Thinking in Reverse

Last week I went to see Lord of the Dance at Keller Auditorium. I was struck during the show about how every great story has a villain and a hero, successes and failures, dangers and rescues. I was trying to imagine what life would be like without the fall of mankind, or going back, the fall of Lucifer. Would there really have been an absence of pain or trial or evil? Would there have been no death? And if so, how would that have redefined our world? Without pain, would we feel the exuberance of joy? Would success taste as sweet without the contrasting bitterness of failure? Would we truly understand "whole" without experiencing brokenness? Would we appreciate health if we never battled with sickness and disease? Would grace be as profound if we didn't desperately need it to cover our weaknesses? Would forgiveness be as life-giving without the presence of sin--in fact what does freedom look like without sin? Long story short, what would our love for our Savior look like if we weren't so desperately in need of saving?!

What if we have it all wrong? What if we are supposed to celebrate the trials, and cheer along pain? Rather than running from brokenness or shamefully hiding it, what if we responded to it with hopeful expectation of the glory of God's redemptive grace? How would this world be different? How would the church be different? At the most basic level, how would I be different?

Ya, those are my ponderings at the moment....whirling and whirling around in my head.

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Wowwwwww!

I just received my first Christmas Card today. I KNOW-I'm thinking the same thing! Thanksgiving isn't even in sight--it's October 8th for crying out loud!

.....Wait, what exactly were you thinking? Were you perhaps the tiniest bit impressed, more than a little annoyed at the timing, w/a little sprinkle of "what in the world" thrown in the mix? If so, then we are definitely on the same page. Now to this family's credit, the word "Christmas" didn't appear on the card. That being said, the "holiday wishes" were there, accompanied by little white snowflakes and the yearly family update. Goodness, I'm still trying to adjust to the Fall season, I'm not sure I'm ready to think about Christmas.

Then again, who I am to cast stones? I confessed publicly on Facebook this past Tuesday that I did indeed listen to a few Christmas songs that morning. In my defense it was by accident (I was doing the ipod shuffle), but I admit these songs made me smile. So maybe this family has it right, and they have captured a way to extend a glorious season of celebration. Perhaps I should get an early start on Christmas cards as well!

....nah, let's not take it that far! =)

Just the right size!

You know when you get a big company award that makes you feel fairly talented and you just may start believing you're somethin' pretty special? There's nothing like one bad call to bring you back down to earth and remind you though you do have moments of brilliance, you still have PLENTY to learn!

You know when you're at the gym shooting hoops, hitting nothing but net and making the boys around ya look bad? There's nothing like strutting over to the drinking fountain pushing that little silver button, and getting hit square in the face w/a steady stream of water-- that'll cut ya down to size in a millisecond! (And if you're me, it can't help but make you chuckle too.)

....which got me thinking, I suppose that's just what we are all supposed to be right--just our size! Not desperately pretending to be more, not consumed with worry that we're less, no bigger no smaller--just Lynn Marie Morrow as she was created to be!

Yep, God created me just the right size!

What a day!

There is NOTHING quite like the feeling of glancing at your alarm clock, seeing the numbers 8:15, and knowing that you have a work meeting in 45 minutes allll the way downtown. It would be quite the understatement to say that this past Tuesday morning I awoke like a shot! And though I may impress you by recreating the scene as I threw on clothes, weaved through traffic, and raced from the parking garage--suffice to say I actually made it to the office by 9:02. Nice! I guess that's what I get for not sleeping well the night before, my body just decided to do it's own thing to catch up on sleep. That was the jump start to my day.

I stayed late at work--I mean if you start late, you should probably end late right? Well, then I got a long talker on the phone, which made me end up missing my bus. Had to wait a whole 20 minutes for the next bus.

....did ya catch it? Ya, the whole "weaving through traffic" line above would imply that I drove to work today, thus making staying late pretty unnecessary. Don't worry, if you didn't catch it I didn't either until I was riding the elevator on my way to "catch the bus". Sheesh! I had to laugh at myself! Ahhh well, let's just chalk this day up to a comedy of errors. We all need those every once in a while right?

There is an old Irish proverb which says, " A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book." Apparently, I had a very healthy day!

Morning Haiku-Inspired by True Events

Loud Saturday crow
Waking me from sweet slumber
6:30....really?!

sigh.

Goodbye sweet summer.... Hello Fall!

Is it just me or did Fall suddenly fall upon us? Yes, when I got up this morning it was actually quite dark outside! I'd be lying if I didn't say that my feet are a little apprehensive at sight of the flip flop weather quickly drawing to a close. sigh. Goodbye strappy sandals, farewell tank tops and camo shorts, alvedersane frappuccinos, swimming pools, and the ability to get a tan without paying for it.

Ahhh yes, but in an effort to avoid getting too sad here, let's take a moment to look at all that is to be gained in this change of the season. And there is much to be gained w/Fall--another FABULOUS time of the year! So with that--Hello to beautiful fall leaves, brisk coffee walks, and fires in the fireplace (I hope more than the two presto logs I burned last year). Hello to watching movies curled up on the couch while the weather rages outdoors, hello pitter patter of the rain on the roof, hello wind that fiercely bends the trees at will. Hello hooded sweatshirts, fuzzy fleeces, and cozy blankets. Hello fantastic Thanksgiving which focuses on the many ways we are so incredibly blessed. And finally, welcome back Pumpkin Spice Latte-it's so good to see you again on the menu!

I know I know, we officially have 11 days or something until the beginning of Fall, and they even say it will be back up to 80 degrees tomorrow. Yet after pondering the many amazing things Fall has to offer, I say bring it on. I've missed you Fall, and I'm glad you're back!

Friends

So I've been thinking a lot lately about friendship. How would I define the word "friend". I believe friends are the unique reflections of the extravagant brilliance of God. Each friend in my life reflects a different angle of my Creator and draws me to a deeper level of humble gratitude and adoration.

Ya, that's where I am right now--pretty much in awe of the concept of friendship to the point where I have no more words.

...and let me tell ya, the lack of words communicates volumes! :)

One of those days...

You know, today was just one of those days. Crazy thing is I know tomorrow will be one of those days as well...and now that I think about it, last week was a conglomeration of 5 of "those days" stacked together. All I can say is--good thing Friday is a comin'!

So here's a question for all my faithful readers out there (ya, all two of you ;). What do you do to maintain balance and health in the crazy moments of life? Or, as more eloquently asked by Nancy Ortberg (of whom I'm a huge fan), how do you lead a rhythm of life that renews the life of God in you?

Ahh yes, I find myself coming back to that question time and time again. Take a stab at it and let me know what you think!

Not what I would have chosen...but not too shabby!

So my eyes snapped open at 4:30 this morning and I was awake. I mean wide awake. Now as anyone who knows me well can testify--I am CLEARLY not a morning person. (Well, unless I'm in Hawaii that is, then that lovely time change works on my behalf.) So I argued with myself for a good half an hour over the idea that SURELY I would fall asleep in no time. Ya, not so much. At 5 to 5 I decided that I could either argue with myself for the next hour and a half (a lose-lose battle to be sure), or I could head to the gym. As I walked out of my house it was dark out, and Orion was in full display in all it's glory. Orion Rocks--he's my favorite! So though I wasn't too stoked about being awake this hour, the stars were amazing! Not too shabby.

Have I ever mentioned that a leather ball, a wooden floor, a forgiving rim, and a killer ipod playlist can work wonders on me, body and soul? For some reason shooting hoops can quiet the many thoughts and questions whirling around in my head and returns a slice of simplicity back to life. Ahh, so nice! And let me tell ya--I was having an on day, making more than I missed from the corner 3's--not too shabby!

I walked out of the gym to a gorgeous sunrise--a site that honestly I don't get to see all that often (so surprising). Wow, stars on my entrance, sunrise on my exit. Again, not too shabby.

I'd rather not bore ya to tears, so I'll spare you the details of my work day. Needless to say, the day was loong and I truly believe that I've worked hard enough for it to at LEAST be Thursday. And yes, since I was up so stinkin' early, I do confess to drinking a Rockstar for breakfast. Not great I know.......ok, ya that one is a bit of a stretch.

This evening I took Hobbes for a walk, and was blessed to see a gorgeous sunset. Wow--stars, sunrise and sunset all in one day, when does that happen for Lynn Morrow? And I seemed to notice more flowers and beautiful scenery around me on that walk than I have in the many times past. God's creation was singin' all over! And now, I'm going to grab a book and go to bed early and I may not even make it through a single chapter which would be fine by me!

So all in all, I definitely would not have planned my day to turn out as it did, and I won't be volunteering to wake up at 4:30 tomorrow.


STILL, though I didn't choose it, I have to say my day was...
...not too shabby!

Ahhh, there's a little Alias in me!

I'm settled in for the night and currently making my way through Alias season 3. Have I mentioned lately that I think there's a little CIA operative in me? Yes there has always been and probably always will be a little piece of me that likes to live vicariously through the life of Sydney Bristow. Perhaps it's the cool disguises and funky wigs. Maybe it's the fact that she can pretty much take out anyone who dares oppose her. Whatever it is-I like to think there's a tiny bit of Sydney Bristow in me. I mean heck, I did take a kickboxing class you know! ;)

Community

Ahhh community. Is it a buzzword, an idealistic concept, does it even exist? I've been mulling over the issue of community for quite some time now. Recently I've been smacked in the face with the realization that when it comes to community (yes it does exist), I am totally, utterly, and completely spoiled. I fully admit it, and I am extremely humbled by this revelation!

It's only in this most recent stage of my journey that my eyes have been opened to the fact that when it comes to the world as a whole, true community is downright rare! In all honesty, I've found my heart breaking repeatedly over this truth.

So here are just a few of the many questions I've been mulling over these last few days. Feel free to try one on for size. What are the key elements of true community? Are there times that I've taken this gift of community for granted? How do I share some of my community "wealth" with others? What do I give to my community, or how have I been uniquely designed to add to my community? What does God have in mind when He thinks of the concept of community? And lastly, how many times can I say the word "community" in one blog post? :)

Finally, to the many of you in MY community who have so profoundly blessed my life--THANK YOU! You have cared for me, fed me, nursed me back to health, made me laugh, provided a safe place to cry, challenged me to grow, encouraged me to dream, celebrated my joys, sat with me in my sorrows, given me the freedom to be me, encouraged my walk with the Lord, inspired me to give more--and ultimately have forever changed me! In other words, you have made me rich indeed! Thank You!

Question to ponder

I heard a very profound question the other day--what have you always wanted to do, but never had the courage to attempt? Hmmmm, still thinking about that one.

playwithmePlayWithMePLEASEPLAYWITHME!

Any good Saturday warrants a glorious nap time, and this Saturday was no exception. I curled up with my dog Hobbes and quickly fell into a much needed snooze. Now apparently Hobbes wasn't nearly as sleep deprived as I was, so it wasn't too long before he was again up and at 'em. He left me alone for a little while...that was nice. But as any of you who have ever met Hobbes know, though he couldn't get much cuter he sure does like attention and he LOVES to play! It wasn't too long until he started to visit--just an occasional nudge here, and poke of the nose there. Then he progressed to phase 2 where his paw would gently pat my hand as if to say, "Here I am, would you like to play?" As he advanced to the more direct stage 3 and the pile of collected toys started growing on my chest, my mind drifted back to my childhood...

I was the youngest of 2 girls in my family and much like Hobbes I LOVED to play! I remember when my sister Sharon had friends over I would serve them food, tell them jokes, and basically do anything I could to be a part of the fun (and I mean anything....ya, sorry about that Sis). Another time Sharon was trying to beat her own record for hula hooping. She was well over 1000 with mom and dad excitedly counting each rotation of the hoop. Ya, did you catch the dynamics there--that no one was paying attention to me? Just keep that in mind. Well, I quickly figured out a brilliant scheme that would put an end to this monotonous routine. I filled up a bucket of water, snuck up on Sharon, and as you can guess the hoola hooping soon came to a screeching halt. Now in my mind, the event was over, the hula hooping had ceased--problem solved and let the playing begin! Ya, I wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed back then, and I hadn't taken the time to consider her emotional willingness to play after the aforementioned attack. Hey, I just wanted someone to play with me...

...with that thought my mind snapped back to the present. And as Hobbes gentle whines started getting slightly more desperate, I did what any decent dog owner would do--stretched, pried my eyelids open, smiled, and got up and played with my pup.

To Blog or Not To Blog...

...that is the question I've been asking myself a lot over the past few days/weeks/months. What is the purpose of blogging--is it just to better hear my own thoughts, to share my own thoughts with others, or to hear others share their thoughts with me? I'm guessing it's a little bit of all three, but perhaps most heavily leaning on the first--to be able to capture just a few of the many thoughts whirling around in my head. Honestly I'm not really writing this to share my thoughts with the masses. That being said, I will always love to hear the thoughts of any friend who occasionally wanders by and stops for a visit. I tried to think of a snappy blog title--but hey, these are just my musings-they may be funny, they may be serious, and on some days they may even be a little random or ridiculous. Yep, I don't really have an end goal or a destination in mind for this blog, I'm just along for the ride.

So with that, let the journey begin!