My Family Fantastic

Creating Experiences That Help Relationships Thrive

Author: Simone (Page 15 of 21)

The Battle of the Bulge

June 29, 2013 / / 0 Comments

It was a cold, misty day in December of 1944. One thousand tanks and 200,000 German troops launched Hitler’s final attempt to beat back the Allied Troops in France. The Germans began their assault in the Ardennes Forest. The line of defense stretched for 75 miles (pictured above), and a rag-tag bunch of inexperienced and war-torn American soldiers were stationed there for rest.  The Germans broke through the line (depicted in yellow) after a day of fighting and surrounded most of an infantry division.

Stories of horror began to spread. And, the Belgians began to hide their Allied flags and bring out the swastikas. The British waited to see how the Americans would respond to such a terrifying German offense.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Allied Commander, rushed in reinforcements to help beat back the Germans. And, within days American soldiers were launching counterattacks. The story of this battle is one of American courage. American soldiers, often isolated, were relentless in slowing down and fighting the Nazi advance. They blocked roads. They burned stored gasoline to keep it from enemy tanks. And, marched in deep snow drifts to restore the line of defense that set the stage for victory.*

Sir Winston Churchill described the battle as “…the greatest American battle of war and will.”

I heard the story of this Battle a few months ago on NPR. And, I thought it was appropriate to share because 1) it is Independence week and 2)  it made me think about my own personal battles**.

The Battle of the Bulge was a huge setback for the Allied Forces. The war had appeared to be almost over. And, then the dang Nazis came charging in. But, the American soldiers didn’t give up. They kept fighting.

April and May were good months for me. Our small group Bible study ended well. We had an awesome Cub Scout end of the year picnic. I began running again. I lost five pounds. I was writing consistently. Our family reunion was a success. I was blogging regularly, and getting good traffic.

Then June came.

And, I found those five pounds. And, I didn’t write or blog. And, I felt guilty. Because I planned to report on my goal progress in June, but my progress has been dismal. So, I revisited the Battle of the Bulge.

The Battle was a turning point in War World II, and the Allied Forces went on to win. I find it super encouraging to know that a setback was not the end of the story, and it  makes me want to fight even more for my goals. I did lose some ground, but the end of this year is going to be awesome.

If you have lost any ground on your goals this year…don’t lose heart. We have six months ahead of us.
So, let’s get to work.

*Source: Army Features- http://www.army.mil/botb/overview.html

**In NO way am I trying to equate my personal struggles to those of the aforementioned American heroes.

Overcoming Fear

May 22, 2013 / / 2 Comments

Google says that fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat. Fear can also be paralyzing i.e. the fear of doing “something” is often worse than actually doing the thing you fear.

But, I overcame one of my fears last week–networking.

The idea of networking makes me nervous. Because it conjures up visions of a whole bunch of folks buzzing around, pretending to be interested in one another, exchanging business cards, and making promises to e-mail and “do lunch.”

I have successfully avoided networking for the past five years, but since I am seeking to change career fields it seems that the time has come for me to overcome this fear.

The training event that I attended last week had networking written all over it. So, I set out with the goal of meeting 3 people.

“Just 3 people, SB, you can do this. Just meet 3 people.” I gave myself a pre-training pep talk. But, when I arrived at the conference all the courage I had summoned–evaporated.

I must have looked pretty pitiful too; because Steve, from the EPA, offered to help me find my way to the registration table. My anxiety eased a little because I had not even entered the building and I had already met one person.

But, then I entered the building. And, all I could see were throngs of people that all knew each other and knew where they were going and there I was by myself…and I felt like an outsider. So, I checked in at registration and regrouped. I skipped breakfast, and went to the opening session early. So, that I could sit in solitude and not face all the networkers eating breakfast together with all of their bestest friends.

However, someone sat beside me. I said good morning and we started to talk. It turns out that Jeff is the president of a local university. So, I began to feel a bit better because I had met two people and the first session had not even started.

By the end of the event, I had met nine people. Three times my goal!

And, I learned something about myself. I realized that I am uncomfortable walking up to a stranger and introducing myself. However, if I sit next to a stranger…I can talk to my new best friend all day. I think the key for me is the one-on-one interaction.

But, it made me think…what other people and opportunities have I missed because of fear?

Don’t get me wrong though. Some fear can be good. For example, the fear of being poor makes me work really hard, budget, and save. The fear of being unhealthy makes me eat 7 to 9 fruit and vegetables a day and go to the gym 3 to 4 times a week. And, the fear of God makes me want to live a life that is pleasing to Him. So, when it is time for me to go…I am ready.

Fear can be a good thing because it pushes us. Or fear can be a bad thing because it holds  us back.

What fears do you have that push you or hold you back?

Me & My New Nephew

May 11, 2013 / / 0 Comments

 My new nephew made his arrival six weeks ago. As you may remember, it was a bit of shock to know that he was coming. But, he is here and he is wonderful. I spent some time with him last weekend, and all I could think about is protecting him and keeping him happy. I named myself “his favorite aunt”.

And, we have a song. New York, New York was my secret  weapon whenever Baby Isaiah got a little fussy. And for some odd reason, it worked like magic in calming him down.

As a family, we have a lot of things to figure out. How do we care for him without overstepping the boundaries of being extended family? How do we manage when he is with his mother’s family and we don’t get to see him? How do we trust God in a situation that seems so messy?

For right now, we are taking it one day at a time and praying a lot.

Isaac and the 42

April 12, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Isaac, my first brother, and I got off to a rough start before he was even born. When asked if I was excited about being a big sister, I informed people that I intended to throw him in the trash as soon as he was born. You see, I had four glorious years of being an only child before Isaac made his grand entrance into the world on August 1st.  Please note that Isaac even had the audacity to steal my birth month.

Isaac and Me on his first day home

But, as time went on my sentiments changed and I began to love and even defend the little guy. Once, when my brother was playing in a basketball tournament and a guy from the opposing team fouled, in my opinion, a little roughly. I ran out onto the court, tackled the offender, and proceeded to inform him that if he laid another hand on my brother I would smack his face.

The poor 12-year-old didn’t know what hit him. I was 16ish at the time and probably should have known better, but I simply could not tolerate my brother being knocked around. I have matured since then, and I no longer threaten to smack people.

My brother Isaac has matured also. He is a wonderful father to Isaac V, husband to Rebekah, and a budding actor. He was an extra in the movie 42, that opens this weekend. The 42 is backed on the life of Jackie Robinson, the first black american to play in American Major League Baseball.

But, this is not Isaac’s first acting gig.  At 5, he was featured in Beary Bear’s Bedtime Bible Stories. The video series was filmed for several weeks, and Isaac was paid $10 dollars per hour, which amounted to a small fortune in the early 90’s. I can’t help, but think Isaac’s role in the 42 is a sign of his big future ahead. Isaac graduates from college in May, and I am excited about what is ahead for him.

Isaac IV and his son, Isaac V

 

 

Being Fit

April 7, 2013 / / 2 Comments

Being fit is easiest when you have a partner. Someone that pushes you, keeps you accountable, and makes you go the extra mile.

A few years ago, I made a friend at a pilates class in my neighborhood. We started training for the Army 10-Miler together, and I was in the best shape of my life. My friend, R, ran cross country in college. So, I was a bit scared to run with her. But, R was patient and my mile time went from 12 minutes and 30 seconds to 9 minutes and 25 seconds for a mid-distance run. That’s what a good partner will do…make you better.

Michaela, R, and Me at the Army 10-Miler

But, being fit is not limited to physical fitness. Being fit, includes all aspects of our lives: spiritual, mental, financial, and the list continues.

A few days ago, my blog buddy called me to break some bad news. “Your blog is getting sorry,” he said.  Those were not his exact words, but that was the message that was communicated. “I know, I know,” I mumbled as I began to sink in my chair.

I knew my content had not been strong lately, but I didn’t think anyone had noticed. So, I rested my forehead on my desk and settled in for my verbal flogging. My blog buddy explained that the content had been a bit random lately and that I needed to re-focus on the intent of the blog. At the end of the conversation, I thanked him the sound advice and told him that I loved him. My blog buddy is my younger brother, Israel.

Issachar and Israel

I would describe Israel as the most confident of all of my siblings and a bit of a know-it-all. But, he is also generous and he likes to share the wisdom he has amassed in all his 25 years of living. He is so generous, in fact, that he once gave dating advice to his boss.

Nevertheless, I am proud of him. Israel earned his Masters in public affairs last year, is working full-time, paid cash for a 2010 Nissan Maxima, and worked his way through college by playing Division I basketball. So, despite not knowing it all…he is pretty smart. And, it was nice to get advice from my younger brother, because as the oldest child I feel like I am always giving advice.

Do you have partner/friend that makes you better? Or a sibling that gives you sage advice? If so, sound off in the comments and I’ll write about the person that makes you better.

Idle Threat

March 24, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Morris and I saw an inspiring documentary last week, Idle Threat. It explained the threats posed to the environment by running your engine for minutes at a time while your car is in park. The film was shown at a community center in our neighborhood in conjunction with the environmental film festival.

I know what you are thinking, how is that inspiring?

Well, the 60-minute film is centered on George Pakenham’s one-man fight against idling in New York City. George fights idling by knocking on the car windows of unsuspecting idlers, explains the hazards to the environment, the associated fines for idling in New York City, and asks them to turn their engine off.

 Based on his reports, 80 percent of offenders turn off their engines. However, it is the responses of the other 20 percent that make for a funny and entertaining movie.

Mr. Pakenham has documented more than 2000 interactions with idling offenders, lobbied the New York City Council to enforce the current idling laws, and won by having parking enforcement officers assigned to write tickets to idlers.

I found this movie inspiring, because Mr. Pakenham is making a difference in the world…something I want to do too. So, it got me to thinking.

Am I passionate about anything? Is there anything I am willing to talk about  everyday to complete strangers? As a christian, I know what the answer should be…but I feel like I am really falling short by comparison to Mr. Pakenham.

Being Busy

March 10, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Being busy is almost a status symbol in this city. And, it can be argued that busy people are important people. I once fell into that line of thinking.

My days once started at 4:00 a.m. with medium length runs of 5-8 miles. During the week days, these runs were followed by a day of work, social outings with friends 2-3 nights a week in the evening, and trying to get to bed by 8:30ish. During the weekends, my long runs were followed by community service or church. At one time, I was working with six non-profits in the city–writing, tutoring, organizing, donating, mentoring, fundraising and whatever else I could do to fill up my time.

I think I latched onto this life style of being busy for two reasons. First, there was a lot of stuff I wanted to do before getting married i.e. learning to cook, being in the best shape of my life, and managing my finances well. Second, I wanted to experience everything city life had to offer and that kept me busy. Here is a page out of my October 2009 agenda:

But, in early 2011 a friend gave me a life-changing book entitled Next Generation Leader. The first chapter “You Are Doing Too Much” was a wake-up call. The chapter explains that the less you do, the more you accomplish and that the secret of concentration is elimination.

I got it! By cramming every free minute with activity, I was giving up the valuable time I needed to focus on my purpose for being on earth. So, I began dropping things. I gave the hospital a year notice that I would not be writing for their publication anymore. I gave the community college a semester notice that I would not be tutoring. I turned down a role in the women’s ministry at church, and I decided that I would be intentional in intertwining my commitments with my purpose. And, I’m doing better.

A year and a half of dropping things is paying dividends. I feel less pressure, I have time to sit and think, I no longer feel perpetually tired, and I no longer have the nagging feeling like I am always on a deadline. But, most importantly, I feel like I am working towards my purpose in life–to help rebuild families…beginning with my own.

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