{Not} Living Vicariously

Already Celebrating

We've been searching for a new church home - closer to home. While we love our family at the church I've been attending since 2002 and Aaron has been going to since we started dating, we also knew that we needed to find one that was not 45 minutes away. So we've been visiting a bunch of different area churches over the past three months and yesterday we went to a start-up congregation for our second visit. The sermon and emphasis was on Understanding Passover with a focus on the Lord's Supper as described in the book of Luke. Imagine my surprise and delight when a large part of it emphasized how we are to "celebrate" the fact that not only has Jesus saved us but that He is saving us and will save us.

Not only was I struck by how God is already calling to mind the word I've chosen to emphasize this year, it truly was a lightbulb moment for me to approach the table not only with reverance but also in celebration. What a wonderful notion to take with me now and forever.

Snowy weather

This has been an interesting season for me. I don't remember the last time we've had this much "inclement" weather at all and especially not this early into the Winter season. I meant to be painting this weekend based on the way my door frame looks, but our high tomorrow is supposed to be 27 degrees F. I don't think I would, even if the primer and paint didn't require warmer temperatures.

I don't mind the cold all that much when I can stay indoors and make things like soups and chilis . . . but it does make it hard to walk the dog and all those other outdoor activities I enjoy so much. And unfortunately we don't often get enough snow to make it worthwhile and pretty. However, this weekend, we just might. Snow is expected to come in by Sunday evening, along the line of I-40 and that gives me hope that I might get to enjoy some of it.

In the meantime, I have fond memories of the snow we enjoyed over Christmas up at the KY farm . . .

 
. . . and I look forward to heading out to CA next week for some (hopefully) warmer temperatures!

Whatever plans your weekend entails - I wish you the best!

Word 2011

Instead of resolutions*, I like to choose a word to emphasize through the year. Resolutions are quickly broken, however a word that causes one to stop and think can be focused on whenever and wherever one wants without ever feeling as if one has failed.

This year's word is: CELEBRATE

Too often I focus only on the big events and major issues in my life. This year I want to concentrate on celebrating all the small pieces that are what make a life worth living: holding hands with my husband, taking a walk with the dog, having the cat purr on my lap, eating the first bite of something delicious, seeing a beautiful sunrise or sunset, the moments you want to capture forever. So come along with me on this journey and celebrate those instances!

 
Today we celebrate the fur babies sharing the window seat without any growls or hisses - they may not be friends, but at least they aren't enemies?

*Disclaimer: Two Happy Bellies has chosen a very loose resolution for 2011 however between the two of us we should be able to accomplish it without any problem.

Four Years Ago . . .

I started this blog and it was titled Not Living Vicariously in part to force myself to live life. You know what? I do live life and sometimes I live life so fully there is no time to actually blog about it. That is why postings can sometimes be very far apart. Luckily I don't think any of you are waiting with bated breath to find out . . . what . . . I . . . do . . . next . . . but I do wish I could be a bit more consistent with my updates. After all, I know how disappointed I get when one of my favorite bloggers takes a long hiatus, especially with no warning. Anyway, I make no promises about what will actually happen in 2011, however I do have some plans and those plans will encourage me to be more regular in my updates. (But don't hold your breath, you know what they say about making God laugh!)

I do want to wish each and every one of you a very Happy Christmas and Merry New Year! Or whatever holidays you choose to celebrate, I want you to know my best wishes go out to you for peace, love, and joy - my desire for this time of year!

Words of Wisdom - Ben Carson

"Happiness doesn't result from what we get, but from what we give." -- Ben Carson

If you have not heard of Ben Carson, I'm not going to go into a lot of detail here. Look for Dr. Ben Carson, Gifted Hands, and you will find the individual I'm referencing. His story is an amazing one and I couldn't do it justice if I wrote millions of words on the subject which is why I want you to look it up for yourself. However, I did want to emphasize this one quote today, December 1st, because this is the time of year we are most likely to forget it. And yet, it is a truth we all know deep down inside of us.

At this time of year when there are so many opportunities to help someone have a better holiday season, I ask you to remember that it doesn't take much to adopt an angel from a needy family . . . or donate some canned goods to a food pantry (apparently peanut butter is in top demand and on the pricey end for them to purchase themselves) . . . even help serve food or do laundry at a mission effort. There are so many ways to give of ourselves, time or money, and this is a great season to start!

I dare you to find a way to give in which you have not given before and watch the happiness surface in your own life as well as others.

Words of Wisdom - Voltaire

"Let us read and let us dance - two amusements that will never do any harm to the world." -- Voltaire

Not that I'm doing much of either these days. Life is certainly keeping us busy. However I wrote this quote down several years ago and stuck it on my bulletin board at work. It has followed me through five plus moves at work and always manages to find a place to be hung somewhere. I've never bothered to find out what context he said this in, and yes I do know the importance of reading quotes in context, however as I'm not out trying to change the mind of the world with this one . . . I don't think I really care if what he meant was the exact opposite of how I interpret it.

And what does this say to me? Why do I keep it around? How does it affect my life?

It reminds me that what I enjoy doing, as long as it brings no harm to others, should be what I do for enjoyment. AND the opposite is also true. That what you enjoy doing, as long as it brings no harm to others, should be what you do for enjoyment. In other words: be true to yourself and you will find other likeminded people out there to be friends with. Although I also try to be open to new hobbies that people in my life enjoy just in case I might enjoy them also.

Why yes, I did write this one down at a time of my life in which I was lonely having just moved across country to a place where I knew no one and spent a few too many evenings at home alone. But when I contemplated doing things I didn't like just to hang out with others versus trying new things and keeping favorite activities around . . . well I'm very glad I stuck with things like reading and dancing because I have a rich life filled with good friends who love me and I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not. It was definitely worth the reminder! And I hope, if you are in the same situation, you will know that someone like me is out there rooting for you to be true.

Words of Wisdom - Mother Teresa

"We can do no great things; only small things with great love." -- Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa continues to inspire me with her wisdom, faith, and passion for doing the right thing. I don't know as much about her as I'd like . . . no children's books about her have come across my desk . . . however I do often think back to this quote when I am discouraged about life and the time I have to live it. Lately I have felt a passion to do more for others, and yet can't find the time in my busy schedule. Is it that I truly don't have time to do more in my day or is it that I don't have time to do "great things" and yet can find time to do "small things with great love"? I think it is definitely the latter. When I stop stressing over the trying to make big gestures of volunteerism . . . and look for the small ways to lend a helping hand . . . all of a sudden opportunities exist all over the place.

Where can I lend a helping hand tomorrow?

Words of Wisdom - Walt Disney

It is very hard for me to pick just one Walt Disney quote as the man had a knack for speaking to my heart. Some of my favorites include:

I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.
It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
Laughter is America's most important export.
If you can dream it, you can do it.

However, I'm going to focus on: The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. 

How true is this? And how often do we forget? I talk about doing a lot of things . . . and I absolutely LOVE creating "to-do" lists . . . but as far as actually doing something? Well it is much easier to talk about doing something than actually getting around to doing it. Recently I discovered the joy of a project going live at work. This was something I ended up managing because there was no one else to manage it. I had fun. Not only had I talked about what I wanted this project accomplish, I got to make it happen. And that feeling is (I hope) a bit addictive to me, enough so that I make more things happen both professionally and personally. Because at work, I have some new goals in sight and at home, I have some yard we want to landscape!

So let me tell you, Disney had a lot of good things to say and one of them definitely is: The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.

Words of Wisdom - Abraham Lincoln

“Leave nothing for tomorrow that can be done today.” -- Abraham Lincoln

Once again reading a children's book, hey it's my job!, I came across this quote from Lincoln. It spoke to me, reminding me once again, how often I do leave something until tomorrow. Now if it is saving the last piece of dark chocolate to eat tomorrow instead of today - that could be a good thing. But if I'm honest, it usually isn't. Why is this?

And it isn't even as if I'm always leaving the "icky" . . . the "boring" . . . the "chores" of life until tomorrow. Even though that isn't good, at least it is understandable. However I often also postpone the good in life thinking "I'll do that tomorrow" and "tomorrow" never comes. So I end up robbing myself of some of the joy I deserve.

Not only is this not fair to me, it is not fair to those around me who don't get to participate in that joy or are treated unfairly by me due to my own disappointments. So even though I first read this quote and thought about all the chores I haven't done, I'm turning this one around and trying to decide what fun thing have I been putting off until "tomorrow" that could be done today!

What about you? What have you been putting off until tomorrow that, if you did it today, would give you and those around you some joy?

Words of Wisdom - unknown

"Even if you do nothing else God, you have done enough."

Some while back my parents and I went with my Aunt Vicki to a church in Fresno where she lives and where we used to live. I don't know the name of the church, although I could find out, nor do I know who said this, although it was important enough to me I wrote it down and know that I wrote it down that day. Whenever I get frustrated with life - with God not answering my immediate prayer - with life throwing me a curve ball and things not going the way I want them to - I pull this tiny slip of paper out of my calendar and read it again.

"Even if you do nothing else God, you have done enough."

How utterly true this is. Because whatever else is going on here in my life on Earth, that is here and here is not my ultimate goal. My ultimate goal is to be with God in heaven and even if He does nothing else ever for me He has made that happen by coming to Earth and dying for me. How can I require any more from him?

"Even if you do nothing else God, you have done enough."