It's Time to Take a Time-Out!

My hands are in the time-out “T” sign right now, and I’m saying “We need to take a time-out!" That’s what I was doing last Sunday when my family introduced me to “their own new family rules” of playing UNO. Of course, they had been mastering their new rules, so I, the newcomer to this source of a high-stress way of playing a simple game that had simple-to-follow rules, was in overload. I kept pleading “TIME-OUT” using those hand signals, especially when they’d say (because of their new rules) “Nana, take a card. Take another card.” That was because their new rules included if a “7” is thrown out, you can’t talk until another “7” is thrown out. Well, of course, my hand was full of cards because I couldn’t help myself. I had to talk! That’s when my time-out “T” sign came out!

Whew! And, isn’t that what we need to do in this world of “He said. She said. They said.” And, “It’s his/her fault.” TIME-OUT! Thankfully, the mid-term elections are over. We made it! It was a tough one. People took sides on every issue under the sun, armed themselves with opinions and rights and offenses and wrongs, and proceeded to hurl word-grenades at each other, one after another, until the air became so thick with anger and frustration that we could barely see what they were fighting for. I silenced my TV or fast-forwarded through campaign rhetoric. I didn’t want to see another campaign speech that degraded another opponent. I'm just done with "those rules of improper behavior and lack of respect for our fellow man".

But even when we’re not in an election season, it can still be easy to get so worked up over a spoken word that we forget the person on the other side of our words. I know when it’s time to take a TIME-OUT and “refresh” like I refresh my computer when it gets stuck.

When I “refresh” after a time-out, I realize that I’m the product of my upbringing, my faith, my environment. Other people were brought up differently from my world. Other people have opinions based on their own core values and opinions. As wrong as their opinions and values seem to me, they still deserve my respect. It’s time for me to remember that I’m VERY human myself and that all of those people are God’s children, too. It’s time for me to ask Him for a heart to love them.

Today, let’s ask God for eyes to see His children the way He does — and the patience to put up with them like He does, especially when they seem “particularly CRAZEE!!!” Just like playing my family’s new version of UNO and when I needed a time-out, it’s TIME to take a TIME-OUT when you need one (and I promise to do the same), and let’s be grateful for everyone who loves us on our particularly CRAZEE days, too.

“May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.”
{1 Thessalonians 3:12}

Renewed and Refreshed

Retreat -- To Refresh and Renew
Yesterday, I returned from a 4-day women’s retreat in Chouteau, OK. Being on the Leadership Team and preparing for this retreat meant intentional two-times-a-week meeting and much diligence, focus and preparation by our team to give these women an event that had the potential of tremendously impacting their lives.
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Here’s the best part of the retreat. We unplugged from the world. No watches or phones. No distractions. Just all on-purpose to disconnect from all the busy, fast-paced, hustle and bustle of everyday life. Young moms, single gals, and mature women like me…who came to get away from it all to be on retreat.

What does retreat mean? If we were talking about an army, it could mean to withdraw from enemy forces....throw in the towel, so to speak. Contrary to that definition, for us, it is better defined as withdrawing from the routines of life to refresh, revitalize, and deepen our relationship with each other AND God. It was just beautiful how we stopped focusing on what's outside, to focus on what.....rather, WHO is on the inside.

I felt so connected with God and my sisters. Though we were from many various cultures, seasons of life, and responsibilities, we had one major thing in common, we are ALL daughters of the Most High God and we yearn for more of Him. I'll just betcha' God enjoys retreats as much as we do, especially when the common language is LOVE and hearing “God is good -- all the time. All the time -- God is good.”

Though we went away, "retreat" doesn't have to mean leaving town or going to a quiet setting somewhere. We CAN find rest in our lives and homes ANYWHERE though “being in a quiet place” sounds impossible?

When I typed the words ‘refresh’ and renew’ into my computer's search engine, I got a wide range of results, from instructions on how to refresh my computer's websites, to Dr. Oz’s nutrition ideas, to advertisements for health spas, face cream, and exercise regimes, to air fresheners, and even to a conference.

Here's how we can refresh and renew anytime, anywhere. Isaiah 40:29-31 gives us the assurance that God is involved intimately with our lives. “He gives power to the faint and strength to the powerless. They that wait for the Lord shall RENEW their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” His strength is available to us when we need it, to renew and refresh us. Psalm 119:114 "YOU ARE MY place of quiet RETREAT"

Being on a retreat doesn’t necessarily imply that we leave town and go to a quiet, off-the-beaten path, retreat center. It can mean, right where we are – right now – in the middle of our hectic and frenzied day – we just need to pause to retreat with our Lord who renews, refreshes, restores and even rejuvenates us enough that we can walk and run with new strength and determination.