Spare Change

Two ladies joined me for the most recent Gather Ground discussion!  We relaxed around the table in my freshly painted dining room and powered through some serious brownies and some excellent conversations.  The main theme for the week was the concept of strengthening our inner selves to be prepared for outward changes.  We all admitted that although we get genuinely excited for change, when we are actually going through a transitional period - we tend to stress.  The scripture we read from 2 Corinthians reminds us that even when life gets chaotic, God has our best interest in mind and there is always a bigger picture that is better and more important than whatever we are facing in a particular moment.  That said, we discussed all kinds of changes:

THE EVOLUTION OF A FRIENDSHIP
Whether it was a childhood best friend or a husband, we mulled over the relationships in our lives that have started out strong and unquestionable and gradually evolved to very complicated situations.  On the contrary we also celebrated some of the more distant relationships that through chance and life circumstances have grown very close.  Do you confide in the same people that you would have a few years ago?  

MOVING WEST
One of the ladies that joined us this week has been swept up in a romance that could easily translate into a summer blockbuster.  She swooned and gushed about all the details of her blooming love and myself and the other attendee soaked it up like a good novel.  We are both married and couldn't help but reminisce about how we met our respective husbands.  Isn't there something so exciting about new love!  Isn't there something even more exciting about love that sticks?  Well, our head-over-heels friend is taking a leap and moving to Utah where her new boyfriend resides.  We chatted about all the details she will have to sort out in order to make a cross-country move, "ideally with whatever she can fit in her Oldsmobile."  What's the biggest move you have ever made?  Was it worth it?

IT'S A HUSKY THING
I broke a Gather Ground rule.  I let a baby come to the meeting.  Moms, please do not get all excited - I have not changed the rule.  I merely bent the rule for a friend who expressed true interest in attending; whose baby is so well-behaved it's brag-worthy.  None the less, both ladies that joined me this time are husky owners and we discovered that both their dogs have a sincere affection for babies.  So I'm going to go on a limb and assume that most huskies like babies.  #strangebuttrue  Does your pet love something in particular?  My pit bulls just love the toy recycling bin.

STANDING OUT
It seems to be a recurring theme at Gather Ground meetings that we end up discussing work.  We have talked about feeling stuck at a job, too good for a job, co-worker drama, etc.  This week we wandered into a chat about how drastically different job-searches are today.  It used to be a process of physically dropping off a resume at a company and following up with phone calls (to real people.)  You typically got to represent yourself and make an impression and businesses were inclined to treat you like a real person.  Now it seems like resumes are just a series of fill-in-the-blanks that get electronically submitted to a computer somewhere that decides whether or not you deserve to be recognized at all.  Plus, it can be really hard to look good on paper!  Networking seems to be our best bet for getting a foot in the door at a decent company; that and relentless attempts at communication.  Has anyone ever had a successful experience with submitting their resume online?  What's your best networking advice?

Overall we felt reassured that even though changes are challenging and somewhat unpredictable, they make our lives exciting!  High risk decisions have landed each of us some highly rewarding results.  Likewise, we are certain that our inner strength is what propels us to success despite our circumstances.  

Please choose one of the topical questions above and answer in the comments below!

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PRAYER REQUESTS

Please feel free to email me privately any prayer requests you may have.

I will/do pray for you. 

 

 

Cha-Cha-Change

The Starting Point this week coincides directly with my state of mind lately.  I skipped a week of Gather Ground due to some unfortunate changes that swept through my life, and now a few weeks later it appears there are even more monumental changes in my path!  Such is life! So in honor of change, and what it does for our growth and character, I have chosen the following scripture and anecdote to spur us on towards a true appreciation for the ups and downs of life.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (The Message Version)
"So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever."

Anecdote from The Art of Becoming Oneself by James P. Brennan Ph.D.
"A renowned Buddhist teacher from the eighth century, named Shantideva, utilized a simple yet profound analogy to illuminate this point.  He compared the external conditions of life to the surface of the earth, which contains many rocks, thorns and other hazards by covering the entire world with animal hides, he taught that the protection we seek could be achieved merely by the amount of leather it takes to cover our feet.  If we know how to keep our feet covered, we can walk anywhere.  Likewise, the most direct and efficient way to prepare ourselves to deal with the adverse conditions of the outer world is to cultivate our best inner qualities.  In this sense, we learn to cover our feet through greater understanding, mindfulness, patience, humility, kindness and courage."

Join me Saturday at any point between 10am and 2pm for coffee, brownies and a healthy dose of good ol' fashioned girl-time.  We need to be connecting face-to-face and encouraging one another to laugh more and smile in times of adversity.  Gather Ground is for all ladies - just email me if you need directions or more info.  Parking can be confusing, but I assure you it is always possible and my dogs will be confined for those who are canine-cautious.  I look forward to spending time with all of you! Let's stay strong and beautiful together.  Let's Gather Ground.

Note: I am also going to add a current event topic each week to encourage more online feedback.  Check back for the Discussion Summary for the topic we tackle this week.  Hint: Someone very famous is retiring!