Lunar New Year’s Eve

Tomorrow is the Lunar New Year, which doesn't bring about much in my community but is quite the celebration and festival occasion for those who observe it.  The Year of the Snake is 2025, which symbolizes change and new beginnings because snakes must shed their skin regularly to survive.

That has me thinking once again about what might need sloughing in my life.  What projects have I left uncompleted?  What garments no longer serve me the way they once did?  Which things have I chosen for myself with intentions that no longer bring inspiration?  These things and more tend to stifle and stagnate rather than invigorate and edify; so they must periodically be reevaluated for relevance.

This is one brief little blog post; but the real message is in the personal application which follows.

Happy and Blessed (Lunar) New Year!

Jotting with Johnna

• Where do you observe staleness in your routine or surroundings?
• What unfinished works seem to accuse you when you spot the materials or think of the matter?
• How would it feel to let go, to release the items (donate or demolish), freeing up that mental and physical space for things that truly light up your mind as you are today (not the person you were or the person you wish you were)?
• When could you attend the shedding of "snake skin" that's hindering your progress?
• Why not set a timer or decide on a number of items to shed today (even if it's only stuff in the "junk drawer")?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of the time and attention it will take to rid yourself of obstacles!

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Upgrades and Trade-ins

Today, I pre-ordered a device.  I also prepared some items to give to others or otherwise repurpose.  I'm currently typing on one of those items as another sits alongside it.  My digital juggling inspired some thinking about such upgrades and trade-ins, but of a less tangible form.  My family is also planning a garage sale soon; so the timing has me rethinking the serviceability of many things.

It's been said the only real constant is change.  I suppose that's more true in terms of the digital devices that now occupy space and attention in virtually all our lives.  Most likely, you're reading this bit of prose on such a machine, whether it's a phone, tablet, laptop, or other computer; and if you're reading it on paper, you at least accessed it on one of them.  Programmed obsolescence is a term that points to the tendency of modern things to be rendered ready to recycle before it really is in any sort of shabby condition.  Even our vehicles have components that the "shade tree mechanic" is unable to tinker into health without the aid of diagnostic apparatus.  Change is indeed a constant in this computer age.

We can disparage the situation, and all the while understand that some things truly do become obsolete.  Things like faulty beliefs about self, the world, and those around us can be in need of upgrade.  Maya Angelou quipped (and I'll paraphrase), "when you know better, do better."  Maybe you recognize ways you have traded in some bad habits and upgraded to better ones.  Perhaps you look at old photos and wish you had upgraded a hairstyle sooner.  Your financial decisions could be revisited, or maybe is a relationship you would alter, given the opportunity.  The point is not to elicit regret, remorse, shame, or guilt - none of which ever truly helps anyone - but to realize that we are always growing into a newer version of ourselves and in the process, sloughing off ways of being that no longer serve.

The fact is, the tablet sitting alongside this laptop still functions; but the keyboard isn't as conducive to the maintenance of this humble blog.  Both devices were already in the family; but roles have changed for them, and the laptop is an upgrade because of the ways I'm using it now.  

Sometimes, what needs traded in isn't in bad shape, or isn't a bad thing; but it distracts from better things.  

Jotting with Johnna:

• What obsolete mindset do you need to trade in for a better version?
• Could you take a moment to assess the real value of your values and/or valuables?
• Do you need to trade something that occupies your mind for something that upgrades your spirit?

Remember:  you are so worthy of upgrades and can always trade in something so that you can upgrade your life as you continue to edit the wellness script for your life, mind, body, soul, and spirit!

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

Yesterday, my superhero partner and I took his überhero dad to the baseball game at our local ball park.  We're in the Tulsa area, so that means we were at ONEOK Field in beautiful downtown Tulsa.  The tickets had been purchased in advance, and the planning and anticipation made for a glorious unfolding into the things of which memories are made.  

As many know whose eyes beheld the unfolding of my journey, I am a person who is less carbohydrate tolerant than others...  I have been vegan and vegetarian, pescatarian, and many other "[__]ans" over the years due to not only my military deployments to the Middle East, but also the spinal injuries at the beginning of my military career.  I have actively, and avidly pursued all manner of detoxification and modification to eradicate heavy metals from my blood and heavy impacts of combat on my mind and spirit.

Thus, as I often do, I researched dietary options at the ball park.

It seems imperative to note that I have suffered "debilitating" migraines (my mother's descriptor of the migraines I have fought to suppress since the line-of-duty spinal injuries in 2003) two decades.  I've employed all manner of expert, read a stifling amount of studies, taken advice that ranged from mild to wild, and endured extreme measures to gain my life back from these episodes that literally put me in bed for days on end.  I have identified triggers and treatments, I've tracked and traced, I've even paid hundreds of dollars on three Botox(R) treatments for migraine-specific areas as referred by my neurologist.  Nothing works anymore - nothing my care team nor emergency center can provide, no preventative, nobody.....

I was out of options and almost out of hope...

...but I was always full of Jesus, who is my hope!

He sustained me through it all (home and abroad), and He sustains me now!  Jesus is my Home Run Hitter!

During our baseball adventure yesterday, I witnessed the Tulsa Drillers and the Springfield Cardinals play a game that only hoped to tie up in the ninth inning...  The Home Team won.

As my partner had purchased the tickets, I pledged to purchase our baseball ⚾️ stadium culinary delights.  I mentioned earlier that I had researched what would be available, and I practiced integrity in the moment of choice.

Why was I able to resist the temptation of ball park fare?  Because avoiding starches, sugars, and carbs (besides green goodness) has kept me migraine free for more than a year and a half!!!

When one becomes free, when one understands what that freedom really is juxtaposed with the oppression of migraines or other maladies, no tempting "treat" is worth the defeat of going back into the chains. 

Much as I enjoy a potato in virtually any form, there is not one worth the freedom I enjoy from the culinary lifestyle I live.

Jotting with Johnna:

• What venue or milieu tempts you toward choices outside of your best culinary paradigm ?
• How might you research and resolve to empower yourself better to cope with such temptations?
• Who will you enlist to keep you accountable before you veer into the oncoming traffic of inflammation, acquiescence of your goals, and defeat?

Remember:  wherever your own personal health journey has taken you, you are so very worthy of the effort to request things that help support your healing!  

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Keep editing your Wellness Script!  

See You in the Funny Papers

Everyone approaches life and media with his/her own perspective and priorities filtering perception.  We are unique in our preconceptions and prejudices, informed by experiences, parentage, hopes, and hurts.  The old adage, "life is uncertain; eat dessert first" reflects such as this.  When I access a print newspaper, I find myself excited to view the comics section (otherwise known as the Funny Papers) first.  

At this point, I must extend an apology to anyone who followed me in viewing the same paper; because, if I was unable to completely survey the contents of the comics before the requirements of adulthood interrupted me, I have - more than once - absconded with those sweet bits of wit and whimsy...  

Please forgive me.

Now that confessions of petty larceny have been made, and hopes of mercy expressed, what's the point of this post?  Good question:  sometimes, I simply must begin where the muse sets me in motion; and in times such as these, I trust we will find our way together - adventure awaits!

What is it about humor and clever adaptations of prose and pictures that draws me to this minor and repeated act of theft?  Certainly, we all enjoy a good turn of phrase, wordplay, and jocularity.  Perhaps also alluring is the escape from the serious and somber truths of life impacting us from all angles, sensationalized and sent via media and public discourse.  We are all created by One whose imagination is undeniably reflected in the artist's renderings; and that tends to attract the mind, morsels of the thing the whole world hungers for - more of Him (Psalm 19).  Lastly, it is likely we see ourselves in the comics, the protagonists in our own stories, and sometimes we play the jester - either way, our capacity to laugh at ourselves makes us more resilient when things do not work in our favor.

Jotting with Johnna:

• When was the last time you let yourself play (read the funnies first)?
• How can you take yourself less seriously?
• Who makes you laugh when circumstances are lamentable?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of the playtime, the pause, the permission to have adventures amid your obligations.  

Stay focused.  Stay tuned.  Stay playful.

It's Never Too Late

Wow!  It's been a while - and some wild happenings - since I composed a post here.  Wondrous, magical things have changed my life, and I knew all the while ScriptedWellness lay neglected as life blossomed like watered gardens tend to do.  But like lovely gardens whose keeper has wandered and returned thrive and flourish with a little attention, perhaps this little space on the web will likewise bloom again...  It's never too late, after all, for the chasing of dreams and the creating of scripts which boost wellness in all aspects.

The image above was taken at Hickam Air Force Base, after my Incentive Flight on 21 January, 2009, which followed my two tours in Iraq and was an honor to receive.  At that time, ScriptedWellness was only a dream.  Given my full time military and federal career, deployments, scholastic endeavors, and duties as a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, great aunt, neighbor, niece...I wasn't sure this little blog would ever be more than a fanciful notion.  But it wasn't too late to try. 

Nowadays, as a military retiree, I lead a precious group of local treasures in a fitness class three times a week at the community center.  I also tend a little pack of rescued dogs, and have been training a puppy who joined us last spring.  Family has moved nearer, and friends who became family nearly a score ago currently bless my home as guests over the weekend.  Meanwhile, the cherished friend whose affections evolved to a sweet and sustaining partnership has been my champion, companion, and cohort in all manner of creative ventures. 

Just this moment, as I stand at my computer, that darling soul is crafting an original piece of artwork with his pencil and a white envelope.  He does one of these envelopes for the young man who grooms the lawn and cares for the dogs occasionally.  Inside them, he encloses the young man's wages.  This has been going on long enough that his recipient has a vast collection of sketches, lovingly signed by their creator.

Whatever one's craft, we are all designed by the Creator and reflect His image in a way unique to us.  We were made in His image, after all, and each of us has something to offer.  As multifaceted cut stone reflects light on each surface differently than the others, we are made to reflect the Light to a world in need of the beauty and impact only He can bestow.  And just as it was not too late for eighty-year-old Moses to shine in the way God intended and do the big work of reflecting, it is not too late for any of us.

Earlier today, I encountered a friend with whom I served in the military.  She was the first sergeant of my second tour in Iraq; and we even roomed together for most of that deployment.  She's a godly woman who served honorably as an airman and as a wife and mother; and she's my "military sister."  I was behind her at the market, and noticed John 10:10 (a favorite bit of Scripture) on the back of her t-shirt; and then my gaze came up and I recognized her (from the back of a head of hair I had once trimmed on the flightline in Iraq).  When I caught her attention and introduced my dear companion, she informed me that she now has a business creating shirts like the one she wore.  Her website is KingdomLife.Store; and I'm proud to recommend her work.

The point is this:  life's journey may bring us down a meandering path.  We can even lament our side-trips; but they're part of the path.  In the words of CS Lewis, “you are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.”  Dream, daydream, dawdle a little when it's opportune; and then do [insert the action you already know] - reflect and shine in the way you were always meant to sparkle.

Jotting with Johnna:

• What passions and projects beckon to you from time to time?
• How might you start simply revisiting those pursuits?
• Who might edify you and hold you accountable in your efforts?
• Why not start [or start again] now?

Remember:  you, and the uniquely "you" way you reflect the image of God are so very worthy of the time and attention you will direct toward this end.

Notifications

I dislike notifications on devices.  They can be helpful, yes, but also tedious, especially when they interrupt my train of thought or persist when I attempt to accomplish a task.  Every device we use nowadays comes with notifications for some reason or other.  Delivery systems like email and text message media can get clogged quickly.

That has me thinking of the notifications my body attempts to send...and my response (or relative lack of appropriate response).  I tend to ignore my body's desperate attempts to garner my attention and action, often at the worst times.  

What is the remedy to this neglectful attitude?  It's certainly not good stewardship to ignore my body's signals, and yet I continue to find myself effectively muting the very thing God put in place to keep my function at optimum.  To amend this, I know I must be intentionally attentive, rather than casually inattentive.

Jotting with Johnna:

How do you attend and tune-in the nuanced notifications of your body?

How might you cultivate awareness and intentionality with these signals and your response?

How might you track your progress?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of the work it will take to listen to your one, God-given body; and the investment will yield dividends in your spirit, mind, and soul as well.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.  

Under Construction

As I type, there are contractors above my head.  I'm having work done to floor my attic and repair part of the garage ceiling (which is also below the attic space) where the recent low temperatures here in Green Country froze a drain pipe from my furnace.  Since a significant section of ceiling has to be cut out and replaced anyway, I'm having a lift put in that space - why not improve upon something that needs fixing already and turn a problem into a positive, right?  It's a very "Johnna" thing to do, really.  I'm also having two rooms built onto the great room, as the contractor noticed the potential for such when he constructed my sunroom over a year ago.  There's a lot happening; and many things were involved in preparation and execution.

If you've never had work done on your abode, 

let me tell you there are a few nuanced things that come with the package.  

You have to clear the space and create access for the process.  In this case, that has meant moving everything out of the attic and into the upstairs bedroom, which is connected by a closet.  It's also required moving things away from walls where doors are to be cut, and covering up furnishings and furniture.  Drop cloths drape my belongings and the carpet upstairs; and a floor-to-ceiling curtain of plastic with a zipper graces the apex of my staircase.  

It's beautiful, really.  Well, no, but it shall be!  That is another bit of information - when you deconstruct and demolish an area to facilitate construction, you must see beyond the mess and mayhem to the marvelous potential.  I am a huge fan of HGTV and Pinterest; but they have the means to preview the changes they're making...and I don't.  It's sort of a faith thing, seeing that which is not yet as though it was (Hebrews 11).  I have expectancy of a welcoming and functional space, even though I perceive with my senses a wreck that may never be recovered.  Why?  Because of the faithfulness and favor of God and because of my fortuitous experiences with this builder.

Not all of my construction contracting experiences have been fortuitous.  Many of them have included some frustrating and disappointing encounters - and that's another thing that comes with the territory.  I've had to call for corrections, which is uncomfortable (that's a huge understatement) for me; but it's a learning process that has made me grow as a person.  I despise conflict and don't ever want to be demanding or complain; but I've had to learn to assert what is right.  I'm a widow, and there are those who don't understand that I am also a warrior (War Veteran) whose savvy includes my own hands-on experience and growing up on the job with my father (tree business, repairing/maintaining equipment, managing books and hours, making estimates, delivering firewood, and myriad other activities) and with my mother (bakery/deli management, attention to detail and task alignment, dealing with all manner of bosses and clients and coworkers, etc.).  They don't see someone who understands more of their duties than most - it's hard to see past the mascara, maybe.  At any rate, I've had to learn to communicate expectations and to communicate properly when those expectations have not been met in order to negotiate and navigate the future of any project.

It's actually humbling for me to have hired professionals working in my home.  I come from a family of doers.  We are folks who tinker and build for ourselves; but I've learned that just because I can doesn't mean I should.  I'm retired from the military because of a spinal injury I incurred in the line of duty eighteen years ago yesterday (years before my two tours in Iraq).  As such, there are things I am capable of doing...but I know what it would cost me.  Still, it's hard to ask for help - even at premium prices; and I've had to learn to be available and present while simultaneously not being an unsolicited assistant.  My duties in the military and on the job with my parents included some of these things I'm having to un-learn now; but my career as a cosmetologist (ten years full time before I enlisted in the Air Force) reminds me that I certainly didn't want anyone attempting to help me cut his/her hair - relatable. 

Movement of all the things in my garage meant one of the cars cannot park inside for a month or two.  This too has been a familiar theme as the garage becomes a stage for sawhorses and supplies - and in this case, it is a site under construction as the ceiling gets repaired and part of it replaced with the lift.  

The main entrance of my home is going to be the garage and that entry door for the foreseeable future, as it is the nearest access point between the garage/outdoors and the stairs and beyond.  This also means more activity and disruption for my mother, whose suite is at the foot of the stairs.  Fortunately, she loves having people around - she's quite extroverted - and this hasn't been troublesome for her.  The sunroom is essentially an enclosed porch from my bedroom (necessitated by some water issues around the exposed door on its north side); and it was a vastly different experience for me as an introvert.

Making a thing of beauty is messy business.  Yes, the packed-wall-to-wall upstairs bedroom and the rendered-unusable garage are part of that; but just because the construction is happening upstairs doesn't mean the remains of the house are unaffected.  On the contrary, there have been ducts to reroute and vents to remove and reinstall, noise of feet and tools and such overhead, and not a little bit of insulation and other dusty things upon my staircase and down my hallway.  Maintenance of such has my broom handling muscles quite firm indeed; but when all is complete and the contractors have moved on to other pursuits elsewhere, the real cleaning must commence.

New spaces mean new surfaces and new options - what shall we put on this wall or that shelf?  And now I get to tell you that sometimes when you need a door you get a dream come true:  I've always fantasized about a bookshelf door (yes, like in the movies).  There's a door being cut at the top of my staircase, and it shall be a bookcase - yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he wears a tool belt!  

The moral of the story (which is lengthy indeed) is that improvement is sometimes arduous and unpredictable, and often things will be required of you that make you anxious; but when you are brave and adventurous, sometimes good things become even better.

Jotting with Johnna:

• What have you hesitated to tackle or embark upon because the tasks involved seem overwhelming?
• What about those overwhelming things presents an opportunity to learn new things and grow?
• Where might you find wise counsel in getting past the inertia of fear and doubt?
• What stops you from doing that first thing; and what might happen if you refused to allow that obstacle to defeat you?
• What step will you take today - an exercise of faith - toward your goal?

Remember:
You are so very worthy of the work and discomfort involved to build a better situation in your surroundings, your relationships, your spirit, your finances, your physical and mental health.  It will get messy, but it will be marvelous!

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Adjust & Adapt

On Christmas Eve, my soul mate became my fiancé.  He composed a note to my father who departed this earth over twenty years ago.  He put that letter and an abbreviated version in a beautiful metal box, the size of a standard Bible.  After dinner, we were to exchange a solitary gift for "our Christmas," knowing we had celebrations in other venues to come.  He opened his box first, at my behest, and then I opened the package he had wrapped for me - the box.  Then, he went to the closet and removed the helium-filled balloons he secured from a local florist, secured the abbreviated version to the attached ribbon, and we released it to the night sky.  I thought that was my Christmas Eve surprise; but once we re-entered his home, he placed me on the loveseat, beside the Christmas tree, got down on one knee, and presented a heart-shaped, lit box containing his paternal grandmother's ring...and the rest is history.

That ring is on my finger as I type, but it required adjustment.  It's quite a bit too large for my fingers, so he had a sizer installed; but it was still too large.  I attempted a quick adjustment, and the sizer fell off entirely.  So my first temporary fix was to wear it in tandem with my promise ring.  Then we purchased "snuggies," but I had to use two of them at the same time and it just didn't work out well.  Finally, I bent the original metal sizer so it would take up more space around my finger and put one of the snuggies in the space so the thin wire would have support.  We're going to have it sized down after we go see his family out of state for a belated Yuletide celebration, but for now, it's working well enough. 

What's the point and how does any of this relate to my mission at ScriptedWellness?  We must adapt and adjust any plan or program to work for us, and that might take some trial and error.  It also can change from one season to another.  

My fiancé and I have also been eating within a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, moderate-protein paradigm, commonly referred to as "keto," we are counting on our lovingly-crafted bodies to produce and perform on ketone bodies.  Those are produced when the body digests fat, and that only happens when the quick fuel of carbohydrates is relatively sparse.

We began this quest of sorts in October, and it's been fun to do together.  How on earth could a "diet" be fun?  Because we adapt and adjust recipes and routine orders out to make the food-math work.  We play!  

In case you wonder, the app I use to do the aforementioned "food math" is https://keto.app.  I have no affiliation whatsoever other than being a user of that software on my phone.  There are many other options, of course.  Also important to note:  tracking in such an app or other methodology is not required, because intuition is far clearer once the adaptation to ketone-burning has been completed (which is bio-individual, like all other things).  

Please also let me take this opportunity to tell you that if you are considering a ketosis-focused paradigm, don't let anyone tell you that any purchase of any kind is required for success.  There are a lot of products out there, and the companies will gladly take your cash; but your body is likely capable of making the switch without your wallet losing weight.

As always, you and your physician know your body better than I ever will.  Practice wisdom in any and all health related decisions.  This post isn't in any way suggesting you attempt otherwise.

Back to the meat of this post...  It also helps to have a "battle buddy" (and I don't feel badly using that term, because I'm a Veteran, so don't judge).  I like experimenting in the kitchen, and he is a good sport; so my whole-foods approach works for us; and we also avail ourselves of packaged foods.  Yes, that is one of my adaptations.  We live in the real world and sometimes a carefully chosen packaged food is the better option.  They're portable and helpful for us.  People, if you've never tried a quality protein shake in your coffee, let me just say, "yum."  

I've said it before, and it's worth repeating:  

in order to be a viable lifestyle, it's got to be flexible and fun.  

Otherwise, the desire to engage in said activity or food paradigm 

will be fleeting (and eventually fail).

Jotting with Johnna:

• What adaptations and adjustments might make your food life more fun?
• With whom can you partner to make the adaptation more of an adventure?
• How might you overcome obstacles you perceive in a given lifestyle, diet, or paradigm?

Remember:

You are so very worthy to find what fits you, and to add to or alter that choice so it is custom-made.  

Stay focused.  Stay tuned.  Stay well.

See You Later, Alligator!

"Nick is an alligator!"  

It was common to hear dear Nicholas called an alligator, a pickle, a monster, and all sorts of silly things; and then he was "called Home."  It hurts to put it into words, but words are what I do, a gift with an admonition to employ it.  Nick was born 22 April, 1993 and died on 28 October, 2020; but he lives on in innumerable ways.

Nick gave levity and liveliness to every space he encountered; and to be with him was to accompany a celebrity.  Everywhere he went, someone seemed to know him and show their fan-ship; anyone next to him at the time was invisible as this vibrant young man sparkled.  Even when he couldn't recount to us just where the person knew him from (which was often), he was charming and kind as they called him by name - every time.

Nick's smile and laughter were contagious, infecting his sphere with inescapable giggles "on the regular."  He loved friends and family of all ages, and even a few select animals.  His gentle spirit and beguiling demeanor made him a magnet for all manner of folks; and when he ciphered your "tickle spots," watch out!

23 December 2014

Nick didn't have an easy go while he was here - from the start, his body underwent attacks from an un-seeable enemy who strove to squash Nick's indomitable spirit of resilient ebullience despite his pain.  Resolute to please and never be burdensome, Nick defied the cruelty inflicted upon him from the devil who stood to lose so much when others witnessed Nick's supernatural strength.  Nick overcame - time and time again - obstacles I cannot adequately address here.  Nick didn't have it easy; but he wasn't hard on others.

Nick's life verse, according to his loving parents, Dori and Greg Howard, was 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."  I watched them live this out together through many family and friend life events - ones that would have crushed any lesser folks.  It occurred to me yesterday, as I looked that verse up once again, that the fulfillment is just a few verses down, "And now He [God] has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior.  He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News."  Nick was in the valley of the shadow of death many times in his twenty-seven years; but God was faithful to see him through.  Nick shines as a miraculous picture of the persistent ways God fights for us all, even when all seems lost.  Nick lives on in the place Jesus went to prepare for him, a place we can all be with faith and allegiance to God in Christ.  Nick also lives forever in each heart that loved and was loved by him. 

Nick's body was small here on earth, but his reach was large (and now I'm reminded of the many times his actual, physical reach was something of legend - back to the tickle spots).  Even after he has finished with his use of the earth-suit he inhabited, Nick's reach will extend to unknowable people and places; as he became an organ donor.  The admirable and unspeakable selflessness of this final bodily act is a testament to all the ways Nick touched lives in his brief life here.

Note:  even now, the devil is desperate to quiet the testimony of Nicholas Frazee.  Just as I completed the previous paragraph, my computer had an unexplained and inescapable emergency re-start.  If Nick can take a punch and keep on pounding, I can too.

Nick was blessed with a spirited, resourceful, faith-filled Mom; and Nick was reared by a determined, gentle giant of a Daddy.  His elder brother, Steven and loving sister-in-law, Kim have been caregivers and coconspirators as they have grown as a family.  Nick is also loved by uncles and aunts, his grandparents and great grandparents, and this adoptive-auntie as well (notice the present-tense; we have not lost him - I know exactly where he is).  Nick was blessed with faith - he loves Jesus, and I bet by now Jesus has revealed his tickle spots and given Nick a new Nick-Name.

Jotting with Johnna:

• Has your life included someone like Nick - someone whose steadfast and stubborn spirit defied the odds and indubitably confounded the devil?
• What is the legacy of this person in your life now - how are you different because of your interaction with your own Nick (and yes, I think Saint Nick is a moniker made for mine)?
• How can you be a Nick to others?

Remember:  you are so very worthy to recall with both smiles and sorrow any and all whose lives intersected your own and left their mark...and left you here with memories and a thirst for more of them.  There's no wrong way to grieve and to honor Nick (mine and yours), so long as you do no harm to yourself or others.  I hope you learn to find joy even as you mourn - Nick would certainly help you do just that.

In reverent memoriam of my beloved Nicholas.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

   

Rhythm & Soul

The pace and cadence of life has certainly been altered for every human alive - at least those living in the globalized psycho-space known by those likely to read these lines.  Masks and gloves and schedule restrictions, business closure and changes necessary for curating experiences conducive to public health - all these things and more permeate everything from errand running to commencement ceremonies and birthday parties...  Our individual and collective rhythm is disrupted, and has been for long enough to impact the soul for good or ill.

Humans are creatures for whom a sense of rhythm is inherently desired, evidenced by the fact that the devices by which we sense time's passage were put into motion before we were created (Genesis 1).  Without some awareness of the time of day or the day of the week, which has happened for many folks since the famous virus enforced adaptation in (and abandonment of) daily, weekly, even monthly routines.  This time of isolation and distance, cancellations and postponements, announcements and obstacles - it is a test of resilience and resolve.  Mental health, physical fitness, personal relationships, financial disruption, even shifts in how we observe worship practices - the proverbial beat to which our lives march forward has changed, taking with it all we attempt to orchestrate and accomplish.  No wonder so many of us are virtually limping in one area or another.

Bedtime and waking, workouts and leisure, socialization and vocation

...

all prone to faltering in this time unless we apply some measure of practical imagination.

Image source:  https://www.reddit.com

So, how then shall we live, given the circumstances and their relative consequences?  

We are creative creatures, capable of overcoming and adaptation; 

therefore, we navigate by troubleshooting and problem solving as required.  

Jotting with Johnna:

• With so much propaganda and expert advice highlighting what we "cannot" or "should not" do, ask the question, "what CAN I do today?"
• What former aspirations can you revisit, revise, or rest - and what accouterments of those you elect to release can be donated to benefit someone else or sold to help offset financial struggles?
• Whom might have otherwise received a visit from you during this time; and how can you reach out to the person(s) in safe but meaningful ways?  (letters/cards/telephone/email/text)
• Where can you still go - perhaps a place you took for granted previously - and enjoy sunshine, music, flora and fauna?
• Why not journal your thoughts or even free-write (no censorship or prejudgment, no editing as you jot), and thus clarify your feelings, prayers, concerns, gratitude..?

Remember:
Whatever is going on around you, you alone control what happens within you; and you are so very worthy of prioritizing the wellbeing of your mind, body, soul, spirit, and social sphere.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

No April Foolery

Today is "April Fools Day."  The origins of the day in which joke and hoax alike are commonplace still evade certainty.  There's much wackiness to be heard and seen today, 1 April 2020, but much of it is far from funny.  Wisdom and mirth in tandem may well be our best offense/defense simultaneously.

The irony is that we need humor, even as we honor the recommendations of those whose expertise makes them essential to the cause.  Laughter, indeed, does the heart good like a medicine.  Resilient minds, bodies, spirits, and relationships all have humor in common.

The Bible mentions laughter and joy often in various contexts.  Here are a few such verses:

Old Testament

“A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.”  Proverbs 17:22

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.”  Psalm 47:1

“God has a smile on His face.”  Psalm 42:5

“God, who sits in Heaven, laughs!”  Psalm 2:4

“He that is of a merry heart has a continual feast.”  Proverbs 15:15

“I commend mirth.”  Ecclesiastes 8:15

“I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them and give them gladness for sorrow.”  Jeremiah 31:13

“Let the shield exult and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”  Psalm 96:12

“Let your heart be merry.”  Judges 19:6

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break into joyous song and sing praises.”  Psalm 98:4

“The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy; The meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.”   Psalm 65:12-13

“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them.”  Psalm 126:2 

“You have turned my mourning into dancing; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.”  Psalm 30:11

“You shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and hills before you shall burst into song, and the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”  Isaiah 55:12

New Testament

“Although you have not seen Jesus, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy.”  Peter 1:8

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh!”  Luke 6:21

“But in so far as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed.”  Peter 4:13

“I have said these things to you,” Jesus said to his disciples, “so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”  John 15:11

“The angel said to Mary:  You will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at the birth of your son.”  Luke 1:14

“The angels said to the shepherds:  Do not be afraid, for see – I am bringing good news of great joy for all the people.”  Luke 2:10

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 18:3

“When the wise men saw that the star had stopped over the place where the Christ child lay, they were overwhelmed with joy.”  Matthew 2:10

Jotting with Johnna:

• How might you find and foster healing humor in yourself and your shared sphere?  Even an unsolicited smile or a friendly wave (especially when combined) can work wonders in the current state of circumstance!  You can even do that effectively from behind windows or windshields.  Post a silly selfie, maybe?  Other ideas?
• What jokes could you "dust off" for lifting up other folks via email, letters, social media, or a really precious phone call?  Bonus for the phone call:  laughter shared seems to be multiplied!
• Have you experienced or witnessed something funny recently you could share?  
• Where might you find more sources and outlets of humor while we face the relatively dark news being pushed by media?
• When can you "distance" yourself from the news long enough to relax and realize the good stuff?  Who else might benefit from the reminder to detach from the droning television and plug into the positive?  

Remember:
You've survived one hundred percent of the difficult times and rough days you've faced.  Practice wisdom, take care of those near you, and - for Heaven's sake - laugh!

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Wellness WHEREVER You Are

Ours is a situation unlike times past - not so much the quarantine or even rationing of some household items, but in other ways, ironically because of "progress."  Globally, most of us have become accustomed to a level of convenience.  Naturally this level varies relative to several factors, but anyone reading these words can likely relate to the concept.  Now so many of these levels of liberty have been shifted significantly enough to raise the eyebrows of even the most level headed optimists among us.  

As I insist via the mission of this blog, I don't think anyone has a wellness solution that fits everyone equally or even effectively.  That said, I'd like to offer a little homespun wisdom for consideration as we revise our wellness scripts as relevant to the current state of the world.

This image is my own - feel free to save and share!

I've composed this acronym image for a reminder of things we should all really have as a regular practice anyway.  It's not revolutionary, but I think it is inspired, and I hope you can find something in it that brings hope.  Feel free to share this.  ScriptedWellness.com is not a monetized blog - I am doing this for the sake of anyone who happens upon it, sharing whatever I can because I believe it is all given for that sake.  If it helps one person, especially if you are that person, then it's all worth the time I've put into it.  

Be healthy WHEREVER you are (with informational hyperlinks):

Wash your hands.  This one's obvious and I find the need for reminders onerously redundant.

Hydrate.  Simply swapping one daily beverage for some water can do your body good. 

Exercise.  Gentle movement is key:  stretch, dance, walk (especially outdoors), light calisthenics. 

Rest.  Sleep is essential for resilient health of mind and body.

Eat your greens.  Everything from broccoli to seaweed, kale to cucumbers - just do it!

Visit forgotten passtimes.  Word search, crossword or jigsaw puzzles, jump rope, hopscotch...

Encourage one another.  Turn off the news and turn up the smiles - stress is an immunity killer.  

Resist undue panic.  Even while preparing for the worst, you can defiantly expect the best.

Jotting with Johnna:

• Whom do you know - especially considering elderly or other high-risk folks - you could offer to pick up groceries or deliver meals in the coming days?
• How many numbers on your phone have not been dialed in ages?  Maybe this is a great opportunity to catch up with a few of those people.  Make a list, make a call, mail a letter...
• When was the last time you played board games, cards, dominoes, or put together a jigsaw puzzle?  Perhaps you could dust off the Scrabble board or play a game of Twister with your kids.
• What unfinished projects - both work and play kinds of projects - are you now available to attack?
• Where might you take your dog for a walk in full sunlight, now that you have time to do so?

Remember:

There are many creative ways to keep your head and your health.  You are worthy of the time to be proactive in these pursuits; and you likely know at least one person whose life will be far less isolated and lonely if you include them, even if it's a simple phone call or handwritten letter.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Perceptive Distortion

Two sets of eyes gaze at the same painting; but behind the lenses and lashes, two quite diverse messages are derived from the same visual representation.  An accident investigator takes the testimonies of a number of eye witnesses, those whose firsthand accounts would inform the powers of safety and justice - each story a bit askance of its fellows.  A couple recounts tales from their recent vacation, one correcting the other lovingly, met with surprise-adjacent reactions from either teller.  Why is this - that we can experience and encounter life and its elements so diversely? 

I was thinking of this because I'm still new in my glasses-wearing, and now contact-lens-wearing life.  Also, the set of eyes whose stance is often alongside my own just had his sight rechecked yesterday.  Thirdly, and the reason I've finally found myself at the keyboard again in order to ponder the perceptive distortions between people is a painting - a parrot painting.

Five years ago this very month, I went to one of those charming establishments so popular in recent times - a paint and sip place - with two of my dearest friends.  The painting on this particular evening (also my first) was a parrot with a slice of lime in its beak, perched atop a margarita with a sea sunset in the background.  The three of us, along with the couple dozen strangers also in attendance, all had the same set of instructions, the same access to paints and brushes; yet every last bird seemed to be "of a different feather."  Mine looked like some sort of ethereal Phoenix-parrot in a tropical setting, while my friends both painted far more solid, bold lines.  Each of us began with a blank canvas upon which each of us crafted our own interpretation with varying pressures and scale. 

In case it wasn't obvious, mine's on the right.

Yesterday, in a Salvation Army store, with the aforementioned set-of-eyes-having companion, I spied the same painting (in someone else's hand, of course).  It naturally made me laugh as I recalled my experience with fondness.  Tonight, my own fowl-adorned-canvas (believe me, it's accurate on many fronts to reference it as such) is in the front seat of my vehicle, waiting to be delivered to my unsuspecting companion.  I'm hoping it will bring a bit of comedic relief to what has been a trying day from his perspective.

As I went to place the libation-perched-parrot into my conveyance, I heard a chirp to the right of my gate.  Shifting my eyes, I saw a round-breasted robin, the first sign of spring, I'm told.  The robins all look so robust at the beginning of the season, before the turf-wars begin with the other territorial songbirds.  Soon enough, however, the bright plumage and proud stance will bear evidence of moving violations, battles lost and won.  This is another way the same visage shifts - over time, whether it's our fickle memories or the matter of facts that literally change the view.  Either way, we are here to behold it all and calibrate our individual lenses so that we can see with greater clarity, using that sense of vision to align with the art of life.  We each come to see things as we do for a number of reasons, including personal experience, faith background, access to differing levels of information, academic scholarship, socioeconomic status, and any combination of variables too lengthy a list to compile here.  While we may not have the whole picture, we are each owners and onerous of the distortions with which we form and revise our perception of the world. 

Jotting with Johnna:

• What have you noticed you see issues and items differently than you once did?
• How did your perception shift, or was it an entire paradigm which altered your views?
• Where do you need greater focus or maybe to "pan out" to ensure you perceive accurately the world around you?
• Who might be helpful to discuss such sight-correction?
• Do you have someone with whom you can ensure accountability to stay aligned with truth?

Remember:
To clarify, I'm not writing political commentary.  That's certainly not the sort of thing I want to do in this space.  That stated, a quip oft attributed to Anaïs Nin reads, “We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.”  You have the power at any moment to clean your attitudinal lenses as needed.  Especially in an election year, given the vast number of information sources and devices, it can be difficult to see beyond the haze of agenda-spun stories; but a bit of humility and consideration for those who see things in another way might just help us reach common ground where it may be had.  Like the robins, we may get a bit worn before the season changes, but it doesn't mean we cannot show our best colors in the process.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

It's Elementary, My Dear Wellness Scribe

We've been gathering clues to discover the chazown - the vision - for life.  It's unique to each person; yet Craig Groeschel's program, as described in the book and on the resource-packed website, provides guidance for the quest.  This post will conclude the exploration we began a few days ago, but the book holds much which makes it worth procuring and perusing for yourself.  This is really just an introduction, an opportunity for introspection I hope will foster further delving on your part.

Image sourced via Google, un-secure site destination

Having explored the three circles, you'll know by now what the author/pastor means when he writes:

• Your core values are the handful of values that you are most passionate about and stood for above all else.
• Your spiritual gifts are your special abilities, the things you do noticeably well - and love to do.
• Your past experiences are the events and seasons in your past (both pleasant and unpleasant) that have shaped who you are today and prepared you for God's plan for your future.

The place these three overlapping circles of self-evaluation and godly revelation converge is a "sweet spot" in which all those life dimensions operate at their greatest strength.  A few questions below will help to dig for the jewels.  For now, we'll press forward.

Groeschel warns that this truth-finding mission is not for wimps, urging to expect discomfort because "God's vision for you is bigger than you can imagine and impossible for you to do on your own."  This reminds me of Henry Blackaby's reference to God-sized tasks in Experiencing God.  God intends to receive glory from your joining Him in His work; and that cannot happen when you're fully capable in your own power and with your own resources to do it all.

Because this mission God has for you is vast in comparison to your own power, wisdom, and resources, it is wise to seek counsel as you embark on defining and fulfilling that purpose.  God will not contradict His Word, the intercession of fellow believers is priceless, and God has already facilitated your access to wise believers whose guidance can be crucial - especially when it comes to being accountable.

Groeschel defines a mission statement as a "one sentence version of God's chazown for your life expressed in words that greatly motivate you to pursue it for Him."  You can start with a lengthy, rambling draft, of course, and then revise and reduce it to a concentration that is powerful and strong, relevant to you.  Those questions I mentioned earlier - the ones you'll find below - will really help with that first draft.

Intention and vision and mission statements are great things unless they are as far as you get.  Putting the God-sized task into a plan of action galvanizes and catalyzes dreams into destiny.  We are to walk by faith (Galatians 5), and some of that faith is creating a plan for moving into the mission (Proverbs 14:22-23; 33:11; Matthew 16:21).  The author mentions the efficacy of short term goals which contribute progress toward the long-term outcomes, citing the concept of SMART goals.  While goals are helpful structure, excessive worry over this step can lead to actions becoming drowned in intent; so take the very next step, insisting the power of your faith over the grip of fear.

Finally, and essentially, the spokes of your proverbial wheels must be balanced and strong for the long haul - a practice which requires vigilant and willful attention.  Those spokes deal with:

• Your time with God
• Your relationship with other people in your life 
• Your financial stewardship and wellbeing
• Your physical fitness
• Your work life - whatever that is that occupies your time, whether it's paid or volunteer

Jotting with Johnna:
It's finally time for those questions posed by pastor Groeschel - consider, pray about, and seek wise counsel as to these questions.

• What have I always considered important?
• What values permeate me to my core?
• What have I always seemed especially gifted to do?
• What have my experiences revealed about me and my purpose?
• If money were inconsequential, and I could do anything I desired for the rest of my life, what would I do?
• Aside from providing love, care, and ministry to those I cherish, what's the foremost thing I believe God wants to accomplish in this life through my action?

Remember:
You were born on purpose with purpose.  It will be outside your own strength - it'll even stretch you - but you are uniquely gifted with talent, experience, and a set of values to accomplish that big vision with God's backing for His glory.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Pit Stop

While I know I've been in a book for several posts now, I'm diverting to refuel and change tires, a pit stop of sorts.  The reasons include a wondrously wacky canine at my feet whose paws just walked alongside me to the home I'm selling down the street.  Also, the book I have been extrapolating for you Scribes happens to be in my bedroom, and I'm in the study at the moment.  Yeah, weak reasons, but sometimes those hints come from Higher Office; and I've learned to listen even if it sounds silly.

Image source:  https://i8.ventures/case-study-the-ferrari-pit-stop-and-the-value-of-shared-goals/

Last year, I was writing lines as they came to me in a simple, inexpensive, week-at-a-glance planner.  I wrote about it in this post.  It is from these scribbles from which I hope to scratch out a bit of wisdom and wit that may stimulate your wellness script-writing.

Old things must pass away so new things can grow.  I spent some time on Monday working on the aforementioned former abode.  I have quite a bit of garden on that tiny bit of landscape, and all of it is perennial.  There's spearmint I've planted around my mailbox, which is such a verdant green and boasts some sweet pollinators in the heat of summer, when many other sources have begun to go dormant.  When dormancy is near, I trim the spearmint back a little and then let it protect the tender new leaves of gloriously aromatic mint as they come up from their winter slumber.  Monday, I ensured sun exposure for those same tender sprigs as spring teases at my imagination.

We do well to release ways of thinking and being in the world when those ways prove themselves faulty, obsolete, or harmful.  As so eloquently put in Hebrews 12:1, let's "cast off" whatever is holding us back, hindering progress, or causing us to stumble in running our own race!  Compost is always intentional and it's often an inconvenient and smelly process; but organic compost causes garden vegetables to thrive.  Composing the "new things" of the garden variety and the glorious all the same requires giving up what is beyond or behind us to be relegated as potential soil.  If you read yesterday's post, you'll find this thought familiar.  Indeed, composing healthy new things is best executed in the compost of the past, clearing away the dried brambles to ensure that light gets into the new things God has planned (Jeremiah 29:11-13; Isaiah 43:18-19).

I've moved from one home to another.  I don't live there anymore; but I'm grateful for the place where I got healing - the physical address and the spiritual access alike.  It's time for another dweller's life to happen there, person(s) for whom I am preparing the place in that vacancy.  What once was is no more; and with thanksgiving, I release that home to the market.  It won't be helpful to keep gripping tightly to things which no longer contribute to my growth or my good; and in fact would be detrimental.

Jotting with Johnna:

• To what might you be holding on, and why?
• Is there a way to remember and reverently release that person, place, pursuit, or possession?
• How might your load be lighter - light enough to run the race set before you - without that weight?

Remember:
Sometimes it is wise to stop carrying something simply because it is heavy and no longer contributes to the abundant life won for you by Christ.  You are so very worthy of the act of releasing that which keeps you from living that life - it came at great price. 

In the words of Jesus, Himself:

"The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy.
I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]."
John 10:10
https://my.bible.com/bible/1588/JHN.10.10  

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

The Past is Part of the Path

Days ago, I began digging into Chazown, a book by author and pastor, Craig Groeschel of Life.Church.  The posts involved are in succession, each setting the stage for the next and so on; so if you're new here, please visit this post first.  In the book whose mission it is to assist believers in finding their chazown - their vision - after the composition of one's own epitaph, the next begins explaining the three circles, beginning with the circle of core values, explained in this post.  The next circle is exploration of what gifts and talents one has, as explained here.  The final circle deals with past experiences and how they can help reveal what God has designed the individual to accomplish.

What happens to people and what they do with what happens to them determines the trajectory of the remainder of their days.  As such, while one might stiffen at the idiom, "everything happens for a reason," we can safely assert that we are able to find meaning and purpose to galvanize us when we are willing to allow God to shift our perspective and see the potential.  It shouldn't take long for a reflective person to look back on his or her life and see where events that seemed random at the time were more obviously catalysts on an individual or collective basis.  This applies to both the pleasurable outcomes and the painful ones.

Groeschel asserts that, "your past often holds the key to unlock your future."  Grief and loss can foster empathy, wisdom, and compassionate effort.  The ability to provide comfort relevant to each loss is not to be underestimated.  Painful experiences change us in unique ways, like a chisel creating a masterpiece and a mess all around it all at once.  With what I've personally experienced, I can find joy in the junkyard as easily as on a playground - its resilience and strength I could never have known had it not been for the walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

Image source:  https://www.magiceye.com/portfolio-items/pegusus/

Groeschel used the "magic eye pictures" to illustrate the point that a shift in focus makes all the difference.  These pictures seem to be nothing but random colors and shapes on a canvas; but with the proper focus, a depth of meaning can be conceived with the same eyes, now opened anew.  Ask God to give you eyes to perceive His purpose in both the good and bad - even the ugly - pictures of your life. 

Life can only be lived forward; and while the past is a precious resource from which to learn and grow, we will never be able to run the race with perseverance (Hebrews 12:1-3) if we cling to what no longer is.

Jotting with Johnna:

• What do your painful and your pleasurable/positive experiences have in common (or in stark contrast)?
• What do you think your experiences have done within you to prepare you for future pursuits?
• How have you changed - and should your response be challenged afresh?
• What potent experiences (hurtful and helpful alike) might God want to use?
• Regarding the next chapter of your life story, what possible title(s) come to mind as you consider the past behind you and the path before you?

Remember:
Notice all kind of experiences, denoting blessings and obstacles you have faced.  You are so very worthy of the vision quest which will reveal their use in your future.  Romans 8:28-29 encourages all believers that God does indeed work all things to the good of those who love Him and are called according to His good purpose.  That's me and that's you; but that's not always in the timing we would see favorably.  One of my favorite movie quotes of all time is from The Shawshank Redemption (1994).  Morgan Freeman's character, Red, tells Tim Robbins' character, Andy, "...get busy living or get busy dying."  Let the past be what it is where it is, let God redeem it; and let's get busy living.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Viewpoint and Vision

In a previous post, I began exploring a book by pastor/author Craig Groeschel, Chazown:  A Different Way To See Your Life (2006).  On Groundhog Day, we considered what might become our epitaphs, beginning with the end in mind.  Next, we introduced the three circles:  core values, spiritual gifts, and past experiences.  The convergence of these overlapping circles is likely to reveal the chazown, or vision for the remainder of one's days.  Core values were contemplated, and now we'll look at spiritual gifts.

Image source:  https://www.changeview.org/3-powerful-steps-to-find-vision/

There are gifts in my living room, still wrapped in Christmas gift paper, bows attached, just resting there around my little Christmas tree.  Yes, I know it's February; but the intended recipient of the gifts has been overwhelmed at work and it's delayed our gift exchange to nearly Valentine's Day.  I don't mind the wee tree there with its Peanuts-cartoon-themed ornaments still in place; but as I consider gifts, it's the moment of transfer that makes the actual gifting valid.  Also, I am excited just imagining his reaction when the wrapping falls away from each item, carefully curated just for him. 

We must realize and actively receive most gifts, and I imagine God's delight when we are finally on the precipice of pursuing the reasons those gifts are chosen specifically for each of us.  Until we utilize them, they are merely latent talents, and many will actually atrophy for lack of use - use it or lose it, as they say.  The talents in Matthew 25;14-30, Jesus' parable of the talents, are a form of currency; but I think it is fitting that Jesus used the particular measure of wealth that He knew would eventually show up in English translations with the same word, talent.

We are uniquely equipped to fulfill the vision for which we were created.  Romans 12:6-8 lists a few of these spiritual gifts, stressing the imperative to use them.  They come straight from God, almost like a form of software that must be activated.  1 Peter 4:10-11 again admonishes believers must use their gifts, adding that they will benefit others as well as glorify God and draw others to Him.  1 Corinthians 12 & 13 further explain this giftedness and the appropriate attitude with which to employ them, with love.  Your awareness and application of your artistry, prowess, interests, and areas of strength will yield great insight as to your own chazown.

Jotting with Johnna:

• Do you know your primary spiritual gifts?  There are many spiritual gift inventory lists and quizzes, including one on the Chazown program website.  
• What do you enjoy and look forward to doing?
• What do you do that seems to significantly impact those around you?
• What do you believe in your heart you can do but haven't attempted yet?
• What gifts do you have that you're not currently putting to use?

Remember: 
You are gifted with something that can change the world, whether on a local or global scale; but the gifts you have are not meant to remain wrapped and tucked away in a corner of your life.  Rip open the package and look for ways to utilize each gift as only you are able.  The world is waiting for what you have to offer!

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Mind What Matters

What begun in a previous post continues in this one.  I'm exploring the book, Chazown:  A Different Way to See Your Life.  Having planned one's epitaph, then Craig Groeschel says the next step toward a chazown (personally relevant vision/purpose) is determining what goes in the "three circles."

Core Values

Spiritual Gifts

Past Experiences

Image source:  https://www.websystemer.no/five-steps-to-ethical-ai-for-businesses

In my career with the United States Air Force, one of the first things I was taught is one of the central themes around which I was to operate in and out of uniform:  the USAF Core Values. 

• Integrity First
• Service Before Self
• Excellence in All We Do

These core values keep us strong, safe, and steady through all manner of circumstance.  We each rely on one another to practice the core values as stalwart wingmen on and off base.  This set of values or guiding principles for personal and professional conduct work on an individual and collective basis.

Each person has something drawing him or her toward action.  We each have personal priorities, passionate pursuits, and things we would do if money was immaterial to the decision.  Those things are informed by our core values.  Some values are moral convictions, often informed by our spiritual upbringing and understanding.  Others came to us through life experiences, watching what happens when a certain set of standards is met or unmet.  Aforementioned pastor and author Craig notes, "what you cherish at your core is what you aim at with your life."

Jotting with Johnna:

• What causes light you up internally?
• What do you believe strongly should be upheld?
• What thrills your heart to do or dream of doing?

Remember: 
You are "fearfully and wonderfully made" for more than mere existence (Psalm 139), imbued with a creative mind and engineered with a heartfelt passion which draws you toward action.  You are worthy of the steps it will take to fulfill those hardwired aspects of your calling.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

20200202 Casting Shadows

It's Groundhog Day, the second day of the second month of 2020.  Apparently, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, indicating an early spring (quick cheer from here).  The way I've written the date since my days on the flightline working on F-16C/D model fighter jets [YYYYMMDD] makes it a fun date to my pattern-loving mind:  20200202.  If you flipped the digits, they'd still be 20200202; it's a palindrome date.  Yep, I'm a total nerd, and I'm fine with that - it's part of my own unique wiring, my divinely designed framework made "just so" to equip me for God's purpose in my life - my chazown.

Image source:  https://www.foxnews.com

Chazown is a Hebrew term translated as:  vision, dream, or revelation; and it's the title of the book to which I'll be referring today and in the next posts which follow.  Specifically, the title is, Chazown:  A Different Way to See Your Life (2006) by Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of LifeChurch.  The key verse for the book and its accompanying resources is Proverbs 29:18, because without chazown, without vision, without purpose, we creatures fail to thrive, miss out on the joy and peace provided by a meaningful dream, die even as we live...we perish.  That's my own wacky interpretation of the verse, but I think you get the point.

In the first chapter, Groeschel describes the awkward difficulties people often have when talking about death, especially the death of a loved one.  I've seen this far too many times up close; but my family has buried so many in such a short span, that I've developed quite a skill at articulating emotions, experiences, and all manner of encounters with grief and loss.  Practice makes proficient, I suppose.  Thing is, pastors have these conversations often with those whose deceased were difficult to describe, their lives a blur of activity by no acclivity to indicate a lasting legacy.

The first task suggested by the pastor/author is to write your own epitaph.  My mind went on a few larks when I read this, I confess.  The first is not nearly as noble as the last...  Tombstone Pizza commercials from the 1980s and 1990s posed the question, "What do you want on your tombstone?"  Now that my frivolous tangent is confessed, the other hailed to a course I took during my military career on the Covey material, Seven Habits, the second of which is to "Begin with the End in Mind." 

I don't want to live any default story this world will pen for me in the void left by my lack of intentionality; just as I believe about wellness, I also believe we each have the opportunity to write - or at least influence - our own life scripts.  There are things we'd probably all love to edit, mistakes and mishaps and misery we would expeditiously "white out" or "backspace" over (remember White Out, anyone); but those past experiences are for a future post exploring this book, so we'll let that stay there and move forward...  In order to facilitate this beginning mindful of one's own ending, the composition of an epitaph, I'll present questions the pastor/author utilized as he wrapped up chapter one.

Jotting with Johnna:

• Consider these for yourself:
• The thing I placed highest priority on in my life...
• Folks who knew me comment that I "stood for" this...
• I impacted my sphere of influence and the world at large in these ways...
• God received glory from this action, attitude, or attribute...
• Others perceived my love for them because I did or said these things...
• When I'm "on the other side," I hope God will say "well done" because of this...

Remember:
Your story is still being written; and you are at the proverbial keyboard with no [Backspace] button or correction tape or [Ctrl/Alt/Delete], because life can only ever always be lived forward, whether you choose to focus ahead of you or avert your gaze.  You are so very worthy of the blessings which come from a life thoughtfully and intentionally lived; and it starts with a mindful contemplation of the end.

What do you really want on your tombstone?

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.