For the LORD your God has arrived to live among you. He is a might savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song. Zephaniah 3:17
I have a secret addiction (guess it’s not so secret now is it?) to decorating blogs and let me tell you, there are some seriously talented bloggers out there. Here are three great posts I drooled over this week.
Savvy Southern Style on a Budget – Aliteration aside, the name alone got my attention. Her vintage nauticul guestroom makeover is absolutely Pottery Barnesque. Yes, it’s a word…look it up.
Lisa at The Pennington Point is a new Texas blogging friend. I think we may be distantly related…or seperated at birth. Check out her latest painting project and prepare to be amazed. I was!
As always, The Nester got me thinking. Check out her post on “summerizing” your home. I love the idea of a beige/white/aqua blue scheme, but not quite sure how to pull it off without a major redo. Still thinkin’.
Life is full of risks. Will the new job work out? Did we choose the right investments for our portfolio? Did I consume enough coffee to make it through the day? Obviously some decisions have more lasting consequences than others, but the truth of the matter is that risk taking is part of life.
One of the greatest risks we take is in relationships. Opening our hearts and allowing someone to see who we really are takes amazing courage. I’m not talking about who we are on Facebook or Twitter, or even on our blog, but who we are deep down inside, in the places where our fears and insecurities reside. Revealing the depth of our hearts leaves us vulnerable to disappointment. Rather than risk the hurt, many of us build a wall so strong no one or nothing can penetrate.
Newsflash – people WILL disappoint you.
Expect it and it won’t catch you by surprise. Not trying to be pessimistic, but it’s the truth. At some point I will disappoint the people I love and they will disappoint me. That’s life. I can choose to keep myself guarded so no one gets close enough to allow disappointment, but in doing so I am also choosing not to love. Alfred Lord Tennyson said, “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Absolutely Al! I would rather love someone deeply and be disappointed at times than to miss out on the gift their love brings my heart. I have only to hope there is enough grace on both ends to be able to forgive the disappointments, whether intentional or not, while not allowing them to hinder the relationship.
So if the joys a real relationship brings my heart means I also have to endure some disappointments along the way, then I will expect and even welcome it, knowing it is part of being real. Never loving at all is not an option – not in my book and apparently not in Lord Tennyson’s either.
So yesterday I decided to try a spin class at the gym. I’ve been working out consistently for two years now and I’ve been riding a bike since, oh, I don’t know…age five. So how hard could it be right? Um…yeah.
The girl next to me, who I’m pretty sure has never given birth, probably rode to the top of Mt. Everest and back while sitting on that tiny seat. Me? Suffice it to say that within the first 10 minutes of class I began writing my eulogy, imagining what might be said at my impending funeral – but I kept peddling. Let me tell you, I wanted to quit so badly I could hardly stand it. I envisioned myself getting off the bike and walking out of the room at least ten times, but I stuck with it. I didn’t give up. As the final seconds of the final song ticked down, I was so relieved. Relieved I was still breathing and relieved I hadn’t given up. I hadn’t quit when the spinning got tough.
I thought about how much that spin class is like life. There are some smooth, easy parts where you can coast a bit and catch your breath. Those are nice. There are some uphill climbs you think will never end. Those teach you perseverance. Then there are some parts so grueling you just feel like giving up. Those are the ones that make us who we are.
So why do we keep going? Why do we continue on in the face of such adversity?
I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me-the crown of righteousness that the LORD, the righteous judge, will give me on that great day of his return. 2 Timothy 4:7-8
That’s why we do it. That’s why we fight on when we feel like giving up and throwing in the towel – we do it for the eternal crown that awaits us at the end of it all. While I love the feeling of accomplishment I get from hanging in there when I want to hop off the bike, the feeling of knowing I’m fighting the good fight is worth far more.
Fighting the good fight – yeah, I’m up for that. Another spin class? Mmmm…not so sure.
Back in 2005 I got my first taste of blogging here at Homeschoolblogger. I love the creativity and freedom of voice blogging gives me. In 2008, I made the move over to Blogger and have been quite happy in my new home. Now that HSB has teamed up with WordPress the changes are amazing…so much more adaptability within your blog. I’m not sure if I want to make another blog move, but I have to say HSB has made it quite tempting. Great job HSB!
Homeschool blogger was my first introduction to blogging. Actually, before reading an article in The Old Schoolhouse mag, I had not even heard of blogging. OK, so maybe I was a bit behind the times, but hsing four little ones left little time for much else. I was so intrigued with the idea, I checked it out and was immediately hooked. What an awesome way to share my faith, trials and triumphs along the homeschool road. Homeschool blogger allowed me to get my blogging feet wet and learn html (through much trial and error) in a safe and supportive environment.
Though I’ve made the move to Blogger, I will always be grateful for the wonderful environment created here at HSB and for the friends I made along the way. I hope you’ll click over and say hello at The Potter’s Hand. Leave me a note and let me know your blogging story. What got you started and what motivates you to keep writing?
Anyone have good advice for backing up two year’s worth of blog ramblings? Other than going through post by post, I’m not sure how to do it. Yikes! I don’t have time to do that. Guess I should have thought of this sooner.
A bit of bloggy advice? Backup your posts!
The Potter’s Hand can now be found here. I hope you’ll update your feed and stop by my new place.
Thanks to HSB for allowing me to blog here for the last two years. It’s been a wonderful experience.
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