Praise Through It

Are you waiting for something?

When we were kids, waiting was the worst, right? I mean, does it get any better? Any easier? But when we were kids, waiting five minutes for Mom to get the ice cream out and ready felt like forever. Our expectations were that five minutes equals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Done! What changes as we get older is that our sense of time changes; we know that instead of just counting to five we actually have to count to 60 five separate times. What does not change is the fact that we hold our own expectations of what should happen and when exactly it should happen.

There is definite value in waiting. Listen in to hear my thoughts on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy about that four-letter word: wait.

Show notes:

The Next Right Thing, episode 18: Wait With Great Hope

I used to go to friends’ houses & marvel at how much neater they were than mine. They had more kids, more stuff, and less time than I did … so why did it seem like they did life better than I did?

As I dealt with the monster of comparison with these women who I love so much, I realized two things: the comparison was my problem, not theirs; and these families had more and different space than I did. So I wasn’t doing anything wrong, just different. And plus: just because we don’t see the mess, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

Listen in to hear thoughts on the value of living our mess out loud: what it can do for our brains, our bodies, and our relationship with the creator of the universe and the curator of our hearts.

Show notes:

Sign up for Monday Blessing

Sometimes it feels like life is catching fire and you’re powerless to stop it. All around you something is going wrong, one way or another, and you’re just trying to get from sunrise to sunset without setting off any landmines. And when that kind of season is upon us, I think we tend to tip-toe and just make do. We tire of showing up, we tire of trying again and again. We feel wrecked right along with whatever has come undone.

What if we saw the value of salvaging what’s left, rearranging, and finding the delicious inside the disaster?

We might wonder...

What is the beauty in salvaging what’s left? What’s the point?

What’s so great about rearranging?

What’s so special or what is the point about finding the delicious inside the disaster?

Listen in (or read the transcript here) to hear some thoughts.

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Show notes:

When the Marshmallows Catch Fire (original blog)

What’s the key to moving through life’s transitions, both big and small? I’m not sure there’s one perfect answer, but I do know that one of the things I’ve found most helpful is this: curiosity. If you’re moving through a life transition or have done so recently, listen in to find out how curiosity can stave off frustrated tears & maybe some gray hairs.

Because maybe curiosity killed a cat, but it doesn’t always have to. Let’s find out what’s true, right, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy about curiosity in our daily grind.

Show notes:

Are you an introvert or have you always been considered 'quiet' and you just want people to know: just because I don't share immediately doesn't mean I have nothing to share? Or are you on the ... louder? ... side of the introversion/extroversion spectrum and you're wondering how to love your quiet people well? 

The quiet ones tend to hide behind our books and our Kindles and our screens and our kids and our pets and our writing, but introverts matter and want to win the space sometimes, too. In a world that finds extroverts more attractive, we just want to know that we're enough, that we have value.

How can introverts win the space more often than we do? Quiet and loud ones: listen in to find out.

Wondering why you love your people, except for that *one* thing they say or do that drives you absolutely bananas? Should we try to change that or should we just deal with it? All character traits have alter-egos, and each side of these character traits exist in you and me and people we know. Saying “that’s not who I am” or “that’s not who they are” isn’t really a true statement because if it came out of us, it’s a part of us. And I think we forget that without this part of the person we wouldn’t have that part. And we love that part.

Show notes:

Trauma / Healing / Learning / Growing Resources:

I just know that I have to start dreaming again. I can’t wait for all the things that are out of my control to get better or to change enough so that I feel free. I just can’t do that to myself. I have to plan vacations for next year. I have to think about first grade for my daughter. I have to decide that I want to learn to ski next winter. Even if none of it happens, I have to dream. I have to be optimistic and hope that they do happen.

Show notes:

The sunrise pre-all-in hot tub/pool extravaganza

What happens when the light & dark seasons get mixed up? What happens when we expect light, and instead the darkness surprises us? Where do we go with that? Listen in (or read on with the transcript) to find out some thoughts on what to do when a dark season surprises us.

Mentioned in Episode 4:

Scatter Seeds of Kindness

What if filters give us a way to look at the same thing in a different way. Not necessarily an untrue way, just different.

What if a filter was just a way to bring out something true we didn’t see before?

Show notes:

The Popcast with Knox & Jamie

Praise Through It: Daily Filters