Map
A journey - the jeep trails that take you ...
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. Psalm 104:33 (ESV)
|
|
|
|
A Symphony - sound, color, instruments, musical composition. It was beautiful but still, I found my mind wandering. All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the room changed. A guest artist took the floor. She poised a Stradivarius to her chin. The audience stood still - you could hear a pin drop. The sound was exquisitely beautiful; I now know the difference in the sound quality between that and an average violin. In just a handful of notes, the room was transformed.
the silence was a blanket of white as air swirled
in snowflakes and I let my tongue taste
Sound quality is the inspiration behind this website. Different people, experiences, circumstances, strengths and weaknesses form a perfectly unique, one-of-kind fingerprint, you! Like the instruments in an orchestra, the melody of your life forms one beautiful song ... your timbre.
My challenge is to inspire you to go deeper in your relationship with God. My prayer is that you will be the sweet sound of a Stradivarius rising above the sound of the ordinary.
the silence was a blanket of white as air swirled
in snowflakes and I let my tongue taste
Sound quality is the inspiration behind this website. Different people, experiences, circumstances, strengths and weaknesses form a perfectly unique, one-of-kind fingerprint, you! Like the instruments in an orchestra, the melody of your life forms one beautiful song ... your timbre.
My challenge is to inspire you to go deeper in your relationship with God. My prayer is that you will be the sweet sound of a Stradivarius rising above the sound of the ordinary.
|
|
timbre: the character or quality of a musical sound or voice as distinct from it's pitch and intensity.
note: a short informal letter or written message timbreNotes - the sound quality of your life through the lens of faith; it is a handwritten message of love. |
|
|
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" Heb 11:1 (NIV) |
|
And the Lord said, "if you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey you." Luke 17:6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
With moments to decide the important contents, I looked around at what held the greatest value. Anxiety to a mystery I could not solve, the beating of my heart matched the ticking on a clock. The sound echoed louder as the pulsing ache of indecision swept over me as if I was a single rock in a magnificent, pounding shore. In a quiet surrender, I walked outside and ...
knelt to the ground sweeping with my fingers the tiny buds of wildflowers. The seeds landed softly into a brown leather pouch i carried. I carefully tied the contents and held them close to my chest as I closed my eyes.
A peace flooded the inside of my soul as the external storm raged. The wind and rain made it difficult to see. With my eyes closed, my fists clenched, I breathed in a breath of great magnitude and exhaled fully and slowly. What seemed an eternity was but a moment in time as a dream-like cloud swirled inward toward a warm embrace. I opened my eyes.
Where the house once stood, was a field of breathtaking beauty;
wildflowers in every color and I felt home.
knelt to the ground sweeping with my fingers the tiny buds of wildflowers. The seeds landed softly into a brown leather pouch i carried. I carefully tied the contents and held them close to my chest as I closed my eyes.
A peace flooded the inside of my soul as the external storm raged. The wind and rain made it difficult to see. With my eyes closed, my fists clenched, I breathed in a breath of great magnitude and exhaled fully and slowly. What seemed an eternity was but a moment in time as a dream-like cloud swirled inward toward a warm embrace. I opened my eyes.
Where the house once stood, was a field of breathtaking beauty;
wildflowers in every color and I felt home.
Home is where your story begins…
This is where my story begins. It was a reoccurring dream I had as a child.
Fast forward from a child to a teenager:
I was seventeen years old sailing on a 26 ft Catamaran with friends. The innocence of youth, I trusted my friends completely. I was confident and competitive. Calm waters to turbulent waves, the climate could easily change. Not really thinking, I jumped in cold water off the front of the bow in hopes of quickly grabbing the rope.
As soon as I hit the cold water, I panicked. Fear began to sweep over my soul as the thought of missing the rope and being stranded in the middle of deep, dark water gripped my spirit until a novice swimmer jumped in and brought me up to safety. I have wrestled with fear as an anchor most of my life. My faith has caused me to again jump ... and that is what this website is about.
I was seventeen years old sailing on a 26 ft Catamaran with friends. The innocence of youth, I trusted my friends completely. I was confident and competitive. Calm waters to turbulent waves, the climate could easily change. Not really thinking, I jumped in cold water off the front of the bow in hopes of quickly grabbing the rope.
As soon as I hit the cold water, I panicked. Fear began to sweep over my soul as the thought of missing the rope and being stranded in the middle of deep, dark water gripped my spirit until a novice swimmer jumped in and brought me up to safety. I have wrestled with fear as an anchor most of my life. My faith has caused me to again jump ... and that is what this website is about.
Exploration
|
Impact of other people on you
“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives". -Jackie Robinson 
Think of somebody that has had a positive impact on your life. Have you incorporated any of those qualities you found admirable into your character?
I met Canon, Rev John Yaryan with the Episcopal church and his wife, Susan at the age of 12. They hired me for odd jobs but invested in the spiritual and emotional well-being of my soul. May everyone be as lucky to meet church in this way. A little girl with big dreams. Their home was filled with famous and ordinary people. Each had perspective, creativity, ability and direction and were as varied in their intellect as they were in their influence. This began a relationship that scattered seeds within my heart that would eventually percolate into the fragrance of optimism and faith. He - a man who was "larger than life" with a boisterous voice, a hardy laugh and an ability to inspire people. He, for example, challenged a friend and colleague, Duke Ellington in liturgical concert at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Ca. She - big hearted with attention to detail, strategic, poised and refined taught me to love unconditionally. Her list of friends and acquaintances included Kings, Emperors and Presidents. The doxology was her inspiration. As unique as they were apart, their strength was in their love for one another. They brought meaning to Christ and his bride and he never failed to tell me. When she died, he followed only 3 months later - a broken heart. They sprinkled seeds of hope in me, spiritually and tangibly. They brought little bits of jewelry from places all around the world; this simple act of care spoke life ... even now years after their passing. Application: Think of a person/s that have had a positive influence in your life. Why? |
Did you know people are watching you, your actions, your words?
You impact other people positively or negatively all of the time. It is odd but of the reading, math, history, geography and science we learn in school, there is little taught about succeeding in life. We might learn coping skills with peers and depending on whether we had a positive or negative experience, we bring those dynamics subtly to the table, in friendships, marriage and parenting. I have prayed for the spouses of my three children all of their lives. Their decision for the right partner is such an important decision; the covering of a mother's prayer is powerful. I love rain. Umbrella - as communication like the spokes of an umbrella, each area is equally important. If you were in business, there would be a division of labor, a sharing of ideas and measurable goals in these areas:
If you have a healthy you - you bring your A game, simple. Easy to do? No. If you begin early in your twenties to develop wise spending choices, for example, you will make a better partner. Healthy balance is the key and a good understanding of yourself. You are a "work in progress" - give yourself some grace. Forgive others too - they are a "work in progress." “If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.” ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh Application: What is your communication style? What are your strengths and weaknesses? |
Understanding you
“I hold that a strongly marked personality can influence descendants for generations.” ― Beatrix Potter 
Do you know yourself? Have you taken notice when you are at your best? how about your worst? What are the contributing factors?
It is really popular to take personality tests. It is important, however, to remember we are all "wired" differently. Whether male, female, young or old, we have certain "un-negotiable" things in our personalities that cause us to think about or respond to things in a certain way. On the Myers Brigs scale, I am an INFJ (introversion, intuitive, Feeling, Judging) personality. It isn't good or bad but I have to admit it pretty accurately describes my personality. I proudly say that roughly 1% of the population - which might explain a lot! The impact other people have had on me is important as is my impact on others but
getting to know myself is a lifetime journey of discovery and growth. Courage: the ability to do something that frightens one. Many years ago, I had a CAT scan which caused me to be confined in a very small space. Fast forward 23 years. Two of my three children lived outside the United States - one in South Africa and one in Thailand. I found myself on edge with them being gone and for a second time, enduring a CAT scan. Fully emerged a very small chamber, I prayed. The procedure took about 45 minutes. I was doing ok until I started thinking about the small space. My breathing got rapid and the overwhelming urge to open my eyes almost took over. Fear swept in like a thickening fog. Just when I thought I could not tolerate another minute, the lyrics from a Chris Tomlin song came on, "let my faith be my eyes" and at that moment, a peace that surpassed any understanding swept through a tiny space transforming my fear to trust. Application: What insecurities plague you? Have you allowed other people's perception of you to cloud the real you? |
Improving you
“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” ― Ernest Hemingway No matter your age, is there growth in your life? Do you have a plan and goals?
In the Spring of 2012, I was invited to attend a woman's entrepreneur class. For about three months i was part of a group of woman that met to discuss business ideas. Having a full-time job (that continues to leave me exhausted at the end of the day) I was intrigued enough by the idea to exert a little extra energy in order to attend. We challenged each other in thought about business opportunities, business ideas, what it took to start a business, where our futures were going and so on but, ultimately, the topics expanded to issues of faith. We met for about 4 months. It was during the last meeting or so that our host and organizer of the entrepreneur class encouraged each of us to read Michael Hyatt's book about creating a personal life plan. A week later a friend on the East Coast (I live on the West) was reviewing the same book: Michael Hyatt's book on his Website/blog. I dove in; I wrote mission statements for different facets of my life along with corresponding scriptures. This was the diving board and impetus for this website. Application: What scripture would you use for your life? If you had a mission statement, what would it be? 
The truth is we are complicated. Each one of us are unique and have different life experiences.
I know of a woman in her 80's taking college courses. It is never to late to learn and grow and have a positive influence on those around you. Application: Challenge yourself. Think, act, respond. |
|
"When I opened my eyes, the most beautiful wildflowers covered the fields." |
|
"Their beauty shone;
it was the inward obedience of a life spent with a savior". |
Having been actively involved in a church for over twenty years, I was increasingly frustrated by the generation ahead of me that had no time until I met a small group of older woman who prayed together.
With magnifying glasses they read the prayer requests; the scripture was tucked safely in their hearts
From that point on, I knew there was work to be done ... beginning on the inside. If I allowed God to transform me to be more in his likeness, then perhaps change could begin one story at a time.
A jeep trail of adventures ...
With magnifying glasses they read the prayer requests; the scripture was tucked safely in their hearts
From that point on, I knew there was work to be done ... beginning on the inside. If I allowed God to transform me to be more in his likeness, then perhaps change could begin one story at a time.
A jeep trail of adventures ...
|
|
|
|
|
Accepting Jesus as your Savior is as simple as praying this prayer:
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior. Guide my life and help me to know and do your will."
Confessing with your mouth is simple. Tell someone! Know that I am praying for you.
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior. Guide my life and help me to know and do your will."
Confessing with your mouth is simple. Tell someone! Know that I am praying for you.
|
Because I don't know where you might be located, I would encourage you to call the pastoral team at the radio station, Air1 Radio (888-YES-AIR1) They are broadcast across the United States and are available to encourage you and point you to good leaders in your hometown. (no, I don't work for them)
Secondly, I would also encourage you to get a Bible. A simple and free solution is the YouVersion Bible. Their online bible comes in many translations, and they have free apps that can be downloaded to your device. It also includes great bible studies that will help you in your journey (no, I don't work for them, either!) |
|
timbreNote
The quality of your heart matters |
May your jeep trail change your life for the better
May your faith grow beyond a head knowledge into one from the heart.
