Listening for the New Year

New Year's Eve... with many thoughts swirling through my mind, I sip another cup of coffee and reflect.

My dad at his favorite watering hole; Dunny's in Nooksack.
He met many a friend there for coffee several times a week!

Nine years ago this morning Dad passed away. I wonder how many cups of coffee he's enjoyed with Jesus since then? (I'm sure I acquired my love of coffee from my dad. After all, he started me on it about the time I was weaned!)

 I don't spend a lot of time wondering what heaven is like but when I do, I'd like to think we'll still drink coffee. Can you imagine sitting across the table from Jesus, and chatting over a steaming latte? Perhaps some biscotti to go with it. (Calories and gluten intolerance wont exist in heaven, of this I am certain!)

I do love a coffee date with a friend and many a great conversation takes place while we sip. What do you suppose one would talk about with Jesus? Oh, the possibilities are endless.

Speaking of talking, Jesus has been. Talking I mean. To me. I've been choosing a word now for the past several years, a word that would be my focus for the year. Love, Grace, Relationships, have been some of the words I've committed to. So, of course as this month started to close in I began thinking of a word for 2016. There were a couple of words that immediately came to mind. I even had a word for my sweetie (of course he was ever so grateful for me sharing that with him! HA!!) After I have a few words, I then bring those words before the Lord and ask Him to direct me.

He did. He brought me the word "listen". 

What? That wasn't on my list. I shook my head when I heard it. "Listen? Really Lord? That's what you want me to focus on in my new year?"

Well, now look. I like to talk. I mean, coffee dates, hello!
I'm often guilty of interrupting, in my enthusiasm for sharing my opinion or ideas. And I admit, when I'm tired or my internal battery has been depleted, zoning out is much more likely to happen than giving rapt attention to whomever is talking.  As a creative introvert, I am constantly processing internally all that is going on around me. Sometimes this results in getting lost inside my head and I begin to tune out the noise around me. Even when the 'noise' is the voice of a loved one.

But the Lord keeps reminding me that he gave us only ONE mouth and TWO ears so there must be a reason... which is to listen twice as much as we speak. He also convicted me in that its not just my earthly companions I need to listen better for. I need to be listening more for HIS voice....

This is what I read in my daily devotional a few days ago. "Are you interested in praying a prayer that could revolutionize your life? Try this: Begin each day by asking God a series of questions. "Lord how can I love you today? What acts of worship can I do? What words can I utter that will honor and bless you? What act of service can I do to represent your love? How would your scripture inspire me to pray today?" *

Whoa. That's some serious questioning and it will require intentional listening to discern the answers. It almost feels like too much to ask for. Because revolutionizing ones life sounds a little intimidating! Scary! Risky!! But, conviction gripped me and I knew this was meant for me to undertake at this point in my spiritual journey.

A day after this reading I learned from my boss that they were keeping me on after the holidays! I am delighted as this job has turned out to be a blessing in many ways. And when you are in the retail/customer service arena listening is very important. It's not about me, it's about serving others.

Then, just after I informed my husband I was pretty sure this was the word God has given me for 2016, I went on my phone to play a word search game and the very first word that I found was.... "LISTEN". Say what? Oh, God has such a sense of humor and I just chuckled... and the word was cemented in my heart.

*At His Feet; the one year devotional by Chris Tiegreen, Tyndale House Publishers Inc.

Birthdays and Parties and Family, Oh My!

December is a busy month, no doubt about it. While Bruce and I have really cut back over the years in the amount of craziness that( a commercialized) Christmas can bring, we have not forsaken the idea of spending time together with those we love. In fact, that is the main focus! And let's not forget that both Bruce and I are December babies so between my birthday and New Years Eve, we can count on lots of celebrating!

grandson Bennett helping me bring birthday cake to Grandpa

Bruce's birthday is tomorrow (Sunday) but we had a little celebration last night with our son and daughter- in- love and our grandson. Today Bruce has gone snowshoeing with his son and a friend and tomorrow will be filled with church, family and friends. He's a lot more low-key about his birthday than I am about mine. He said he spent this whole year thinking he was already 58, not 57 and that realizing this was a gift in itself.

happy birthday!

playing with Grandpa

I am super excited this year. My big brother and my sister-in-love are here this week visiting from Montana. It's been a couple of years at least since our last visit. But what makes this visit extra special is the fact that today when we gather at my little brothers, it will be the first time in 7 years that all of us siblings will be under one roof at the same time. (The last time we all gathered was for my dad's memorial service in Jan. 2007.)  I have 3 brothers and one sister and today we will be together, with our spouses, kids, and our mom. (Pretty sure she'll be over the moon when she gets there and sees ALL of us together-- get your hankies)

Now, here's the crazy thing about our family... we all like to talk. No, I mean, TALK.  Um, as in.... TALK!! Aaaaaand.... some of us are not real good at the Listening part. My little brother said it best when he issued the invitation to come to his house today for what he is calling The Honcoop Hoe Down. He said "Bring your sitting pants and your gabbin' gear... no listening devices allowed. Dis is Da Honcoops!" 

To give you an idea about what I mean when I say listening isn't a strong point,  I give you this memory. My dad and 2 of his brothers were sitting in the living room in the house I grew up in. All three brothers were engaged in intense, enthusiastic conversation as they discussed baseball. All talking AT ONCE. No one listening. Just talking. At. Once. They just got louder. And louder. AND LOUDER. At one point one of the brothers was pounding on another brother's leg to try and be heard!! It was hilarious....

 (granted, we all know that all talk and no listening has its serious downsides)

I don't think we'll be that rude when we meet today. I think some of us have mellowed and learned to appreciate what our siblings have to say. But I don't doubt that this will be a loud, crazy, fun day. With lots of picture taking!!

Since my lil brother said this was a Honcoop Hoe-Down, I thought I'd found the perfect outfit to wear...

seriously, I already had the shirt before the Hoedown was announced.