Painted Deserts

NOTE: This blog was previously posted.

I was headed out for a road trip and thought it would be a great coincidence to finally begin reading Donald Miller's book, Through Painted Deserts: Light, God and Beauty on the Open Road since it's also about a road trip, and a personal journey. However, I was forced to pause early in the author's note pages as I already found these quotes that required time devoted to deeper pondering.

"I want to keep my soul fertile for the changes, so things keep getting born in me, so things keep dying when it is time for things to die. I want to keep walking away from the person I was a moment ago, because a mind was made to figure things out, not to read the same page recurrently."

"It might be time for you to go. It might be time to change, to shine out. I want to repeat one word for you: Leave. Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It is a beautiful word, isn't it? So strong and forceful, the way you have always wanted to be. And you will not be alone. You have never been alone. Don't worry. Everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who will have changed."

Our road trip is complete, as is my reading. I didn't realize this when I started the book, but his story ended in the same city our road trip ended in. Perhaps it was meant to be that this was my chosen road trip book, and perhaps I needed these reminders.

During his journey, Donald ponders a good deal about the idea of security and the feelings created by society and advertisers. His travel companion Paul seems to take things in stride and live unaffected by others and this intrigues him. He questions how does a person stop caring about the opinion of others, how does a person stop caring about money to pay rent, where food will come from, do I sound like an idiot when I speak in public, do people like me and a host of other things. Donald's questioning resonates with me. 

Life can be about the panic of having the right things, knowing the right people, etc. or it can be about the beauty in the sunrises, the glory of leaves changing colors, fresh air, people. "Paul had become a human who no longer believed the commercials are true, which, perhaps, is what a human was designed to be."

Two options: 
1. "You will feel what you were made to feel if you buy this thing I am selling."

2. "Feel what a human is supposed to feel when he stops believing lies. And maybe when a person doesn't buy the lies anymore, when a human stops long enough to realize the stuff people say to get us to part with our money often isn't true, we can finally see the sunrise, smell the wetness in a Gulf breeze, stand in awe at a downpour no less magnificent than a twenty-thousand-foot waterfall, ten square miles wide, wonder at the physics of a duck paddling itself across the surface of a pond, enjoy the reflection of the sun on the face of the moon, and know, This is what I was made to do. This is who I was made to be, that life is being given to me as a gift, that light is a metaphor, and God is doing these things to dazzle us."

Maybe this pilgrimage we're on really IS in God's hands and He is simply waiting for us to let him take control. I believe that. Go watch a sunrise or sunset. Go stand where the ocean meets the sand. Go stand in the rain. Go stare up at the trees...and let go.

All quotes in this post are from Donald Miller's book, Through Painted Deserts: Light, God and Beauty on the Open Road .

Mentor Unaware

I was enjoying a nice conversation today with somebody and out of the blue they called me a name, MENTOR! How dare they? Mentors are supposed to know what they're doing, right? Mentors are professionals. Mentors are wise. I could reach my 300-word minimum simply by describing what a mentor is and why I didn't think the word applied to me.

Instead, let me share another perspective with you. Perhaps a mentor is somebody that people are watching and learning from, and dare I even say maybe people are emulating them. While I know people are not perfect, it always seemed to me a mentor would be closer to that than most people. However, I believe many of us are "Mentors Unaware." People are indeed watching our behavior, listening to our counsel, and we may not even know it's happening.

 

Bob Goff, one of my Mentors From a Distance

I was at a leadership conference years ago and one of our speakers spoke about his mentors; some were a part of his daily life and some he referred to as mentors by observation. He could still learn from this person even without any form of contact. Think about that - are there people you watch around you, listen to on the internet, or authors you read that cross from being informational to becoming a mentor?

We may not ever know we are speaking into somebody's life, but would you do anything differently if you knew you were being a mentor to somebody? You likely are already. Take a moment this month to think about who might be learning from you that you didn't know about. What an incredible honor and opportunity it is to speak into someone's life. Imagine the value if you knowingly did so and made time for that person regularly. Mentoring is a two-way street and you simply cannot spend time with somebody in that kind of relationship without your own life being touched as well.

Are you a Mentor Unaware? Who is learning from you and what might they see?

Seasons of Opportunity

We are in a season when we find ourselves surrounded by a plenitude of berries of all kinds. Over the course of these three summer months, you are likely to find baskets, bowls, and tubs of fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, marionberries, and boysenberries in my refrigerator. 

Many grow wild along the roads and in yards across our region. When we trek out to the farmer's markets we consistently return with more than we can consume, but the fragrance and colorful beauty draws me in each time. 

Today I know there are three varieties in my refrigerator, but I also know that one of those needs to be tossed out. Its day is done, the end is near.

When you look at the berries on the vines, you can see the many stages, or seasons of the fruit. At any time you can find an orchestra of color on one vine - green, white, red, purple, blue. You will also find the stages ranging from about to enter its prime season to shriveled up and useless.

Our opportunities in life are similar. We will have countless opportunities for many things throughout our lifetime, but it takes wisdom to discern when it is the right season for a particular path. When something presents itself before you, you may know that it is a yes step. But, is it the right season? While it may be aromatic and enticing, is it perfectly ripe and the right season or is it about to mold and you should wait?

Maybe your car is not fairing too well and you have the opportunity to purchase a great used car from a reliable source, but to do so would put you into debt and stretch your payments so that you have to add another job and give up time with an ailing parent. Right opportunity, but is it the right season to say yes?

This summer, when an opportunity shows up on your doorstep, consider asking yourself one more question before jumping on board. Is this the right season for this particular opportunity?

Summer Challenges

Summer 2016 delivered a new adventure in the form of the Blog Your Brand 30-Day Summer Challenge. There's something powerful behind the word "challenge" that penetrates into the depths of my core and I can't ignore it. When I hear that word, I feel that somebody is insinuating that I can't do something and I don't like to be told what I can or cannot do.

Today is the first day of this challenge, and I hope you will spend the next 30 days looking forward to a new post and also cheering me on to complete the challenge. I do not know these folks personally, but there is a common thread running through the internet community that brought us together and I am grateful for this journey.

2015 was the first year I realized summer challenges were a thing. I participated in two and found I completed the one I expected to drop within a week and dropped the one I fully expected to finish. However, they were both successes.

Index Card A Day (ICAD) was the one I was excited to join. The concept is simple - be creative once a day for 60 days. The format was also simple - an index card. It's a fantastic challenge.

I consider myself a creative gal but I don't often take the time I should to reward myself with times of creative expression. I knew this was for me. Then I complicated things by having to do it all perfectly and technically instead of following the simple heart behind this; do something creative today. I completed 7 cards.

Failure? No. Success. You might be asking how I could possibly consider this a success story. I call it a success because two friends joined me in this who don't consider themselves creative, and enjoyed themselves! Furthermore, one of them wanted to do it again this year and so did I.

The second summer challenge was one I believed I should do but didn't think I would. It was a read through the Bible 90-day challenge. I have never read through the entire Bible, much less at a 90-day pace. I gave myself permission to quit within the first week and hoped it would simply plant a seed to want to read at my leisure. I am happy to report that I finished in 89 days and would gladly do this challenge again.

Summer brings with it many challenges including heightened yard care requirements, scheduling more outdoor activities during our few months of summer weather, bug infestations, house painting projects, and more. I would invite you to find a way to challenge yourself to do something that is important for you, for who you are, and that will make you feel better about how you spent at least part of your summer.

Standing in the Shadow

It's easy to see the dark shadows cast around us in the world today. It's easy to feel empty, burdened, or sad. It's easy to let our disappointments turn into anger and frustration. It's easy to give up.

However, it is far better to stand in our Savior's shadow. God will not forsake us as the world may. Please take a moment and rest in Our Savior's Shadow by Blake Shelton.

One More Thing...

There is no better place we can stand. What a comfort to know He will never fail or leave us.

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you if you have a need or request.
Lois Lynn

Read the lyrics here

I wish I could post the lyrics for you to read here, they are so powerful but there's a little thing called copyright. So...please enjoy the song or go read the lyrics and really sit with them for a moment. I think you'll be glad you did.