#BoyMom – Random Reflection

July 14, 2021

It’s Only A Problem If

I am a city girl, who married a city boy. But, this city boy has a love for outdoor adventure. I am a planner, a calendar keeper. But, my lover of outdoor adventure embraces spontaneous moments. I am a creature of comfort. But, spontaneous moments in outdoor adventure push beyond comfort. My nature is not…

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joy.marker

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

Looking for unique winter-themed gift wrapping, or

Looking for unique winter-themed gift wrapping, ornaments, cards, wearable art and more?

Now through December 15th, all winter-themed items at Random Reflection on Etsy (link in bio) are on sale for 25 % off. And there is always free shipping when you spend $35 or more.

#randomreflection #etsyseller #smallbusiness #cybermonday #seasons #winter #watercolor #christmas

This extraordinary young man turns fifteen today.😲

Join us in wishing him a very happy birthday.
He loves lots of attention (ok, not really, but we enjoy giving it to him anyway.)

Happy 15th Birthday, Josh! 🥳🎉

#birthday #celebration

Today marks the beginning of Advent, the liturgic

Today marks the beginning of Advent,
the liturgical season anticipating the coming of the Lord.

While attempting to hold space for serious conversation and reflection, real life often interrupts our plans. So, in full disclosure, our family practices this season perfectly imperfectly.

Yet, I have come to recognize that no matter how you practice or don't practice Advent, there is value in pausing to consider each week (whenever that opportunity comes). With all the commercialization and celebration, there is value in remembering the why behind this season and what really matters most.

As we light the first candle this Advent Season (or just pause to reflect), let's take a moment to reflect on Hope—remembering the HOPE found in the Christmas story and moving beyond the Christmas Story and into our own lives.

What do you hope for in this season?
Where have you found yourself losing Hope?
Where have you found Hope in the story of Christmas?

God gives us the courage to pray with hopeful expectations.

Help us to hold in our hearts the gift of Jesus' birth and the Hope of his anticipated return.

In this broken and war-torn world, may we not lose Hope. Nor, let us become complacent in our Hope. But, give us the strength to actively engage in bringing your Hope to others.

Give us listening ears,
Noticing eyes,
Compassionate hearts,
Open hands,
So that we might see Hope and carry Hope through our ordinary days.

May we find our Hope in you and share that Hope with others.

Amen

If you'd like to read more reflections on Hope, please join me on Substack at Throughout The Seasons, link in bio.

#randomreflections #throughouttheseasons #advent #hope #winter #christmas

December 1st marks the beginning of the Advent Sea

December 1st marks the beginning of the Advent Season. I don't know about you, but I am entering this season somewhat worn down and weary.

Still, Christmas Carols yet to be played out loud have been dancing in my head, especially the song, Oh Holy Night and the words, "A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices."

It seems appropriate to consider:

How can a weary soul still hope when so many things feel hopeless?
How does the weary one hold peace with so much of our world at war?
How can a worn-out and weary soul rejoice and live a joy-filled life when there is little to celebrate?
Where does the weary soul find love in this war-torn and divided world?

"One of the principle gestures of Advent liturgy is simplification."
Blake Billings, Ph.D.

In this coming Advent season, let's keep things simple, holding space for what is true in our lives and what we know to be true of God.

Beginning December 1st, my Throughout The Seasons newsletter will go live on Sunday instead of Monday to coincide with Advent Sundays; link in bio.

In the days and weeks ahead, may we focus on how we, a weary world and worn-out souls, can still find hope, peace, love, and joy in our ordinary days.

#randomreflections #seasons #advent #winter #throughouttheseasons #hope #peace #joy #love

"In the memories we make and recall, in the storie

"In the memories we make and recall, in the stories we tell and retell, in the family recipes we eat and repeat, there are things we learn at the family table we don't learn anywhere else." Leonard Sweet

May we gather friends and family together.
May we gather stories, recipes, and memories.
May we be inspired to continue to gather beyond the holiday season.

To those celebrating today, a very Happy Thanksgiving!

#randomreflections #throughouttheseasons #thanksgiving #gathering #autumn #fall

Merriam-Webster defines gathering as assembly, abs

Merriam-Webster defines gathering as assembly, abscess, collecting food or raw materials from the wild, collection, or compilation. While technically correct, this definition does not express the depth of what gathering has the potential to achieve.

While a gathering does not require a table or food, I've come to believe that the best kind of gathering happens around a table in a community with people.

In his book From Tablet to Table, author Leonard Sweet says, "As we sit and eat together, we don't just pass food around; fellow diners pass bits of themselves back and forth as well, exchanging tales as well as condiments."

As many Americans plan to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, may we also consider the value of gathering even beyond the holidays.

Read more Reflections on Gathering on this week's Throughout the Seasons; the link is in my bio.

Photo: Flashback to 2017 Thanksgiving at Grandma's house.

#randomreflections #throughouttheseasons #thanksgiving #gathering #autumn #fall

This past week, we attended your final High School

This past week, we attended your final High School Football event,
we remembered four years of so much learning and growing,
we celebrated your hard work and significant accomplishments.

And as we say our goodbyes to this particular season,
we remember that,

Every Seasons End
Marks a New Seasons Beginning.

We can't wait to see what your next season of life brings.

#seniorsunday #classof2025

In a world where everyone is shouting, desperate t

In a world where everyone is shouting, desperate to be heard,

May we not add to a world that is already noise-polluted by shouting our words, but instead live by example.

May we consider carefully the influencers we allow into our lives, the people we choose to imitate.

May the words we share out loud be backed up with how we choose to live.

May we live in a way that shows, rather than tells, others what it looks like to love God and others.

#randomprayer #throughouttheseasons #seasons #autumn #fall #wordsmatter #howwelivematters

Got your shopping list for the holidays? Looking

Got your shopping list for the holidays?

Looking for unique cards, gift wrapping, ornaments, wearable art, and more?

This is the final week of my Gratitude Sale at Random Reflection on Etsy. Everything in the store is currently on sale for 25 % off. And there is always free shipping when you spend $35 or more.

#randomreflection #etsyseller #smallbusiness #seasons #autumn #watercolor #gratitude

Thanksgiving is a holiday, and many of us are prep

Thanksgiving is a holiday, and many of us are preparing to celebrate. Yet, thanksgiving is not only a holiday but also an expression of gratitude.

As I prepare for a holiday in which we give thanks, I have been considering this word, Eucharisteo.

Eucharisteo, a Greek word that means thanksgiving but also includes the derivative Chara, the Greek word for Joy.

Joy, an emotion, a feeling, and occasionally a name given.

For so long now, it seems as if the world has been war-torn, hate-filled, or recovering from one disaster or another. Joy can be difficult to find, as can circumstances in which we feel thankful.

Yet, what if we stopped looking so far and wide and focused on the small, ordinary, everyday life we live. Perhaps we can begin to see how very much we have to be thankful for.

And, as Ann Voskamp says, “the feeling of joy begins with the action of thanksgiving.”

What small, ordinary gifts will I unwrap today for which I can be thankful?

What if finding joy in the small, ordinary things can invite us into a life that feels large?

Chara, Joy, a deep, abiding sense of joy and gladness rooted in spiritual realities rather than external circumstances.

“God gives gifts, and I give thanks, and I unwrap the gift given: joy.”
Ann Voskamp

#randomreflection #seasons #autumn #fall #thanksgiving #joy

Many of us living in America are preparing to set

Many of us living in America are preparing to set our tables for a Thanksgiving feast.

We will be gathering with friends and family, many of us eager to tell our stories or share our opinions of the happenings in the world.

Yet, I find myself considering something Bri McKoy says in her book Come and Eat. "The key to becoming a storyteller at our table is paying attention to the stories we are living before we even arrive."

In a world where everyone is shouting, desperate to be heard, I wonder if a more intentional, quiet, but steady approach might be what truly has a lasting impact.

As we prepare ourselves to gather,
May we be ready to listen well, speak as much with our actions as with our words, and take a more intentional, quiet, and steady approach to our interactions.

#randomquote #throughouttheseasons #seasons #autumn #fall #wordsmatter #howwelivematters #gather

My Grandmother was a beautiful example of a life l

My Grandmother was a beautiful example of a life lived well, and when I grow up, I want to be just like her.

Yet, she is not the only example in my life, and the older I get, the more I am beginning to recognize how much of my mother I caught. I say caught because while our personalities or giftings might not be naturally the same, the way I live today is in large part because of my mother's example.

As a parent of emerging adults and a teacher of tiny humans, I've been reflecting lately on how to be a more effective communicator. The world has changed, and the way we've always done things isn't working as effectively.

But maybe it's less about the method we use and more about the example we live and the relationships we build.

Read more reflections on how words matter, but often more is caught than taught on this week's Throughout the Seasons. The link is in my bio, and I'll also share in stories.

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #seasons #autumn #fall #wordsmatter #howwelivematters

Grief can be all-consuming and rob us of living li

Grief can be all-consuming and rob us of living life well, fully present in the gift of each day. But grief can also be a teacher, helping us grow beyond ourselves and driving us to live well in a community with others.

May we recognize that grief is not carried only in the loss of a person but also in the loss of dreams; any loss or unexpected journey can bring grief.

May we lean in and ask what grief needs of us, listening and learning from what it has to tell us so we might move through it to come out stronger.

May we not collapse inward in our grief but instead seek others to walk with us in our journey with grief.

May we not allow grief to rob us of living well but seek to continue living fully present in the gift of each day.

#randomprayer #seasons #autumn #fall #grief #community #livingwell

Snow, Sand, It's all Fun for our Adventurous Sp

Snow,
Sand,

It's all Fun for our Adventurous Spirit.

#seniorsunday #classof2025

“Grief never ends. But it changes. It’s a pass

“Grief never ends.
But it changes.
It’s a passage, not a place to stay.

Grief is not a sign of weakness,
nor a lack of faith.
It is the price of love.”

Author Unknown

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #seasons #autumn #fall #grief #mswarrior

Today is World Kindness Day. Part of me is sad t

Today is World Kindness Day.

Part of me is sad that we must set aside a day to remind ourselves to be kind. Shouldn't every day be kindness day?

But since we seem to have forgotten that kindness matters and need a day set aside to remind us that small acts of kindness can create ripple effects that change the world, let's not allow this day to pass without reflecting on its importance.

As Mother Teresa said, "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."

Remember: It's cool to be kind.

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #seasons #autumn #fall #kindness #worldkindnessday

My love of all things random is not necessarily ra

My love of all things random is not necessarily random. It is, in part, a silent rebellion, an effort not to be defined by one single part of my story.

When recognized for one piece of our story, it is easy to allow that single part to become our whole identity, whether that is the job we do, a talent we have, or a role we fill.

I am a wife, a #boymom, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. I am also a teacher, a writer, and a homemaker. I love to cook, read, and explore the great outdoors. I am a gardener, a veggie-lover, and a foe of indoor plants, no matter how much I wish not to be. I live with a chronic illness.

My journey towards living my story out loud began to fully awaken in me when I added #MSWarrior to my resume. While I recognized some parts of this journey long ago, the time was not right, and I was not ready.

Then along came Multiple Sclerosis, and it asked me to decide what to do with it. MS is not the definition of who I am; it is only a part. Yet, it is an inspiring, motivating, and significant part of my life story. And it is teaching me so much along the way.

To read more about my journey with MS and what it is teaching me about grief, follow the link in my bio to read this week's Throughout the Seasons on Substack.

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #seasons #autumn #fall #grief #mswarrior

Lord, as we enter a month often marked by thanks a

Lord, as we enter a month often marked by thanks and giving, as we prepare to enter the holiday season,

May we begin with gratitude, noticing, and giving thanks for the gifts we have received.

May we remember that generosity is not about the size of our bank accounts but the posture of our hearts.

May we see how small acts of kindness and love from a generous heart can change the world.

May our generosity flow from and be a tangible expression of our grateful hearts.

#randomprayer #seasons #autumn #fall #gratitude #generosity

While I tended to be creative in my youth, I allow

While I tended to be creative in my youth, I allowed the weight of responsibility to overshadow my creative self as I emerged into adulthood. I began to take life too seriously and forgot how to play.

But thankfully, I married a creative soul who never stopped encouraging me to pursue hobbies and creative interests.

My words and pictures are now shared out loud because of the encouragement and support of my husband Andrew, who himself owns journal pages with written words and boxes of photographed art and spends countless hours with notes and lyrics. He creates, builds, fixes, and mends quietly without recognition or praise.

But I want you to know that the me you see only is because there is an us.

I write words; he pours me coffee.
I have dreams; he builds the website.
I play at work; he works hard to make that happen.

Together, we are life-long learners, partners, and co-conspirators.

My boys slide down stairwell banisters and still play as emerging adults because their dad did it first.

Our home is filled with art and music because that's the tone my husband sets.

The me, you see, is because there is an us, for which I am forever grateful.

#randomreflection #mybetterhalf #music #play #art #autumnrhythms #bettertogether @a.t.marker

A few weeks ago, one of my preschool friends arriv

A few weeks ago, one of my preschool friends arrived at school with sequins on her shirt. When she stood where the sunlight hit her shirt, she discovered she could reflect sparkles all over our classroom.

Watching her excitement as her friends delighted and danced in the sparkles around the classroom reminded me how beautiful it is when we radiate light.

Radiate can be defined and used in several different ways; like many words, it does not simply mean one thing. However, when I think of the word radiate, I imagine shining brightly and sending out rays.

As I reflect on what it means personally to be radiant, I think of light that comes not from its own source but instead emanates, comes from another, and then stretches out and expands. Just as the light that sent sparkles all over our classroom originated from the sun, we can radiate The Light.

It doesn't have to be that complicated; we simply need to place ourselves under The Light and allow it to reflect, spreading beautiful rays of light out into the world.

#awordtoconsider #radiate #imagine #radiant #emanate #light

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