Afton Rorvik's Blog, page 3

My 2020 Words

Happy 2020!

Every year at this time I see a lot of blog posts about picking a word for the year. I tried doing that one  year and picked a word that has stuck with me permanently: gratitude. Picking a word made me live with more intentionality. So did crafting a personal mission statement, something I started at a Donald Miller StoryBrand conference.

Now, every January I take a close look at my current mission statement, tweak it a bit, and write it out on a card that I place next to my computer. It gives me focus and challenge.

This year I tweaked my mission statement to start this way: As an introvert, I will seek to live intentionally as a ___________________ person.

I included that introductory phrase about introversion in my mission statement because I have come to realize how much introversion shapes me. I want to own that part of myself more in the coming year.

This year on the blog I’d like to focus on some of the words that have come to matter greatly to me and become part of my mission statement.

As you read along this year, I hope you will begin to craft your own personal mission statement. And I also hope some of you will contribute thoughts and stories of your own as you respond to writing prompts I’ll provide. (I hope to persuade my husband to contribute.)

During the first week of every month, I will publish a new blog post, featuring a word. Then, if you have a contribution that relates to the word of the month, I would love to have you submit it (500 words or less). If you’re not a writer, but have a story you want to tell, let me know, and I’ll interview you. I’ll publish reader contributions the last week of every month.

Ready to jump in? SO glad to have you here!







Connected

When I browse the Internet, looking for quotations about
introverts, I find a lot of versions of “I’m an introvert. Go away!”

For example, I just found these quotations on Pinterest and saved them on my Introvert Board:

“My first instinct when I see an animal is to say hello. My first instinct when I see a person is to avoid eye contact and hope it goes away.”

“I’m a social vegan. I avoid meet.”

In case you wonder how to define that word introvert, I really like this explanation from Adam McHugh in his book, Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture (p. 39).

“If your preference is toward your inner world, and even when you are out socializing you are thinking of a quiet place, you win the label ‘introvert.’ “

Yep! I crave quiet. It acts for me like gasoline does for a car.

And yet . . .

I have watched the power of friend helping friend as my mother died.

I have felt the comfort of a friend’s kind words or gestures.

And I believe that God calls those who love Him, including me, to act as His hands and feet. The Bible includes story after story of Jesus helping people and also of people helping each other because their love of Jesus compels them.

So . . . I put the word connected into my mission statement. I can’t say, “Go away. I just want to stay in my basement.” My faith compels me to live connected.

As an introvert, I will seek to live intentionally as a connected person.

On a practical level, that means I connect sometimes via text or email. Like many introverts, I write better than I talk, and I fear talking on the phone. But I have some friends (extroverts) who love talking on the phone.

One of my yearly goals may sound lame to you, but for this introverted, phone-phobic gal, it represents great effort: I will initiate calls to my “I-love-talking-on-the-phone-most” friends.

As we launch into a new year, I would like to thank you for connecting with me here. I know it takes time and effort for you to read and think with me and comment. Thank you for that gift!

Now . . . your turn. I would love to hear from some of you about how you intentionally connect and why it matters to you. And, yes, you extroverts can send in stories too. I love learning from other people’s stories. Just try to keep it to 500 words if you would. And if you’d rather tell me a story on the phone, I will set up a time to chat (gulp!). You could also send a quote you like on the subject of connecting. You matter to me. I want to hear you. Contact me at stormsistersconnection@gmail.com.

Cheering you on as you seek to live connected!





Stay Connected!

Sign up and receive Afton’s monthly blog via email.

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

The post My 2020 Words appeared first on Afton Rorvik.

Gratitude within Darkness

Winter lurks around the corner here in the Midwest. Our trees sport lovely shades of red and yellow. I’ve almost caused a few traffic accidents on my way to work as I slowed to marvel at the collage of colors. Breathtaking!

And yet . . . these colors also signal longer, darker days. The CFO (Chief Furry Officer) and I meander through the neighborhood now in the semi-light of morning. John and I race to fit in an evening walk after work but before darkness descends.

And we took the outdoor porch down a few weeks ago. Sigh!

We brace for winter. We lived through record cold here last year. We can do it again. But the darkness . . .

My Scandinavian relatives, used to winters with days of
limited day light, know how to create a bit of sunshine inside their homes by
lighting candles and turning on twinkling lights. I’ve adopted the practice.
And it helps chase the darkness out of the house.

But what about the darkness of soul that seems to settle on my heart so easily in the months of October and November? The darkness of discouragement, sorrow, doubt, frustration, transition . . .

Every year at this time, I assemble some darkness-fighting
tools. Thought I’d share them with you in the thought that maybe, just maybe,
some of you also wince and struggle a bit at this time of year.

Darkness-Fighting Tools



My “happy” light. This little light makes my face glow with a blue tint, but it mimics the light of day and wakes up my brain. I sit with it every morning. You can read more about light therapy on the Mayo Clinic Website.



Worship. As I let my face turn blue (!), I also listen to worship music by artists such as John Michael Talbot and Fernando Ortega I sit and listen and allow the words to turn into prayer. My heart begins to turn from despair to joy and thankfulness, especially for the God who hears and sees. I’ve also returned to reading the Psalms in the version The Message. I love the fresh, bold images.

In true worship we turn the searchlight of our mind and heart upon God and temporarily forget about our troublesome and usually intrusive selves. We marvel at the beauties and intricacies of God’s creation.

– John R. W. Stott, Christian Basics, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1969), 119.

A gratitude calendar. Several years ago I started the practice of printing a blank calendar for the month of November. Then every morning I write in the name of a person, place, or thing for which I’m grateful. I keep it simple. (And use gel pens!) I’d love to have you join me in this practice! Click here or here for this year’s calendar. This month-long practice of gratitude reminds me of all the good in this world and helps me remember to incorporate this practice throughout the rest of the year.



Conversations with friends. Growing up in a family that valued intellect over emotion, I’ve struggled to learn how to speak about and own my emotions. But I’ve observed so clearly that when I ignore emotions, they don’t disappear; they just burrow into my soul and eventually begin an internal implosion. I can short-circuit such an implosion by naming emotions and pulling them into the light of day in conversations with trusted friends.

Would love to hear from you and how you navigate this time of year, darkness and all.

The Book Giveaway last month of All Shall Be Well by Catherine McNiel went to Ellen. This month I’d like to send one of you a paperback copy of Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeline L’Engle. Just comment on the blog here or on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest.

What I’m Reading

Becoming Gertrude: How Our Friendships Shape Our Faith by Janice Peterson.

I watched a wonderful video with Bono arriving at the Peterson’s house in Montana to talk about Eugene Peterson’s translation of the Psalms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l40S…. In the video Janice hugs Bono and graciously welcomes him into their home. When this book came out, I knew I wanted to read it and find out more about this lovely, Bono-welcoming woman.The title comes from a friendship Janice formed as a child with a neighbor named Gertrude. She explains, “Her loving friendship showed me how powerful it can be to live a life of being readily available to others–to listen to care for them, to engage with their lives.”
Later in the book she writes, “When I offer hospitality, something amazing happens–so much more than I have anything to do with. An exchange takes place. Our guests bring who they are with them and enlarge our lives in their offerings.”And I do think Bono would agree.

Would love to connect with you on Goodreads and find out what books
have captured your imagination.

Cheering you on as you seek to live connected, particularly over the upcoming holidays. I’ll catch up with you again in January. Know that I love hearing from you.

The post Gratitude within Darkness appeared first on Afton Rorvik.

Living As an Introvert

At the end of a busy day, does your brain feel like a plate of spaghetti noodles? Mine does. 

So many conversations. So many thoughts.

I’ve discovered that I can’t sleep well until I untangle the plate of “noodles,” the events and conversations of the day. 

I’ve learned to pull the “noodles” apart and hold each one up and examine it from several angles and then pray about what I see. Then, I gingerly lay that “noodle” down and pick up another one. Eventually, I have a pile of examined “noodles” that I can braid into something like a necklace. Then I hand it over to God. At last I can rest. 

Some days I try to skip this untangling ritual and just go directly to bed. It doesn’t work. My brain starts the untangling process on its own. Forget about sleep!

John does not need to untangle “noodles” in order to fall asleep. He hits the pillow and falls asleep within minutes. He has even learned the art of falling asleep sitting up. Amazing! 

I recently read something that helped me understand this need I have to process and think through a day. In her book The Secret Lives of Introverts Jenn Granneman writes: 

“We [introverts] chew on ideas, turning them over and over in our minds, and often analyzing them from every angle. When you’re in ‘reflecting mode,’ it’s hard to talk. Introverts don’t think out loud like many extroverts do; we do our processing inwardly.”

Yes! 

Introverts and Friendship

How does this internal processing, untangling of spaghetti noodles, relate to friendship?

I had the joy of spending a week in August with friends I first met in junior high and high school. Roberta, Teresa, and I talked, and laughed, and remembered . . .  (And Roberta and I even played some clarinet duets!) 

When I came home, I needed to revisit those conversations and events and pray about them. I needed to give myself space and time to sit in quiet and think. It took a couple of days. And I found great joy in the process. 

After decades of trying to build friendships and understand myself as I do it, I have finally come to understand that as an introvert, I need margin around times with friends. I need time ahead of the visit to think about what to say and do or not say and do. (That’s why I love planned get-togethers.) And I need time at the end of the visit to reflect on it and savor it. 

A weakness? A character flaw? Or a gift? 

I’m still looking at all the “noodles” and thinking about it. 

Hospitality in the Mess

How do you respond to the word hospitality? Does your
heart start to race? Does your mind immediately turn to thoughts of your inadequate
cooking skills or less than perfect house?

For many years, maybe decades, I stressed myself out about
hospitality, thinking it had to involve a meal around a beautifully decorated
dining room table in a recently cleaned house.

I finally began to think of hospitality more as just doing life together. That could include meeting a friend for tea. Or sitting at my usually sticky kitchen island and having a spontaneous cup of coffee with a friend who stopped by while doing errands. Or taking a walk with a neighbor. Or grocery shopping with a friend. Or sitting in lawn chairs in your driveway while neighborhood kids play in the yard.

I recently read a delightful, thoughtful book all about hospitality, which I want to highlight this month. Leslie Verner, a mom of three young children, writes about hospitality from the vantage point of inviting people to do life together, even in “the stress and the mess and the raisins smashed into the carpet.”

Refreshing, right?

I think if I’d read Leslie’s book as a young mom, I would
have put less pressure on myself to do hospitality “perfectly.”

I want to pass on this treasure of a book to one of you. Just comment on the blog or on Facebook or email me at stormsistersconnection@gmail.com, and I’ll enter you into a random drawing. I’d love to know what ways you’ve found to practice hospitality “in the mess.”

I continually remind myself that hospitality isn’t about the food; it is about the people. When I cook for others, I try to keep it simple so I’m not so stressed by food prep. Speaking of simple recipes, I just made this one and loved it.

Finally, I want to leave you with these words in the Message: “Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing” (2 Timothy 2:21).

What a beautiful way to think of hospitality—allowing God to use us in an endless variety of ways to bless other people, to be His hands and feet.

What I’m Reading



Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency by Sharla Fritz

I gave away copies of this book last month and have been working through it myself this month. I like it on so many levels! Sharla has an engaging writing style so I enjoy just reading her stories, but she also has a gift for asking good questions and helping people understand the Bible better.

Invited: The Power of Hospitality in an Age of Loneliness by Leslie Verner

I read an advance copy of this book, which comes out in early August. (And, yes, this is the book giveaway this month.) Leslie writes with honesty and passion. Like Sharla, she also asks good questions that make me think. She also makes references to my hometown in Colorado, where she lives now. Just made me smile!

All Shall Be Well: Awakening to God’s Presence in His Messy, Abundant World by Catherine McNeil

This book also releases in early August. Catherine creates beautiful word pictures that draw me into worship of the Creator. Her writing slows me down. I have to savor the delicious words and think about her unique view of God’s creation. (Next month I’ll give away a copy. Stay tuned.)

What I’m Listening to

I keep hearing about podcasts and decided I really should try listening to some. (I know I’m VERY late to the podcast party!) Although I’m not an auditory learner, I have discovered that I can manage to listen well to short podcasts. At the moment, my favorite is Ann Kroeker: Writing Coach

Would love to know what podcasts you listen to. Know that I always love to hear from you.

Cheering you on as you
seek to live connected!

Email
*

The post Hospitality in the Mess appeared first on Afton Rorvik.

Meet Sharla Fritz

Once a month I get together with my friend and
sister writer Sharla Fritz. We talk about life and faith and writing. When
we have chapters of a book-to-be, we read and comment.

A few months ago we also served together as the “snack queens” at the Redbud Writer’s Retreat. (Yes, that task did involve some quality control.)

Lately, our times together have focused on a book about public speaking. We read two chapters a month and discuss them. Sharla does a lot of public speaking, and I want to learn from her.

A funny thing happens  when you meet regularly with someone for a couple of years—you become friends.

Quiet Spaces and Answered Prayer

I don’t really understand prayer. 

When I started to pray during my teenage years, I borrowed words from the Psalms. I still often read the Bible, stop, and turn the words into a prayer. For example, one morning this week I read “If you think you know it all, you’re a fool for sure; real survivors learn wisdom from others” (Proverbs 28:26, MSG). I borrowed these words to pray, “Dear Lord, help me not to assume I have all the answers. Help me to listen and learn from the wise people in my life.” 

Do my prayers change God’s heart? 

Do my prayers change my heart? 

Do my prayers do things in this world far beyond what I can imagine? 

Do my prayers help me cultivate a relationship with God, a friendship? 

Praying for a Job

Since early this year I have prayed specifically about my job. (Some of you have joined me in that prayer.) I sensed change coming. I asked God to prepare me for the change and to provide for me in that change. I told him that I really liked my current job. I told him I didn’t like change. I confessed my tendencies to dwell on the “what ifs” and asked him to help me live in the present. I admitted to God that I would love a part-time job with regular hours doing the same sort of thing I currently did—checking in patients for diagnostic imaging tests. 

Months went by. My job as I knew it ended. I applied for almost a dozen other part-time jobs and received polite rejection emails. I felt discouraged. Then my boss called me back in to help out. I kept praying. “Lord, please intervene for me with a job.” 

Then the next month my boss asked me if I could fill in at another facility.

That office consisted of one desk and seven chairs at a building ten minutes from my home. Quiet infused this space. My heart sang. 

By now, you’ve probably put together the pieces and figured out that I have a new job at this quiet facility. I officially transferred departments last week. Yep, I now have a part-time job with regular hours doing the same sort of thing I used to do—checking in patients for diagnostic imaging tests.

Maybe all of this could have happened randomly. But this job seems designed for me, orchestrated by someone who loves me and knew that I would thrive in quiet, someone who heard my honest words in prayer:  “I would love a part-time job with regular hours doing the same sort of thing I currently do—checking in patients for diagnostic imaging tests.” 

Timothy Keller, in his book Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, addresses a lot of the questions about prayer I mentioned earlier. And he says this, “God often waits to give a blessing until you have prayed for it. Why? Good things that we do not ask for will usually be interpreted by our hearts as the fruit of our own wisdom and diligence” (page 103).

I could not, in my own wisdom and diligence, have provided this job for myself. In fact, this job did not even exist when I started looking for a new job. 

Did God answer my prayer? YES! 

May I encourage you to make prayer a part of your daily habit? Perhaps start by taking the words of the Lord’s Prayer and turning them into your own prayer. Try putting a daily prayer appointment reminder in your phone. Try praying out loud in your car on the way to work (one of my favorite ways to pray). 

If you haven’t read Timothy Keller’s book on Prayer, I encourage you to read it. He wrestles with some of the tough questions about prayer that we all have, but he also offers practical steps to learning to pray.  

I still don’t fully understand prayer, but this I do know: prayer matters. 

Cheering you on as you seek to live connected. 



What I’m Celebrating

We just threw a birthday bash for my mother-in-law. What a joy to see the residents in her independent living facility celebrate her. I marvel at the way she has aged with such an attitude of gratitude. That’s how I want to age!

My friend Sharla Fritz has a new book coming out next week. Her book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency contains a mix of personal stories, teaching from the Bible, and questions to discuss or ponder on your own. I read this book as Sharla worked on it and found it really helpful. I want to share it with you so I’ll send one of you a copy. Just comment on this blog or send me an email at stormsistersconnection@gmail.com. I hope to have Sharla here on the blog next month. 

The winner of the book Unrealistic Expectationsfrom last month is Bridget Q. Congrats!

Where I’m Writing

Earlier this month I wrote a piece for the Redbud Post about why getting a job mattered so much to me in this empty-nest season of life. You can read “Doing One Thing That Scares Me” by clicking on this link.

And I wrote a short article on LinkedIn titled “Quiet in the Workplace.” about how quiet matters at work, especially for introverts.

What I’m Watching

John and I watched a delightful movie about a dog: A Dog’s Way Home. You fellow dog-lovers out there will really enjoy this.

Stay Connected!

Sign up and receive Afton’s monthly blog via email.

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

The post Quiet Spaces and Answered Prayer appeared first on Afton Rorvik.

“Good Silver” Living

My mother-in-law made a bold choice a decade or so ago. I recently made a similar one.

I took the “good silver” out of the big wooden chest, hidden in a dining room cabinet, and put all of the utensils in my everyday kitchen drawer.

Bold move! What, you say?

Some of you younger readers likely don’t know the importance of “good silver.” In my era of puffy-sleeved bridesmaid dresses, shoulder pads, and Farrah Fawcett feathered hair, we brides-to-be registered for china, silver, and crystal. I did what the experts said I should do and ended up with a cabinet full of dishes and glasses I used infrequently. And a box of beautiful silver utensils that almost never left their box-home.

Until recently.

Now, I fling open my kitchen drawer, and see and hold my “good silver” every day. I can’t help but grin every time I do it. And I remember my Colorado grandparents (in their late sixties), who camped on the way to our wedding and gifted us with these intricate utensils. I remember them sitting on the floor of our new-to-us home just hours after our wedding ceremony. (We had utensils but no furniture.)

I remember my grandmother snapping a black and white photo of me that truly captured my away-from-the-wedding-ceremony-spotlight joy.

All of that from some silverware!

I like this “good silver” living. I like letting go of tradition, expectations, and the notion of “saving it for a big event.” I like living with the sense that the big event happens every day. Now!

Maybe you’ve discovered the joy of “good silver living,” living in the now. I’d love to hear you story. Feel free to comment on the blog or email me at stormsistersconnection@gmail.com.

If you contact me, I’ll put your name into a drawing for this month’s book giveaway: Unrealistic Expectations: Capturing the Thief of a Woman’s Joy by Barbra Minar (a book that comes from my days as an editor at Victor Books). In her preface Barbra writes, “I have dreamed dreams about how things should be and become impatient to make my dream life come true . . . I write hoping to help you let go of unrealistic expectations, find freedom, and experience the rich treasure of Joy Himself.”

Linda W. won the book last month.

What I’m Watching

So many people told me how much they liked The Great British Baking Show on PBS that I had to investigate. I’m hooked! Great British wit, fabulous creativity, and luscious desserts. Makes me want to bake!

What I’m Reading

I’ve worked a lot of extra hours this month (at the job I thought I lost) so I haven’t had much time to read books. (More on the job next month.) I do continue to read the Psalms (from The Message). Eugene Peterson did such a masterful job of creating word pictures. I couldn’t help but create some pictures of my own.

Cheering you on as you seek to live connected and maybe even pursue “good silver” living!





Stay Connected!

Sign up and receive Afton’s monthly blog via email.

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

The post “Good Silver” Living appeared first on Afton Rorvik.

“I’m So NOT Busy”

How many times a week do you hear (or say) these words in conversation: “I’m so busy”?

Lately, my conversations with friends has taken on a different theme. I have heard something more along the lines of “I have a lot of white space on my calendar.” In other words, “I’m so NOT busy. “

I think I hear it because I live it at the moment. I find myself in a quiet season, a season of waiting. Maybe a new job? Maybe a new book? The rhythm I had for my weeks has now changed, and flexibility comes hard for me. I love the structure of routines, schedules, plans, lists.

You too?

Maybe you wait for a job interview. Maybe you have a newly, empty nest, or semi-empty nest. Maybe retirement looms. Maybe your schedules and routines have disappeared as chemotherapy takes center stage. Maybe the  fog of grief has wrapped itself around your heart, and you just find it hard to get out of bed every day. 

Quiet. 

So, how do we live well in these times of quiet, of white space on the calendar? I ask myself that question daily. 

In my search, I have gravitated toward a book: The Message. My heart and soul and mind find hope and strength and challenge as I read these words in this vivid translation of the Bible. I couldn’t help but turn these words into visual art.

This verse, which has become my prayer of late. I know that I can get so stuck in what I think I want and how and when I want it that I can miss God’s good and kind provision right in front of my nose. God sees and cares, I know. And I know He works in ways far beyond what I can see or imagine.

Oh the comfort of these words in unsteady times!

God’s Word still speaks to my heart every time I read it. And in this time of quiet, I have found that it truly does renew my heart and provide perspective like nothing else. 

Cheering you on, even in the quiet, NOT busy times. 



What I’m listening to: 



Jen Pollock Michel’s Lenten Podcast:

Jen has a series of short podcasts (6 minutes) focused on the theme: “What if?” Jen does a wonderful job of talking about faith in fresh ways. I like that she doesn’t tie everything up in a neat package. One of my favorites is “What if curiosity is as necessary to faith as confidence?” – Week 3

Marc Maillefer’s sermon on depression

A decades-long pastor friend of ours preached one of the best sermons I’ve heard on the subject of depression, something that can so easily develop in the moments when life gets quiet. 

Sharon Garlough Brown ‘s (The author of Sensible Shoes) Retreat #7

I discovered this thirty-minute, long-form audio retreat on the podcast, The Invitation, by Josh Banner. This podcast seeks to create time and space for God and serve the spiritually hungry through a practice of spiritual direction invigorated by the movement of the Spirit in prisons. Sharon’s segment focuses on Mark 1:35-38 and the spiritual disciplines Jesus practiced.

What I’m writing: 

I wrote a devotional for Arise Daily Devotional this month: Empty-Nest Living by Faith. My study of the life of Abraham inspired me. 

What I’m looking forward to: 

  My girl coming home for a few days!

Redbud Writer’s Guild retreat in early April. These women writers of faith inspire me, challenge me, and help me keep doing the often lonely work of writing. Grateful!

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

I found an extra copy of this wonderful book about living through the inevitable storms of life. I’d love to pass it on. Just comment on the blog or send me an email: stormsistersconnection@gmail.com. I’ll do a random drawing.

Sign up here if you would like to hear from me once a month(ish).

Stay Connected!

Sign up and receive Afton’s monthly blog via email.

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

The post “I’m So NOT Busy” appeared first on Afton Rorvik.

The Good-for-My-Soul Work of “Tidying Up”

What do you do when the winter winds howl and outside temperatures hover WAY below zero?

We decided to watch a few episodes of the Netflix  sensation Tidying Up. 

Something about this new show intrigued me.  Maybe I hoped for some insight into my husband. Many of you know that my husband comes by “tidying” naturally. I do think it comes standard with the Norwegian gene pool. I, however, do NOT come by tidying naturally. And my gene pool tends more toward “collector.” 

And so we watched. And soon I felt compelled to try “tidying.”

I knew I should tackle my office. It had become a jumble of stacked books. I realized I had started avoiding working in it. I also realized that somehow I felt buried by the weight of these books. 

So on another bitterly cold day, I started the task and began to pull each book off the shelf as Marie Kondo recommends. I piled them all over the hallway,

I discovered college text books, books I had edited years ago, some of my dad’s poetry anthologies, and some of my mom’s medieval history books, and even books from a college professor turned friend.

Over and over I kept returning to Marie’s question: “What sparks joy?” At first I didn’t even know. I felt I had to honor and respect the wishes and loves of others by hanging on to their books. Even if I never read their books. Even if I do not share their great loves, their joys. And that, I suddenly realized, described the hard behind my book-tidying.

So as I carried and sorted I prayed out loud. “Lord, help me to find and hang on to what I love, to embrace the gifts and loves you have given me, not to focus on carrying the weight of other people’s great loves.” 

Then I discovered several books on words, including my old high school (!) grammar book. (Yes, I was a word-nerd even then.) My joy! Not my dad’s favorites or my mom’s or my professor’s. I assembled the books on a prominent shelf. My joy!

I also gathered together books written by my Redbud Writer’s Guild and placed them where I see them every day. As I walk into my office, I spot those books and smile and think, “You go, Girls!” 

I now have empty spaces on my shelves. That space speaks of possibility, of new discoveries, of future joy.

Much to my surprise, in the clearing of my shelves, I also cleared some ground in my soul as I let go of other people’s loves and joys and identified my own, embracing how God wired me. My soul now has space. Space that speaks of possibility, of new discoveries, of future joy. Space created by letting go of guilt. 

Some of you, no doubt, can easily identify what brings you joy. But perhaps some of you, like me, let other people’s loves and opinions and suggestions weigh you down like a room full of large books sitting on your heart. May I simply encourage you that what seems so very hard—tidying up—leads to the gift of space in your life? Space to grow. Space to breathe. Space to celebrate. Space to live in gratitude to God. 

Cheering you on as you seek to live connected, whether you tidy or not! 

P.S. As I tidied my office, I put aside a stack of books to give away on the blog this year. This month I would like to give away a set of two books: revised and abridged versions of The Brothers Karamazov and The Idiot. I helped produce these books when I worked at eChristian, and really enjoyed them. They are edited by Thomas R. Beyer, Jr., a Professor at Middlebury College, who specializes in Russian language and literature. 

So, email me at stormsistersconnection@gmail.com. I’ll enter you into a random drawing. And know that I always love to hear from you!

What I’m Reading: 

“By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going.”

Hebrews 11:8, MSG

What I’m Cooking:











What I’m Looking Forward to: 



Eating more of this ice cream!Playing some of the piano music I rediscovered while tidying my music collection.Finding a new part-time job.Hearing from publishers about book #2.Upcoming visits with family and friends.

Email
*

The post The Good-for-My-Soul Work of “Tidying Up” appeared first on Afton Rorvik.

Surprised by Tears

The tears came even though I tried to push them away. I had just come home from a long day at work, filled with stressed-out, sick patients. At the end of the day, their cumulative pain weighed on my heart. I needed a way to process. But tears?

Yes!

 As I’ve worked hard at understanding emotions, becoming “emotionally intelligent” as some call it, I realize that I have to let myself feel what I feel. 

Of course I felt sad on this day. So very hard to see people in need whom you can’t help. I let myself cry. I lamented. That powerful word, according to the Miriam-Webster Dictionary means “to express sorrow, mourning, or regret for (often demonstratively).”

I’ve learned over the past decade or so that sorrow, grief, lament does good work in my heart. I’ve learned to embrace it rather than try to run from it by compartmentalizing, staying really busy, or stuffing the emotions for now and telling myself that I will deal with them later when I have more time and feel stronger. 

I recently read a couple books that have helped me with all of this emotional work. (Yep, I’m an introvert and learn by reading and thinking.) 

When I picked up The Emotionally Healthy Woman: Eight Things You Have to Quit to Change Your Life by Geri Scazzero and read about how she quit her church, of which her husband was the pastor, I knew I had to keep reading. This books describes the author’s journey to own her emotions. She writes, “We must embrace the full range of our emotions, including the difficult and sometimes forbidden emotions of anger, sadness and fear.” Really helpful book!

Aubrey Sampson’s book The Louder Song: Listening for Hope in the Midst of Lament also talks about emotions related to suffering. She writes honestly about her journey with an auto-immune disease and learning the power of lament in the process. She explains:

. . . even in our darkest, most grievous laments there’s hope—because we don’t lament to a void. We lament to the God who wants our laments. As we lament, we join in the chorus of those who have gone before us—those who have wrestled with suffering’s reality and come out, not unscathed, but still proclaiming God’s goodness. 

I’ve learned through seasons of deep sorrow that listening to worship music helps me. It pulls me back to remembering that God sees and hears and cares more deeply than I can even ever imagine.

And so after that long day at work, I worshiped and handed to God those people in distress, asking Him to do for them what I could not. 

For those of you on the journey of grieving, I pray that you will embrace the process of lament and let it do its good work in your soul. I also pray that you will practice patience with yourself as you embark on this journey that has so many twists and turns. 

I have a copy of Aubrey’s great book The Louder Song and would love to give it away to one of you. Just email me at Stormsistersconnection@gmail.com and I’ll do a random drawing. 

What I’m Watching

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix.

My husband loves to organize. I don’t. I asked him to watch this show with me so that I could understand more about what he loves. After a few episodes, I felt equipped and inspired to tackle my dresser and then my closet and then my linen closet. At some point I must tackle my office and all my book-friends. But I’m gaining confidence and enthusiasm. And, yep, John is pretty thrilled. J

Healthy Motion: Pilates for Everyone with Lee Everett

I’ve started doing this DVD series and my back is already feeling better. Lee uses three students at various levels so you can identify with one of them and follow that person. I identify with the old guy. Not sure what that says about me. Either that I’m old or that I’m really stiff. Maybe both. 

What I’m Coloring

The Illustrated Words of Jesus for Women: A Daily Devotional

This delightful book makes a great way to start the morning. A little bit of coloring, some inspiring quotes, Scripture passages, and some thought-provoking words, written by my friend Carolyn Larsen.

What I’m Looking Forward to

The day I can put away my long underwear and really thick mittens.



Doing a five-week e-course titled Distracted: Finding Faith Focus Habits for a Frenzied World  written by my friend Sharla Fritz. It starts January 31, 2019.

Sharla will help us learn to find focus by connecting to God, truly paying attention to what is essential, prioritizing each day, finding focus in work, making important choices, defeating the distractions of technology, and finding rest in our hectic world.

I’ve seen a bit of this in the works and really liked it. Wanna join us?

Responses from publishers who recently received a copy of my proposal and sample chapters for book #2. If you’re the praying type, please join me in praying that God will give this book wings to get where it needs to go.



Cheering you on as you seek to live connected!

The post Surprised by Tears appeared first on Afton Rorvik.