I used to write

I used to write.  I wrote a lot about what I loved, what I did, what I believed and then I stopped.  I stopped to advocate for two boys.  I stopped because I only had one thing to say, "bring my boys home".  I stopped because pushing the keys on the keyboard caused my heart to bleed and it felt just a little less vulnerable to stop the bleed and stop the writing.  Today I am writing, because I have more to say.  I have things to say about parenting and marriage and adoption and spirituality and books and *gasp* politics. 

Where do I start with a heart that is overflowing with words? 

How about politics, how it has invaded our lives and taken over in the most obstructive way?  How we are swimming in a sea of toxic rhetoric?  How we blame the media for writing the narrative but we just as quickly write our own narrative around the election, a narrative that supports our own ideas?  How do you stop the narrative spinning, the black-hole falling, the deep sea diving fall from reality?

Stop and listen.  Speak less and listen more.  Post less and listen more.  Stop blaming the media and starting asking yourself, "what is my role in this circus?"  Hear the stories of the people around you, take a deep breath and hear their heart not their rhetoric.   Hear their pain and don't try to fix-it or explain it or tell them why it shouldn't exist.  Consider your speech and your posting, will it bring life to the people around me?

Love extravagantly.  Love your neighbor as you would love yourself, whether they are old, young, grumpy, happy, White, Black, Latino, Muslim, LGBTQ, alcoholic, or a serious coffee lover (maybe even bring them a cup of coffee and a chocolate croissant).   And don't forget to love the Trump voters, the Hilary voters and the Third Party voters.

Laugh.  Laugh lots.  Laugh at comb-overs and pant suits.  Laugh at yourself for the weird words you say (or maybe that's just me).  Laugh at funny jokes and kids antics.  Laugh at yourself, when you'd rather criticize yourself.  Just laugh!

Abide.  Abide deeply.  Change can't be muscled through, it must flow out of a deep abiding relationship with Christ (this is something I learned this from yoga).  To-do lists and rants and beating ourselves up won't change us or anybody else.  There is a work that only Jesus can do.  Take time to listen for his voice, ask him what he wants you say, what he wants you to believe about the world, ask him how he wants you to love. 

There are more words tucked inside my heart, but this is where I'm starting post-election 2016.

Books I am reading, because I know you are curious:
Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikaibu (earliest novel written, 11c. Japan)
Iliad by Homer (my newest favorite, why had I never read this in its entirety before?!?!)
No-Drama Discipline by Dan Siegel and Tina Bryson (because I have 5 kids at home and no-drama is a good thing)
Present over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
Univited by Lysa TerKeurst

Have a campfire dance party on me.....