Wednesday, June 2, 2010

We're Breaking Outta Here!


Flickr photo by "The Wanderer's Eye," creative commons
Hey chicks!
Yep, you're in the right place. Welcome to my new coop! I hope you like it.

It's funny how attached I can get to the way things are. Is this true for you? I find myself even holding tight to silly, unimportant things like a blog header that an artist made for me two years ago, or where I put the spoons and forks. Would you believe that I moved my silverware drawer back in March, and my hands still reach for the handle on the right side of the oven instead of the left? It's true!

I suppose when we do something over and over again the same way, we program the fleshy computer part of ourselves. Of course, sometimes this is a good thing. I don't want to have to go on mapquest.com every time I need to drive Sam to school, but it sort of scares me when I pull up to the curb to let him out, and I don't even remember the drive. Does this happen to you? Maybe it's human nature. (Or maybe you're glad I don't live in your neighborhood!)

I know I do this on a deeper level as well.
I have a certain vision of who I am, the way I behave with other people, the risks I take (or don't take,) and I tend to stay on my route, where it's normal and safe, where I know I won't fail. Where people won't notice and murmur to each other, "What's the deal with her?"

Sometimes it takes a kick in the pants/skirt/capris to realize how much we're missing when we go with what's always been.

Check out these verses that kicked my bahonka the other day...

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."
Romans 12:1-2, The Message

I'd always read the part that says Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture as meaning the American culture, of which I certainly want to be wary. But now I'm thinking that God might also be saying the Becky Ramsey culture. The culture that I've created for myself. The one I sometimes confine myself to, really out of fear, if you get right down to it.

So I'm throwing everything up in the air, and I'm going to try to do this daily. I'm going to try to toss my Becky Ramsey Way of Living up in the sky, open my arms wide to catch what is meaningful, and let the rest of it fall. And when I find myself in new, uncomfortable places, with my hands reaching for a comfortable drawer and mapquest nowhere in sight, I'm going to remember the line that God seems to say to just about everybody who talks to Him: Fear not. I'm right here.
And I just might hum a little Diana Ross, too.

I just had to live
And I want to give
I'm completely positive...
I'm coming out...

So what about you? Do you ever find yourself in a self designed rut, like a comfy couch you want to stay in forever? Do you look for new life directions and throw yourself in, or are you more likely to test the water with a toe first? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Have a terrific Wednesday!
Love, Becky

23 comments:

Kat said...

I am definitely a creature of habit. Once I like something I stick with it (lucky for my hubby ;)). But I have been trying to get to like change a bit more because I know life is all about change.

I LOVE your new look. I think it is so fabulous. And it goes well with your new theme and outlook. It is so fresh and beautiful. Well done!!!

I love that Diana song! :)

Unknown said...

oooh, just love your new look. It ties in perfectly to your blog/theme.

That is one of my favorite songs (great workout song too).

I feel more relaxed & inspired already :-)

Susan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michelle DeRusha said...

Beautiful! I just met you a few days ago, so I wasn't wedded to your old look yet...but I love this one. Fresh, vibrant and inviting!

Felicity said...

I love the new place!

Jenny said...

I am funny about change. Some things I get rid of in an instance even after years but some of the littlest things change and I am defensive. But I do think your blog is quite cheery now. Don't get me wrong, your last blog header was definitely a piece of art and I hope you have the banner hanging somewhere in your creative space still inspiring you. And, if I am honest, yes, I am in a very big rut right now. But I am not fretting and I have little pots of the stove abrewing with some changes. Kids don't let ya stay in a rut too long. But "OH,my!" I am so excited to be on your blog list and just wanted to say thank you. I am a big cheese ball and stuff like that is a huge encouragement to me.

Monica Sharman @Know-Love-Obey God said...

Becky,

Seems to me you are not likely to be stagnant if you are so aware of the dangers of stagnancy!

My tendency is too far the other way---getting myself caught up in too many new things that I need to really pare down and focus.

So very pleased to meet you, Becky.
Monica

P.S. Your header is lovely. :)

Ed Pilolla said...

god, we are such creatures of habit. so true. well, this is my first time here, so i have no frame of reference, but i like. looks very clean, very good. and i love diana ross. what a nice treat to come across this morning. here via graceful. nice to meet ya.

Susan said...

Oops, I had a huge type-o and had to repost...

I prefer to think of myself as an "efficiency expert". Once I find out what works well for me, I stick with it. It's easy to get in a rut, I suppose, but I have always loved trying new things. This reflects mostly in my art. Sometimes I probably am too quick to decide that I don't like something, and I'm still a bit fearful of things that remotely resemble things I already know I don't like to do. That's why I such a hesitant traveler. Anyway, I do like the new look of your blog and you did send me to get out my bible to compare translations, so that's a good thing. Take care and have a great day.

BTW, I always thought that was a Michael Jackson song and was quite confused by the lyrics. Now I get it. Wow, how long have I been old?

Barb said...

Hi Becky,

Due to being J.W's mom, I've never had the opportunity to really become a creature of habit. Always changes...
Honey, I just love your new header and everything about your blog.
Your memorial day post just had me weeping. Ambush tears? There have been lots of tears recently and I am so thankful that i can feel enough to truly cry.

Big hugs,
Barb

Amy Sullivan said...

I love your line about tossing your arms in the air and catching what is meaningful.

Jojo said...

Yep. I'm with you with the rut thing.

Love the new look.

Rebecca Ramsey said...

Thanks for the kind feedback on the new look, folks!

Jenny, kids do keep things moving, don't they? And I'm a big cheeseball too, so I completely get what you're saying. Of course I'd have you on the list. I love a blog list because it puts the blogs I read right there where I can get to them.

Monica, it's great to meet you!

And Ed, I'm happy to meet you also.

I'm convinced that the best thing about blogging and tweeting is getting to make these new connections! The world is full of cool people, and I just keep discovering more and more of them!
Including you too, Amy. Welcome to the blog!

Susan, I'm glad you checked out another translation. I love occasionally reading from The Message because it's good for my brain to hear things put another (and non traditional) way. And just like you, The Message usually sends me to back to my dog eared Bible, just to compare things. It reminds me of our time in France, when I'd try to read the scripture in French. It's work, but it makes you think!

David Ebright said...

Nice look - haven't chatted much lately. Hope you're doing well.

Unfortunately - I could use some same old - same old for a bit. Funny how that works - always wanting something "else" - Life's been crazy

New Book for the New Look anytime soon????

Rebecca Ramsey said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rebecca Ramsey said...

Whoopsie. That was me.

Hey Jaxpop! It's great to chat with you again. I hope life slows down for you soon!
Cross your fingers. When it happens I'll be sure to share (shout) the news!

Unknown said...

I think I do this with negative thinking more than anything else. I get addicted to it and then I have to give my brain a shake to snap out of it. Great reminder!

Btw, I know how to fix your embedded video width problem. I just figured it out myself!

You know when you grab the embed code? Well, it looks like what I've pasted below. You see that part that says width at the beginning of the code? You can just change it to a smaller number.

Or, even easier, you can select a different size of player in Youtube. I'd select the smallest size (560x340) and then scale back the width manually if it's still too big.

object width="560" height="340"
(it keeps going but no need to put it all here)

Anonymous said...

Yep. I tend to get in comfortable little ruts and stay there too. The thing is, I WANT the abundant life God has for me, but I don't want to move out of my comfort zone. I'm thinking that's not going to work out too well for me.

I'm going to have to throw my "Jennifer Janes Way of Living" up in the air and let God be in charge of how things fall!

Thanks for the reminder!

~Jennifer

Rebecca Ramsey said...

Hey Alison, thanks for the tech help. I fixed it, but apparently blogger refuses to cooperate. It's pretty stubborn about changing things once they're out there. But thank you. I'll do that next time.

I hear you, Jennifer. Like you, I need to focus on the good that God has for me if I jump out there, rather than the scariness of the jump.

Attic Rat said...

I have my shovel and I've been digging out of my rut here lately. It gives a nice perspective when you see things from another angle. I like the idea of giving my days over as an offering. I think should try that. THanks!

Smiles,
Teresa

Anonymous said...

When I look at the number of new things I have done in the past couple of years, things I always wanted but thought were too hard for me, I really have grown a lot. And yet, there are other things I'm still holding on to even though I don't want them, because I don't see yet how I would manage otherwise. So I suppose I've taken steps rather than leaps of faith?

And the new blog look is beautiful.

Jenn Hubbard

Rebecca Ramsey said...

Hi Teresa. Some days my offering is okay and sometimes it's in the negative column! I just have to keep trying.

Jenn, I hear you. Believe me, I hear you. Letting go is the hardest. I've got a grip like no one else, I'm convinced of it.
I'm glad you like the look!

Anonymous said...

Your new look is great--and I totally agree that when you cling to your rut/ways/culture, it's so tough to let God take control of the steering wheel. Courage! Faith!