Go and Love Someone

Stephens Women

The Tradition Continues. . . now that I have the tree. . . 

I Love Giving the 18 year old presents in doll clothes boxes. . . ha ha ha. 

Someone is a Senior

Yeah for Non-Screen Endeavors

Cousins Forever

The Flannel Shirt Was Too Small for Calvin. . Looks Good on Janel

All Gone

This weekend we had three recitals across town on three days, two church services, a trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Art for the Luther exhibit, a church small group dinner and we took the tree down and made soup.

Yesterday there was weather and I spent five hours in the car getting the kid where he needed to be. Including a piano lesson way up north and a band concert way down south. In the snow.

I'm cooked. Grouchy. Seasonal Affective Disorder. Sleepy. And a glance at the dark window this morning tells me that it's sleeting. Not bad enough to cancel school here in the land of brave drivers. . . just bad enough to screw up everyone's day.

As we tuck Mary in, we talk about waking up cheerful and ready to face the day. I'm working on the log in my own eye. It's a great question. Just how much of our mood can we control and how much do we just succumb to?

To that I would shout a resounding BOTH AND.  Our moods and mental health are real. AND we can do the best we can. Sleep. Eat right. Exercise. Pray/meditate. Drink more water. My five star program. Also vitamin D and fish oil. Six sided star.

Still I'm trying to fix everything and everyone arround me. I'm a contrarian. Is it me? I think it might be me. For my meditation, I went seeking inspiration. I found a printed out Facebook quote on my desk.

Go and love someone
exactly as they are.
And then watch how
quickly they transform
into the greatest, truest
version of themselves.
When one feels seen and
appreciated in their own
essence, one is instantly
empowered.
--Wes Angelozzi

I also found a great devotion about contrariness. When we are in a state of contrariness, we can't be love or see love in other people. Our negative thoughts are happy to find someone or something to oppose. We stock up on comparison and competition, judging and critiquing.

One of my favorite authors, Richard Rohr, writes: The True Self needs none of these games to know who it is. It is a child of God, sharing in God's own Spirit, and its energy is foundationally positive and generative.

I'm reflecting on my favorite airport gift shop t-shirt "the beatings will continue until moral improves." Also--the best way to ensure a happy workplace is to fire all the unhappy people. I guess those sayings don't work for family life. Yeah, no good.

Go and love someone exactly as they are. That's where we start. I guess you can't discipline someone into joy. You have to love them into joy.

But. . . getting to bed on time might help you do this and it might help the other grouchy person you are forcing into cheerfulness improve as well. Hugs and shoulder rubs are also helpful. Chocolate? All of the above.

Lord,
If you're gonna send really cold weather and then freezing rain and then two to three nuisance inches of snow, could you get it together so we really get a snow day when everyone stays home? 
Help us be cheerful anyway. Help us love the grouchy in ourselves and others. 
Amen.