Reinventing Me

Sometimes, if one is very fortunate, an opportunity arises to reinvent oneself.

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Moving to another town, enrolling in a different school, undertaking new employment, joining a club or group, all of these open the door to a potential new you. None of these strangers know you're a whiner, or bad-tempered, or bossy. Here is a clean slate where whining, tantrums, and bossing - everything you don't like about yourself or your character - are erased away. You can present yourself as an appreciative, calm, cooperative paragon of excellent behavior.

Okay, it isn't that easy to accomplish.

Our bad habits, annoying ways, and sinful natures aren't discarded quite so easily, but a fresh beginning with people who don't know us is a wonderful occasion to try and evolve into the person we've always wanted to be; a person slowly being transformed into the image of Christ.

I have arrived at this juncture several times in the past, but never had the good sense to take advantage of my new beginnings. Fortunately, two additional reinvention occasions have arisen. My husband and I have been looking for a new church for over a year. While visiting churches and meeting new people, I have been able to present the best Me that I can. The mind and nature of Christ that I often pray to be manifest in me has a chance to see daylight. No one knows the old me.

Starting a new job last week has afforded me the same opportunity. I can be the type of employee that Jesus would want me to be. My character and nature are as yet unknown to my employer and coworkers. I can be whoever I want to be. And what better role model than Jesus?

Raise a glass (of iced tea, naturally) to transitions and new beginnings, and the chance to reinvent yourself.

TeXaS

I realized last week that some of my favorite people, and bestest friends I've ever had, live in Texas. My favorite former president lives there too.

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What is it about Texas that attracts nice people? I have flown into Texas for connecting flights to other places and I've driven across that square, top part of Texas (lots of cows) and it took allll day to do it, but I've never actually stayed there.

I know that native and adopted Texans are loyal people. I mean really, where do all those Dallas Cowboy fans come from? It is a wide open country - except for the large metropolitan areas - filled with opportunity and room to spread out. Perhaps that is part of the attraction. Most of my friends moved there because of employment opportunities, always a good reason to make a move.

California, Virginia, and New York are all places I've called home, and each is special in its own way, but I have had the itch to move for a while. A desire to live in a brand new place, meet different people, experience a new way of life, and have a grand adventure. Maybe Texas is calling my name. Or the U.K., I'm quite sure it is calling my name as well.

Could there possibly be two such totally different places? Shows I appreciate variety I suppose.  How about you, are you happily ensconced where you are or do you have a yen to live somewhere new?

Giving Birth, The Ultimate Adventure

Giving birth is like taking your lower lip and forcing it over your head.  
Carole Burnett

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There are a handful of life changes that spin your life upside down, shake it every which way and then roll you down a hill tied in a knot. Giving birth is one of that handful.

Not only giving birth, but those crazy days, months and years that follow. No returns, no do-overs, no days off. When you have a baby you are no longer you, but you+.  Almost every decision you make after birth day involves you and baby. If you were used to going your own way, well, that will get knocked right out of you.

However, this is a good thing. 

Nurturing a helpless infant and being completely responsible for his or her care, and doing it well, grows you up. And as much as we all want to continue enjoying the fun and freedom of childhood, we really, really do have to grow up sometime. Nothing will do that faster than becoming a parent.


Welcome to the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge 2013. I'm aiming for short, entertaining and occasionally insightful posts. Topics addressing transitions are the goal . . . but we'll see.

Happily Ever After

Once upon a time, a young man and woman went to bed tired but content after a long, full day raising their four happy and busy little children. The next morning they woke up, not so young anymore and the parents of four happy and busy young adults.

It seems like our children grew up overnight, and while the story of my life and my husband's life are past the middle chapters of our life books, the stories of our kid's lives are still in their opening chapters.

I wish I could write some of the chapters of their story because then I could ensure a happy ending for each of them. But I can't, and to a large extent they can't write their life stories either. They will make choices and decisions that will fill some of their pages, but twists and turns will occur that they could never imagine. 

I want to smooth out the bumps in the road, erase the hard parts and delete the sorrow. I want to kiss their boo-boos and make it all better like I did when they were toddlers. I want to ensure they have a happily ever after. But would they become the strong, independent adults they could be if I kept trying to rescue them? 

Their stories are still mysteries, as is the rest of mine. We'll all just have to keep reading to see how they turn out.

Image: Danilo Rizzuti/freedigitalphotos.net

Grasping for the Goodness

Five Minute Friday - Today's word prompt is GRASP

It's running out fast, is time, so we need to grasp hold of the goodness life offers.

Grasp hold of the moments because they are here, and then gone, and you never know if you'll have more.

Grasp the opportunities that every day offers because they may not come again.

Grasp love when it's given to you.  It is precious and sustaining.

Grasp adventures and chances; be daring, take a risk, don't waste away because you are afraid.

Grasp friendship in all its forms, even with people who make you feel uncomfortable.  They will make you grow.

Grasp hold of the future and leave the past where it belongs.

Grasp joy.  The alternative drags you down and sucks away happiness.



That's it for this Friday.  Link up and post your very own Five Minute reflections.


1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community...





Image : watcharakun/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Change. Why Fight It?

Today's Five Minute Friday word challenge is Change.

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I spent a lot of my life afraid of change.  Change generally meant something unpleasant or frightening had happened.

Then a good thing occurred.  I finally grew up.  It took a few decades, but I don't view change as a negative anymore.  I look forward to change, I covet change, I embrace change.

How did that change of attitude come about?  I'm not exactly sure.  A large part of it is growing in trust of God.  He has seen me through so many challenges and heart aches, misfortunes and changes, but always brought me out on the other side in one piece.  Maybe a little dented, dinged and wobbly, but in one piece.  And, I think, a little bit better than I was before.



1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.

When is Enough, Enough?

Have you ever read a book that you felt had the potential to transform your life?  I'm reading 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess written by Jen Hatmaker and feel overwhelmed.  I heard about the book from a blog post by Money Saving Mom in February and had to wait this long until it was available from the library.  The title was what piqued my interest.

How do I even begin to describe this book?  You are laughing so hard you can't breath while reading one paragraph and then you have tears flowing while reading the next paragraph.  The premise?  We have too much.  Too much of everything.  But we're still not happy.  And half of the world lives on less than $2 a day.

Upset by the rampant consumerism, greed and ungratefulness in western culture and in her own life, Hatmaker decided to implement a social experiment and pare down the excesses in her life.  After six months of prayer she developed a list of seven areas in her life that needed examination:

• food
• clothes
• possessions
• media
• waste
• spending
• stress 

She would live the 7 principal in one of her chosen areas for a month, take off two weeks, start into the next area for a month and so on until she had lived with less in each of her seven areas of excess.

During food month, she just eats seven types of food.  Her list doesn't include coffee and believe me, this woman needs her coffee.   Clothes month leaves her with seven pieces of clothes to rotate through for a month (sock and underwear are freebies and she can alternate between two pairs of shoes - but they count as one of her seven clothes).  This happens the month Austin, Texas gets a rare snowfall and a coat isn't on her list.

For her month of fewer possessions, her goal is to get rid of seven things a day so at month's end there would be 210 fewer things in her home.  She started out the month by sorting through her clothes and after living through clothes month previously, Hatmaker realized she just had too many garments she never wore.

By Day 2 of possessions month she had already gathered 202 things to give away or throw out.  She and her council of advisers revamped the plan and by month's end, she had purged her home of over 1,000 items.  She was sickened that she had spent so much on what wasn't needed or used.

The month of media meant a ban on:

• TV
• Gaming
• Facebook/Twitter
• iPhone apps
• Radio
• Texting
• Internet

Necessary texting for genuine communication and internet use for work were allowed.  Do you know what Hatmaker discovered?  She had more time to play with her kids, visit neighbors, hear God's voice and so much more.

I haven't gotten as far as waste, spending and stress yet.  This is a book to be read in small bits or somehow the message is lost.  But Hatmaker is profoundly funny, profoundly honest and profoundly real.  She doesn't sugar coat her weaknesses and failures as she tries to live a life of less.  

Hatmaker writes about what I've thought about for several years.  I have so much, we have so much of everything.  How can we look at ourselves in the mirror when  so many of our fellow citizens of the world have nothing?  How can we justify buying another ________ (fill in the blank yourself) when we can't even fit what we own in our homes and have to rent storage space?

How can I call myself a Christ-follower, pick up my cross and follow him if I'm hanging on so tightly to my stuff?  How can I attend church filled with people who also have more stuff than they know what to do with, but give back so little of that stuff and so little of themselves?

You can't read a book like this, put it down and say, "Well that was a good book," and go on living the way you've been living.  That's what I mean by saying this book has the potential to change my life.  I don't know how yet, but I'm not sure I can keep living the Christian life I have been living and ignore the needs of people around the globe, in my country and even in my neighborhood.

Transitions in Transition

I originally began this blog as a forum for exploring the transitions I'm facing in my life.  It didn't take long  to realize that I'm the only one who really cares about that.

So I thought, where do I go with this now?  I don't want to go down in the history of blogging as the owner of the most boring and under-read blog ever.

After having a good long think, I realized there are a lot of people facing a lot of transitions in their lives; transitions like mine and transitions I haven't faced.

That's when I had my brainstorm, "I'll write about my transitions sometimes, but I'll also explore other ideas related to life changes and transitions and invite guests writers to share their experiences."

After a more recent good long think, I decided to expand on the idea of transitions and also look at transitions that take place inside of us.  Because after all, a person's life could remain relatively unchanged on the outside for a long time but massive changes could be occurring in that person's mind, heart, thoughts and attitude.

So that's where Transitional-Woman is heading.  I'm looking forward to seeing what my guest posters will share and I'm looking forward to sharing the lessons I'm learning as I muddle through my transitions.

And maybe after another good long think, things will change again.   Who knows?  But in the meantime, contact me if you have a transition you've experienced and would like to share the lessons learned or the struggles you're still wrestling with.

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Blogging A to Z Challenge. Today we have T.   

I am Woman, Hear Me Pant

I don't know about you, but I am in a constant state of self-improvement.  It's not that I'm unhappy with myself, but that I feel I can always be better.

My current improvements are centered around exercise, cooking, knitting, reading, my spiritual life  and my future.

Actually, reviewing the list I just typed, I  realize none of these are new,  I'm always trying to improve myself in these arenas.  Well, darn, if that isn't a discouraging revelation.  You'd think I would have nailed at least one of these by now.

• Exercising?  This has been a part of my life since my 20's.  I've tried all kinds of exercise for various amounts of time.  I think I get bored.  Currently, the 30-Day Shred is my exercise challenge.  That's where the panting comes in.  I did day 11 today, the first day of Level 2.  Can I share that I really suck when it comes to cardio exercises?  I love strength training and am determined to nail those abdominal workouts because of that horrible middle-aged belly fat, but cardio?  I think I'm going to have a heart attack.
• Cooking?  I got bored making the same old dinners back in January and have been going through the recipe box trying new, enticing meals.  It's a lot of work.
• Knitting?  I love it, I've been doing it for six years, I'm still slow.  On the needles currently is a cabled men's winter hat, a prayer square, a purse, a pair of socks and a shawl.  Projects demanding to be started include a second cabled hat, another prayer square, an afghan, a tote bag, a baby blanket and a summer sweater.  Maybe I need to give up on the cooking thing so I can pick up speed in the knitting thing.

Enough of this.  I'll pick up on the other three topics next Monday.

Is there anyone else out there who can't leave well enough alone and keeps trying to remodel themselves?  Share your story so that I'll know I'm not alone.

It's All About the Plan

Fourteen bananas are decomposing in my refrigerator.  Every time I open up the fridge, I can smell them.  I planned to make banana bread on Saturday, but that didn’t happen.   

I sort of forgot about them on Sunday, but then again I don’t usually bake on Sundays.  And then Monday came, which is always busy.  The bananas are still there and  I have to do something about them TODAY, or I’ll be sorry. 

Those bananas used to be jammed in the freezer because that’s where we toss unwanted bananas that languish on the counter slowly turning brown.

And you might be wondering, “What does this have to do with anything about life, transitions, plans or anything significant at all?” and “Who cares about you and your dumb bananas?

There is a point, and the bananas are my illustration.  That point is, you have to have a plan.  I knew I’d be busy Saturday and Monday and I knew I wouldn’t bake on Sunday, so I should have kept those guys stuffed in the freezer for a few more days.  I didn't have a plan.

And when you’re facing a life change, I mean a change you are expecting -  because some life changes come out of nowhere -  you need a plan.

It’s easy to let weeks go by, being occupied with all the things in life that keep us busy, and not make plans to handle impending life changes.  If you know you’re having a baby in six months, you know you have to buy baby gear and get prepared.  You don’t wait until you’re waddling along during month nine to get things ready.

Do you see a big change on your horizon like unemployment, empty nest, elder-care, divorce, new baby,  returning to school?  What’s your plan?  What do you have to change about life as you know it in order to adapt?  What changes can you anticipate and provide for?

Of course, you can’t anticipate every situation and possible outcome about that impending life change, but you can start to plan.  You can research, seek support, and discuss it with others who are involved and elicit their help.  

Are there any big, life-changing events in your future?  What are they?  How are you preparing to meet them?  I'd like to hear about it.

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