January 26: Do It Anyway

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

Mother Teresa

January 7: Off to School

I sent Matthew off to school today. It's still a jolt to realize there was no bundling up, packing a lunch, getting us into the car on time and heading to school to drop him off. His two classes on MWF are from 1:30 - 3:30 so we had a lovely morning. He headed upstairs and took a shower, cleaned out his backpack, loaded it with new spiral binders and headed off to school. Crazy. All that exhaustion from the daily "off to school" routine, gone.

It's his final high school semester.

I just watched a video on how FAFSA - Federal student aid - works. So much is now pointed toward, planned for and organized around preparing for college. The day is coming, so much faster now that I could have imagined. High school has been so very hard and painful, that I'm actually thrilled for the possibility of college. Praying already for a season in his life that feeds his mind and his soul.

January 6: Ordinary Time

Today is Epiphany. Marking the journey of the Magi to find Christ after his birth. A surprisingly great opportunity after the flurry of activity of Advent and celebration of Incarnation on Christmas Day, to focus on journey. More specifically my journey to discover the Christ child, daily.

This season is also called Ordinary Time in the church calendar.

I love this explanation by Joan Chittister, The Liturgical Year:

"The time between Christmas and Lent, and the time between Pentecost and Advent (are) known as Ordinary Time, time outside the seasons of the two great feasts of the church. Time to rest in the contemplation of those centers of the faith that are the lodestones of our souls...in this period that is between the two poles of the life of Jesus, we get to pause awhile. To take it all in. To make the connection between that life, that reality, and our own. Ordinary time gives us time to contemplate the intersection between the life of Jesus and our own...In the liturgical year, we live the life of Jesus day after day until one day it becomes our own."

I want "to take it all in."

January 2, 2015

I'm of the age when the difference between Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 is, well, 24 hours. I don't stay up and I rarely party. But that doesn't mean this isn't a marker or a milestone. 2014 was such a year and it followed close on the heels of 2013 which was also another such year. I'm ready for 2015 to be a bit less memorable for all the wrong reasons. But if it is, He is faithful. That's just truth. Truth in 2013 and in 2014, and in all the years before and to come.

I have so many dreams for this year. Things I want to accomplish and enjoy. Things I want to do differently. Things I want to do more of and some I want to do less of.

This is the year I will send my one and only off to college. The infant I wasn't sure would survive his first weeks is now preparing for the start of his last semester in high school and taking all college transferable classes. Crazy. But if I have/am learning anything it is that he is resilient. I am amazed at his ability to rebound from adversity while always pursuing relationships and community.

I know that 2015 will have it's hurdles. Don't they all. Not just new years but all years. They all do. I just want to make a few choices to help navigate those bumps and lows; dare I say better.

So happy new year. For today, it is. But really I should say joy-filled new year, anchored in this truth:

Now (in my today and all the todays to come in 2015) to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we or ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within (me), to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)