Tension

Check out  this blog post  by Rachel Evans Held. Thought it was an interesting read. Pray for tension to bring about god-honoring change and reconciliation.

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9

Looking Up

Yesterday I saw them- they both waved in unison. I smiled and reciprocated. Months had passed since I had first seen them walking along, side by side. Time had rotated us into a whole different season. Red and orange leaves had scattered into fall. Bare limbs braved the blistery winter, and now spring was coming into full bloom.

The day our lives had intersected had been the perfect autumn day. Crisp, breezy, deep blue sky. The leaves on the trees lining the street were strikingly vibrant shades of crimson red, golden yellow and bright orange. And yet, I drove down the street that I do every day- barely noticing. I was running late. Moms who drive their kids to school are painfully aware of the exact time needed show up in order to leave the parking lot during daylight hours. Nobody cares that you had a rough afternoon or got a late start out the door. Half of the moms lined up are statistically either on their period or gearing up for it. Its like a PMS parade, except for the few dads that brave the dangerous parking lot at midday. If you don't get a prime spot with easy access out- you stay stuck parked in a line that takes hours to move. Its like reliving moments of childbirth five days a week.

On that day I was trying to rush from one destination to another, with multiple small children talking nonstop in the background. I was pushing thru the stresses of busy motherhood- getting things done and checked off my to-do list. Or so I thought.

It ended up being the kind of day that caught me by surprise and held me captive until I relented into seeing its magnificence. And it started when I saw a man and a woman walking side by side on the sidewalk. Probably nearing retirement, they were out for a leisurely afternoon stroll. Cars were shuffling into the parking lot by the second. I was within twenty feet of my desired spot when I saw this man suddenly stop. He turned to face the woman. She took a step backward into the grass of a yard.  He quickly walked around behind her as she fell into him. It almost felt like it happened in slow motion.

The cranky carpool-frenzied voice in my head told me to keep on driving. I was almost there. I could get a good spot. Besides my little girl would be waiting. I didn't want her to wonder where I was. Somebody else would help out. Somebody that had a clue on what to do.

And then I apparently did what I do when I am in a situation that catches me off guard.
I panic. And internalize it.
And in an instant, the thought seeped in. What if that was my mom.

I pulled up to the house they were in front of, rolled down the window and called out to the man. He was leaning over the woman now lying flat on her back. I had no idea what was happening, so I just called out, "Hey, is she alright? Do you need me to call 911?" And he told me that he needed me to stay with her while he ran to their home nearby to get her medication. SO... I roll down the windows a bit, lock my kids in the car (I'm overprotective like that), and sat on the front yard of a house in front of a school next to a lady having a seizure. I held her hands and spoke gently to her as she stared up at the sky.  Another stay-at-home-mom -who had an epileptic husband- also stopped.  The two of us sat on either side of the woman, reassuring her as her body began to relax, as we waited for her husband to return.

And so I looked up that day. At the most beautiful sky ever. And I noticed the stunning beauty of the trees. I took deep breaths of cold air that filled my lungs in the midst of uncertainty. I interrupted my busy day with a moment to just sit and hold the hand of a lady I didn't know. To calm her with nothing more than my presence and my voice. I was fortunate enough to meet a very sweet and humble woman last fall, who has lived a lifetime with epilepsy. Who now sees my car and makes a point to wave to me.

So I'm thinking about this today. How can we be more intentional connecting with people?
I would love to hear your ideas-

JB


Listening to this amazing song you should most definitely download from iTunes:
Am I Wrong by Nico & Vinz

Addicted to Love

In empty parking lots at dusk many people hide out in their cars, waiting for deliverance. Anxious for another fix. The location changes day to day, but even the hassle of it isn't much of a deterrent. All across town, vacant pavement becomes a lucrative hideout for hushed transactions. Where you might be known by a fictitious alias- or perhaps a pen name- like the former Mayor of WVC. When you want something you know you probably shouldn't have, you figure out how to make it happen. You make excuses, you sneak away, you ask around, and always know exactly how much it will cost you.

I resisted for a long time. I knew that a lot of people shared this hard-to-break habit, but certainly not to this extent. Many days I try to ignore what I crave or where to get it. Often I convince myself it is not something I need. Just a want. And on occasion, I find myself wishing I had never known how mind-blowing this little indulgence would turn out to be.

And then some days I just give in. I hold crinkled bills in my sweaty palm and show up wearing no makeup, ponytail hair and faded sweatpants. I disregard any feelings of shame or guilt or second-thoughts and just live in the moment. Because I can. Because I like it. I crave it. Maybe I even convince myself I somehow earned it. Deserve it. Need to have it. Blah. Blah. Blah.
Justification for gratification. Simple as that.

And sometimes it doesn't feel wrong at all. It feels like a hug. Like the unconditional love you fully appreciate once you know exactly who your real friends are. And that's where I'm at.
It's comforting happiness.
All topped with homemade whipped cream.

So now you know exactly where to find me sometimes.
After dark. In the moonlight. In a random parking lot. Around Salt Lake City. Near a painted hippy truck. Delighting over pure Belgian goodness.

-JB

Disclaimer

Here is the small print. The blog post warning label. Almost everything these days seems to need one. 

So here it is. The official disclaimer.

Between Time & Dreams is a personal blog. Its not journalism. Or an instruction manual. Or a manifesto on how things should be. It is not prescriptive or definitive. 

Its simply me sharing my personal thoughts and opinions. On a wide variety of topics. Some stories you might find entertaining. Some assertions might rattle your mind. You may or may not agree. These are feelings and ideas. And that is perfectly okay. You might find my perspective untypical, especially if you were to somehow try to stereotype me, which I don't recommend.

I might have an opinion that gets you all fired up. Or not. 

Discussion & engaging dialogue is how we all figure this life out. So pull up a chair and share.

I say this so you don't have an expectation that this blog is something that its not. 

Sometimes I use humor that could be potentially offensive to people who might be sensitive. I might blog about random things like boobies and breastfeeding, boogers and toddlers. Sometimes a bad word slips out. If you are easily offended, perhaps this is not the reading that will bring peace & calm to your soul. There are plenty of bloggers out there that are much more polished than I am.

This girl is a work in progress. I'm not perfect. I mess up. I strive to learn and grow in my understanding every single day. I love God, my husband, my kids, my family, my friends, my church- and I want to be the best version of myself that I can be.  I'm passionate and driven to make the most of this life. Not waste opportunities.

My point of view is based on my current real-time understanding. It might change, it might not. Comments, questions, critique, and your stellar insight is always welcome.

As far as my opinions go, sometimes I can be right on the money- 

and other times I miss the mark. I am willing to listen. Let's talk about it.

I am also going to ask the tough questions. Questions you might think about, but not want to say out loud. I'm willing to go there. Because I think there are lots of things we don't question enough. Things that don't have any biblical basis, yet we treat as Gospel. We go with the flow. We uphold the status quo. We do what everyone else is doing. Just because. Perhaps we should seek out wisdom more than we do. Be humbled. And face hard questions. Be willing to examine any blindside we might have when seeking truth. Because truth isn't afraid of being exposed or being wrong. Truth remains.

Next post will be coming at you soon...

~JB

Matthew 7

13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many will enter through it. 

14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Hang Loose

There will be a new post from me up soon...

Open Letter

It takes courage to speak up. Especially when it is something this important. I share many of these same concerns and wish I could have been as loving, eloquent and straightforward addressing them. I hope honest conversations can bring about unity, restoration, and change.

Here is the link:  Tim's An Open Letter To My Church

Love Is Worth The Fight

I'm reading a very cool book. One of the first things that resonated with me was written in the foreward, by a pastor who grew up in the South. He decided to minister to a large population of people living in significant poverty in the area in which he grew up. As he spoke with other religious leaders about this, he was shocked to discover some wrongly assumed he had liberal theological ideology simply because he wanted to do something to help the poor.

This struck a chord because I have been accused of being "a cultural Christian" -someone who is assumed to be soft on theology simply because they take a love-centered, active approach to its application.

Jesus told us to love one another. He told us to take care of widows and orphans and those in need. But sadly, there are people out there that just want to argue. With EVERYBODY. What a tragic way to try to live out faith. Hard to explain the mercy of God- his love and grace- if you degrade people as you do it.

Recently we went to see one of our favorite bands. Skillet. Such an amazing concert. Very loud. We might end up with partial hearing loss, but it was soooo good. As we were leaving, someone approached us and tried to argue how wrong and "unbiblical" the songs were.

Millions of people are starving to death every single day. Living in filth with no access to clean water or healthcare. Orphans in desperate need of families. Child mortality rates skyrocketing for preventable diseases. Children sold into slavery and sex trafficked.

And this guy just thinks God isn't a Skillet fan.

Seriously? What do you think makes God's priority list. Me going to a Christian concert?

Unbelievably sad.

Check out this link to the protest at a Switchfoot concert recently. Jon Foreman shows he is a class act by telling concert-goers to show love and kindness to the people protesting his show.
LOVE ALONE IS WORTH THE FIGHT is the song by Switchfoot that is popular right now.
How beautiful is that.