Gone Skiing

Maybe we'll visit Hog's Back again?

Though I think Damien's got something else planned.

It's our Sunday ski.

Happy Weekending!

• Family Life,
• Trek & Trail

Working From Gifts & Passions ~ Finding My Way

A couple weeks ago one of you (the line between reader and friend is happily blurring) sent me a link to the most amazing interview. At least, it's the most amazing interview I've listened to for a long time.

Krista Tippett, who broadcasts with American Public Media spoke with Irish poet John O'Donohue and put together this gorgeous interview entitled The Inner Landscape of Beauty.

my current outer landscape of beauty

Listening to this interview a couple things came to mind.

First, I think I was meant to be part Irish (but don't we all feel that way). Second, I can't believe I've never heard of Krista Tippett or John O'Donohue before. The more I learn the more I realize how ignorant I really am. So many amazing people in this world, whose voices and ideas I will never be familiar with. Sigh.

The interview spoke deep to my heart in so many ways. The way I feel about beauty and intimacy with God is so well expressed in this man's words. Which is why I believe my friend sent me the link to begin with. I can't do it the interview, or O'Donohue's words any justice as I fumble my way through trying to describe how moving it was.

I just highly recommend it. That's all I can say. I listened to it over several "kitchen sessions" - time I spent in the kitchen each day. The kids were playing outside. This let me soak in the words while I chopped and stirred.

About half way through (on the second day of listening) I thought, "I have to write some of this stuff down in Marge so I don't forget."

Near the end of the interview Krista shifts into questioning John about his coaching and teaching work with corporations and leaders. Yes, beauty is related to that and doesn't that just rock!

This was the last quote from the interview that I managed to scribble down. You'll have to imagine the Irish accent, or go listen yourself, it's at roughly 39 minutes in.

It's lovely when you find someone... who is doing exactly what they dreamed they should be doing and who's work is an expression of their inner gift. And in witnessing to that gift and bringing it out they provide an incredible service to us all.

The gifts that are given to us as individuals... are not for us alone or for our own self improvement but they're actually for the community and to be offered.

This immediately jumped out because I feel this describes my work as a mother, homemaker, homeschooler, writer, creative person, and life adventurer.

The work of mothering and making a home and educating my children is what I dreamed of doing since I was a young woman. 

The work of writing, creating beauty, sharing my gifts came out of living that dream.

And now there are new dreams. We made a huge change in our lives so we could explore these dreams and hopefully live them. 

It's exciting (& scary) to watch it come together and unfold. And while it happens I've been taking time to write about who I am because me knowing me matters as I branch out from the cocoon of motherhood and homemaking (it's cosy here) into sharing my gifts with the world at large (it's so unknown out there). 

I believe part of my mission is whole hearted living (not separating the parts, integrated living) and I am finding my writer's voice in whole hearted writing. 

In this place of living and writing with my whole heart, the coming together of our move, the stage we're at with homeschooling (seeing some of the things I've trusted in come to pass), the blossoming of creativity, the freedom to make dreams a reality - I feel alive in ways I haven't experienced before. 

And I want to share this gift, the joy I have in living, with other mothers, homemakers, homeschoolers.

I want to encourage and inspire people to live healthy, adventurous and creative lives, with beauty and intention.

I know that what I have received is to be given away. Like O'Donohue says "our gifts... are not for us alone or for our own self improvement but they're actually for the community and to be offered."

I want to figure out how to do this - share what I have been given, earn money using my gifts while staying true to my core values and my first dream and living reality - motherhood, homemaking and homeschooling.  

I'm hoping M.A.P.P. will help.

M.A.P.P. is a gift from Lisa Bryne. I have admired Lisa's work for some time. I've never taken one of her courses but her free materials are really amazing. She's a gifted teacher and is a whizz with the video (I want to do more of that).

Lisa interviewed 9 nationally recognized authors, speakers, artists and experts doing remarkable work in the world, open up and share honestly about navigating the journey of motherhood while pursuing their dreams.

Starting February 14th she shares those interviews with us.

M.A.P.P. stands for Motherhood, Ambition, Passion, and Purpose.

I'm kind of uncomfortable with the word ambition, to be honest. If I have an ambition, it's to live well. And I'm grounded in home and family (those sacred places feel earthy and organic, not "ambitious") and I'm always cautious of anything that might take my focus off of that right now.

But this is a really interesting time in history where women are forging new paths that merge motherhood, passions and paid work. The internet allows for so many more possibilities besides the worn out labels of stay-at-home, work-outside-home, work-at-home.

As a radical homemaker, die hard homeschooler, totally invested wife and mother who is also a writer, photographer, artisan, and creative I'm curious how this journey into paid work - born out of my passions and giftings - will unfold. And I'm thankful for any help along the way.

I'll be listening and learning and I invite you to join. 

• In General,
• Writing,
• Personal,
• Home & Hearth,
• Livelihood