The New year (only a month late)

The New year

New=already existing but seen, experienced, or acquired recently or now for the first time.
Potential=existing in possibility ,in a state where things are able to change.

The new year brings then the potential to change. New possibilities to be realized through some sort of action. In John 9 We see that Jesus has and contains all  the potential needed for healing the blind man, and as he places that dirt on the blind mans eyes that potential is then transferred but the healing is still in a state of potential UNTIL the Blind man moves into action. And so once again I am thinking that although there is potential for change,  a transference of energy and a subsequent action  has to occur  so that God's plans can move forward and be realized in our lives. I have been sensing that this year will be different for the Cupo household but have no idea what that will look like. It may mean new attitudes, new relationships, new territory to be explored, new insights but at this point it is still in a place of potential and so I wait anticipating that transfer of power and pray that obedience/action will follow.

EQ vs IQ

1.  Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is a value that indicates a person's ability to learn,                        understand, and apply information and skills in a meaningful way. The major difference            between EQ and IQ is what part of a person's mental abilities they measure:                                understanding emotion or understanding information. (TED.com)

   

      How do we measure a person and why do we feel the need to. How can we truly value those around us. Is it some how instilled in us at an early age or are we born with that need to compare and judge. I know that I have long struggled with my own self doubt of how I measure up and have this past year begun to release some of that. In doing so I am discovering that under neath that lies also envy. Not that my neighbors house is nicer but a deeper feeling that has held me back from truly celebrating another's success. Again I think this stems from  a  lack of  looking at what is and being thankful for how we are wired  and created. This lesson has been played out in our home as each of our children are so unique. Unfortunately the standard of measurement used in schools does not help in celebrating their gifts. We more often or not place value on IQ over EQ but in God's economy it is always the  position of the heart that is most valued.  In Genesis 4-5  it say's "The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast." Thoughts for pondering: can we learn to value others with out comparing, can we be at peace with who we are and how we were created, and how can we rejoice when others incur favor.




Article about EQ
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242881

Thoughts forming..writing to be posted tomorrow.

small triumphs

     This morning I woke up early and went immediately downstairs to start  the coffee (Twin Valley Jazzy Java) as well as brew my tea for later. I then went about packing my lunch, gathering things for work that day and then proceeded back upstairs to shower and get dressed. Well I ended up being  the last one down (out of those who had early departures). Knowing I only had a few moments to get my self out the door and no time to drink my morning cup of coffee at home, decided to dump my brewed tea out of my travel mug so I could pour the much needed Java in. And was surprised in the not so pleasant way to find literally 3 TBS of coffee left. No time to regroup, I grabbed said travel mug and a new tea bag in hopes of caffeinating my body  via tea  at the water cooler at work. (Which is a story in it's self as the hot water/ cooler had run out of water after 4 measly drips into my mug) . 
     The point of all the above details is to share with you about my struggle then to not have a fit and call all the possible coffee stealing  culprits and let them know how selfish they were.The drive to work was one fraught with the " I can't believe they didn't save me any"  and the "I know God, it's not a big deal". Back and forth the dialogue in my brain, reasoning after a while that it would be OK if I  just let them know in a nice way then  back over to   "just let it go". Ultimately it wasn't "let it go" that won but just allowing  thoughts of thankfulness to  sink in. I also pondered Eve wanting the one thing she couldn't have but not appreciating all she did have. I will admit that as the tired, no caffeine morning wore on I did waiver in my attitude a few more times but got to go home early to make a new pot of Jazzy Java with out ripping some ones head off.

Moments of Peace

Moments of Peace

Just feeling at peace with the day. Joyful time with my 13 year old, just
running errands together. Enjoying that time between boyhood and the
true teen age years when being silly with mom is OK. Proud of this little
man who is willing to step up and fix anything needed. He is my
problem solver and helper when the others are no where to be found. I know that my baby will  become busy with his own stuff soon enough but am  thankful for this day, this moment.

Freedom

Posting something  I wrote in 2011.

Freedom is… being released from man’s laws and decrees.

No need to do man’s bidding, to respond to pressure.

 I don’t have to perform,

 I only need do the Lords will, move when he wants me to.

 I have Freedom to serve or sit at his feet.

Not bound by should’s and shouldn'ts

Not bound by religiosity!

I CAN, but don’t have to!

I can worship, have fun, be silly, be serious, move or be still,

Responding only to the spirit,

 Internally at rest, outwardly obedient only to God.

Time for Tea?

A favorite pastime  of mine is to sit and catch up with friends over a cup of  tea. This pastime seems to be fading for me though and perhaps for others as well, as life's business keeps creeping in. I remember when the kids were very young how desperate I was for fellowship, arranging play dates when ever I could. As the kids got more independent I had the luxury of making actual lunch dates to catch up with friends. However now it seems like I can barely "squeeze" in a cup of tea. There was and still is something special about sitting together and glimpsing into each  others' lives and kitchens. Sharing the good, the bad and the ugly.  When I read  the other 365  bloggers I sometimes feel as if I did just have tea with them. Glimpsing in at trials, triumphs, thoughts, journeys and memories. It is not to replace the face to face but as a friend said to me today by reading these blogs, she  has  been encouraged and is wanting to join in. Let us not grow weary then and continue to share this tea.

Some Memories

Inspired by my fellow 365 writers:

     I think the good things that stand out from my childhood is that I knew I was loved no matter what and that it was OK to let loose and be a little crazy even in the midst of a home that tended to swing more to the dysfunctional side of the pendulum. My mom, an incest victim from infancy and suffering from dissociative identity disorder, was able to somehow instill in her children  a sense of silliness. As the youngest of four I remember my brother, sister and I dragging our other sister down the steps of our Colonial style house. Davra had Cerebral Palsy and was unable to walk herself. We would put her on the biggest, softest blanket we could find  and tried to minimize how many times she would bump her legs and head. Davra, for her part, would just laugh with each bump enjoying the ride. Once down  my brother would commence to make pancakes as part of our Saturday morning ritual while mom and dad slept in. One Saturday morning stands out as a favorite memory. Somebody either by accident or on purpose spilled juice (or was it milk) onto the others' food and hence forth a food war began where various substances made their way onto each others plates creating nastier and nastier concoctions. I can't remember if we ended up in"trouble" but  for me it was a moment etched in my mind of a silly innocent time and represented  family.

My unsung hero

Unsung  Hero: noun

a person who makes a substantive yet unrecognized contribution; a person whose 

bravery is unknown or unacknowledged.

My unsung hero gets up in the morning and makes coffee first thing  almost every day.  He would even bring  a mug up to me in bed if I weren't so fussy about how I wanted it prepared. My unsung hero, every night in winter months, fills the pellet stove  so we are warm and fills the humidifier so we can breath. My unsung hero heads out to work every day to a job that causes more stress than it pays. My unsung hero cares about how this world treats women and how men treat them and does something about it tirelessly speaking into men's lives. My unsung hero has always purposely spoken dreams into our children and tries to give them the tools to succeed.  My unsung hero  loves deeply once his heart has been given. My unsung hero is not perfect  but bravely ventures out each day, ready to take on what needs to be done, so his family is cared for. I thank you my husband.

 

Self regulation

        I am working with a young girl who has difficulty with self regulation: " A child with self-regulatory skills is able to focus his attention, control his emotions and manage his thinking, behavior and feelings." This young lady has problems with that so I am utilizing a program called the "Zones of Regulation" written  by  Leah Kuypers. "The Zones" describe 4 distinct areas or zones according to a color coding system using blue,green,yellow and red. "The curriculum is designed to help move students toward independent regulation."   And as you may imagine the blue zone stands for sad,tired,low feelings , the green is the optimal,alert ready to respond zone, A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, or nervousness when in the yellow zone  and the red is for  those out of control,  extremely heightened states of alertness and intense emotions. My job is to help the child understand her zones and to understand when they are expected and not expected and how to utilize various tools to regulate.

               I find myself thinking more about theses zones with in the context of my own life. When I was younger and newer in my faith I would often be either in the  green zone or the red zone,one extreme to the other. Over time and the longer I have walked this faith life out I have been able to visit that red zone less and less but as I find myself in another life stage of Hormonal imbalance I am struck with how often I am bouncing between the yellow zone and the blue zone.And yes the world tells us it is expected when the highs and lows of Estrogen,Progesterone etc hit to be off our game. However try telling that to my family when they are unexpectedly dealing with a grouchy, mad woman. I think the worst is when the blue zone hits. I know the pat Christian answer for the correct tool is Jesus and the truth of that is not lost on me but sometimes I need help accessing that tool. I am, at times,  so unable to "self regulate". Then its time to dig out other tools such as texting a dear friend "SOS", while stranded in the mountains with only the male species,as both the yellow and blue zones hit simultaneously. (NO they do not combine to make green in case you were wondering). Or taking a much needed time out, seeking some deep pressure(a hug) or simply some deep breathing as you wait on the promise that He can handle even the worst of my regulation issues.



http://zonesofregulation.com/

Re- purposing

  Ok So here is a cheat from an old journal writing but I  

think it sums  up  why I am engaging in this 365  writing challenge...

Romans 15:6
"So that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ".

 In the past God has always spoken in word pictures to me, Images, thoughts and words that would be nudged into my heart during worship or times of prayer. I would often write it down in my journal. Sometimes the words would come as I was writing and sometimes it would just be a picture forming. Either way I knew God was trying to show me something about himself or an area that was under construction in myself. Through  journaling I became aware of a need to find my voice, A voice that wants to tell people about my God,  A voice that wants to be expressed. A voice that is not self willed and self directed but is God instilled. A voice that was once loud and filled with its own thoughts and opinions;   A voice that needed to learn to listen for Gods voice and tune out the other voices in my head, A voice that is being quieted so it can be refined. A voice that is trying  to submit to a God who knows me and loves me and speaks to me and wants me to be a voice to what He has to say. . .  I know that as I begin this journey of finding my voice it is the beginning of an awakening and desire that God is growing. Only he knows where it will lead, whether to a greater understanding of him or perhaps a way to reach out to others. All I know is that I each time I exercise that voice, the sounds of life begin to stir.

Trusting God vs Trusting in man

Trusting God vs Trusting in man

Numbers 14-1-9

"Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.

When I read this scripture (posted on the IF Gathering face book page) in preparation for an upcoming event at our church, I was struck with how thankful I am. One, that  I am not in charge, and two, that our leaders at RCC/ StJames were courageous enough to follow the Lords prompting and vision for the church. The move to combine the new and thriving RCC with St. James seemed daunting especially after we had a "trial" visit and had to try to squeeze into the tiny pews in a new and awkward environment. "How would we fit the Worship team in that cramped space" and "how would we still honor our commitment to Reading" were just  some of my thoughts. Looking back now it could not and should not have been any other way. It is not so much that I was blindly trusting  or distrusting my leaders, but after seeking God and praying past my own doubts I knew that the vision cast was of God. When we pursue God and trust in His plans and when our leaders are also pursuing Him, then we can trust that the Lord will be with us.

Food, Glorious Food.

      In her book: Bread and Wine: A love letter to Life around the Table, Author 
Shauna Niequist points out that there are those of us who wake up thinking about what is for dinner and those of us who don't. I confess I fall into the first category. I would like to 
be able to say that God is always my first thought but that would be an utter lie. 
Many times and maybe too many times I start listing what foods 
we have on hand, who will be eating at home, did we eat too much junk yesterday, 
should it be a meatless meal, do I have any thing fresh to serve, and  so on.
 Now in her book Shauna Niequist discusses the beauty of breaking bread 
with one another and although I agree  that so much is shared around the
 dinner table , again I must confess that I am secretly a food hoarder. 
I love to try new recipes and get excited when a dish turns out well but
 I don't always feel like sharing. My family says feeding  is my gift because  I have had a tendency to pull out food as soon as some one walks in the door however  they will also tell you how I control the flow of food going in and out of the cabinets or from the serving platter. I guess I share 
this all in an attempt to find  balance.  I love to cook and prepare meals but pray that I can find that place where it is a tool to bring glory to God and not to myself nor to just add to my waistline.

Obedience

Ponderings  from John 9. The blind man  in faith  allowed some strange man to  rub spit filled dirt in his eyes and then simply did as Jesus said.."go, wash in the pool of Siloam". After the blind man obeyed he recieved the gift of sight . What is the relationship between our obedience and the releasing of Gods' power? Thoughts to ponder for the week...

Warning Signs

Warning signs,

Storm's coming.

Trying to head it off.

Prayers, fleshly words,

No stopping it.

Gale forces stirring up the muck from below.
Simple cries to the One above.

He's got this one.

The healing will come,

Not from weather watching,

But from his perfect timing and plan.


"Jesus Calms the Storm"

Mathew 8:23-27

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey."

what is and what is not

Romans 1:21 ESV / 

   

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

    Author Ann Voskamp writes in her book 1000 Gifts about her journey of discovering God through journaling her  thankfulness. Although I read the book quite some time ago, it's message still reverberates along with other discussions and readings. As I attempt to move beyond my Eeyorish tendency's it is my hope to posture with a thankful heart but how do I do that.  Is the glass half empty or half full. Are Gods' Promises good sometimes or always, will I focus on what is not or what is. Over and over again  I am being reminded to focus on what is. I am not looking for a formula or a to do list or a "pollyanna" like attitude but a true daily transformation of my futile thoughts.  Looking back at some of my journals I was "reminded to remember." And with remembering came thankfulness. This process of writing whether for the public or just to journal is a step in the direction of remembering and sharing and therefore honoring God . I re-discovered a list I made not too long ago titled"A Remembering..."(Oh this great brain of mine had already forgotten it!!). Written down were many a memorial to God's sweet and loving responses to a need ,a want, a prayer, a healing etc. So is the art of thankfulness just simply remembering the truth of what is (or rather  that He is) ?

            Psalm 105:1

"Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!"

Isaiah 12:4-5

                         
4              And you will say in that day:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
    call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
    proclaim that his name is exalted.

5 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
    let this be made known[a] in all the earth.

Overcoming an Eeyore Mentality

   Winnie the Pooh has long been a favorite at our house even before my eldest was born 21 years ago. There is a simple sweetness  about these characters that some how feels very comforting to me. I think each of these animals speaks to how many of us Christians respond to this walk. We can some times fall into the trap of one of the AA Milne personalities such as...


 The worrisome Rabbit, always seeking to stay in control,trying to get it all  right.

The timid Piglet, hiding in fear,not willing to risk much.

Wise Old Owl, seeking knowledge but has his head in books,missing the human factor.

Careless Tigger,bouncing on others,thinking only of himself.

And Eeyore,the  glass is half empty,no joy for me...

     I must confess that at times I can very much relate to Eeyore and Piglet, forgetting the Victory that has been won,focusing on what is not. I think the one who gets it most right is Winnie The Pooh. He is humble, living in the moment and when in trouble calls out "Christopheeer Roooobin" with a pureness and assurance that help will come. I am reminded that when we want to control or are feeling hopeless all that is needed is a transparent belief that if we call out "Jeeeesus", He will most assuredly respond.

A deer caught in head lights.

          A deer caught in head lights is not even the beginning of how it feels to join 
this challenge. Me writing a blog? A true challenge  for this woman who so often 
cannot remember what happened 5 minutes ago. Challenged to manage my 
thoughts and conversations with God and actually have the wherewithal to put  
pen to paper (or keyboard to word doc. as one would have it). I some times 
laugh at how truly dysfunctional this brain is and yet how truly caring my God is. 
There are days that attending Bible study can just overwhelm me as I face the 
idea of just remembering the topic let alone the scriptures. I have to dig deep 
into this mind of mine to search for the file and sometimes come up totally blank. 
BUT this is the amazing part, I don't have to remember because the 
Holy Spirit has never let me down. It is my reliance on The One and Only that makes 
me want to journey out and be part of something bigger than my self.

New Blog!

Hello and welcome to Dale Cupo's new blog!!

This is my official disclaimer I am not a blogger or writer but a believer on a journey, journaling my thoughts to share with any who may be encouraged along the way.