Random Reflection – Page 21

May 26, 2020

Summer wasn’t meant to be this way….

So Now What? It is the beginning of our first week of summer vacation. As the excitement of no more school assignments wears off we are once again faced with current reality....

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May 21, 2020

The Hard Goodbye

My classroom sits empty, stuck in time as if it's still March 5th, 2020. We said our goodbyes, headed off to enjoy Spring Break, never to return this school year. Quickly home...

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May 18, 2020

“I’ve arrived”, Not.

There is no “I’ve arrived ” destination were life all of a sudden becomes easy. Most of us come to a place where we realize we are on a life journey, ever-changing.

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joy.marker

✍️Writing hope-filled words of reflection.
🌅 Cultivating beauty in every season.

The Sunday School versions of Old Testament Storie

The Sunday School versions of Old Testament Stories have often been edited to be child-friendly. Like fairy tales, they all lived happily ever after.

So, I struggle when I read some books from the Old Testament. OK, let's be honest; I struggle reading most of the Old Testament.

The hearts of men can be so dark and evil, and history seems to cycle on repeat. And most of those Sunday School stories don't end as I imagined.

We humans are slow learners, or perhaps we can't imagine ourselves being as bad as them.

The world right now feels so dark, and I don't know how to sit in the real-life stories and not drown in despair.

It is tempting to simply close the book and stop reading, but then I remember. Where there is darkness, there is always light. So I keep reading, searching for the light.

I keep reading the harrowing stories with questions swirling in my mind.

How, then, shall I live? What is my part to play?

It is both so simple and yet so difficult.

"Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow."
(Isaiah 1:17)

#randomreflection #ordinarylife #searchingforlight

It’s easy to focus on the growth that happens ab

It’s easy to focus on the growth that happens above the soil, failing to remember how important what happens in the soil is to that growth. Before we see flowers emerge to their full beauty, much work is being done to grow roots in the soil.

As we prepare to emerge into a new season, some books I have found helpful are:

Humble Roots by Hannah Anderson is a book full of life lessons from the garden. Lessons that teach us about soil preparation, sour mulch, and blights that “reveal the truth about our dependence on God, finding rest and fighting discontentment.”

In her book Searching for Spring, Christine Hoover shows us how to be treasure hunters even in the midst of suffering, even when our faith is wavering, and even when the world seems broken and dark.

Grace, freedom, and purpose rather than achieving, striving, and performing...In Slow Growth equals Strong Roots, Mary Marantz assures us that we are already worthy, and she gives us permission to stop running.

#randomreflections #randombookreview #throughouttheseasons #winter #rest #reset #prepare #reemerge #preparingforspring

You did not set out to write a novel; you never co

You did not set out to write a novel; you never consciously decided to be a storyteller, yet here you are writing a story.

Oh, perhaps your story is never written down in words on paper, never published in a book. But you are still writing a story all the same.

Intentional or unintentional, we develop daily rhythms, follow routines, and create habits.

We make choices as to how we spend our time, telling the story of our priorities.

We interact, react, or respond to others in our homes and communities, telling the story of our hearts.

We do not control all of life; plot twists are often thrown into our story without warning. Yet, we are not at the mercy of the unexpected or the challenging chapters. We get to decide the narrative of the response and the character we play inside those storylines.

Without consideration and purpose, our story may be told in ways we do not intend. Yet, if we are intentional, we get to determine the type of story we tell.

Does how we spend our time, money, and energy resources align with the story we wish others to read?

Yes, you may not consider yourself a writer.
But you are always writing.
Daily, you are writing the story of your life.

As we rise with the sun and find rest under the moon, may we write beautiful stories with the life lived in the ordinary in-between.

#randomreflection #thestorieswewrite #ordinarylife

I held my hands open and released my plans, I told

I held my hands open and released my plans,
I told God I'd give him everything and everyone.

But let's be honest,
Things were going well that day.

Then came the roadblock to my plans,
And I closed my hands tightly around those plans as I took them back.

Immediately, I began exploring ways to get around, over, even through that roadblock. I carried the weight of solutions.

Every path I took attempting to bypass that roadblock failed.
The weight of disappointment grew, and I gave up.

Thinking this road permanently closed, I began making alternate plans.
A different plan would likely move us forward.

Instead of opening my hands and releasing the plans back to God,
I gave up, believing the roadblock unsurmountable.

Until an unexpected message came,
Notifying us that the roadblock had been removed.

The removal, unrelated to anything I had done,
Was simply gone, the issue resolved.

And God smiled as he tapped my shoulder,
"I always had it; you didn't need to carry that weight."

Gently, He eased my tightly held fists back open.
"Let me take it; the journey is easier without the extra weight."

We make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.
Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

#randomreflection #makingplans #releasingplans #openhands

I am a big fan of Love, Yet Valentines Day isn't

I am a big fan of Love,
Yet Valentines Day isn't really a big deal day for me.

I'm not anti-valentines day. I'll celebrate and enjoy the day,
I'd simply rather see expressions of Love lived out regularly in our ordinary everyday rhythms.

Love isn't just a one day event, it's an on-going, effort required, regularly gifted selfless act, expressed in ordinary and extraordinary ways.

As we celebrate LOVE today, may we think beyond bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolate. In fact, may we look outside the box, even expand our box and learn how to express love in unexpected ways to unsuspecting people.

May we love deeply with eyes open.

Happy Valentine's Day!

#randomreflections #love #ordinarylife
@a.t.marker
@ben_marker
@tayachesher

As we make plans to reemerge from our Winter Rest

As we make plans to reemerge from our Winter Rest and tackle our Winter Reset, it is good to remember that life does not always go as planned.

Planning is good; without it, we tend to wander aimlessly. Yet, life will always throw us the unexpected, requiring adjustments to our plans. So, let’s plan and hold those plans with open hands so that we might continue to live fully present in the ordinary days we are currently living.

As Tony Robbins said, “Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.”

#randomreflections #randomquote #throughouttheseasons #winter #rest #reset #prepare #reemerge #preparingforspring

We live in a world that pulls us into the idea tha

We live in a world that pulls us into the idea that it is the “doing” that matters. What do you do for a living? A hobby? In what activities are your children involved? We measure success by tasks checked off a to-do list, titles, and accomplishments worthy of holding space on our resume.

Yet, I find myself asking.

Have we lost the art and simplicity of being present in the ordinary?

It is easy to think that we make a difference and make the world better only when we do extraordinary things.

But what if we changed our perspective to recognize the most significant lasting impact is in the ordinary?

What if we realized our most significant contribution as doing small things in extraordinary ways?

I want to live a life that matters, yet I find myself fighting against the idea that more equals a greater impact and that bigger is better.

I fight because I deeply long for simpler, less rushed moments, days that allow me to be fully present with family and friends. I long for gatherings around tables with community, sharing stories, life, and experiences.

And so I ask.

What if our most lasting impact in this world comes from sharing each other’s everyday ordinary stories? What might living more in-depth into the ordinary in extraordinary ways look like?

“The stories of Jesus, as monumental as they are, are not heroic legends or tales of the heavens. They are ordinary stories of ordinary people in ordinary places doing ordinary things like fishing, tilling fields, and setting tables, but in an extraordinary way.”

Leonard Sweet - From Tablet to Table

#randomreflection #ordinarylife #stories #theroadswetravel

May we continue to accept Winter’s Invitation to

May we continue to accept Winter’s Invitation to Rest and, from that place of Rest, begin to Prepare to re-emerge.

May we consider “our tools” asking what might be in need of repairs or even replacement.

May we dream of the seasons to come and what we desire to see growing, asking what seeds we might need to plant.

And as we plan, may we hold our plans with open hands so that we might continue to live fully present in our ordinary days as they come.

#randomreflections #throughouttheseasons #winter #rest #reset #prepare #aprayer#reemerge

This kid went from football games in the front yar

This kid went from football games in the front yard to Friday Night Lights,
and he's not done yet.

Can't wait to see where he goes from here.

Gearing up for some #perustatecollegefootball

#seniorsunday #classof2025 @ben_marker

Winter invites us to rest, yet as Winter's end dra

Winter invites us to rest, yet as Winter's end draws near, we do not wish to wait passively for the next season to just arrive. February invites us to imagine how we wish to move from one season into the next.

When we accept Winter's invitation to rest, from that place of rest, we have an opportunity to reimagine, dream, and prepare for the season ahead.

We can choose to pause from the rapid pace of ordinary life long enough to consider what no longer fits, what is no longer working, and what we wish for the coming seasons.

Winter invites us to Rest, and from that Rest, it provides us with an opportunity to Prepare to Re-emerge into the next season.

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #winter #rest #prepare

Today was National Signing Day. One of those day

Today was National Signing Day.

One of those days you don't know is a thing, until all of a sudden it's your thing. And then it's a big deal kinda thing.

@ben_marker committed to play football at Peru State in Nebraska next year. Today, he signed that commitment.

After years of playing basketball, football got into his veins Freshman year and he spent four years growing both in size and skill with this day in sight.

We are so proud of how he navigated all the offers and options, seeking out wisdom and advice from coaches, family and professionals.

We are in the final stretch of Senior Year. Endings are hard, but they are also necessary to make room for something new, and we can't wait to see what new things are coming for @ben_marker.

Congratulations Ben, @a.t.marker and I are so proud of who you are and who you are becoming.

#nationalsigningday #collegebound #classof2025 #perustate #nebraskabound

Time flows without considering our need for more t

Time flows without considering our need for more time or our plan for the time we have been given. Time remains steady in its pace, unhurried, without the weight of all the tasks needing to be completed on time.

I have tried to manipulate time to make it work within my plan. And yet, time cannot be stretched or bent to fit our needs. And my efforts have simply left me frustrated and stressed.

Once upon a time, I had a plan for time; I laid out what I thought should happen as time moved. Yet, my schedule did not come as I thought it would. Instead, time passed, and I waited for things I thought should have already come, and time delivered that which I felt I was not yet ready.

We cannot change the amount of time we've been given, yet we can change our relationship with that time. Accepting our limitations within time and allowing ourselves to move at a pace more reasonable to time than the hurried, frantic pace we are often pushed to keep.

#randomreflections #seasons #time #winter #rest #limitations #ordinarylife

February is all about Love and spreading the Love.

February is all about Love and spreading the Love.

Need some inspiration?

Visit Random Reflection on Etsy, where all greeting cards and love-themed gift items are 25% off.

Find the direct link in my bio.

#randomreflection #etsystore #valentines #love #spreadlove

A few years back, I read a story/memoir written by

A few years back, I read a story/memoir written by someone who lived on a farm. The author talked about how farm life slowed down in Winter. But, while they could physically rest in Winter, they still had much to do.

At the farm, Winter is when you check on your tools, asking what needs to be repaired or replaced. In Winter, you order seeds and plan where crops will be planted in Spring. Winter is when you dream about future growth.

While not all of us have work rhythms that align with the seasons, I have found that Winter invites all of us to not only rest but also from that place of rest, to prepare.

Winter provides an opportunity to Reset, preparing for the next season.

To read more reflections on Winter Reset and the rest of February's Throughout The Seasons follow the link in my bio.

#randomreflections #throughouttheseasons #winter #rest #reset #prepare #reemerge

These are the books I picked up in January, that a

These are the books I picked up in January, that are moving with me into February.

Life rhythms do not always begin and end with the days on the calendar. There is a transition, co-mingling of days, responsibilities and incomplete tasks that we take with us from one calendar page onto the next.

While we move into a new month, we do not cut off the last month completely and start over.

Instead, we leave what is no longer needed, what has been completed and take with us all that has been learned, all that still needs learning or asks us to still hold a while longer.

And so, I ask:

What have you left behind or do you need to leave behind with Januarys end?

What is still in process or being asked to move forward with you into February?

#randomreflection
#newmonth
#seasons
#ordinarylife
#transition

As an eldest child, I tend to follow the expected

As an eldest child, I tend to follow the expected norm of being a rule follower except when I am not. Put me in a box, tell me I can't do something, or attempt to place limits on me, and I'll start breaking all the rules.

From childhood, I have struggled with anxiety and have a fear of heights, but I've dared to climb way outside my comfort zone because someone said, "You can't," and I said, "Watch me." Or, in some cases, someone said, "You can," and I said, "Show me how."

The statement, "You can't because you're a girl," landed me my fair share of scrapes and bruises as a child.

As an adult, I rebel against titles and our tendency to label people and fit them into categories.

When did we decide that we had to be one thing and fit into a single category?

Can I not be a writer who loves to cook? A teacher who also loves being called Mom. A businesswoman who loves decorating her home and appreciates art.

I am both exhausted and inspired by my days in the classroom; I love my tiny human friends. And yet, I love being home; I could live in my kitchen. I find the smell of freshly baked bread or sauteed onions deeply calming.

Every day, I try to #optoutside and love being in nature. I enjoy traveling and discovering new places. Yet, there are days I could spend all day lost in a book, a story of someone else's adventures—imaginations running wild in other cultures, seasons, or worlds.

We change and grow with the seasons of life; we are complex humans with multiple layers. We grow weary, and we become energized and inspired.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not suggesting or advocating a lack of commitment to any one career or practice. I am suggesting that we can hold more than one label, one interest at a time, and have more than one way of being in this world.

We do not have to feel the need to fit into a single category, wear only one label, or be defined by a job title.

We can be more than one thing.
We can hold both/and.

#randomreflection #ordinarylife #throughouttheseasons

Recently, my friend Molly spoke at a women's event

Recently, my friend Molly spoke at a women's event. The theme was The God Who Sees You, and she shared the story of the Egyptian slave Hagar.

Hagar's story is found in Genesis chapters 16 through 21; if you aren't familiar with it, it's a really challenging story to read. It is tempting to skip past the heavy parts of Hagar's story, but Molly challenged us to sit with them. She invited us to see past the difficult narrative to instead see how God showed up and was faithful.

Fast-forward to our current days, and we find many stories that are challenging to accept. There is so much war, so many stories like Hagar, and natural disaster after natural disaster. It feels like our world is on fire; parts of LA County are actually on fire right now.

I don't know about you, but I have been struggling to know how to stay informed, not ignore what is happening in the world, yet not allow the weight of it all to consume me.

Listening to my friend Molly got me thinking about how we sit with hard stories. It inspired me to write some random reflections, and if you'd like to read more follow the link in my bio.

#randomreflections #hardstories #bothand #foodforyoursoul #somethingtoconsider

I've noticed how often in waiting spaces we humans

I've noticed how often in waiting spaces we humans, of any age, are prone to immediately pick up electronic devices.

I, myself, am guilty of filling time with scrolling feeds or playing games. Remaining lost in my head and disconnected from that which I am surrounded in my physical space.

So, in my attempt to be more aware of my surroundings, I carry physical books and notebooks with me. I use my phone as a camera lens to capture ordinary beauty. I seek to notice and observe, to be present in the spaces.

If I'm honest, I rather enjoy being lost in my own thoughts, ignoring the messy outside world. But, I also am desperate not to miss the wonders of the world. I wish to live fully present in each day.

How about you?
How do you fill the empty, waiting spaces in your day?

#randomreflection
#waitingroomramblings

I am a doer and a natural planner, and I find it e

I am a doer and a natural planner, and I find it easy to move quickly from one task to another. I find great satisfaction in making lists and checking things off as completed.

For most of my life, I failed to understand the value of naps or pausing throughout the day, seeing time as an opportunity to get things done.

Old task-driven Joy would have run through winter armed with resolutions, plans, and goals set and ready.

Yet time and life experiences have revealed that while there are many positives to my skills as a task completer, my quick movement onto the next thing might, on occasion, rob me of some beauty found in each season.

It started a few years ago, as I began to pay attention to nature's rhythms and, especially, the trees. Winter's tree, she does not attempt to grow fruit in winter. Instead, she listens as winter whispers, "Lighten your load, rest, and prepare."

So, rather than rushing ahead with a well-laid-out plan, I accepted the invitation of winter to lighten my load, rest, and prepare.

Oh, I still take on too much and get my head into task mode on a regular basis. And yet, whenever I pause to listen, I hear nature whisper, "It's still winter; lighten your load, rest, and prepare."

Spring will be here soon enough; don't rush ahead; accept and enjoy this Winter season for its beautiful gifts.

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #winter #rest #renewal #trees #naturesrhythms

A Prayer for the Lingering Days of Winter May we

A Prayer for the Lingering Days of Winter

May we not become disheartened by the cold of winter but instead accept it as an invitation to embrace a cozy mindset.

May we see beauty in winter sunrises and sunsets, in the fresh white of snow, but also in the grey and overcast days.

May we look beyond the decor of our homes, asking ourselves what invitation or lack thereof our space is providing.

May we consider ways that we might embrace celebration in this season of winter rest, gifting others with an invitation to join us in community.

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #winter #rest #renewal #trees #naturesrhythms #winterprayer

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