Sydni is here tonight! We've so far managed to make some delicious dinner together, draw a huge rainbow, discuss our plans to visit the science center with Nana & Pappy this weekend, and of course, watch a movie. We're partially through it and will be heading to bed soon. I'm sitting here watching my little girl and I realized how thankful I really am [again.. I have these revelations often!] for her, for what we have, for my life and everything that both is and isn't in it. I thought of something I've read before.
So.... I found this piece I wrote somewhere else back in 2010; it was my reaction to the first time I read through a book by Max Lucado... and I stumbled across it again. I know it wasn't chance, but I figured I'd stop and re-share it here, where someone else may benefit from it. (:
***************
[from my journaling,2010]:
If you've read Max Lucado's Facing Your Giants, you've heard this already.
If not, well.... it's practical, simple, and arguably fundamental.
A little bitta background:
Whether you believe the works represented in the Bible or not, I would safely bet that most everyone has at least heard once or twice of David & Goliath. If you don't know the entire story, well, in essence it's the ultimate rise of the underdog. (You can read the whole thing in the Bible, 1 Samuel). David was the family runt, a shepherd (think last in line blue collar) who was specifically chosen to end a reign of terror inflicted by Goliath. Oh, yeah, Goliath was about quadruple David's size (stature AND brawn), kept exponentially bad hygiene, and beat up the bullies for the lunch money they stole. So the skinny, measly excuse for a warrior (David) chose 5 stones to use in a slingshot, somehow believing that the jolly green giant (sans jolliness) would fall over dead. I'll be the first to admit I don't always have that kind of faith, but then again, that's the lesson there... :)
So,
Goliath= giant.
David= little guy.
Stones = 1,2,3,4,5.
David wins. Goliath dies.
The underdog becomes the top shot, and so forth....
Hoooo-RAH!
** Look at your hand. Doesn't matter which one.
Allow each finger to represent a stone. Easy enough, eh?
STONE OF THE PAST
((Thumb))
-- DAVID: The kid was a shepherd. He had a huge family, full of tough, skilled, handsome brothers. He was the kooky little nerd with braces and bifocals. When it came time to pick up those 5 stones in preparation for the most defining moment of his life, he had to put his past behind him. Frankly, at that point, it didn't matter where he'd been or the family from which he'd come.
-- CORIN: I hold on to my past more times than not. I hate it, but I'll find myself thinking about all the things I could've done differently, better, or not at all. I can promise you, too, that chunks of my past include me as someone I'm not necessarily proud of, doing things and treating people in ways I'm definitely not proud of. My past isn't perfect. I'm actually glad for that. I look at relationships come and gone, people who've walked in and out of my life, even pets I loved and lost. Sometimes it's the best memories of my past that I try and hold on to, thinking that the 'now' should somehow be exactly like the 'then.' It's time to adapt. The past is the past for a reason. While it's great to remember how I felt and what I did, and more importantly what I learned from it, it's still the past. If I can apply it to the present and future, I'm set. :)
-- THUMB: First finger, first step. LET GO to GET GOING.
STONE OF PRAYER
((Pointer Finger))
--DAVID: He had a guy the size of a small apartment complex to kill. I'd probably be praying for some sort of divine intervention, too. He, however, prayed less for his own safety, or even victory, but that the God he served would be honored through the whole ordeal. Talk about dedication. He didn't even think twice about it; as the story goes, he picked up those stones and tore across the field like a bargain-hunter on Black Friday. I. ADMIRE. THAT.
--CORIN: My life's theme is pretty much me being disciplined in prayer, and then hitting a multi-month long dryspell where I try and handle everything by my own devices....... and fail, miserably. I know better. Resolve for 2010{or currently}4: Diligence in remembering that prayer is NOT reserved only for the tough times, but for the amazing ones, too. :)
--POINTER: Second finger. Max Lucado points out the valley between the thumb and pointer, and our need to cross through it. I have to come down from my high horse and hit my knees in prayer before I can rise and succeed. True story.
STONE OF PRIORITY
((Middle, Tallest Finger))
--DAVID: What were this kid's priorities? Self-recognition? Legendary martyrdom? Being on time for a 7:15 movie? No, no, and.. definitely no. His priority was keeping his word on the committment he made to God, to face Goliath, and that whatever the outcome, God would be seen through it. This kid makes prioritizing look so easy..
--CORIN: My priorities are so screwed up half the time it's not even worth getting into. I know I'm not alone there, and the truth is, I've used that excuse more than once to justify it. Now that events in my life have pretty much catapulted me into new modes (i.e.: motherhood, working professional, etc..), I've adopted new priorities, and I vow to do everything in my power to stick to them. I've done more praying in the last year than I could count. Consequently, God's become the center focus in my life again (and it feels downright AWESOME, get in on it!!), tailgated immediately by my daughter and family. In a proud third place are my friends and the relationships I have with people around me. Work, school, exercise, cleaning, etcetera trickle down from there, but I've put on blinders and am beelining to improve the quality of my priorities. It's strangely exciting, and I'm re-energized!
--MIDDLE, TALLEST FINGER: Priorities should be at the top of our list. Once we get those laid out, we can structure everything else we do around them. I don't know about you, but it sure makes finding the light at the end of the tunnel a whole lot easier for me. :)
STONE OF PASSION
((Ring Finger))
--DAVID: For brevity's sake: David had PASSION. No if's, and's, or but's about that one. The kid was driven, focused, and insanely passionate to accomplish his goals (& not to mention overcome some hefty adversity).
--CORIN: How many times have I decided to tackle some big project or idea, only to thwart my own efforts with a total lack of passion? (A: Too many.)
--RING FINGER: I remember this one easily because the ring finger is where we wear bands signifying marital committments. Why? Well, it's said to be the one connected directly our hearts, which house our ability to survive, to exist and to be passionate. The God I love and serve will be there forever, and His passion to help ME, to help YOU, and to love US ALL is ridiculously unconditional.
STONE OF PERSISTANCE
((Pinky!))
--DAVID: I can talk a tough game, but we're talking about Brock Lesnar vs. a fourth grader here. David wasn't a super-human, so my best guess is he was a little scared. He was the fourth grader, attempting to silence a heavyweight champ with a pebble. Sounds doable, right? He didn't quit. He didn't even think about quitting. Bottom line... he didn't quit.
--CORIN: I would love to say that tenacity is my strong suit. My issue is that I have 'selective' tenacity. While there's a list of things on which I have never and will never budge, I leave a LOT of wiggle room on other equally important things. Not good. Can anyone relate here? Have you ever made a list of resolutions for a new year and somewhere along the line just trashed the whole thing? I haaaaaaave.....
--PINKY!: The smallest finger. The underspoken and often overlooked trait. I made the realization once that I couldn't bend my pinky by itself without bending my ring finger with it. (I know a few who can, but I personally can't). In this particular analogy, that says to me that I can't have persistance without passion... and that makes PERFECT sense to me.
So....
There it is. 5 Stones. 5 Fingers. David and Goliath. Me and my everyday giants. Max Lucado wrote a whole book about it, and I drew enough conclusions from it to write my own book it seems. I certainly suggest reading Facing Your Giants in its entirety, as Mr. Lucado is a much better scribe than I.
This hit me pretty hard, and opened my eyes to the simplicity of single plan of action. :) Hope you've enjoyed!!
xo | cmd
If not, well.... it's practical, simple, and arguably fundamental.
A little bitta background:
Whether you believe the works represented in the Bible or not, I would safely bet that most everyone has at least heard once or twice of David & Goliath. If you don't know the entire story, well, in essence it's the ultimate rise of the underdog. (You can read the whole thing in the Bible, 1 Samuel). David was the family runt, a shepherd (think last in line blue collar) who was specifically chosen to end a reign of terror inflicted by Goliath. Oh, yeah, Goliath was about quadruple David's size (stature AND brawn), kept exponentially bad hygiene, and beat up the bullies for the lunch money they stole. So the skinny, measly excuse for a warrior (David) chose 5 stones to use in a slingshot, somehow believing that the jolly green giant (sans jolliness) would fall over dead. I'll be the first to admit I don't always have that kind of faith, but then again, that's the lesson there... :)
So,
Goliath= giant.
David= little guy.
Stones = 1,2,3,4,5.
David wins. Goliath dies.
The underdog becomes the top shot, and so forth....
Hoooo-RAH!
** Look at your hand. Doesn't matter which one.
Allow each finger to represent a stone. Easy enough, eh?
STONE OF THE PAST
((Thumb))
-- DAVID: The kid was a shepherd. He had a huge family, full of tough, skilled, handsome brothers. He was the kooky little nerd with braces and bifocals. When it came time to pick up those 5 stones in preparation for the most defining moment of his life, he had to put his past behind him. Frankly, at that point, it didn't matter where he'd been or the family from which he'd come.
-- CORIN: I hold on to my past more times than not. I hate it, but I'll find myself thinking about all the things I could've done differently, better, or not at all. I can promise you, too, that chunks of my past include me as someone I'm not necessarily proud of, doing things and treating people in ways I'm definitely not proud of. My past isn't perfect. I'm actually glad for that. I look at relationships come and gone, people who've walked in and out of my life, even pets I loved and lost. Sometimes it's the best memories of my past that I try and hold on to, thinking that the 'now' should somehow be exactly like the 'then.' It's time to adapt. The past is the past for a reason. While it's great to remember how I felt and what I did, and more importantly what I learned from it, it's still the past. If I can apply it to the present and future, I'm set. :)
-- THUMB: First finger, first step. LET GO to GET GOING.
STONE OF PRAYER
((Pointer Finger))
--DAVID: He had a guy the size of a small apartment complex to kill. I'd probably be praying for some sort of divine intervention, too. He, however, prayed less for his own safety, or even victory, but that the God he served would be honored through the whole ordeal. Talk about dedication. He didn't even think twice about it; as the story goes, he picked up those stones and tore across the field like a bargain-hunter on Black Friday. I. ADMIRE. THAT.
--CORIN: My life's theme is pretty much me being disciplined in prayer, and then hitting a multi-month long dryspell where I try and handle everything by my own devices....... and fail, miserably. I know better. Resolve for 201
--POINTER: Second finger. Max Lucado points out the valley between the thumb and pointer, and our need to cross through it. I have to come down from my high horse and hit my knees in prayer before I can rise and succeed. True story.
STONE OF PRIORITY
((Middle, Tallest Finger))
--DAVID: What were this kid's priorities? Self-recognition? Legendary martyrdom? Being on time for a 7:15 movie? No, no, and.. definitely no. His priority was keeping his word on the committment he made to God, to face Goliath, and that whatever the outcome, God would be seen through it. This kid makes prioritizing look so easy..
--CORIN: My priorities are so screwed up half the time it's not even worth getting into. I know I'm not alone there, and the truth is, I've used that excuse more than once to justify it. Now that events in my life have pretty much catapulted me into new modes (i.e.: motherhood, working professional, etc..), I've adopted new priorities, and I vow to do everything in my power to stick to them. I've done more praying in the last year than I could count. Consequently, God's become the center focus in my life again (and it feels downright AWESOME, get in on it!!), tailgated immediately by my daughter and family. In a proud third place are my friends and the relationships I have with people around me. Work, school, exercise, cleaning, etcetera trickle down from there, but I've put on blinders and am beelining to improve the quality of my priorities. It's strangely exciting, and I'm re-energized!
--MIDDLE, TALLEST FINGER: Priorities should be at the top of our list. Once we get those laid out, we can structure everything else we do around them. I don't know about you, but it sure makes finding the light at the end of the tunnel a whole lot easier for me. :)
STONE OF PASSION
((Ring Finger))
--DAVID: For brevity's sake: David had PASSION. No if's, and's, or but's about that one. The kid was driven, focused, and insanely passionate to accomplish his goals (& not to mention overcome some hefty adversity).
--CORIN: How many times have I decided to tackle some big project or idea, only to thwart my own efforts with a total lack of passion? (A: Too many.)
--RING FINGER: I remember this one easily because the ring finger is where we wear bands signifying marital committments. Why? Well, it's said to be the one connected directly our hearts, which house our ability to survive, to exist and to be passionate. The God I love and serve will be there forever, and His passion to help ME, to help YOU, and to love US ALL is ridiculously unconditional.
STONE OF PERSISTANCE
((Pinky!))
--DAVID: I can talk a tough game, but we're talking about Brock Lesnar vs. a fourth grader here. David wasn't a super-human, so my best guess is he was a little scared. He was the fourth grader, attempting to silence a heavyweight champ with a pebble. Sounds doable, right? He didn't quit. He didn't even think about quitting. Bottom line... he didn't quit.
--CORIN: I would love to say that tenacity is my strong suit. My issue is that I have 'selective' tenacity. While there's a list of things on which I have never and will never budge, I leave a LOT of wiggle room on other equally important things. Not good. Can anyone relate here? Have you ever made a list of resolutions for a new year and somewhere along the line just trashed the whole thing? I haaaaaaave.....
--PINKY!: The smallest finger. The underspoken and often overlooked trait. I made the realization once that I couldn't bend my pinky by itself without bending my ring finger with it. (I know a few who can, but I personally can't). In this particular analogy, that says to me that I can't have persistance without passion... and that makes PERFECT sense to me.
So....
There it is. 5 Stones. 5 Fingers. David and Goliath. Me and my everyday giants. Max Lucado wrote a whole book about it, and I drew enough conclusions from it to write my own book it seems. I certainly suggest reading Facing Your Giants in its entirety, as Mr. Lucado is a much better scribe than I.
This hit me pretty hard, and opened my eyes to the simplicity of single plan of action. :) Hope you've enjoyed!!
xo | cmd
