Margaret McSweeney's Blog, page 47

Love it Forward: Day Three

Image courtesy of Phaitoon

 

Make a conscious effort to ask someone you’re acquainted with but aren’t close to how their day is going—and really care about their answer.

 

Confused about “Love it Forward”? Read this post to get caught up and play along! 

Love it Forward: Day Two

Image courtesy of Phaitoon

 

Put a few chocolate hugs and kisses into cellophane bags, add tags that say, “For you,” and put them in random places around your workplace (or favorite coffee shop).

 

Confused about “Love it Forward”? Read this post to get caught up and play along! 

Love it Forward: Day One

Image courtesy of Phaitoon

 

Print off a few of these cards, then use one with a candy bar and place it on your coworker’s desk

 

Confused about “Love it Forward”? Read this post to get caught up and play along! 

Love Is Not A Feeling, It is a Decision

With the window rolled down and the music blaring I remember belting out the words to Steve Camp’s album Fire and Ice. It was one of my favorite albums growing up and a favorite song on the album was “Love’s Not a Feeling.”

Love’s not a feeling

Oh, we’ve got to learn

To get past our emotions to the meaning of the word

Love’s not a feeling

You can lose and throw away

Lord, give us the courage to live it every day”

– Steve Camp, lyric excerpt from “Love’s Not a Feeling

As a young girl I thought I knew what love meant. I knew what it felt like to fall in love and I also knew what it felt like to have your heart shattered. How often have we heard someone say, “We fell out of love. The feeling was gone.”

Things that were exciting and new become a chore later.

When the feelings stop, the natural tendency is to give up on the marriage, give up on the friendship or job. But Steve Camp had it right, love is not a feeling it is a decision. Sacrificial love has transforming power.

Our biggest example is Christ dying on the cross for our sins. It is easy to love someone who is lovable and feel love for someone who is good, but while we were sinners in our filth Christ died for us.

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8)

During this month of Love, I want you to remember you are worthy, you are loved and somebody cares for you. God sent Christ, the good shepherd to lay his life down for you. (John 10:11)

This is a cute video with powerful words:

Meet the Pearl Girls: Caitlin Wilson

Caitlin Wilson graduated from Taylor University in 2012 with a degree in professional writing and two minors in public relations and Biblical languages. She focused primarily on editing, journalism, and public-relations writing. She now works with Litfuse as a publicity assistant and social media strategist. When Caitlin isn’t working, you’ll find her pinning her life away on Pinterest, watching tennis (who wants to give her free tickets to Wimbledon?), blogging, shopping, painting her nails, and spending time with friends and family. You can visit her personal-style blog, Re-Mix-Her, and connect with her via Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

How did you become a writer?

I was always interested in reading and writing from before I can remember. My parents both have degrees in English, so that doesn’t help my case. It was destiny and genetics that I’d have a career with words. I wrote my first two books in third grade, and although I’ve not written a book since then (although I hope to write write a few), I’ve spent the past few years working as a freelance writer and a personal-style and fashion blogger and as a freelance editor.

What is your life verse?

Philippians 3:12-14 (The Message): “I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.”

What motivates you to write for charity?

When I was in college, my professor always encouraged us to write whenever we could. Every word is more practice, and I’ll take all the practice I can get. That’s what I love about writing: It’s a never-perfected craft.

Favorite food?

Take Fives or Twix. Also, Starbucks. Yes, I consider Starbucks food.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what 5 things would you take?

1. Sunscreen
2. Iced green teas from Starbucks—enough to last me while I’m there
3. My iPhone with a solar-powered battery
4. My Kindle Fire stocked with all the books it can hold and a solar-powered battery
5. My Canon DSLR camera

Love it Forward

Image courtesy of moomsabuy

There’s no doubt that our world is dark and lost. The news is often filled with tragedy and loss. Where do we find a glimmer of hope and love that we all need so desperately? It’s in the random acts of kindness, the smile from a stranger, the sweet words from your friend.

This month at Pearl Girls, we’re learning to Love it Forward. The best way to change the world and show people hope and love is through the smallest daily acts. February is the month of love, so we thought we’d challenge all of our contributors and readers to “love it forward.” Check back each day as we’ll be posting a random act of love for you to show to someone in the hopes that that person will then be encouraged to show the same act of love to someone else.

If you’d like to participate, please do! There’s no sign-up required, but if you do decide to participate, we’d love to see a picture of what you chose to do that day! You can either post it to our Facebook page or tweet your picture to @McSweeney.

Limitations: Exposed

Sometimes as members of the body of Christ, we have the tendency to put others in a box. We can’t visit somebody in the hospital; that’s the pastor’s responsibility. We can’t clean the carpets in the church; that’s the janitor’s job. We can’t audition for the worship team; that’s the music minister’s decision.

Do you find that you put limitations on yourself sometimes? I know I do. Since I graduated from college this past May, I’ve also “graduated” into the adult programs at our church. It’s a weird feeling, and I feel a bit shy speaking up in the presence of all these adults who are older than me. Yet, I know that God has called each one of us not to be timid and not to put limits on ourselves and what God can do through us—no matter what our age. (1 Timothy 4:12 is a great example of that.)

We put limitations on ourselves, on other members of the body, and on God himself. God can work through anything or anyone at any time. Moses thought God called the wrong man when God spoke to him out of a burning bush, yet God would not be put in a box. In fact, God used Moses’ doubts to break Moses free of the limitations he had set for himself.

Trust God to do the impossible, even with you; he just may break you out of your own box.

Living in the Promises of God in 2013

The Christmas tree is down, decorations put away, gifts accepted or exchanged, thank you notes written, the last piece of fruitcake finally gone! Ah, it’s time to take a breath and look at what you want to accomplish in this new year. I’ve taken a look at what I want most of all—especially as I get older. The most important thing to me is spiritual freedom. I want to walk in the promises of God this year and so I have written down my top ten. Maybe they’re on your list too or you wish to create your own list.

Contentment: Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do (Ecclesiastes. 9:7)

Courage: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9)

Guidance: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you (Psalm 32:8)

Humility: Humble yourself, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time (1 Peter 5:6).

Joy: Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy (Psalm 126:5).

Mercy: Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin (Job 11:6).

Patience: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).

Peace: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts . . . (Colossians 3:25).

Trust: Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust (Psalm 40:4).

Wisdom: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you (James 1:5).

One Little Word

I wasn’t going to pick a theme word for this year. It’s one of those projects I always see and think “Oh, that’s cool.” But then I never do it.

This year in the midst of everything my word just came to me — I’m not sure if it was before or after everyone started talking about their words or not. Along with my word came this verse.

Do. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.Do is my word and this verse is kinda my mantra for the year. No this isn’t an excuse to see how much that I can get on my plate and then scream to the heavens when I fail (because, yes, heaping things on your plate will cause you to fail in one aspect of your life or another — trust me). It’s more of a reminder (and goes well with “…whatever you DO, DO it to the glory of God…”) A reminder to not to give up. When things get tough in your marriage, your life or the kids are on the very last nerve of your very very last nerve — don’t give up. You can do it. Christ is your strength. Lean on that. Embrace that. Live it.

And do…

Did you pick a word for this year? I’d love to hear it and the story behind why you picked it!

Quiet Time

Quite time. Why is it that when things get busy our quite time is the thing that lacks (please tell me I’m not the only mom who does this)! It’s a new month (and new year). Time for re-starts and new beginnings. I, for one, want to make it a point to have my quite time everyday – even if it’s in the midst of chaos. Here are three simple ways I am adopting to help make sure my quite time happen.

Keep a simple lifestyle. For me this means saying no to things. I am a people pleaser – I have an insane hard time telling someone “no”. In the past few months, my eyes have been opened to the world of “no” – and knowing it is ok. By going through my life and cutting out the unnecessary, I have found that I have more breathing room. I have also discovered starting my day with my quite time does a world of change in my attitude. I can actually remember what is important and needs to get done. I’m not scurrying all day trying to get things finished and ending up with a pile of stuff finished, but not to the best of my ability. For me this means shutting down early (no more late nighters for me) and getting up early – before my kids (who get up pretty early).

Download an app. I love my Bible. I love the feel, the smell, the words – everything (I am a bit of a book lover anyways . . .) But some days there are those days. Those days where the kids are up before I can even think about pushing the snooze button. The days where no amount of trying can I make anything go right to have a “quite” time much less my quite time. This is when I love having the accessibility of an app on my phone. I can lay in bed and read before the sun comes up (because it is a known fact that as soon as mom is out of bed it is time for everyone to wake up – no matter what the hour) or I can a few precious moments in the bathroom throughout the day. And with my Lifeproof case I can even do my quite time under the hot stream of the shower!

Have a partner. Have someone who will keep you accountable. For me this is my best friend in the whole world. We have similar lifestyles (both have two rambunctious kids under the age of three) and both have the tendency to accidently let our quite time slid. But together we keep each other accountable and stay in the Word. This year we have downloaded the same “read through the Bible in a year” plan – it is so much easier when you are doing it with someone. It is also fun to compare thoughts on what you read.

Do you have a plan for staying in the Word? I would love to hear your suggestions!