deciphering me
“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
being brave & making summer lists.
This crazy blessing of singleness combined with a fantastic little career has me in a spot of on-my- knees-gratitude... and this summer feels like the sweetest three months of time to embrace that.
It's always about LOVING those who are hardest to love and DOING the one thing you think you cannot do - that's where I see Jesus, know Jesus, and trust Jesus the most.
Being brave. Being contagious. And fearlessly following the Spirit into all the corners of God's plan.
These would be fun little stories to throw into the chapter of a 2014 summer...
- A getaway to see Johnny Pomeroy
- Visit the Red Cedar Distillery
- Find and eat at the Trailer Park'd van
- Dine at the Purple Carrot Truck
- Outdoor Music Festivals, yes.
- Founder's Block Party - thumbs up.
- Find someplace that has a great patio and great breakfast
- Run atleast 5 local trails & run all Race Series events
- Crim with Dre & Tuck? (Al & baby can cheer:))
- Commute as often as possible (atleast $400 worth)
- A sweet little end of summer sprint tri take two?
- Spend less time worrying about what to wear & just show up awesome
- Be spontaneously crafty in any way I can muster up some creativity
- Lake Victoria bound as often as possible & have Ruz teach me how to waterski
- Wine Tasting somewhere
- Artie's Filling Station
- Make grilled pizza
- Practice my green thumb
- Thursday happy hours on our porch
what happens when you spend time with the empty nesters...
She's flying to New York on Tuesday to start her career as an accountant, and she's leaving behind her Mom and Dad. She's the youngest daughter of three; her lessons came from the sisters who went before her as well as the curveballs this world tossed her way. I think about her future before my focus shifts to the man and woman standing behind her. They really are my second parents; and I'm curious to know the state of their hearts.
They beam with pride in the accomplishments of their daughter - that's the obvious emotion. In conversation, I hear the same emotions in their stories of parenting; their words express gratitiude for who their three daughters have grown to be.
My thoughts are wandering and I allowed my questions to be bold that night.
The conversation with myself was something like this:
Imagine this, Laur: You marry someone knowing the most you can about who they are before you do daily life together. He pursues you intentionally. You love him extravagently and you wed with this vision of the future. You pray for the Lord's protection over your marriage and (Lord willing) you enter a time of raising a family. Days get busy, children take priority, and you and your spouse are still very much dynamically growing, changing, and being sanctified into men and women like Jesus.
With such limited time, and your busy/noisy enviroment - how do you keep the pursuit? How do you keep a relationship throughout 20+ child-raising years from slipping away?
A mini-van conversation with my mama -friend painted visions of answers to these questions: "It's like a car - it requires maintenance and attention to the warning. Change the oil, replace the breaks... if you don't the car will just stop working. Then you have to decide how to put it back together - part by part."
That makes sense.
"While dating, how do you identify this "maintenance" quality? How do you know that the person you marry is going to want to put forth that effort to keep things going when it gets tough? How do you know that you, yourself, won't be the one who doesn't want to 'keep up the maintenance?'"
I love the Lord and I know that trusting Him has so much to do with the answer to these prayers and questions. I also know that if you don't atleast ask the question, your chance for not knowing an answer is much greater.
So, I started identifying the empty nesters I know. These are the parents who "made it" and appear to still be "working" - I see expressions of love, passion for life, and a pursuit of purpose outside their children.
And in these men and woman, I identify three things that I would consider foundational when considering the success rate of a (secular) man and woman.
They:
1. Continually pursue their purpose as individuals and as a married couple
2. Enjoy similar activities & seek adventures together
3. Surround themselves with community & family
Maybe it's those three things.
- Does the person you are dating continually pursue their purpose in this life and do you see your two purposes merging (on some levels)?
- Do you enjoy similar activities and seek to learn new things together?
- Are you surrounded with a support system that will hold you accountable & speak wisdom in tough and good times?
to be continued....
one giving up eating tortilla chips.
Did you really think I would give up tortilla chips? Are you kidding me? This post comes from the girl who excitedly instagramed from Meijer's aisles late last night a picture of three of my favorite Meijer Gold fruit salsas.
There was absolutely no way grilled pineapple chipotle, mango peach, and peach chipotle salsas were going undocumented or uncaptioned.
And there is no way salsa is eaten without sometime salty & crunchy.
However, I do mean this title a little bit.
When I say give up tortilla chips I'm really saying that I am going to be a bit more picky about the ones I choose to eat. Why? Well...
I've been on a minimal ingredients kick since I started buying my own groceries in colleges. It was common sense to me: consume the things you are able to pronounce. Shun anything you can't.
Curious about this? Try reading this refreshing little piece.
Not too curious? I challenge you to try eating only foods that have 5 or less ingredients (all of which you can pronounce) for a week & see if you notice a difference in how you feel. Headache gone? Energy up? Less bloating? More skinny-jeaning?
Just sayin'. If you haven't jumped the bandwagon already - take the next trip.
There was absolutely no way grilled pineapple chipotle, mango peach, and peach chipotle salsas were going undocumented or uncaptioned.
And there is no way salsa is eaten without sometime salty & crunchy.
However, I do mean this title a little bit.
When I say give up tortilla chips I'm really saying that I am going to be a bit more picky about the ones I choose to eat. Why? Well...
I've been on a minimal ingredients kick since I started buying my own groceries in colleges. It was common sense to me: consume the things you are able to pronounce. Shun anything you can't.
Curious about this? Try reading this refreshing little piece.
Not too curious? I challenge you to try eating only foods that have 5 or less ingredients (all of which you can pronounce) for a week & see if you notice a difference in how you feel. Headache gone? Energy up? Less bloating? More skinny-jeaning?
Just sayin'. If you haven't jumped the bandwagon already - take the next trip.
I see you parents...
The car doors close and the council's creaky side entrance swings open.
One by one my colleagues walk in, grab their mugs and settle into their office routine.
This morning these men & women have already...
gently woken sleepy eyes,
brushed bed head hair & wrestled school clothes on little limbs,
answered questions about calculus and budding daffodils,
fed their small army,
addressed a teenage wardrobe malfunction,
battled brother and sister cereal fights,
heard their littlest man say "ava-ado" for the first time,
managed to sneak in a shower, glance at the news, and exchange some conversation with their loved one.
Right now, their work doesn't fit between an eight hour stretch - it's an all day marathon. Their minds compartmentalize, shift gears, and prioritize to meet the expectations of each individual moment.
Their day starts and ends with flexibility. From my perspective in the office next door - their ability to bend so many accomplishing directions is admirable.
I see you and your parenting sacrifice.
Your endless pursuit of those you love & the work you cherish.
Each morning I gladly set your mug out, brew a hot pot of joe, and listen to your stories from the evening.
You might see as monotonous but I always hear stories of the ordinary choosing to be extraordinary.
I see beauty in your mundane
... & I remember that even the smallest moments can be used in the biggest ways.
Cheers to my forty-hour friends who unknowingly have become mentors to my (Lord willing) future parenting self.
& Cheers to another Friday closer to their sweet summertime with their families & friends.
Save $2.70 every time you go to "ballet".
The first commute on my very own road bike happened yesterday & deserves some blog documentation. It was an 88 degree evening with gusts of wind coming from all directions. My two wheels carried me 16.8 miles (round-trip) and safely from home to the Pure Barre Studio.
It's love & I'm so grateful.
I saved $2.70 just for pedaling & using time. #practicingtheartoffrugality
That's all pretty cool. But what's really cool is that this whole cycling thing is rooted in nothing but friendships.
Dilyn asked to do a triathlon in 2011, which led to a year-long venture of babysitting a yellow road bike while my friends went to Singapore for a year. Upon giving the bike back, I realized that cycling was something I had learned to like while training.
Fast forward 2 years...
I have good friends; some have a unique hobby of helping their friends find good bikes - they found me a super studly, gently loved, shiny red, GIANT road bike & I bought it.
Other friends make sure that I have all the essential road bike accessories at discounted prices from unique German grocery store suppliers.
If it were me, I would have taken until October to find a bike (and then it's winter).
With friends, the turnaround from inquiring about to actually commuting on a bike was about one month.
So I guess this is a new thing.
Yup. It's actually a thing.
Not a casual "ride when I want" fling - but a let's learn how to
change a flat,
grease the chain,
log the miles,
ride with vigor,
real THING.
Cheers to less gas, less money and the hardcore thunder thighs :)
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