New Blog, New Roles

This clip in Field of Dreams came to mind recently when I was talking with someone about the roles we have in life. In this clip, the young baseball player must make the decision to either stay young and play the game he loves or step off the field to his role as Doctor and do what is right- save the girl from choking to death.

The choice as a viewer seems so easy to make.  Of course, you choose to save the girl. Everyday in our lives though the choices of which role we must take are not so easily laid out.  As a Mom of five, the roles I have are many. Add to that a full time job, photography, various community groups and well, the role I play is never always just one. I can and do function in many 'different' roles all at once. I suppose that is life in the fast lane.

I began this blog a year ago. Wait, by begin, I mean I purchased the name chasinglauraingalls.com and knew that I would eventually focus on it.  My heart has always been that I would write on this blog when I was ready to re-focus my life on a more back to basics type lifestyle. My hope is that Chasing Laura Ingalls will capture my heart cry towards a simpler life. One that is presently aware and focused more on family, parenting, and all the fun stuff like my crazy life in between.

I hope you will stick by me and read as I share this new chapter in life.

Choose to love recklessly and be blessed wildly,
Wendy xo

But, I Am A Good Person

Picture taken at dawn, in Currytown,  New York, July 2012 
"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD.
"And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." Isaiah 55:8

I am in an online bible study group on Facebook. It is a group compiled of people across the nation all corporately reading the four gospels together in one year. Today we read  Luke 1:26-56 .  I personally noted a few things about how it must have been to travel pregnant and what it must have been like to have an Angel appear and say hey you are going to be carrying Jesus, the Messiah. ::sigh::  

However, what stuck out to me the most was in verse 34 when Mary questions the Angel of the Lord Gabriel. Let me back up, yesterday we read about the priest Zechariah who had the same Angel appear to him and when he questioned him, he became mute.  See, Luke 1:1-25.  Why did Mary seem to have a different favor in the sight of the Angel Gabriel when it came to her questioning?   To save you from reading this, I will tell you already that I do not know. 

What I do know is this... Many, many people question why their prayers seem to go unanswered when they are "good" people and yet others are answered and they don't even seem to follow God or anyone besides themselves. We focus on and compare the blessings we each have and receive. In case you didn't know, that is also known as coveting. 

First of all, all prayers are answered. The answer might be yes, no or not now, but they are answered.  This business about having a more effective prayer practice is nonsense. I mean are you really telling me that is someone is dying of cancer doesn't get healed it is because of her faith or lack thereof? People lining up with this type of theology seem to be missing the point entirely and are very dangerous to new believers. 

Over and over we see these amazing men and women in the bible who didn't always get what they want. Job  had to go through it, Paul went through it and John the Baptist who was the only one I can find besides Jesus to have the Holy Spirit with him from conception went through it. They didn't get out of bad situations because they were "good" people. For whatever purpose, God chooses how things will be handled. This might be a miraculous healing or it might be the grace to get through it.  

The point I am trying to make is this: We either have to believe who God is or we don't. We have to surrender to the idea that we don't have all the answers and that His ways are far beyond our comprehension.  He doesn't and will not live in this little box that our finite minds put Him in like some genie that will come in and grant our wishes on command.  But know this, He will come to you where you are at,despite your mess, all the time, on time and He loves you.  It is that simple. So let's get back to basics- Trust Him. Love Him. Quit trying to figure out the why's and focus on who He is.

Choose to love recklessly and be blessed wildly, 
Wendy 

Who Are You Hearing?

Photo taken at Auriesville Shrine, NY 2012

You know the familiarity of a voice of someone that you know, that you have a relationship with? You know it is them without having to second guess it. You have spent so much time with them that you would bet your life on it that even without seeing them you would recognize their voice. 

I am a slacker a lot when it comes to spending time with God. I make all the same excuses that you might. I am busy, I have five kids, I have this and that and this and that going on. This verse reminded me of what being in a relationship looks like. Knowing the other person so well there is no doubt who they are when they call your name.  Imagine being in a relationship and being like yeah, I love you, you are my all in all and yet, not spending anytime with that person? Imagine what that would do for the relationship? Recently, someone dear told me this most valuable bit of advice, there is no relationship without well, relationship. 


Sometimes, I question whether or not I am hearing from God. I wonder is this You, or maybe this is me?  I realize the more I pour myself into a relationship with Him and get in His word and really seek Him, the more I am confident knowing it is His voice.  


As we all begin our New Year, we get energy based of the fresh start, new beginnings. Many people focus on God and set all these goals and resolutions based on how much of the bible we are going to read in a year. The focus becomes more on the task of reading vs. the relationship.  By the end of January, the momentum is gone~ similar to the honeymoon stage being over and we begin making excuses as to why we do not have time.  Really? No time, for what we profess as being the most important relationship in our lives? Then we wonder why our lives become more of a mess and then throw our fists in the air demanding "God, where are you? why can't I hear you?" When we were the one's with the adulterous hearts and behaviors, walking away from Him, NOT the other way around. 

This year, as I take a stand and re-focus my life on back to basics, I am choosing to be more aware of my relationship with Him.  Spending time with Him- not because it's on my feel good, warm fuzzy checklist, but because I desire to have relationship with Him and always know for sure it is His voice. 

Choose to love recklessly and be blessed wildly, 
Wendy