Katrina Cummins

Tis the Season

2011-12-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

Ah, Christmas. It is the most wonderful time of the year in our family. The tree sits quietly in our front room. Presents are wrapped and ready to burst open. Splashes of red color have been placed throughout our home. Christmas music constantly plays in the background. The smell of pine cone and cinnamon drift through out each room. Ah Christmas, it is the season of joy and hope.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, wherever you find yourself this season. May you feel the love in your heart as you walk through this month. Blessings to your family as you take time out together, creating life long memories.

One of our holiday traditions is to jump into our car with pajamas on, warm chocolate in hand and drive around our neighborhood looking at Christmas lights in awe. Growing up in Australia, I am very comfortable with warm weather and going to the beach surfing after Christmas lunch. There is nothing like a hot Christmas, sitting outside enjoying a beautiful sunny day unwrapping presents.

Now living in the PNW, we huddle around the fire and sing "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas". Whether you are living on a warm tropical island or rugged up ready to play outside in the snow, Merry Christmas to you and your family.

May you enjoy this season and everything it has to offer.
Love,
Katrina & family.

Lessons my girlfriends have taught me....

2011-09-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

Girlfriends. Ah, there is nothing else like amazing girlfriends in your life. I am so blessed to have wonderful friends in my life. Together we laugh, cry, pray, question each other, support and love one another, drink coffee and watch our families grow up before our eyes. We share our journey together. The truth of it is, we all need traveling companions to help us along on our journey in life. Getting together with my girlfriends, we share life. The other day I heard a speaker say that husbands make terrible girlfriends. I giggled out loud as there is some truth to that statement.

Girlfriends are a present in my life. We unwrap life together. We share life. Together. A band of survivors.

I would like to share with you a few lessons my girlfriends have taught my heart. I could write a book on so many different lessons I have learned from my girlfriends, this list is a starting point.

~ Laugh. Laughing together releases stress and nourishes my soul.

~ Challenging questions are a gift to me. They question me because they love me.

~ They raise me up, believe in me when I don't feel that about myself.

~ Life is difficult but together we can walk forward supporting each other.

~ Having a friend to call when life is pressing down on you from every side is priceless.

~ Crying is therapeutic. No tear is ever wasted in life.

~ Having a few close friends who know you intimately is a gift.

~ Everybody wants to be noticed, heard and understood.

~ We are not meant to live in isolation.

~ We were made to be fully known and loved by those around us.

~ When we are known we are living out our purpose in life.

~ Life is messy, but a gift; share it with others.

I love my girlfriends. You know who you are, and I am deeply grateful to be your friend on this journey called life. Thank you for sharing life together.

Ah, summer.

2011-07-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

It is summer time here in America. Where we live in the Pacific North West, Portland Oregon, it is just beautiful this time of the year. School is out for summer and we are enjoying lazy mornings, reading, swim lessons for the kids and going to the beach.

For me, summer means change is on the horizon. A new school year will start in August for our kids and fall will blow in, with leaves changing color and pumpkins to carve. I am already starting to think about our busy fall schedule, but I need to be careful that I don't miss the joy that summer time brings.

Summer is a time for us to slow down, sip in the sunshine and relax. I trust you have a wonderful relaxing summer, where ever your journey may take you. May you slow down, watch the stars, smell the roses, splash in a lake and soak up every moment of joy that summer time brings.

Happy Summer!

5 questions to ask yourself - Question 3

2011-04-28T18:10:00.000-07:00

3) What part of your life story could encourage someone else?
Strategy: Use your unique voice.
-We all need to remember that we don't live in a vacuum and we have gained experiences that can be used to encourage others. For example, when I moved here to America eleven years ago from Australia I was feeling so overwhelmed. I remember speaking with other people who also had moved - and they had only moved just across town. To see them thriving and not just surviving was a huge encouragement for me. I knew I would get through that difficult time because someone else encouraged me along the way.
Is there a difficult time in your life, a divorce, a move, an illness, financial struggles, that you have overcome?? Think of how your unique hardships could help someone else today. Or perhaps you have a positive success story of developing your own business late in life...With the economy right now, many people have been laid off. Some people are having to go back to school to start a new career. Speaking to someone else who has walked that path and navigated a new career can be very inspirational.
Take the opportunity every day to perform random acts of encouragement...checking out at the grocery store last week, I commented to the clerk about the state of the economy. The clerk told me she was a struggling single mom, raising three children. I encouraged her, saying that she is doing the best she can with what she has. Encouragement brings others hope, and provides opportunity for each of us to count in life. Never underestimate making a difference in someone else's life by just a few caring words.

Our deepest fear

2011-04-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves,
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

By Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love

5 questions to ask yourself - Question 2

2011-04-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

2) What is weighing you down from the past that you need to be free from?
Strategy: Open to free yourself
We all have situations from our childhood, good and bad. We need to choose, as adults, how we are going to let go of those situations from our past that do not serve us today. Some of us are walking around with emotional baggage holding onto resentment over events that happened decades ago. To determine what is weighing you down from your past, ask yourself, where in my life do I need to apply forgiveness? Answering that will open you up to new insight and healing.
A traumatic or unpleasant situation can actually mold you for the better if you are open to that possibility. You get to decide how to mold that situation in your life...It can be a creative opportunity in disguise...For example, through healing, abused women can mold that experience to help other women - by volunteering at a safe house or being a counselor on a crisis phone line.
-I encourage people to use the “This won't last forever” technique. When I was pregnant, I felt like I was going to be pregnant forever. I put a sign on our fridge that said, "I will not be pregnant forever" and I read it every day! Sometimes when we are going through a situation we need to remember that today is not a lifetime.

5 questions to ask yourself - Question 1

2011-03-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

1) What energizes you and what drains you in life?

Strategy: Constantly Evaluate Energy,

What people and situations bring energy to your life and which scenarios and folks zap your life force every time?? Do you know the answers?
Everything in life either energizes or drains us. Think about your mother-in-law, does she energize you or drain you? When we pinpoint situations/people that fall into these categories, we can start to apply strategies to balance these events so we can manage our lives better.

For example, generally speaking we can't choose our boss. Some of us have a boss that drains our energy. How do you best handle your boss? I call it the “Stop & Go” technique. We need to ask ourselves do I need to STOP or GO ahead with that situation, person, conversation? With our boss, of course, we have to talk to them-and the good news is we have 100% control on how we respond to our boss no matter what they are saying to us. Can you say 'no' to having lunch with your boss because you know he or she is going to sit and criticize your co-workers and be a negative drain on you?? YES, YOU CAN! Establish boundaries around the negativity in your life and your energy will remain intact.
Wondering how to boost your energy in a situation that normally drains you? Let's say going to the gym by yourself feels boring or hard, but being with your friend energizes you, simply ask your friend if they would start going to the gym with you.

5 questions to ask yourself

2011-03-01T16:06:00.000-08:00

What if you spent 5 minutes a day, asking yourself five key questions to truly make your life count?? Many of us spend longer in the bathroom each day than we do reflecting on our lives! Why is it crucial to ask yourself the right questions? Because reflective thinking produces intentional living. Asking the right questions produces life changing answers, that allow you to be in the driver's seat of your life, instead of being an out-of-control back seat driver, only reacting to what others are doing.

For every one of these 5 questions, there is a life-affirming action strategy using the acronym COUNT.

1) What energizes you and what drains you in life?
Strategy: Constantly Evaluate Energy,
What people and situations bring energy to your life and which scenarios and folks zap your life force every time?? Do you know the answers?
Everything in life either energizes or drains us. Think about your mother-in-law, does she energize you or drain you? When we pinpoint situations/people that fall into these categories, we can start to apply strategies to balance these events so we can manage our lives better.
For example, generally speaking we can't choose our boss. Some of us have a boss that drains our energy. How do you best handle your boss? I call it the “Stop & Go” technique. We need to ask ourselves do I need to STOP or GO ahead with that situation, person, conversation? With our boss, of course, we have to talk to them-and the good news is we have 100% control on how we respond to our boss no matter what they are saying to us. Can you say 'no' to having lunch with your boss because you know he or she is going to sit and criticize your co-workers and be a negative drain on you?? YES, YOU CAN! Establish boundaries around the negativity in your life and your energy will remain intact.
Wondering how to boost your energy in a situation that normally drains you? Let's say going to the gym by yourself feels boring or hard, but being with your friend energizes you, simply ask your friend if they would start going to the gym with you.

2) What is weighing you down from the past that you need to be free from?
Strategy: Open to free yourself
We all have situations from our childhood, good and bad. We need to choose, as adults, how we are going to let go of those situations from our past that do not serve us today. Some of us are walking around with emotional baggage holding onto resentment over events that happened decades ago. To determine what is weighing you down from your past, ask yourself, where in my life do I need to apply forgiveness? Answering that will open you up to new insight and healing.
A traumatic or unpleasant situation can actually mold you for the better if you are open to that possibility. You get to decide how to mold that situation in your life...It can be a creative opportunity in disguise...For example, through healing, abused women can mold that experience to help other women - by volunteering at a safe house or being a counselor on a crisis phone line.
-I encourage people to use the “This won't last forever” technique. When I was pregnant, I felt like I was going to be pregnant forever. I put a sign on our fridge that said, "I will not be pregnant forever" and I read it every day! Sometimes when we are going through a situation we need to remember that today is not a lifetime.

3) What part of your life story could encourage someone else?
Strategy: Use your unique voice.
-We all need to remember that we don't live in a vacuum and we have gained experiences that can be used to encourage others. For example, when I moved here to America eleven years ago from Australia I was feeling so overwhelmed. I remember speaking with other people who also had moved - and they had only moved just across town. To see them thriving and not just surviving was a huge encouragement for me. I knew I would get through that difficult time because someone else encouraged me along the way.
Is there a difficult time in your life, a divorce, a move, an illness, financial struggles, that you have overcome?? Think of how your unique hardships could help someone else today. Or perhaps you have a positive success story of developing your own business late in life...With the economy right now, many people have been laid off. Some people are having to go back to school to start a new career. Speaking to someone else who has walked that path and navigated a new career can be very inspirational.
Take the opportunity every day to perform random acts of encouragement...checking out at the grocery store last week, I commented to the clerk about the state of the economy. The clerk told me she was a struggling single mom, raising three children. I encouraged her, saying that she is doing the best she can with what she has. Encouragement brings others hope, and provides opportunity for each of us to count in life. Never underestimate making a difference in someone else's life by just a few caring words.

4) What 2 qualities attracts people towards you?
Strategy: Nuture Your Best Self
When you identify your 2 best qualities that attract people, and you focus on playing up those strengths, your life will expand through the enriching interactions with like-minded people who are drawn to you. If you are not too sure what your 2 best qualities are, ask! Ask your spouse, family, trusted friends or even co-workers to list your strengths. Every person has amazing gifts to offer the world. When we review our top qualities, we see how these qualities have already brought success into our lives. These qualities offer a blueprint of where to continue building in our life.
For me, I have been intentional about tapping into my ability to problem solve, through training and education. In coaching and speaking, I counsel people and businesses to help them become “simply the best”. But this focus had to start at home with me first. Every day I have asked myself, What did I do today to develop my problem-solving ability? And second, what have the outcomes in my life been for being a problem solver? I noticed that when I took the time to nuture that quality, I attracted more significant and fulfilling experiences into my life, such as motivational speaking.
.

5) Do you step out in trust or fear in unknown situations?
Strategy: Think Ahead About Your Motivation -
- Every day is an unknown day. The question is “How will you handle it?” When we have fear, at the heart of our daily thoughts and actions, we are questioning our own abilities to handle life. Trust is all about a commitment to your self. Commitment that you will find a way, no matter what, to persevere.
For your clothes dryer to work properly, you need to clean out the lint trap. If you don't, there are blockages, it could shut down. Likewise, fear produces blockages in our lives and we can shut down - emotionally/mentally/physically. Trust produces a flow of life through us. Like hooking the dryer up to electricity so it can work properly, we need to plug into trusting ourselves.
-We can plug into that trust through a few simple techniques such as positive visualization of the situation or writing down the best case scenario of what you want to happen. A very practical technique is to put a quarter in a jar every time you trust yourself and take out a quarter every time you step out fear. Would you be in negative balance?
-Your motivation to step out in trust can be like super glue, holding you together in an unknown situation. Just learning to surrender and trust that we can trust life to be on our side is a leap of faith that takes renewed daily practice and commitment.

Disappointment

2011-02-10T11:33:00.001-08:00

Do you ever feel disappointed with life? Like, life has handed you something that you didn't expect. Or that there are cracks in your life which show up and damage you? Broken relationships. Shattered dreams. Betrayal. Disappointment is a tough place to hang out. Feelings can be hurt, challenging questions asked and overwhelming emotions come crashing onto and flood our hearts. Relationships are impacted and thoughts about ourselves raise their ugly head. Where does this disappointment come from? I would like to return it and take it back to Walmart, or wherever it comes from.

When I feel disappointed with something in my life I take time to think about what happened. Did I have inappropriate expectations or different pictures of what was I thought was, or could happen? Do I need to change my behavior or protect my heart so that I won't be disappointed again from that person or situation? My constant mantra to our children that "life is tough on a good day" doesn't come close to explaining feelings of disappointment. It is like listening to a beautiful piece of music but there is a note that isn't being played in tune. It affects the whole music because it does not fit. Disappointment does not seem to fit in our lives, yet it exists. Maybe you have felt disappointment with a dream, job, relationship, or you fill in your favorite disappointment experience. We all have disappointment in our lives. We cannot escape it.

Through disappointment we walk to a place that can feel scary and out of control because we don't visit this place very often. But through this process we can learn a lot about who we are and that we can still walk forward on this complicated and confusing journey called life. I am grateful that there is no Camp Disappointment, more like a valley of disappointment. With any valley, we are just passing through to the next mountain, and the next valley. Though we experience dents on the hard wear of our souls because of disappointment, it is these very experiences that shape us into who we are. These experiences can break or make us into who God is making us, as we draw our strength, identity and fulfillment from Him.

I love what Anne Lamott says in her book Plan B, "When God is going to do something wonderful, He always starts with a hardship; when God is going to do something amazing, He starts with an impossibility". Disappointment feel like impossibilities in our lives because life can come crashing down upon us where we doubt that we can climb out that pit and crawl on. It is just too big to deal with. But out of this process is a seed of hope that is planted and sprouts when we least expect it. Our disappointments in life gives birth to new dreams and new life. I don't understand how this fully works, but I know because I have experienced it in my own life.

When ever you feel disappointment in life, walk through this place, acknowledge what ever the situation is, learn from it, feel it and have hope that seeds of newness are being planted and cultivated. When you experience a twist or bend in the road which takes you through the valley of disappointment, keep going and place one foot in front of the other.
You are stronger than you think.

Tour Down Under

2011-01-14T16:50:00.000-08:00

Whew, we have had a busy Christmas and as a result I have been quiet on the blog front. We spent Christmas in Australia and had an amazing time. It was great to see family, friends and have a warm Christmas.

We swam with dolphins, played with kangaroos and hung out with koalas. Australian people are so friendly and polite. Watching a cricket game for seven days probably teaches you patience. After staying in Adelaide (my home town) we ventured into the outback to visit my older brother and his family in Mildura, Victoria. Then we drove down to Melbourne. What a beautiful city! The food was amazing. We found this wonderful french bakery, which made us feel like we were sitting in a cafe in the heart of Paris. Later that night we tried Turkish food, which was so yummy.

Australia is one of the most spectacular places to visit in the world. As an Aussie I really am not bias, just being honest. Having lived in many different places around the globe, I still call Australia home. Maybe it is the food, warm weather, beautiful beaches or laid back style of the people, that makes this country paradise on earth.

If you do one thing, visit Australia. You will not be disappointed.

One of our favorite activities was going out on a catamaran boat and swimming with wild dolphins. Amazing experience to be surrounded by these playful and exotic animals.

Good times and good memories.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

2010-11-29T11:13:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas! It is arguably the most wonderful time of the year. The Christmas lights sparkling in the darkness, the smell of cinnamon drifting out of our oven, the constant singing of Christmas carols floating out of our sound system... ah, it is the most magical time of the year.

As excitement builds in our house, I love seeing Christmas through the eyes of our children. They notice such small and interesting things. As a family we love to decorate our house with as much Christmas stuff that our house can hold. Christmas lights are always so exciting for our kids. Light on the tree, outside, in our backyard, and in our kitchen. Some nights, we turn off all the big lights and just have the colorful Christmas lights on. Then we turn on our favorite Christmas music and dance the night away. This seems to be one highlight for our children that they beg us to do each year. We are wondering when they will feel too old or cool to participate.

We also love to jump into our car in our pyjamas and drive around our neighborhood looking at the lights. With home made hot chocolate in hand, we "oooooh" and "ah" at lights that we see. Then we pick our favorite lights.

Christmas is what you make of it. We choose to celebrate this magical time of the year. Merry Christmas.

Thankfulness

2010-11-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

This time of the year feels so special. The leaves are changing color, rain puddles are filling up and the smell of pumpkin spiced latte's flows out of Starbucks.We have so much to be thankful for in our lives. If I wrote a list of what I am thankful for in my life, I would be sitting here for a long time. How about you?

Being from Australia I didn't grow up with Thanksgiving as a family tradition. Now, living in America for the past 12 years I love this family time to just sit and share what we are thankful for in our lives. Actually, our kids would tell you that every night when we sit down to eat, each person takes a turn to share what they are thankful for from the day. Developing thankfulness in our children is such a focus for us as parents because our children learn how to appreciate life more.

As we eat turkey next week and maybe watch some football, may your heart by overflowing with thankfulness. Sometimes, what we feel like is unnecessary pain or an inconvenience can be a blessing in disguise. With a thankful heart step out into each day, knowing that you are abundantly blessed.

Laughter is medicine for our souls...

2010-10-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

I love to laugh. Maybe it is because I grew up with my Dad telling jokes wherever we went. One of his jokes even lasts for over 45 minutes! The problem is, as his children we started to hear the same jokes over and over. Mum even tried buying Dad new joke books. But, somehow the same old jokes stuck around like a smelly worn out sock.

Now our son is into telling jokes. He collects joke books and every now and then there can be a really funny one thrown into the mix. Our daughter thinks it is really fun to just make up your own jokes. She enthusiastically makes up jokes and shares them to anyone who will listen. She laughs so hard at her own nonsense jokes that one cannot help themselves but laugh with her. Her laughter is contagiousness.

My dad called us yesterday and shared some troubling news. After he was done sharing, I said a funny remark to which I did not hear any laughter. I said, "Dad, it was joke. We need to laugh more. Laughter is the medicine for our souls". "You are right, we need to laugh more." Then the laughter started to flow...

I don't know about you, but I can find myself getting all tangled up in the day to day stress of life. We can become suffocated by stress. We know from research that when we laugh our chemistry changes in our body, for our good!

I now have a new daily goal. To say one joke each day. Our kids are so sweet that they still laugh at my jokes, so we will be having lots of good memories in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Go ahead, laugh.
It won't change your circumstances, but you may feel better!
So, what is your joke of the day?

Where do you feel most at home?

2010-08-24T20:06:00.001-07:00

Happy Summer! As a family we have had a fun summer. In June our adventure started out with me sustaining a concussion and a very serious head injury. One week into summer holidays our son broke his arm, needing a cast from his fingers right up to his shoulder.
Despite all the mishaps we encountered, we still managed to have a fun summer. We have been camping at the beach and on a lake, roasted marshmallows, sung around the beach camp fire, went bowling, to the movies, BBQ's with friends, and many other fun experiences.

When we were camping at the beach, I took a photo to remind me of where I most feel at home. I love the beach, probably because I was raised on the beach in Australia growing up and have many fond memories. At the beach, all my stress seems to melt away, the fresh salt air goes deep into my lungs and does something magical to my body. The warm sun recharges my soul and the warm sand is always a welcome to my toes.

Where do you feel most at home?
Where can you go to recharge your batteries?
Where is your 'safe' place in life?

If you haven't visited this place in sometime, I encourage you to do so, if you can.

As we enjoy the last few weeks of summer I am excited and hopeful about this upcoming season. So many possibilities and opportunities lay ahead of each one of us.

As you walk along on your journey called life, may you visit wherever you feel most at home as a place to just "be".

Proud to be an Aussie

2010-07-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

I am an Aussie. Even after living in the US for twelve years, I still call Australia home. I love walking on the warm white sand at the beach, barbecuing in the summer, watching cricket and listening to Australian's talk.

When I saw the new Australia tourism ad my heart skipped a beat or two. I miss Australia and I was so proud to watch Australia and all her beauty in this advertisement.

If you have never been to Australia, one word, go! You will never regret the financial cost to fly there and will have many fond memories of your time in the land Down Under.

There is nothing like it...

Big Steps

2010-06-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

As I watched our daughter walk across the stage for her preschool graduation I felt a pull on my heart.

She is growing up so FAST. Every parent can tell you that the time goes by fast. Yes, some days drag on, but some days I wake up and ask myself "where has the time gone?".

As she smiled at me while she walked on that stage, I saw our little girl as a senior walking across the stage for her high school graduation. Funny as I don't feel that I am getting older but I know that our little critters are. I am so proud of our kids, they bring us great joy.

Knowing that one day she will walk out our front door with her bags packed urges me to grab every moment with her before time runs out.

Every little step can turn into a big step when we get up and just put one foot in front of the other foot.

Happy traveling my little girl.

My Mommy...

2010-05-16T20:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, where has the time been spent over the last few weeks. It has been a very busy time to say the least.

Mother's Day was a pocket of joy amidst our crazy schedule. I received precious gifts from our kids. If you know me, you know that I LOVE homemade gifts. There is no price tag for these kinds of gifts.

They are one of a kind. I cannot go into a store and buy one of these gifts. Our son Anderson made a beautiful journal about his mom.

Our five year old daughter answered these following questions about her mom.

"My Mommy"
1) My mom is how old?
-13 years old.

2) What does your mom look like?
-Hair like me.

3) What does your mom like to do?
-Go to church.

4) What does your mom always say?
-I love you.

5) What I like to do with my mom is...
-Our snuggles times.

I love looking at the world through the eyes of our kids.

It is refreshing.

It is innocent.

It is pure joy.

How Do You Trust?

2010-04-19T09:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday as I was sitting on a park bench watching our children play, I saw something out of the corner of my eye which intrigued me. I saw a little girl, probably 5 years old, climb onto the balance beam. Her dad came and stood right beside her.

You could see the fear on her face as she looked around and thought about walking the balancing beam, which is about three feet off the ground.
As she climbed onto the bar she looked for her dad and cried out, "I can't do this!"

"I am right here ready to catch you if you fall", he said in a calm voice to her.
The little girl was still apprehensive and went to grab onto her daddy's strong arms.

"No, I can't do this."
"Yes, you can. Do you trust me? I am right here and I will catch you if you fall."

I watched this little girl do two things. First, she believed her dad would be there for her if she needed him because she trusts him. Second, because of that trust she inched herself forward on the balance beam.

Half way across she wobbled and screamed. The dad put his arms right around her and reassured her that he was there for her.
He kept on encouraging her with very soft gentle words.
"I've got you. I am right here."

As I watched this event unfold I was deeply touched. The love and commitment that this father showed towards his daughter was beautiful. The truth of it is, as a father he had her best interest at heart. He never left her side. Never. Even when the little girl felt scared, she had no reason to be because he was present and available to her.

Even though this little girl was scared, she trusted that her daddy was there protecting her. He would not let her fall and hurt herself.

She trusted him for her life. Their relationship is based on TRUST.

Some of us struggle with trust in our lives. We have broken trust bridges between our hearts and other people. No matter what age or stage you find yourself, we all have experienced broken trust in our lives.

From our broken trust bridges we ask ourselves, "Can I really trust?"

How do you trust people in your life?

God is trustworthy in your life, even when you don't feel it or see it. He is just like the dad that I saw at the playground. There for us all the time, no matter what. We will fall in life, but He is there to catch us and encourage us along the way.
That is a solid promise from Him.

Trust Him. He is trustworthy.

What are your needs?

2010-04-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was amazing. I spent the weekend with a group of wonderful ladies at a retreat as the guest speaker. I just love these women, they are truly amazing. Their love, authenticity, personal stories and tender hearts were very special. To laugh and cry so much over a short period of time is such a gift. We weren't meant to live in isolation, we need friends for the journey.

We spent the weekend looking at how Christ can fill us up and meet ALL our needs. As women we have many different heart needs that we need to choose to bring to the foot of the cross, and "dump" it all out.

Some questions we looked at were:
Why do we need Christ to fill us up?
What are your needs?
How will you handle all your needs?
What do you need from Christ right now?

We talked about coming to Him and drinking from His everlasting life, where we are saturated and overflowing from His life. Many needs were laid at the foot of the cross and lives were touched and transformed.

Thank you ladies for a blessed weekend!

Are you free to be yourself?

2010-04-02T20:25:00.001-07:00

I am in the middle of writing a talk for an upcoming event. The theme is free to be you and the title for my talk is "Free To Let Go". I have really been thinking about this topic, as with any talk I put a lot of thought and focus into the topic that I am speaking on.

Free to let go. What does that really mean for us as women? What does that look like? How would you know if you were free to be yourself? What would that feel like to you? Each morning as you pull the warm covers off your body, how will you be free?

Free from what?

As part of my talk, I am sharing bits and pieces from my life story. Through different events I have layers and layers wrapped around me. The truth of it is, we really can't be free to be ourselves until we lay all these layers down at the foot of the cross. Only then can we be free from the burdens that weight us down. Something so simple, yet so profound.

For some of us, after taking off all our layers we then can be faced with a shocking question, "Who am I?" Becoming free from all the lies, guilt, shame, insecurities that hold us captive is a challenging process. As a woman who has walked through that valley, I can honestly say that it is well worth the journey.

When we lay everything down, we can be free.
Being free is about trusting Him in everything.

We were made to fly and be free.
Your freedom is found in Him.

Are you skipping into springtime?

2010-03-06T14:54:00.001-08:00

You know what I am doing? Chasing springtime. I love this time of the year. The frogs are making loud croaking noises at night time, the cherry blossom is bursting forth after a cold winter and bright colors are creating a visual buffet for our eyes. I feel summer around the corner, and don't it feel good! How about you? How is spring looking in your neck of the woods?

10 Things Not To Give Your Valentine

2010-02-13T19:11:00.000-08:00

1) Padded toilet seat cover.

2) Life time supply of Gas-X.

3) Epilady hair removal test kit.

4) Pre-paid head stone.

5) In-home do it yourself mammogram test.

6) Life time membership for ESPN magazine.

7) Two tickets to watch a cage fight.

8) Application for Biggest Loser TV show.

9) Stretchable waistband pants.

10) Night spanx.

Happy Valentines! I am hoping that my wonderful hubby reads this.

Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God - A message from Sheila Walsh

2010-02-01T12:28:00.001-08:00

Do You Live in the "What If?"

2010-01-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

Are the type of person that lives with BIG dreams?
Do you see the possibility in every situation?
Or, do you see obstacles at every turn, weighing you down?

What if we lived with more positive "what ifs" in our lives?

What if we could see the endless possibilities around us?
What if we lived each day with an open mind?
What if we stepped out each morning and tackled the day with pure intention?

Some of ask the "what if" questions and our energy and focus becomes depleted and destroyed.
What if my husband would spend more time with me?
What if my kids didn't argue?
What if we had more money to spend on things that we want?

What if...

What if we could use the power of our thinking to make each moment count.
How do you use the power of "what if" in your life? Is it your friend or foe?

Asking the powerful question of "what if" either destroys or builds us up. For example, asking yourself "What if we had a nicer house?" really makes you focus on everything bad about your house, even if it is a nice house! Our thoughts and the power of language tells our brain what to focus on. If you start to see everything that is good about your house you will see your house in a more appreciative way.

I have heard people say "What if I had more money, my life would be so much better." The most amazing fact was that this person already had a lot of money. But because they were focusing on what they didn't have they missed seeing all the amazing and wonderful blessings in their life. As a result, they were never content, saw problems at every turn and their life forced was zapped every day.

This week as you step out into the unknown, what if opened yourself to all the amazing opportunities and possibilities around you?

How would your life look differently?

The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bill In Half, Stephanie Nelson

2010-01-13T14:10:00.001-08:00

How to cut your grocery bill in half each week.

2010-01-13T13:51:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was fascinated to watch Coupon Mom on the Today morning show. It was amazing to watch this mom buy $100 worth of groceries for 25c. Yes, t-w-e-n-t-y f-i-v-e cents (which included tax)! It was mind blowing. Stephanie Nelson says that she saves up to $8,000 dollars a year shopping with coupons and buying items on sale.

Given today's economy, maybe we could all use some help to become more savvy when shopping to help us balance our check books more effectively.

She has written a book called "The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half". Click here to preview the book.

Click here for her web site which has printable coupons and video segments to watch.

I encourage you to take on the challenge to see how much you can stretch your grocery dollars this week.

Katrina J. Cummins (MEd)

2010-01-11T14:44:00.001-08:00

5 Questions to ask yourself to make your life COUNT!

2010-01-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

(This morning I had the fun opportunity to appear on AM Northwest show to talk about the 5 questions to make your life count. To watch the live segment click here.)

What if you spent 5 minutes a day, asking yourself five key questions to truly make 2010 count?? Many of us spend longer in the bathroom each day than we do reflecting on our lives! Why is it crucial to ask yourself the right questions? Because reflective thinking produces intentional living, says Portland Life Coach & Motivational Speaker Katrina Cummins, about her 5-on-5 New Year's commitment. “Asking the right questions produces life changing answers, that allow you to be in the driver's seat of your life, instead of being an out-of-control back seat driver, only reacting to what others are doing.
For every one of these 5 questions, there is a life-affirming action strategy using the acronym COUNT.

1) What energizes you and what drains you in life?
Strategy: Constantly Evaluate Energy,
What people and situations bring energy to your life and which scenarios and folks zap your life force every time?? Do you know the answers?
Everything in life either energizes or drains us. Think about your mother-in-law, does she energize you or drain you? When we pinpoint situations/people that fall into these categories, we can start to apply strategies to balance these events so we can manage our lives better.
     For example, generally speaking we can't choose our boss. Some of us have a boss that drains our energy. How do you best handle your boss? I call it the “Stop & Go” technique. We need to ask ourselves do I need to STOP or GO ahead with that situation, person, conversation? With our boss, of course, we have to talk to them-and the good news is we have 100% control on how we respond to our boss no matter what they are saying to us. Can you say 'no' to having lunch with your boss because you know he or she is going to sit and criticize your co-workers and be a negative drain on you?? YES, YOU CAN! Establish boundaries around the negativity in your life and your energy will remain intact.
Wondering how to boost your energy in a situation that normally drains you? Let's say going to the gym by yourself feels boring or hard, but being with your friend energizes you, simply ask your friend if they would start going to the gym with you.

2) What is weighing you down from the past that you need to be free from?
Strategy: Open to free yourself
We all have situations from our childhood, good and bad. We need to choose, as adults, how we are going to let go of those situations from our past that do not serve us today.   Some of us are walking around with emotional baggage holding onto resentment over events that happened decades ago. To determine what is weighing you down from your past, ask yourself, where in my life do I need to apply forgiveness? Answering that will open you up to new insight and healing.
     A traumatic or unpleasant situation can actually mold you for the better if you are open to that possibility. You get to decide how to mold that situation in your life...It can be a creative opportunity in disguise...For example, through healing, abused women can mold that experience to help other women - by volunteering at a safe house or being a counselor on a crisis phone line.
-I encourage people to use the “This won't last forever” technique. When I was pregnant, I felt like I was going to be pregnant forever. I put a sign on our fridge that said, "I will not be pregnant forever" and I read it every day! Sometimes when we are going through a situation we need to remember that today is not a lifetime.

3) What part of your life story could encourage someone else?
Strategy: Use your unique voice.
-We all need to remember that we don't live in a vacuum and we have gained experiences that can be used to encourage others.   For example, when I moved here to America eleven years ago from Australia I was feeling so overwhelmed. I remember speaking with other people who also had moved - and they had only moved just across town. To see them thriving and not just surviving was a huge encouragement for me. I knew I would get through that difficult time because someone else encouraged me along the way.
Is there a difficult time in your life, a divorce, a move, an illness, financial struggles, that you have overcome?? Think of how your unique hardships could help someone else today. Or perhaps you have a positive success story of developing your own business late in life...With the economy right now, many people have been laid off. Some people are having to go back to school to start a new career. Speaking to someone else who has walked that path and navigated a new career can be very inspirational.
Take the opportunity every day to perform random acts of encouragement...checking out at the grocery store last week, I commented to the clerk about the state of the economy. The clerk told me she was a struggling single mom, raising three children. I encouraged her, saying that she is doing the best she can with what she has. Encouragement brings others hope, and provides opportunity for each of us to count in life. Never underestimate making a difference in someone else's life by just a few caring words.

4) What 2 qualities attracts people towards you?
Strategy: Nuture Your Best Self
When you identify your 2 best qualities that attract people, and you focus on playing up those strengths, your life will expand through the enriching interactions with like-minded people who are drawn to you. If you are not too sure what your 2 best qualities are, ask! Ask your spouse, family, trusted friends or even co-workers to list your strengths. Every person has amazing gifts to offer the world. When we review our top qualities, we see how these qualities have already brought success into our lives. These qualities offer a blueprint of where to continue building in our life.
For me, I have been intentional about tapping into my ability to problem solve, through training and education. In coaching and speaking, I counsel people and businesses to help them become “simply the best”. But this focus had to start at home with me first. Every day I have asked myself, What did I do today to develop my problem-solving ability? And second, what have the outcomes in my life been for being a problem solver? I noticed that when I took the time to nuture that quality, I attracted more significant and fulfilling experiences into my life, such as motivational speaking.
.

5) Do you step out in trust or fear in unknown situations?
Strategy: Think Ahead About Your Motivation -
- Every day is an unknown day. The question is “How will you handle it?” When we have fear, at the heart of our daily thoughts and actions, we are questioning our own abilities to handle life. Trust is all about a commitment to your self. Commitment that you will find a way, no matter what, to persevere.
     For your clothes dryer to work properly, you need to clean out the lint trap. If you don't, there are blockages, it could shut down. Likewise, fear produces blockages in our lives and we can shut down - emotionally/mentally/physically. Trust produces a flow of life through us. Like hooking the dryer up to electricity so it can work properly, we need to plug into trusting ourselves.
-We can plug into that trust through a few simple techniques such as positive visualization of the situation or writing down the best case scenario of what you want to happen. A very practical technique is to put a quarter in a jar every time you trust yourself and take out a quarter every time you step out fear. Would you be in negative balance?
-Your motivation to step out in trust can be like super glue, holding you together in an unknown situation. Just learning to surrender and trust that we can trust life to be on our side is a leap of faith that takes renewed daily practice and commitment.

Birthday Wishes

2010-01-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

This month means another birthday for me. Growing up it actually meant four birthday's as my Mum and two brothers also have their special day compacted into this month. Plus, throw in Australia Day on January 26th and it makes for a very full month.

I love birthday's, probably because I love to celebrate. Sometimes I wish my birthday was six months away from Christmas because it can feel weird to celebrate so soon after this busy season.

My birthday is on the 10th of January, so I have been thinking about what 10 things I would like to do this month.

Here we go...
1) Organize all our digital photos.
2) Sit down and write out my goals.
3) Regularly go to the gym.
4) Clean out my closet.
5) Train for a half marathon.
6) Spend some serious time writing my book manuscript.
7) Go on a date with my husband.
8) Have fun hand painting with our kids.
9) Go for a walk along the river.
10)Buy a new pair of shoes, just for fun.

Whew! I am feeling tired. Maybe it is because I am getting older.
If you have a birthday in January, Happy Birthday to you as well.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

May you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas season.

Love,
The Cummins

Top 10 Best Christmas Gift Ideas for 2009

2009-12-22T13:58:00.001-08:00

I love shopping. But for some of my family members they present a challenge. I trust my Dad and father-in law are too busy to read this post. You may of already brought, wrapped and placed the gifts under your tree.
If not, check out this amazing website of the top gifts listed.

Top 10 Best Christmas Gifts

Happy shopping!
When you are out there bumping elbows with other shoppers who have not had enough caffenine, I encourage you to take some time to think about the meaning of Christmas.

Believe

2009-12-10T17:23:00.000-08:00

When you have come to the edge
Of all the light you know

And are about to step off
Into the darkness of the unknown

Faith is knowing
One of two things will happen!

There will be something solid to stand on,
Or you will be taught how to fly

-Author Unknown

Guilt Free Living

2009-12-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

Guilt.
Where does it come from?
As women why do we beat ourselves up with guilty feelings?

The Merrian-Webster Dictionary defines guilt as "the fact of having committed a breach of conduct especially violating law and involving a penalty". What never ceases to amaze me, whether reading blog postings or talking with other women, is the huge amount of guilt that we all are walking around with, weighing us down.

Guilt.
How did we learn to feel so guilty?

Guilt eats us up and leaves us feeling so empty. Guilt sucks the living life out of us and we end up questioning ourselves. Are we able to trust our own judgments and decisions? If we were to be honest with ourselves and did some reflection, we would find the 'Guilt' light flashing on in our lives. Just like the when the check engine flashes, it calls us to action. But when the guilt light comes on for some of us we start the slippery slope downwards towards shame. Shame becomes so destructive in our soul, eroding away at our identity.
Guilt is like cancer and eats us up inside.

I feel huge guilt in certain areas in my "mommy" bucket.
Questions rise up inside of me and leave me feeling guilty.

Did I spend enough quality time with our kids today?
Why didn't I work out today?
What if I didn't speak like that to my husband, would he __________ (fill in blank).
Do our children have what they need to make good choices in life?
Did I feed our kids enough veggies?
Did I floss my teeth today?
Did I ______________? (you fill in the blank)

Guilt can hold us captive in our lives. When we choose to not let guilt hold us down we can be free to trust ourselves and live with no regrets.

I have to remind myself that some days I am doing the best that I can with what I have at that moment in time. We need to stop being so hard on ourselves and become our own cheerleader. I know some people who are their own worst enemy. I know, because I have camped out in that area. Some of our own thinking can be so destructive and damaging.

I want to live with no regrets.
I want to have guilt free living - everyday.
Do you?
How do you handle guilt?

10 Reasons Why I Am Thankful

2009-11-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

We have so much to be thankful for!

1. We are all healthy.

2. We live in a free country.

3. I have a supportive husband who loves me.

4. Two amazing children who love me no matter what.

5. One crazy dog called Sir Winston - who is a great companion.

6. Possibilities which lay ahead.

7. For amazing friends who encourage and support me.

8. My Chi flat iron.

9. Dreaming BIG.

10. A God who I can 100% trust as He calls me to live in this crazy and
unpredictable world.

20 Questions To Ask Yourself

2009-11-23T13:17:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I posted this 20 question list and it generated some interesting conversation. At the request of different people, I have posted this list again. As we head into a busy Christmas season, I encourage you to take some time out and reflect about your life and who you desire to be.

1). What kind of music would describe your personality?

2). What attracts people towards you?

3). When was the last time you laughed out loud?

4). What 5 character traits do you appreciate about yourself?

5). Where do you place your trust?

6). What energizes and drains you in life?

7). If money was no object what would you do?

8). What are your personal truths that you stand in everyday?

9). Do you step out in trust or fear when encountering an unknown situation?

10). In 5 words how would your friends describe you?

11). When was the last time that you did something special for yourself?

12). How could you listen better to those around you?

13). If you are a mom how did you show love to your children today?

14). What do you need freedom from that is weighing you down from your past?

15). What lies do you believe about yourself?

16). How do you create balance in your life?

17). What part of your life story could encourage someone else?

18). How do you live each day with intention and purpose?

19). What gives you meaning in life?

20). How do you know that you are loved by God, no matter what?

(Copyright Katrina J Cummins 2008)

Love Changes Everything

2009-11-21T12:18:00.000-08:00

If you live in the Portland, OR area you are invited to a wonderful Women's Christmas Brunch. December 5th, 9:30am - 11:30am.

Children's Choir
Brunch will be served
Come connect with other women
I am speaking on how 'Love Changes Everything'

Would love to see you all there!

Information about tickets is available at Mountain Park Church website.

Stay-At-Home Mommy Myths

2009-11-15T12:01:00.000-08:00

Feel free to check out my article about 'Stay-At-Home Mommy Myths' at Mampedia Voices.

Come join the great discussion!

Breathtaking

2009-11-13T21:07:00.000-08:00

Fall is here and in full force. I am captivated by the amazing colors every where I turn. Growing up in Australia, fall always felt minimal to say the least. We sort of just skip the fall season and go straight into winter. Plus, eucalyptus leaves can only turn a few shades of brown.

Here in the PNW I am always amazed at the vibrant patchwork of color which surrounds us. Amazing! Breathtaking! Beautiful!

As I was upstairs writing this week, I looked out in our backyard and saw the sun dancing through our Maple tree. I love this tree. Our Burch tree is also one of my favorites.

Driving around, I try to keep my eyes on the road. But with every turn I make I seem to notice new colors dancing in the wind, calling for my attention. After summer I always know that the colorful firework display of leaves will be coming in a few months.
Ah, breathtaking.

Such Joy

2009-11-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to our little princess Breanna, who turned 5 on November 3rd. B choose her cake and helped decorate the ballgown (her favorite show is Say Yes To The Dress). We had a fun time face painting, making crafts, pinning the crown on the paper, decorating cup cakes and being little princesses. Fun time was had by all.

Happy Birthday Breanna!

Unconditional Love

2009-11-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

I was speaking with a girl this morning who I hadn't seen in five years. I remember working with her when she was 13 years old. As our paths crossed, we reconnected and shared how life is going.

One of her comments struck me to my core.
She is dating a young man who is 19 years old. Facts about their relationship rolled off her tongue.

He doesn't smoke.
He doesn't do drugs.
They are not having sex.
They don't drink.
She also said, "he doesn't hit me."

After sharing the facts from her relationship, she sighed heavily.
"I could do better, but he loves me" came out of her mouth.

What stood out for me was her honest assessment of the situation. I don't know much about this young man. What I do know is that this girl desperately wants to feel love and be loved for who she is.

Isn't that the truth for all of us?

To be accepted by someone else and feel unconditional love saturate every cell in our being.
In a world where life is tough on a good day, to hear someone say "I love you" helps us get up and plod along in life.

We all have a deep desire to be accepted for who we are.
The good, the bad and the ugly.

As I said good bye to this young lady I acknowledge that life has dealt her a tough hand.
She is a true survivor of her circumstances.

She also understands the truth - deep down, we all crave acceptance and love.

Change.

2009-10-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

Fall is here which means a season of change for me.

Change in the weather.
Change in our schedule as our children are busy at school.
Change in my thinking as Christmas is fast approaching.
Change in my wardrobe, replacing summer flip flops for winter boots.
Change in my goals as I plan for the upcoming year ahead.

The other day, I heard a well know author, Don Miller talk about change. Everything in our lives is held together by change. I like change, but too much feels overwhelming at times. When we moved here from Australia eleven years ago, change was screaming in my face. I still giggle as I remember walking into the grocery store and feeling so overwhelmed by the magnitude of potato chip choices. I had never heard of, or tasted honey BBQ chips. Who knew?

What is changing in your life?
What is knocking at your heart to change? Maybe it is a destructive attitude that needs to change. Maybe it is to change a broken relationship into one of forgiveness. Maybe it is as simple to change our daily schedule so we have more buffer zone in our busy lives.

For me, it is to accept that our kids are forever changing. They are growing up so fast and my heart feels heavy just at the thought of them moving away one day. I miss them dearly when they are at school and our house sounds very empty. I am preparing for the day that they move away, or are too old to cuddle in our bed in the morning. Fall also means a bucket load of birthday parties for our family. Although we celebrate, there is also a tinge of sadness in my heart as we are all growing up so fast.

As we all walk along on the journey of change, may this season bring about new and wonderful adventures in your life.

Tim Hawkins on Parenting

2009-10-14T10:42:00.001-07:00

Mum, this one is for you.

Happy Birthday!

2009-09-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

Today is my husbands' birthday. Happy Birthday honey!

Brad, I love you and appreciate you so much. Our journey has been long and challenging at times. But the exciting and joyful times outweigh anything we have faced. Who would of thought that when we met in England fourteen years ago that this is where we would be today?
Two worlds met and have grown into one.

Today we celebrate you!

Guilt Free Livng

2009-08-20T22:28:00.001-07:00

Imagination

2009-08-12T20:34:00.001-07:00

Whew, what a busy summer. We made it. Finally we are home long enough for me to carve out some time to post what we have been doing. Simply put, a lot. I am looking forward to the school routine starting again in a few weeks and to slide back into a schedule.

However, there is nothing like summer time. Lazy mornings, swimming, BBQs, beautiful warm evenings and the chance to wear flip flops in the PNW.

It has been a wonderful summer. Some highlights for the memory book include: camping, day trips, fishing, swimming, visiting the beach, play dates, birthday celebrations, projects around the house and taking time out to relax. Our little critter turned seven years old and loved his science birthday party. We had a fun time blowing up his volcano cake, playing with slim and eating 'dirt'. Ah, the joy to use one's imagination. Another fun day was spent with Grandparents at a park in Oregon called 'The Enchanted Forrest'. People of all ages can enjoy nursery rhyme themes from an English Village to Western World. The roller coaster and log ride proved to be a big hit for our family.

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching our children use their imagination this summer. They are at such a fun age. I am excited to see what the new school year will bring.

New adventures, new dreams and new challenges.

Joy of Life

2009-07-10T16:19:00.001-07:00

Our daughter brings a lot of joy and color into my life. She makes me laugh because of who she is. I sit and listen to her giggle as she makes jokes to herself. Her favorite color is pink and we love to go shoe shopping. She has more jewelery than I can poke a stick at and I have even borrowed her nail polish.

Her love of life is contagious and her strength of will is challenging at times. But this little princess is such a gift from God. Each night as I am tucking her into bed I whisper in her ear, "Out of all the little girls in the whole world I would choose you."

She is pure joy which is fitting, as her middle name is Joy.

Did You Know?

2009-07-01T10:06:00.001-07:00

10 Reasons Why I Love Summer

2009-06-21T20:03:00.001-07:00

1) I can wear flip flops.

2) Watch a sunset.

3) Sit in the sun and read a good book.

4) Go to the beach and sit in the warm sand and listen to the waves crash on the shore.

5) Eat juicy sweet watermelon.

6) Have lots of BBQs.

7) Swim at our local pool.

8) Visit the farmers market and eat fresh fruit and veggies.

9) Run around barefoot in our grass.

10) Listen to the crickets at night time.

Fun days

2009-06-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

Class work is wrapping up as we head towards the end of another busy school year. There has been lots of activities over the last few weeks. From a father's day event, field day, zoo trip, sad goodbyes to teachers we love and graduation parties, it is the season for celebrations.

Summer break is almost here and don't it feel good!

Fun times at the zoo with friends.

They have doors just the right size for the little critters.

They raise em' big in the Pacific North West.

Bring on the hand sanitizer.

Field day with Dad.

Growing Up

2009-06-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

Excitement has been building in our house. Our son has been waiting with anticipation for the BIG day.

It finally happened. After many days of a wobbly tooth, it finally came out. First the front tooth on the left hand side. Then, 24 hours later the other front tooth became lonely and also decided it was time to bid farewell.

Our son was so thrilled that he called both Grandma's.
During all the excitement our daughter came up and hugged me.
She smiled and asked, "Are you so excited watching us grow up?"

Yes honey, I am so excited.
And, yes the tooth fairy as been a busy lady in our household.

Ah, the joy of growing up.
The joy of celebrating the "small" milestones in life.

"Baggage"

2009-05-22T23:05:00.003-07:00

Baggage holds us down; yet we are made to live freely.

What are you carrying around?

Doggy make over

2009-05-07T19:54:00.001-07:00

I find make over shows intriguing. There is something magical and motivating about the 'before' and 'after' pictures.

My favorite make over show is 'What Not To Wear'. I find the make over process intriguing. Some of the people on the show do not believe that they can look good or find clothes that fit Stacey and Clinton's suggestions. If I was given $5,000 and had the joy of hanging out with Stacy and Clinton in New York I would savor every moment.

Our dog, Winston was in a desperate need of a make over. He is such a darling but can be somewhat high maintenance in the grooming department. He is a Caviler King Charles Cocker Spaniel.

These are his 'before' pictures. His long white hair was driving us crazy. We would find white hair in the oddest places. And, you could smell him at the other end of the house. Drastic measures were needed.

I decided to take our fur ball into the local pet grooming store. They do not specialize in particular cuts for certain breeds so we signed up for the all over buzz cut. When I first saw him I thought we picked up the wrong dog. He definitely got the number ten buzz cut in a very dramatic way.

Here are his 'after' pictures.

Winston lost 30 pounds of hair and don't it feel good.

Child like thoughts outside the box

2009-04-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

Our 6 1/2 year old son is a deep thinker. Very deep. Sometimes a little too deep for mommy's brain.

Last night as we sat around the dinner table Anderson asked a question which took me off guard.
"What does God do all day?"

I had to smile; good question I thought. Our daughter had a matter of fact answer. "Not much".
Our son was somewhat frustrated with this casual answer. He was quick to fire back. "No. He does do something. I am pretty sure".

His next question was just as intriguing as the first one. "Well, who gave birth to God? Who is His mommy?"

Trying to sound like I knew something on this subject I smiled and looked him in the eye. "Um, well son, no-one. God doesn't have a mommy".

With a puzzled look he wanted more, like getting seconds at the dessert buffet. "Well where did He come from then?" With a look at my husband (which implied HELP) I knew the right response.
"Great question. Why don't you ask daddy."

I love how our son thinks. No question is off limits. No topic seems too big.

As I tucked our son into bed I encouraged him. "Keep thinking. Keep asking tough questions because when you ask these questions you will find the answers that you are looking for."

As I tucked our daughter into bed I heard her sweet angelic voice pierce the darkness.
"Mommy where do babies come from..." Sigh.

Intentional Parenting

2009-04-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

(After so much response from this previous post, I thought I would post it again.)

As a mother, our kids are the love of my life.
As a counselor I work with parents who are struggling with their children. Whether at the office or the playground one question seems to consistently come up, "What do you say to your kids at home?"

Per some of your requests, I thought I would write some of our favourite sayings which our kids consistently hear in our household.

Here is our 'short' list.

-No one can tell you what to think about yourself, unless you let them.
-Out of all the boys/girls in the whole world, we would choose you!
-You need three things in life: Passion, Perseverance, and Discipline.
-Never give up.
-You can talk to us about anything, anywhere, anytime.
-You are in control of yourself.
-How did I get so lucky to have you in my life?
-Stand in your personal truths.
-You were created for a reason.
-Choose your friends very carefully.
-Read your bible everyday and pray to God.
-God thought of you before the world was created.
-I am not a perfect mother, I make mistakes.
-We live in messy relationships.
-Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?
-We love you but do not like some of your behavior choices.
-Anyone can quit, but perseverance is the key.
-Use your words not your body.
-You need to problem solve.
-Stop, listen, think.
-How does that make you feel?
-We are on the same team.
-You are not perfect.
-I love you no matter what.
-You are the joy of my life.
-You bring me great delight.
-You can be simply the best at whatever you do.
-I love watching you grow up and seeing the person you are becoming.
-When you are a teenager, I will still hug you.
-You are so beautiful to me.
-There is nothing that you can do that will stop me from loving you.
-Dream big, we serve a big God.

I am sure that you have some of your own sayings to your kids - I would love to hear them.

20 Life Lessons Learned

2009-04-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

1) The script from your past does not determine your future.

2) Memories have no time line.

3)Our bodies hold onto memories on a cellular level.

4)Living is about 'mindfulness' not 'mindlessness'.

5)We all have sacred rhythms in our lives, honor them.

6)We all live in messy relationships.

7)When you are called by God, you can do it.

8)Certain things in life cause distractions.

9)We all have necessary loses in life.

10) Performance based behavior leads to fear.

11) Breakdowns lead to transformational breakthroughs.

12) To feel is to be.

13) Living is not about fitting into the 'system', but about relationships.

14) The true plan of God can get distracted by all our brokenness.

15) You are worthy to be loved.

16) We all have a lonely spot in our heart which can only be filled by Christ.

17) Stand in your personal truths every day, knowing without a doubt who you are.

18) You have a voice, use it.

19) You are a soul - life is worth living abundantly.

20)Congratulations for surviving! Now it's time to live abundantly.

20 Nuggets of Gold for Living

2009-03-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

1) Life is not about “doing”, but rather about “being who you were created to be”.

2) Moving from 'reactive' to 'reflective' thinking develops persistence.

3) Brokenness does not define who you are, but merely reflects your human weaknesses.

4) Welcome storms in life because when you cling to Christ for truth and meaning this anchor will hold you secure.

5) You are not just the product of your childhood; you can live in the freedom of who you are created to be.

6) You're beautiful just the way you are - if God has a fridge your picture would be stuck on it.

7) There are no guarantees in life - just look to God.

8) Happiness is a choice.

9) Life is tough on a good day.

10) Personal truths are like inflated tires that keep on you moving ahead on the road of intention.

11) “Happily ever after” is an illusion and a lie in our broken world.

12) Know yourself, but know God even better.

13) Thank God when He says “No” in your life – it is a gift.

14) Your soul is the inner sanctum of life, a place where truth and freedom dance uninhibited.

15) Conflict is like roughage - it cleans out blockages in your life and is healthy for the soul.

16) Challenges in life expose your weaknesses and strengthen your faith.

17) Expectations can make or break your day.

18) Living with intention and purpose is like nutrition for the soul, encouraging personal growth.

19) You are worthy to celebrate yourself every day.

20) Friends are like a good fitting bra, they:
-offer you great support
-lift you up where you need it the most
-embrace you without question or judgment
-make you feel perky and balanced in all the right places
-are practical and accommodating

Validation

2009-03-21T16:02:00.001-07:00

We all need to be validated.

Deep inside us we crave to be noticed, accepted and ultimately loved for who we are.

This video struck a nerve with me. It is well worth the 16 minutes to watch the whole story - you may even be able to relate to some of the situations portrayed.

How do you find validation in your life?

How do you validate those people who have been placed in your life?

Validation - a gift from God to meet and fulfill our deepest needs.

Grow where you are planted

2009-03-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

"Personal growth is a choice which takes persistence, focus and discipline. Grow where ever you are planted, or transplanted."

Let Go - from Sheila Walsh

2009-03-15T16:06:00.001-07:00

It is finally here!

2009-03-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

After much work, here it is...

I am so excited to launch my new web site.

www.KatrinaCummins.com

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Fresh Air

2009-03-07T14:52:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we went to the beach. I love the beach. Something about the fresh air, sound of the waves and sand between my toes rejuvenates my soul. We went to our favourite beach on the Oregon Coast. It was perfect weather, considering it is winter. I was even able to read the newspaper and their was no wind.

Every now and then it is so nice to break out of our routine and go to the beach. To top it all off, we ate fish and chips at our favourite pub. Priceless!

Intentional Parenting

2009-02-28T14:59:00.000-08:00

As a mother, our kids are the love of my life.
As a counselor I work with parents who are struggling with their children. Whether at the office or the playground one question seems to consistently come up, "What do you say to your kids at home?"

Per some of your requests, I thought I would write some of our favourite sayings which our kids consistently hear in our household.

Here is our 'short' list.

-No one can tell you what to think about yourself, unless you let them.
-Out of all the boys/girls in the whole world, we would choose you!
-You need three things in life: Passion, Perseverance, and Discipline.
-Never give up.
-You can talk to us about anything, anywhere, anytime.
-You are in control of yourself.
-How did I get so lucky to have you in my life?
-Stand in your personal truths.
-You were created for a reason.
-Choose your friends very carefully.
-Read your bible everyday and pray to God.
-God thought of you before the world was created.
-I am not a perfect mother, I make mistakes.
-We live in messy relationships.
-Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?
-We love you but do not like some of your behavior choices.
-Anyone can quit, but perseverance is the key.
-Use your words not your body.
-You need to problem solve.
-Stop, listen, think.
-How does that make you feel?
-We are on the same team.
-You are not perfect.
-I love you no matter what.
-You are the joy of my life.
-You bring me great delight.
-You can be simply the best at whatever you do.
-I love watching you grow up and seeing the person you are becoming.
-When you are a teenager, I will still hug you.
-You are so beautiful to me.
-There is nothing that you can do that will stop me from loving you.
-Dream big, we serve a big God.

I am sure that you have some of your own sayings to your kids - I would love to hear them.

Free stuff

2009-02-23T13:41:00.000-08:00

I went on craigslist last week.

Three words.

Danger.
Danger.
Danger!

For over a year, I have not had the pleasure of spending my free time looking at all the free stuff on this web site. As a women who loves a good bargain, craigslist tickles my bargain bone. During spring I have an extra spring in my step because I start seeing garage sale signs on the side of the road.

So when I clicked on the free stuff category, I was amazed at what people were offering. More so, that they spent the time taking pictures and putting it on the web.

Some free stuff that I cannot resist mentioning...
-Breakfast. Someone made too much food and put a picture of sausages, pancakes with all the toppings to tantalize our taste buds. They put their address and said "if anyone is in the area, swing on by". Bummer, I was on the other side of the river.
-Bed sheets, "in good condition". I think I will pass.
-Nursing bras. Thank goodness I am out of that stage
-About 50 random Tupperware lids.
-Free fill dirt.
-Bricks.
-Horse manure.
-Broken tv, broken vanity lights and my favourite, men's used underwear.

I am sure there were some good items listed as free. So, if you are looking for some free stuff visit the garage shopping web site, cragislist.org
Someone else's junk may be your treasure!
You never know when you need a spare futon frame or nursing bra.

PS - If you find a free piano (with all the keys) drop us a line.

The Joy of Technology

2009-02-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

I love being on our computer. But, I am not a techie person.

Monday morning I went to turn on our computer and hubby jumps up and said, "Don't turn it on!" A little shocked by his reaction so early in the morning as he is a night owl, I asked "Why?"

Apparently the night before he saw smoke coming out of our computer. I pushed the on button - nothing! I instantly thought of all our kid's pictures which I was going to download. I then thought of all our other documents that I was going to download.

Cut a long story short, I now have to wait patiently for our computer to get fixed. I thought it was a little rude for our computer to not work when I have such a busy week ahead (including finishing my web site which we are looking to launch into tech space or where ever it goes).

I feel as if I have had my right arm cut off or a lung ripped out. The first night without our computer I asked hubby, "What are you going to do tonight?" He told me he was going to read a good book. Hm, imagine that - doing something else besides sitting on Facebook, Twitter or blogging.

The last few nights have been different but fun. We have had time to read a good book or just hang out.

I am on computer detox and it feels good. If all our computers broke down I wonder how our relationships would look differently. Maybe it is time to just pick up the phone and relate the old fashion way.

Oh, we were able to save all our pictures and documents thanks to a very savvy computer friend.

Ah, the joy of technology!

Inspirational Story

2009-02-11T13:14:00.001-08:00

I love hearing people's stories.

Like pumping oxygen into every cell of my being, I feel alive. Something very deep in my soul is touched as I feel encouraged and inspired.

When I first watched this video I was deeply moved. I saw a man come on the stage and heard the most beautiful sound come out of his mouth.

This video is about a very unassuming cell phone sales man, living in Wales who went on Britians Got Talent show to sing opera. He had no formal training and now has become a successful recording artist. Six months after appearing on the show, his album sold over 2 millions copies!

His name is Paul Potts and I get goose bumps every time I hear him sing.

Paul said, "My dream is to spend my life doing what I feel I was born to do." When I heard this I wanted to run down our street yelling, "Yes!" Our lives are about doing what we are called to do. Paul, sounds like you know exactly what this is for you.

This audition video is about four minutes long, I hope you enjoy watching him and listening to his inspirational story.

If you want to see the final show to see if he wins the competition click here.

If you want to visit his web page, click here.

Enjoy.

Coffee

2009-02-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here drinking my coffee.

I probably should be cleaning, brushing my teeth, getting the kids ready for school or washing the dog.

But that all can wait. I am drinking coffee. My husband has been a coffee drinker for years. Tea was my cup of choice - God bless the Queen. I have very fond memories of having high tea in England and drinking tea with my family.

However, I have finally come over to the over side!

Living in the Pacific North West, coffee seems to be in the blood over here. Being from Australia, I am not used to this idea.

Now when I go out with friends, I have a cup of coffee. I feel part of the team drinking my coffee.

Coffee is done.
Kids are calling.
Time for school.

I am ready thanks to coffee.

Have you tried those coffee bean chocolates?

I Want to Be Somebody New!

2009-01-30T18:48:00.000-08:00

This week our son wanted to read this book for his bedtime story. It is a fascinating story about Spot who wants to be something else besides himself.

As a counselor, I started to think about this spotted critter and wanted to know more.
Why does he want to be somebody else?
Does he not like himself?
What is going on for him?
Is he in denial about his life circumstances?
Is he trying to run away from something?
Is he having identity issues?
Depressed?
Disconnected?
Distraught with life?

As part of his quest to be somebody new, he changes into an elephant - "but being that big cannot be fun".
He then changes into a tall giraffe - "but being that tall can't be any fun".
Finally, he changes into a small mouse - "but he is too small".

Then the finale.
Spot's friends say, "We liked you best, a whole, whole lot, when you were just our old friend Spot."

Magically, Spot changes back to his old self, and exclaims "It does feel best to be just me!"

In an odd way, I can relate to this polka dotted creature.

~ When life feels tough I want to be far away from my problems and not have the opportunity to grow. It just feels too hard and painful at times.

~ Sometimes, I want to be someone else living a different life because it appears to be more exciting and out of my groundhog day.

~ I look at other people and sometimes they seem to have it all together. I wouldn't mind to "have it all together". Maybe life would be easier...

On one hand this is just a kid's story book. On the other hand, the truth of it is there is a Spot living inside of me.

Does Spot ever visit you? Maybe he even resides in you.

Have you found the truth of being yourself, or are you looking to be "somebody else?"

But I, like Spot, have now found that is does feel best to just be me.
When I am living who God made me to be, there is so much freedom and security.
Amen, my new spotty friend.

Livin' life on the edge

2009-01-25T12:51:00.000-08:00

My life has become richer because of our kids. They have taught me so much about living. Sometimes I feel that I am living on the edge, with my sanity dangling by one thread. But oh, I wouldn't change a thing.

I have grown accustomed to finding books in our bed, odd socks in my purse and pen marks on our walls. Sometimes our car looks like a Goodwill store on wheels with fingerprint art on the windows.

We take great delight in our kids. They are a source of joy for the soul. I have dreams for our kids and I daily fall in love with them. Our family loves to play together - especially guesstures and trying to figure what each person is acting out. Last Friday night we had an impromptu game night where each person came on the 'stage' and spoke on a chosen topic for one minute. We laughed so hard. We cherish date nights.

I look at the dust collecting on our furniture and smile. I look at our kids and see how fast they are growing up and try to find the slow down button. Dust will always be present in our home but our kids won't; dusting can wait. Yes, some days feel like groundhog day and others feel like uncharted territory. Each day is challenging and a blessing.

People say that parents shape their children, I also feel that our children shape us and who we are. We laugh and cry together. We love and hurt each other. We encourage and frustrate each other.

We are family and I am a mom livin' life right where God wants her.

For Dog Lovers

2009-01-20T17:10:00.000-08:00

If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct her/him,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

Then. . .

You Are Probably The Family Dog!

Thanks to Sir Winston for being "simply the best" for our family.

25 facts

2009-01-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

25 random facts about me.

1) I have kissed the Blarney Stone in Ireland.

2) My favorite chocolate is Toblerone.

3) Our cars name is Millie.

4) My husband wants to take me to Italy for our 25th wedding anniversary.

5) I do not like to deal with telephone companies or mechanics.

6) I would like to have lunch with Corrie Ten Boom.

7) My kids bring me immense joy and laughter in my life.

8) My husband was born in a good mood. (How does that happen?)

9) My hairdressers name is Electra, she has too many tattoos to count.

10) I was born in Adelaide, Australia.

11) My favorite show is "What Not To Wear".

12) I was accidentally caught up in a running of the bulls in France.

13) My 88 year old Gran can text better than I can.

14) My husband and I would love to go to every major tennis event around the world.

15) I don't like red meat.

16) Growing up, my Mum fed us kangaroo meat and we thought it was beef.

17) I love the smell of our daughter.

18) Girlfriend, shoes are the reason why I shop.

19) When I was a little critter, I accidentally pulled the tail off our pet rabbit.

20) My friends took me skiing down a black run in Switzerland. Um, no.

21) I am number three of four children.

22) People think my accent is from the east coast.

23) I do not alphabetize our spices and my sock draw has issues.

24) My daughter loves to paint my toenails pink.

25) I once was a math teacher and I don't like numbers.

Reflections from this week

2009-01-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

It has been an interesting week to say the least. From not having our car, celebrating my birthday, to learning some hard personal heart lessons - it has been a tough week. I was given the opportunity to surrender some areas of my life. Easier said than done. Anybody else find surrendering hard?

Character growth is a gift from God, but sometimes is hurts and feels really outside our control. I have always admired those 'exercise people', who HAVE to work out no matter what. Some days my exercise routine is walking up and down our stairs. Personally, I do not like to sweat or move my body unless it is to walk to the cupboard to get some more chocolate. Many years ago, I had a friend who had to go for a run everyday. Come rain, snow, sunshine, Christmas day - she needed to physically work out. I admire those people who have such dedication, perseverance and discipline in life.
I wouldn't mind a small dose of perseverance during hard times.

I had another wonderful opportunity to learn about surrender. Sometimes it feels so hard to surrender what is important for us. Surrender for me, means letting go and saying "I can't, You can" to God. Those areas in life where identity, recognition and/or personal security take root. I had some work done in the soil of my soul as some roots were pulled up. I do not see the final garden that He is planting.
I am not the master gardener - He is.

When I surrender my all to Him, including those areas in my life that I hold onto so dearly, it enables me to live in freedom. It takes the pressure of having to work out the next move. He knows me better than I will ever know myself. I rest in the fact that His plans are better than I could ever imagine for my life.

I need to be obedient and surrender.

Surrender may be easy for you, as no two journeys are the same in life.
If you have the expectation in life that you will have personal struggles, then you will never be disappointed.

Whatever you are struggling with, may you find the inner strength to persevere.

Now it's time for my workout; walking downstairs to get some chocolate.

Mother

2009-01-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

The Images of Mother

4 years of age - My Mommy can do anything!

8 years of age - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 years of age - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.

14 years of age - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.

16 years of age - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.

18 years of age - That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 years of age - Well, she might know a little bit about it.

35 years of age - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.

45 years of age - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 years of age - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The Invisible Woman

2009-01-04T21:59:00.001-08:00

Do you suffer from The Invisible Woman syndrome? Nicole Johnson is a brilliant writer and performer. In this video she captures what many women are feeling and thinking - being invisible in some part of their life. I had the privilege of meeting and assisting Nicole last October, when Women of Faith came to Portland. After working with her, I can honestly say she is the real deal. She is just as authentic off stage as she is on stage.

What strikes me about The Invisible Woman is that for so many of us, we live out this role everyday. If you have time to watch the entire video clip of five minutes and forty seven seconds, I encourage you to take note of her comments at the end.

Everything you do matters. It doesn't matter how small or insignificant, God notices everything.

Have you found what you are looking for?

2009-01-02T11:07:00.001-08:00

As we head into a new year, do you have what you need to live out your life?

What are you truly looking for in your life?

What defines you or gives you meaning?
Have you found what you have been looking for?

I am feeling challenged as I write out my purpose statement. I have a personal mission statement, which I like to reflect and refocus on at the beginning of each year. My personal truths and mission statement are written down in my journal and I look at them every day. I have been thinking about a challenging question that I was asked this week, "Do I have what I need to have positive personal growth?" Really, what am I looking for in my life? Am I am looking for temporary things to fulfill me or eternal promises to give me life and real hope?

We will never find what we are looking for, until we find Christ as the reason to live.

Have you truly found what you are looking for in your life, or are you still searching?

I encourage you this week to take time to reflect on what you need in your life to give you meaning and hope.

New Year - 2009

2008-12-31T20:01:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

Happy 2009!

As I sit here, I am amazed how fast this year has flown by. This time last year, I was sitting on the deck at my parents beach house in South Australia. With a warm sea breeze on my face, in 90 degree heat, I watched the sun set over the ocean. The sky was painted purple, pink and yellow. The colors danced into my soul - a night I will always remember. It is always such a treat to be with family this time of year.

As you venture into a new year, my prayer is that you will live with purpose and intention. I encourage you to think about your life. What is your passion? What get's the fire going in your belly?

If you have not already done this, I encourage you to write a personal purpose statement. This a a great way to start to think about how to live your life.

As the clock ticks over into 2009 tonight, my prayer is that you will know who you are in Christ and the freedom we have in Him.

Warm regards,

Katrina.

You Raise Me Up

2008-12-29T19:09:00.001-08:00

Friends are like a good fitted bra...

2008-12-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

They:

-offer you great support
-lift you up where you need it the most
-embrace you without question or judgment
-make you feel perky and balanced in all the right places
-are practical and accommodating

Thank God for good friends.

Let your light shine

2008-12-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

As a transplant from Australia living in America, life is certainly different than what I pictured it would be. I will never forget the first time I walked into a grocery store here in America. I felt so overwhelmed by the wall of potato chips in front of me. Never in my wildest dreams did I know that there were so many choices of potato chips to buy. Help!

From driving on the other side of the road, learning that there are 101 different ways to order coffee (benefits of living in the Pacific NW) to tasting peanut butter in chocolate, I was in sensory overload.

Ten years down the track, this is home. My family back in Australia even say that I now sound so much like an American. Yikes, imagine that. I remember when I lived in England, I loved sounding so proper instead of my Aussie slang.

Two things that I have learned from my journey.

1) You can grow wherever you are planted, or in my case, transplanted.
2) Our light can shine wherever we live.

It doesn't matter where our PO Box number is located on the world map. God cares about us reflecting Him to those around us. We all come in different shapes and sizes, with different backgrounds and preferences. But God uses every light for a specific reason.

Let your light shine to those around you. Be brave. Take a risk. Call that person that you have been avoiding. Visit a neighbor or take the time to help someone with their grocery shopping. Have coffee with a friend who needs your love right now. When you shine God's love into peoples lives, you touch them at their deepest need.

We all need to live in the now, as it is all we have.
We tend to overestimate the future, overexaggerate the past and underestimate today.

Shine brightly and boldly today, as it is the best day of your life.

Shine in Christ.
Just shine.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T20:58:00.001-08:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Blessings to your family from ours.

Luke 2
v 6 - 7 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manager, because there was no room in the inn.
v 13 - 14 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests".

Amen.

Wrapping presents - kids style

2008-12-23T11:38:00.000-08:00

This morning our kids had a fun time wrapping presents. But, it was a little different than normal.

I found some old wrapping paper in the garage and gave them different size paper to wrap what ever they wanted. After realizing that Mommy was not joking they ran around the house trying to find different and fun things to wrap for each other.

The items they found are not new from the store but things carefully picked because they thought the person receiving the gift would really love guessing what was wrapped for them.

After 2 1/2 hours, the gifts they wrapped are placed under our tree. I just checked on them, they are still sitting next to the presents talking about what they wrapped for each other. Excitement is building in our house as they cannot wait to give their wrapped presents to each other. They do not seem to care that the presents are 'used' items from the house, they are excited about giving to each other.

Cost to us: $0
Memories: Priceless

The presents under our tree do not look perfectly wrapped, but I am ok with that as our lives are far from perfect. We do not have any part of our lives neatly put together with sticky tape perfectly lined up. These unconventionally wrapped presents remind me that we can still be a gift to each other despite our brokenness.

Happy wrapping.

20 Questions to ask yourself

2008-12-20T10:11:00.000-08:00

1). What kind of music would describe your personality?

2). What attracts people towards you?

3). When was the last time you laughed out loud?

4). What 5 character traits do you appreciate about yourself?

5). Where do you place your trust?

6). What energizes and drains you in life?

7). If money was no object what would you do?

8). What are your personal truths that you stand in everyday?

9). Do you step out in trust or fear when encountering an unknown situation?

10). In 5 words how would your friends describe you?

11). When was the last time that you did something special for yourself?

12). How could you listen better to those around you?

13). If you are a mom how did you show love to your children today?

14). What do you need freedom from that is weighing you down from your past?

15). What lies do you believe about yourself?

16). How do you create balance in your life?

17). What part of your life story could encourage someone else?

18). How do you live each day with intention and purpose?

19). What gives you meaning in life?

20). How do you know that you are loved by God, no matter what?

(Copyright Katrina J Cummins 2008)

Live in the 'now'

2008-12-19T09:26:00.001-08:00

I started wondering how I would live my life differently if I had a short amount of time left with my family and life as I know it.

How would my attitude, behavior, thoughts, spirituality or choices change?

If I am living each day with intention and purpose then this is the best day of my life.

Today is a gift

2008-12-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering
can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired,
and success achieved."

Helen Keller

"It is not my ability,
but my response to God's ability,
that counts."

Connie Ten Boon

"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is a sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious,
do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it".

Mother Teresa

Calling all moms in business... plus wonderful inspiring resources.

2008-12-15T21:10:00.000-08:00

If you have a business and would like to network and advertise check out this mom friendly website and blog.

Plus, I found lots of different products that would of been hard to find if it was not for this page.

Blurb from the website:

"We know how challenging it is to get your name out in front of the people who would enjoy your products and business. Especially for us moms (or girls/ladies/women) with limited advertising budgets. Whether you make handmade items, offer your expertise or services, or put together products to sell, we can help by giving you a place to be seen and to connect through Moms Unite."

Enjoy!

Check out the website.

Lots of great resources.

Invisible job

2008-12-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

Dear friend,

Have you ever done something for your child and afterwards said "your welcome"? Except they did not say "thank you" for you to respond in your sweet angelic voice of "your welcome".

Sometimes when I am wearing my sassy pants, I will even respond to one of my family members with "your welcome, I am here to serve". This comment is usually said with a big explanation point at the end. Naturally, while smiling.

Serving can be such an invisible job. I wonder if my family has ever stopped to think about how items get put away or how food magically appears on the table. Sometimes when I am not doing all the things on my 'invisible list' my husband notices. I have even heard of some moms who go on strike, no cooking, cleaning or picking up for a week. Yikes! They wanted their family to realize how much they do around the house.

Serving can be confusing in our world of selfishness. Sometimes we keep score like storing up ammunition ready for use. Yet we all need to be reminded about what serving is and is not. Serving is giving with no expectation of receiving back. We do not serve to be recognized. We are called to serve and our families are high on our list. The challenge is to realize that while you may not be noticed for what you do, you still have worth and meaning in life.

I do not want to be recognized for what I do but for who I am. In a society that espouses status, money and achievement it can be hard to march to the beat of a different drum. I will keep doing all the invisible jobs around our house for my family. Even thought my husband and children may not see all the things I do, the most important thing is to remember that I have worth irregardless of whether I hear their verbal praise or not.

When our daughter runs up to me and throws her arms around my neck and whispers in my ear "I love you Mommy" it feels like love is pumped through my whole being.
I am loved for who I am.

As I march towards another week my to-do list is dancing off the page.
On the top of my to-do list is this:
1) Just be - life is about 'being' and not 'doing'.

I will always have things to do which will be invisible to others, but nothing is invisible to God. He notices every pair of socks put away and how many times I pack and unpack the dish washer. Everything is visible to Him.
FYI - I have also learned that paper plates do come in handy every now and then (even though my Mother would be shocked to hear this).

Thank God for His unconditional love and that He notices everything.

Love,

A woman serving her family.

What would Jesus blog about?

2008-12-08T21:02:00.000-08:00

http://jesus.blogspot.com

I have often wondered what Jesus would blog about. In our high tech cultural landscape that we live in, blogging has become a part of life. Dare I say that I really enjoy it! In some conversations I slip in the "do you blog?" question and I seem to get one of several answers.

1) Yes, love it.
2) (roll eyes) I don't have time for that... are you kidding?
3) Blog. Huh? What is that? Is it a type of chocolate?

As a person who resisted blogging for a long time I now feel that I have been missing out. I love reading blogs. Should I be using my time this way? Probably not ALL the time. On the other hand I feel connected to people and their lives.

I started wondering if Jesus had a blog what would He write about...

Would He talk about the current financial crisis?
What political stuff would He write about?
What about terrorism, world hunger, or the environment?
What solutions would He offer?
The list goes on.

At the end of the day I really believe that Jesus would blog about people. He probably has a blog for each one of us. Your picture is most likely His screen saver.

Imagine this blog from Jesus...
Blog title: "You".
Subject: "He loves you and takes great delight in you".
Maybe He would have pictures posted of you doing the dishes or playing with your kids. Maybe He would write some encouraging words or challenging questions. Maybe He would write you a love poem.
Whatever He writes I am sure that it is just right and what we need to hear at that particular time in life.

I encourage you to think about this...

You are loved so much, even to the moon and back (as we say to our children).

If God has a fridge your picture would be stuck on it.

I know some of us love to blog about our little critters (children). Imagine for a moment how much more Jesus loves to watch and take joy in you. Why? Because He made you and desires to be in a relationship with you.

If you could blog or send Him an e-mail, what would you say?

I encourage you to take time this week to think about sharing with Him your questions, pain or concerns. He will have an answer.

FYI - I did some research and http:/jesus.blogspot.com was already taken. I typed in many versions of "Jesus" and found some interesting sites. But I found one blog not taken, http:/theoneandonlyJesus.blogspot.com
I am sure this blog site will probably be taken soon.

The Doghouse

2008-12-03T14:38:00.001-08:00

I was out shopping this weekend and saw a lot of grumpy people. I love this time of year and thought a funny video may cheer some of us up.

One year my husband gave me a unique gift. It was a special shower head device with 1001 different water spray options. After unwrapping the gift I said "ugh?". He was beaming from ear to ear and thought this was the most wonderful gift. I must confess that as a counselor I have brought him one or two 'self-help' books over the years. :-)

When I saw this video I was laughing so hard that my family ran upstairs to see what was going on.

Enjoy.

Time to exercise

2008-11-30T19:29:00.000-08:00

Ah, the exercise ball. To some women the 'birthing ball' may look familiar. But my big blue exercise ball is used for a type of exercise that I have found.

Those of you who know me, know how I feel about exercise - it is overrated. I have even tried the Wii exercise and found holding an electronic device weird. Maybe the Wii works for you, but for this girl it just isn't happening. Plus, sweating in front of other people is not my idea of fun. Last fall I found a new way to exercise and I was so excited that I had to share this news with my brother who is a personal trainer.

I told him that I sit in the sauna for 20 minutes to sweat all the toxins out. Kind of like I am sweating off the weight. Right? He was sweet enough to share with me that this type of exercise does not build muscle strength. He is so logical sometimes. I had to agree with him, I did need some resistance training. I tried whining to him that I don't like exercise and he said something really good in response, I just don't remember.

Note to self ~ stop whining and listen to someone when they are trying to help.

But now I have found a new way to exercise. You may of heard about it, pilates! No not pirates, but pilates. You know, where you do a lot of stretching and slow movement.

I remember my very first pilates session. After the first 5 minutes I thought to myself, "this is not too bad". Fast forward the tape 30 minutes, I was dying and this was a hour long class! I did not even know that my body had a 'core muscle'. After having a few babies I just called this area my 'mommy muscle' (especially since our daughter was 10 pounds and 8 oz).

At one pilates session, what really amazed me the most were the ladies next to me. As I am trying to move my body into the different positions, I looked in shock at these ladies in their mid-60's who were doing movements that I was not able to do!
I just wanted to watch them in awe and say "wow, you go girl".

So if you are thinking about a new exercise, try pilates.
Take care of yourself, especially during this holiday season.

Why?
Because you are so worth it.
You are lovable, worthy and beautiful.

PS - If you can't get to a gym try the Ana Caban DVDs.
I really like them. Plus my favorite, you can workout in the privacy of your own living room.
Ana has a website, blog and is on twitter if you are interested.

Happy exercising.

Thankfulness

2008-11-27T09:05:00.001-08:00

The children in our son's class at elementary school were asked what they knew about Thanksgiving.
Their answers were so precious I thought I would share some of their ideas.

What is Thanksgiving?
-good food
-waiting for presents
-play in the leaves
-turkey, chicken, mash potatoes, vegetable, ice cream
-pumpkin pie
-the word "thanks" is in it

What is a Pilgrim?
-someone who is about to get married
-chickens
-bunch of people eating pumpkins

What is the Mayflower?
-powder
-sauce
-lots of flowers in a field
-a boat
-a pirate ship

What is a feast?
-where you eat everything
-where you get a pie
-where you go to the store and get food to eat with a bunch of people

We have so much to be thankful for.
Let's celebrate everyday with a thankful heart!

Ordinary Days

2008-11-22T16:13:00.000-08:00

I just love ordinary days where I can say "yes" more than I can say "no". Ordinary days are like a good pair of blue jeans where you slide into them with no effort. I find that on ordinary days I can catch my breath. Ordinary days are so special. Funny thing is I call them ordinary days but they are more like little nuggets of gold that I find every now and then.

Sometimes my to-do list is so long that I never seem able to march to the middle of the list. As a result I like to do something on the bottom of the list every now and then. This week on one of our ordinary days I attacked a task that I have been putting off for some time.

Washing our dog Sir Winston.

Our furry little critter got so dirty and smelly that I needed to wash him. I am sure our neighbors across the street could smell Winston. Sure I could take him to the groomers but sometimes I like to tackle this task myself. Plus, our kids seem to enjoy washing the dog. Maybe they like watching someone else get clean besides themselves.

Winston is a King Charles Cavalier spaniel, or as I like to say very "high maintenance"! Unfortunately, he never went to doggy school and he really is like an out of control teenager. He is very sweet but very disobedient. He thinks none of the rules apply to him. I think our 4 year old and Winston have been hanging out again as she thinks the same way. Winston joined our family after his puppy days and came with some very naughty behavior.
Unconditional love can be so hard sometimes.

This week we had an ordinary day. How did I use my time? I decided it was time for Winston to have a bath. I just love it when he gets washed as he smells so fresh and looks clean. Plus, he is a great blanket to keep your legs warm when watching TV. The kids even get a special treat as Winston is allowed to snuggle with them on their beds for their good-night prayers and songs.

After washing Winston I felt good as I said "yes" instead of "no". I didn't even mind the dog hair everywhere in the bathroom. It never ceases to amaze me how such a simple task can weigh me down so much. I don't think it is the task per say, more that I am not able to even get to the bottom of my list. I start to wonder what other things I have been putting off in my life?

I want to be a woman who lives with intention and sometimes the list can become too much the "focus". Every now and then I love to break free out of ground hog day and shake things up. For me these days allow me to be list free and just "be". Surprisingly it wasn't a chore to wash Winston more like I was breaking out of ground hog day by doing something different.

I love ordinary days. It is like pumping oxygen into the soul.
Ah, breath deeply even if it does involve smelling dog shampoo every now and then.

What does an ordinary day look like for you?

I look forward to washing Winston again as I know it will be sooner than later.

Turkey day

2008-11-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving.

I love watching and listening to Americans get so excited for 'Turkey' day. As an Aussie we never grew up with Thanksgiving. I know, I know this is hard for some people to believe. And here is another secret, we didn't even have Halloween! Am I deprived because of it? I don't know. I like to think NOT.

Side note ~ Halloween always makes me smile. We teach our kids not to speak to strangers, then on one night of the year we give 'em the green light. Go ahead, run up to that front door, ring the bell and then take candy from these people. Fascinating stuff. I hope someone does research on this topic one day...

Every year at this time, the focus is on being thankful. Our kids come home from school with 'thankful' projects to do.

At our house we always put up our Thankful Tree.

I cut out a tree shape, bare with no leaves and stick it on a door.
We have a 'thankful' jar with green leaves placed inside it.
Every night after dinner we sit around and share what we are thankful for.
We then write these things on the leaves and stick them on the tree.
After a few weeks the tree is bursting with leaves everywhere.
We do this activity several weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

My goal is to create memories for our family while teaching our little critters about having a thankful heart. This is such a fun activity - we certainly do not need one more activity to put on the to-do list!

The challenge is to teach being thankful everyday and not just at Thanksgiving. Every night, no matter the season, during dinner we all share our favorite part of the day and one thing we are thankful for. It is always fun to hear our children answer these questions.

Ah, turkey day. Between the football and the vegetable dessert there is always something fun to enjoy on the day. For me, it signals that we can finally start putting up the Christmas stuff.

Christmas. Just writing that word makes my heart sing and dance, and I want to go shout from our roof top that it is the "most wonderful time of the year". (I have only listened to Christmas music twice this past week, my hubby would be horrified if he knew this, as we cannot do anything Christmas until after Thanksgiving.)

With a thankful heart I think about turkey day next week.

We truly have so much to be thankful for.

Powerful beyond measure

2008-11-16T16:21:00.000-08:00

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you NOT to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberate others."

Nelson Mandela

Never, never, never give up!

2008-11-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

You have probably heard the saying, "It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks". If this is true then what happened to teaching a 'young pup new tricks?' Why does it feel so hard to teach our son some basics of reading?

This box is our son's reading box from school. With both parents who have experience in education he really is doomed. Poor guy. Some days when he is trying to read I just want to jump right in and say the words for him. Kind of like, lets put him out of his misery. But likewise if I pick up all his toys for him, what am I teaching him? We want him to be self aware and become responsible. I am hoping his wife will thanks us for this...

Anderson loves to learn. His favorite activity is going to the library to just hang out. Any reading program and he is there signing up with great enthusiasm. He gets points for his discipline and focus. But when he starts to whine and scrunch his body up it is like a wall goes up which increases my frustration level. He wants to stop doing the perceived hard work and do something fun. Well don't we all, no matter what age or stage we are at in life?

This afternoon Anderson was writing out his homework. As he started to get upset I heard our 4 year old daughter say in the most angelic voice "Never, never give up Anderson". She was grinning from ear to ear. I smiled not at her but at the comment she made. You see we have taught our children that no matter how tough something is, you keep going. No matter what.
I firmly believe that teaching our children to persevere is one of the greatest gifts we can give them for character development.
(Thank you Sir Winston Churchill for this wonderful guidepost in life.)

During my frustrating moments in teaching him to read and saying to myself "ok we have been over this 30 times... why is he not getting this" I am gently reminded about my own learning habits. Sometimes I fail miserably.

Research says that it takes about 21 days to form a new habit. When I look back upon my life it seems like I take a lot longer to learn some habits.

I wonder what God says about my behavior. "Ok, we will wait patiently for her to get it. Let's give her another opportunity to learn about forgiveness " or whatever it is that I need to learn, relearn or unlearn.

I have to superglue these points to my brain.

Have a learning heart.
Keep the course and persevere, no matter what.
Stay focused (& it is ok to eat chocolate along the way) as life is tough on a good day.
Take time out to reflect and have a listening spirit.
Know that disciple is woven into the fabric of life for my benefit.

On our spiritual journey, there is always something to learn because we are broken at the core of who we are. It is a dangerous thought to think that we have ever 'arrived'.

Persevere.
Run the course.
Next time life feels hard or frustrating remember this, or ever better tattoo this on your heart.

Never, never, never give up!

I know that as a mom I have said this many times, sometimes too many times in one day to even count.

Tomorrow is a new day.
Anderson is having a sleep over so this young pup will take the night off from reading.

Living Simply

2008-11-12T13:43:00.001-08:00

Hm, living simply.
I wonder if this should be a question (?) or a statement (!).
Is this possible or is it an oxymoron?
I am reading this book, "Living Simply" by Joanne Heim for a book study that I am participating in.

Thoughts so far.

I do agree with Joanne Heim that "living simply involves intention and purpose" (pg 45). Amen sister!
It is all about the choices we make.
It does involve changing our focus.

Here is my example for living simply.
I love shoes. Let's imagine I need a new pair of shoes to go with my new outfit. I know the outfit and have a picture in my head of a pair of shoes that would match up with this outfit. I go into a store, scan to see if any shoes match my picture in my head. I shop with purpose and focus. My whole system is focused on finding these shoes. Because of this I stay on course to shoe shop. I may get tired, but I have a mission. My motivation stays high and I keep going on no matter what. I finally find a pair of shoes and go home feeling like mission accomplished. I feel good.

Now imagine I went shoe shopping with no picture in my head. I find that I go from one store to another, wasting time, being distracted, over time my motivation decreases and I become tired/bored and check out. After a whole day shopping I come home exhausted and reinforce to myself "see, I can never find a pair of shoes that I am looking for". I feel discouraged.

Living simply for me is all about getting up each day focusing on my vision and mission in life. Every cell in my body is geared towards my vision. It takes all the guess work out and every thing becomes simpler.

Heim's subtitle is Choosing Less in a World of More. For me it is not necessarily choosing less but more choosing appropriately. Hm, maybe when I choose appropriately I choose less. I know for some things when I choose appropriately sometimes it is more...

I look forward to our book study discussion tonight.
I will keep you posted about how the reading is going.

Question: Do you think Living Simply is realistic?

Mothers are my heros! ( Dadsense by Anita Renfroe)

2008-11-10T17:34:00.001-08:00

I was sitting having coffee this morning and I watched mom after mom walk in and out of the store with kids. Big kids, little kids, whiny kids and loud kids. Some were attached on the front of moms, some walked hand in hand and some were in strollers.

One thing never ceases to amaze me ~ moms are the SUPER GLUE keeping kids, families and society together. Kind of like the energizer bunny, moms keep going on and on and on. As I quietly sat sipping my cup of coffee I saw other moms feeding kids, telling them "quiet, sit still and eat", or just trying to stop their kids from running away from them. It never ends!

I was exhausted from watching the constant movement of kids. It was like watching a marathon, with the moms never stopping for a break. Kids are always wanting something. Food, your cell phone, something to play with, attention, what ever their sibling has... the list never ends.

Moms are so amazing! You never give up!

Moms are the heartbeat of the world.
Moms are the unsung hero's in every neighborhood across every nation.
Moms never give up, even when they feel like it.
Moms touch their childrens lives like no one else.
Moms are Gods gift to the world.

Do you know a mom who is your hero?

Dads are amazing too.
But there is some truth to what Anita Renfroe is saying.

Don't you think?

"Life is tough even on a good day..."

2008-11-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

Laughter in the shoe isle

2008-11-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

As I was out shopping this morning I heard something that caught my attention. I heard laughter. It intrigued me. As I walked closer I saw a funny picture that made me smile and then laugh. A teenage girl was trying on some boots, but they were joined together because of the security tag. As a result she was shuffling along like a penguin.

Her mother was laughing really hard and then the daughter began laughing at her mom. I saw so much joy between them. As a counselor I see a lot of brokenness in peoples lives. It is like life has sucked all the joy out of some people and their situation.

The picture of this mother and daughter enjoying each other made my soul dance with joy. Clearly these two enjoy spending time together. As I continued on with my shopping it didn't matter where I was in the store I could hear them laughing. How refreshing to the soul.

Joy can be so contagious.

Ah, Pure Joy

2008-11-05T10:56:00.000-08:00

How is this possible? You know, so much life in such a little body. Our little critters are nothing else than pure joy. Our children are such a gift. Anderson with his thirst for knowledge and the rule follower. Breanna who thinks in colors and dances to a different beat. Two children who have taught me a lot about living life to the fullest. The joy of running bare foot across grass, the fun of laughing about silly things in life, that the slugs in our backyard really do have a family of their own, and that snuggle time is to be cherished.

The most magical moment for me as a mum is to watch our children love each other. To hear their laughter warms the depths of my soul. Ah, pure joy. As I snuggle them into their beds at night, I feel connected to their souls. Ah, what contentment. When our daughter runs up to me and says "Thanks Mum", and throws her arms around my neck. Ah, what blissful love. Dancing around our kitchen and making silly faces. Ah, enjoying our connected heart beat in life.

But sometimes my joy wants to turn and run towards frustration, disappointment, anger, sadness, resentfulness or criticism. These little gifts are not perfect and neither am I. We are imperfect people living together in a broken world. Conflict is inevitable and hurting each other is a reality. But, I choose to see these little critters as people with a soul and a calling on their lives. Having children has taught me alot about forgiveness and love. I choose to love them even when they act unlovable. I choose to forgive even when it is tough. Likewise, I have to ask them for forgiveness when I hurt them and make bad choices. To think that these gifts have been hand crafted by God and that they have unique gifts, talents and dreams. I love these little "presents" in my life.

Each day it is as if I get to discover something new about them. The other day as we were out for a beautiful fall walk our daughter asked me a question. She said, "When can I get my drivers license?" And she had the boldness to add "And, I would like a red sports car like that one over there." Ah, the thoughts of her driving. Pure joy? Hm, maybe pure concern.

Anderson said something a few weeks ago that completely caught me off guard. He said "What age can I have my own credit card?" Yikes son, you are only 6 years old! Ah, pure joy of an educational session on money. With big eyes and a brain thirty for information he listened to how we "get" money and "spend" money.

Ah, planting seeds in our childrens lives.
Seeds of:
-spirituality
-intellect
-emotional health
-self respect
-character development
-a love of learning and dreaming really big

To see these seeds take root and start to grow, ah pure JOY. Pulling up the weeds in their garden of life is challenging but a necessity. The truth of it is, God is the great gardener in their lives I am the care taker helping along the way.

Every night I ask our kids a question. "If I had all the the girls/boys lined up outside our house and I could only choose one who would I choose? I would walk up and down looking at each child, thinking which one would mummy and daddy choose to be with us for the rest of our lives?" Breanna points to herself and says, "You would choose me." I hug her and say, "Yes honey, out of all the girls in the whole world I would choose you. I will always love you no matter what!"

Ah, pure joy.

Bad hair day

2008-11-01T23:10:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days? You know, where your hair has a mind of it's own. Nothing you do seems to help. It is as if aliens came down and took over your hair and you have a bad hair day. Yikes!

Hair. What a representation of life. Some days we have good days and some days nothing seems to go right. Someone asked me the other day what 3 things I would want to have if I was stranded on an island. As I was making my mental list, something very pink popped into my head. My flat iron. Not out of vanity but out of necessity. You see, I was born with straight blond hair. Then tragedy hit in my teens. My hair took a turn south and went curly. I was a little offended as my hair did not ever ask me if this was ok. I tried everything from perms (gotta love the 80's), multiple hair colors to different accessories. Nothing seemed to help. I was doomed for the rest of my life. Nothing wrong with curly hair except that I really enjoyed my straight 'low maintenance' hair. Those of you with thick curly hair know exactly what I am talking about when it comes to the upkeep, finding the "right" hairdresser who gets it, a good hair cut and continual maintenance of this type of hair.

Then it happened. After much frustration I took the plunge. I trusted my hairdresser to take a risk. Actually, I was the one taking the risk as I had to walk out of the salon with this new style. My very alternative hairdresser Electra (yes, that is her name) is a true artist. She took something and made it into my dream - straight hair. As I looked into the mirror I saw "it". With teary eyes I embraced my dream.

Funny how we sometimes seem to always want what we can't have. People often comment that they wish they could have thick curly hair like mine. I look at their dead straight beautiful shiny "Hollywood" type hair and want to say to them "are you kidding me" but I just smile.

As a counselor I wonder what would we find if my hair took a psychological test. Maybe we would find that my hair has multiple personalities as it never quite acts the same on any given day. And, if there is moisture in the air forget it. It is a done deal. Maybe my hair would have attachment issues as I try to change the style every now and then. But when I get my hair colored it goes through major identity issues. It is as if we say to our hair "who do you want to be today?"

I want to thank the person who invented the flat iron. My flat iron is arguably one of the best modern inventions. Such a gift to women across the world. I am sure it is ranked up there with other life saving devices. Plus it is pink which is our daughters favorite color. But the truth of it is my flat iron is a good reminder to me that sometimes my life needs ironing out. You see, sometimes I need to have a bad attitude ironed out to one of thankfulness and joyfulness. Nagging my husband needs to be ironed out to one of appreciation and serving behavior. Thoughts which are not uplifting need to be ironed out to words which speak the truth into my soul as to who I am in Christ. Frustrating feelings which can lead to anger towards our kids need to be ironed out to forgiveness and unconditional love. Unresolved conflict in my relationships need to be ironed out and covered with unconditional love. The truth of it is we all have issues and need to have life "ironed" out so we can live in freedom and who we are meant to be in Christ.

Question:
Think about one area of you life that needs to be "ironed" out this week. Take some time to write this down and what steps you need to take this week to straighten out this area. At the end of the week, celebrate the steps you took towards becoming a healthier "you".

To all those women out there who take on the hair challenge every day I salute and honor you. May the 'hair force' be with you on your daily adventure.

How is your hair day?

How did this happen?

2008-10-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

I checked. Today is Wednesday. How did this happen? It feels like we were just getting ready for the weekend, and it whooshed past us. Every day seems to fly by at the speed of light. We get up, dance through the day and crash into bed. As I look at our daughter who is turning 4 this weekend, I ask myself "how did this happen?" It feels like we were just driving home from the hospital with our precious little gift.
Time does not stand still but sometimes I wish I could stand still a moment longer and enjoy the small things in life. The laughter of our daughter, a good cup of coffee, hugging our son...

While I cannot stop time, I can choose to slow down and soak up every piece of what life has to offer. I choose to live a life of intention where I jump into each day with both feet ready for what may come my way.