1st September, 2010 - Posted by Jenny - 1 Comment
Thanks once again, Magpie Girl, for sharing what you’re learning for the rest of us to glean from. And while you’re reading, I must mention, she is offering her latest e-course, Power Stories, for an INCREDIBLE offer over the next 48 hours. Even though I just hired her for some private coaching hours this month (YAY, ME!) I am planning to take her up on this offer, because it’s just too good to pass by.
In the meantime, this is Rachelle’s latest challenge that I’m embracing:
HER coach assigned her to write down 5 things she should be talking about. Five things she is so passionate about she feels compelled to write them in capital letters. Five things she’s almost afraid to say out-loud, because they are a little bit unpopular…or radical…or debate inducing. And yet they are the rock-bottom hardcore reality of what makes her who she is as a teacher and a coach. Her answers are here. My answers are (today) below:
- The beauty of nature, music, art, food, and language heals deeply and satisfies strong hunger. It must be nurtured daily, especially in a culture’s children.
- American women cannot do it all (keep magazine houses and bodies and meals and children and sex life and careers) and we have to stop trying besides by living with the shame. What will you let go off? It has to be something or trying to do it all will kill the best of you.
- Christianity is not about morality and almost every Christian parenting books I’ve read are filled with Pharisaical burdens we lay on our children’s shoulders and backsides at the expense of the very place we tell them to invite Jesus into, their hearts.
- It’s about quality, not quantity. All things are for our enjoyment and chasing the lowest prices and getting the most bang for our buck and priding ourselves in productivity and gathering stuff is just WRONG in so many ways.
- Connection to others is our deepest longing and when we haven’t had it where we should it is very difficult to get over and we can never give enough listening with kindness and grace away.
What about you? Don’t think about it too hard. My guess is you’re already sending these messages in your life. What are your places of passion telling you and others?
30th August, 2010 - Posted by Jenny - No Comments
Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A healing book. The first of her memoirs I’ve read. I found her style woven with provocative poetry, sprinkled with dramatic punches that didn’t distract from the story. There were times when I sucked in my breath thinking, “Why am I reading this? Do I really want to read about such a broken life? I don’t know if this is helping my psyche…” But I’m so glad I stuck with it. Her journey in sobriety becomes a journey of prayer that I found inspiring. I don’t know why Christians forget that faith is meant to be honest and raw and therefore real and truly healing instead of just new clothes we choose to put on every morning. I imagine some of my more churchy friends might want to argue this, which I admit, I would enjoy. Her portrayal of her process of healing through her church…AA later coupled with Catholicism, lead by the hand of her young son, reminded me of the aspects of my faith I hold dear. That we’re all a mess, we need one another and can’t do this life well on our own, and God is so available in our stumbling. One of the best books on prayer I’ve read.
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27th August, 2010 - Posted by Jenny - No Comments
Seabird by Holling Clancy Holling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Our first official read-aloud for 2010-2011. N loved it and wanted to give it 5 stars because of the characters, she says. I gave her the choice…was it the pictures, the language, the characters, the subject? The characters. Especially Seabird.
I found the language soothing, introducing me to ship language that I’ve been exposed to before, but always find a little mysterious. Loved the passage of mentoring through four generations.
B wanted to give it 3.5 stars. He thought it was a good book, he says, but thought the same thing happened over and over and over again. Found the story subtle which he interpreted as too childish and boring.
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25th August, 2010 - Posted by Jenny - No Comments
Today went much better. Course 12yo wild child has been gone since 1:30 playing with his favorite friend on their 50 acres…riding a quad, swimming in their creek (river), and taking a ton of physical risks I’ll probably hear about on Thanksgivings when he’s over 25. He needs these times so much, just being in his body with his buddy and pushing the limits. It’s part of the reason I can never see him behind a desk and limit his school day at 7th grade to 4 hours. WITH BREAKS! I love how he embraces living at the boundaries. Today he heard some advice when we were listening to talk radio. “Don’t fight the battles you know you can’t win.”
“Did you hear that, B!” I yell over the front seat and my shoulder. In other words, let it go once in a while!
“But, Mom! I always believe in the slim chance I will win.”
Yes you do, my strong, sweet son. I love that about you.
Strong. It’s the meaning of his name. What did I expect?
24th August, 2010 - Posted by Jenny - 2 Comments
Morning Writes. Every morning for the last seven weekdays I awake and go as first thing as possible to the computer and write for a minimum of 15 minutes. And then I send it to SEVEN in real life friends. Like the ones I have to call to set up carpooling or meet with for mutual activities. And I’m not good at waking pleasantly.
I often wake harshly. With a headache, or angry, or already in knots about my unresolved issues. And I write. And I press send. And these are women I want to like me and think I’m cool and keep inviting over my kids…
Tonight I’m emotionally exhausted. And it’s only the second day of homeschooling. And before I go to bed, I’m going to write for a minimum of 15 minutes and then press PUBLISH. I don’t know why, but the Morning Writes are helping.
I have a 12yo son. He’s my second son. And he is as intense as me. And yes, we home-school. And yes, maybe if I took him out of the situation and put him in school it would help. No, I don’t have all the answers. All I know is he can’t keep fighting so much with the rest of us because it is exhausting me. He’s as intense as I am. He has strong opinions and wants to be noticed and takes it so personally when he gets hurt that he rages about it and Yes, we home-school. And No, I don’t have answers. I don’t even really know the questions. I just know he’s too intense for me.
Because my intensity is all I can handle.
I get so worn out by it. Tonight his sister ticked him off, he yelled, his dad got involved, they argued, and I got so mad I got involved. Two fighters had turned into four fighters and only one family member stayed out of it. It’s too tiring. I’m dealing with my own stuff. What to do.
All I know to do is deal with my own stuff so my heart is bigger and more of what is beautiful, good, and true can flow to him. I have to be the adult. Help him. Somehow.
Oh, for him to be 17 and us not in family therapy and him wrecking the car as he drives off in anger. For him to not medicate himself in the plethora of ways we can these days. His heart is so sweet and he cries so much easier than the mellow son and shows so much affection, too. What is the anger about?
Are we meant to go through this life without anger? I swear he was born angry, grouchy. There has to be a God-print on it. But for what?
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