I grew up in the military.

And that had many blessings… like being able to push a major ‘refresh button’ in life every three or so years.  We didn’t know what a ‘small town mentality’ was, and were open to making new friends all the time… I consider my upbringing in the military a blessing, even though it is a challenging life.

And so now, we are not in the military.  We have been in the same town for almost 11 years… longer than I have lived anywhere.  In a way, I haven’t been sure what to do with myself… there has been ‘no easy way out’ with simply moving and disappearing and starting over.  The same people are… still here.  And so am I.  It has been a real learning curve, but I also discovered a valuable gem that was hard to attain in the military life: long-term friends.  What a treasure!

But what about when I am sick and tired of the same little group, or they are sick of me?  What if there is a family that simply doesn’t like us and keeps slandering and just won’t go away?  What if we need to push that ‘refresh button’ but we are… well… stuck here?

I realized something… we are NOT stuck!  We can move!

MENTALLY!!!!

When we change our attitude and outlook, it is really interesting, but a natural ‘refresh’ seems to happen.  People that might be disagreeable, or even people that are wonderful but that we no longer ‘fit in with’ or that we have grown in different directions, groups that no longer bring us life (but once did)… when we change for the better, we can start to notice that those same people aren’t as attracted to us anymore, and in fact, the feeling is mutual… and we move on.

And amazingly, new people seem to pop into our lives without much effort.

I feel like we have moved… I have moved my psyche, my confidence level, my attitude, and my new location is beautiful and awesome.

And those friends whom I have had for years who have grown right along with me?  I didn’t have to give them up.  In fact, we are living in the same ‘town’…

Do you have a story about ‘moving’?  I would love to hear it!

I cannot begin to tell you how freeing and exhilarating it is to drive down the highway, new road ahead, wind blowing in your hair, new land and new scenery you haven’t seen before.  But you don’t have to move out of your house to find this, and you don’t have to be military…  You can simply jump into the convertible of your choice (mine has to be imaginary anyway, unless we can find a 10 passenger one ), turn on that engine, put your foot to that pedal, and DRIVE…. Sun shining, beauty all around, a new horizon…

Happy moving!

Blessings,

shalimamma

Greetings, my friend!!

Wow, what a week…  what a month…  There has been quite a mix of glorious happenings, mixed with bittersweet as well as just plain sad happenings… and we’ve barely begun the year!  I can tell this is going to be quite a packed year.  There’s even a solar storm going on right now, reflecting the turbulence of our times, I believe… Yikes!

This happens to be Sanctity of Life week, with the unfortunate anniversary of Roe V. Wade on the 22nd, the March for Life yesterday, and the tension in the air the government actually ‘tries’ to take away organizations’ and churches’ freedom to practice their faiths in the areas regarding life in the womb.  What are we to do?

I normally don’t get very political on my blog, as I tend to go with my hubby’s view that ‘before Kingdoms change, men’s hearts must change’, even as we vote the closest way possible to protecting the lives of all our citizens.

One organization which we LOVE is ManhattanDeclaration.org.  They stand for values that we believe best reflect our original Forfathers’ intent when they founded our country of the United States.  For those reading around the world, their values best reflect what we believe best protect and build up the basic building block of society: the family.

This week, in honor of Sanctity of Life week, they offered a poetry contest asking:  why choose life?  I have written a poem which I would be honored to share with you!  And if you like it, please click the ‘little like button’ at the top of the poem!  Thank you so much!

My poem, The Gift Received, can be found here:

Blessings,

shalimamma

PS  That little bundle of joy at the top of this post?  That’s Miriam, who’s now almost 20 months old! 

I know Christmas is over, but…

Is it?  He is born, He is a humble Babe, and although He sits at the Right Hand of the Father in Glory, He still reminds us every year of how He chose to come among us.  And isn’t He always being born anew in our hearts?

My little series on love and freedom would be incomplete without a poem I wrote during Advent of last year, when I realized the pride that had led me to where I was… and I realized the humility and sloppiness of the shepherds, to whom the Glorious Angels chose to appear and reveal the most amazing Truth… while the Pharisees most likely sat polishing their rings and bleaching their phylacteries.

The Baby Jesus came to us in a profound way this last Christmas… And being pregnant with a tumbling babe in my womb, the meaning if ‘his birth’ has an even greater and deeper impact.  And so, I would be honored to share with you my thoughts on His birth, which are not limited to Christmas, but will last for eternity…

Oh babe

in lowly cave

so accessible, approachable…

I thought I could

capture you

contain you

in my tiny manger of my ideas.

I thought you were to be found

in only one place

in one small way

I had the secret

and I was elite

and I had found ‘your prophet’

who said I was one of five favored…

How my pride secretly grew

and led me down a path

a clever one (of destruction)

the pride of those who are chosen

not the pride of those indifferent ones

… but pride nonetheless…

I thought I was too good for imperfect shepherds

and following sheep

who were sloppy, but saw angels, and quickly believed

and there you were

here you are

sweet babe

kicking in the womb

of my heart

saying ‘Stop worshipping man

but come to ME!’

and You broke the chains

once again

once again

and here we are

You and me

in simple cave

with mystery

(incomprehensible, humble) for everyone

and freeing me

from satan’s tyranny.

Rejoice, my soul…

Rejoice!

“Birth of Humble Victory” by Shalimar Masters

Copyright 2011