stromboli-sauce

Good morning…

Seems yesterday’s post, My “Crazy” Popped Out, pierced a nerve. Just listen to the emails gushing the blood of our human nature.

  • “Your message is one I need to hear over and over again as I go through different seasons with my husband, our boys, our daughters-in-law, and our grandkids. It’s a constant struggle to refrain from making things all about ‘me’ and to think about God’s ‘Easter power’ rising up in me. The duties, responsibilities, little chores, and more are a privilege in this life. Shifting my attitude and outlook from “I” to “we” (me yoked with Jesus) makes all the difference!!!”
  • “Yes, my crazy pops out after great worship during my quiet time many many times. Thank goodness for Jesus!!✝️”
  • “Oh Sue, my crazy does love your crazy. As I told my husband yesterday when he was showing how much he had ‘done’ on his model boat the day before, when I had been shopping, cleaning, ironing the tablecloth, arranging the flowers, setting the table, filling the Easter baskets and eggs for the hunt … ‘I’ said, ‘I don’t create boats, I create environments, and it would be nice to be appreciated once in a while.’ Yep, big I. If I’m doing it out of love and because I can, why does it feel like ‘I’ need recognition for it? The ‘I’ says holidays are never holidays for women — just more work. God says this, too, is a way of loving me and loving each other.”
  • “Been there, done that!! I’m sorry for you. Know that was a hard moment. But, hopefully, the rest of Easter weekend was filled with joy!”
  • “Dear one, I think everyone of us on this earth can relate to this. We all lose it from time to time. I’m as guilty as the next person. We just do what we can right? Love you much.”
  • “Welcome to our world. My ‘crazy’ raises it’s ugly head more than I would like for sure. I love the way you owned it immediately and turned it into a fun family time together. MUCH BETTER TO OWN IT, THAN SIT THERE AND STEW ABOUT IT!!  That is what the enemy would want us to do.”
  • “I grew up in a family where our ‘crazy’ frustration was never discussed, never worked through, never acknowledged. Biting comments would happen and everyone would go silent, walking on eggshells to avoid more attack. In the silence, tension grew and created division among us that remains even now. I admire your family talking about your ‘flawed flare-ups’ constructively. Honest, respectful conversation is God’s growing edge within our imperfect families.”
  • “Sue, I love this. I didn’t think you were human. I really thought you were perfect (I still think you are pretty close!). But maybe you do have a flaw or two! I love you and hope you had a great Easter!” (To her I responded: “I gave up striving for perfection a while back. Yoking myself to Jesus, especially when my “crazy” pops out is always my best solution.”)
  • “Raised in a home of blame and shame, I understand the default of assuming the blame as a mother. I read a Brene Brown quote this morning: “Where perfectionism is driving, your shame is riding shotgun.” I am so grateful that God has covered my upbringing with His message of grace and mercy so I can offer Him my weaknesses and pray these awesome inspired words back to Him: “Search me God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).
  • “❤️❤️❤️❤️ It seems from a deep core I have other types of issues from you that keep surfacing – and don’t we all? Fasting for two days prior to Easter knowing Easter would be a feast day with both my church and later a dinner with friends, I completely enjoyed the feast. The fast was so easy, I had felt led to do it and did. A liquid fast to clean, I felt inflammation leaving. Now what? The struggle to loose those last few lbs…stop eating? That is not a solution. Maybe monitor every bite? I am not that anal and will not keep it up. The real solution is to change habits and life choices ingrained. Get into the sunshine, get more active. Enjoy people, laugh. Work hard in the garden. Limit computer work to 4 hours a day. Eat the big meal in the afternoon. Be consistent in supplementation. Go to the sauna consistently. Drink required water consistently. Limit high calorie concentrated foods. Do not drink my calories. Change habits that are ingrained…. You are so fortunate to have all of these lovely people who are in your life. It is a clan of like genes clamoring together discovering life. God has blessed you so much. When the weddings start, the grand children… you will be in a different phase of gatherings with like spirits and genes. Relish it!!!”
  • “Good morning Sue, I took one look at your family picture and saw pure happiness and joy in your smile. My guess is, knowing how much you just adore and treasure having the whole family together (don’t all we moms with kids away from home!), those turkey comments just stole a tiny bit of joy – harmless from their perspective, but maybe just enough to upset your dream day – family, Church and a family meal – total bliss. The good news is that kids at their ages move on quickly – back to themselves haha! But in total truth the fact our kids want to come back to us is the real blessing to savor, turkey or no turkey haha! You are a great mom!”
  • “I am smiling! I get all of those comments from our one child! Sometimes they need to hear our ‘crazy’ because they do not have any understanding of the time, energy, and love we put into making their lives great.”
  • “Amen to this post!!!! Happy Easter!”

I am so grateful to collaborate with you in the conflict-ridden crucible of everyday life. Together, we are more. Separate, we are less.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”)

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39, NLT).

…Sue…