Christmas Sucks

 Life is...Christmas Sucks

(I actually wrote this a few years ago, but felt 2020 was a good year to post it).

Christmas - What a wonderful, magical time as a child. What a difficult, stressful, sad time as an adult.

As I sit here on Christmas night pondering what a difficult Christmas season it has been & I realize...

We idolize Christmas (the nativity & Jesus' birth) but it must have been awful giving birth in a stable. And later having to flee to Egypt to avoid being killed.

What was it like the 1st Christmas?

"and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them." ~Luke 2:7

but what were Mary and Joseph thinking? 

"But Mary treasured up these things and pondered them in her heart." ~Luke 2:19

Maybe they were thinking...

-Is this really how God wanted His son to be born?

-Is this really the plan?

-I don't want to have a baby here!

But yet, under these circumstances, of a baby being born next to animals, the Salvation of the World came.

Don't let this small, well-known verse pass you by.

It is like God is telling us, even from the birth of His Son...

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." ~John 16:33

If the things that aren't really Christmas start to interrupt your Joy of the birth of the Savior - let them pass by. For Jesus came into the harsh world as a defenseless baby - born into extreme circumstances to be The Light of the World!!!!!

So, even though the Christmas season is hard - all of us have our own story and difficulties - when you start to think "Christmas Sucks!" Remember that in fact 

CHRISTMAS SAVES!!!!

For it was on Christmas that the Child was born into the world - the Child that would redeem all mankind.

Life is...Breastfeeding and a World Hurting

 Life is...Breastfeeding and a World Hurting

I was reminiscing this morning about when David and Rachel were babies. I was fortunate to be able to breastfeed them, and anytime they would get a cold or start to feel sick I would give them extra kisses deliberately trying to get the germs they had, because I knew I could fight it easier than they could. I was stronger, and I could pass those antibodies on to them. 

Now our world is facing extreme sickness. 

Physical, yes, but also emotional, mental, financial, spiritual...

I am not saying deliberately try to get sick (that would not be helpful), but the same thought process applies as it did when I was breastfeeding. 

I am strong. Let me help!

How can you help someone who is hurting? Are they physically sick, are they lonely, did they lose their job, have they lost hope? 

Since March we have prayed daily for our family's health, but we always ask for health so that we can bless others. 

"God, thank you for our health. Please continue to keep us healthy so that we can bless others. Be with those who are not healthy. Let us see them and be willing and able to help."

Right now I am strong. How can I help you?

Life is...An Obituary

 Life is...An Obituary

My Gma would have been 87 years old today. Sometimes I write as the emotions hit me. Sometimes I need to process in order to write.

My Gma died almost a month ago. I could share a million memories, but I'm not sure they would matter to you.

An obituary is fine but is so incomplete. Here is what I would say about my Gma.

1 Corinthians 13:13 was read at her funeral..."And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

My Gma lived out FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE.

And I would add JOY.

They weren't just words that she didn't put into action. She lived them out to show their purpose and their power.

Even during her last months, during a worldwide pandemic, she was teaching me. 

Here's what I learned through her Actions...

1. Even when I'm confused, scared, and hurting I want to be someone others want to be around. Someone who exemplifies JOY and HOPE.

2. Even during a pandemic of fear Gma showed LOVE and FAITH. She said but also showed that LOVE drives out Fear!

There is a great song by Kari Jobe "The Blessing" 

"May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children

In your coming, and your going
In your weeping, and rejoicing
He is for you, He is for you"

I feel comforted during the weeping and thankful for the amazing blessing that has come to me, because of the FAITH, HOPE, LOVE, and JOY from previous generations. 

May we continue it on to be a blessing to others.

Life is...What If?

Life is...What If?

What would happen if we simply let politicians know that we are praying for them?

How would it change their heart? How would it change ours?
I have a lot of opinions on what is happening, and I have a lot of ideas, but I can’t see the whole picture, no one can. What if we handed it over to the only One who can see the whole picture and see what God will do!?
What if we prayed for those making decisions, no matter if we agreed with them or not.
What will God do when we pray - not argue or demand - just pray!

Dear President, Representative, Governor, Mayor, School Board Member.....

During this extremely stressful and challenging time I just wanted to say I’m praying for you.

Praying for wisdom and understanding, praying for endurance, praying for your family, and praying you see the impact your decisions make.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him as God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
Thank you,
Nancy 

Life is...Waiting 4 Death

Life is...Waiting 4 Death

Just rants. Just rants. Just rants.
No checking. No filter. No censoring. No...

Just pure emotion. Pure heartache.
Pure sadness.

Confusion.

What?
What am I supposed to do?
How do you wait?
How do you wait for someone you love to die?
How do you go on as normal?
How do you be there for them?
What is enough?
What is right?
What helps?
What?

Cry. Cry. Breakdown.
Grieving before the death.
Grieving as if death had already come.
Grief.
Pain.
Sadness.

What do I say?
Do I pretend everything is normal?
Do I breakdown?
Do I say everything I’ve said before?

Do you know?
Do you know how I feel?
Do you know how much you’ll be missed?
Do you know?

Memories
I have them.
No - it’s not enough.

Don’t say contrite things.
Don’t try to take away my sadness.
Let me be.
Let me mourn.
Let me.

It may not be right, but this is how I feel.

I love you Gma!

~Nancy Bruscher
www.GenerationsToGenerations.com
Dedicated to Capturing Memories
Blog: https://lifeisbynancy.blogspot.com

Skinny Jeans

Life is...Skinny Jeans

So, I have a pair of skinny jeans in my closet with the note "Before I was pregnant - fit into them again." It's been almost 8 years & 

I'm throwing them away! 

It is not a real incentive to eat better or workout more. It does make me feel like a failure. I don't think my hips will ever go back to the way they were - and that's ok. 

I'm not giving up on being healthy and feeling good, but I don't need jeans I wore before I was pregnant to gauge how I'm doing health wise. It's like a scale - personally I don't see the purpose for one in my home. I know if I am gaining weight or losing weight without a number. And I'm grateful my parents didn't have one in the house growing up. Some of the high school memories I think about often is...
-When I would go on a walk with my mom, and she would tell me how beautiful I was. I didn't think I was, but I knew she truly believed it and that mattered. 
-When I was at a restaurant with my parents and some of their friends, and someone commented that I was eating too much. My mom put them in their place right away. "You will not talk to my daughter that way." 
Funny that I think about that so often; probably because most of us think about our looks or our weight A LOT.
I didn't really want to tell those two stories, but felt for some reason I should. I hope it's helpful.

Here's what I would hate, for someone's first thought of me to be..."Oh yeah, she got back into those jeans she wore before she was pregnant."
Wow, who cares?
So why would I keep them?
I have things in my life that I actually care about. That I actually want to do. 

So goodbye skinny jeans! Hello goals that I actually care about!

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David's First Blog

Life is...David's First Blog

"It's been really hard the last few weeks. It's been really hard, because we haven't been able to go out of the house. We haven't been able to go to church at daytime. We haven't been to go to church at nighttime. We haven't been able to go to the rec center pool. It's been really hard." 

~David

I hugged him and said, "I know!"
"Let's think of things we are thankful for."

"Not now, Mom."
That's ok - sometimes you just need time to be sad.

I was so proud of him - that night he had a whole list of things he was thankful for - he just needed time.

When the pressure of this quarantine season gets to us everyone in our family reacts differently...

-David talks

-Chris is positive

-Rachel has extreme temper tantrums

-I cry

When both Rachel and David had several hard days in a row Chris decided to make something special for them to pass the time. They made an incubator & we are now taking care of 18 chicken eggs, hoping a few will hatch into baby chicks in 21 days!

Keep going! You can do this!

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." ~Isaiah 41:10

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The 1991 Ice Storm & 2020 Coronavirus

Life is...The 1991 Ice Storm & 2020 Coronavirus

Yesterday was not a great day for me. I let fear get the best of me.
+Not fear of the virus but fear of how our life has been altered so quickly and completely by those in power.
+Fear of how long these changes will take place.
+Fear of what the "new normal" will look like and when.

+Fear of the economic fall out of these closures.

Last night a great memory came to mind - the 1991 Ice Storm. Yes, an ice storm - some amazing childhood memories come from those days with no electricity.

Now here's how I remember it - it may not be accurate - you would have to ask my parents, siblings, aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandma. 

Because the ice storm knocked out the power our family went into town to stay with my Aunt Karen, Uncle Jim, and 3 cousins. At least they had running water, because in the country when electricity goes out you don't have a pump to pump the water into the house. My grandma and grandpa also came to stay with all of us; they lived in the country too.

I don't remember...
...how we stayed warm (was there a generator)?
...being in fear.
...wondering when the electricity would come back on.
...wondering if the food would go bad in the freezers.
....worrying about how to cook the food.

This is what I remember...
~Having an amazing time with my family.
~No electricity. No TV. And loving it!
~Playing countless games, including MASH!
~Playing outside (I remember a snowmobile and building a snowman and fort).
~Sitting in the dark with candles and talking and playing.
~Going to my aunt and uncle's locker - I don't remember if it was to check on things or get food - I just remember having a ball playing in the dark, lobby area.

We had such great memories that for YEARS we would pray for another ice storm. Of course my parents were like....NOOOOOO! But what a testament to living through a hard, frustrating time and showing your kids the best part of it!

I want my kids perspective of the coronavirus not to be of fear and things that were taken away, but a memory like I have of the 1991 Ice Storm. 
And for their memories to be good I need to be in a healthy place - a place of love, peace, and generosity.

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Last Words

Life is...Last Words

What words of encouragement and love are you not sharing, because you are too busy?

"Gracious words are like honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." ~Proverbs 16:24

Twice in the last year I did not take the time to reach out. 

About a year ago, on a Monday, I felt a tugging to call an elderly Mary Kay customer. I felt the tugging for 3 days, but I didn't call. 

I was busy. 

Truly I was, but really too busy to make a phone call?

Even as I felt this struggling and didn't do it I told myself - I'll do it later. 

If I could text her I could do that, that's fast, but she doesn't text. An actual phone call - I just dont' have time for that today.

Then I was on Facebook Wednesday night (I guess I had time for that!) and I found out she had passed away earlier that day. 

I had felt God nudging me to reach out, but I didn't take the time. 

It haunted me.

I don't know what I was supposed to say or what she would have said to me.

I decided I wouldn't be too busy again.

WELL....I guess I didn't learn my lesson because a few months ago I again felt compelled to call an elderly man, a Generations to Generations client. 

AGAIN, I kept putting it off. 

Same excuses...
I'll call soon. I'm really busy. I don't have time to actually make a phone call.

This time I received a phone call from my mom saying he had passed away.

I don't want to live in guilt, because that doesn't actually change me, but I do want to learn from these lessons. 

Putting off words of encouragement or just a word to let someone know they are loved and being thought of should not be dismissed or left for later.

This is an eerie verse that hits me to the core.
Jesus said, "I tell you, on the day of judgement people will give an account for every careless words they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." ~Matthew 12:36-37

My BIG question is - Am I more willing to "find time" to complain on social media more easily than I am willing to call and share words of life and love?


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