Transition

Free Time Is Stupid!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

There’s something even better than “free” time, friend!

a scrabble of words spelling use your gifts

I poured my heart out, wondering how to direct my (useful and helpful!) energies in this next season, since my kids had both recently moved out.

“Well, you can do crossword puzzles,” my friend offered helpfully. He was lucky I didn’t kill him right there. (I felt like strangling him).

Join people in sixty-five countries who read this! (Look! I don’t know why people read this stuff, either! It must be because they’re cool!) Let’s journey together!

If I had to do crossword puzzles for the rest of my life, I would probably just throw them all out the window and kill everyone who came near me.

Which reminds me of my dad’s first few weeks in the care home just after he had developed dementia. My dad hadn’t said anything that the caregivers could understand for three weeks. Then one day, my dad said, “Get me the ‘F’ out of here.”

“That was clear,” offered the head nurse.

So, doing crossword puzzles reminds me a bit of when they tried to give my dad crayons at that care home after his very clear words, above. My brother said, “I wouldn’t have liked to have been the one who handed him the crayons!” That’s exactly how I feel!

My dad is the only one who understands me, and he’s demented!

And anyway, how old am I1? But the point is that some think I’m at the end of my usefulness to society because my kids are old enough to have moved out? That’s not what the lesson of the dragonfly (and God!) taught me.

Read that article HERE because you probably didn’t bother to read it the first time, and you need to remember truths like this if you are floundering in your next season.

And remember, don’t do crossword puzzles for the rest of your life! Especially if that thought makes you feel like killing everyone around you! I hope that helps!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

We showed you how to pull your weight when we were with you, so get on with it. We didn’t sit around on our hands expecting others to take care of us. In fact, we worked our fingers to the bone . . . And it wasn’t because we didn’t have a right to your support; we did.

The Message

As the song below sings, “nothing to gain, nothing to lose . . . nothing to prove . . . it’s right where I’m supposed to be,” should we consider pondering whether it COULD it be that the cultural gold medal of “early retirement,” or time “off” after 5:00 pm, could be another opportunity to step into the next phase of God’s plan for our lives?

Join people in sixty-five countries who read this! (Look! I don’t know why people read this stuff, either! It must be because they’re cool!) Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit: (Let God Show You How To) Use Your Gifts by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

1 I’m not telling – How dare you ask!

How To Begin The Process Of Finding Joy In Your Heart And Your Best Life In Your Next Season

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Got time to become a little less frantic, spinning, busy (frankly: nuts), friend?

So, I’ve been feeling like I am spinning in ever smaller circles, about to be sucked down the drain of life, lately.

I woke to this startling reality recently in my otherwise perfect life (Of course, my life is perfect! Hello! I write and provide “advice1” online, after all!).

Click HERE to continue reading.

People in over 50 countries read my online writing, so be uniquely you, and why not join in with what everyone else is doing?

How To NOT Go Insane When Your Kids Move Out – 3 Things You Need To Help Bubble Up

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Get a life, friend! (Yes, I’m talking to me, too.)

Elderly woman with walker on house steps

“No! I’m not going insane. Why do you ask?:

Above was the response I gave all weekend, like hitting a ping-pong ball back to the person who launched it at me, again and again.

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

I was at an in-person homeschool Year-End Celebration event this weekend with Logos Online School, and I gave the same response (above) to the same question that all the other homeschooling parents kept asking me.

And then even a stranger not at our event rolled down his car window and asked me a question. “What in the WORLD is going on here? I haven’t ever seen that many people in this park since the County Fair!” he exclaimed. We were elbow to elbow at the outdoor English Country dance at the Year-End event, where kids of every age (AND their parents!) danced together for several hours, everyone smiling unwittingly.

I attempted to explain, “Oh! There are simply people from nearly every state in the US and many provinces in Canada, plus some internationals here, dancing together with people of all ages for fun!” I waved him off with a smile. His eyebrows furrowed deeper.

Homeschooling is hard to explain sometimes.

Even God (!) is surprising us with our collective homeschooling adventure because homeschooling has been growing exponentially.

This growth in homeschooling is a good thing for our culture for many reasons, including those discussed HERE, HERE and even HERE.

Oh, and the part about many people asking me if I’m going insane? Oh, that’s because it’s my last year homeschooling my kids after 20 years at this job, teaching them from Kindergarten to Grade 12 (I know! I’m shocked I lasted that long, too!). It’s a new season for me.

So I may be feeling a bit disoriented.

And my last kid is moving out this year. (I’m advanced at keeping my kids nearby! And we missed a few milestones, such as the one for Kindergarten kids, “Watch at the school bus takes them away!”)

So I desperately asked for advice at this homeschooling event to every parent I knew who had just finished or was about to finish homeschooling their kids, like a drowning person asking (politely!) for a life preserver.

A quick summary of what I heard, through their tears and their joy, is that in this changing season, we need to let three things bubble up:

  1. Thankfulness: For example, massive cultural hope is a reason to be thankful, don’t you think? Well done, homeschooling parents. You loved these kids, and a well-loved kid is a gift.Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything.The Message
  2. True Feelings: I, for one, have generally preferred squashing feelings so I can be more productive. However, I’m trying to let my true feelings surface for even 10-15 minutes without judging them. This practice will (hopefully?) reduce the necessity for quite as many expensive counselling sessions if I go a little bit nutso later on from pushing down my feelings.
  3. The Next Thing: What’s the new thing, friend, that God has for you in this next season? Let’s let that bubble up a bit, too. What excites the heart, friend, in the quiet moments of the morning, when you and God are chatting? (Hint – Try to do more of the listening.)

For example, as the song below sings, “it’s gonna to take some time,” and “be patient with the process,” what do you sense God stirring in your soul, friend? God time for a listen? “If you want a resurrection,” what “dying has to happen” in your life, friend?

In my case, I wonder if maybe my kids can go ahead and save the world while I put my feet up for a few decades to celebrate a homeschooling job well done? (See Point #1 above). OK, maybe God has something new for me, too, in this next season, but that’s a discussion for another time. (I keep forgetting to do Point #2, above.)

Yes! I’m OK! I’m NOT going insane!

Why do you ask?

And I will try to forget about all those martinis I DIDN’T drink on the bad homeschooling days. I’m FINE! (I hope you are, too, friend.)

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

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

Photo Credit – FINALLY Leaving Home, Are We? by Mobio Marketing on Unsplash

Advice: Your Bridge To Hope After Your Kid Moves Out

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

How To Avoid Sorting The Tears Into Happy / Sad

green trees near brown wooden bridge during daytime

I’m mad at you! At all of you with a child over seventeen years old who left home! I hate you all! Why didn’t you tell me it would be this hard to say goodbye when they left for college!?

Click HERE to continue reading.

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

Jesus Is EVEN BETTER Than Tony Robbins At Achieving Thrilling Results Like Transforming Your Life!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Come here and sit by ME to get your life transformed, friend!

man in black jacket holding brown box

Tony Robbins1 is larger than life, both in terms of stature (6’7” – 1.98 m) and influence.

I have considered myself larger than life as well. For example, that time when I gained some weight! So, I point out, however humbly, that there are some slight similarities in the impact of my life, Tony Robbins’ life, and God!

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

The context of today’s article is that I was part of the energetic, jumping crowd that listened to some of Tony Robbins’ free Time-To-Rise teaching series on YouTube this week.

When Tony Robbins’ talk began this week, I thought he said there were two billion people at his online meeting. At that level, he would be helping almost as many people as Jesus in that moment! However, I got order of magnitude confused, and it was ONLY two million people that he was helping!

It’s easy to mix up how many zeros there are after a number when we consider how many people we have helped!

As for me, I don’t have quite as many zeros after my two people that I have helped,2 but, as Tony Robbins helpfully points out, it’s not the order of magnitude that matters so much as how much value you provide!

Tony Robbins set himself the goal of helping feed one billion people.3

Jesus feeds every person on the planet every moment, if our eyes are open enough to see. For example, check out this YouTube channel. He is helping lots of people!

I am not up there on that website of people Jesus helped because I don’t have a neck tattoo, and I didn’t spend time in jail (which is basically the same thing) before I decided to follow Jesus, so my story is less interesting, but He still helps me!

And there are tons of other people with boring4 lives like mine that Jesus also helped!

For now, we have firmly established that Tony Robbins and Jesus5 help people! A future article will compare the details of how Tony Robbins helps people (He helps a lot of people!) and how God helps people (God also helps a lot of people!). We hope that, after delving into this theme in more detail, you, too, can find someone (awesome) to help you transform your life!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

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

Photo Credit – Which Way Will You Go, Friend? by Majestic Lukas on Unsplash

1 A guy who helps people. Learn more below.

2 For example, I helped two people in my church a few years ago! Once, I helped a child in our church find her toy after I gave her toy to my daughter because I liked my daughter more! I also helped one other person way before that, but I can’t remember the details now.

3 It should be noted, just as an aside, that I feed my family almost every night, which is also impressive because I’ve cooked even when I didn’t want to!

4 And by boring, I mean exciting because I write online, so of course I have a fascinating life under the boring bits!

5 (And me!)

Know You Need To Soar Instead Of Simply Watching Others Fly? 5 Tips When You Transition

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment
a close up of a chicken with a blurry background

Recently, my husband and I took a course on transitioning with intentionality as we shift our priorities in a different life season.

The professor was Dr. Gordon Smith, who also writes on Substack HERE. However, please don’t mention that I sent you over there to him, as he may not agree with EVERY one of my life applications in this Newsletter, as I reflected on some of his comments. Plus, I wouldn’t want him to feel like I was showing him up! (I should humbly hint at.)

So if we want to live with intentionality, one thing we can do is read a book like this, which was required reading for our course. This book is entirely different from what I usually read. I typically read books on how to do things fast and faster!1

This book is different!

In one of the chapters (I forget which), Awakening Vocation hints that the book is intended for individuals seeking to discover meaning, purpose, and other similar goals. “Hey, sounds like me!” I thought. I’ve been trying to find meaning in life since the day I was born, but every time I pick up some old fluff on he ground that might be “meaningful,” it flies away on the wind again!2

And so, what did you learn, you ask us?

Oh, that part is easy!

Here are some of my scribbled sentences as I reflected on the content of that course:

  1. Our work is a participation in God’s work. Look around and ask, “What in the world are you up to, God?” (Application: I ask God that question a lot, so I am obviously very good at this! Just saying!)
  2. The more we do, the greater the impact we can make! (Application: The Professor may have meant this sentence as irony, but I forgot, and if so, I don’t fully understand what he’s getting at.)
  3. YOU are invited onto the stage into the drama of God’s redemptive work in this world. (Application: This part made me cry, but maybe that’s because I have always wanted people to clap for me on a stage and appreciate me and so forth. Wait. This tip is about God, I think, but it’s easy to mix up our ego with some of “God’s priorities” if we’re honest, don’t you find?)
  4. Let go of the need to control the outcomes of our work or endeavors. (Application: I’ve tried to let go of the need to control, but this is a LOT harder than it seems. So, if you skip this point, I don’t blame you.)
  5. We are always endeavoring to be in sync as much as we can with what God is calling us to do. (Application: YES! I GET this point! And God is calling me to write for some reason, and I am so excited to have coffee with you and get to know you better are we explore these ideas together – We will announce a regular Zoom connection time as soon as I am not so disorganized that I remember to look at my calendar and the commitments I’ve made, or at least when I stop watching so many movies at night!)

So friends, join us as we link our heads, hearts and spirits to the new priorities God is calling us to.

As the song below sings, “And I’ll search, I’ll search here for answers,” consider asking God, “Is the horizon of where you are asking me to walk towards further than I can see? Can you show me the next step?”

God, I pray that you help each one of us slow down and listen and then have the courage to fly into everything you are calling us to become as we press onwards, warmed by the light of the Son, we pray.

worms eye view photography of eagle flying across the sky

But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles

The Message

Photo Credits – How Does One Soar? by César Ardila on Unsplash, Eagle Shows Us How by Rachel McDermott on Unsplash

Thank you for liking me! I like you too! Let’s journey together!

1 In fact, the best advice I ever received is that rather than trying to read a book fast, decide whether you should read it at all! Now, I don’t bother reading so many books, and that’s how I know I’m efficient!

2 Anyone else feel this way? No? SHOW OFF!

Kid Moved Out? So What? (3 Keys That Will Make Your Life Transition Successful)

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

a woman sitting in the middle of a movie theater

In the last Newsletter, I said I would offer advice for how to transition gracefully to life’s next season.

I forgot actually to say something that would help you in that Newsletter. Hey, I never promised I would say something useful! I purposefully crafted the fine print in the Terms and Conditions of this site to avoid high expectations. Wow! People expect so much nowadays!

Click HERE to continue reading.

Thank you for liking me! I like you too! Let’s journey together!

The Guaranteed Perspective Of The Mind That Will Make You Transition Well To Your Next Season

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

person crossing net bridge

I wrote something sappy about kids growing up last time, and another time about sending our first kid off to college.

If you haven’t read those Newsletters yet, I’ll summarize them for you: Whiny, whiny, boo-hoo, cry, send our kid away… boring, boring. But this is the thing that really bothers me, as I think about it a bit more.

It’s unfair that we are expected to send our kids away just when they become helpful!

Click HERE to continue reading.

Thank you for liking me! I like you too! Let’s journey together!