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blessings before burdens

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blessings before burdens

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Vision

17 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by simplykip in Uncategorized

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Crafts, grateful, gratitude, reflection, vision, vision board, word

I woke up this morning to a gorgeous sunrise peeking through my bedroom curtains. Instead of immediately heading downstairs for breakfast, I quietly embraced myself in my big blue bathrobe, tucked on my fuzzy gray slippers, and sat on the floor in the middle of my bedroom. I stopped to stare at the vision board I created last night.

Vision Board

I love arts and crafts projects. Cutting and taping and creating is a natural part of who I am and how I connect with the world around me. So, when a friend shared the idea of creating a vision board as a New Year’s discipline, I was all in. Ahead of our gathering, I searched Pinterest for ideas and examples. I perused ‘how to’ posts on the process of creating a vision board. I purchased a large cork board and some map pushpins and gathered stacks of magazines, a few personal photos and inspirational printables I’ve been saving. When the time came Friday evening to create my board alongside several close friends, I felt prepared with my steps for the journey.

What was beautiful about going through this process with others was how images and phrases sparked memories and stories and dreams in each of us. Surrounded by stacks of magazines, from travel, health & lifestyle, and home & garden issues and, yes, even a Cat Fancy or two, we each tore out pages that had images or words and phrases that resonated with each of us. We even passed pages to each other if we found something that reminded us of someone else in the room. The purpose of this activity was NOT to think about it too much. The intention was to be open and guided by that deep inner Voice making connections to what was on the page. I tend to overthink things, so although this was challenging for me at first, I found it became easier and freeing to simply be led through the process as the evening continued.

Through my first few magazines, I was drawn to more words and phrases than I was to the images in front of me. Many of the words I was drawn to related to my Words over the years (joy, trust, gratitude), as well as travel & nature. When I finally did find images I connected to, they stopped me in my tracks. They spoke to me. For some of the pictures, I couldn’t quite identify what drew me to them. Most were mysterious and sparked a curiosity in me. There was something there. I removed those pages and added them to my pile. An image of a man rowing a canoe towards a rustic old house; a woman in a gorgeous dress looking mysterious as she walked toward a centuries-old building; a pair of legs with striped boots kicked up into the sunshine with a sense of whimsy; two empty beach chairs facing a body of water. I still don’t know what each of these images means to me, but perhaps that’s the goal. They speak my vision when words are insufficient. They chose me.

After breakfast, I came back upstairs to my initial early morning posture of sitting on my bedroom floor to gaze again at my creation. But, this time, with laptop in tow, I captured these reflections:

  • A picture of a huge pink unicorn on top of a blue car with the words ‘let’s make today fun.’ This reminds me of something my mom told me awhile ago. I seek self-reflection and deep & personal dialog within my books and movies and conversations. My mom simply stated that it’s important to take time to view or read and discuss something simply for the fun of it. This image reminded me of that conversation.
  • The red stained lips with the words, ‘it’s a matter of trust,’ reminds me that my romantic relationships are directed by God and that He is always enough. If there is a man in my life, then God is still at the center of that relationship and I need to trust Him through that journey.
  • In this time of sabbatical, I have reflected on my need for space and centering. Words like ‘retreat’ and ‘dare to set boundaries’ and ‘the examined life’ inspire me to continue to make time for myself once I re-enter my job next month.
  • I counted SIX images that are similar to each other. Each of them shows a person, back turned, with a scene in front of them. A girl running down a desolate beach; a woman, hands on hips, taking in a mountain vista; a man paddling away in a boat, a woman mysteriously moving towards a gothic building; me, staring out at a field of sunflowers from last summer. I’m puzzled as to why I’m drawn to these images of people gazing at something beautiful or venturing into the seemingly unknown. Perhaps, those images tap into my sense of discovery and newness and my love for the outdoors. Whatever the message is, the frequency and similarity of these images tells me that this message runs deep within my soul. These images portray a sense of peace and connection for me.
I plan to hang my vision board in my bedroom this weekend. It will be the last thing I see before I go to sleep each night and the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning. At the center of my board are the words ‘be grateful.’ I think the point of a vision board is what you envision for yourself for the future . . . what your hopes and dreams are just around the bend. But, my board is more of a reflection of where I am now, a collage of familiar truths about myself. After all, right here, right now is where that vision begins.
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Prayer

29 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by simplykip in Uncategorized

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authentic, blessings, God, grateful, honesty, joys, prayer, worship

“Dear God, thank you for princesses and hair bows and toys and glitter paint and books and Mommy and Daddy and shoes and bikes.  God, thank you for everything!  Amen.”  – Piper, age 4
 
 
My prayer life has never been very strong. I’m great at saying grace at a meal and quick “Help, Lord!” and “Thank you, God!” moments during the day, but settling myself to pray for even a short period of time is not my strength. But, I find that I’ve been talking to God a lot lately. I’ve been praying to God most evenings right before falling asleep. It’s the last thing I do before my head hits the pillow. I turn off my bedside lamp, sit cross-legged in the middle of my bed and talk to God…out loud. That’s really all praying is, isn’t it? Talking to God? I talk to God out loud, as if I’m having a conversation with another person. I used to think my prayers needed to ‘sound good’ and carry the same formality I experience in Sunday morning worship services. That the only way to pray was to rehearse and use ‘big’ words. But, praying is just being real. I mean, God already knows what I’m going to say anyway, doesn’t He? When I stopped putting pressure on myself to have perfectly worded prayers, I realized how organic and unrehearsed and even messy my prayers can be. They’re authentic and beautiful and exactly the way God wants me to talk to Him.
 
In my prayers each night, I first thank God for all of the joys from the day. Even when I think I’ve had the most ordinary day, reflecting on specific events and interactions helps me remember small moments that made that day unique. I often take these gifts for granted, but God lives in the ordinary. These moments are the very essence of God at work in my life. Pausing to recognize them has been very powerful. For keeping me safe on the road; for a productive day at work; for a sweet note from a friend; for the blessing of making music; for time set apart to relax and recharge. This is a time of praise; a time of worship. Prayer is worship. Laying this foundation of gratefulness helps to center me and see God at work in my life.
 
I then transition to prayers for others and concerns in my own life. Who in my life has a prayer concern? Who has God placed on my heart? What am I struggling with? Doing this at bedtime is wonderful because after I say my amens and my head hits the pillow, my prayers are repeated in my head as I drift off to sleep. I breathe them in and out. Repeating prayers for peace and healing for loved ones and their loved ones brings me comfort as I drift off to dreamland. I feel most connected to God during these moments in my prayer time.
 
I’ve painted a beautiful picture here, but this is not an every-night occurrence for me and the length of my prayers varies greatly from one night to the next. I’m talking to God more than I used to, though, which is the goal. Some nights I’m just so tired and can barely utter an ‘amen,’ let alone reflect on my thanksgivings and burdens from the day. At these times I just check in and tell God that I’m tired, pray for a good night’s sleep and for renewed energy to greet me the next morning. Some nights I don’t know what to say about a person or situation. I simply bring it forth as a prayer request and tell God that this person or situation is on my heart and I just wanted to tell Him that. I think He gets it. I think He understands me even when I pray and can’t find any words to pray with. I think praying through sighs and tears and balled up fists are just as powerful as having the rights words to express what I want to say. Often, this is when I’m being my most honest. That’s what God wants. Honesty. Authenticity. All of me. What a blessing that He understands me no matter how I communicate with him.
© simplykip and Blessings before Burdens, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to simplykip and Blessings before Burdens with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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