MySpiritualLegacy.blogspot.com

Well, as you can see, I'm not doing so well in posting regularly. I did start another blog to post the stories I have written in the LifeWriting class I have been taking through LSU Lagniappe which offers classes for retired persons. It is nice for a change to be the youngster in the class. Today I posted the story of my grandson's prayer for my son and his wife to have a baby. I am going to try harder to post!

The Daily Grind

This morning I read Galations 5:16

"Walk by the Spirit."

I had written in the margin of my Bible the definition of the Greek word for "walk"--peripateo. It means to "go on living--used of habitual conduct; signifies the whole round of activities of the individual life."

Most of life is lived in the routine. I tend to get bored with the routine. Housework, grocery shopping, cooking, errands, exercise. Maybe its called the round of activities because they have to be done again...and again...almost as soon as you finish them. I like to see progress--but the routine tasks may actually be the most important of my day--if I do them with a grateful heart. As as if I am doing them for the Lord.

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17

Growing Up

Six reasons to leave a godly legacy:

I’m taking a class in Lifewriting—Composing Your Life given by LSU Lagniappe for “over-50’s.” It is interesting and fun to hear the childhood stories of classmates, most much older than I am. Yesterday, a retired teacher told a story about inviting soldiers who came through Baton Rouge in World War II to her third floor apartment in the old state capital. Imaging living in that grand old building! Evidently, Baton Rouge was a center of southern hospitality during those years.

Usually the stories lightheartedly describe first days of school, working in vegetable gardens or childhood pranks. One woman has a particularly fun way of storytelling, but yesterday, she said that what she would read was a little “dark” but something she felt she must include in her memoir. She wrote about wanting her family to avoid a family tendency toward self-destruction through addiction. Like my mother, her father had died of alcoholism. I could identify.

The story I read talked about my grandmother Foil and the stories she told. I wrote, “Hearing the same stories year after year made me feel part something solid and lasting. I needed that when I returned home. Because my mother was pregnant when she married my dad--no small thing in 1948--my parents moved to another state, returning home only for a few holidays. I envied people who grew up around family, whose grandparents and parents went to church together and had the same values. People who had family traditions and heard family sayings repeated over and over. Families who got together and told stories and laughed.”

When my mother was dying in 1985, I knew that the Lord told me I should write about that difficult time—the peace I had--the comfort and insight He gave—and the emotional healing I received. Like my classmate, I wanted to warn my children and grandchildren about a family history of alcoholism. Of my grandfather’s eleven brothers and sisters, nine had drinking problems. My grandmother preached and pounded warnings into my mother’s head, but the constant drillings probably pushed her more toward her alcoholism. The alcoholism happened, but warning about it is not why I write.

Writing about my life is fun. It becomes a way to understand, forgive and receive healing. I pray it also becomes a way to mature. Yes, even grandparents need to mature! Especially me. I am reading Extreme Grandparenting by Tim and Marcy Kimmel. They say, “Our children and grandchildren desperately need us to consider it a mandate that we act like grown ups. They need to know that when life is trying to get the best of them, they can look to us and see people they can count on to process everything through years of experiencing God’s grace.” I have certainly experienced God’s grace, but I don’t always act like it. I have let fears from the past hold me back from really trusting God. This is why I am writing about my life—to help me grow up!

No matter how many pages I write, the only real legacy I will leave is a real example of a living, current and active relationship with Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. An example of trust.

It's Fall!

It's finally October--my favorite month! Okay, I confess this photo was not taken in Baton Rouge and it's still in the high 80's here, but one can hope!

Nothing stirs up feelings of nostalgia more than the first weather change of autumn. At my house, wind chimes have heralded the first change in weather for over thirty years. Both homes we lived in faced south, so the wind chimes in the back caught the north wind's stirring. For some reason, the tinkling filled me with joy and gratitude. In the thirty years, I've had wind chimes, I raised my children, developed a closer relationship with the Lord, became a grandmother... I remember one morning about twenty-five years ago. Excited by the tinkling, I quickly took a walk between taking the children to school and Bible study. As I walked, I thanked God for my family. How grateful I was! He reminded me of the prayers I prayed as a little girl for a husband who took the family to church and for two healthy children (my mother had told me that two were all a family could afford). That was my idea of a perfect family. I realized that, not only had God heard a little girl's prayers, he had given me abundantly above I even dreamed to ask--THREE beautiful children and a husband who not only went to church but loved God and led the family spiritually. Every October, when the chimes tinkle, I remember that walk and how God cared about my childhood desires.

This year I am missing my wind chimes. (of course, the weather hasn't changed yet!) We are in an apartment until about Thanksgiving while waiting to move into a new house. When the wind chimes are hung, the house will become home. I may not catch the first stirrings of fall, but they will still chime in November. I can't wait!

Pour Out Your Heart

Several years ago, I read an article by Beth Moore that helped me learn to pray. She talked about allowing God to "satisfy us in the morning with His unfailing love," as the writer of Psalm 90:14 prayed. Every day we awaken to new needs and concerns. So many things crowd our minds and hearts. There is no room for God to come in and fill us with peace and love. Beth talks about Psalm 62:8 which says, "pour out your heart before Him." Pouring out involves confessing sins and shortcomings, but also just telling God honestly how we feel. Did someone hurt our feelings? Are we angry? Do we feel discouraged? Do we have no interest in praying? Do we doubt? I am learning to give up the idea of praying a perfect, spiritual prayer. I'll settle for just telling God about all these things. I am amazed at much freer I feel after I empty all these thoughts out. God knows it all anyway, and understands. Pouring it all out makes room for wisdom, encouragement and direction to flood in. Simple ideas come about how to plan my day. I remember to pray for a family member or situation. Insights about the Lord come. His joy, peace and love seem more real and present. Other people and EVEN OURSELVES often interrupt, criticize or distract. Only God always lets us pour out our hearts to Him in honesty.

Encouragement

This morning I read my daughter's blog. She told of a powerful sermon she heard yesterday about fulfilling your calling on earth. This encouraged her to continue to wait for the daughter they have applied to adopt from China. I am encouraged as a grandmother to fervently pray for this to come about and to pray for other children who will be adopted into our family. I will pray about the timing, the expense, the red tape, the birth parents, and the health and well-being of the babies. God will give us what we need to fulfill His purposes in our lives.

I am also encouraged to continue in what He has called me to do. I know my primary calling is to be the wife, mother, grandmother, and friend He wants me to be, but I also believe I am to write--really just to share what the Lord ministers to me. In addition to writing devotionals and maybe a few articles, I would like to help older people write their life stories and prepare ethical wills to leave to their children. I know how precious the handwritten life story my grandmother left is to me. An ethical will or spiritual legacy bequeaths values instead of valuables. It is a chance to say, "this is what mattered to me." I was getting a little discouraged and questioning my own calling, but Jennifer's blog this morning encouraged me.

Innie or Outie?

Are you an innie or an outie?

Did you know that 75% of the world's population are extroverts? I'm reading a really good book about introverts called The Introvert Advantage by Marti Laney. I have learned that the primary difference between introverts and extroverts is in the way they create their energy. Extroverts get their energy from outside sources. They are energized by talking to people and by lots of activities. Introverts draw energy from being alone with their ideas, emotions and impressions. They feel overstimulated by being around a lot of people.

Introverts live in a world biased in favor of extroverts. Contrary to popular belief they may not be shy and really do like people--just not too many people for too long a time! They need a less stimulating environment to recharge their energy. I'm beginning to see how my extrovert daughter might have felt a little misunderstood by introvert parents! And now she's raising at least one introvert herself!

Another difference is that introverts use long-term memory when talking to people while extroverts use short-term memory. Extroverts are quicker and think on their feet. Introverts often miss the opportunity to get into a conversation because their mind goes blank--it takes longer to retrieve their thoughts out of long-term memory. They also don't like to interrupt. Extroverts just charge into conversations, interrupting each other and leaving the introverts standing their feeling a little stupid.

The world is certainly a more interesting place because we are not all alike. Innies and Outies married to each other face special challenges. It does help to understand that both ends of the spectrum are okay--just different. I know it helped this introvert to see some reasons I am like I am.

Squeezed In

We just moved into an apartment--a step along the way to moving across town and closer to our kids and grandkids. We are buying my daughter's house and will move in October or November when her new house is finished. The new place is more country, on three acres. It feels like a whole new life to us for many reasons. Not only will we be closer to family but also to church and friends. Ralph will retire there. We hope to be even more involved as grandparents. The timing coincides with me finishing my Christian Writers Guild course--this is the time I determined I would get serious about submitting articles and devotionals.
As I got rid of things and packed boxes, I pictured the 900 square foot apartment acting like a filter--squeezing my life into it and then out into our new place--our "new life." I determined not to put "stuff" into the new place that does not fit our new life. A neat thought, but this week I'm feeling the squeeze! I don't know how to act in this place! It's in a different part of town, so every errand is an adventure. Every task takes longer because I have to find everything. I had projects planned for this time: catch up on scrapbookking; catch up on reading; start a blog; send out a few articles I've written. I'm accomplishing a few of these, but, mostly, I'm drowning in clutter--which I thought I got rid of during the move. I don't know where to put anything!
My devotional in God Calling this morning says that God leads us out of darkness to light and out of disorder to order. Okay, Lord, I'm ready for some of that order. This give new meaning the to scripture "He brought me out into a spacious place. He rescued me." Psalm 18:19

Gratitude

Our entire family spent a whole week at the beach in June. It had been four years since we had all been together for a vacation, since my son and his family moved away for his residency. I am so thankful for this special family time and especially for our new little grandson who was born in January--the portrait wouldn't have been complete without him. I felt like my grandmother when she used to say, "all my chicks under one roof!".
I finally got the family portrait I longed for. Handsome group, huh? Thank you, Lord.

Journaling via Blogging

Well, I've finally entered the world of blogging! A little scary. For over thirty years, I have guarded my morning devotional time. Many times, as soon as I got together my Bible, journal, and cup of coffee, I heard the scurrying of feet and looked up to see three little faces grinning at me. Now my mornings are quieter. Why the journal? Writing helps me sort out and understand my thoughts. Often within my scribbling of ideas, worries, scripture, prayers, to-do lists, and sometimes even rantings, I find the voice of God. I don't know how people hear from God without journaling. Going back and reading old journals is sometimes embarassing, often insightful, and always encouraging--I can see how God continues to work on me. He adjusts my thinking, and, because my thinking still needs a lot of adjustment, I chose Phillipians 4:8 as the theme of this blog. Just like my journal, the blog is a place to share what's on my heart--even if no one reads. I was hesitant to give the computer a place in my sacred time, but, here we go...