God

3 Common Spiritual Mistakes – Want To Soar Spiritually? Be S.T.U.P.I.D.!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Don’t be like them! Be like me, instead!

a man jumping in the air on top of a mountain

What is spiritual maturity? Well, I’m glad you asked (me)! Of course, since I write online about spiritual things, I MUST have a great answer to this question!

Spiritual maturity is not what you think it is.

It’s not knowing more stuff about God1 than other people. I know this because I read the entire Bible once, and people STILL didn’t think I was mature spiritually, for some reason. So it CAN’T be that!

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

As another example, there was a lady at church who once started every comment (loudly) with, “I’ve sat in this pew every week for thirty years!” and then the next thing that came out of her mouth was inconsistent2 with a God who defines Himself as love.

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God.

The Message

No, it’s not spiritual knowledge or even learning a lot of stuff at church that defines spiritual maturity.

Then I wondered if being a really great person defines spiritual maturity?

I mean, that’s what everyone assumes, right? The most common complaint against God that I hear is, “Those PEOPLE are such hypocrites!” So if the people are NOT hypocrites and do things right (at least most(!) of the time), then this MUST be the correct definition of spiritual maturity, right?

. . . we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us

The Message

Nope.

We all (even me!) fall short (occasionally, ok?). But this is actually freedom for me, because then I can stop sucking in my gut and pretending I’m amazing (I would NEVER do that!) because I can remember that Jesus is the star of our show, not me! Whew!

And that’s a GREAT relief.

Plus, tragically, we have seen many churches crumble recently, with people who appear well put together on the outside but whose interior lives, hidden from the eyes of others, suddenly get exposed, spraying cancerous filth on everyone nearby. We shouldn’t be surprised by this, by the way, because being a great person (or even a pretty good person) is not the definition of spiritual maturity, either.

Christian behavior can be put on like a mask… Spectators… will often break into applause. But there is no applause in heaven.…

Eugene H. Peterson

Perhaps the definition of spiritual maturity is someone who attends church five days a week and helps the needy at every opportunity?

Nope. This could be excellent work, and may be driven from a pure heart in devotion to God, but more often than one would expect, in the church, these types of people have boundary issues and are actually nursing childhood wounds related to pleasing others or searching for significance in a church community. I, for example, would NEVER do that!

So THAT can’t be the definition of spiritual maturity, either.

My husband3 told me this, that the true definition of spiritual maturity is:

One who gets up quickly after they fall.

That’s it.

We get up quickly after we fall.

More on the how and the why of this next time, but it’s EXACTLY THE SAME to grow spiritually as it is to develop physically. We get up after we fall, and we keep going back. (“To the gym or to God?” you ask. What difference does it make? Do both!) And we get stronger each time we turn our face away from despair and towards giving it another go.

Oh! And did I mention that He gives us the strength to get up when we fall, turn our feet toward the son and take another step into His arms?

grey pathway between trees during daytime

Your God is present among you. . . Happy to have you back, he’ll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.

The Message

That’s the good news!

(Not you. Or me. We’re not the good news.)

Yah!

Oh! And getting up quickly after we fall is also colloquially referred to as “being S.T.U.P.I.D.”, a method of goal-setting that is expounded upon in sophisticated, elaborate but convoluted minutiae HERE.

So keep being S.T.U.P.I.D., friends!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit – Don’t be that kind of S.T.U.P.I.D., though! by ulziibayar badamdorj on Unsplash and Follow The Son, S.T.U.P.I.D.! by Christiaan Huynen on Unsplash

1 Ha ha ha ha! Do people actually think this? Hilarious!!

2 Unlike me, who always applies wisdom to my life correctly.

3 And we can trust him to know the correct definition of spiritual maturity because: (1) He reads a LOT of stuff about God! (2) He’s a pretty good guy! AND (3) He regularly helps put the chairs away after church!

How To Get Fit? Be S.T.U.P.I.D (Not S.M.A.R.T.) Of Course!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Sometimes the most important truths are upside down!

a man with a white beard sitting in a gym

“Finally!” I thought.

I had been attending these same classes at the gym for seven months.

It’s only taken me seven months to arrive, so now I can tell others what to do! I sized them up as newbies and immediately joined their group. I looked forward to showing off my knowledge, to “encourage” them, of course.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

This is not even a lie, but in the first set of exercises, I somehow got confused and started doing exercises from the other set.

The two newbies patiently explained to me how to rotate through the three exercises that were listed on the board right in front of me.

“Well, everyone makes a mistake at some point!” I thought to myself.

I sulked while doing the triceps extension exercise, and then the new lady had the audacity to lean over and tell ME to pull my lats down before extending my arms.

I felt like throttling her because I’VE been going to the gym for a while – not YOU! I’M the one who’s supposed to know what’s going on here – not YOU! I’M the one who’s getting stronger – not YOU!

During the break, the irritating newbie who knew what was going on all the time revealed that she used to be an exercise instructor.

“Bad luck!” I thought, waiting for my next victim, a new person at the gym.

Sooner or later, I’ve got to be able to “help” someone else so I can feel1 superior to someone!

The instructors asked us to set a fitness goal for the new year in that class that day. The only one I could think of was the one the instructor had told me. One day, when she was shocked at my (relative) improvement, she blurted out that she thought I could do one (yes, that’s ONE) pull-up next year (yes, that’s next YEAR) if I keep coming to the gym every day and keep working hard!

I actually didn’t have any faith or confidence that I could achieve this goal.

Still, she thinks I will get stronger because I KEEP COMING BACK to the gym, even though everyone else (show-offs!) always seems to know what’s going on all the time, and even though I might not (always!) be impressive to look at when I’m at the gym.

AND you WILL get fitter, too, if you are S.T.U.P.I.D., not S.M.A.R.T.

“What do you mean,” you ask, scratching your head.

Last time, we discussed how the best types of goals are S.T.U.P.I.D., not S.M.A.R.T. A S.M.A.R.T. goal is (See the Footnote2 – They are boring to read about!), but S.T.U.P.I.D. goals are based (however loosely) on the high-powered acronym full of immense wisdom, “K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple, STUPID.” (See full explanation of the details of S.T.U.P.I.D. Goal Setting HERE.)

So setting a S.T.U.P.I.D. goal means that you keep it simple and choose TO KEEP GOING.

For example, if you KEEP GOING to the gym, even if you’re not very strong and you still don’t know what’s going on after seven months, you will actually get fitter because you’ve set a S.T.U.P.I.D. goal.

“I’m going to KEEP GOING” to the gym is my S.T.U.P.I.D. goal. It’s simple. I keep going, S.T.U.P.I.D.!

So set a S.T.U.P.I.D. fitness goal and then keep going!

We are getting stronger, even if we’re not really much “help” to anyone else practically, and we still get confused (sometimes!).

So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.

The Message

Setting S.T.U.P.I.D. goals is similarly immensely important for other areas of life, including emotional and spiritual growth. However, you can’t expect me to share ALL my manifest wisdom at once! Stay tuned for next time, and I’ll continue to draw on the insights gained from my time at the gym and in life, in general, so that I can continue to “help” you, too!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

After some thankfulness for the good things already in your life, consider asking God what the new direction you need to set your life and your heart towards is. Will you keep going and not give up, too, friend? May God give you the joy, courage (and of course, the S.M.A.R.T.s) to keep walking in the right direction, friend.

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit – He’s Getting Fit, Too! by Centre for Ageing Better on Unsplash

1 A BIT at least! I’m human!

2 S.M.A.R.T. Goal: S = Specific, M = Measurable, A = Attainable, R = Relevant, T = Time-bound

How To Be Sure God Actually Likes You!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Find out for sure, friend! Why not?

a boy with his arms crossed

He looked at me intently, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Do you think I am going to hell?” His question was honest, open, curious. The question wasn’t loaded, as if he had a pile of ready-made snowballs next to him, ready to fire, whatever the response.

He just wanted to know what I thought.

Click HERE to continue reading.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

“How-To-Succeed” Made Simple: Set S.T.U.P.I.D. Goals – Not S.M.A.R.T. Goals!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment
person holding purple and pink box

Today, we will discuss the importance of goal planning. I have already outlined the critical requirements for setting New Year’s goals HERE. I’ll continue this discussion with a brief introduction to the ONLY type of goal-setting system you will need for the year.

Stop setting S.M.A.R.T. goals! Set S.T.U.P.I.D. goals instead!

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

As all the intense, Type-A people know, with exhausting alacrity, S.M.A.R.T. Goals are an acronym standing for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic (Ha! What IS realistic anymore?1) and Time-Bound.

I’m exhausted just writing out all these terms! Whew! Thankfully, I have developed (“Patent” Pending) a new type of goal setting that is a LOT easier!

It’s called (of course) setting goals that are S.T.U.P.I.D.!

S.T.U.P.I.D. goals aren’t actually an acronym. But we put periods after each letter because it looks cooler that way, and also, no one pays attention to grammar rules anymore. No one younger than Grade 5 even knows what an acronym is, or ever will know, so we’re safe there with the younger crowd, for sure.

S.T.U.P.I.D. goals are (distantly) derived from Einstein (See how S.M.A.R.T. these goals REALLY Are?), who made a statement about simplicity that later became colloquially known as “Keep It Simple, Stupid”.

So, S.T.U.P.I.D. goals are SIMPLE goals.

You can apply S.T.U.P.I.D. goals to all areas of your life!

For now, let’s illustrate this goal-setting method by starting with Spiritual Goals. The best definition of spiritual maturity is2:

One who gets up quickly after they fall.

We’ll massage more of the striking truths from this statement in a later article, but essentially, the best way to grow in any area of life turns out to be is:

To not give up.

As proven HERE regarding Fall Fairs, or HERE concerning physical goals like going to the gym, it’s not being amazing that matters most, but that we keep showing up!

The same principle applies to the spiritual life.

Most people give up too soon in their search for God.

Is it annoying people who keep you away from your search for God? Read THIS if so, but keep going on your spiritual journey, friend!

Is God distant, just out of reach? Read THIS if so, but keep going on your spiritual journey, friend!

Do you think God is a mean dictator, and you’re running the other direction? Read THIS if so, but keep going, friend, on your spiritual journey!

He longs to walk WITH us on this journey we call life. He wants us to WANT to want to seek Him. Will you KEEP (The key is this word – Don’t give up!) seeking Him?

And maybe if you are lucky, you may even have some spiritual insights that you can share online, and then be a spiritual “expert”3 like me4 one day!

If we don’t give up, even though most people do, and keep walking forward, following where we last saw his footsteps and carving out time in our busy day to sit with Him, unhurried, we will find ourselves surprised by hints of the divine, if our eyes are open and maybe if we even ask a trusted friend where to look.

There’s more to come . . .

The Message

Keep walking, friend.

And keep being S.T.U.P.I.D. to find true life success!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit – All You Need Is A Few Sticky Notes To Succeed! by Eden Constantino on Unsplash

1 Oops! I got the “R” acronym wrong. Well, close enough!

2 My husband told me this. Isn’t he S.M.A.R.T.? He helps me remember that spiritual success is NOT about being better than others, for example, which I had forgotten (once)! Another time, we will discuss WHY this is the best definition of spiritual maturity.

3 Definition confidential.

4 Because I write about God online! Although I’m not sure why people laugh at the wrong times when they read my writing? It must be their spiritual immaturity. Sorry for being offensive.

Why You Should Read This Instead of Goal-Setting! AND 10 Funny Things They Said About Homeschooling, Aging, And Love!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Got time to join us for a laugh, friend? (Put the goal-setting pencil aside for a bit.)

a group of people holding glasses of wine

I’m in extended holiday mode, so I’m not (quite) ready yet to set new goals, that I won’t achieve anyway.

However, stay tuned tomorrow (or soon) for how to start the year at a sprinter’s pace! (Though we will already be a bit behind because we are beginning our energetic goal setting a day too late!). Dang!

The new year has barely started, and you’re already a loser!

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

How to catch up and pass everyone else (Or how to at least stay in the race a bit longer) will be discussed tomorrow (or soon)!

“We’re just happy to be here!”

Said Jen and I, to explain why we didn’t want the number of Devil’s Press (NOTICE the name, anyway?) and other exercises recorded that our team completed at the “Competitive-Partner-Get-Fit-Day” at the gym.

Anyway, I hope you also feel encouraged to start your New Year off with a bang of frenzied activity (That you’ll do soon)!

For now, as clearly and thoroughly elaborated in THIS ARTICLE, here is one of our past holiday newsletters to amuse you, while you look around for your pencil today to enthusiastically write out all of your life goals tomorrow!

Now, most homeschooling moms are looking forward to sitting on the couch with a glass of vodka after Christmas.

No, don’t get me wrong! I MEANT a tiny splash of rum in our Christmas eggnog! I am always misunderstood!

But instead of doing that, I wrote this holiday newsletter!

Anyway, it would have been preferable to have one of those lovely family Christmas photos – You know, where everyone is wearing those matching red hats, but who has time to book a photographer, coordinate ridiculously busy schedules, etc.?

This photo (SEE DISCLAIMER!)1 will have to do. We took it tonight, impromptu. Sure, some of us MAY be in costume attire, but this is what we look like. On reflection, elf suits may have been a slight improvement.

In past years, we included memorable quotes from various family members in our New Year / Holiday letters. This year, we include ten quotes on Homeschooling, Aging, and Love. Enjoy!

On Homeschooling

Kyah: “I’ve had a pretty good day so far!” Time: 7:13 am

Andy: After his shower, “Hey! Where was my soap? I couldn’t find it?!!”

Me: “Oh, sorry! Kyah carved it into a turtle and entered it in the fall fair yesterday!”

I mentioned lunch.

Kyah: “Mmm…lunch!”

What she was doing – eating breakfast!

Kyah was having an in-depth Zoom discussion with budding philosophers about the Easter holiday.

Suddenly, a shrill 10-year-old voice from Pennsylvania emanated from the computer, “Well, I think the Easter bunny should go to hell because . . .” An impassioned speech followed. A lot of great learning and critical thinking is in progress!

(She may need a bit more work on theology.)

On Aging

Me: “Where do you want to be in five years?”

Andy: “Where you are…!!!”

Me: (Oh!!)

Kyah: “And I can help you up the stairs!”

Me, thinking: “Will we functionally be 100-year-olds in just five years?”

Andy: “Next June, I will be 50. We should have a massive party.”

Andy remembered that we had a big 1990s party for him when he turned 30. Andy continued, “We can have another 1990s party! We can wear . . . jeans and . . . all the clothes I wear now…” … “and we can listen to … all the music I still listen to now!”

Esther: “I feel so much older now that I am seventeen. It’s a big difference from being sixteen, or fifteen, or fourteen. I don’t know why. Do you think it’s because seventeen has an extra syllable?”

Esther to me: “Whenever I make my hair look like yours, I get compliments. Whenever I wear your clothes, I get compliments.”

Me thinking: “I’m not completely irrelevant, yet!”

On Love

Andy: “I like it when you talk.”

Me: “What??”…(!)

Andy: “Well, most of the time.”

Kyah: “You are the best Mom.”

Me: “Well, thank you, Kyah, but I don’t think that’s true.”

Kyah: “No one is perfect, but you are the best Mom for me.”

And so we may not be perfect, but we are the best people that God put in our lives for each other.

I know that’s true with your family and friends, too!

Happy New Year!

Oh! And I think professional online writers like me are supposed to encourage you, especially on New Years! And so, as this song sings, “. . . make a list and do not make it brief. Write down every single wish and every little thing that you want” (Seriously2?) – Well, good luck with that!

As for me, today I plan on doing a little more skate skiing, enjoying my favorite soup with friends and family, and trying out some of the new board games we received at Christmas.

(And as you write your exhaustive to-do list for the year, remember to keep one ear open to Holy Spirit. You’ll have more luck pursuing the activities God is ushering you into in your next season.) However, to be safe and ensure we are actively setting goals to be like everyone else, we will soon discuss setting not S.M.A.R.T. goals, but S.T.U.P.I.D. goals, to help you even more!

Stay tuned!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit – Happy New Year! by Debra Manny Mosley on Unsplash and It’s Us!

1 DISCLAIMER: My family stays mad at me for longer each time I post embarrassing things about them on the internet lately (It’s not like ALL of the five billion people on the internet read every word!). However, to keep them happy, I deleted the photo of my entire family that accompanied this article. They didn’t want the family photo posted SIMPLY because some of them were wearing dress-up clothes, pajamas, or something (I couldn’t keep track of ALL their complaints). Anyway, good thing you like me!

2 My wants (synonymous with needs, in my case) are a giant bucket without a bottom that would completely consume me as well if I focused too much on them! But whatever works for you!

12 Funny Things They Said About Love, Homeschooling And Other Stuff That Will Make You Laugh (With Us!)

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Pull up a chair! Have a little laugh – It’s on us, friend!

long-coated brown animal

As clearly and thoroughly elaborated in THIS ARTICLE, I require an EXCESSIVE amount of time this holiday season skiing and soaking in a hot tub.

However, given that some of you in the fifty-three countries1 who read this drivel (no-STUFF!) can barely function without my constant wisdom flooding your inbox, I will be posting some of our Christmas/ New Year’s letters from past years here to help you through this season with adequate wisdom and insight to complete the bare minimum of your holiday activities.

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Click HERE to continue reading.

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Did Christmas Make You Disappointed? How To Open God’s Beautiful Gift

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Want to borrow a pair of scissors, friend?

person holding red and white box

Who isn’t excited to open a present?

Even for the most hardened of hearts, a brush with hope in an unopened present makes the soil of our hearts ready for the seed.

And what happens when we open the box and find nothing inside? We turn it over and examine it from another angle. Did we miss something? We take the box apart before finally setting it aside.

Click HERE to continue reading.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

The Truth About Christmas Sorrow And Joy – It May (Actually) Be The Same Beautiful Gift

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Got time to open a gift, friend, regardless of the packaging?

Our family got a Christmas tree together in the woods this week, which is a perfect family experience that we (of course) always end up having!

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

Even my doggy helped us find the right tree for us!1

But did we hold hands and sing Christmas carols the entire time, you wonder, with rapt attention?

That wasn’t EXACTLY the case if I’m completely honest, which, of course, I am all of the time when I write online.

In fact, upon careful reflection after this event, at least one person was mad at another almost the entire time! (But not me! I was only mad twice during that whole time! And I was only involved in one of the fights over which Christmas tree to get!)

Other than that (I.e., THEM), we had a wonderful family time!

Reflecting on this experience made me realize that getting a Christmas tree was like a mini microcosm that reflected our entire year2.

This experience also reflects all of our homeschooling times, where joy and sorrow are combined, sometimes even at the same time, and always in the same day.

And so, why is the gift of Christmas sorrow and joy (basically) the same thing? Because we are little bundles of joy and sadness all mixed up together. Both are inside the package of “us” at any one time, if we know where to look.

I’ll illustrate with another example that happened again when we were decorating our tree this morning.

When I was about to hang up the Christmas ornament that reminded me of my dad, who passed away a few years ago, I blurted in uncharacteristic honesty, “You know, I’m sometimes still mad at my dad for dying!” My kids looked at me with their wide, astonished eyes, their Christmas tree ornaments held in mid-air, candy canes about to fall out of their mouths, wondering (with a bit of trepidation, perhaps?) what would come out of my mouth next. But my husband knew that I just needed a hug and a little cry.

And then I was fine again and joined in our after-we-put-up-the Christmas-tree family dance.

Because even on our best vacation, the one where we “get away from it all,” the shadows of sorrow follow us. And even the longest, darkest, most desperate night carries within it the inevitable threat and hope of dawn.

We can never completely release ourselves from either sorrow or joy because we have both within us all the time.

So may our lopsided tree, with a few sparse spots, remind us that the journey to finding Christmas hope isn’t always as straightforward as we would like it to be.

But may we savor the joy of each day, release the sadness when necessary, and anticipate our inevitable transformation that both the gifts of joy and sorrow bring, as we hold the hand of God, put on our ears to hear the voice of Holy Spirit better, and follow Jesus on the next step of our spiritual journeys this season.

Merry Christmas, friend.

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

1 Check out his ridiculously snow-packed paws! He was busy digging up the tree to contribute in his unique way, too! (Like when he barfed that OTHER TIME.)

2 For a COMPLETE, in-depth summary of our year, read more HERE.

The Exciting Gift Your Heart Craves Is Found Under Your Neuroses! Surprise!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Got time to open a present, friend?

selective focus photography of gift box on person's palm

I was spinning in circles, putting up a decoration on the tree with one revolution, beating back my dog in the daily effort of chaos management, who was sneaking licks of the Christmas pudding, again, trying to find my worst, ugliest Christmas sweater in time for the curling party, while still spinning the plates that keep our lives circling round and round – food prep, clean up, laundry, and then the alarm rang in the early hours of the winter dark to do it all again.

Click HERE to continue reading.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this stuff to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

8 Funny Things They Said About Love, Homeschooling, And Healthy Food That Will Make You Laugh (At Them)

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Pull up a chair and laugh WITH (Wait – AT?!) us, friend!

woman in black and white crew neck shirt smiling

As clearly and thoroughly elaborated in THIS ARTICLE, I require an EXCESSIVE amount of time this holiday season skiing and soaking in a hot tub.

However, given that some of you in the over fifty countries1 who read this drivel (no-STUFF!) can barely function without my constant wisdom flooding your inbox, I will be posting some of our previous Christmas letters here to help you through this season with adequate wisdom and insight to complete the bare minimum of your Christmas activities.

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

We enjoy publishing a letter and sending it to all our friends and family for the Holidays.

Click HERE to continue reading.

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!