Transitions.
They come barging in uninvited, take over our lives, and they don’t leave us any choice but to let them.
I’m especially mindful of this right now at the end of August (formerly a Summer month) as we have been suddenly thrust into school starting, schedules filling, and our pace quickening to warp speed as we prepare to send our 6’1” boy man into his high school Sophomore year.
Fall has officially begun… and we’ve heard from other parents that the next time we breathe he’ll be headed off to college.
(The braces will come off first.)
With all this transition in our family, there are ALSO some transitions happening in my ministry that I’m very excited about:
1. A new cross generational women’s conference happening in St Louis, Santa Barbara and North San Diego (details here: http://bit.ly/2wjCGU0)
2. A new book launching in Spring 2019
3. A new podcast in the works for this Fall
Its this last idea I want to introduce to you right now.
Over the Summer I’ve received lots of amazing notes from people who have reflected to me how much the 4 lenses in my book have helped them see their life or situation differently. So I thought, WHAT IF I did a short (as in 10 minute) mini podcast once a week- tackling various subjects (situations or circumstances) by looking at them through some of the lenses in my book- to see how a shift in perspective can help us see things in our circumstances that God doesn’t want us to miss.
Jesus says “The eye is the lamp of the body– when your eyes are healthy, your body will be full of light.” (Matt.6:22) But sometimes we need a little help with our lamp.
I am going to launch the podcast sometime in September … and as you saw from the graphic above it will be called “Life through a Different Lens”.
If you are on my mailing list, you will be informed when I post— and you will be able to find the links on my website for future listening and sharing. So instead of reading, you can listen in your car or on a walk or whenever your heart needs a lift.
THEN before my new book comes out in 2019, I will be able to use this podcast to look at the Bible from a different lens… and introduce some of the lesser known verses that I highlight in my new book.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
For now, to give you a bit of an idea of the approach I will have on my podcast, I thought I’d take the last moments of this blog to consider how a shift in perspective can help us make a good transition into Fall.
Fall is a chance to remember that life moves fast, and whether your kids are at a difficult age, or your job feels monotonous, or your circumstances are currently disappointing, having the big view reminds you that you are in a chapter of a much bigger story. Things will change- and the way you respond to your circumstances will make a difference in the bigger story. The big view also helps you remember that you are impacting people around you in small and big ways every day, and their story will be affected by you. Always see yourself and your circumstances in that light.
Pulling into the present view helps you remember life is made up of a thousand moments, and you don’t want to miss what’s in front of you right now. You will never be this age or this stage again- and God has gifts and whispers here and now that you need to make space for before they speed by.
The rear view reveals that the time you are living now will be interpreted differently when you look back- so whether this Fall is hard or challenging or wonderful- it will be seen as one chapter of your life and not the all consuming reality it is right now. Learn from what you are going through. Cherish the good. Be brave in the bad. And Have the courage to live this season well.
Finally The higher view reminds us we are here for something bigger than ourselves. And while we did not choose a lot about our life, we choose every day how we will live it. Perhaps this 50 second excerpt of my talk below says it best- and gives us the words we need to to live our Fall well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7jKys2Fpdw
Pray as I launch into the world of podcasts that I can use my voice- and the power of perspective- to help people to see what God sees about their lives.
For more info on When Changing Nothing Changes Everything, visit this link: http://amzn.to/2wccPvf