Holiday Jigsaw Puzzles, Life and God!

Something that my family never really did growing up were jigsaw puzzles. I am not really sure why but one reason could possibly be that we were all either ADD or ADHD and that took so much more focused concentration than we had to offer. Yet when I met Schuyler and was with his family that first Christmas I was introduced to the "puzzle table." and I realized that EVERYONE participates in the completion of the vision in some way, shape or form. Even if it meant cruising by the table and contributing by adding one piece while the committed ones diligently work together to create the foretold masterpiece.

I think my problem is that I spend too much time looking at the pieces that are less descriptive, trying to figure out what they mean to the puzzle in front of me. You know the ones I am talking about; the pieces that are typically all one color and can either be the cloud in the sky, the concrete along the busy city sidewalk or the glare from the sun shining on the window of the tall building. I can't just go for the pieces that clearly show where the building and sky meet, rather I want to understand the pieces less obvious because they ARE a piece of the puzzle and necessary but they take more effort to figure out. 

Well, I have come to realize that life can easily be compared to one GIANT jigsaw puzzle EXCEPT we don't have the cover that shows us the final outcome! Some of  the pieces that we are handed easily fit together and others we are best to set aside to look at again later because quite honestly, they won't "fit" until we have more pieces to go with them. We even see it throughout the Bible, people experienced moments that alone seem to make no sense but then days, months, sometimes even years later they all come together. Then other times it feels like we are given several moments all at once that quickly give us a vision of what is being created. 

I have to be honest sometimes this is comforting to me to know it all will come together and other times I just want it ALL figured out, I want the box cover to have as my guide!! Oh but wait! God has provided me with promises to help here...like in Jeremiah 29:11 I am told, "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope!" (emphasis with exclamation point mine!) Oye..it's all about faith! Sometimes it is so much easier to just succumb to wanting the answer and being frustrated it hasn't come rather than waiting on God, TRUSTING in Him. 

So is there an A-ha in this blog post today? Maybe or maybe I am just processing out loud or maybe I am looking to you for insight. Regardless, I am glad that we are all sitting at the puzzle table together and although some of you based on proximity, schedule, etc., can only do a "drive-by" on occasion and add a piece or 2, many of you are here with me committed to see it to completion! 

Finding my strengths...but they were never really lost!

Just over a year ago I was asked to buy the book Strengths Finder 2.0 and take the online assessment to better understand what my strengths are...truth is I have taken several of these assessments all with different names and felt relatively self aware but being that I am self aware, I was more than willing to take another.


The thing that is different about this particular assessment is found in the name...it identified my top 5 strengths, not my weaknesses. It is founded on how I am made and then suggests that I take action on those strengths and not my weaknesses. It wants me to celebrate my unique qualities and then look for people that I should align myself with that come with their own strengths that complement mine and vice versa. Here is where I realize, oh those people probably excel where I am weakest! BUT DON'T TRY TO BECOME THEM...BE ME!

What a relief because I am best at being me...best at being who God made me to be and I would much rather celebrate that than wallow in what I am not! LOL So here is the funny part of my enthusiasm 


with this...my number one strength...POSITIVITY! In a nutshell, I am generous with praise, quick to smile and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation. Have some lemons? Give them to me and I will make us some fresh squeezed lemon drop martinis!

Ready for my second strength? This one may shock you...wait for it...COMMUNICATION! For the love! Yes I am serious! I know HUGE surprise for me too (insert sarcasm here)! Bahahahahaha! This explains my need and desire to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public and to write. Just let me use WORDS in any capacity!

And with all the positivity and communication, I then role into EMPATHY! Yes, here is where I start to sense the emotions of those around me and I feel what they are feeling as if the feelings are my own. My intuition drives me to see the world through their eyes and although I don't always agree with their perspective, nor feel what they feel, I am absolutely instinctively able to understand. If you are happy, I will laugh with you...if you are sad, let's cry...I get it! So some of you that mock me for crying for others...sorry it is a strength, not a weakness! =)

The fact that another one of my strengths is called WOO, really makes me laugh! Just the word itself seems silly but I love the description of it! It is actually an acronym that stands for "Winning Others Over." Basically I enjoy the challenge of meeting new people...strangers are rarely intimidating to me. My dearest friend told me over 20 years ago that she loves to watch me "work a room." That is woo in action! I want people to feel seen and I want to get to know them. 

My final strength is STRATEGIC which helps me sort through the "clutter" of a situation. Now there are some people that might find this more than amusing or irritating but not me! When I look at the world I see things differently and I have a tendency to see a situation and I will run different scenarios through each situation. Why in the world would you want to do this? Seems like a waste of time!? NOPE...it is absolutely helps me choose and direct things down the best path and not waste time waiting for the wrong path to be chosen and then we need to start over.

So to sum it all up...I love life, even when it is hard, I love it and I want to tell people all about it! Ok, I just love words, so let me talk please but trust me I will also listen to you and I will listen so that I understand what you are going through. And honestly I enjoy meeting new people and when things are all said and done it was all a part of God's plan that I have thought through and considered because I find so much JOY IN LIFE'S DETAILS! 

If you haven't found your strengths, do it! I promise you won't regret it and you should feel better about who you are and how you are made. Then call me and we will celebrate YOU! 

Imaginary Friends...And Friends That Are Real

When I was little, I think 2 or 3 years old, I used to have imaginary friends...several as a matter of fact. Does that surprise you? I have always been incredibly social and being a "dreamer" is at the core of who I am, so I created these friends. Their names were Sha-Sha, Shee-Shee, Lo-Lo and ready...Linda Price. Clearly my creativity had it limits even then. 

In order to give you a more clear picture of who they were and how we interacted, it may help to know that the first 3 "friends," I "played" with and Linda Price was our "babysitter." Our adventures included travel, house and school. We had great times together. 

Now before you all start looking at me differently, you can rest assured that my Mom found that imaginary playmates are very normal at that age and there’s no evidence that children with imaginary friends lack social skills or have emotional problems. Children with imaginary friends can be more social and less shy, and show more empathy in their play with other children. And within the normal period of time, I moved on but I never forgot the fun I had with those "playmates" nor did I forget their unique names.

Like these "friends" from my early years, I have had friends come into my life and transition out over the years but each one has left a mark. Many of them I miss...I actually envy people that have friends from their childhood. People that have shared history, memories, laughs and tears that can be shared with a glance and no words are necessary after that. My Mom has a friend that she has known since she was 8 and although miles separate them, they still talk basically every day and can disagree and yet the friendship remains STRONG! My daughter, Halle is 14 this weekend and she has a few friends that she has had in her life since the day she was born. Last night she was with 2 of them at Class of 2019 Parent/Student Night at their soon to be high school...just watching them together and hearing them laugh and share more moments made my heart smile. 

And then I look to the friends in my life; friends that I am closer to now and ones from other stages of life. Each one I am so thankful for and I cherish how they have impacted me. 

My childhood friend, Teri is now living in Oklahoma, others from Junior High and High School-some are local and others have moved to various states. Then there are friends from my early adult years-friends from Wheaton that were like family when I lived away. We celebrated holidays, learned to cook together, practiced hospitality in our tiny apartments-those simple memories formed me.

Moving back to CA, I met women in MOPS and at church that although we are busier with our older kids, are still the women that I turn to when I need advice, prayer, encouragement or just to feel connected. We always make time for each other and even though the time is limited I treasure these women (OK and some of their husbands are pretty special too!) We continue on a ride called "parenting" and it is a roller coaster at times!! Then there are people at church that have made lasting impressions...there are very few days that go by that I don't recall advice they have given me or remember a moment we shared...and even some of these people have moved or life's direction has us not interacting as regularly but again...I am GRATEFUL!

Most recently, I have met a group of people that have added new joy and laughter to my life. People that have taught me life lessons, challenged me to learn more, change habits and once again the memories have impacted me. As I write this, there are changes happening that will certainly impact the amount of time we connect and yet I am not worried, sad at times yes but not worried. It just takes effort...I know this...I have been here before!

What I realized recently is that the friends over the years are all connected...and although most of them have never met each other, they are real...they are not imaginary and they are seen in who I am today...they have made impressions that last. I didn't create them, they are created by God and we were intended to meet and I am a better person because of  them. 

Lists...And my "Bucket List"

I keep myself motivated and organized with lists! Some are simply my daily To-Do lists, I also have a list of restaurants that I want to try, various shopping lists, etc. I work off my lists and add to them daily. If I think of something that I need to add to my list, I will add it just so that I can take it off minutes later as COMPLETED! I am weird that way but I love how accomplished I feel when I can say I did it and I don't like forgetting things. I used to have written lists but since the iPhone, that transitioned to multiple "Notes" on my phone. I also have a "Bucket List" and this is where the dreamer in me comes into play...

Sure, I saw the movie "The Bucket List" with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman and yes, I cried. OK, no shocker there. My favorite item on Carter Chamber's list (played by Freeman) was of course his desire to "kiss the most beautiful girl in the world" which Edward Cole (Nichlson) took care of when he kissed the grand-daughter he never knew he had after Carter's death. So tender and so real and ultimately a surprise to everyone including Carter when he realized that the beautiful girl was far  better than he had ever imagined.

Like Edward (Nicholson) learned, I have also learned that I can have a Bucket List of dreams and I can imagine some pretty incredible things but nothing compares to what God has in store for me if I simply wait and appreciate the experience as it unfolds. If I am too wrapped up in myself or into making it happen, I can very easily miss the simplicity and the beauty that is waiting.

This past weekend, I actually checked 2 things off my Bucket List at the same time...Seeing the Grand Canyon and Riding in a Helicopter. And all I can say is WOW! There I was flying over things that were both created by man and things created by the ultimate Creator. The skies seemed endless, the details all around me were vast and then landing in the Canyon and having breakfast with friends while we tried to soak it all in...so simple and so unexpectedly amazing.

So there you have it...2 things checked off my Bucket List and I am grateful, still in awe and feel beyond fortunate to have done it how I did. Oh and this Sunday...Hike to the Hollywood Sign! One question...Do you have a Bucket List?

An "Emotional Volcano" I Am

I was the Photo Editor for my high school's yearbook my Senior year and the 2 Editors described me perfectly in the "thanks" portion of the book itself. They said that I was an "emotional volcano." And you know what? I agree...I feel emotions deeply...HUGE in fact. Not only emotions for myself but for my family and friends as well as perfect strangers. It is just how I am made.

I am also a person that needs to process my thoughts and those emotions tied to them. I was given my first diary when I was only 5 years old and could not write so I would dictate to my secretary...otherwise known as my Mom. She would write it exactly as I shared my thoughts on the day. Today, I have a drawer full of diaries and later journals where I have "processed" my days.

I am also a dreamer and love to have others see that dreaming is good. Some find it scary...some even see it as almost a sin but not me...dream and dream BIG. Share those dreams with God and ask Him for guidance as you go after them. I am certain that He will direct you. Sometimes it takes longer to see the dream come to fruition and honestly some may not ever come to reality but that doesn't make them or the process wrong. It is life.

Last year, I said I wanted to journal again. I will be honest...the desire never went away but I kept putting it aside and letting the business of life steal that away from me. Because well...I am a busy person. And I can get too busy in a heartbeat. But the thing about a dream, the thing about a desire...they don't typically go away. Sometimes they are squashed but they remain. 

Today, I moved the clutter around in my life and guess what....there it was! That dream and desire to share my heart and process. So for some, this daily, weekly or monthly journal now in the form of a blog may be boring but for me it makes me happy. I will smile and I will cry while I process. I will struggle through tough lessons and failures but I will learn from them.

I see myself sharing about all the different areas of my life. The various things that I enjoy and what makes me who I am-my faith in Christ, my family & friends, cooking, commercial real estate, learning, working out, decorating, soooooo many things. Can you tell I am smiling from ear to ear as I write this? I am...it has been a long time coming and although this isn't at all eloquent, it is 100% me! Thanks for reading...feels good to be sharing with you.