I got this email from my mother-in-law this morning, and I really wanted to share her wisdom because it was so uplifting to me on this dreary rainy day (hope you don't mind, Mrs. Mac! :). I also copied the scripture she cited below her suggestion, and it was a fantastic idea - just try filling in your name and see if you don't feel encouraged! I have not always been great about accepting help in general, but the older I get, the more and more I appreciate our circles of "community" and I think that I've gotten a bit better at taking up offers of assistance. I hope that the people in my life that are going through a rough time know that they can lean on the Barton and I if there's anything that we can help with - please let us know.
You have been on my mind lately especially thinking back about your blog about setting boundaries. In retirement, I never thought I would still be having concerns about that issue. But I have realized it doesn't make any difference what you are doing, you have to be vigilant that it does not creep into places you hold sacred.
You are right, it has been a long winter for most of us in the Midwest. It sounds like you have had extra challenges placed in your life. Another good verse from Psalms is Psalm 91:14-16. At a Bible study, someone once suggested this verse and had us write it out with our name replacing "He". We will be praying that spring comes soon and we will see God's rebirth in nature.
Love, Mom
Psalm 91:14-16
Because he loves me, says the LORD, I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
encouragement
It's been a tough week - and it's only Wednesday. My boss is leaving soon, two of my co-workers mothers passed away. And the dreadful Michigan winter weather drones on...
So if you have good news to share this week, post a comment or send me an email - I'd love to hear some! Let's lean on each other, friends.
I think I just saw this same verse in something I read recently (maybe Jodi's blog?) , anyway it was definitely worth the repeat for me.
Psalm 59: 16-17
"But I will sing of Your power. Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning. For you have been my defense and refuge in the day of trouble. To You O my strength I will sing praises; for God is my defense, My God of mercy."
So if you have good news to share this week, post a comment or send me an email - I'd love to hear some! Let's lean on each other, friends.
I think I just saw this same verse in something I read recently (maybe Jodi's blog?) , anyway it was definitely worth the repeat for me.
Psalm 59: 16-17
"But I will sing of Your power. Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning. For you have been my defense and refuge in the day of trouble. To You O my strength I will sing praises; for God is my defense, My God of mercy."
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
A tale of two faces
The photo on the left is me, August 2007, at my sister's wedding. The photo on the right is me, September 2008, at my own wedding.
I guess I didn't realize how much weight I have lost until I put these photos next to each other. There's plenty more weight to lose, but thanks to better choices, a wife who supports me in eating healthier, eating red meat and pop a lot less frequently, and the Troy Community Center gym, I'm a lot healthier today than I've been in quite a while. And that is a blessing.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
My funny Valentine
Today, for my husband, I quote some of Beethoven's beautiful prose in his third letter to his immortal beloved:
"Oh continue to love me - never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.
ever thine
ever mine
ever ours "
"Oh continue to love me - never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.
ever thine
ever mine
ever ours "
Thursday, February 12, 2009
My 25 Random Things
-It's not that I think there's zero appeal to Facebook, I just feel like I can't afford to add a constant stream of distraction to my plate, you know?
-I took piano lessons for 9 years and should be much better than I am, through no fault of my teacher (I wonder if Mrs. Anderson is still teaching?).
-I wish I could've been in a girl band, though my actual participation would be fuzzy, given that I never learned to play the guitar (wish I did), am only a mediocre piano player (see aforementioned) and don't think sporadic karoake renditions or church choir would really prepare my vocals for performances.
-My niece & nephew are the cutest kids I know!
-In between leaving my parents house and getting married, I lived by myself for 12 years, a period which I did enjoy, but my husband is really cute so he can stay :).
-My two sisters & I all cry when we laugh hard, when something is really funny, we will literally weep!
-I have always been drawn to big purses, shiny jewelry and high heels, though I have had to curb wearing much of the latter since it turns out that my mom was right and my knees/ankles/feet have suffered greatly!
-I've always enjoyed trying and learning about lots of new things, but now I wonder if this has actually prohibited me from becoming really good at any one thing.
-I like to sing in the car and in the shower, and when I lived alone I apparently used to just sing around the house without a care, as evidenced by my neighbor in my first apartment who once saw me in the parking lot and said "hey, I like your singing!".
-I can't imagine what life would be like without friends who you can really be yourself with, and they've seen you at your best and worst.
-I am thankful that my husband is open to trying new food, because I love to see what different ethnicities have to offer, even though anything that is remotely "Asian" will probably always still top the list for me.
-It really bugs me when people don't hold to their commitments, because unless an urgent situation comes up at work, we make all the meetings and such, don't we? We should value our relationships even more than our paychecks.
-While I have traveled quite a bit, but I have lived in the suburbs of Detroit, MI all of my life, and actually think it is (was?) a great place to grow up and raise a family.
-I don't like "fake" blue in food - at all. Actually, I don't really care for eating anything that turns my tongue a weird color, but I will eat real blueberries.
-My first car was a 4-door 1984 Pontiac Sunbird, in a weird mauve-like color, but I thought it had a great radio system (it didn't).
-I thank God that He is!!!
-I fear that my parents got my name from 70's pop icon Olivia Newton John, though actually I like it very much and have gotten many compliments on it, even though it has now somehow risen into the top 10 names for baby girls and is no longer quite so unique.
-In one (of several) of my junior/high school student council elections I ran unopposed, but still gave the campaign my all - complete with posters, an appeal speech, and the cheesy (but appropriate) slogan - "Olivia - The ONLY Way To Go!" :)
-I have a tattoo of a cross & a rose on my left shoulder. I think I got it my sophomore year at college, by a talented classmate who always played Belinda Carlisle music in the background while she worked her inky magic.
-I am the founding member of the group "Engineers : The Asian Women Who Love Them", but my friend Kim is the only other member so far :).
-I get really annoyed when I have to repeat myself.
-I usually eat a couple servings of fruit a day. I'm fruity for fruit!
-I came in 10th in the state spelling bee in the 6th grade. I still have the big red dictionary they gave me, and also a picture around somewhere of me at the big event with my big hair, wearing a black & teal sweater dress & black nylons - hot.
-I think that going shopping without a plan is for amateurs.
-My friend Elson gave me a tube of Mac lipstick in junior high as a gift after I admired his sister Emily's color, and I've worn the brand ever since in varying shades of my signature red.
-I took piano lessons for 9 years and should be much better than I am, through no fault of my teacher (I wonder if Mrs. Anderson is still teaching?).
-I wish I could've been in a girl band, though my actual participation would be fuzzy, given that I never learned to play the guitar (wish I did), am only a mediocre piano player (see aforementioned) and don't think sporadic karoake renditions or church choir would really prepare my vocals for performances.
-My niece & nephew are the cutest kids I know!
-In between leaving my parents house and getting married, I lived by myself for 12 years, a period which I did enjoy, but my husband is really cute so he can stay :).
-My two sisters & I all cry when we laugh hard, when something is really funny, we will literally weep!
-I have always been drawn to big purses, shiny jewelry and high heels, though I have had to curb wearing much of the latter since it turns out that my mom was right and my knees/ankles/feet have suffered greatly!
-I've always enjoyed trying and learning about lots of new things, but now I wonder if this has actually prohibited me from becoming really good at any one thing.
-I like to sing in the car and in the shower, and when I lived alone I apparently used to just sing around the house without a care, as evidenced by my neighbor in my first apartment who once saw me in the parking lot and said "hey, I like your singing!".
-I can't imagine what life would be like without friends who you can really be yourself with, and they've seen you at your best and worst.
-I am thankful that my husband is open to trying new food, because I love to see what different ethnicities have to offer, even though anything that is remotely "Asian" will probably always still top the list for me.
-It really bugs me when people don't hold to their commitments, because unless an urgent situation comes up at work, we make all the meetings and such, don't we? We should value our relationships even more than our paychecks.
-While I have traveled quite a bit, but I have lived in the suburbs of Detroit, MI all of my life, and actually think it is (was?) a great place to grow up and raise a family.
-I don't like "fake" blue in food - at all. Actually, I don't really care for eating anything that turns my tongue a weird color, but I will eat real blueberries.
-My first car was a 4-door 1984 Pontiac Sunbird, in a weird mauve-like color, but I thought it had a great radio system (it didn't).
-I thank God that He is!!!
-I fear that my parents got my name from 70's pop icon Olivia Newton John, though actually I like it very much and have gotten many compliments on it, even though it has now somehow risen into the top 10 names for baby girls and is no longer quite so unique.
-In one (of several) of my junior/high school student council elections I ran unopposed, but still gave the campaign my all - complete with posters, an appeal speech, and the cheesy (but appropriate) slogan - "Olivia - The ONLY Way To Go!" :)
-I have a tattoo of a cross & a rose on my left shoulder. I think I got it my sophomore year at college, by a talented classmate who always played Belinda Carlisle music in the background while she worked her inky magic.
-I am the founding member of the group "Engineers : The Asian Women Who Love Them", but my friend Kim is the only other member so far :).
-I get really annoyed when I have to repeat myself.
-I usually eat a couple servings of fruit a day. I'm fruity for fruit!
-I came in 10th in the state spelling bee in the 6th grade. I still have the big red dictionary they gave me, and also a picture around somewhere of me at the big event with my big hair, wearing a black & teal sweater dress & black nylons - hot.
-I think that going shopping without a plan is for amateurs.
-My friend Elson gave me a tube of Mac lipstick in junior high as a gift after I admired his sister Emily's color, and I've worn the brand ever since in varying shades of my signature red.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
New boundaries
Last week, I was chatting with my boss and sharing some personal constraints on my time that I was feeling, and she said that I really needed to read the book "Boundaries", and my other co-worker (who is working mother like my boss is) nodded enthusiastically. I replied that I had been given that suggestion before, but had never checked it out. So a few days later she hands me the book and the workbook and tells me she couldn't find her copy, so she checked it out of her church library for me. How cool is that?? Not just that she was invested in my personal well-being, but the fact that she and some of my other co-workers in our department are Christians and feel comfortable asking for prayers from each other if we're having personal issues.
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to read through it quickly now, as we got word today that they're going to eliminate her position and she'll be transitioning out in a couple of weeks. We are all taking this news very hard, and I'm really hoping she's able to land on her feet quickly. Not to mention that this will have a direct effect on my own job, and who knows what else will happen in the short or long term. I'm allowing myself to be sad and mope about it this evening, but it will be time soon enough to move forward...
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to read through it quickly now, as we got word today that they're going to eliminate her position and she'll be transitioning out in a couple of weeks. We are all taking this news very hard, and I'm really hoping she's able to land on her feet quickly. Not to mention that this will have a direct effect on my own job, and who knows what else will happen in the short or long term. I'm allowing myself to be sad and mope about it this evening, but it will be time soon enough to move forward...
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Where is God revealed?
Today at church one of the message topics discussed was about how while God as an entity is too infinite to humanly comprehend, we can and should always seek to find ways in which to discover how He reveals himself. Kind of a weighty concept, until you realize that there are a million little ways even in our everyday lives where He manifests himself. Perhaps in the beauty of nature, in the embrace of a loved one, or in the kind gesture of a stranger (thank you, dude in camouflage overalls who stopped on I-96 East back in the winter of 1994 to help me drive my beloved maroon Ford Probe out of the snowy ditch!). Yet overall, in my thoughts, deeds and words, I am constantly challenged to truly be a reflection of His almighty mercy & grace - do you feel like that too?
This week my friend Josie encouraged our small group to pray about how God would want us to spend the Sabbath (even if not on a Sunday?) and after a very nice morning of running errands & going to church with the hubby, then lunch afterwards with a group of friends, I am just sitting here writing this blog post while the hubby rouses from his nap, the washing machine & dryer are simultaneously running and the chicken wings that we're bringing to a friend's Superbowl party are baking in the over. Not sure that any of it is all that meaningful, but there it is.
But I did see/feel God earlier in my weekend. In the wee hours of Saturday morning we were serving at our church neighbor Cana Lutheran's annual winter warming shelter, reflecting on the fact that when we were there a year ago we were newly engaged and I was rifling through bridal magazines and planning for our wedding. How blessed we've been, right? Then during breakfast one of the male guests recognized me from serving at the Oasis/Detroit Rescue Mission and while he was a bit strange (he took some group pictures of the girls with his cameraphone last month, and this night he was asking which guy was my husband, if I was indeed married), I was struck with the fact that he had obviously taken food & shelter both in Detroit, and then a bit north in Berkley, and couldn't I have been a bit more compassionate than a nod & a polite smile? So I grabbed a gallon of milk from the kitchen and headed out to refresh the supply out in the dining room, and then another male guest stopped me and exclaimed "Are you an angel??!? You look like an angel with that big smile!". OK, those of you that know me well know that I am most certainly not an angel, yet even if his comments where in jest, perhaps that man needed a lift of spirit before heading out into the bitter cold for the day. I guess that's one thing I can be comforted by, that I am always reminded to be humble when I do fail at the little (big?) things.
Lord, continue to break my heart for the things that break yours, and please reveal yourself to me in ways that I can understand and act on..
This week my friend Josie encouraged our small group to pray about how God would want us to spend the Sabbath (even if not on a Sunday?) and after a very nice morning of running errands & going to church with the hubby, then lunch afterwards with a group of friends, I am just sitting here writing this blog post while the hubby rouses from his nap, the washing machine & dryer are simultaneously running and the chicken wings that we're bringing to a friend's Superbowl party are baking in the over. Not sure that any of it is all that meaningful, but there it is.
But I did see/feel God earlier in my weekend. In the wee hours of Saturday morning we were serving at our church neighbor Cana Lutheran's annual winter warming shelter, reflecting on the fact that when we were there a year ago we were newly engaged and I was rifling through bridal magazines and planning for our wedding. How blessed we've been, right? Then during breakfast one of the male guests recognized me from serving at the Oasis/Detroit Rescue Mission and while he was a bit strange (he took some group pictures of the girls with his cameraphone last month, and this night he was asking which guy was my husband, if I was indeed married), I was struck with the fact that he had obviously taken food & shelter both in Detroit, and then a bit north in Berkley, and couldn't I have been a bit more compassionate than a nod & a polite smile? So I grabbed a gallon of milk from the kitchen and headed out to refresh the supply out in the dining room, and then another male guest stopped me and exclaimed "Are you an angel??!? You look like an angel with that big smile!". OK, those of you that know me well know that I am most certainly not an angel, yet even if his comments where in jest, perhaps that man needed a lift of spirit before heading out into the bitter cold for the day. I guess that's one thing I can be comforted by, that I am always reminded to be humble when I do fail at the little (big?) things.
Lord, continue to break my heart for the things that break yours, and please reveal yourself to me in ways that I can understand and act on..
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