Robin Gilbert Luftig's Blog, page 37

Don’t Be Distracted. Instead, Be All You Can Be

It’s human nature to want to be all we can be. The United States Army tapped into that personal need in 1980 and came up with a catchy slogan and ad campaign:

We’re exposed to lots of choices as we begin our lives. We learn to set goals, beginning with walking, coloring in the lines and even going from eating “ba-sketti” with our hands to mastering “spaghetti” with a fork. As we grow older, we plot, plan, and strive to hit newer, more advanced marks of success. We strive to be all we can be.

But don’t be distracted. In our striving to reach our goals, we forget about contentment. To find contentment, we must first figure out who we are.

A pretty simple question at its face value. Yes, we know our names, where we live and either where we parked our car or what mass transit stop we need to return to for a ride back home.

But go deeper. Who really are we?

[image error]This exercise knocked my world from its axis for a moment. I’ve been striving for years to perfect my performance in the areas of “wife-dom”, mommyhood, speaking, and writing. I took courses in cooking and how to love my husband and children properly. I’ve studied trends and attacked with vigor how to build a social platform. I participated in classes that taught me how to project myself as well as how to write the perfect book proposal. While these all are extremely important—I value all the knowledge I gleaned from each lesson—I neglected to focus on my foundational need.

Who am I and why am I doing all of this?

Leaning back in my chair and pondering these questions, a scriptural passage exploded in my mind: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

I had been distracted.

I’m not a mom or a wife. I am not a writer, nor am I a speaker. Those are choices I made—paths I’ve taken in life. They are things I do.

[image error]I am, however, the daughter of the Creator of the Universe and He has a purpose for my life. That purpose is to share God’s love, mercy, and grace to those as God has freely given to me. I do that by learning how to be the best mom and wife I can be. I strive to be the best speaker and writer I can be, sharing with others how God loved me through difficult seasons in life. Approaching life as who I am, I do what I am purposed to do.

Now my world is back on its axis and my focus has been reset.

Are you struggling with purpose? In society today, education and instruction are readily available and it’s easy to get overloaded. But return to your focused purpose. Who are you?

Lean back in your chair and take a deep breath. You may be surprised at what comes to mind.

Get Rid of Shame

[image error]It’s mid-week. How’s it been so far? What do you see in your future? I pray it’s all good, filled with love and laughter. If not, don’t let discouragement or shame rob you of the Joy that’s waiting.

Christine Caine’s devotion, Unshakeable: 365 Devotions for Finding Unwavering Strength in God’s Word offers daily power-packed quick reads to get each day off on the right foot.

Realize we all listen to the opinions of others. Our responsibility is to make the opinions that you listen to count. Focus on God’s perspective. Because really, are any others better?

Celebrate today and get ready to finish the week in an outstanding manner!

Show Them You Care

[image error]What have you done today to show someone you loved them? It’s not too late to give it a try.

Maybe open a door for a busy mom. That could be the nicest gesture anyone offered them today.

Let the panicked driver cut in front of you. Those few seconds may be important to them.

Wave at your neighbors. We often see the same people every day. Let’s show them they’re important.

Actions don’t have to be huge to be life changers. Do something nice. Come back and tell me and the other followers about it. Let’s try and make this a better place … just for a moment.

Quieting the Voice of Insignificance

[image error]If you’re anything like me you occasionally battle the feeling of insignificance. You watch as others excel with ease in projects you sometimes struggle. Maybe it’s parenting. Your best friend’s kids seem sweeter and kinder than yours do. And how can it be that every time you go over for coffee her house is spotless?

It can be enough to send you to bed and pull the covers over your head. But know your significance counts in ways you may never know.

Take my dad for example. He quit school and worked on an assembly line in a factory all his life. Even though management had asked him to consider other positions such as Forman or Floor Supervisor, his focus never desired that. All he wanted was to work (seemingly insignificant) and earn an honest day’s wage. To most, he probably met his goal. He never made much of a splash with others.

[image error]Instead, he chose to invest his time and energy into his children. He taught us—many times through his actions—how to be people of character. And even though past hurts kept him from attending church, he modeled Christ every day to his children. He shared his time and taught the value of Truth, telling us things our Heavenly Father tell us still:

I was my dad’s princess, and I’m also God’s (So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. Galatians 3:26)
My dad said he would always love me, just like my Heavenly Father (… neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39)
My dad had plans for me, yet God’s plans are even greater (“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11)

[image error]There was a time that I believed voices that lied and built my feelings of insignificance. Those were some of the darkest days of my life. But God’s words found a way back to my heart and rang true. I was still His princess and nothing would ever stop Him from loving me.

And His plans for me live on. Even though I walked away from God’s plans for me during those dark days, He uses those years now when I speak at conferences and events about God’s gift of Mercy and Grace. I write—often through personal examples—that there is nothing that separates us from our Heavenly Father’s love.

Trust these words: learn how to quiet the voice of insignificance when you hear it. Sometimes we hear new voices that offer words that hit our vulnerabilities. These voices are speaking lies. Listen, instead, to the loving voice of Jesus.

While Truth sometimes hurts, it’s always trustworthy and never grows from insignificance.

Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever . (Psalm 136:26)

Happy Anniversary to Me!

[image error]Happy Anniversary to me!

It was eight years ago today—April 11, 2011—when my life’s journey took a turn. This was the day when I had brain surgery to remove a ginormous tumor from the front-top quadrant of my brain.

[image error]After that, life changed. Days of running up and down steps with ease were gone forever. Forgetting how to say words became commonplace. Putting together jigsaw puzzles with my husband was a thing of the past. One look at them made me anxious. Weakness on my entire right side has never left me. I don’t know if that was from the surgery or becoming paralyzed from the grand mal seizure I had on April 1st. But that seizure—while traumatic—was the reason they found the tumor. That’s why they decided to do an MRI of my head.

But nonetheless, I am celebrating. Why? Because I know that each moment since that surgery has been a gift.

[image error]The doctors were clear—they could not give me any guarantees that I’d survive the delicate and lengthy operation. They had to cut my skull open and remove and try to replace a sizable section of bone to get to the tumor. Then there was therapy: physical, occupational, and speech. I worked diligently for months with therapists who encouraged me to do the simplest of tasks: walking without assistance, standing and not losing my balance, learning to pick up coins one at a time, and repeating words and phrases after they were said to me.

But I celebrate because God was with me every step of the way, and I’ve tried to never take life for granted again.

“ …‘you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:13-14 NIV

[image error]Thumb-thumb.

Feel that? It’s your heart beating. It could stop at any time, but instead, it keeps on going. Not because of anything you’re doing, but because it’s God’s gift to you.

So celebrate with me. I’ve had seven years of appreciating and trusting God’s gift of a day—one at a time. Let’s celebrate yours.

Robin speaks to women’s groups on trusting God through adversity. She’s also  written a book, “It Started with a Brain Tumor” recounting a life filled with scars, yet a life lived under the watchful eye of a loving and non-intrusive Heavenly Father. Watch for it!

 

Writing is Secondary

[image error]Recently I wrote about an experience I had at the Florida Christian Writers Conference that reminded me that God’s purpose is bigger than my own. Check it out …

http://www.floridacwc.net/fcwcblog/304-Writing-is-Secondary/1-

Dealing with Sadness … Again

[image error]It’s easy to become weary when we focus on our sadness. Jesus warned us about these times in John 16:33, “… Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows …”

Taking these words to heart, what could happen if we shifted our focus? If we have seasons of sadness, then, that means we must also have seasons when we aren’t sad. What would happen if we realized we’ve been restored—even if it’s just for a short period of time.

Did you come from a broken home?

Have you gone through a painful divorce?

Has life seemed so dark that suicide was a viable option?

These can be outrageously sad times. But there’s more to John 16:33, “…But take heart, because I have overcome the world”.

There’s life after darkness! Our Heavenly Father is the source of restoration. When we give our hurts to the Ultimate Healer, it’s amazing how our view can change. Know that sadness awaits us all. Our lives are typically in one of three holding patterns:

We are in the middle of a dark situation,
We just came through a difficult time and are standing in emotional sunshine, or
We are about to be blind-sided by an experience that can potentially rock our world.

Consider this:

If you came from a broken home, you can help others work through pain experienced in their home life.

If you felt the pain of divorce and have opened your life and let in Jesus’ love, you may have a wealth of knowledge to share with those traversing the ocean of unforgiveness.

If you know what it’s like to experience God’s mercy after contemplating suicide, you know better than anyone else what the sweet taste of grace is like.

Allow God’s words to comfort and empower you. Let Hebrews 13:5’s word, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”, resonate in your heart. And know the message from 2 Corinthians 1:4, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” is meant for you as well.

Sadness will visit us, but we don’t have to allow it to live with us.

Never Give Up!

[image error]Trust Truth. It never changes.

How Do You Handle Dark Places?

 

[image error]Depression. If we’re honest, most of us experience it—those dark places that try to claim us. If you’ve lived any length of time, you know the view from your exciting mountaintop will inevitably be replaced by a stint in a depressing valley.

That’s the ebb and flow of life. We try to control it, but sometimes the best we can do is focus on moving through the darkness so we can climb that hill again for a glimpse of nirvana.

It’s happened through the years. King David dealt with depression. In some of his psalms, he shares the most beautiful songs of heartache and fear and loss. Even Mother Teresa dealt with the heartache of depression. She wrote of her depression in her journals—of not being lovable enough for God.

It give me hope to see I stand in good company when it comes to depression. I face it more than I’d like to admit. When I find myself entering that emotional valley, I know I have to do a few things:

Acknowledge its presence – trying to hide from depression will only make it last longer. I’ve learned to accept it as a real issue.
Spend time in prayer – prayer and meditation (me talking to God and then listening to Him) conditions my heart and lays the foundation for healing.
Share my findings with my husband – the worst thing in the world would be if my husband thought he was the cause for my “moodiness”. When I get depressed, I tend to sleep more and talk less. When this starts happening I need to let him know that he isn’t the problem. When I’m open with him, he knows I trust him. It’s easier for him, then, to offer me the space I need and he knows I will come out of this place as soon as I can.
Talk with a trusted friend – I am fortunate enough to have a trusted friend of the same sex that I can express my deepest and darkest secrets.  I know I can share at a level of honesty where I know I’ll never be judged nor this person will ever hold my words against me. If you don’t have a friend like this, look now. Don’t wait until you’re in your valley to find someone to trust. Your judgment might not be as good as you need.
Trust in Knowledge instead of Feelings – this is the time when focusing on Truth is paramount. I pick truths that I know I can trust. They need to be rock-solid. They’re the bet-my-life-on truths. The sun comes up in the eastern sky. That kind of truth. I find these truths in scripture. Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” or 1 Peter 1:6, “… though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” These are two of my favorites.  Use these or find your own.

Depression—dark places—finds us all sooner or later. It’s up to us to find our way back out. Drop me a note at robin@robinluftig.com if you feel like there’s no light at the end of your tunnel. I promise you, there is.

 

Turn Your Back on Valentine’s Day, If You Dare

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Valentine’s Day is this week. Fellas are in the grocery store, standing in front of the card section looking lost and bewildered. Or you may see them at the jewelry store in the mall—because that’s where TV commercials tell them to go.

And ladies get caught in the same traps. We watch gushy movies that tell us what perfect mates do to show love. We see those commercials, too. They tell us we’re to expect a box of chocolates and some sort of bauble. That’s when we’ll know he loves us.

I bought into that story too and was disappointed more times than not. Either the trinket wasn’t exactly right or the chocolate wasn’t dark enough. It wasn’t as I expected. It wasn’t like the commercial or the gushy movie.

Let’s face it. Even though Valentine’s Day comes wrapped in red hearts and flowers, it’s a holiday that sets everyone up for failure.

UGH!

Am I a pessimist? I don’t think so. I think most men want to make their honeys happy on February 14th. In fact, I think they want them happy all year round.

I think that way because it’s my experience.

My husband brings me breakfast in bed every day because he wants to honor me. He doesn’t get upset with me when I hog the remote. He’ll sit with me and watches sappy love stories and give me tissues when I need to wipe tears away. He tells me that I’m beautiful when I know I’ve gained weight and he never misses making over my latest haircut, even when it may look less than stellar. But what I find most loving and sexy, is this man loves God first and me second.

By loving God first and loving me the way Scripture tells him to, he makes every day Valentine’s Day.

Knock yourself out if you must celebrate Valentine’s Day. Buy your cards and eat in crowded restaurants. You’ll get no judgment from me. But know that I’ll be curled up on the couch with my husband, catching up on DVR’d TV shows, munching on popcorn and thanking God that I’ve been blessed with a man who understands my heart.

If you’ve been blessed, please enjoy your sweetie in the manner that suits you best.