An Intentional Future

Tag: God

• Dear Doris

  Posted at 5:56 am by Alysha

  Jun 11th

  Tonight I learned of another battle lost to colon cancer. Although I didn’t know the person, I do know he was young (mid 50′s) and left behind a wife and three boys. My heart is aching for them. It’s so difficult to put into words the pain I feel for them. Their loss hits so close to home because of my husband’s diagnosis. So tonight I have decided to write his wife a letter. I don’t know much, but I know her name. Here it goes:

  Dear Doris,

  I feel your pain. I know your hurt. I understand your anger. I realize your frustration and I can relate to your insecurity. I know what cancer can do. I know it doesn’t seem fair and I have no words to relieve your pain. All I can do is cry with you. As tears stream down my face, I’m sure they are streaming down your’s as well. As the next few weeks are filled with preparations and saying goodbye, make sure you take the time to cry. Make sure you take the time to tell Mark how much you love him. How much you admire him for the courageous fight he put up here on this earth. Make sure you remind him that he will always be with you in spirit, despite the twists and turns of life. Make sure you take time for you, but most of all, make sure you take time to feel the presence of our loving God. I pray you would be still long enough to allow Him to wrap His arms around you. I pray you would rejoice in the fact that Mark is now where he belongs.

  You are forever in my heart and in my prayers.

  With love,

  Alysha

   

  Although I know this letter does not do justice to their loss, these are a few things I would want to be reminded of in the event our situation took a turn for the worse. I know God is good and His plan is bigger than we’ll ever comprehend, but despite the desire to try to make sense of it all, sometimes it’s important just to be. Grieving is a complicated process but I believe being present in the moment is a good start.

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  Posted in Life, Loss | Tagged Cancer, everlasting love, God, goodbye, grieving, hurt, loss, pain

• Goals {The Purpose of this Blog}

  Posted at 2:51 pm by Alysha

  May 3rd

  1. To read the bible every day and eventually read it in its entirety.

  2. To read at least one book per month for the next 12 months. This may seem like a small goal to some but with all I have going on in my life, it can be very challenging to complete a book.

  3. To plant a vegetable garden.

  4. To be satisfied with where we’re at. No more house projects, big trips, or shopping sprees with money we don’t have or shouldn’t be spending.

  5. To live simply .This is a very broad goal and is in no way measurable but it may include things such as taking my reusable grocery bag to the store with me when I shop in order to eliminate the build-up of plastic bags. Or to de-clutter the garage. Whatever it is, I know what it will look like to me.

  6. To be more intentional with my time. I am not one to live by a schedule but with children you have to. There is nothing I dislike more than coming to the realization I have wasted three hours of my time on the computer or lost in daytime t.v. I am on a mission to organize my day more effectively but mostly to carve out some time for ME!

  7. To find a hobby. Have blogging, working in the yard, drinking coffee, and watching comedy but I need something more. I need a real outlet for my energy. Something in which I can set goals and challenge myself. Running perhaps?

  8. To clean less. Really. I spend a lot of time cleaning and tidying and sometimes maintaining a clean house consumes me. I may be bordering on OCD tendencies. LOL! And my new venture will definitely help with that. Check it out at Alysha’s Norwex

  9. To cherish relationships. Whether it be with my husband, family members, or friends, I believe building relationships is key to a happy life. I am so blessed by the people God has put in my life but I do sometimes (okay, more often than not) take them for granted. My goal is to make them aware of their importance to me by spending quality time with them or blessing them in some other way.

  10. To pursue some sort of higher education. I have not quite decided how this one might play out but I have a few ideas. Stay tuned.

  Wow, it was exhausting just to write that list. I hope I can live up to the expectations I have for myself. I guess only time will tell.

  Do you have goals you’d like to share? Link them up below.

   

  Thanks for reading,

  Alysha

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  Posted in Life, Uncategorized | Tagged Bible, business, challenge, cleaning, effort, Family, fun, Goals, God, green, hobbies, life, Norwex

• Brussel Sprouts: Day 1

  Posted at 9:02 pm by Alysha

  Apr 18th

  

  This is how I spent my morning. I sat with my 3 year old daughter (who is wise beyond her years) and read her the first four chapters of Matthew. She sat inquisitively as I read. It was such a special time for us to share.

  I love the Message because it is broken down into layman’s terms which makes it easy enough for a 3 year old to follow. There were a few things that stood out to me during our reading. Firstly, certain events in Jesus’ life were not radically different from others throughout history. For example, his exile to Egypt. Think of the times when people have fled for their lives: Nazi Germany or a most recent example of conflict in Africa.

  Or the fact that he was tested by the devil. That happens to all of us, doesn’t it?

  I was really into it and let me tell you those brussel sprouts were starting to taste great. Actually, I’m weird, I love brussel sprouts! So, if you have had a tough time understanding the bible in the past, pick up a copy of the Message. It will get you hooked on the word of God!

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  Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bible, brussel sprouts, coffee, Family, God, little ones, Message, quality time, reading

• Brussel Sprouts

  Posted at 4:38 am by Alysha

  Apr 18th

  I’ve been painting. I’ve been painting my heart out. I actually despise painting. I really do. But somehow I have found myself caught up in this endless web of painting. Everything needs painting. We bought an old house (built in 1950′s) and a lot needed to be done. I now find myself eating my words I so proudly spoke a little over a year ago when I said to my hubby, “Wouldn’t it be fun to buy an old house and make it our own?” So that we did.

  I actually love our house because it has character. It has a big backyard that the kids can play in. We’ve got it separated out into sections. I’ve got a space for my colorful flowers, a space for the decorative ones, a few raised garden beds intended for my newfound passion (which has since fizzled out): sustainable living through vegetable gardening. Yeah, it didn’t happen.

  I’ve thrown myself into this house since we moved in a little over a year ago. I took it upon myself to refinish everything but since the moment I started I wanted it done now! I have little patience for things but I also got bored. One of the things we did to spruce it up was add baseboards but we didn’t realize what a huge job that was. Therefore they have been left unfinished for the past 10 or so months. This past weekend I finished one room. It felt good but it took forever. That task coupled with the new paint in the kitchen, new light fixture, and new paint on the family room wall left me little time for much else. People have asked me how I manage to find the time to work on house projects as the mother of 2 children. And they have also made comments such as, “You’re amazing, I don’t know how you do it all.” What they don’t know is that many times my kids take a backseat to my projects. Sad but true. This lack of satisfaction thing has really got a hold on me.

  This past weekend at church, the guest speaker spoke about being satisfied in Christ. He mentioned that we could ponder on that very thought for days – weeks even and still not fully grasp it. Wow, have I lacked satisfaction lately. I really needed that message to whip me into shape. Then I came home and painted my patio door green with some extra paint we had lying around!

  I really need a hobby other than the house. I need something that will rejuvenate me rather than drain me. The guest speaker also mentioned that we need to be in the word. He used the following analogy: in the beginning reading your bible may taste like brussel sprouts to you but eventually your body will come to love it, yearn for it even. And I have found that to be true during the times I have made an effort to spend time in the word.

  So, I’m making this declaration: enough of these draining projects around the house. This will be finished once and for all. I need some more brussel sprouts in my life. Who’s with me???

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  Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Christ, faith, God, home, house, satisfaction

• Striving

  Posted at 3:48 am by Alysha

  Apr 7th

  I so tried to make today a great day. And I think, for the most part, I succeeded. At least I tried, right?

  It was really beautiful outside today. The weather was perfect. We even made it to the park. I had the opportunity to witness my childrens’ beautiful smiles each time they squealed with delight as they came careening down the slide. Simply put, there were a lot of smiles. It made my heart sing. Really, the experience made me feel as if being a mother was what I was created to be. But, there was just one thing missing…..daddy.

  Pete’s latest chemo session came to a close yesterday when his pump was removed. He was feeling pretty good. Feeling as if he has somehow escaped those nasty side effects he felt while on the previous regimen. Unfortunately they kicked in today.

  I felt so bad for him but I’m afraid I don’t know how to be the wife he needs me to be when he’s feeling sick, so I just go or do. Anything to get me out of the house and away from him. That sounds so terrible but I feel my presence just makes it awkward. Difficult. Restless. And I know what he needs more than anything is to just rest.

  The purpose of this blog is to live better. To learn more and try to be more than I am. Today on the radio I was reminded of the similarities between this season of our lives and the current season we celebrate as believers in Christ. The host spoke of Easter as being a time of renewal, new life, and growth. And by being introspective that’s exactly what I intend to do. I am forever grateful that our Savior paid the price for our sins. What an amazing gift. I will be forever in His debt.

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  Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Cancer, children, Christ, Easter, Family, gift, God, grateful, life, loneliness, play, renewal, Savior, season, sins

• 

  Alysha

  Hi, my name is Alysha and welcome to my blog. I hope this community helps you during your time of need. Loss is never easy but it always helps to talk with people who can relate. Thanks for visiting and please come back!

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