Semper Reformanda

Sleeping at Last is writing a Series of songs on the 9 Personality Types of the Enneagram.  This song released last week about Type 3, "The Achiever" .  I don't think this is "my type", but definitely resonates with a big part of me.  (Mom and tried to figure out everyone's types, which was fun.) "The Achiever" Basic Fear:  Of being worthless Basic Desire:  To feel valuable and worthwhile I had actually written a long post over the weekend, which I was super excited about sharing... and it was about....yep! Worthiness! But then, I lost it. Gone.   Feeling pretty worthless now!  But this song is a great encouragement: " I set aside the highlight reel and  leave my greatest failures on display with an asterisk Worthy of love anyway" To be continued... Song with Lyrics here: 3 Maybe I've done enough And your golden child grew up Maybe this trophy isn't real love And with o...

  Phil Connors from Groundhog Day: "That's exactly what makes me so special.  I don't even have to floss." In the early years of our family's arrival to Northwest Arkansas, we would make our quarterly trip to the local dentist, Dr. Harrison. The staff were so amazed by the children's manner, that they would often commend Katie and me on our parenting. Granted, they were also seeing many other children at their worst (visiting the dentist). Nevertheless, our kids made a very positive impression. Like many, I'm not a fan of the dentist. On one visit, I confessed to Dr. Harrison my lack of flossing. As I braced for his scolding rebuke, Dr. Harrison surprised me with this decree: "You just stay focused on raising your children, and you don't have to floss." Phil Connors declared, "That's exactly what makes me so special.  I don't even have to floss." But for me, I don't have to floss; be...

One of our family traditions is watching this movie every year on Groundhog Day.  Our family would probably agree with Bronco: Phil (Bronco): "It's like I said: I love this film; I've seen it over a hundred times" Many life-lessons in this film, but I'll pick one, based on this scene: Don't you worry?? Rita: Don't you worry about cholesterol, lung cancer, love handles? Phil: I don't worry about anything anymore. Rita: What makes you so special? Everybody worries about something. Phil: That's exactly what makes me so special. I don't even have to floss.   Worry. It's insidious. It does great damage to us...and to those around us.   I know my own worry has caused damage to myself in terms of panic attacks, loss of sleep, irritability, etc.  It has also had a negative impact on my marriage, which I regret.   But there is "a way out". Phil says, "I don't worry about anything anymore....that's e...

Semper reformanda (“always reforming”) is one of the enduring slogans often associated with the Protestant Reformation. The idea was that, until we are glorified, we will always be changing and growing.  Sometimes slow. Sometimes bumpy. Often ugly. But always growing! October 31, 2017 marked the beginning of the 500th year, since the Protestant Reformation began, triggered by a German monk nailing an invitation to a church door, requesting a dialogue over the reform of a corrupted church. Last week, I bought tickets to fly my family to visit this very place, where this spiritual revolution began. Today, Feb 1st, 2018, I am starting a blog, inspired by that Reformation.  I want to devote the weeks leading up to our trip to recording some of the things God has formed and reformed in me:  about Him, about myself, about marriage, about family, about life in general and specific. Maybe, some day, my children will look back on this and it will help them to change so...