Personal stories – Page 2 – Family Faith Companion

Choosing the good road

Posted on February 24, 2015July 8, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

This Lent at FUMC, as a congregation we are walking once more to the cross and to Jesus’ resurrection. Along the way we are looking at “road options” that Jesus and his disciples chose along their journey. How might these same decisions be open to us? Which road will we take? Will we recognize the best choice – the good road? Let us journey together this Lent as we “Walk The Good Road.” See you in church!

Last weekend Rev. Doug Paterson’s sermon on the “Good Road” series spoke to the quandary that the “The Good Road is Not Always Smooth.” I don’t think he mentioned David and Goliath, but he could have.

When the road is not always smooth, perhaps we are facing a giant.

Cartoon painting of 'The Scream'

Perhaps that giant, creating yawning potholes in our path, is…

A conflict with a person — family or friends or teachers or co-workers or bullies…
A situational problem — I can’t figure out math, my grandfather is dying, my dreams don’t seem to be happening…
Peer pressure — I’ve got to be the best soccer player. I’ve got to be in the in-crowd. I’m worried about having a bad-hair-day. I’ve got to have a bigger house/car/phone. I’ve got to be thinner/sexier/smarter…
Or maybe the giant you’re facing is you! You want to change but you don’t understand why you do the things you do and how to be transformed.

This last one is my current giant! My giant says to me “Carol, who are you to be speaking about faith?” “Who are you to make decisions about Sunday’s Cool?” “Who are you to be a leader in a Christian educators organization with thousands of members?”

It would be easier for me to back away from my giants, letting them win. Sometimes the road we must choose is harder than we would like.

The Good Road is ever before us. Will we recognize it when we see it?

Can I trust God’s definition of me as Imperfect, God-seeking, Confident, Child-of-God, One-who-has-work-to-do?

Thankfully God is always with me (regardless of the road I choose). But I also know that I am called to move in the direction of faith. But how? Here are some ideas:

Intentional Practices for growing faith:

Remembering: Where and when has God been with me in the past?
Provide a platform for lingering together, for the asking of questions, and for finding hope. Encourage the expression of ideas and inquisition. (Ask: What do you think about ___?) Honor with attention and thoughtfulness.
Spending time alone with God. Perhaps practicing a bit like this.
What scripture can I learn so that strengthening words roll off my tongue? (How about this Rotation’s Key Bible verse?)

A "shrine" of things that invoke the memory of God's goodness

What visual reminders will I place in my path? A cross here, scripture written on an index card there? Set up a spot in your home that is designated as a “quiet spot.” Fill this space with objects that invoke memories. Allow touching and rearranging and additions and subtractions. (Photo on right is such a spot set up at the Nelson home around Easter time.)
As well as the usuals: communicating with God through prayer; learning God’s advice by reading the Bible; strengthening my relationship with God through worship; serving others. (Read more here.)

Which of these practices will you implement in your family this week?

Photo credits:
Cartoon “Scream” by Prawny. Used with permission from Morguefile.com.
“Shrine” photo from Chris Nelson. Used by permission.

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For such a time as this?

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

Esther found herself in a tight spot: Face death if she went before the king, or do nothing and have her people be annihilated. Her wise cousin Mordecai was suggesting that she’d been situated as queen, so she’d be available to step in and save her people. He told her…

And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? Esther 4:14b

Have you ever felt as Esther did – stuck in a quandary?

I’ve been in muddled-mode for a long time. There are lots of things I’m not sure I want to do anymore. And then there are new things that appear. Should I take them on? Something has to go from my to-do list but I’m not sure what!

I feel like I’ve been trying to do more and more, and accomplishing less and less. How do I decide what to let go? What if I choose wrong! Rather than make a decision, I’ve been just spinning my wheels. Perhaps it’s time to realize that I’m at a “such a time as this” juncture.

When one finds themselves in “such as time as this,” faith and trust need to triumph over fear.

A road sign indicates trust is straight ahead

Here are words of a blessing I need to hear and live:

May you be willing to leave behind a risk-free life and go out on a limb, for such a time as this.

How about yourself? Join me in becoming unstuck?

Did you know that blessing someone gives them a precious gift?
Click on a box if you would like to…
Satisfy your curiosity about why you should bless others.
View other suggested blessings.

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Road sign in the Public Domain, via Pixabay.

Where will Jesus show up today?

Posted on May 1, 2014January 19, 2022 by Carol Hulbert

They didn’t expect to see Jesus. So they didn’t notice?
Just like I almost missed seeing the Dutchman’s Breeches.

A wild flower known as Dutchman's Breeches

There they were! At the edge of the walkway. How long had they been out?

How had I missed seeing them?

Dutchman’s Breeches are a tiny, early spring flower, getting their apt name from their appearance: petite, white, hanging-upside-down, pantaloons strung on an invisible clothesline. I hadn’t expected to see them yet. (Spring is rather slow in coming to these parts.)

Where will Jesus show up for you today?

The same sort of abrupt awareness came to the two disciples who were traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They hardly noticed that an individual had joined their journey. They were so caught up in their grief-filled discussion over the death of Jesus, their expected rescuer. They didn’t realize that Jesus was walking besides them!

These Dutchman’s Breeches stir up deep connections for me. Do you treasure your grandmother’s recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies? Do stories gush forth when the making of those cookies happens? The emergence of wild flowers does it for me. Memories flow.

My Aunt Doris brought me a Dutchman’s Breeches plant from her garden many years ago. I recall her bending to the soil to poke them into earth. Doris has since gone on to her heavenly home. Seeing the delicate white flowers brings to mind Doris and her love of Jesus. The way she so readily and passionately shared her faith!

What reminders of Jesus’ love are you almost missing today?

Keep watch! Jesus is closer than you think!

Photo credits… Photos are copyright and are from my archives.

Accept mistakes and celebrate grace

Posted on August 8, 2013August 8, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

It’s a nasty train of thought that I’ve carried with me for a long time:

But it’s not perfect!

All of my life I’ve been a perfectionist. In the 2nd grade when we were creating self-portraits at school, my mother was mystified by my insistence that I wear the same dress for several days in a row. (I wanted to get the details just right.)

I recall in 8th grade getting a “D” in Art class because I couldn’t finish my projects; I couldn’t get them to be perfect.

It’s a disease and I know that others suffer from it too. (Like the 5th grader I worked with who was afraid to estimate an answer to a mathematical problem because, well, it could be wrong!)

I think perhaps it is something that we teach ourselves to believe?

Here’s the pitch I’m repeating these days: Jesus is bigger than any mistake.

Try this at the family dinner table (or wherever your family is gathered together): Have everyone (adults included) share a mistake that they made that day. Repeat the process on a daily basis.

Exposing and naming our goof-ups teaches our kids that:

Everyone makes mistakes;
Home is a safe place to confess our sins;
When necessary, forgiveness can be extended;
We can all celebrate God’s gift of I-love-you-anyway Grace.

It’s not too late to learn: Jesus is bigger than any mistake. What learning is happening in your family?

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Broken seedling by D. Sharon Pruitt, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

Don’t wait for Confirmation class!

Posted on June 6, 2013May 2, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

Last Sunday we celebrated Confirmation Sunday, the unique worship service where a milestone is reached – our youth affirm the faith of the church as their own!

a youth gets confirmed — *Pastors & parents place their hands on a kneeling youth as she is confirmed.*

Nineteen youth became professing members. Among their assertions…

They said, I do to:

a rejection of all evil,
regret for their sin,
confession of Jesus Christ as their Savior.

And I will to:

serving as Christ’s representative in the world,
and faithfully participating in the ministries of the church.

How did they get to this milestone in their faith journey?

How did they come to this powerful, public pronouncement?

Was it the spent weeks in Confirmation class, learning everything there is to know about the Christian faith.

Well, I’m hoping that we didn’t pin all of our hopes on a few months of classes! Or even a few years of Sunday school. It takes more than that.

Their faith will stick won’t it?

Well we can’t be sure. It is between God and each individual, but you can up the odds.

Don’t do like I did. Don’t leave the religious teaching to the “experts” at church. Don’t be hampered by your own lack of understanding (who am I to teach??) Don’t wait for Confirmation class to start the journey.

Here are a few basic examples of what you can do for your kids now:

Their age (roughly)	Your words	Your actions
Birth	“God loves you”	Your care provides a foundation for trust in God.
Toddler	“God created all things”	Point out all of God’s creation all around them.
Preschooler	“The Bible tells us about God and his son, Jesus Christ.”	Read Bible stories at home.
	“We can talk to God whenever we want and he will listen.”	Model and teach about prayer.
And the list goes on…

Don’t wait for Confirmation class!

Photo credits:
Photo from Confirmation Sunday from my archives.

Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 25, 2012December 17, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

In the pews at a Christmas eve service with candles

Every year, it never fails.

I always cry.

The church all in darkness . . .

except for candles in the pews.

Light that comes at Christmas, to each of us.

…a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born.
The Message, Luke 2:10

Celebrate this good news!

Merry Christmas!

–Love, Carol

Photo credits:
From my archives: My family together at worship last Christmas eve.

A changed way of thinking

Posted on September 26, 2012July 8, 2014 by Carol Hulbert

Have your kids grown taller in the last year?

Ask your kids what other ways they have changed recently.

Gotten better at math facts perhaps?
Become more proficient at playing an instrument or a game?
Or possibly changed their mind about something?

Change can be surprising.

In the Cooking workshop this month, with a little "shaking up," kids have been changing ordinary ingredients into a tasty snack: individual servings of ice cream in a bag! (Actually, a lot of shaking was required.)

Our woman at the well was a bit shaken up by Jesus’ radical way of noticing her/including her/acknowledging her. A change occurred in this woman – an “inside” change as well as an “outside” change. The outside change was obvious: She was able to over-look judgment and went running to tell others about Jesus! (John 4:28-29)

The inside change? Well, we can’t know for sure, but she likely changed the way she felt about herself; the words she used to describe herself. She was no longer a loner, a loser, someone over-looked and to be ignored.

I believe that getting closer to Jesus, changes us inside.

It’s why I write this blog! (Despite my uncertainty and the disparaging words I’ve used in my past to describe myself.)

“Living water” is what Jesus offers us: a close relationship with God – assurance that God loves us, no matter what. Over time, it can change how we describe ourselves. Can you say this?

I am God’s masterpiece!

How does knowing this change you?
Please, pass this knowledge on to your kids!

Photo credits: Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Measuring by Woodleywonderworks, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons license.

Learning the language of faith

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Carol Hulbert

When my kids were little I had a inkling that we should be discussing God and having faith-talks, but how was I to start? I didn’t remember anything from my childhood Sunday school! What was I suppose to say?

Does talking about faith with your family seem foreign?

Are you in this sort of quandary? If yes, might I recommend a seminar I am co-leading on Saturday, March 24th at the downtown FUMC church. It’s part of a workshop called Building a Better Family. Read more about it here. Register on-line here. One of the sponsors of this workshop is the preschool at our church, FUMCN, however that doesn’t mean that only parents of preschoolers need attend! It applies to all ages!

In the meantime… back to the foreign language of faith… and a motto to adopt as you face this dilemma with courage!

I’ll bet you’ve acquired a host of different “languages” along your life journey; some simple, others complex. Back when I started my first “real” job I had to learn the difference between a frappe and a milkshake. (Yeah, I was a soda jerk.) In college I drank in the language of trees and plants; I could present on the pessimistic prospects of a bushy Euonymus alatus vs. rabbits. (This was in the days before concerns about landscaping with non-natives. This plant, otherwise known as the Burning Bush, is now considered invasive in several states!)

Later, after some soul-searching I changed careers and learned more new languages: communicating with computers. COBOL or Fortran anyone? (I guess I just dated myself).

Has your path been like mine? Acquired any new vernaculars along the way?

Since those days, my lifework has changed… again. I’m pursuing another language. It includes a burning bush… but of a different sort. This language includes words that I am often confused about like Incarnation, Annunciation and Atonement. You too?

When my children were little I’m certain that I didn’t try very hard to speak the language of faith because of uncertainty, and embarrassment and a bit of fear.

I don’t want you to repeat my mistake. So here is a motto to repeat to yourself, over and over:

Stumble if you need to.

Go ahead and make a mistake or two or more. It is a process with rich rewards… learning the language of faith… together as a family.

Photo credits: Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
A horticultural Burning Bush by Jennifer Murawski, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.