2020 And a Fat Rearview Mirror on 2019

2019…never to be forgotten. This past year I learned something new. Sometimes our lessons come the hard way. It is like a skier who is just finding her ski legs, looking crazy coming down the hill and crashing to stop. Later in the day she looks a little more confident yet still lacks poise, but does not lack effort. Metaphorically this skier has been me this year. I have had positive and some less than desirable dreams come true. I would say the good and bad are juxtaposed in ski run that wouldn’t be complete - one without the other - although I would rather have just the good in light of my love for simplicity.

This past year I grew in confidence. So often I have relied on others to cheer me along, but this year I was able to stand professionally and personally in ways that made me be more honest and transparent. This led to greater self-awareness and clarity in the midst of the world around me. I learned to trust my instincts and abilities. This confidence has allowed for perseverance in areas that seemed insurmountable.

In 2019, I turned my head away, more than ever, to the areas that I can’t change. This has led to greater contentment. I have “let go” more and embraced the real things around me as they have made themselves known. Realizing that I am constantly in the middle of the story rather than at the finish line has framed life for me and has given me a more wholesome perspective. I have been a person who is challenged by a finish line but my challenge this year has been living with the dissonance around me. Growing in contentment may be the greatest achievement of 2019. 

Professionally, I have worked with amazing colleagues and have been pushed toward greater competence on so many levels. I have spoken at a few conferences and have attended more lectures than any other year since my college days. Working with excellent people has given me security and a team that I can rely on.

In the home, words cannot describe the joy that I feel for the people that I call family. Our inner connectedness is a daily lifestyle of teamwork. My marriage has become richer as I have learned even more about the integrity and character of the one who I call “Hubby.” The kids are sprouting up and taking on new opportunities as they arise. Being head cheerleader, driver, cook, friend, and prayer warrior for this little clan has been awesome in 2019.

Goals for 2020:

From my vantage point I can see that it is going to be a great year. 20/20 is perfect vision, isn’t it? This year I want to live generously, love boldly, and take care of myself more. May the lessons of 2019 continue to ring in my year with greater contentment and even more confidence. 

Living generously is making room for spontaneity and opportunities. It is letting fear take the back seat and see how I can serve every day and in every opportunity. By giving more, I will be able to step away at times from my detailed agenda and allow for more freedom of thought and openness to God’s leading on a daily basis. I need to save money this year but I want to live generously. Generosity isn’t all financial, anyway. 

Loving boldly is primarily focused on my spouse but extends to my kids, my church, my community, and the world. Jarringly, I cannot leave God out of that. I want my love for God to be preeminent in me above all else. Having been married for decades now, I see that I want to know and love my spouse even more. It seems a bit crazy to me but making him a priority and showing greater love is a goal. 

Taking better care of me! I want to eat better and stop being so obsessed with sugar. I want to continue to go on daily walks or runs where I will find rejuvenation and refreshment in 2020. I want to be deliberate in prayer and supplication. I will cease being a disciple if I cease discipleship. I want faith to be an epic walk in 2020.

So, what do you think?

Do you think goals are important for you? What are your hopes and dreams? What are your plans for 2020? It is all yours. The days, the nights, and all the moments. Follow your dreams! Don’t be afraid to be like that novice skier who is lacking poise and crashing along. You never know where those moguls will land you, and you’ll get stronger as you go along!

“Get wisdom; get insight; … Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. …She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” Proverbs 4:5-9

Thanksgiving, the un-demanding Holiday

I love teaching. I recently asked a class of kiddos what their favorite holiday was, and one child excitedly responded, “Black Friday.” But what about Thanksgiving, I thought? No one said it. But then I thought: Thanksgiving is so generous that it gives way to everything around it, even Black Friday. With this un-demanding Thanksgiving holiday ahead, I went to Target this week for a table cloth. There were aisles and aisles of Christmas decorations but I couldn’t find the Thanksgiving stuff anywhere and got lost in my shopping for everything else: Neosporin, hairclips, binders, extra hot Cheetos, and socks.

I realized at the checkout that I had not seen the Thanksgiving decor in the store and went back to the tablecloth aisle and found a little something, thankfully. Thanksgiving doesn’t demand our attention on aisle 9; it just quietly slips on in. I would like to propose that maybe Thanksgiving is more of a way of life and the holiday is just an extension of living. It is serving, giving,

writing, enjoying, and remembering.

Thanksgiving, the un-demanding holiday, is something that I have to strive for all-year round. Sometimes I feel too busy or self-preoccupied to share but when I do life is so much better. We can serve others and distribute the goodness all around us. We can help others to give as well. Sharing without knowing it is normal when I live it.  

Write down the things that you are grateful for: make lists and lists or just say them. Our family shares what we are thankful for at the dinner table every time we gather. We go around and share what we are thankful for from that particular day: seeing someone, a ride home, kayaking, getting a car fixed, funny things, or playing a particular song. This is a way of celebrating

the everyday grace that surrounds us. 

Our very food sustains us. Relationships transform us. Wisdom leads us. Faith guides us.

Traditions of thanks proceed us in this un-demanding holiday. One harvest celebration of thanks lasted for three days in the Colonies in 1621. Edward Winslow, who came to the New World on the Mayflower, wrote about this celebration. The celebration sprung from the protestant tradition of celebrating thanksgivings which was also

like a day of prayer to thank God. It is good to take time out for this tradition of prayer and service. The Native Americans also had a history of gathering so this naturally flowed from their lives as well. Truly, I love to gather with friends and family. This year there will be 21 loved ones around my table.

Sure, Black Friday is exciting and the stores were oddly in full-boat Christmas mode in October; but more than a simple day thanksgiving is life. It is celebrated each day and opens our eyes to so much more in life? Maybe we actually don’t need a Thanksgiving section of a store? It is an existence, after all. Why not live a life that fully mirrors the grace that we have been given? Sounds like a life worth living.

Happy Thanksgiving all of you "out there" in cyberland, and to the beGwen blog groupies!

#BringOnTheAloha

My love for Hawaii is a running joke in our family. When my kids whine about not getting something they want, my stock reply has been for well over a decade, “Well, I want to go to Hawaii!” They’re pretty sick of me saying it. 

Well, finally, it happened: I went! When I started the beGwen blog years ago I began with two blogs about Hawaii. The first line of my first blog said, “I want to start my blog with one word, ‘Hawaii.’” That word – or all that it represents – pretty much embodies perfection for me (along with my husband*). After 21 years of dreaming, my hubby and I went to Waikiki this summer and it was perfect. It was such a treat to go back!

There is something amazing about getting away to Aloha. Being truly warm and wearing a swimsuit and cover up all day with flip-flops is so nice. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect getaway vacation. So here is why Hawaii is the ultimate dream vacation:

-The color of the water is a perfect warm blue. 

-The water temperature won’t let you stop swimming.

-The palm trees are big and beautiful. 

-The ocean waves are a blast to play in (Surfing, however, is harder than you can ever believe, so don’t do that).

-The smooth sand is warm and light. 

-“Aloha” is great.

-From a mainlander perspective, you really feel like you are a long way from home which makes mowing the lawn on vacation even harder to do.

-Sea turtles!

-Starbucks is there waiting. 

If you go here are some #traveltips: #1 Get the Alaska Airlines credit card so you can nearly fly 2 for the price of one. #2 If you really have to try surfing get a lesson. #3 Buy snorkel gear and boogie board at the ABC store. #4 Take the local bus and go hiking up Diamond Head. #5 The hotels don't own the ocean and the lower beach (tidelands). You can enjoy the beach in front of almost any hotel just walk there. You don't have to pay the extra to stay at at waterfront hotel. Just walk there and use the beach if you stay inland. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott Waikiki and it was only 5 blocks to the beach.

As I write this sitting at home, I can smell my coconut scented candle. Having a touch of tropical vibe here back home is fresh. All in all, going to Hawaii is about taking time away from busy life and relaxing – even in the busy Waikiki, it’s simply delightful. It is like cranking up the fire in the winter – peaceful and comfortable. It is spending time with dear ones and accessing their world. Worshipping the Creator. It is intentionally living and loving and relaxing. Moving away from materialistic striving and moving toward flip-flop beach-life simplicity. All of this surrounds us as we play in the waves, relax on the beach, and enjoy all that Hawaii has to offer. Remembering the turtles helps us to forget so much and focus on the grace that surrounds us each and every day. 

Oh, Dearest Hawaii. I hope that it won’t be another 20+ years before I see you again. Although, even if it isn’t too soon, the memories are good enough for 15 years of happy – though I’d gladly go back sooner than that! But when my kids complain about not getting something, I’ll probably still say, “Well, I’d like to go to Hawaii!” Hang loose forever!

*My husband is my editor and he inserted this statement. Though, to be fair, the statement in the blog is true.

Here is a picture of my previous Hawaii trip 21 years ago:

The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat

What do Pikes Peak, guns, altitude chambers, sunshine and freestyle swimming have in common?

It is the Olympic dream, baby! 

My husband and I had an extra hour before our conference started in Colorado Springs. We heard that the Olympic Training Center was nearby, and being fans of everything sports we headed out for a peek. 

This is the place where real Olympic Athletes live and train. It is remarkable to see the weights and conditioning room. Athletes were jogging indoors and we could see the daily work that it takes to truly be great! People were in amazing shape. Clearly, they could pop out and jog to the top of Pikes Peak on a whim. For me? Only in my dreams!

That is inspiring!

One of the distinctions of the facility was a workout room where coaches and athletes could control humidity, temperature, and altitude. The HATC is the only simulated training room like this in the United States and it prepares athletes for competitions around the world by mimicking their conditions at future competitions.

Having a place for athletes to see PTs, Sports Psychologists, and Nutritionists is another plus of the Training Center. In addition to coaches, it takes a team to support these athletes. I was surprised to hear that the facility doesn’t receive any government funding. The many companies and organizations that sponsor the US Olympic Team pay for this. Those ads bragging about the proud sponsors of the Olympic Team are real. Without those sponsors there would be no Training Center.

When we were walking around we saw some boxing hopefuls take some remarkable upper cuts in the boxing gym. We saw a mannequin holding a gun in the shooting area. Then we realized that this mannequin was a live and practicing human. He was so still! These athletes have to really calm their bodies down so that they don’t move. There were track and field athletes at work and there were Paralympians in the pool swimming. There is room for 150 athletes over the age of 17 to live there year-round, and many more come for shorter stints (training or competitions) throughout the year. 

It was exciting to walk the grounds and brush elbows with dreamers fighting for their goals. Also, it was great to see the shooters, wrestlers, swimmers, and runners (and athletes from many other sports whom we didn’t Community is one thing that makes Team USA so great.They support one another. 
see) all in the same place. Although they are doing different sports they work out, eat, and sleep all in the same Training Center. 

It takes a whole lot to raise an athlete to GOLD! 

Go Team USA! We Are Proud of You!