The living response to everything around me.

March 21, 2016

Life -  The living response to everything around me.

As I was getting ready for this day, I decided all of my work on this little project will begin with my definition of Life.  

I will research, I will contemplate, I will write knowing that what I am doing is the living response to everything around me.

I can not even begin to imagine how much has been written to define "life".  I haven't even completed a search just to see.   

If someone were to look up the definition of "life" they would discover the following:

From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life

Simple Definition of life

: the ability to grow, change, etc., that separates plants and animals from things like water or rocks

: the period of time when a person is alive

: the experience of being alive

From https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=life%20definition

life

noun

: the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.

"the origins of life"  

: the existence of an individual human being or animal.

March 22, 2016

Life - the living response to everything around me.

From http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=life&allowed_in_frame=0

Old English life (dative lif) "existence, lifetime, way of life, condition of being a living thing, opposite of death," from Proto-Germanic *libam (cognates: Old Norse lif "life, body," Dutch lijf "body," Old High German lib "life," German Leib "body"), properly "continuance, perseverance," from PIE *leip- "to remain, persevere, continue; stick, adhere" (see leave (v.)). Much of the modern range of meanings was present in Old English. Meaning "property which distinguishes living from non-living matter" is from 1560s. Sense of "vitality, energy" is from 1580s. Extended 1703 to "term of duration (of inanimate objects)." 

Life-jacket is from 1840; life-preserver from 1630s of anything that is meant to save a life, 1803 of devices worn to prevent drowning. Life-saver is from 1883, figurative use from 1909, as a brand of hard sugar candy, from 1912, so called for shape. Life-form is from 1861. Life cycle is from 1855.

A little detour - I have three very close friends.  they are my prayer warriors, my confidants, my Bible study partners.  They are my friends.  And one of their daughters has joined us in praying through email.  So their are five of us that will send out prayer requests, send out prayers of thanksgiving. This morning I sent the following to them.

Some of you are using Ann VosKamp's  Joy Dare.  If you're not, the Joy Dare for this day is to find "3 gifts found in His word".

I wrote in my journal the following:

In the Beginning 

(if you have 34.35 minutes to listen to Dick Lincoln's March 13th sermon, go online and listen.  The entire sermon is from Genesis 1:1.  I've listened to it three times and will go back again.)

Do not be afraid.

(last year I researched the NIV and found these words are said 70 times.)

I am going to prepare a place for you.

(I went to a gender reveal party on Sunday.  When I drove up I saw about 15 cars and didn't recognize any.  I almost left.  I am so uncomfortable going to any place if I'm unsure if I will know who is there.  So glad I know Jesus is waiting for me in His place.)

What three gifts do you find in His word?

I've found a third definition source for life and I've sent out an email to my friends and now it is time for prayer.  I don't know if I will write any more this morning.  If you read this page, please leave a comment telling me your definition of life.  If you are a follower of Christ and wish to join me in the "3 gifts found in His word" please do so.

QUIET TIME and then

Wednesday, March 16
I have reached the time in my life when most of my mornings can actually include a time that is quiet. I can hear the the breathing of our dog, Lucky.  I can hear a bus pass my house.  I can hear the soft noise my computer makes.  I can hear quiet.

I am thankful for this time of quiet when I can spend time praying, reading a devotion, reading my Bible, thinking.

Just thinking.

And in this time of thinking I've decided that to define LIFE in the TERM PAPER, P.E.A.R.L., I can not begin at the end and work backwards.  I must begin at the beginning.  I will enter into a time where I will mirror P.E.A.R.L. with . . . . .

Life's Response to Actively Engaging with Purpose.  Look a little closer.  Do you see it?  It's backwards P.E.A.R.L.  My Life's Response will be to Actively Engage with Purpose.  My Purpose will be to complete this TERM PAPER.  So. . . . .

I will walk through defining purposely.  I will walk at this point so that my energy and enthusiasm can build.

Defining the first major word, purposely, will direct me on to the path of the second word, engaging.
Engaging will definitely send me on my way to defining actively.  And at this point I will make myself not move to quickly as I define responding.   Because I do believe at this point I will be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  Then I will run, not walk, to define life.

Thursday, March 1
I just reread my post from Tuesday, March 15th.  I defined LIFE at the end of that post as:

     The living response to everything around me.

Then yesterday I wrote the above post and didn't publish it because I wanted to read it again.  In that post I changed my plan.  Not a bad idea.  BUT. . . . .

I have discovered that I keep going back to the definition from Tuesday in all of my thoughts.  I going to stick with that right now.

    LIFE is the living response to everything around me.

ONE HOUR

March 14, 2016

Outline
1.  Define LIFE without researching, just off the top of my head
2.  Return to definitions of LIFE on previous post
     review and find what I want to use
3.  Summarize LIFE using the first two steps
4.  Take a nap

I am not working today.  I am so relaxed and just plain happy.  I've cleaned my house, seen my doctor for a checkup, washed linens and clothes, prepared lunch for my husband, played a game on my phone, and now I'm beginning to write my "term paper".

"Term Paper"!!!  

Do people even call assignments "term papers" anymore?  To accomplish the goal of completing P.E.A.R.L. I've decided to call it a "term paper" and just work on it until it is finished.  And that's where the title of this post - ONE HOUR - originated.  I will write for ONE HOUR and then stop for the day.  I will write for ONE HOUR every day until it is completed in at least the rough draft form.  I do believe I can write for ONE HOUR.  Now there are many things in my LIFE that I can't do for ONE HOUR.  And now I have officially gone off on a tangent.  So enough of that.  Back to the outline written above.

Life to me will be defined totally from my perception of the right now.
     I plan on using inductive questions using the who, what, when, where, why, and how.
          I will use those questions out of the above order as I define my life.

Beckie's life is an ever-changing existence.
     It is fluid within the limits placed on me by family, work, friends, and my own choices.    
          It is fluid even when I think it may be stagnant.

(ONE HOUR is up! This is not as easy as I thought it would be.)

For me life is defined by my past, my present, and my future.

I am a daughter, a sister, a cousin, a friend, a wife, a mother, an aunt, a CTRS, a Bible teacher, a writer, a swimmer, a walker, a driver, a reader, a case manager, a committee member.  That's all I can think of at the moment.

I said it above.  This is not as easy as I thought it would be.  Defining LIFE without a dictionary in front of me.  The dictionary would take all of the struggle away.  It would give me the answer.  And as I sit here contemplating this definition I find myself thinking of my friends that are so quick to come up with answers to hard questions.  Wonder how they would define LIFE.

I've spent the past hour and a half thinking and writing, I've folded another load of laundry, I've answered a text, I've deleted/erased a whole page of rambling, I've been living life.

I did not complete the above outline.  But that is not a bad thing.  I did begin (again) and I will continue.

For me at this moment in time LIFE is the living response to everything around me.

I 'll pick up here tomorrow.

P.E.A.R.L. - a new beginning

Almost 6 years ago I was asked to consider developing a CEU course for a local agency targeting recreational therapists.  I was very excited and then proceeded to not to complete the task.  During the past 6 years I've begun and stopped, begun and stopped, begun and stopped, . . . . . you get the picture.

I've begun again.  

Part of this beginning will be putting my notes, research, essays, etc on this blog.  If anyone wishes to use any part of this, please give me credit.  In other words I'm saying my work is my work and I am stating it is copyrighted.  Thanks.

P.E.A.R.L

I really like real cultured pearls.  They are feminine.  They are white - one of my favorite colors to wear.  They are smooth and feel silky to my touch.  They are the product of an irritation.  They come in all sizes.  The ones I own have been given to me by people that I know love me without reservation.  They make me smile.  

The idea for the acronym came to me one day during my quiet time with God.  I was writing my prayer in my journal and jotted this down:

P - purposely

                    E - engaging and

                                       A - actively

                                                         R - responding to

                                                                                 L - life

Purposely Engaging and Actively Responding to Life!!

On 01-12-16 I wrote the following in my journal and now it's becoming how I will attack writing this whatever it turns out to be.  I am quoting from my journal - even the misspelled stuff.

The day after the 2015 NCAA National Championship.  Clemson lost - what does this teach me about

Life - it's not all about losing a game.  What a game!

Responding - I've taken the time to respond because words/actions can never come back

Actively - I will actively choose what to say to bring glory to God's name.  I will think about Phil 4:8

Engaging - I will not shy away from interaction with others to avoid hearing the Tigers lost

Purposely - (looked up the definition for the hundredth time) on purpose, intentionally  with a deliberate or express purpose/ (then I looked up purposeful for the hundredth time) Purposeful - having a purpose, full of determination

.L.R.A.E.P - mirror image

We are in life; it is happening

We can choose to respond to life or react to life

When we choose responding we are actively participating, we are moving in a reverse direction

When we engage we are holding attention, we are occupying, attracting or involving others

So we want to be intentional/purposely attracting/involving others in our responding to all of life.

01-28-16

Google definition - Life

1.  the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction,

141. A beginning up above PEARL (I began writing down my joys three years ago when I discovered Ann Voscamp's blog - www.aholyexperience.com )  "141." is the number of this "joy" I wrote.  Numbers in the future will come from my joys.

LRAEP       Life's Response to Actively Engaging with Purpose

Life continued (from Google definition)

functional activity, and continual change preceding death

2.  the existence of an individual human being or animal.

www.merriam-webster

:  the ability to grow, change, etc., that separates plants and animals from things like water or rocks

:  the period of time when a person is a live

:  the experience of being alive

Full definition

1.a:  the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body

   b:  a principle or force that is considered to underlie the distinctive quality of animate beings

   c.  an organismic state characterized by capacity for metablolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction.

took a break to get ready for work - looked up life in the Urban Dictionary - worldly definition turned my stomach.  Then decided to use my NIV Exhaustive concordance.  Life is used ~ 592x in my NIV.  WOW - too much research before work.  Time to study SEAMLESS (bible study by Angie Smith)

I used some of my time this morning to begin seeing how many different Hebrew and Greek words mean life.   Oh my!  This looks like something I would love to do - word study.  But I truly think it is just a distraction.  I am not going to pursue an exhaustive search of that word in the Bible.  

I've lots of ideas on how to pursue this research.  Because of my education, my profession as a Recreational Therapist, part of my research will involve others completing a daily activity for 30 days.  I am praying about who to ask to participate.  My initial idea after the development of the daily P.E.A.R.L. plan is to have a male and a female from the following age groups participate for 30 days:

     5-12 years old - a parent will be involved

     13-17 years old - a parent will be involved

     18-25 years old 

     26-39 years old

     40-49 years old

     50-59 years old

     60-69 years old

     70-79 years old

     80-89 years old

     90-99 years old

     100+

There are so many ideas, plans, books in print and on the internet.  I do not want to reinvent anything. My purpose in developing P.E.A.R.L. is to:

1.  complete a task I was invited to do six years ago and

2.  continue to be intentional in responding to life vs reacting to life.

There you have it.  I can't wait to see what I learn and how long it takes me to complete this six year old task and get on with Purposely Engaging and Actively Responding to Life.

A Glimpse of Week 3 of THINK ABOUT SUCH THINGS

Monday, September 28th will be the third week of the Young Girls' Bible study -

THINK ABOUT SUCH THINGS

Each week we go on a scavenger hunt during our actual lesson.  This helps cut down on the boredom that can come from sitting in one place for a long time.  We discover where to go by reading rhymes that I have written.  Below are the rhymes for this coming week when we will study the meanings of the words noble and right.

Before we move, before we go,

There are two words we must get to know.

So dig in and look up the words noble and right,

Then we will begin our hunt for the night.

We will use dictionaries and tablets to discover the English definitions of these words.  Then we will begin our scavenger hunt.  We used maps in week 2 to find our hunt locations.

There's another map around, I don't know where,

It may be in a box or under a chair,

You may not move until the leader says go,

But whoever finds it, will be the first in line to and fro!

After the map is found, we will line up and go to the next location where we will discover the Greek word for noble.  Then we will use a game of opposites to help us understand the Greek meaning of noble versus the English meaning of noble.  (We learned about TRUE in week 2.)

We've learned about TRUE and we've learned about NOBLE,

Let's pick up the pace and get really mobile.

Look around, maybe in a corner or two,

There are two standards waiting for you.

On standard is a picture of the earth,

It was drawn by your leader and is of little worth.

The second standard will teach us how to rally,

If we hurry up and do not dally.

We'll find the two standards and proceed to the next location and learn the Greek word for RIGHT and its meaning.  We'll compare the English to the Greek.

Afterwards we will read the last rhyme and head back to the classroom

In just a moment or maybe two

We'll walk back to our room and find a surprise for you.

But first we must line up and get super quiet,

No surprises will be given if there is a riot.

I learn so much studying for this class.  I am in awe of what God is doing not only in my life but in the lives of the young girls.  It is fun to be with them.  It is amazing to watch them learn.

Just Wondering - Genesis 40:1-23

I began reading Genesis on 07-23-2015.  My goal is to read the Bible a chapter at a time at the beginning of my quiet time.  I pray asking the Holy Spirit to teach me as if I've never read the reading before.  I have missed some days of doing this but I am in awe of what I am learning and how I've been able to apply this new understanding to my life.  I truly love how there is always new wisdom from scripture I have read so many times before.

Just going to put down some notes today -

vs. 1-4 Pharaoh is mad at the cupbearer and the chief baker - puts them in prison, Joseph attends them
I'm wondering:  when I get mad at family, friends, etc how do I put them in prison?
                          does putting someone in prison (in my mind, by my actions) help me keep that mad
                                 going?
                          do I attend (help) others when they have been put in prison because of someone's
                                    anger?  do I help them or jump into someone else's stuff and keep them 
                                    in prison?

vs. 5-23 Cupbearer and chief baker have dreams.  Joseph interprets them.  Asked to be remembered by the cupbearer.  Cupbearer restored to position but doesn't remember Joseph.
I'm wondering:     do I remember when others help me?  do I give credit to the source of my help? 

I am really pondering the putting someone in prison when I am mad/angry.  Sounds like rejection.  How do I feel when I am rejected?  How does it feel to reject someone? 

In the Young Girls' Bible study we talked about taking our thoughts captive (2 Cor 10:5).  How often do I take my thoughts captive to make them obedient to Christ, but instead of giving Christ my thoughts, I just put them in prison and then take them out and
           think,
                        ponder,
                                         consider,
                                                            chew on them at a later time.

Just wondering.

THINK ABOUT SUCH THINGS - coming soon

Wow, sure has been a very long time since I put anything here.

I have now written 4 Bible studies for young girls.  The 5th one is almost completed.  The first two were printed week to week.  The 3rd one was printed at St. Luke Lutheran church and bound at Office Depot.  The 4th one was printed and bound at Office Depot.

I have decided as we study each week, beginning September 14th, to put some of the highlights here.  Not sure what it will include but I will include the comments from the girls.  They will be memorable, I know.

When we were studying the Fruit of the Spirit last fall, I read a long piece of scripture to the girls and then asked what they had heard.

Tyner's awesome response was,

          That was a whole lot of words!!!!

Yep, God's word, is a whole lot of words.  I can't wait to begin studying with these 3rd-8th graders again.

See you soon.