tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78391713962239654522012-01-26T18:14:40.850-05:00As though in a puzzle, we are each a piece, filling a space that no one else can fill. We touch the lives of those that surround us and affect all by adding to the whole gigantic picture. It is my hope that I will fill the place created for me right out to the edges, and that the part of the picture I was meant to reflect will be clearly and beautifully visible.Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.comBlogger1041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-3528211350760749692012-01-26T16:58:00.002-05:002012-01-26T18:14:40.864-05:00

 Thank you Jesus that you demand nothing from us - there is no "In order to be with me, in order to make it -  your messes must be 80% cleaned up by the time you reach the end of your life. 60% of your sin must not only be repented of but also conquered 67% of your thought life must be pure and selfless* (for North Americans - I understand, and 52% is a pass for you.) most if not all of  your

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-24997311619711086452012-01-04T12:54:00.003-05:002012-01-04T13:04:23.616-05:00

Hello 2012.  Now that all the festivities are over, I am thinking about the year ahead.  It's depressing me, mostly because I have been feeling like I'm in limbo-land (and I don't mean dancing) for a year or so, and I'm still here.  The start of a new year feels like I am watching things go by outside the window, life goes on apparently, while here I sit, stuck.  Two years ago I stepped down

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-33218074630037894732011-11-19T12:30:00.001-05:002011-11-19T12:31:03.707-05:00

I just finished the book "An Unquenchable Thirst" by Mary Johnson...I haven't read such a brave and honest story in awhile.  I could relate to so much of her story, even though mine is nothing the same.  She joined Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity when she was 19, in a passionate search to love and be loved.  The book is her story of life in the order.  She is so very honest about

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-82573638799354313412011-10-02T15:04:00.001-04:002011-10-02T15:06:53.057-04:00

   Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-53627133803634033512011-08-10T12:47:00.008-04:002011-08-13T09:51:33.073-04:00

Finally, a nice cool day to garden.  All morning I have been out there attacking the jungle it has become, through weeks of 'too-hot-to-garden' weather.  Slowly earth begins to appear between plants again, as I pile the wheelbarrow with weeds that have enjoyed the recent rains.  I can't help but think of life lessons as I yank and tug and walk along completely bent over.  Here's a bunch of

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-60144969546696617612011-07-26T13:00:00.003-04:002011-07-26T13:04:49.323-04:00

Take 4 minutes to watch this clip. (click on the title)  It is Brennan Manning.  Our pastor played this on Sunday morning.  He introduced Brennan as a guy who became a christian, then an alcoholic, then a recovering alcoholic, in that order.  And he is old in years.  Hearing that I figured:  1. This guy sounds authentic, and 2. this guy has probably experienced what he is saying.  So I listened.

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-14340886865313644942011-07-25T12:55:00.004-04:002011-07-25T14:09:32.976-04:00

 Yesterday morning the children's pastor led all the kids in a quick game of "Follow the leader" before the sermon for grown-ups began.  They copied her enthusiastically in a little group at the front; sitting down, standing up, raising one arm high in the air, everyone scrambling to be the first one to react, and not to be left out.  So cute.  Then they sat down again and she directed them to

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-42318696678622530722011-07-17T18:48:00.002-04:002011-07-17T18:51:09.788-04:00

Lately I have read a couple of different authors who have stretched my thinking with views different than my own.  They have really got me thinking about theology and doctrine.  I come from a family of outspoken believers of many stripes.  How, really, can any of us really know whether how we interpret scripture is the 'right' way?  How can I know?  What if those around me disagree with my

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-16381714362903123002011-07-06T10:54:00.000-04:002011-07-06T10:54:58.841-04:00

Thinking about Church...and not wanting to go but still wanting to be a part of it. I have never not gone to church regularly. I am afraid that my little ember will go out if I take it out of the fire. After stepping down from leadership all the tremendous effort to make it meaningful and significant and life-changing and right is laid down. After the relief of that comes looking at what is.

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-100174595255661102011-04-16T19:04:00.002-04:002011-04-16T20:39:19.692-04:00

I wonder if Judas was so attached to Jesus that he betrayed him. I wonder if he took the thirty pieces of silver and added them to the treasury with a thrill of victory over the Pharisees. He had seen Jesus slip through the crowd and elude their grasp more than once, hadn't he?  Jesus had answered their questions meant to trap with a trap of his own too many times to count. Jesus was the promised

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-39470668969956515152011-03-19T13:45:00.002-04:002011-03-19T13:54:50.582-04:00

Yesterday as we drove into a choice parking spot my friend exclaimed "Thank you Jesus!"  It was a great spot, I had to admit, but her exclamation caught me off guard and made me think.  It's great to have an 'attitude of gratitude' I know.  Also great to 'practise the presence of Jesus' by remembering even in the middle of our daily routine that he cares about us.  I'll admit, I've asked him to

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-38659617033264473652011-02-17T21:54:00.003-05:002011-02-17T22:18:38.265-05:00

1 Kings 18:16-19:3 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”  Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. "I have had enough Lord, take my life; I am no better than my

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-30527631911949667562010-12-25T19:59:00.004-05:002010-12-25T20:08:02.028-05:00

Dear Christmas   I must apologize for all my whining of late.  I have stressed and sweated and ranted and railed against you for a month.  You are stressful, materialistic, demanding and impossible to execute to everyone's satisfaction.    But I realize today, Dec. 25th, that without all your requirements, your 'cultural norms', your massive expectations, demands and pressures - without all

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-25443580801021980602010-11-11T10:36:00.007-05:002010-11-11T10:52:19.245-05:00

I came across this idea for a one-legged stool the other day - see the link.  Apparently the focus required to stay sitting on one of these helps your brain stay focused on the task in front of you.  I don't know how that works in our brains, but it sounds interesting!  I know a small hyperactive gentleman and I wonder if it would help him. This stool makes me wonder if God uses this idea on me

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-70338124931341298872010-09-26T15:33:00.006-04:002010-09-26T20:08:02.074-04:00

Dear Tina I wish you all the very best as you relocate to another part of the country.  Standing in church this morning without you there got me to thinking that we are all going to miss you here.  I sincerely hope you find another group in the body of Christ, because you will change them, as you have changed us.  As I look around church this morning I am thinking about how everyone represents

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-28329400073527839852010-08-13T11:01:00.010-04:002010-08-14T18:00:54.562-04:00

As soon as I picked it up and felt its weight and its smooth surface, I thought of him. It was like it had pushed a button in my palm. After 6 weeks away I hadn't thought of work at all, being busy with stuff and preoccupied with my inner life, now that I had time to do things and to think. And now, as I walked along the beach relishing the view of the shoreline curving off into the distance

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-73170882855314228452010-08-11T20:20:00.007-04:002010-08-11T22:16:26.072-04:00

A few years ago while camping at the beach, one of my brothers introduced us all to a game he called Keep 10. The game is that as you walk along the shoreline, you pick up beautiful beach stones that catch your eye. For the duration of the game, you keep walking and you keep picking up stones, but there's a catch. You can only keep ten. After a period of time you gather 'round with all your

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-4497815330226183702010-07-09T11:00:00.012-04:002010-08-14T10:45:16.630-04:00

I'm sitting on the front porch feeling the wet breeze and watching the rain fall on the pond. I'm thinking about distressed furniture, vessel sinks, those flowered pitchers and basins my Grandma used to have, and creative writing. I have a piece of writing about an imaginary encounter with Jesus that I don't dare print because Christians are weird. I wasn't around when Dali painted the

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-38480196214243550412010-04-10T12:34:00.013-04:002010-08-14T12:57:40.853-04:00

It was absolutely too much after everything that had happened; that now even his body had been taken away from her. The exhaustion of the last few days had settled in, but sleep brought dreams that made it worse. And now this morning, to come and find his tomb vandalized and his body gone - it was too much. She could not go on - not one more step. Before Jesus her life had been a train wreck,

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-28061426595670126052010-03-13T15:31:00.010-05:002010-08-14T12:59:05.685-04:00

(A purely imaginary piece, the point being to connect with Jesus, not to be historically accurate or to presume I can know what it was like...just to take a stab at being in the moment.) The journey every year was so familiar, after going 6-7 years every year - it was a family tradition - we did it in the same way and with the same people year after year. The familiar sights and sounds and

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-81007394733824322452010-02-14T17:49:00.012-05:002010-08-14T10:34:15.819-04:00

I am standing on a ship's deck, ocean all around. Nothing but blue above and all around, the warm sun beating down on us, the water calm and inviting, lapping at the side of the boat. I am with a group of people and the time has come - we are all invited to jump in. I want to do it - I love to swim, I have seen the pictures in National Geographic, I went snorkeling once in the Carribean and saw

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-47015661856855145482010-02-07T18:55:00.004-05:002010-08-14T13:03:53.535-04:00

This morning we heard stories from several people who have been to Haiti on missions trips before the quake. It is so true that Haiti was a country in great need before the quake...that makes it all the more heart-breaking. Thank you for sharing your hearts with us ladies. Joyce brought a bunch of Hope for Haiti T-shirts she is selling as a fund-raiser for TLC - Teaching, Learning and

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-43565924950253611982010-01-30T12:57:00.010-05:002010-08-14T12:59:25.569-04:00

There was no reasoning with them - they were deaf and cold. They went from house to house, banging down doors, knocking things over, shoving people aside. They killed mothers and fathers who would not move aside. They tossed babies onto the floor and street and moved on. Weren't they fathers and uncles and sons themselves? They said nothing except "stop!" and "move!" It happened so fast I think

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-83692755773199858632010-01-30T12:31:00.005-05:002010-08-14T12:58:49.495-04:00

"Why are we going to see the King of the Jews? What do we care about their King?" "He has a star my son. Only great ones have a star. He will impact the whole world. One day, somehow, we will all worship him. We must go and see, and acknowledge him: we must. We cannot ignore the significance of this one." I am tired of travelling, tired of the way people stare at us as we pass, tired of

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-68984271058141500722010-01-30T12:16:00.007-05:002010-08-14T12:59:53.674-04:00

We gather round, with Mary and Joseph and the priest, and whoever else is there with us. The priest takes the baby, and prays a blessing over him. I hold him still while Jesus experiences the first pain of human life - the first vulnerability, and becomes like all of the Jews since Abraham. He jerks and then cries like all the other boys before and since. I hold him tightly and wish the pain

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-63550365121734646532010-01-24T20:00:00.001-05:002010-08-14T13:05:31.507-04:00

Hi All This is a post in a bit of a different vein - I want to expose a lie that is going around in our midst, not for the first time, I am sure. I wanted to write about it because it seems to make sense to many of us, and so this lie can spread through the body like a virus. And like a virus, it can take many of us out, sometimes for a long time. I know this because I have believed this one

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-81867057614740700132009-12-19T09:28:00.007-05:002010-08-14T13:00:16.444-04:00

I go out to the entrance of the cave, to look out into the quiet night. The stars blink, just as they did before. Everything has changed, but everything is the same. The night is quiet. I want to shout, to yell the news - I miss our families not being here to share this moment with us. I hear voices in the distance. Another group of travellers maybe. They are coming closer. I hope the

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-14765537612533451712009-12-19T08:54:00.007-05:002010-08-14T13:00:35.423-04:00

I am so annoyed that I have to go and register in Bethlehem, for the Romans. Why do they want to count us anyway? To collect more taxes? To make sure there aren't too many of us? To justify their numbers here to themselves? Taxes will probably go up after this. We are all like puppets on a string, going when they say go, moving here and there at their bidding - but in our own land. I can't

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-25894309888030733872009-12-13T20:50:00.005-05:002009-12-13T21:30:53.141-05:00

Last March I gave one of my kidneys to my brother. I have been asked by a few friends if I have blogged about it...and no, I haven't. The whole experience was pretty amazing, but I am still bothered by how people react when they find out I did it. The perception is, often, that I did such an amazing, laudable thing. Heroic even. I get uncomfortable. The truth is I, a healthy person with few

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-50848911766594933152009-11-22T17:26:00.007-05:002009-11-22T18:07:13.318-05:00

On the weekend I participated in a forgiveness exercise. It always hits me right between the eyes how easy it is to say the words "I forgive you" but how hard it is to actually follow through. The phrase in the Lord's prayer 'forgive us our trespasses' always gets me - since being sinned against does feel a lot like someone has trespassed on what is mine. And the translation 'forgive us our

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-84611055799538257832009-11-16T19:34:00.027-05:002010-08-14T13:17:40.650-04:00

gravity holds me the sun warms me beauty comforts me air fills my lungs and food nourishes my body It is all a glimpse of the love and mercy of God - this gift, this beautiful creation. It's depressing how we take this incredible gift and try to control it, we alter it to suit our selfish wishes, we think we own it. We do not respect it, nurture it or preserve it. We do not consider

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-58694511620620937982009-11-08T18:33:00.008-05:002009-11-08T19:19:02.673-05:00

I continue to struggle about my limitations, weaknesses, and inabilities. If you have been reading my blog for any time at all maybe you are raising your eyebrows and sighing right now. Still???? Me too, believe me. However, I am thinking that I am here over and over again because this is where Jesus is for me - there is real discovery and growth here in this place of honesty and frustration

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-61086066070267810972009-10-31T14:27:00.011-04:002009-10-31T16:03:42.536-04:00

I wonder if my own voice drowns out the gracious voice of God sometimes. I am sitting here with a question for God staring off my journal's page at me, and hearing nothing from Him. But my own voice is loud...my heart fears that God will be harsh and demand me to sacrifice more and more, to work harder, to live with less, to give up everything I love.I think that this underlying belief prevents

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-28803659925967120662009-10-19T17:13:00.009-04:002010-08-14T10:50:59.968-04:00

Isn't it weird that here we are in the 21st century and back to relying on the written word?! My kids are abandoning the telephone in favour of email, facebook and esp. texting. Apparently I am just about the only person to actually call them on their cell phones. The weird thing is that the written word is so inefficient; it's so one-dimensional. There is no gestures, body language, facial

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-13898790427737688872009-08-17T09:00:00.009-04:002010-08-14T10:40:14.090-04:00

A few years ago we got a new (to us) car, and still I can't seem to get the hang of the button that puts the windows up and down. My husband says it is because it is counter-intuitive. You have to pull the button up, to put the window down. Somehow my brain can't seem to remember that, and when someone walks up to the car to talk to me I still end up pushing and pulling in frustration to get

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-85886408719939382832009-07-15T13:09:00.016-04:002010-08-14T12:45:19.799-04:00

Friends of ours from out of town dropped in last night, it was so great to see them; a long time has passed since we last saw each other. What was even better though, was that they had their grandson Ben with them. I had heard of Ben, but not had the chance to meet him yet. And boy, is he a cutey pie. He blew us kisses and melted our hearts. This morning I am still feeling warm and fuzzie.

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-60886130825813761482009-07-01T12:26:00.007-04:002010-08-14T10:52:46.103-04:00

when the cloud of youth passes, when hope evaporates as potential, choices and possibilities are no longer promises but plain reality we are left with the pain of our childhood once blissfully obscured by escape and the hope of its cancellation violations long buried or even forgotten in our pursuit of life resurface, as sharp as when they had just happened no longer shaded and safely tucked

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-60067913434702977262009-06-30T16:14:00.009-04:002009-07-01T16:23:04.882-04:00

Today my heart is heavy...I am thinking of all my friends who are living with massive disappointment right now...who are looking for the sea. It is a heart-wrenching search...today I am thinking of them and praying that they will have the courage to keep looking.Once Upon a time there lived a sea lion who had lost the sea.He lived in a country known as the barren lands. High on a plateau, far

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-2908428831729518532009-04-30T09:51:00.008-04:002010-08-14T13:16:23.791-04:00

So I have started a monthly support group for people who are trying to Love without Fixing - and by that I mean learning to support another for the long term or through a crisis, intentionally but without an agenda. It is a challenging thing to do, to be involved in someone's life but without an agenda. From the sound of things I am not the only one who wants to be able to fix it for everyone.

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-15566486864075118212009-04-14T14:52:00.012-04:002010-08-14T12:55:48.875-04:00

"Who is your number one "boundary buster"? Who is the foremost person in your life with whom it's difficult to set limits?" My current answer to that, weird as it might sound, is God. Or more correctly, my idea of what God wants from me. This bible verse always smacks me right in the face with big gobs of guilt when it comes to boundaries. Matt. 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-66802545417968786822009-04-13T12:07:00.016-04:002009-04-15T12:18:20.268-04:00

That whole list of personal responsiblities in my last post is a big one. I think we all are constantly growing up - learning to own these for ourselves. It is a very tall order - to be someone who juggles all these things well for ourselves! This post is me thinking outloud and trying to untangle some of this for myself. As I think about all this a very big question comes to my mind - What is

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-91027239590762571152009-04-13T11:09:00.009-04:002009-04-15T12:19:17.532-04:00

Tracking with this theme of boundaries and ball juggling, I have started reading the book Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. I picked it up to answer this question for myself in light of my last two posts: What balls am I supposed to be juggling? Since I have realized I have been carrying a few I shouldn't be carrying, it begs the question.The book tells me the following 'balls

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-18884905557495445512009-04-07T11:58:00.015-04:002009-04-22T08:49:38.731-04:00

My last post, about who is holding the ball, was of course prompted by the realization that I have been carrying, and sometimes throwing at others in frustration, a ball that isn't mine to carry. Surprise surprise, I know.I am doing a book study on the book "Living from the Heart Jesus Gave You" and our last meeting was on the chapter called Belonging. The issue of belonging is a much discussed

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-103219213516598842009-04-02T14:06:00.012-04:002010-08-14T12:48:44.274-04:00

I have had a couple of conversations of late about caring for people, enabling, and personal accountability. Interesting stuff. If I picture a personal responsibility as a ball, as in the familiar expression: I meet someone holding out a ball of theirs to me, or someone throws their ball at me. If I take their ball, or catch it, or pick it up when it falls, I notice something important. As

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-15283742172935652662009-03-26T09:32:00.008-04:002009-03-26T10:18:01.378-04:00

So here I am recovering from surgery and reading voraciously to pass the time and to keep myself from over-doing it.I just finished "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is an american woman's story of her passionate search for God in her life, which began when her marriage and a subsequent relationship falls apart. Elizabeth is a beautiful and honest writer and I enjoyed reading her candid

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-35111295110039997542009-03-17T11:14:00.006-04:002010-08-14T13:08:53.246-04:00

I just watched the movie Lars and the Real Girl. What a great story about the power of community in someone's journey toward healing. Lars has issues and he does something very strange - mental health or what!? But his community, after they get over the shock and stuff, rally around him and participate in his life. I think this response from them expedites his healing, since he was then able

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-61983531737599483062009-03-15T16:35:00.008-04:002010-08-14T13:10:27.591-04:00

I read the faith chapter this morning, Hebrews 11. I am taken aback every time I read the end - none of these people received what was promised. Yet here they are in the Faith Hall of Fame as it were. These days I am realizing we are so results driven. We ask God for something and then when results don't appear we move on, we decide he isn't going to, or he doesn't want to, or we don't deserve

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-32179937166224748482009-03-07T14:16:00.011-05:002009-03-07T16:00:12.972-05:00

Psalm 139For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. 1 O LORD, you have searched me I can't believe you have looked me up, stopped to notice, and not just to notice but to look within, to go deep in me. You have been interested enough to not just see and listen but to search me, to look around in there and really get to know all of me. and you know me. more than anyone else, you really

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-90989324386390867982009-02-21T21:46:00.009-05:002010-08-14T12:52:53.195-04:00

I just finished, sadly, another great book by Jean Vanier. I am sorry I am done, because I loved reading it. He is such a lover and respecter of people, it is like balm for my heart and my soul. The book is called Man and Woman God Made Them, and is specifically about working with adults with learning disabilities, especially as it pertains to sexuality. But his discussion on this is something

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-23249136616263421822009-01-31T11:38:00.008-05:002010-08-14T10:56:42.901-04:00

My heart is like a drum, with a skin stretched tight over it. Things I hear or read or experience resonate inside me like a clear strong beat, and the truth of it I can feel right out to my fingertips. Often I can feel the vibrations of a truth in me for a long time. These things change my outlook and my behaviour. Other times, things I hear seem to just bounce off a very hard surface, and I

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-50146504356611921912008-12-21T11:14:00.005-05:002010-08-14T12:47:32.232-04:00

I'm sitting here thinking on a Sunday morning, home from church to get everything ready for the family Christmas dinner this afternoon. I have been very busy lately, and so I am sitting here trying to reconnect with myself and with God. It is the hard questions that keep us from God - those way down deep questions that we try to ignore because we don't know what to do with them or how to get

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-46002978520601931702008-12-10T11:05:00.011-05:002010-08-14T10:32:04.764-04:00

This week, the second week of Advent, is about comfort. The scripture on Sunday that was read is from Isaiah 40, Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. In the book Stumbling Toward Faith, Renee Altson

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-45155690603871963872008-11-15T16:35:00.004-05:002010-08-14T10:35:42.112-04:00

I just read this awesome little book. Renee is a survivor of terrible sexual abuse at the hands of her bible-quoting father. This book is her talking about her journey to survive, her life experiences as she has searched for healing and wholeness. It is honest and authentic and raw and for me gut-wrenching and challenging. She talks about what it was like for her trying to find peace in the

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-39092753889351821732008-11-01T22:48:00.006-04:002008-11-01T23:28:22.390-04:00

Growing up in the church I seemed to always get the message that I needed to be constantly telling people about Jesus. Well, I am terrible at that, I suck at it. I can never figure out how to segue into "by the way, do you know that you need Jesus?"These days I have abandoned that approach altogether. I know that some people excel at it, but not me. I am instead attempting to demonstrate the

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-3681195738362367822008-10-04T20:09:00.012-04:002008-11-01T23:31:38.688-04:00

Tomorrow morning in church we are holding 'The Big Ask'. That's just what I call it. We are handing out little cards for people to write down whatever is on their heart that they want to ask God or ask God for. And unlike prayer lines or mail in prayer request thing-eys, we are asking God ourselves, for whatever it is, not asking someone else to ask for us. (not that there is anything wrong

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-47480628168649093482008-09-21T15:54:00.006-04:002010-08-14T10:30:35.604-04:00

This morning the preacher talked about the story of Abraham and his long-awaited son Isaac...and how Abraham obeyed God when God asked him to sacrifice his son - and with him his hopes and dreams and the fulfillment of the promise of God to him and Sarah, that he would make them a great nation, and their descendants like sand on the seashore. I thought about how deeply personal a story this

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-41219297530862964532008-08-05T19:16:00.006-04:002010-08-14T13:07:07.963-04:00

Funny that my last post was about fighting for joy...cause I just finished reading "Living from the Heart that Jesus Gave You' by James G Frisesn, Ph,D. and others, published by Shepherd's House, Pasadena California. This little book about working with life's wounded, and being 'the wounded' ourselves, describes (among other things) how all of us need to be able to return to joy. In fact this

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-30038704583756576092008-07-23T11:02:00.007-04:002008-07-23T11:25:07.298-04:00

I am reading Walking with God by John Eldredge...what a summer treat.I want to post half the book, but...Here is something that caught my attention today, page 200. "Isn't this our first reaction, when life seems overwhelming - we start lightening the load, dumping cargo overboard so we don't drown? The problem is, we can dump the wrong things overboard! We think nothing of tossing over joy while

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-32740793318455150512008-07-17T12:38:00.004-04:002008-07-17T12:46:43.649-04:00

This note is also published on the Becoming Human Together blog - my apologies if you read both.When I started out on this journey, deciding to care and get involved I mean, I really knew I wanted to do it authentically. So the main way I know how to do that is to not push myself to do things that I don't want to do. I figure if I go down that road I will end up faking it, and fakers drive me

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-32005104813761200152008-07-08T11:43:00.005-04:002008-07-08T11:59:06.426-04:00

a quick thought I had yesterday while out weeding the garden -most of my life I have believed that considering financial gain/success in making life's choices was 'worldly' - that money is not a godly value that should be part of any decision. Interestingly though, I am seeing in my own life and also in the lives of others I know who share this way of thinking - the end result is that 'no, I

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-39197638545794897692008-06-22T19:17:00.007-04:002008-07-16T20:21:01.607-04:00

This is a message I gave at my church Sunday June 22. It is long, but I post it here by request. Here it is Julie - keep singing with me.Okay. So I have a confession to make. I have been attending the CV for about 14 years. I have known that the “life verse” of the CV is Isa. 61 for a long time. But until last summer, I just didn’t get what that had to do with me. I thought that it was

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-590558856513247372008-05-28T17:15:00.002-04:002008-05-28T17:46:21.189-04:00

Talking to a good friend today about some stuff going on...I have been here before. And as often happens, when I talk I listen and I realized something. The situation is one that happens in christian circles when someone much loved makes a life choice that disappoints and concerns all of us greatly. I am talking about sin, specifically marital affairs. I have been here twice before with very

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-13936500599881088962008-05-05T20:02:00.010-04:002008-05-05T20:58:57.665-04:00

This past weekend was our annual women's retreat. The worship times at the retreat are always satisfying and rich, maybe because we have all left behind our roles and our routines, and have come to pay attention to our hearts and to worship. It is different than worship at church; much more casual. Women sit in chairs or on the floor, or stand, or walk or dance or lay down prostrate or curl up

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-29583167759278752312008-04-13T19:12:00.014-04:002008-04-17T21:37:32.943-04:00

As you know if you have been tracking with me on this blog, I have been thinking a lot lately about my personal boundaries. (see Enlarge my Territory, Finding Authenticity in Rest, Divine Intersection and You are Singin' my Song, as well as the Online Book Study - Becoming Human blog.) Boundaries are very important if I am to have authentic and healthy relationships, especially with people who

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-8266948635727399772008-03-23T13:58:00.007-04:002008-04-13T19:11:59.414-04:00

I have seen this Jesuschange a wayward husband's heart back to complete devotion to his wife.change a wayward wife's heart back to love and happiness with her husband.set a person free from a years long addiction.make a woman shredded by sexual abuse strong and whole and able to give and receive love.change a rejected and taunted school girl into a strong, confident woman with something to offer

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-14361780145207332932008-03-21T20:40:00.009-04:002010-08-14T13:03:02.369-04:00

I hadn't thought of it quite like this before. The Anguish of Jesus Having spoken of his own death and the death we are all called to live, Jesus then becomes conscious of what it means for him. Death implies a terrible separation from his body, but also from the body of his Jewish people, with all its traditions. His body bonded him to our world, to the beauty of our world, to people, to

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-63324339422256678132008-03-20T18:59:00.006-04:002008-03-20T19:17:13.714-04:00

This is a quote from the book "Drawn Into The Mystery of Jesus through the Gospel of John", by Jean Vanier. I just love it. To Become HolyWe human beings are a mixtureof the presence of God and the absence of God,of light and darkness,truth and chaos,goodness and evil, openness and closedness.No human being in himself or herself is holy or pure.We become holy only through the holiness of God.By

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-47466860332529752402008-02-17T21:30:00.008-05:002008-03-20T19:23:49.510-04:00

I had a most amazing moment this week, driving to the doctor's office for a physical...something I haven't done for YEARS. (I am fine, btw)I was anticipating her opening question "So how ARE you?" since how I am could very well have something to do with what she might find... And so I was thinking: So how am I, really? How am I doing?And I realized something incredible - I am a person of value

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-58123324324767198272008-02-17T20:52:00.008-05:002008-02-17T21:26:47.053-05:00

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request." 1Chronicles 4:10A few years ago this prayer made the rounds in Christian circles, we all prayed this prayer and bought the book, and prayed it some more. Some of us even bought the children's

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-37973199704343822282008-01-15T19:44:00.001-05:002009-08-01T10:45:46.886-04:00

In the past few years (and probably farther back too) our church has experienced the burn-out of some of its leaders. Their subsequent withdrawal leaves the rest of us wondering "what was that?" We start to question their authenticity, in spite of good relationships and good fruit. We wonder (or I do at least) if what they were doing was authentic service born out of the heart of a follower of

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-38968900598268438912008-01-15T19:19:00.001-05:002010-08-14T10:55:12.352-04:00

"Those who are witnesses to Jesus do not give out ideas, ideologies or even doctrines. They do not seek followers for themselves and their own glory. Rather, they seek to lead people to Jesus. They do not manipulate people or impose their ideas or way of life on others. They believe in the compelling power of the truth and the freedom of people to welcome the truth or not. They speak of what

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-3186194775302806192007-12-25T15:20:00.000-05:002007-12-25T16:06:21.671-05:00

This was the title of a quick paraliturgy just before dismissal on the last day of school before the holidays. The phrase went round and round in my head, and I thought about how long the people of Isreal had been waiting for the promised Saviour before Jesus was born...some 400 years. The amazing thing to me is that they were still waiting. And many still are, actually. Still believing and still

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-23949300036271835912007-11-17T21:14:00.001-05:002009-08-01T10:47:29.131-04:00

I tend to think that the best I can hope for in my christian faith journey is that God and I might be going in the same direction. I have moments when I feel like I am okay, and maybe I am actually getting it a teeny bit right.But there is more to it than just going in the same direction. I work hard and try hard, but I feel like God and I are kind of in business together, not father and daughter

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-83381972463796437372007-11-04T18:34:00.000-05:002007-11-04T22:31:28.014-05:00

I have been thinking a lot about the story in John 8, where a woman caught in adultery is brought before Jesus and he was challenged to respond. In the culture of that time, women had no rights, and their value was in the position of wife or mother. This woman was brought to the temple to be stoned for her transgression. Jesus was asked what he might have to say about her fate, and with one

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-76762260254348147732007-10-30T10:52:00.000-04:002007-11-01T17:12:41.007-04:00

I was reading the story of Adam and Eve this morning, and I noticed again the curse on both of them, but especially the curse on Eve..."your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." I was struck by the fact that we women for many years now have been fighting men to gain our freedom. We have blamed men, put them down, labelled them oppressive and incompetent...all in an effort

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-7375509833667352102007-10-10T19:50:00.000-04:002007-10-11T17:07:11.230-04:00

I came across a very interesting and thought-provoking article on Facebook of all places. It is a very interesting commentary on our culture today, how everything seems to be a simulation of the real, (even our jeans are distressed to simulate age!) and the resulting longing for authenticity. He goes on to talk about courage, the courage to be authentic. Challenging stuff. Click on the title of

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-30902017245955958272007-09-25T12:48:00.001-04:002010-08-14T12:54:07.796-04:00

I have gained a new friend recently. She has been around for awhile, kind of on the periphery of my circle of friends and acquaintances, but lately I have been getting to know her better. And I am noticing something interesting. Some people I know and love are a bit like specimens at times; and I feel like by watching and observing them I am gleaning information and lessons that apply directly

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-51921152889509565292007-09-03T14:26:00.001-04:002010-08-14T10:38:56.629-04:00

I have been thinking about sin lately, and the truth that sin separates us from God. I have always thought of this as a God-originated idea - that sin is a legal barricade of sorts, that separates us from a just and perfect God. Kind of a 'He is too good for us/we are not good enough for Him' thing; a barricade held there by God and that was broken down by Jesus through his sacrifice for our

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-31288982425572000742007-07-31T13:33:00.000-04:002007-08-02T13:38:29.316-04:00

Posted by request: my talk of Sunday July 29th. I think our first reaction when we think about God’s justice is to duck and cover…we instinctively know we don’t measure up and we deserve judgement. It really is intimidating, and we need to remember 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”I want to talk about

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-66287159756654745052007-07-27T15:59:00.002-04:002010-08-14T13:12:36.756-04:00

This past Sunday morning a cool thing happened in our first service. Our 9:00 a.m. service is attended by a small but faithful group...we sit all spread out across the auditorium, with rows of empty seats between little clumps of people, and speaking from the front you feel like you need buckshot's spray to reach everyone. This past week during worship, the band started a new song and the

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-82549256453919922362007-07-20T21:14:00.000-04:002007-08-02T13:54:04.028-04:00

You can't be connected with God until you are at peace with who you are. If you're still upset that God gave you this body or this life or this family or these circumstances, you will never be able to connect with God in a healthy, thriving sustainable sort of way. You'll be at odds with your maker. And if you can't come to terms with who you are and the life you've been given, you'll never be

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-55245337278830791212007-06-25T09:58:00.000-04:002007-06-25T10:28:07.577-04:00

Yesterday I heard this phrase just in passing, and it stuck in my head. It is one of those little phrases that can reorient my heart and my mind right back to truth in a quick minute. They are like a head-snap back to what I should be looking at.It got me thinking about a few other phrases that also do that for me."Do it afraid." I heard this from Sabrina at a women's retreat: It means if you

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-4571838724669398062007-06-22T09:43:00.001-04:002010-08-14T13:14:24.855-04:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about the power of our hearts. Reading "Healing your Financial Soul" by David Hicks (see sidebar for a link), and then "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell (a fascinating read btw) along with the Psalms of David, has got me thinking some more... David Hicks talks about how conflicted we often are in our finances: What our brains tell ourselves is true, and what we really

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-57986856874953402692007-06-21T12:11:00.000-04:002007-08-02T13:43:23.405-04:00

I have been reading posts on a mid-life website recently, and I am noticing that the majority of letters are from husbands, asking what do I do? My wife is acting crazy, she is depressed etc....is she going to leave? What do I say, what do I do? There is a lot fear, concern, earnest questions, fear, frustration, feelings of inadequacy and bewilderment...and they pounce on advice from a woman

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-45186310993066531582007-05-25T14:06:00.000-04:002007-08-02T13:44:50.898-04:00

Tina asked me this question after my last post on mid-life. It is a great question. I have been thinking about it for awhile, and wondering if it is possible to articulate my change of perspective and the things I hold close now “on the other side” of forty.I have a new appreciation for my loved ones, my family and friends, and all that I do have. I realized that my obligations to my family were

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-65514688325857739572007-05-24T17:21:00.000-04:002007-08-02T13:50:22.699-04:00

I am reading the book Healing Your Financial Soul by David Hicks. (See link on the sidebar under Thought-provoking places for more info.) In the book, David talks about how our feelings effect our decisions SO much more than we realize. In fact, our feelings cause us to make many choices that may or may not line up with our thoughts, which is why, for example, we still eat when we know we shouldn

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-32816337304607501462007-05-24T16:35:00.000-04:002007-05-24T16:50:03.931-04:00

I recently spoke to a friend in crisis, and was shocked at some of the crazy, terrible advice she has been given by some friends, counsellors and christians. It reminded me so much how important it is for all of us to remember our true Source. When we are spending time with Jesus, and listening and being filled again by Jesus, I think our wells are filled with clear refreshing water. We give

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-47429847536817015572007-05-07T14:53:00.000-04:002007-08-02T13:46:02.457-04:00

Ever noticed how in life’s transitions we blame the people who love us?When we are 2 or 3 or something like that we “individuate” and start yelling “no” and “mine” and “I can do it all by myself” at our parents. Some of us “strong-willed” kids (oh no, not me)scream and hit them in our frustration and our desire to be independent. Our little brains think it is all their fault that this thing is

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-2514293260299760852007-05-07T14:07:00.000-04:002007-08-02T13:46:24.227-04:00

I am no evangelist, I don’t walk around sharing Jesus with everyone I meet. Totally out of my comfort zone and my personality, that. Often I don’t even think about God when I am with people who are living without Him. But I have been noticing something lately that is making me think about that. People who are living without God, and even many of those who are living a religious based life, don

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-54807840646528891452007-04-20T16:03:00.000-04:002007-08-02T13:46:50.555-04:00

In talking to couples in marital crisis, I am struck by the fact that they think there are two options open to themA: leave the relationshipB: stay with it as isSince a relationship in crisis is often a very unpleasant place to be, it seems to many that option A is all they can do. It is sad to me that couples, and especially christian couples, don't realize that there is another optionC: turn to

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-25650839662200171082007-04-13T15:45:00.001-04:002010-08-14T10:47:37.627-04:00

A great article appeared in the girls magazine Brio and Beyond, Mar '07: Let the real you shine through by Kimberly Rae Thigpen. I have been thinking about the truth of it ever since. Here is my quick summary... How you get 'im is how you'll keep 'im How do you get a guy to like you, and more importantly, how do you keep him liking you? The truth is, how you get him to like you can predict

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-51102273362416951202007-04-06T18:30:00.000-04:002007-04-06T19:26:13.511-04:00

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDERThe pain of choosing the way of painthe pain of betrayalthe pain of leaving loved onesthe pain of being disownedthe pain of watching a loved one failthe pain of false accusationthe pain of being mockedthe pain of being misunderstoodthe pain of being a scapegoatthe pain of another chosenthe pain of truth rejectedthe pain of not being believedthe pain of the whipthe pain of

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-34663569120550875272007-03-19T11:20:00.000-04:002007-08-02T13:48:20.009-04:00

A couple of blogs ago (Enough Fighting Already!) I made the statement that husbands and wives are not accountable to each other, they are accountable to God for how they live as husband or as wife. That statement precipitated quite a discussion (see the comments there). The discussion and the challenge – Yes they are accountable to each other! – has caused me to put more thought, research and

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-58491135803451467102007-03-14T11:13:00.000-04:002007-08-02T13:48:51.572-04:00

I always thought that mid-life and its accompanying ‘crisis’ happened at 50, but apparently that is for men only. Women hit their mid-life ‘crisis’ when they turn the corner and see 40 coming, usually at age 37 or 38. That is early! Yep. But it is statistically true and experientially true too, for me and the women I know. For myself and my friends of the same age, (now in our mid-40's) this was

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-43633166322383676242007-03-10T17:30:00.000-05:002007-08-02T13:49:13.795-04:00

http://www.healingyourfinancialsoul.comGo to this site and check this out!! Yes, David is a friend, but even so I wouldn't tell you about his new book if I didn't think it was fantastic!! At this site you can read excerpts...a must read I think. This is a book on finances yes, but it is NOT a plan or a method or anything like that. It is about addressing the attitudes and ideas and even feelings

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-36355395803643894972007-03-09T13:54:00.000-05:002007-08-02T13:49:46.073-04:00

Talking to a couple of friends about marriage lately, and about how frustrating our partners can be…When one of my kids commits a 'crime' against their sibling, I often get called in by the 'victim' to rectify the situation, to enforce justice and a horrible consequence. However, I can’t act on behalf of the so called 'victim' when they are busy inflicting their own consequence on the perpetrator

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-20472516264386072452007-03-05T15:23:00.000-05:002007-08-02T13:50:06.440-04:00

One of the least pleasant things for me as a parent is enduring my kids’ reactions to “no.” The weeping, the wailing the gnashing of teeth…the accusations and anger. It can really wear me down, tire me out and sometimes when the reaction is very intense, even make me feel guilty about inflicting this apparent emotional trauma on my kids. I can start to question my “no"s to them, and move the

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-21121459814189857622007-02-20T10:47:00.000-05:002007-08-02T13:50:49.560-04:00

Dale and I celebrate 20 years married tomorrow, Feb. 21, 2007. It is truly a miracle that we are still together, and that we are enjoying each other. This is a long blog, but it is our story of God's faithfulness to us in making our marriage not a disappointment, but a gift to us from Him. I share it here because I know many other couples have shared our struggle in their own marriages. There is

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-19740489841078420962007-02-13T12:54:00.000-05:002007-08-02T13:51:31.105-04:00

Around Valentine's Day, I start thinking a teeny bit romantically, or NOT, depending on the year...A suggestion for you this year, whether you are feeling it, or NOT so much, or NOT at all...: Rent the movie The Notebook for yourself. When I saw it I thought that I am like the alzheimer's patient, and Jesus/God keeps telling me the story, over and over again, waiting for my eyes to light up in

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839171396223965452.post-58008949598289153682007-02-11T14:52:00.000-05:002007-08-02T13:51:55.480-04:00

If you cross your fingers and toes while you click on the chart, it will hopefully take you to a bigger image so you can actually read it!In this chart I created for a marriage focus group, I was trying to address 3 things the bible says about marriage: Eve was created as a "helpmeet" for Adam, "the man is the head of the wife", and the "wives submit to your husbands" passage. The last two I had

Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12295453584404376725noreply@blogger.com2