Mary In Bloom

For a few years I have been saying the same thing, "If I lose some weight, I will get a whole new wardrobe."  I didn't mean I would reward myself by shopping for new clothes,  I was talking about my own clothes that had been hanging untouched in my closet for a long, long time.   I thought I believed that I would and could accomplish this goal and reclaim the mountain of Abercrombie and American Eagle jeans that I could no longer get past mid-thigh, many of which are almost brand new.     I would have sporadic stints of furiously working out and walking/running with some results, but they were slow and small.  For over the past year ...

On Thursday I wore my old crucifix.  I couldn't find the cross Brandon gave me for Christmas and then remembered the crucifix my parents bought me when we were in Florence, Italy during Easter vacation 1989.  I remember vividly the care I took in picking it out and that I wanted it to be very simple so the focus was on Jesus.  We traveled from Florence to Rome and the Vatican City where I was able to have the crucifix blessed by Pope John Paul II.  Even after I wandered from my faith, the crucifix remained special to me though I seldom wore it because it is made of yellow gold and I prefer white gold or silver. As I was wearing the necklace, several memories surfaced of ...

I will begin by saying that I enjoy a glass of red wine, a pint of dark beer, and an occasional margarita (on the rocks with salt).  For some time now I have felt led to fast all alcohol, toying with the idea of doing it for a month or two. God had other plans.  As I was praying this morning He made it VERY clear.  365 days.  I swear I actually heard His voice.  It's not that I think I have a problem, but it is an indulgence that I do not need in my life.  We are having steak for dinner later this week and I know I will miss that glass of Cabernet with my meal, but I am actually really looking forward to this challenge and what will be revealed to me.  ...

Belonging to a "life group" has been such a major part of my growth as a person, in my faith, and has helped me to feel very connected in a church as large as Barefoot.  Many Hands, One Heart (our group) has been meeting for going on two years now and is comprised of a mish-mash of people.  Many life groups form based on age or other common bonds, but One Hearters initially drew people in due to the fact that child-care was available.  Dad, Mom, Brandon, and I - though we didn't need childcare - joined so we could belong to a life group with my sister Leslie.  Since then we have had people move on, but have had many others join, usually because they knew someone else ...

     Living in as many places as I have and no longer being geographically close to many of my friends, I have been a long time advocate and defender of Facebook.  Last month, however, there was family member with whom we were trying to reach on the phone.  It was frustrating because she would not answer her phone or return missed calls, but I saw that she was constantly on Facebook.  I not only felt hurt, but a little self-righteous.....until I took a closer look at my own Facebook usage.  The few close friends I do have, I maintain real time or phone time relationships with so I am not guilty of replacing the real connections with Facebook messages.  ...

     A church out of Wilmington, NC challenged its members in 2010 to choose a word to help shape their coming year instead of making a list of resolutions.  I heard about the challenge last year on K-Love and was inspired by the abstract kind of motivation it could unleash in my life.  They have a website to help you get started and write about your journey: http://www.myoneword.com/.  Last year my word was "bloom" and, as you may have guessed, became the catalyst for me to start my blog.  As 2011 drew to a close, I started to think about what my driving word would be for 2012. I noticed immediately that I was feeling pretty protective over the word ...