living for eternity today

Tag: breathe

Untold

I remember that day like it was yesterday. There was no sound. I was no expert and had no experience but I was sure that when a child was born there should be some noise, some sound, something…anything. But as Matthew burst into this world it was not with a sound or a cry or even a breath. It was silent. He was lifeless. It wasn’t like any movie I had seen or story I had heard.

This moment was unexpected to say the least. All throughout the pregnancy things were good. The heart beat was heard weeks after conception. The fingers and toes of our unborn children could be seen with tremendous ease. As cells split and formed and parts were created it was an amazing story that remained yet untold.

I remember the day the ultrasound tech told us we were having twins. I was shocked and probably could have used some medical attention myself. Not one heartbeat but two of them beating in perfect unison to the point the sonogram didn’t catch two hearts beating. What an amazing story that remained still untold.

Every child has a story to tell. Some of those stories are told in tears and cries for help. Others are told in songs of joy. Still other stories are told in smile that child brings to her eagerly waiting parents. Whatever the story, however it’s to be told let them speak. In this day and age when we speak out in matters of injustice and demand that all lives matter, have we forgotten the untold stories of millions of children who never had a chance to tell theirs? Have we so easily trampled on the innocent just to protect our own appearance and preserve our pride?

There’s a story to be told in each pre-born breath. There’s a story to be told in every kick at a mother’s belly. We can’t let those stories go untold.

Matthew was born with no breath in his lungs yet his story wasn’t over. The doctors knew it. They could sense it. They pulled in equipment and additional staff. They did all they could as they prepared to insert the tube into his lungs to breathe for him. But little did they know his story was just beginning. You see the second his twin was born, red as red can be, belting out his own scream of life, then Matthew’s voice was heard.

Our children have stories to tell. It’s our job as parents to help them tell those stories. From inside the womb to their cries in the crib to their skipping home from that first day of school to the time they dawn that uniform and head off to their first tour of duty – your child has a story. Every child has a story and there is no choice to leave it untold. We are called and commanded to give voice to each one of these stories.

Today’s Music Monday is one fitting for today. Untold. Don’t leave any story untold.

Breathe, No Really Breathe!

It’s that time of year again; the month of December is a busy one for most people. For many people December is filled with the stresses of end of the year work assignments and projects, exams for students, meal planning and preparations, shopping and making sure everyone on your list has a Christmas gift, and of course looking forward to what next year has to bring. Our lives have become so busy and we’re constantly on the go. When do we make time for Jesus during this busy Christmas season. Afterall, it is all about Him. Continue reading

Breathe

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It seems like our lives are getting busier and busier. No matter how fast you move, it’s just hard to keep up much less get ahead at all. It’s coming up on vacation season and you know what that means right? You have to work twice as hard to prepare to be gone. Then you’ll have to work double again when you return just to catch up. End of school programs are filling the calendar. Sports leagues are gearing up for summer play. Dance recitals, play practice, summer programs at church. And these are all of the extras! None of this has anything to do with getting dinner on the table at night, keeping up with household chores, getting things done around the outside of your house so you can enjoy the backyard. Then you start feeling guilty because you didn’t find time the last few days to get in that run or workout. Time just seems to be slipping by you and you can’t do a thing about it!

Ok. Now that your heart is racing and you feel like you are in way over your head. STOP! Just breathe. I know that sounds like a super simple thing to do. But humor me for a minute and just sit still for 2 minutes and focus on your breathing. Breathing is an extremely easy way to reset the body’s anxiety meter. When we’re stressed and just running like crazy, breathing can help us regain focus.

So often in our lives we completely forget to breathe. Don’t get me wrong here, we breathe. The point is we just don’t focus on that breathing. It just happens. Thank goodness! If I had to think about my breathing all the time, I’m pretty sure I’d be a lifeless ball of dust! Breathing was the one thing that God did to bring us to life. When God breathed into us, we came alive. Again in the New Testament Jesus breathed on his disciples after his resurrection. The point of this breathing was pretty significant if you know the history.

You see in the original languages of the bible, the word for breath is the same as the word for wind and spirit. So when Jesus breathed on them, he blew his spirit on them. Same thing happened in creation when God knelt down in the dust of the Garden of Eden and breathed (spirited) humanity. One more time we see this happen in the bible. In the book of Acts is record of an event call Pentecost. Pentecost was when God breathed, spirited on Jesus’ disciples and in turn on us as well.

When we take a moment and pause to just breathe, we allow ourselves to regain focus. When we focus on our breathing, we focus on the times when God has gone out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed for our daily lives. Listen to the song, slow your breathing, calm yourself, and trust that God has it all in his control.

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