Change is Good ... No, I'ts Great!

Every single life changing moment begins with a decision.

A conscious choice.

I made a decision a week ago which will lead to a meeting today at 5:00.

Another life changing moment.

Revelations

I like being a mother to older children. In fact, I think I’m a better mother now than I was when my kids were small. I didn’t have much patience back then and little kids need so much. I believe I answered the call, just not with the best attitude.

Yesterday, my son called me to make sure that I was still taking off for my birthday because he wanted to give me my gift on the day. First of all, my birthday is more than 2 weeks away and the fact that it is on his mind is gift enough. Seriously. Also, on yesterday, my daughter thought it was a good idea to make dinner while I went for my run. I don’t mean sandwiches or cereal. The girl was chopping and sautéing vegetables and preheating the oven. The whole thing. I enjoyed a really nice pasta dish after I ran my 3 miles.

I definitely love being a mother to older children.

My manager asked if I absolutely had to take my birthday week off. Huh? What? That was my first reaction because for as long as I can remember I haven’t worked on my birthday and I just recently started taking the entire week off. It’s an event that is very special to me. So, when he started asking questions, I started feeling kinda funny. Then I thought about it. What is the big deal? I can easily take off the following week. It’s not like I’ve purchased airline tickets or anything.

Deciding not to get all excited about stuff like that helps me to sleep better at night. A good attitude is definitely better than a bad one.

New things are on the horizon. The seasons are changing. I’m happy happy happy. Wanna know why? Check out my latest video over to the right.

Seeing God move in my life is an amazing thing. However, it is important to remember that even when you don’t see Him, He is still working.

Subtle Changes

Ever notice the difference small, subtle changes can make? I’ve been noticing lately that the tiniest shift in behavior can make a world of difference. The change is probably imperceptible to most folks but they certainly reap the benefits of the outcome.

Take my cabinets for example. I took a few hours this weekend and switched out the handles. No big deal really.
Before:



After:

You can hardly notice the difference. But I can. I like the change. It makes me feel good. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. I smile every time I see what I did. I’m happier and everyone in my house reaps the benefit of that.

For years and years and years (seriously, years) my constant prayer has been for peace. Lord, I just want some peace. Searching for peace. Now, it seems kind of crazy to work so hard for something that I already had. Sort of like the scarecrow, tin man and lion. I just had to tap into it. I told you that since I came home from the spa I have added meditation to my morning ritual. I will not leave my bedroom in the morning without meditating. I need that quiet time. That small, subtle change has had a huge impact on me and that change flows throughout my world. I swear, I don’t think I’ve raised my voice once since I’ve been back. (Lord, if I’m wrong, please bring it to my remembrance).

I have peace.

During my lunch break on Friday I went shopping for my new handles. I also bought a small electric screwdriver/drill. Then I went to Target and bought a new camera. After work I picked up my daughter and took her to the mall because she needed leggings for her step show. Then we went to the grocery store. When we returned home, my son says, “Mom, is the A/C broken again?” I stepped inside the house and I knew the answer.

There are at least three things in the above paragraph that would normally have pissed me off: (1) It took forever to find the handles that I wanted (2) my daughter waited until the last minute to tell me she needed the leggings, and (3) the busted A/C. Well, I did find the handles that I wanted at a reasonable price. I have been raising teenagers long enough to know that waiting until the last minute is what they do. And thank God the temperature this weekend was mild enough that I probably would have turned off the A/C anyway and threw open the windows!

I had a choice to be pissed or not. I chose not. There is no point in getting all riled up over things that really just don’t matter.

I was in church yesterday and during praise and worship the tears just started flowing. It was crazy. I couldn’t control it and then I stopped trying to control it. I was just so happy with the realization that I have peace. That I am exactly where I am supposed to be at this point in my life. I am complete. I am whole. I didn’t have to do anything huge. I didn’t have to move to another state or get another job or come into a large sum of money. I just had to make a subtle change.