Tag: life

adventure, faith, kingdom living, leadership, sacred romance

What Size is Your Story?

Natalie

I love movies.  It’s one of my favorite things to do with my family on the weekend.  Many of my children do as well, and since the youngest is heading into his tween years, we’ve been slowly introducing him to some of the great movies we’ve seen over the years.  Last night it was The Matrix.  He loved it.  I loved it for the fourth or fifth time.

We actually watched two movies yesterday, my youngest son and I.  He wanted to see Thor: Ragnarok again. That movie makes me smile because Thor seems much more human in it.

This morning on my facebook timeline, I noticed that someone posted a beautiful sunset/sunrise and then referenced yet another of my favorite movies, The Last of the Mohicans.

I love movies for the same reason I loved books as a child.  I wanted a world bigger than my own. A world that’s not so mundane, where everything is hanging in the balance, and where there is epic love and epic friendship and epic battles.

In our couple’s group tonight, we’re discussing Chapter 4 of The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge.  This chapter is called A Story Big Enough to Live In.  Like my son and me, these two authors love movies.  The authors contend that “if we’re going to find the answer to the riddle of the earth — and of our own existence — we’ll find it in story.” (p. 40) They go on to say that we “create our own storylines to bring some meaning to our experiences,” but they claim that we lose ourselves in the smallest kinds of stories.  You’ll have to pick up the book for more (I promise it’s worth the read).

I am 100% sure that my youngest son would say that his storyline involves some superhuman abilities and epic battles to save the world.

I know I created my own storyline as well as a child, also with superhuman abilities and epic battles.  Unfortunately, my story began to shrink throughout my life.  But I am dreaming again of my childhood storyline and smiling, and as I do, I find it’s getting bigger and bigger.

How about you?  What size is your storyline? Is it epic, or the smallest kind?

 

faith, Uncategorized, writing

Jonah and me

Natalie

It’s been a while since my last blog post.  Primarily because I’ve been hiding out.  I’m not generally thought of as being shy or timid, but the last few years, I have been an ardent avoider.  Not in all areas of my life, just one in particular.  This one.

If you scroll below this post, you’ll see that the last post here was in 2015.  Hard to believe that I haven’t written anything here in 2 1/2 years.

You might well ask why.

I didn’t realize until recently that I was having a Jonah moment.

Jonah, according to scripture, was also an avoider. He was given a specific task to go to a specific group of people to tell them to repent of their sin.  This group of people, the Nineveh-ites, some 120,000 strong, were a vile society and God had called Jonah to call them to repentance.  Jonah, instead, goes in exactly the opposite direction.  He’s trying to avoid the difficult task.

Four years ago, I began working on an idea. I set up a separate blog and a facebook page and worked at it here and there.  Two years later, after a move, I resurrected said idea and developed it into a presentation which I gave at our current church in January 2016.  I had several people tell me at that time that I was a gifted speaker and that I should turn it into a book and maybe start looking at giving that presentation elsewhere.  These were people who I respected, who knew of my spiritual gifts and were encouraging me to seek God’s leading in this area.

Instead, I decided to hide.

I stopped writing altogether and focused on easier things.  I was still using some of my gifts and abilities but I was really hiding out.  In January of last year, I even took on a new job.  This new job totally fit my skills and abilities, but it was really just another place to hide out.

Well, I’m not hiding any longer, thanks to a mission trip and the devotions during that time which God used to call me out of hiding and point out that I was acting like Jonah.

Expect to see more from me here.

 

 

Uncategorized

Crazy, Busy, Good, Now What?

Natalie

It’s been a busy last few days and I haven’t made time to blog or even to read. Tonight, however, it’s just me and the silence in the house.

All the humans, except me, of course, are out. The dogs are curled up, the cats are curled up and I’m sitting relaxed in my recliner doing the very thing I love most – writing. The only way it could be better is if I had my own personal waiter to fill my drink cup, which is coincidentally empty, and to bring me dinner.

Back to the writing….

The crazy from this week:

.. forgetting to make preparations for my father-in-law’s arrival on Wednesday night
.. mistaking the time on football equipment turn-in with multiple parents waiting for me to arrive
.. discovering the requirement for a seventh grade project four days after it was due

The busy:

.. something every night
.. something every afternoon

The good:

.. connecting with an adult cousin I have never had a chance to know. Hi Chris 😉
.. playing with Marley Marie, my granddaughter and watching her smile.
.. knowing my grandmother has chosen to forgive and be forgiven prior to leaving this life.
.. a great relationship with my daughter-in-law and the continuing development of one with my son-in-law
.. hearing my sixth grader verbally agree with me that I’m an awesome mom. No bribes needed 😀
.. the smile of my seventh grader when he sees me.
.. the reassuring hug of my grown son
.. the friendship of my beautiful daughter
.. the constant love, quiet support and strength of the gentle man who is my husband

Now what?

.. Lord, lead Brian and I as we seek your will for our involvement in Haiti.
.. Our quiver doesn’t feel full, shall we add two more?