Category: Life

Faith, Life, motivation

A Letter to the Exiles

Sondra

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.
“They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a
hope.

That’s a pretty popular scripture. If we are honest, probably all of us will
admit to hearing it or using it several times. I’ve heard or read it five times
just in the last week. It’s so popular that it’s cliché, really. We overuse it and
it loses its meaning entirely. Someone’s going through a bad time, and we
say, “God knows the plans He has for you.” We hear of someone who is
discouraged and ready to give up, and we say, “God has a plan and it’s a
good one!” Someone graduates and we tell them, “God knows what He has
planned for your future.” Someone is facing a life transition, and we say,
“God knows the plans He has for you. Plans to prosper you and not to
harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.”

That’s what we do. Empty platitudes. Used so much that it seems
thoughtless. I wonder how many of us are aware of the context in which it was written.

As I read Jeremiah 29 the other morning, I finally understood it.

Jeremiah 29 is a letter to the exiles. An exile is someone who has been
barred or banished from their home country. In this case, the children of
Israel had been deported from their home, the land that God had given
them, and taken to Babylon to live and serve the king. Not a happy time in
the life of the Israelites. One might wonder why this bad thing happened.
Who was responsible for it?

Here’s what I noticed as I read Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles.
v. 4: This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all
the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: GOD DID THIS. It’s
all part of His plan. Granted, it doesn’t seem like the “good” plan of v. 11,
but it clearly says that God has exiled them to Babylon. THERE’S A
REASON THEY ARE THERE.

So what are they supposed to do while they are there? Figure out a way to
get out of there as soon as possible? No. Verse 5 says, “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.” PLAN TO STAY! For a while!

If they have to stay there, surely God doesn’t expect them to have a life
among the natives, right? Just lay low and wait. Right? Wrong. Verse 6 says, “Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may
have many grandchildren.” Multiply! Do not dwindle away! DO NOT DWINDLE AWAY.

There is another scripture that I love that talks about the same thing. In Exodus 1:12, in another time when the children of Israel found themselves as slaves in another country, the Bible says that “the more they ( the Egyptians) afflicted them (the Israelites), the more they grew. GOD DIDN’T EXPECT THEM TO LAY LOW AND HIDE. HE DIDN’T
WANT THEM TO BE DIMINISHED, BUT TO MULTIPLY AND GROW.

Ok, so they are expected to live there and plan to stay. But surely that’s it,
right? Nope. Verse 7 says, “And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
WOW. ITS WELFARE WILL DETERMINE YOUR WELFARE. God is telling
them that the future you have is tied up in the future of that city.

So what about this future anyway?

Verse 10 says, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You will be in Babylon for seventy years.
But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and
I will bring you home again.” 70 YEARS??? And then, and only then, will
God do the good things He has promised and will bring them home again.
Verse 11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans
for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'”

So what’s this mean for us? What does it mean when we’re in a discouraging situation?
Or when things seem hopeless? When we’re in a season of life that we don’t like? When
our circumstances are less than desirable?

We can remember the lessons from the letter to the exiles.

  1. There is a reason for this season.
  2. Plan to stay a while.
  3. It’s meant for growth.
  4. Your future will be determined by your success or failure in this
    season.
  5. At the appointed time, the plans God has for you will materialize.
    Life is full of disappointments. I wish I had better news for you, but I don’t.
    There are seasons. Seasons of growth, seasons of death. Times when
    you’re on the mountain, and times when you’re in the valley. And here’s
    what I have found to be true. If you fix your focus on Jesus, you will see His
    glory. If you focus your gaze on the mountain, you can’t see the
    magnificence of God in the moment.

And just a little side note, think back to the 70 years in Babylon for a
minute. That’s the span of a life. God says that after His children spend a
lifetime as exiles here on Earth, He will then do the good things He has promised and bring them home again. Home is Heaven with Him. Now
those are plans I can look forward to!

Life

Happy New Year

Sondra

It’s been a cool, crisp, peaceful morning here. The temps remind me of a crisp fall day. The kind that I like. The kind that envokes happiness in my soul. The kind that make me think of going back to school. More specifically, the kind of morning that takes me back to the days when I had graduated from high school and was preparing to leave for college at Mizzou. New Year’s Day might be January 1st, but going back to school has always felt like the new year to me. 

I love this time of year and I think that maybe it is why I became an educator. There’s always been a level of excitement and anticipation that I have felt at this time of the year. It’s more than just cool air and college football. I love those things, but it goes deeper than that.

There’s new students, new parents, often new coworkers. New clothes, new backpacks, new pens and notebooks. Everything is new and with that comes the potential to do something new with the year. To make, or re-make, yourself. 

It’s a time of setting goals for the school year. What do I want to accomplish? How do I want the year to look? How do I want to look? What’s my schedule look like? What can I incorporate into my daily routine that will help me to achieve those goals?

Am I ready to give up my summer freedoms like slow mornings and drinking my coffee while it’s still hot? Living in my pjs and having a clean house? Not quite. But I am ready to go school shopping. 🙂

~Sondra~

Faith, Gratefulness, gratitude, Health, Life

Good Things

Sondra

My last slow morning of the summer. Today is Labor Day and I’ve enjoyed my morning immensely. I haven’t done anything spectacular. I’ve had my coffee and Jesus time. I’ve started washing bedding. I’ve washed dishes. I’ve put the meatloaf in the crockpot for dinner. Just little things that I was able to accomplish without rushing around to try and get to work on time.

Mike woke up and did the morning chores before he went into town to get a part he needed to fix the brush hog. He brought home breakfast burritos and Keith as well. After fixing the brush hog, he took Keith home and then came back to start brush hogging. He has a lot to get done before colder weather hits. There’s always something to do around here. Our to-d0 lists never end. I’m thankful for the day off to gain a little ground on the list. It’s good for the soul.

I looked up and out the window a few minutes ago and saw leaves falling from the tree and blowing in the wind. I love this time of year when the mornings are cooler, and sometimes the days stay cooler as well. I could live with this climate all year round. I don’t need the spring rain, the summer sun, or the winter snow. I just want this. 

I want a lot of things that I cannot have. It’s not that they are bad things. I don’t want bad things. I want only what I consider to be good things. But are they only good? What would happen to the ecosystem if all we had was 60 degree lows and 80 degree highs? What would happen to the earth if we didn’t have the spring rain, the summer sun, or the winter snow? Things to think about and remember that, even though I might not like something, it is necessary for the way God created the world to work. He knew what He was doing. He designed everything to work together (Romans 8:38).

~Sondra~

Gratefulness, Life, motivation, photography, Uncategorized

Country Roads

Sondra

It’s the simple things. I don’t have to climb any more mountains for I have stood on the peaks already. I’ve floated on faith in the rivers at the bottom and found victories in the valleys.

Who are they?

Where did they come from? Have they always lived here?

Are there children? Pets?

Who are their parents/grandparents?

What do they do for a living?

What do they do in their free time?

What are their stories?

I know it’s none of my business, but I can’t help but wonder as I creep by the houses. What else am I supposed to do while driving this slow?

I try not to stare. I know that some of these houses have cameras pointing toward the road, catching the cars that drive by. Noticing the people who are looking for a reason to come back.

I am not coming back for anything. I’m just following my husband on the tractor, letting my mind wander a bit as we go.

I remember growing up that we knew our neighbors. We talked to them, went to church with them, sometimes worked with them. We sat on our porches and waved as they came out into their yards. We invited them over for dinner. Kids went outside and played with other kids. Do people do that anymore? Are we so busy that we don’t take time to get to know them? Are our noses stuck in our phones so much that we don’t look up to notice? Have people developed such anxiety and fear of other people?

Don’t take this the wrong way because I do scroll my social media to “catch up” with what my friends are doing, but maybe it’s time we put the phone down, unplugged, and invited the neighbor over for coffee instead? Yes, I know that can be risky. And I know that shrinks our world because we have family and friends who live so far away. I’m not saying technology doesn’t have its place and hasn’t made some things better. But sometimes, it’s made things worse.

Human connection has been replaced by screens and people don’t know how to treat each other anymore. We don’t trust each other. We don’t respect each other. We don’t know each other at a level that we used to. 

Today I am taking my own advice and having lunch with a friend I’ve had since kindergarten. ☺ We go way back to the time when there were no cell phones, social media, or cyber-bullying. We rode our bikes down to the creek. We played school in the old, abandoned house across the road. We sat up and talked all night. We recorded songs off the radio. We sat and ate cereal at her kitchen table. And we built a connection that even my family moving away when I was 14 couldn’t erase. Back in the time of long distance phone calls and no internet, we were able to keep that friendship alive even though we didn’t talk and see each other very often. There were even handwritten letters that we mailed through the mail. 

I know, times have changed, but don’t lose what’s important. Connection trumps technology every time.

Life, motivation

Front Porch Sittin’

Sondra

We got a little rain today. The first little bit in a couple weeks. It was a welcome sight as it cooled the temps off some and rinsed all the dust off my car. Bear and I sat outside on the porch watching the rain fall. He would dart out into it and run just as fast back under the cover of the porch. Me? I stayed under the cover, not willing to get wet.

And that’s basically how I’ve been living life for the past 40-something years. Safe on the porch. Dry. Boring. I like the sound of adventure, but I never get off the porch. I like watching the rain fall, but I don’t want to get wet. Why leave the comfort of my lawn chair?

Because life starts at the end of your comfort zone. -Neale Donald Walsch

Recently, I was talking to a couple friends about life. One is my age and the other is 17. Our perspectives are very different. We adults look back at life and wish we had done some stuff differently. The 17 year-old looks forward, with plans and goals and dreams of what she wants out of life. Are we wrong? Is she naive? No. Neither of those is true. 

My old friend mentioned something about picking your adventure and I immediately thought about those “choose your adventure” books we used to check out at the library when we were kids. You read a bit and then came to a choice. “If you choose to go out in the rain, go to page 21.” “If you choose to turn around and go back in the house, turn to page 35.” “If you choose to sit on the porch and watch it rain, the end. You’re done. Life has passed you by.”

I loved those books. If you made the wrong choice and your character ended up dead, you just went back to the page with the choices and chose another page. No harm, no foul. You made a mistake the first time, but it’s erased and you can make another choice and pretend that the other one never happened. That’s cheating, right? But wouldn’t life be so much better if it happened that way?

Maybe. But maybe not. If you could go back and erase all the mistakes you ever made, would you? I doubt it. Did they cause hurt and suffering? Undoubtedly so. Did you learn from them? Most of us did. The only things I would go back and change were the things I didn’t do. The places I didn’t go. The chances I didn’t take. Except for skydiving…I still probably wouldn’t go skydiving.

Life

Are You in There?

Sondra

I am the world’s worst daydreamer. No, really, that’s me. I can easily spend time just daydreaming about anything. Seriously, give me a topic and I can daydream about it for hours. Maybe even days if I don’t have to get up and go to work the next day. I think that’s why I love to read fiction…why I’ve always loved to read fiction…so much. It gives me permission to daydream. There is nothing like curling up with a good book and immersing yourself into the story. My mind is like a stream that flows on and on sometimes.

“The mind is like a river. The thoughts are like the various droplets of water.”
-A. G. Mohan

But in all that daydreaming, there’s a problem. I don’t like to admit it. I don’t want to give up my daydreaming. I don’t want to give up reading fiction. I certainly would like to write a fiction novel someday. So what’s the problem? Sometimes I get so caught up in daydreaming, that I miss stuff.

Important stuff. Real life stuff. I get so caught up in the daydream that I miss the reality that is going on around me. I’m there, but I’m not really present. My body is occupying space, but my brain is off in space. Emotionally I am somewhere else. Hello, are you in there? That’s a problem.

I miss some pretty awesome stories when I am not paying attention.

I miss some pretty deep connections when I am not being intentional about being present.

And because I want to experience life and deep connections, I decided to figure out how to be more present.

“I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” -Jane Austen

I started reading a new book today called “Present Over Perfect” by Shauna Niequist. A question posed in the book is, “If someone gave you a completely blank calendar and a bank account with as much money as you wanted in it, what would you do?”

I’m pondering that. Would I retire? Would I travel? Would I buy everything I ever thought I wanted? Would I give all kinds of crazy money away? I think a little bit of all of that. I’d do whatever I wanted. I’d go wherever my heart took me. I think I would build a house, but maybe just get a class A (or a truck and a big 5th wheel) and travel to all the places and see all the things and take all the pictures and read all the books. And write a book or two. I’d blog about all of my travels for sure. 

Anyone know where this hammock is located?

I’m getting away from the reason I picked up the book in the first place, though. Daydreaming again.

The book is about ditching the frantic and embracing the simple life. My life isn’t that frantic. I’ve been practicing simplifying for a while, but I do struggle with being present.

Keeping my head where my feet are is a work in progress.

As my friend expresses it, “keeping my head where my feet are.” I struggle with that. I daydream. I analyze. I overthink. I make lists in my head of things I need to do. Then I make more lists in my head of things I forgot to do, only to forget again. I’ve tried writing them down. I’ve tried putting reminders on my phone. None of those things help if my feet don’t go where my head is. 

So how does a person practice being more present? No clue, but that is the journey I am on this summer. 

~Sondra~

Life, motivation, photography

A Walk in the Rain

Sondra

It’s been raining here a lot lately. It’s cold for mid-May. And muddy. It’s been hard to plan camping trips on the weekends. It’s been nearly impossible to do any outside projects. And since I’m a preschool teacher, I have an even greater reason for disliking rain–inside recess. Ever tried keeping a bunch of 3, 4, and 5 year-olds contained in a classroom for hours? It’s not fun.

The end of this very challenging school year is in sight, and I’m tired. So despite the rain yesterday, I took a walk. I even had a couple furry companions go with me. We had no destination. We didn’t go anywhere special. We just walked up the driveway, trying to stay out of the mud and wet grass (I dislike wet socks and shoes).

I noticed this flower on my walk and had to take a picture. It reminded me that despite the consequences or circumstances we find ourselves surrounded by, we can rise up, square our shoulders, and stand tall.

Did you hear me? Rise up. No one can hold you down without your permission. No one can keep you down without your permission. Rise up and stand tall, whatever your circumstances. You got this.

It might be raining right now, but take a walk anyway. Let the rain wash away all the mud and the gunk. Let it refresh your soul.

🌼 Sondra

Life

Living Your Best Life

Sondra

Copper is living his best life

Living Your Best Life.

What does that mean? Living your best life? What does that entail? What do you need to have in order to live your best life? A new house? A lot of money in the bank? A spouse and 2.5 children? Do you need to be at the top of your career to enjoy your best life? Do you need to be retired? Sunbathing on a private island? Traveling and full-time RV living? All of those things sound wonderful, but not everyone aspires to them. What does your best life look like?

And how do you know? That’s my big question. How do you know that you are living your best life? You have a picture of what you think it is, but what if you get there, and it’s not what you thought it was going to be? Your new house has a house payment you can’t afford. Your bank account is full, but your heart isn’t. Your spouse and your children think you nag too much. Your career doesn’t afford you much time for anything else. Retirement is boring. Your private island is lonely. Your RV finds you missing community. 

Too much of one thing can literally be too much. For me,  living your best life means living a balanced life. You have enough, but not too much. You have a house, but you aren’t house poor. You have a little emergency fund, but not enough that everyone is asking you to give them money. You have a spouse and 2 (adult) children who still love you enough to put up with you. You have a career, but are content to let the younger generation claw their way to the top. You aren’t retired, but you get summers off (or vacation time). No private island, but you have a little corner of the world that is all yours. You’re not a full-time RV status yet, but that pop-up camper is ready to go for the first camping trip of the year in a couple weeks. That’s what my best life looks like.

Do I wish that I didn’t have to get up and go to work on Mondays? Absolutely. Am I counting down the days until summer break? You bet I am. Do I dream about winning the lottery and quitting my job to take up traveling? Some days more than others. But the truth is, toward the end of summer break I am wishing for that familiar routine and my work people. My best life is one filled with all the things I love– my faith, my family, teaching, camping, reading, photography, etc. And there is room for so much more as I go! My best life is a full life with room for new people, things, and animals (always room for more cuddly animals). My best life is a balanced life with just enough of everything.

Life

Productively Unproductive

Sondra

I had ice cream for dinner tonight. Yes, I did. Not a bowl of ice cream after dinner. Not a little bit of ice cream with my dinner. I had a BIG bowl of peanut butter cup ice cream FOR dinner tonight. It’s been that kind of week.

But it’s the beginning of a three-day weekend for me. I don’t foresee having ice cream for dinner for at least another three days. What I do see in my near future is a lot of rest and relaxation, and also a little work around the farm. The weather will be turning colder soon and there are a few things I need to do to prepare for it. My chickens need a fresh layer of bedding put down in their coop. The garden is done and needs a layer of mulch put down. There are walnuts all over my yard that I am not picking up, even though I should. And the house needs some more de-cluttering. Always more de-cluttering. How do we end up with so much junk?

But that’s a post for another day.

What I am going to try to focus on this weekend while the husband is working and I’m home with the cat is self-care. Self-care so the next time I have one of “those” weeks, I will not feel the need to eat a big bowl of peanut butter cup ice cream for dinner. Self-care so that I don’t feel so tired and run-down next week when I go back to work. Self-care so I don’t have a headache for two days next week. Yes, I am going to be productive in a few things over the long weekend; but I’m also going to be productively unproductive in the things that matter.

I’m going to linger over my cup of coffee in the morning. I’m going to finish the book I’ve been reading, but have been too tired to open when I sit down in the evenings. I’m going to sit outside and pet the dogs. I might take an afternoon nap with the cat. I’m going to get out my guitar and sing as loud as I can and I don’t care if the neighbors hear me. I am going to get my camera out and chase a sunset or two. I’m going to soak in a bubble bath, burn a candle, and just be. Why? Because these are things that get pushed to the side during the work week. Life still moves forward without these things, so I neglect them…until I feel the need to have a big bowl of ice cream for dinner. What have you been neglecting? What are things that refuel your passion and heal your soul? Music? Crafts? A hike? Shopping? Go do something for you today.

Life, photography

Weddings

Sondra

Who doesn’t love a wedding? Me. I don’t go to them unless I have to. It’s not that I don’t believe in love, or marriage. I do. I just prefer not to go to weddings.

But I had to go to one last weekend because it was my nephew’s. And I said I would take pictures. It was hot. It was humid. We were racing against the clock to get photos done before it got dark. There were times I thought I might be the only one there who cared anything at all about the pictures. That’s probably not true. A wedding is like trying to drive in rush hour traffic in the biggest city you can imagine. There are so many lanes and everyone needs to go somewhere, but someone else has to go before you do, and then someone else needs to go at the same time as you. It’s total chaos. I came away from the experience knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that I do not ever want to be a wedding photographer. Enough said.

Congratulations to the bride and groom!