Wide Awake...or Not

I am currently reading a fantastic and challenging book: Wide Awake, by Erwin McManus.  The problem is that it is a library book so I cannot highlight all of the inspiring, challenging or thought-provoking sections.  So instead, I choose to share them with you here.  It is a fabulous book and although I am only halfway through it, I'd encourage you to read it for yourselves.

I did find it a bit ironic that the first few nights of reading a book called Awake, I could barely keep my eyes open but that wasn't because of the book.

I hope you'll enjoy the randomness of excerpts that impacted me, and I pray that you will be motivated by Erwin's writings.

"To create a different world is both a courageous act and a creative act. Life is a work of art. The canvas you paint first is your life. Then your life becomes the brush from which you paint that part of the world you touch while you are here on this planet. You are an artist. What work of art will you leave behind?"

"Whatever else we need to do to live the life of our dreams, I know this: we can't just lie there."

"Your dreams are the product of your longings, a portrait of your potential, and a promise of your future."

"Your dreams are God's way of whispering into your soul, There's more to you than you know. There's more available to you than you can imagine. There's an extraordinary life awaiting you if you would trust me."

"If your career path doesn't seem to match your heart's longing, it may be you have a skill that doesn't match your passion."

"You know there is so much more you have to offer, though you don't say it out loud."

"Life is not a color in the lines project; life is a work of art...you must be willing to get paint all over you."

I hope you feel a bit encouraged to dream and to stretch yourself.  Have a fun and colorful week!

One More Thing...

I'd love to hear from you if one of these quotes resonated with you.

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn

Black and White - The Power of Written Words

There it was again - words written in black and white that I knew to be another lie. I started to write "untruth" there, but when somebody makes a choice to use untruthful words, or to use truthful words with deliberate gaps to paint the illusion of a different meaning...let's call it what it is - a lie.

I am a strong fan of both the electronic world and the written word, but I strive to maintain a balance between the technological world I enjoy and the face to face encounters that round out my community and are a necessity for communication.

There are many benefits of the written word, but my focus tonight is on a cautionary aspect. Very few people can successfully communicate the emotions and personality behind the words. Often, the reader will have a reaction or question but may not ask any follow-up questions - the result being confusion, miscommunication, and the potential for hurt feelings.

Have you ever been hurt by something you read, only to have a conversation later and understand that there was a miscommunication?

One More Thing...

Have you ever written something that was misunderstood?

At least once this week, call someone instead of sending them an e-mail or Facebook post and enjoy those few moments of "real life".

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn

Receiving Encouragement

Do you spend your days feeling more encouraged or discouraged? Do you mostly give encouragement, receive it, or is it a balance of both?

There are countless ways to encourage people, but we each receive it differently.  What hits you the most?  Do you thrive on kind words, gifts, companionship and time, or letters?  Do you want the recognition in front of a group or the quiet words from a friend, co-worker or boss?

There are a lot of people who live a very discouraged life and we have a beautiful opportunity each day to connect with them, to encourage them, to speak kind words into their life.  Take a moment to look for people that maybe do a thankless job, or put their lives on the line for strangers - thank them for their hard work.  Watch their eyes light up - it will likely bring tears to your own eyes.

Regardless of how people best receive encouragement, a kind word of appreciation touches everybody.  See how many people you can thank this week - but mean every word.

One More Thing...

I want to hear from you - what encourages you most? Please share your stories of how people reacted when you thanked them.

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn

Gonna Make It

Fame.  The Voice.  The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  Smash.  America's Got Talent. The list could go on easily.

America seems to be quite enthralled with television shows and/or movies about finding our dream and making it big.  I can't even begin the list of songs that follow this same theme.  I actually have a playlist on my iPod titled "You Can Do It".

My husband and I are addicted to The Voice and it is so touching to watch these people putting themselves out there and giving it everything they have.  This is their passion, it's all they want in life - and they go for it with every fiber of their being.  Then the chairs turn around and their confidence soars!  It's so exhilarating - I cheer, I cry.  I do it all over again with the next contestant.

Why do we watch others pursue things they want but so few of us make the effort?  What is holding you back?  Is it fear of failing or fear of succeeding?  Maybe it's fear of what people will think about your dream?

We recently watched a documentary about Frank Lloyd Wright - another inspirational story about following your own passions regardless of what people think.

One More Thing...

Do you have someone in your life that pushes you to pursue something from your wildest dreams?

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn

The Voice on NBC
Smash on NBC

Worship Gone Wrong

I recently had the privilege of spending a few days at the Cannon Beach Conference Center with the staff and elders of the church I work at.  It was 3 days of prayer, sharing, musical worship, unity, team building, celebrating, eating, laughing, encouragement and even a few tears of both joy and heartache as we shared some real-life stories side by side.  It was truly a "mountaintop with God" experience!

We were in the final stages of searching for a new lead pastor and it was a bit of a roller coaster ride, courtesy of God.  During some of our discussions, we talked about how we can sometimes forget that it is God we worship and that we often take back the controls.  Yet, I was amazed at the very clear, unanimous response of all present - this was all about God, and never about our individual desires.  I was reminded again how wonderful it is to serve God shoulder to shoulder with such genuine Christ-followers.

As we sang some of our songs, I was reminded of this "version" that made the Facebook circuit recently.  It is funny, yet sadly true.  Take a listen then let me know if you ever struggle with this as well.  It's so easy to fall into a routine, but I challenge us all to make this a song we can simply laugh with, instead of having it tug at our strings of conviction.

Join me, as we sing some all too familiar standards...

One More Thing...

So...what was the one you were laughing at before you realized you could relate to it?  Are you willing to share?

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn

A Laugh By Any Name

If you received this via e-mail, click here to see my blog...in it's entirety,with photos.

Giggle.  Smile.  Guffaw.  Snort.  Chortle.  Man-laugh.  Squeal.

I don't care what kind of laugh you have, but I hope you laugh often.  It's my opinion that most of us don't laugh enough and we don't laugh without editing ourselves.  Oh, you know what I mean. 

When was the last time you almost lost control from laughing so hard?  How long has it been since you threw your head back and just roared with laughter?  Do you try to maintain a sweet little laugh, but if you were to be honest, you would snort and cry from laughing so hard?

I dare you - let it out!  The world needs more laughter.  If you laugh out loud at movies or TV shows, invite a friend over to laugh with you.

Do you have friends that make you laugh?  Do they tell funny jokes, or is it simply that they are filled with such joy and wonder that time with them seems to always include an element that brings laughter?  Do you reach the point when almost everything becomes funny?

I'm fortunate to have some friends like that, and I get to spend a lot of time laughing with them.  I try to fill my life with people that make me laugh and have the ability to laugh with me.  Life's too short to be miserable.

A particular joy for me is to go out to lunch with friends and have so much fun laughing and sharing stories that we appear to be intoxicated!  I love to watch the people around us slowly become a part of our happiness.

In Spring 2010, I was able to return to my hometown and gather with most of "the cousins", a loose term meaning "the most wonderful, laugh-filled women I know and I happen to be related to them".  There are cousins, aunts, nieces, moms, daughters, etc. in this gathering but we call that group "The Cousins".  I miss them.  I want to grow up to be just like them - they laugh, a LOT and they will never, ever grow up.

NOTE: In the photo, we are actually missing several, but this picture caught the spirit of the day so well.  It is difficult to corral a group of such giddiness, but here's a few of my great family members.

One More Thing...

When was the last time you laughed uncontrollably?  Who were you with?  What were you doing?  Funny stories being told, or just good times together?

I hope you laugh.

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn

Inherited Value

http://loislynndesigns.blogspot.com/


Last weekend we picked up a few furniture items and a handful of boxes from my grandparents' estate.  They are now all unpacked and staged for integration into our own household of belongings.  As we look through them, some bring memories while others leave you surprised to know they were once owned by Grandma and Papa. 

There weren't any hidden Ansel Adams originals, no priceless treasures that would let me retire and travel the world.  But, there was value in each and every item...inherited value.  These items all have a connection, and by virtue of being inherited...they have a special kind of value.

My husband and I used to frequent estate sales, but we always missed out on the special deals.  We would get so caught up in looking into the lives of the people.  Who were they, that these items were the leftover, unwanted remnants of their story?  It always made us so sad to think there wasn't anybody in the family to cherish these personal things.  One time we found about a dozen rounds of vacation slides spanning the globe.

As I look around my home, I sometimes wonder what will become of my things.  We don't have any family to leave things to and I'm uncertain...will my tokens of life have any inherited value to anybody?


If you have some items in your home that have special stories behind them, either from an experience they represent or a story of where they came from or who they once belonged to...write that information down so it will increase the inherited value someday. 

This oil lamp is something that awed me from as far back as I can remember anything.  It drips oil so it looks like raindrops and I always thought it was the most amazing thing.  Now, I have inherited it and treasure it deeply.

One More Thing...

Do you have something special that you inherited?

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn

Sharing My Friends

I'm taking a different approach today.  First, a little bit of "business".  I appreciate every one of you that chooses to spend a few minutes with my blog each week.  I do want to remind those of you that follow via e-mail that the message you receive only shows you the writing portion of the blog, but there are several other things that I include from time to time, like pictures, links to outside information, my Etsy store, etc. so please take a moment to go to the actual blog website if you can and not just read the e-mail message.  If you go to the blog, you also have the option of posting a comment, even if you are not signed into that account - you can use anonymous...but, please, tell me who you are at the end.

For the next few posts, I'll include the link here so you can simply select that link.
http://loislynndesigns.blogspot.com/

Now, on to the fun stuff!

I have some really interesting people in my life and I want to take today's blog space to share a couple of them with you.  They have not asked me to do this, I simply want to share their stories with you to allow you to meet them.

The first one is a friend of mine from church who began a mission to train for a marathon while raising funds to battle cancer.  Her dad was battling this disease and has passed while she's been in training.  I'm inserting a quote from her first post below and the link to her page so you can read her story and support her.

I'm training to participate in the Nike Women's Marathon as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Luci Smith's Racing To Save Lives



The second person I'd like to introduce you to is Ron Heaggy.  I heard Ron speak at our church, but did not get to meet him.  His positive attitude made an impact on me, even without directly meeting him.  He received an unusual birthday present for his 18th birthday - a paralyzed body. 

I'm including the opening statement from his website below and a link below that.  Don't forget to go look through his art and blog as well.  His art is great, but amazing when you read how he does it!  Not only just by mouth, but he turns it over halfway through and connects the picture while painting half of it as an upside-down image.  This just blew me away!  Enjoy meeting Ron. 

I also want to share that due to some recent health issues, he's not been able to speak as often and therefore his income level is dramatically reduced.  If you are touched by his NEVER GIVE UP attitude, I'd love to point out his links to donate and support the family and/or the ministry.

Hi, I'm Ron Heagy and welcome to my website. I broke my neck the day before my 18th birthday in a surfing accident. I am now a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down. I chose to Never Give Up. After receiving a masters degree by typing with a stick in my teeth, I am now an inspirational speaker, mouth painter, author, husband, father, and founder of a special needs camp located in Oregon, which has given freedom to numerous individuals to explore the wonderful outdoors. I am also the founder of Life Is An Attitude LLC.

Ron Heagy (Roll on Ron)

I hope you enjoy your time looking through their pages.  These friends are inspiring to me and I hope they inspire you.  May we all live, laugh and learn from them.

Miss Me?

Do you remember that last post about "Conquering the Cluttered Room"?  I need to revise the goal I asked you to hold me accountable to, as there's been a slight detour.  That wonderfully inspiring room painted to bring me to the right attitude...is no longer the craft room.

You see, we inherited a trundle daybed I've had my eye on my entire life from my grandparents' estate.  There is one place in my little house where it would fit so the "craft room" has now become the "guest room".  In other words, it's where Mom and Dad stay when they visit.

Do I throw in the towel on the idea of being creative?  NO!  I took a little tiny corner of the basement that was the office area, turned it around, stuffed some weird little tables in there and deemed it the new "Art Studio Workshop" - catchy, huh?  I am expecting that with a title like that, it's going to be the home of great things.  :-)

There have been a few bumps in setting all of this up.  We tried to move a couch from upstairs down to the basement (oh, that's where the Art Studio Workshop is) but it didn't fit through the stairwell.  We tried different tables but they were all too big.  Now, without any furniture to speak of to sit on, it looks like the TV area has plenty of room for all of those tables that were too big.

One More Thing...

Does it take much to throw you off track and stop your momentum?  Or, are you good at perseverance?  What do you tell yourself to keep you going?

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn

Conquering the Cluttered Room

I have a craft room in my home.  It's a special place that is painted bright yellow - Kayak Yellow, was the actual color name.  You can imagine it I'm sure - picture the sun and add a lemon drop.  It's deliberately colorful, with the hope of creating inspiration.  In addition to the yellow, you'll find lots of red and bright blue.

It doesn't work.

This wonderful room, nicely laid out with all my craft stuff in the right places simply doesn't work.  The other detail is that I have a very small home.  You probably guessed what's coming next - my glorious little craft room has a nickname.  "There"  When we find things that don't have a home, we look at each other and say "throw it in There".

Well, I've reached my breaking point.  I want to create stuff, I want to paint, I want to stamp, I want to glue, etc.  So...with a few hours of love this past weekend, we found the craft room once again.

I'm telling you this to inspire you to "find that lost room" that you've buried and also so you will hold me accountable.  My goal is to post a photo of one of my paintings by the end of the month.  I've never really painted anything before, so it's just going to be some random expression that happens to use paint.  I didn't want you expecting an exhilarating watercolor or anything like that.

One More Thing...

What inspires you?  Is it a dream or a room?  Is it buried?  Can you dig it out?

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn