Thursday, December 9, 2010

Deep Thoughts & Joyful Celebrations

So, I need to do two Reverb prompts to catch up from yesterday.  Let's get to work.
Beautifully different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different - you'll find they're what make you beautiful.

One reason I didn't write about this prompt yesterday is that it's a topic I'm sort of tired of thinking about right now.  This fall I did a Bible study (or class, rather) called Significant Woman through the Women's Ministry at our church.  It was a great Biblical life-coaching sort of program that encouraged the participants to spend a good amount of time exploring the uniqueness that God created in us, and how He might want to use them.  One thing that has really stuck with me from the semester was a statement one of the guest speakers made.  She was talking about some of the things that make her different, things that she used to think were kind of weird about herself; and she commented that she used to have the thought, "most people don't ..." and then filled in the blank with some of the 'different' things she does.  She went on to say that she came to realize that those are the things God so often uses powerfully.  "Most people don't build an ark, most people don't lead a nation out of captivity, etc."

I loved that, because I have often thought, "most people probably don't keep resource files of handouts, activities, etc. just in case they ever need them" (this is not something I do for my job, just something I've done since high school).  Or I've wondered why small talk sometimes seems so forced and uncomfortable to me - why I'd SO much rather have a serious conversation with someone that just shoot the breeze.  But these are some of the ways God has made me different ... my love for deep conversation helps me to be a better counselor.  My love for filing away useful bits of information and my knack for remembering completely random facts about people I've only met a few times (even though I can never remember where I've put my phone) helps me to connect people to other people or resources that can be useful to them.   

Okay, enough navel-gazing for one night.

Prompt for today: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.

This year has been excellent as far as celebrations and social gatherings go.  I can't make myself pick one, though, because they have all been so special.  Last December Kevie, one of the girls in the cell group I led when I was in college & grad school, got married and her lovely wedding was the first domino in a fantastic string of winter/spring weddings.  I was blessed to get to celebrate weddings with Kayla and Jessica as well, before Liam was born; and then with Maryanne in June.  The biggest wedding of the year for our family was Heather's (Josh's sister), and we were so excited to welcome her new husband, Kyle, into the family just three weeks after Liam was born.  Along with all of the joyful weddings came the wedding showers and the baby showers for Liam and for several other friends who were pregnant at the same time.  It was a year of so much love and celebration and anticipation.

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