Anchor #3 - My Death is Not Final

I took a Zumba class last week and felt like I was dying. Twenty minutes into the class, I was gasping for air, my face was beet-red, and my leg muscles felt like they were on fire. All to the beat of Latin music and in the name of physical fitness.

After another twenty minutes, things hadn't gotten any worse. (Whew.) I could almost imagine the fat cells on my hips waving a white flag. Staggering on to the end of the hour, I breathed a giant sigh of relief. I'd survived. (In fact, I think I'll have to do it again sometime. Maybe even today!)

The point is, I endured this torture to help prolong my life. When the truth is, my body has been dying as long as I've been living. Blood cells, skin cells, ... brain cells. And as much as I might try to push it off with exercise and healthy eating, someday I will face death itself.

The good news? As Max Lucado pointed out in his book, Six Hours One Friday, Jesus was always interrupting funerals. From the funeral procession outside of town to the daughter of a synagogue ruler. From his dear friend Lazarus to his own tomb.

Jesus spoke life into hopeless situations just to send the message that everything is going to be all right. Death does not get the final word. It's merely the doorway to the life to come.

So, I can "live like I'm dying" and make the most of every opportunity here. And I can also look forward to the day when I shed this life's pain for an eternity in God's presence.

Death is not the end. It is only the beginning.

What about you? Where is the balance between postponing death and longing for the life beyond?

Victory Is Sweeter

... when the battle has been fierce and the journey has been long.

On Saturday, I attended a college football game with my 12-year-old son, my dad, and my brother while my husband watched from the press box. The Colorado State University Rams faced off against the Idaho Vandals in a stadium filled with retro-uniform orange. Beautiful weather. A spirited band with a chorus line of suicide trombones. Cannon fire after each home team score along with "Cam the ram" being trotted across the end zone. And hopes were high since CSU had a 12-game losing streak going in.

The game was intense as each team exchanged points, the lead, and the momentum. And then in the 4th quarter, CSU scored yet another touchdown. The extra point to tie the game? Missed. Trailing into the final minutes, the crowd helped the defense with a critical stop and the offense took the field for the two-minute drill. Leading to a field goal attempt with 3 seconds left on the clock.

A field goal that split the uprights, securing the victory and snapping the streak. The first win of the year and the first win in over a year.

Watching the team celebrate on the field, I was reminded that the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory. And the longer the journey, the more satisfying the destination.

Working extra hours for three years to pay off a debt? Skipping favorite television shows and writing into the night to finish the rough draft of a novel? Spending hours with physical and speech therapists to help your child walk, run, and talk? Changing your lifestyle and habits to recover from a chronic illness? Sticking with my husband through the better and worse to build a strong marriage? Making the daily choices to live out my faith in a culture that denies God's existence or relevance?

Easy? Never. But the victory is sweeter for the struggle.

What about you? What motivates you during the long struggles of life? Do you have any recent victories to share?

Football Friday - Paying the Price

Imagine a football player attending every team meeting and participating in every practice or workout. Running wind-sprints. Hitting hard and making tackles. Lifting weights. And risking injury. Day in and day out, making the sacrifice for the team.

Sounds like a player doing what they're supposed to do. Someone who is carrying through on their commitment to the team.

But what if I said they made this level of sacrifice without a financial benefit or scholarship award? Such is the life of the college walk-on. (In fact, one young man in our area, despite great financial need, had to turn down a different scholarship in order to continue participating in football and not violate any rules.)

Why would these young men do this? For the love of the game and the opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves. For the hope that someday, if they pay the price long enough, they may get the call elevating them from mere walk-on to scholarship player.

And that's worth the sacrifice.

(By the way, the young man who turned down another scholarship started this season as a junior walk-on. Due to other injuries on the team, he is now a scholarship player for the remainder of the year.)

What about me? Well, there are things I do faithfully every day without immediate reward. Granted, not all rewards are financial and not all are seen in this lifetime. But sacrifice happens when the joy of what is coming is greater than the pain of what is required. So, I'll continue to pay the price with my family, at home, on the job, and in my writing.

And hopefully I'll someday get "the call" from an agent or editor offering representation or a book contract.

What about you? What sacrifices have you made? What result are you hoping for? Is the coming joy greater than the pain?

Anchor #2 - My Failure Is Not Final

Oops. I did it again. Made a mistake. Blew it. Fell on my face. Failed.

I'll spare you the gory details, but it seems like I mess up somehow almost every day. And as the tally count rises, I find myself carrying around a heavy bag of guilt over my shortcomings. Why can't I get it together? Keep my foot out of my mouth? Or at least keep my mouth shut? Why did I snap at my husband or my kids?

Oh, I may try to pass the blame. If only they hadn't done or said that, then ... But, as someone smart once told me, pointing a finger leaves at least three fingers aimed my direction. I can't change others or control the circumstances. I can only control myself - and I don't always respond the way I should.

Dwelling on the failure only leaves me buffeted by a hurricane of regret.

My anchoring point in the storm? My failure is not final.

I have a redeemer who sees me, not as I am, but how I was intended to be. He sees my heart and the potential packed inside. His mission is to repair the damage and set me on the right path again. What I can't do for myself, He does.

I make mistakes, but God doesn't. And He made me.

So, instead of failure and regret, I come running to Him and find forgiveness and a second chance.

(Gleaned from Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado)

What about you? Are you carrying around a bag of failures or have you left them at the cross? Do you gaze at the past or look ahead to the future?

To Multi-task Or Not to Multi-task

I've read that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. If that's true, what does that say about me?

I'm not talking about being wishy-washy on my principles or values. Or about changing my mind about pursuing my dreams or saving for the future. I'm just guilty of trying to tackle too many writing projects all at once. And confusing myself in the process.

Let me explain.

Over Labor Day weekend, I typed the two cherished words every writer strains to meet. "The End." After eight months of mostly diligent time clicking away on my Alphasmart, I reached the conclusion of the work-in-progress I started in January (titled Dance Over Me) and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Mission accomplished. Book written. Time to celebrate.

In the weeks since, I've been struggling to keep my focus. Why? Because I'm trying to polish the last chapters of the new book and send them out to my two critique groups AND do revisions on last year's novel (titled Serving Up Love - the ACFW Genesis runner-up book) at the same time.

Again, why? Because I'd like to have both novels revised and polished before the end of the year so I can seriously start looking for an agent in January.

Being the overly-organized yet realistic person that I am, I divided the two jobs into small pieces with weekly deadlines to keep me on track. That means two chapters of DOM to the critique groups and five chapters (one a day) of SUL revised each week. This way, when I'm done revising SUL, all the comments and suggestions on DOM will be back and I can start in on that book.

One semi-major problem. I'm losing my mind. Confusing my characters with each other. Filing ideas in the wrong folder. Misplacing the fleeting wisps of inspiration. Wasting valuable time trying to mentally switch between the two stories. And feeling guilty about the overall lack of progress on my goal-tracking sheet.

So, I ask you. Which would be better? Make daily small progress on several simultaneous projects? Or knock one project out of the way, creating a larger block of time for the next one?

Football Friday - Doing the Mundane

I was watching a college football game last night on television and I noticed something. Coaches wearing headsets and carrying clipboards mingled with the team on the sidelines. They sent in the play calls and talked to their players after each series. And appeared on camera.

But behind them? Brief glimpses of others taping ankles, icing injuries, and filling water bottles.

And further behind the scenes? Staff members washing the uniforms, setting up the locker room, making travel and lodging arrangements, ordering food, videotaping games, and tagging game films on their computer system.

Every coaching staff has members willing to do the dirty work. To step up and do the stuff that has to be done, freeing other coaches to study film, strategize a new game plan, and lead the team meetings.

So, what's that gotta do with life? My husband and I are like the coaching staff of our family. (He's the head coach and I'm the assistant.) Together, we teach our kids the game plan for life and guide them toward the goal. And in the process of sharing this load, somebody has to handle the everyday stuff like laundry, meals, transportation, and checking homework.

And seen in that light, doing the mundane becomes a lot more important.

(Gleaned from Pigskin Parables: Reflections of a Football Widow)

What about you? Are you part of a coaching staff? Do you lead some kind of team? Do you have a game plan? How important is the mundane?

Anchor #1 - My Life Is Not Futile

Ever feel like you're a hamster running on a wheel? That every day you do the same things only to wake up tomorrow and do it all over again? There are still dishes to be washed and socks to be sorted. Day after day after day.

It might be easy for me to think "What's the point in trying?"

But I'd be wrong.

Today, I may be weary and burdened. I may wrestle with feelings of loneliness, anger, fear, guilt, or self-pity. And the emotional hurricane tosses me around.

Until I hold onto this anchoring truth. My life is not futile.

Someone is in control and I have a purpose. A purpose beyond the mundane. Because He takes the common and makes it spectacular. There is glory to be found in my everyday life. Because He is there.

What I already have in Him is greater than anything I may want today. And that makes even washing dishes and sorting socks worthwhile.

(This Wednesday's wisdom has been inspired by Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado.)

What about you? Have you ever taken a turn on the hamster-wheel of life? How did you get off?

It Must Be Progress When ...

You choose to go to the gym and workout as a reward for getting your work done.

Seriously, I never thought this would be me. But, Saturday afternoon found me pedaling away on a stationary bike while reading a book. I could have read the same book while lounging on my couch, but I didn't.

Proof that I must have turned the corner in my exercise plan!

You see, four weeks ago, my kids all went back to school and I made the decision to get myself back into an exercise routine. (I say "back" but, aside from one summer when there was a borrowed treadmill in my basement, I hadn't exercised regularly since, um, before I got married almost 15 years ago. Yikes!) Before I plopped down a chunk of money and signed a contract, I decided to scope out a few local gyms by sampling their "try-us-for-7-days-free" trial memberships. And figure out what kind of setting and routine worked best for me.

First stop, a hydrolic-powered, strength-training circuit facility for women only. Upside? No brain required. Just travel from machine to machine when the speaker says "change stations." Downside? Mostly populated by women older than my mother who had way more energy than I did. Oh, and no cardio machines or variety.

On the other end of the spectrum was the intense gym for serious-bodybuilder-types. At least that's what I thought when I looked around the room at the young, fit bodies hammering away on eliptical machines for over half an hour. (Um, I tried one at a slower pace and lasted about, um, five minutes before my legs were quivering. I guess I'll need to work up to that beast.) Upside? Lots of options for workouts and a women only room. Downside? The focus on image over health goals. And the obnoxiously bad lyrics and music blaring out of every speaker.

This search has made me re-evaluate my goals. While I'd love to lose the belly bulge I've been carrying since baby #3 (over 6 years ago), my first priority is cardio health. As in doing something for 30 minutes at a pace above a crawl without passing out. Then I can add in a bit of strength and resistance training and an occasional class to tone-and-trim. In an environment with options, a demographic I fit, and a price I can afford.

And when I choose to go work out on a day I hadn't scheduled it? I must be doing something right.

Not only that, I've learned a bit about developing good habits. The sacrifice required to make myself do something I'd rather not do -- in order to gain something of value. And the addictive joy I feel at the progress I've made.

What about you? Do you exercise regularly? Are you disciplined enough to do it at home or do you go to a gym? What are your goals?

Football Friday - Make a Choice

After years coaching football at the high school level, my husband is now volunteering at the college level. And this higher intensity game continues to teach me about life.

During the off-season, the coaching staff was busy recruiting. They traveled the country and visited hundreds of schools to meet potential players. Back home, they evaluated film after film sent in by high school athletes eager to play at the next level. After ranking the possibilities, they hit the road again with specific targets in mind. They talked to kids about the football program. The university. The city. They invited players to attend summer camps and extended scholarship offers.

And now they wait.

Wait for the recruits to make a choice. To verbally commit. To officially sign their name on a letter of intent in February. To pack their bags and join the team for next year's spring and summer workouts.

Just because the coaches have offered a place on the team, doesn't mean that student will choose to come. So, they follow up the offer with visits, letters, and phone calls.

What does this have to do with life? We've each been offered a place on the best team in the universe. To join a program whose philosophy is love. To execute plays like forgiveness, compassion, healing, truth. To combat the opponent's strategies of bitterness, hatred, pain, and deception. To live and work under an authority structure rooted in justice and mercy.

But we have to make a choice. Choosing one team automatically rejects another. So chose wisely.

What about you? Have you made the choice? Are you recruiting your friends to join your team? Have you found that the other team is still trying to recruit you?

Anchoring Deep

It's hurricane season (as evidenced by Hurricane Earl's rampage up the East Coast last week). But not all severe weather in life is a literal downpour. What about broken relationships, lost income, health problems, or the loss of a loved one?

The storms of life come. The waters rise and the winds blow.

I've been reading Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado. He tells the story of a hurricane warning over another Labor Day weekend and a group of guys anxiously lashing their house boat to every tree within reach in hopes of surviving the onslaught.

Until a wise sailor-type approached with the wisdom of the ages. "Your only hope is to anchor deep."

Why? Because the trees can get blown over. Don't rely on the surface circumstances for security. Instead anchor deep on an unchanging foundation. Find the time-tested truths and hold on.

(And in case there aren't any storms in your life right now, anchoring deep is a strategy for nice weather too. After all, without an anchor, you'll drift with the currents and end up far from where you started out.)

Over the next three Wednesdays I'll be sharing some of Max Lucado's wisdom about finding anchoring points in life. Your life is not futile. Your failures are not fatal. And your death is not final.

What about you? Are you in sunny or stormy weather? Have you tried holding on to the "trees" or have you anchored deep? What happened as a result?

Happy Labor Day

"...Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called." ~Ephesians 4:1 KJV

You probably know that this American holiday was created by the labor movement as a way to celebrate the contributions of workers to our economy. Today, many see the holiday as the official end of summer and the start of another school year.

So, today I encourage you to honor those around you and the difference they make. Whether they are workers, students, parents, mentors, volunteers, or something else, we can all add something to our world.

And we can all embrace Paul's challenge to live up to our fullest potential - to walk worthy of the vocation to which we are called.

Happy Labor Day!

Focus on the Fundamentals

What season is this? Did you just you say fall? Well, technically it's still summer, but I'm thinking football season.

Our household seems to revolve around the sport. My husband used to coach high school football, but is venturing out into the college arena and does football year-round. But this time of year, our boys are gearing up. My 12-year-old is playing wide receiver, safety, and back-up quarterback for his middle school team while the 6-year-old will be playing flag football for the first time ever. In addition to all the practices and games, they've been showcasing their tackling skills in the middle of the living room!

After watching the game from the sidelines for years, I started seeing life lessons illustrated on the field. And wrote my first book (Pigskin Parables: Reflections of a Football Widow) based on what I'd been learning. So, when this season arrives, my brain starts seeing the similarities again.

Take, for instance, this common coaching philosophy: Focus on the fundamentals.

Focus: Give deliberate attention to it. Zero in. Block out the distractions. Aim for. Keep in sight.

Fundamentals: The basic components and building blocks. The essential elements. Those things of major significance. The most important and foundational pieces.

In football, the fundamentals include throwing, catching, blocking, and tackling. Without the basic ability to execute the game plan, all the scouting and strategy falls apart.

In life, the fundamentals are harder to define, yet still as crucial. As I started thinking, three things jumped to the top of my list. Faith. Family. Stewardship (making the most of what I've been given including money, time, and talents). And wrapped around them is love. Love God and love others.

Simple? Maybe. But if I can do these few things well, the rest of my life should fall into place somewhere. Not that mastering the fundamentals is easy. That's why every coach spends time at every practice running the players through drills designed to keep the fundamental skills sharp. (Hence the word focus. It doesn't happen accidentally.)

But, in doing this, don't forget what my son's flag football coach said. "We'll teach the boys the fundamentals of the game, but we also want them to have a good time." After all, check out the first three letters: F-U-N.

Focus on the fundamentals in life. And take time to relax and enjoy the journey.

What about you? What fundamentals are you focusing on? What do you do for fun?