It's the time of year...

Ah, Johnny Mathis...Evie...Anne Murray. Those are three people that evoke the Christmas spirit within. So hard to believe it is already November, and it is moving along quickly. Pondering whether or not to decorate early this year, we will be gone for Thanksgiving and some of Christmas Vacay too, so I need to get the most out that I can. I do love fall, but when EVERYTHING turns to Christmas, it's hard to still get excited over harvesty stuff.

Aside from that dilemma...a lot going on in the Reichley house. From the bottom up:
*Millie is, well Millie (I think I say that a lot, if you know her, you know why). She turns 3 a month from today. This is the longest I have gone not getting pregnant! Praise the Lord! I am truly about to enter new territory. She is so girlie it is ridiulous...dances and sings (Jesus loves the little children, all the children of my mom-a little narrow sighted still). She is a blast and a pistol in the same moment

*Eli is in pres-school and doing well. He is a sponge, learning everything and retaining it. Crazy. He is addicted to the Science channel and his favorite show is Catch it Keep it. He also loves watching hours of File video on the Nasa channel. Fun. David put training wheels on the a bigger bike last night and he was thrilled...pray people, David is threatening to cut his hair. I KNOW!

*Logan (sigh) Logan. He is honestly the sweetest boy I know. Concerned about the planet, less fortunate and just about everyone. He has raised money for poor people ($15 with a water stand) and organized a trash pick up in our neighborhood. Logan, we have no doubt, will changed the world in a dramatic way. Getting there, is going to be a journey, but it is jaw dropping to look at him and you just KNOW that God has something very unique in store for him.

*Brennan is adjusting to 3rd grade. So am I. Lot's more work and grading. He made the honor roll this nine weeks and is doing well. Some behavioral stuff, but so far pretty good. Brennan is an enigma to me. I am trying to figure him out everyday. What makes him tick, and what does he want to do with himself and how to culitvate that...I'm tired just writing it. He is amazing though and we are working on harnessing all that knowledge.

*I am living in groundhogs day! Same thing day in and day out...I am trying to do it with purpose though and with passion. God has reignited several passions in me that have been dormant for a few months: teaching, Garden of Hope, pursuit of justice...he's also given me a few new ones, like hopefully going back to school. David looks at me cross-eyed whenever I say that. But if God wants it, He'll make a way.

*David...wow, do you have an hour? So much, and I have never been more proud of the man that he is. One of integrity and goodness. He has the fruit of the spirit evident in his daily life, and I am inspired. It is possible to carry what seems to be the weight of the world, with grace, dignity and elegance. All the while juggling life. Pray for him if you get a chance, that he will continue to be the man God enabled Him to be in the midst of storms and stress and doubt.

So that about does it for my random post. I hope you are all doing well, and are blessed to laugh with your Abba today. He likes you...a lot!

Healing

David found this on a catalyst blog today, I love him for knowing me so well, for knowing that Dan Allender knows my heart without knowing me and puts words to thought I haven't known yet. Be blessed...

100 Words by Dan Allender

Dr. Dan B. Allender serves as Professor of Counseling at Mars Hill Graduate School. He travels and speaks extensively to present his unique perspective on sexual abuse recovery, love & forgiveness. He is the author of The Wounded Heart and Leading With A Limp.

Healing

Healing is found in seizing the delight generously offered by Jesus for our weary, broken, angry, empty heart. It comes through following the wild goose into the presence of love; it quells the accusations of the evil one so we can hear the relentless invitation to lay our heart before our Beloved. It is in reconciled rest that our deepest burdens call us to come and play for the sake of love. Healing is never merely about our body or heart; it is always the outward movement of love to transform all ground by his holy and irresistible grace.

How have you found healing? Or how has it found you?


[Image via Joshua Longbrake]

Full

My love tank is pretty full right now. You know how it is one of those things that you don't know it's empty until you have felt it full! That is how I am right now.

my husband has loved on me in the best ways...being present...giving me a present...loving on me when I don't feel well...being himself (the guy in the room everyone enjoys and wants to know). Which makes me feel pretty darn good to be "that" guy's wife...before I would have recoiled into the "I'm not good enough for him and everyone knows it" place. But he knows now to show a little more PDA in settings now...we are growing and I feel loved.

My friends, between having the person you love and love who they make you around, it makes me bubble! David said that I act completely different around Gina. I asked him how and he said "You can tell that you trust her". That is huge! I never thought of it like that, but that is the most important thing for me. A simple thing like letting her cook for me...if you know me, that screams volumes.
Along with that beauty, Kim left me one of the best gifts I have ever gotten. It was something I needed, I wanted, I borrowed and yes I couldn't afford. Neither can she, but she gave it anyway. I love her for telling me in my note the reasons why I can't argue or question her for doing it. Basically just shut up and take it!!!
Then cheering Wendy and Kim on Saturday morning. David and I LOVE the race environment, enough that we feel the need to stay involved with it. Enough that I have convinced myself that I somehow AM a runner?! Not really, but it was great to see them kick it in!

My God. He is ever present with me. He has let me know in some of the most beautiful ways, ways that I appreciate and value...words. He speaks to me and laughs with me and dances for me when I squawk out a song for Him. I love Him...He knows that. He loves me...I know it too.

So this is why I am full today...my family will reap the benefits of it as I hug my children a little closer...am willing to work with Millie on her screaming and attitude...and begin to fill my husband's love tank with a clean house and dinner.

Without love...it doesn't mean a thing.

It started with one...

Let this get you going today...1 person...taught 20,000 NORMAL people...how to make an impact



Be part of something great!
Mazal Tov

(thanks for the tip Rhodes')

Perspective...

It all becomes a little clearer when you take a look around...

...Admission of an affair that will change the life of you and your children

...the news that you have 1 year to live

...the news that your child has a mass in the center of his brain

...belief that only the good and popular people get their prayers answered

all of these things have happened to people that my family and I care about.

It makes one silent...

Think Love, Think!

In High school, there was a teacher that would bring one phrase to mind..."Think Love, Think" Ms. Mcmurtry! She had that phrase hanging all over her classroom. A little brash and truly a teacher who wanted her students to learn...in the old school way, she encouraged (or threatened) students to not be spoon fed but to think it through.

Well I heard her voice echoing in my head yesterday as I turned the clippers on...I ignored it.

I just wanted to trim Brennan's hair up, it was a mop. Well, now he is headed for the Citadel. He wanted to KILL me. It is short, and the kids looks great with whatever haircut, but his hair has been long for a year and he wants to grow it out. It was beginning to curl in the back, so he was super excited...but I thought it was out of control.

His brothers did the best job of encouraging him, "you look so cool" -Logan
"I'll play with you Brennan, I'll be your only friend."-Eli
They all went and wore hats together and just were good brothers. Of course I took them to McDonalds and got them whatever they wanted AND a sundae, followed by renting a movie on a school night. I don't think that taught Brennan anything, but he forgave me and loved me again!! It's all about me right?!

So no, I didn't think...in fact, I convince myself that I went to the Horst Academy (Aveda headquarters) and that people should be begging me to cut their hair...

...yeah...not so much.

Retreat

It is a dreary day. Most people get depressed on days like this. I get energized. I feel like I can breathe deeply and take inventory of what I have...who I have. This is the kind of day, I would grab an umbrella and go shop, window shop, grab a cup of tea and read a book under the awning of a cafe...if I lived where cafe's were in abundance. But instead I do the other rainy day thing. Throw on George Winston, clean, cook and randomly tell my kids how much I love them and what I like about them. Yeah, I'm learning to not make that a rainy day thing.

Today proves that God knows me, knows that I needed to slow down and breathe, think...pray. When I feel isolated, I retreat. I start to slowly back away from people, things and start listening to lies. I have realized this weekend, just how much I have been doing that. Slowly inching backwards, not enough to cause a stir, but enough that some people are starting to notice. Not depressed, not down hearted, just retreating...

So what do I do? Well, God has given me people to make me realizes my vices and now that I realize, it is my job to do something about it. What shall I do? I will take steps back in, slowly, purposefully and intentionally. I will start pulling people back into my circles.

Enjoying the rest of this day, this moment is my favorite moment. Between day and night, closing and opening, beginning and end. The moment of remembering and planning for a new day. I live too often in this moment, it's what I know, it's where my comfort is. But it is also a moment of uncertainty, "did I make the most of today? What will tomorrow bring?" I like to live in questions...in questions, there are no answers and no definates, those scare me...why because I am a control freak and I like to have a say. Working on that too...

So as I pack my things up from retreating and begin to prepare to step out with purpose in steps I look to the Lord for His absolute love to bring me peace, wisdom and discernment. To be intentional in the words and choices I make, just on a daily basis. To protect my heart as I begin to put it out there again...wow that scares me...it's time to get back in the game.