Priorities

The topic of priorities has been on my mind this week.

(notice how this post is at the very end of my ‘once weekly’ deadline--priorities got in the way) :)

There are a lot of very big very important parts of my life, those include my faith, my family, my boy, and my job. When it comes to balancing those thing, I struggle.  It’s been pointed out to me that I struggle and even more, this is a self admitted weakness.

The reason for this post is to challenge myself to make sure that I keep the order of those priorities in mind.  I blogged this last January about being able to say no more often.  To be honest, it’s only happened a little bit.

Being busy and involved and saying yes to everything is the person I’ve been all my life, just ask my mom!  But, I’m coming to terms with the fact that this is not ok.

This week my grandpa was hospitalized.  He had several things go wrong with medication and oxygen and on and on.  It was to the point where after school on Monday Lance and I rushed the 5 hours to So. IA to see him.  Seeing my grandpa in such pain and so weak was rough on me.  It was rough on my whole family.

My Spidy sense of priorities kicked in at that moment.  My whole family was there, supporting and helping each other, we turned to each other.  Of course, the wise old fart that is my grandpa taught me a lesson even while laying in the hospital bed.  It was a lesson of priorities and it came in the form of my grandpa being adamant about meeting Lance.

I can’t tell you how ‘taken care of’ I felt when the first coherent thing my grandpa said to me was, ‘Where’s this man of yours?”  He spoke directly to my heart, that is what I wanted to hear because the truth is that in this moment of overwhelming crisis Lance took care of me.

It’s hard for me to put into words how important these people are in my life.  And yes, I know I left out the aspect of my faith a little.  To be fair, I without a doubt turned to prayer during this as well.  But I’m reminded more and more that it’s all about relationships, especially relationships that are there for you when there are rough patches.

Now, here is the challenge I referred to before (this is for myself more than anything).  Before you commit to doing more and helping with more, and being on one more committee,  take a close look at those important to you.  Can you be doing more to show them that they are a priority to you?  Be a better sister, daughter, girlfriend.

A Night for Blogging

Tonight is a night for blogging.

Partially because I have to get my weekly blog in for my lent challenge.  I need to do this especially because I’m kinda failing at my devo lent challenge.  I’ve been getting an average of a devo a day, but sometimes it’s more like two every other day.  I’ve kinda let myself down in the area of my lent challenge.  :(

Either way, tonight is a blogging night.

I had a little fun, I went back and looked through some of my blogs over the last year.  It’s been a full year since my very first blog, kinda weird, time flies!

It was fun for me to see all the stages of life I went through in one year.  There is so much growth that happens.  It’s fun to have that documented.  It’s also very humbling and very much a constant reminder of the changes that are still happening in me.

Here is a run down of some of the things I’ve learned in this past year:

1. I have to choose to just be sometimes and not always worry about all the things there are for me to be doing.

2. That loving hard is when we have to love as hard as we can AND love through the hard times.

3. I disliked decisions a year ago and I dislike decisions now.

4. I always have an always will love a good wedding!

5. Learning from kids is the best way to gain insight from life. Oh and my niece is the cutest!

6. A little heartbreak is not always a bad thing, even though it sucks.

7. I am beloved.

8. I love feeling small and when I look up at the stars, I feel small.

9. I rely on Disney movies to teach me lessons about life.

10. I can fall madly in love with an amazing guy.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of the lessons I’ve learned in the last year, however it is cool for me to see all the things I’ve been learning.

It is a huge blessing to know that God has placed opportunities and people in my life to continue to grow me into what he has planned.

Thank you for giving me those opportunities and being those people!  You have blessed me!

A Few Little Things

Wow. I feel as though I have a lot to blog about.  And really I should, but even though that may be the case, I think I might keep this short and sweet.

There are really two very unrelated things on my mind.

First, Northwestern Women’s Basketball has done it again.  National Champions for three years in a row and four of the last five.  SaaWeeeeeet!!! :)  This season was a blast and most of all this last Tuesday night was a blast.  We beat College of the Ozarks decidedly for the title.

For those of you who know me well, you know that I’m not one to ask for or even want a big deal made about something like this.  It’s funny that I’m that way because this season the girls on the team and the coaches I worked with are similar to that.  The word humble doesn’t even begin to describe this amazing team and coaches.  On Tuesday there was so much to celebrate and through it all the glory was given to each other but even more so to the One who gave us all our gifts and talents.  It was pretty sweet to be a part of.  At the end of the season I’m thankful for the successes and celebrations we’ve had, but I’m also thankful for the lessons we’ve learned and the relationships we built.

Congratulations Red Raiders!!!!!

Secondly, decisions.  I’ve blogged before about decisions and how much I really don’t like them.  You can ask Lance, he gets a chuckle out of my decision making ablity…because it doesn’t exist.  I hate thinking about the decisions I have to make that affect my future, it stresses me out.  But, today on my run I had a God moment.  When I look at my life and all the decisions that I’ve made or that were made for me have brought me to this place now.  I can’t look at that and say it was coincidence.  There was a divine hand in all that has become of my life.  Knowing that, it is a relief to be able to confidently and prayerfully make decisions.  I know that everything will be exactly what it is meant to be, an adventure.  What a relief.

The Start of Tournament Week

Tonight’s post is a two fold post.  Yesterday I had my heart strings tugged not only once but twice…and in a matter of hours! You guys are in for a treat!

This week is NAIA DII Women’s National Basketball tournament week!  Thinking back over the last few years during this time I have nothing but excitement for the girls who are in Sioux City.  There were some of my greatest memories made at the tournament and it’s so fun to be back there and be able to encourage more to continue making memories.

The week of tournament action always starts off with a praise service.  For the last few years the musically talented (not me) girls from NWC have taken the lead in organizing the service and leading the worship time.  Last night was the service and it was an amazing way to kick off a great week.

Now to the part that tugged my heart strings… I’ve always been a strong believer in Music being able to evoke emotion and bring about feeling.  There is something about a familiar song that can make a person feel comfortable.  Just like most of you, I have some favorites, and it just so happens that last night several of those were played and sung by some amazing women I get to be impacted by.

I’ve decided to share a few lines of lyrics, just to give a little insight and maybe serve as a reminder to those who might know these songs.

…’So I’ll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, in awe of the One who gave it all.  I’ll stand my soul, Lord, to you surrendered.  All I have is Yours’… The Stand

…’What heights of love, what depths of peace.  When fears are stilled, when striving cease.  My comforter, my All in All.  Here in the love of Christ I stand’… In Christ Alone

…’This is my prayer in the desert, and all that’s within me feels dry.  This is my prayer in my hunger and need.  My God is a God who provides.  And I will bring praise.  I will bring praise.  No weapon formed against me will remain.  I will rejoice, I will declare,  He is my victory and He is here’… Desert Song

Good Stuff.

Oh-Kay.  Now to part 2!
Last night was a big night for a man that has been very influential in my life.

Earl Woudstra was inducted into the NAIA Coaching Hall of Fame last night and I got to be in attendance to witness this great honor.

For those of you who don’t know Coach Woudstra, was the head coach at NWC for all four years while I was there.  He racked up some pretty impressive coaching stats, but even more than that he is a man who I’m not sure I can describe by simply writing about him.  If you watch his induction you get just the tip of the iceberg as to how amazing this man really is.  He is one of the most devoted, humble, caring, passionate, loving men I know.  While I was a player for him he took on the role of a father figure in my life and even now continues in this.  Along with continually showing me that he genuinely cares for me, he has taught me numerous lessons for life though the sport of basketball.  He is simply a great man.

This induction. . . along with some conversation about Coach Woudstra that I had with some other very impacted former players…got me thinking about the impact that a single person can have.

I think about Coach and how many, many people he has influenced.  I could count the number, but it would be a very, very high number.  For every player he had, Coach influenced far beyond just the player.  It reached their families.  It reached communities.  He impacted the students his former players teach and he impacted the co-workers his former players have now.  Who knows how far this really reaches.

How amazing is it to think about the impact you can have.  To some, you may think that you are insignificant, you may think that you have very little to contribute.  But, if you are even the slightest bit impactful to one person, think of the web of impact that starts and how meaningful it could be to someone you may have never met.

It’s overwhelming to think about but even more, it’s humbling to know that there is a God who orchestrates it all and He wants nothing more than for our lives to impact others in a way that shows more of Him.

A Day in the Life

So here is the first of many follow up blogs to my previous Lent post… enjoy.

I was thinking about what I should blog about today…

So, I was thinking about what has been on my heart…

I realized that what is on my heart is really dependent of what I do during the day.

What I do during the day is really a full time job(outside of the actual full time job I have), but what’s on my heart is more than my full time job.

So, I’m left with a conundrum: how do I convey what it is that has been on my heart, how to I convey what it is that I’ve been dwelling on?

…maybe in the form of ‘a day in the life…’?

So, let’s try that.

Monday - A day in the life of Ms. Anderson- teacher, coach, girlfriend, daughter, sister, friend.

I woke up around 5:45 and listened, hoping the alarm would turn silent- I was hoping for a few extra minutes of rest. No luck.

I showered quickly and then gave my love and best wishes for a good day to the man I adore dearly.

I persuaded myself to look professional as I headed off to the job I’m convinced I’d be better at if I could wear sweatpants…coffee in hand of course.

I shaped and molded young minds in the ways of 7th grade Math along with dodging spit balls, attending endless meetings, adding to my to do list, crossing things off of my to do list, emailing parents, grading papers, planning lessons and giving out a few detentions all while praying for my sanity.

After lunch I did that all again- minus crossing things off my to do list.

End of school day. whew.

I ran home and had a great little chat with Al(roomie and one of my great friends), it was some much needed enjoyment of life. :)

I headed to basketball practice where I hope I was an encouragement and teacher to some amazing women who were in need of a little reminder as to why they play basketball even after tough losses.

I rushed home to do a few more things…these were ’things' for that ’thing’ where I get paid for what most people think only occupies my time from August to May for 7 hours a day (which is false!)  (a.k.a. I did school work).

Then I got hungry and ate…unhealthily(popcorn and chocolate chips for supper…boo) :(

After that I thought about how much I should have worked out… but...

By then, my heart was so full of stuff…and my brain was so tired of constantly running, that I needed to just be fore a while.  Which entails Facebook, Pintrest and other random blogs I follow.  But then...

I finally got up the courage to put all of that STUFF down and pick up my devo (which has gone really well, btw.) and read a little, I was refreshed a little bit.

That was all followed by a lovely phone call to my mother and some chatting with my sister and then to top of my day, Lance. :)

Now, it’s time to crash…so I can do it all again tomorrow(except maybe eat a little healthier).

Moral of this story- There are a lot of things that happen in the course of my day that are matters of my heart: being in relationships, staying connected to my faith, teaching, coaching, encouraging, etc., etc..  (Side note I have a tendency to dwell and worry and stress on these matters of my heart).

It’s almost impossible to pick out all the things that are on my heart in a day and fit them all nicely into a blog post.  I guess that is why blogging is more than a one time deal.  That also means I guess you can look forward to more posts too. :)

The Lent Post

Today it begins.
Lent.

I’ve had more than one person ask me recently, ‘What are you giving up for lent???’
To that I’ve replied, ‘I haven’t really thought about it.’ …until I realized that it was just around the corner.  Then I said, ‘I’m not sure.’

Enlightening, I know. :)

But…eventually, I came to a conclusion.  I’m giving up nothing for lent.  Nothing. Sweet.

Instead, I’m adding a couple things.  I know, I know this seems EXTREMELY ironic since my last couple posts have been about how busy I am and how I need to start to say no to things.  But, and this is a big but, I’ve decide these are good.  These are things that are worth it.

I’m deciding on a daily devotion from a book called the Daily God Book by Erin Marshall.  It’s a routine that I have fallen out of and really miss.  I’m also blogging once a week.  Get pumped!  I know a lot of you have asked for more blogs and I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately but not only for the reason that I have such great friends asking for more of my thoughts.  But more because I’ve forgotten, until recently, how much blogging about what is on my heart is a good way for me to sort through the things I’ve had on my mind.  It’s soooo good for me!

So, get excited for some posts! I’ll update you on my life and what’s on my heart and to be honest I’ll probably post some random, silly things that I find on Pintrest, or that Lance posts on my Facebook wall, or that just pop into my head…be prepared! :)

The first is more of a reflection on my first devo of the Lent season.

It was based off Habakuk 1and 2: Let me turn your doubts into deeper faith.

I was reminded that we are in need.  We are dependent on God and that is a good thing. We aren’t expected to rely on ourselves alone, we are wired to depend on God and when we don’t we are wrecked with worry and guilt and overcome by fear.  There is peace in knowing that the Lord of the universe has it under control.  Our questions, our fear, our doubts…my questions, my fears, my doubts are opportunities for God to show up in a big way (or a small way sometimes).

The prayer at the end of Habakkuk starts out saying, ‘Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds.’
That serves as a great reminder that even it times where I have unanswered questions God’s deeds are awe worthy.  He has proven over and over that He is faithful.

This is good stuff.  It’s so applicable when I think of all the unanswered questions about my life.  Where will I be in a year? Where will those close to me be? Thinking about those things can be overwhelming, they can fill me with doubt.  But I’m reminded that those are great opportunities for faith.

That is all I have for tonight.  I hope your Lent season is off to a great start!

2012- A Year of No?

Well, I’m a couple days late here but welcome to 2012!

I had a great time ringing in the new year with a trip to Denver to celebrate with a special guy and watch the Chiefs beat the Broncos(insert fist pump here).  Now, I’m back to reality.  I’m back to school and basketball and balancing the many, many things I have fighting for my attention.  I’m back to the life that I have a love hate relationship with.  Which brings me to the reason why I’m blogging tonight.

It’s been a while since I shared much, but I think a lot of the reason for my absence from blogging is tied into the reason for my blog now.

Busy.  What does that mean.  I think I’ve used that word so much that it has lost it’s meaning to me.  There are days when I feel as though I’m running around in circles without enough time to go from one project to the next.  I love it and I hate it.  I’m sure a lot of you can relate.  I find projects that I get excited about and can jump into, giving up any free time I may have had in order to do more.  It’s something I know is a fault of mine.  I love helping and investing but I hate sacrificing and I hate saying no.

Since I know that most of you can relate to being busy (i’m sure that some of your lives make mine look like the life of a easy-going, fun-loving child).  The thing I want to focus on is the fact that I hate saying no.

It’s a weird phenomenon but I’ve never been able to do it.  It’s just two measly little letters, but for me it is a big step.  I just can’t seem to drag myself to say no.  I’m so bad that even when I know I can’t do something I find a way to tip toe around the issue until I have rehearsed a polite and acceptable way to say, ‘maybe not this time’.  It’s a curse!

I’ve vented this to several of the people closest to me and the response is always the same, “it’s good you don’t want to say no, it shows how much of a caring and sacrificing person you are…blah…blah…blah.” I get it.  Everyone thinks I’m so caring…but that is really because I NEVER SAY NO!!  -whew! I got that off my chest!

I don’t think that it’s because I’m insecure and don’t want to let people down (I guess maybe on some level that is true).  But really I think it is just simply because I have a hard time doing things 'half way'.   If there is something I’m really passionate about I want to do everything I can to make that a priority.  Problem: I’m passionate about several things.  Now I have several things that are a priority.  Each of those things requires time.  Each of those things requires more and more commitment.  Each of those things pulls me in a different direction.  Yikes! Do you understand my problem!?!

After reflecting and really wrestling with this I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ve got to start saying, ‘No!’.   I have to do it no matter how much I don’t want to do it, I have to.  I have to say no to new commitments, and little extra things (which I’m glad to hear is more acceptable when you are an adult),  and I most importantly have to say no to lettings some of the things I’m passionate about get in the way of me being who I am.

When I get busy and start to spread myself too thin I loose some of the things that make me who I am(and I get sick).  I can feel some of joy and some of my passion and some of my faith slipping away.  I never want that, I hate that.  I have to say no to letting that happen.

One of the great joys in life is being in relationship.  I’m sure you’ve all read about that from me many times before.  I never want my busy life to get into the way of my priority of being in relationship with my Redeemer, and I never want my busy life to get into the way of being in relationship with those who are close to me.  

So, 2012 might be a year of saying No, so that I can enjoy more of what I’m meant to enjoy.