistakes I think I've made over the years as I see my third child reach this milestone. It's a post about taking a deep breath and letting some things go. 

I don't feel extremely stressed right now, but I can feel the pressure building up as the hours tick by. A couple of days ago, one of my friends said she'd pray for me and that I should "take time to enjoy the journey."

And so I shall. Allison and I will have fun as we make the eight banana split desserts and cook up a bunch of chicken in the next couple of days. I will enjoy looking at pictures of our son as he has grown up into the young man he is today. I will stop and find something to laugh about if I feel like crying. 

This is going to be a great weekend. Congratulations to all of the graduates out there and their parents who have survived graduation party preparations and all of the other challenges throughout their childrens' lives. You did it!

"I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" (Psalm 91:2 NIV)

Are you going through a busy, stressful time? How can focusing on God help you do more than just survive? 

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Faith

It's Friday again...and here I am. Another week has gone by and my emotions have been up and down. I love so much about teaching, but I have to admit that it's been very stressful at times. It's hard getting used to new things, new routines, new tasks. The computer is still giving me fits as I try to figure out how to give assignments, get assignments, give and grade quizzes. Hopefully the students will continue to be patient with me as I figure it out.

This week I received the CD by Jenny Simmons (lead singer of Addison Road) in the mail and I listened to it on the way to school, and I've been listening to it every day since then. It has so many good songs that seem to be hitting me right where I'm at. I think I'll leave you this week with the lyrics to one of my favorites and see if it might resonate with some of you, too. (You can also go to youtube.com and listen to it there.)

Let's keep praying for each other as we go through the joys and challenges of life. Let's keep our focus on God and the strength that He gives each of us. Let's never forget that God has great plans for us. It just takes courage to step into those plans and become who God has made us to be. That's what faith's about.

What Faith's About by Jenny Simmons

What if I what I have is not enough and all I hold You ask me to give up?
What if you require bravery but I'm clinging to the edge too scared to leave?

But what if I jump and I find I was always made to fly?
What if the days I'm walking into are the best of my whole life?
What if the things that I dreamed become my reality?
When it looks impossible but still works out
What if that's what faith's about?
What if that's what faith's about?

What if I'm not sure I heard You right and I found a thousand reasons not to try?
And what if I can't face the great unknown but there's no way back and nowhere left to go?

But what if I jump and I find I was always made to fly?
What if the days I'm walking into are the best of my whole life?
What if the things that I dreamed become my reality?
When it looks impossible but still works out
What if that's what faith's about?

So who am I not to be, not to be everything that You have called me?
And who am I not to speak, not to speak to every mountain that's before me?

But what if I try even when I'm scared and Your courage meets me there?
What if I hope against all hope and believe in every prayer

What if I jump and I find I was always made to fly?
What if the days I'm walking into are the best of my whole life?
What if the things that I dream become my reality?
When it looks impossible, but still works out
Oh, when it looks impossible, but still works out
What if that's what faith's about?


Do you have new challenges in life right now? Are you keeping your focus where it should be - on God - or are you focused too much on what you can or can't do? How can you make a conscious choice to get that focus back where it needs to be?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Labor

I don't have time to write this post. If you have a full-time job you probably don't have time to read this post. At least that's what I'm concluding because I've joined the workforce and I don't have time for anything lately!

In spite of our lack of time, I'm still going to spend a few minutes here and ponder the topic of "Labor." With the holiday weekend almost here and "Labor" as the theme for our writers group challenge for Tuesday night, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone.

I probably need to apologize before I even begin. My brain feels fuzzy so I don't even know if I'll make sense. Hopefully you can glean a coherent thought or two from my ramblings tonight and we can all learn as we focus on Labor today.

On August 15 I began my full-time job as Spanish teacher at North Butler High School in Greene, Iowa. The first few days were a breeze...the students weren't there yet! On August 20 the real work began as I got in front of 7 classes. I love the students. They are all really unique and I'm enjoying getting to know each of them.

The things that are driving me crazy are...computers, online textbooks, lesson plans, keeping track of about a hundred different usernames and passwords, trying new things in the classroom with varying degrees of success (most of it is going really well).

I guess what I'm finally realizing is that this is a job. It's labor. It's hard because it's my first year back in the classroom after a 24 year break. Right now it's pretty stressful, but I need to keep plugging away. I keep thinking about how much easier next year will be because I'll know how things work much better, but that doesn't help me now.

What I've also noticed lately is that I'm not working very efficiently. I come home from school (after staying late) and I piddle my way through the evening until it's finally after 11 and I know I have to get to bed or I'll be exhausted the next day, but I still don't quite have my lesson plans finished.

How can that be? I went through several hours and didn't accomplish the main thing I needed to get done. Well, it happens like this: Sit down at the table to work and open the computer to look at the online textbook. Think about school email and wonder if I have any messages. Check that. Wonder if I have any messages in my other email. Check that. Decide to get some ideas and support from a language teachers blog. Great idea, but I spend too much time perusing posts. Click out of the browser and look at lesson plan book. Feel the anxiety rising as I realize I'm not ready for the next day yet. Go check and see if a load of laundry is done yet. Come back and sit down. Work half-heartedly for a while, then repeat the cycle. Ugh. This is work. Hopefully I will learn to do it more efficiently as time goes by.

I admire everyone who has put in 8 hour days for years and years and years without complaint (at least none I've ever heard). I guess as we focus on Labor here I just want to have us think about what's most important. Even more important than the job we do is our relationship with the Lord. I'm afraid I've been trying to go it alone too much in recent days. I'm busy and stressed and I worry too much about how I look and act. One day during lunch I finally got back to where my focus should be. I sat and read Philippians 4:6-7 about not being anxious but praying about everything so we can have the peace of God. It helped. I felt better.

Whatever your job may be, I'd just like to remind you to keep your focus on Christ in the midst of whatever tasks and challenges you may have. Keep up the good work!

"What does the worker gain from his (or her) toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in his toil--this is the gift of God." (Ecclesiastes 3:9-13 NIV)

Do you work efficiently at whatever job you may have? Do you remember to keep God your central focus so that you can find satisfaction in your toil?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Anxiety

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6 NIV)

I've been a little anxious this summer. More than a little anxious at times. I have a full-time teaching job coming up in (gulp) 15 days, plus all of the other things that are just part of life and stress me out at times. So when we went to Colorado with our youth group this past week for Rocky Mountain High I tried to leave all of that anxiety behind and just enjoy the music, speakers, and beautiful scenery of this big youth event. I really did enjoy it.

On the last day I stopped by the prayer tent and had someone pray with me. I knew that I was going back to my normal routine and it was going to be difficult to deal with the stress. It was really helpful to talk things through and hear someone praying for me. After praying, the person asked me how I felt and I started to say, "Well, I still feel kind of anxious..." and I was shocked to hear them say that I couldn't do that. They adamantly proclaimed that I had no right to do that - at all. They pointed out that the Bible says not to be anxious and if I believe the Bible I can't be anxious. If I let myself feel anxious I'm just letting the devil win!

At first, I almost felt offended. How dare someone tell me I can't feel anxious? (*See note below) But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that they were right. I'm a Christian and the Bible does say not to be anxious. I've been pondering that often in the couple of days since we got home. It has helped. When I'm tempted to feel anxious, I remind myself to talk to God about it instead. I remind myself not to let Satan win.

I looked up verses about being anxious. Expecting to find lots and lots, I was surprised to find only 5 verses about it in the NIV Bible, and only 6 verses about worry. Evidently God didn't want us focusing on this habit and He didn't talk about it much.

On the other hand, there are 117 verses about peace in the New International Version of the Bible. Maybe that's where our focus needs to be. Focusing on our anxiety wastes time and energy and doesn't move us along in the right direction. It keeps us stuck. Let's all try to make a conscious decision to turn it over to God and experience His peace instead.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)

Do you feel anxious at times? Can you see how talking to God about it could help you experience peace instead? How can you remind yourself to do this?

[*Please note that this post is directed toward those of us who can make a conscious decision to turn from our anxiety and focus on better things. I realize that some people get stuck and feel so much anxiety that they have trouble functioning daily. I believe that some people need to seek out professional help when anxiety becomes overwhelming. They may need counseling and/or medicine in order to feel better and be able to look at situations more objectively. Get that help if you need it!]

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Stress

I had a very bad day earlier this week. I had a couple of things to do this week that really stressed me out. I did the first obligation and it went pretty well, but for some reason I started thinking negatively about the event and about myself and I got myself worked up into quite a state. I got so stressed that I almost called to back out of the commitment I had made for the next day and I wanted to just go crawl in a hole somewhere and never have to deal with anything ever again.

Well, I'd like to say that I prayed and asked God for help and I felt better right away, but I'm afraid that things didn't happen quite like that. Oh, I knew God was there. I felt the Holy Spirit trying to get me to focus on the right things, urging me to think about the good, reassuring me that I would be okay. Unfortunately, I didn't make a conscious choice to put my focus on the right things.

Instead, I focused on the "what if"s. I focused on all of the things that could go wrong. I focused on how bad I would feel if I didn't do things perfectly. I focused on myself and it got me to a very bad place.

I'm happy to report that I did what I had to do and it went just fine. I thought about it all the way home and realized that I had been way too stressed for no reason. I was glad I had not backed out of the event and I thought a great deal about God. I thanked Him for helping me to do what I had to do in spite of my fears. I reminded myself that I could go to Him right away so that my stress could be lessened in the future.

How timely that later that evening I opened my email to see a blog post from Susie Finkbeiner talking about the same topic. She shared great thoughts about doing what scares us in order to get where we need to be.

I also talked to my husband about my stress and fears and he reminded me of how nervous he used to get when he first went into the ministry. It has gotten easier for him, but he still gets nervous at times.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that I have grown this week. When I feel stress I usually want to flee, but I'm learning that it's usually much better to stay and fight. Fight through the fear, fight through the uncertainty, fight through the anxious feelings. It will get you closer to the person you want to be. It will remind you to focus on God and what He wants you doing with your life. Sure, it's easier to avoid everything outside of our comfort zone, but we never grow if we just remain in the same place and stay comfortable.

Fight, my friends, and you may just find that your stress lessens as you focus on God and His plans for you.

"Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." (Psalm 42:5 NIV)

What do you do when you feel lots of stress? Do you stay and fight or do you just want to flee? How can focusing on God help you get through those times of stress?