Category: Uncategorized

Unconsumed

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My pursuits to be unconsumed by the daily grind require more transition than I expected.  Master of the calendar takes more than a book and a week.  Deciding on calendar design requires fighting a few longstanding opponents.  My opponents are the invisible kind, i.e. pressure, coming up short, being tired, pushing too hard, forgetting what I am made of.  What does your invisible opponent look like?

Even though I scheduled hard with a lot of heart.  Last week was somewhat of a bomb.   I simultaneously got hit with 1) the middle school snake schedule, 2) working till 9pm at least twice, 3) sleep escaping me and 4) missing two important meetings due to the failure of my calendars to sync.  My mom even asked me about the disconnect between my writing about time and my life last week. So, again, I consider time and the arrangement of it.

What I am learning as a person: I am learning that the silly little phrase Forgive Yourself can actually have meaning.

Verse:  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

Deep Thought:  My shortage of strength, time, wisdom and peace is filled in by His love, creativity, vision and sacrifice.  I don’t know how He fills in my angst, worry, exhaustion and missed marks.  But He keeps doing the refill straight into my heart.  I am reminded to let God be God and let me be me led by Him.  Maybe it takes a book, a week and Him giving me a few more shots at mastering time.

Quote: …as Christ followers living under the ever-flowing fountain of God’s love, our hearts should be so filled with His daily kindness, and love, that we should have the resilience not to be angered or provoked when the most minor irritations of life come our way . . . Simplify by Bill Hybels (Chapter 5)

Book(s)/Blog(s)/People that Shape Me: If you need to understand forgiveness, there is no better practical, but also deep application of it than in Chapter 5 of Bill Hybels book Simplify.

I also am learning a thing or two about brevity that is sweet and lingering in Shauna Niequist’s Savor, Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are.

My Prayer to You: I pray that we would resist being consumed by our daily grind.  Instead that we would seek the presence of God to lead us to the hours of our day.  I pray for us to be prepared to fight battles to remove the invisible opponents hacking our efforts and hindering our journey.  I pray for us to be prepared to forgive ourselves for coming up short.  I pray for us to believe that we can try and try again until we have mastered the skill of designing hours.  Beside God.  Who promises to never leave or forsake us.  Amen.

Written by Sasha Katz

The Things That Make Me Happiest

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It’s Tuesday and instead of sharing my own #‎itssimplytuesday with you . . . I am reblogging an awesome list of what makes adoptingjames the happiest. I am going to get right on my own list! Happy Tuesday!

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It’s only Tuesday. And for most of us who hate our jobs, that’s like saying, “You’ve got a thousand more years before you get to sit down and relax.”

Well, I find that if you take a moment to jot down the things that make you happiest, and then every day until the weekend you do a couple of those things, it makes your work week much more bearable. A dark tunnel isn’t so scary if you see the light at the end of it.

So here’s a list of things that make me happiest.

  1. My wife and kids: My wife’s loving words, my daughters contagious laugh, and our son (still a foster) not crying if he falls down as he’s learning to walk.
  2. Ruffles’ Cheddar Cheese and Sour Cream potato chips
  3. Pixar/Disney movies – especially the ones that make me cry.
  4. Finishing a new book every week, because that means…

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Simply Tuesday by Emily Freeman (Book Recommendation)

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The beauty of this book is that Emily P. Freeman takes the idea of smallness – – which is usually not desirable – – and turns it upside down.  Embracing the small is the big that our hearts yearn for.  On the path to smallness, she points you to community, helps you search for the comparison that may be lurking in your soul and pulls you to a deep, deep place of love.  I would recommend reading A Million Little Ways by the same author as a precursor to this book.  But, if you go straight to Simply Tuesday, you will be transformed on the inside and led along a sweet path of stillness, honesty and truth.  Bravo Emily!

Be sure to check out the video series that goes along with this exceptional book.

Grab a copy of Simply Tuesday!

Give Me Mercy

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What I learned as a human:  We are intensely in need of mercy.  Our lives are half finished, mistake-filled with broken pieces waiting to made into art.  But we are not met by the Artist with conditional love, ashes and stones.  Instead we are met with Love.  So that we can keep walking in the path of Direction.  Holding the hand of Mercy.

Verse:  Deep calls unto deep in the roar of Your waterfalls.  All your waves and breakers have swept over me.  By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me  —  a prayer to the God of my life.  Psalm 42:7-8

Deep Thought: Hear the volume of the roar of His waterfalls.  He is speaking and you are hearing.  Until you sense that there is no space between hearing and speaking.  You are in the deep place.  It may be in your prayer closet.  It may be in conversation with a friend.  Or in birth or death.  Caught up in Love, there is no space between you and the roar that draws you to this deep place.

Quote: I am desperate for a life filled with twinkling eyes, for 30 gallon water pots, for believing in things I can’t see, for cups filled with secret miracles.  a million little ways, by Emily P. Freeman

Book(s)/Blog(s)/People that Shape Me:  Christina V. lives the kind of life in which she shows up as exactly who God made her to be.  She continues on this path even when those lacking their own authenticity throw spears at her.  While who she is causes a few to resort to darkness, the great many who know her find her to be a sparkling light and an inspiration — which is what she is to me.

My Prayer to You: My prayer is that we would live every day with deep understanding of our need for Mercy.  That we would walk humbly in such a way that we would hear Him speak in whispers that enter into our heart and permeate our mind.  I pray that we would see Him work miracles in our everyday lives.  And that we would be moved and shaped by the Christ we see shining in the lives of those around us.  Amen.

Oh, To Be Chosen . . . for Simply Tuesday

On By sashakatzIn Uncategorized4 Comments

This past January, I enthusiastically applied to be part of the 2015-16 Leadership Fellowship for the Florida Bar.  Yes, I wrote up a resume (after 11 years of being self-employed).  Pulled together two written recommendations.  And, had my dear friend read and edit my essays on why the powers-that-be should pick me.  I patiently waited four months to find out that the powers-that-be did not pick me.

But this is not a boohoo story.  Just a few weeks ago, I filled out a short questionnaire to be part of Emily P. Freeman’s Launch Team for her new book Simply Tuesday.  I did get a pick me.  Woohoo!

For the next several Tuesdays, I will be sharing with you my Simply Tuesday moments in my life and comments and quotes from Emily’s new book debuting in August called Simply Tuesday.  You can follow Emily on instagram and chime in with your own #‎itssimplytuesday‬ moments.  Looking forward to this sharing and reading, reading and sharing in a Femmefuel sort of way.  Happy Tuesday!

What I Have Learned Lately

On By sashakatzIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Emily P Freeman’s Blog Chatting at the Sky inspired me to collect my thoughts, quotes and other good things in one secure place.  As well as to share them.  I cannot think of a better way to become a more authentic self.  I cannot think of better way build on the great work of all of the exceptional women and men around me. I cannot think of a better way to encourage and inspire one another.

What I Learned as a Friend: I can serve others when I am under attack myself.

What I Learned as a Parent: Those who are in the decision-making position are not always right, even when they are a believer.

Verse: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man glory and his might. Nor the rich man glory in his riches. Let him who glories, glory in this, that he understands and knows Me. Jeremiah 9:23

Deep thought: I’m learning that the invisible God is working far more mightily and miraculously than I will ever see in the visible world. I’m learning to deeply trust what I cannot see. This is changing the core of my human perspective and my understanding of the very air I breathe.

Quote: The miracle, upside down work of God is that our failure isn’t an obstacle, it’s an opportunity to remember to sink into God. Not having what it takes is not a liability, it’s a prerequisite. Maybe there is hope for us after all.  A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman (Chapter 5)

Book(s) that shape me: A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman

My Prayer to You: May you breathe in the power of God; and breathe out His great plans.  May you be your authentic self.  May you serve others with your heart and soul despite your own storms.  I pray that you would trust a God that you cannot see and fine tune your sight to His invisible power.  I pray that you take in what He has for you, in part, through the good work of others.  And, at the end of every day, you never lose hope for the breakthroughs, miracles and every good thing He has planned for you.