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Cheryl Mendoza

How He speaks to me…..Or… can't He just call my cell when He wants to talk?

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Right time, right place.

Today was a day of encouragement.  Some of it I gave, and some of it I received.  The events were nothing spectacular, but it is typically the small things that can have the most impact. This morning, I went to the grocery store, and by the time I came out, my car was in the shade.  It was a simple thing, but in the heat of the Central Valley, it provided welcome relief even from this morning’s heat.

When I came home, I had to hurry and get cleaned up, as I had a massage appointment to get to.  It was only twenty minutes, but after the stress that I put myself through this week, it was like a little slice of heaven.  This week my regular therapist was back from a maternity sabbatical, and I was happy to see her.  After my massage, we sat and talked for a few minutes.  First she gave me the update about the new baby and the challenges of being a new mom.  I told her some of my experiences with the boys, and encouraged her to use her own good sense to make decisions.  I advised her to not worry about what other people say she should do, but to take the advice and use her best judgement.  I then told her that I had quit my job, and that I was working at blogging and trying to “reinvent” myself.  It was then that she was able to give some encouraging words to me.  It was a great conversation, and I left feeling better in both body and spirit. Continue reading “Right time, right place.” →

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Tap dance as life.

Viva La Revolution!!  And I do not mean some kind of violent upheaval, I mean the spinning around till you get back to the start.  That is where I am today, back to getting some tapping done.  I am trying to be mindful of everything that is going on in the world, but life goes on.  And isn’t that why we continue to address the same issues?  Life must go on.  I have to work, pay bills, care for my family, exercise, eat right and try to encourage/instruct my children.  (still!!)

I was tapping this morning (yikes) and I found that one step was really hard for me, because of one little problem.  I was having a hard time with my weight on my heel and bringing my other foot off the floor.  It was all a matter of balance.  I felt awkward and terribly clumsy, but kept working on it.  After thinking it through, watching the video and practicing that one part repeatedly it finally felt better.  It probably did not look perfect, but it did feel a little more natural. Continue reading “Tap dance as life.” →

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Where is justice?

So today as I watch the news and watch officer involved shootings, I am…?  I am not even sure.  I am angry and upset.  I am so sad that families will be going through the emotional roller coaster, that is now their new normal.  I am tired of seeing the same bad decision making, incident after incident.

I called my son, because I knew he would be angry.  As I spoke with him, I tried to work through what I was thinking, while giving him what I hoped would be wisdom.  So I told my son that the best way we can do something at this point would be  personal.  (At this point, I had a whole paragraph of some of the things that I think need to be addressed, but trying to keep opinion out and see what God teaches me through this.) Continue reading “Where is justice?” →

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Happy that no one is watching

So today I am going back to the start.  I said that I have typically 20 things going on in my head at one time, so I am trying to clear everything else out and focus on one thing.  I have my tap board ready, my shoes and a video of simple instructions.  I have to get practicing if I am going to be ready for next year’s National Tap Dance Day.

It has been a couple of weeks since building my board, and trying it out for a fekeep-calm-and-tap-dance-48w minutes.  Why haven’t I stepped back on you ask?  Well, this morning I was asking myself the same thing.  I thought back over the past couple of weeks, and wondered what happened?  What took my excitement away?  Where did the drive go to accomplish something new ?  I know the whole tap dancing thing seems a little trivial, but it really is a means to deal with other things that are truly not so trivial.  Insecurities, health, doubt, fear, fitness and choosing the freedom to live life joyfully.

 

I look back on the last few weeks, and I see doubt and fear raising their ugly heads.  These two monsters have been attacking me with a vengeance.  The avenues of attack?  It has been finances, writing, back pain and even discouragement.  So where is my defense?  I got a kick star280px-Gossamer_restoredt from reading the bible, making props for storytelling, helping my husband and reading some Max Lucado.  That is all just to stay afloat.  I also listened to an author/speaker named John Maxwell, and he was talking about one of his books, “Today Matters”.  There was a lot in it, but my quick take away was if you put something off until tomorrow, it is more than likely it will never get done.

 

I have been legitimately busy, but I noticed that this was the only thing that I kept putting off day after day. That caught my attention.  I always put off doing what I don’t like, is hardest or most uncomfortable for me.  It is a pattern.  So when I see this, I know I have to attack it.  So here I am, ready to wage war on my fear and insecurity through the art of dance.  OK, I use the word art and dance very loosely.  You have heard the saying, “Dance like no one is watching.”  Well I can tell you, I have never been more thankful that no one is watching.

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Someone else’s box.

So I really love to write, and I typically have 20 things going through my head at one time, so I always feel like it should come freely and with ease.  The only problem is, most time it doesn’t.  By the end, it feels more like child birth than anything else.  Times of struggle, gasping for each new line.  Then at times there is rest and a moment where new insight is revealed.  So for me, it is not always easy.

This morning though, I was really inspired and wanted to just sit and get my thoughts down on paper.  It all started when I read a blog, “Fcuk Pretty.” Well the title had me interested, and when I went to read it, the post had me hooked.  I enjoyed the writing and honesty, but most of all I loved the commonality.  In my own life, I could relate to some of the feelings and statements that she was relaying in the post.  What is the best part though?   It was her.  I looked at some of the information about her, and I knew that I would not naturally be a part of her circle of friends.  (influence?)  To me though, that is exciting.

Again, we find so many ways to separate ourselves from each other, and I am done with that.   It is boring.  I want to risk meeting people who are different than me, the ones that I am not “supposed” to talk to.  I want to know their story, and how it may have hurt them or brought them strength.  I want to hear about the things that separate us, because when I look at them through the lens of eternity, those things become meaningless.

What do you think?  Are you tired of being labeled and put in someone else’s box?

Here is the link to the original post: https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/33316213/posts/1045939154

Seems the link may be having issues.  Where is my IT guy?  Please cut and paste…it will get you there.  Sorry for the difficulties….but I do recommend reading it.  Thanks!!

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Time for another Adventure

Dinner is almost done and I am exhausted.  It is going to be a couple of long weeks as we are getting ready for VBA.  I am sure you see signs where you live about VBS, or Vacation Bible School.  Here though, we do Vacation Bible Adventure.  Both our Senior and Youth Pastors have daughters that work at Disneyland, so that should give you the indication what the place starts to look like.  Sets are going up all over the campus in anticipation of the 1,000 or so kids who will attend.  During the week, I tell storiesVersion 2to preschoolers.  Today I went and started to get our sets “built”, more like taped together, for the stories.  I was happy to have one of our students come out and help me today.  I had a picture from Pinterest of what I was looking for, but after showing her that, I gave her free reign to create.  I think she did a fantastic job.  It is a really cute whale….my pic is not so good though.
This whole undertaking is HUGE!  It takes so many people, using so many different talents to put these great environments together.  It is always exhausting, but always amazing to be a part of such a wonderful group of people.  Are you having your own Vacation Bible School?  Or Adventure?  If you are, leave a comment about what encourages you the most about being involved in this kind of event.

So I kind of cut her out of the picture because she is a young lady, and I try to be aware of any parental concern.

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Memorial Day 2016

So today is Memorial Day 2016.  We spent most of the day traveling home after visiting family, so it is late in the day when I finally get to think about the meaning of the day.  Sad enough to say, it seems that I have only just started looking into the day’s history in the last few years.  While there are theories on who began the tradition that became the holiday, I choose to take some time and reflect on the why of the day.  I do that not to deny the history of anyone, but because it is in the why where we find our common ground.

Today is the day to remember those who died while serving in the US military.  I happen to live in a navy town.  It is strange as this navy town is in the middle of California’s Central Valley, and not an ocean in sight.  So when I think of Memorial day, I think of the people I do life with.   I see them when we hear of an F-18 crash on the news.  I watch them come together when one of their own dies.  This is what Memorial Day means to me on the most personal level.

A couple of weekends ago my husband and I went to the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California.  While we were there, he was able to check out the trains, and I was able to walk around and see the people who were there for a Civil War reenactment.   At one point a man asked if I would like to see some of the artifacts that he had, and I of course was interested.  He put into my hand a 12 pound ball that was part of a battle in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  As I stood there holding the rather large and heavy ball, the man went on and gave more information about the ball and the other items he had.  I really did not hear much of what he said, as I was concentrating on what I was holding.  I thought about the ball, and how heavy it was.  I could imagine the speed it would have, as it hurtled through the air only to hit the ground and bounce for a time.  I thought of the Civil War documentaries I had seen, and all of the carnage balls like these had created on a battlefield.  I wondered if the ball had killed someone, taken off an arm or even a leg.  I was not able to handle it any longer, and gave it over to my husband.  We listened for just a bit longer, and then left the gentleman dressed in Confederate grey.  It made me melancholy for a while, and I knew that I could never be a part of a reenactment.   For me, the whole thing seemed very weird, not good or bad, just weird.  We went on to take more pictures and see the other exhibits there in the museum, but it wasn’t until we got home that I realized what I had done.

Day Trippin

I took the picture that is attached.  I was really trying to get a good picture of the box car and tree, but there in the side was the cannon.  It was sitting there waiting for the reenactment, and I had gotten it into my picture by accident.  Since the whole reenactment thing left me feeling the way it did, I really did not want the cannon in my picture.  The problem was, I did not like the picture when we cropped the cannon out.  So I left it and did not think of it again until maybe Thursday, when it dawned on me that Memorial day was quickly approaching.  It felt appropriate.  I do not particularly like what Memorial Day makes me remember, but I know that is the whole point.  To remember what we lose through war, to remember the sacrifice made by many.  I think war sucks, but like my cannon silently sitting in the wings, I know it sneaks into the picture even when we don’t want it.  So I am thankful for those who make the ultimate sacrifice, and pray for those who are left behind.

 

 

 

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Encouragement 2.0

OK, so here we are at the other side of the lake. Now this next series of events were always kind of weird to me. It seemed like an out of place story with no purpose, but that was before I received a useful piece of background information. So here is what happens. Jesus and his friends reached the other side of the lake safely. Jesus had calmed the wind, the waves, and they had reached their destination. When they arrived, they were greeted by only one man, and I am sure this man was not the welcoming committee that the disciples had anticipated. He lived in and among the burial caves, or our version of a cemetery. He was crazed, wandering day and night, separated from his family and the society who lived there in that area. The story tells us that people tried to hold him by chaining him up, but he couldn’t be contained. That he cut himself, so he was quite possibly a danger to others and definitely to himself. We come to find out that the man is possessed by not only one demon, but by many. So, this is the only man that came to see Jesus and his friends when they arrived on the other side? Did I mention that he was naked? After a short conversation with the demons, Jesus heals the man by sending the demons into a huge herd of pigs. The pigs, not enjoying the presence of demons in their little pork bellies, then run directly into the lake and drown. When that happens, the other people in the area finally come out and urge Jesus to leave. They did not know what exactly was going on, they just knew they did not want His kind of trouble. They overlooked the now healed and totally restored man, and had focused alone on the loss of a great commodity of pigs. At this point, Jesus and the disciples leave, but not before telling the man that he could not go with them. Jesus asked him to stay and to go and tell his family what the Lord had done for him. So Jesus leaves, the disciples are out of there and the healed man heads off to continue his life and tell people what had happened.

During the retelling of this story, a new nugget of information was dropped into my lap. In the sermon he talked about the “other side” not being a primarily Jewish area. It is not something that I typically think about immediately, the whole ethnic/cultural dynamic of the day. Just like today though, it is important. You see they had traveled to a region where there were Greek, Roman and Canaanite influences. If the settlement was predominantly Jewish, there would be no pigs. The light bulb finally went on in that moment, and that one fact was amazing to me! That meant that Jesus purposefully traveled to see people who were different from himself. Here was this Jewish man, one who had wisdom and was considered by many to be like a rabbi, and he wanted to go to the other side. He wanted to go where the people were not like him, where they had different beliefs, customs, another way of living and even different gods. Jesus though chose to go there, and not only that, He chose to heal. I was so encouraged by this story of the other side. They tell me, that I live in a world with many people who live on the “other side” from me. It seems like the older I get, the more we find ways to label each other. Ways to divide, categorize and set ourselves up against each other. I have to say that I fight doing that same thing. Not because I think that I am better than anyone else, but because of my own anger, pride and insecurities. Truthfully, it just makes it easier to not have to deal with differing opinions, values or the big R(eligion) word. The problem with staying on my side though, is that I miss out on knowing people, learning from them or seeing a different side of things. They may miss out on who I am and what my life can show them. I just felt that this was something that God had been talking to me about. No, not in an audible voice, but in what He shows me in this world around me. There are so many things that make up the divide between me and the other side, but now I know that it is a divide that is not uncrossable. And even more important, it should be crossed.

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