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To My Son on his Wedding Day

Submitted by Merry Bruton on Fri, 09/25/2009 - 8:41am

The Big Day has finally arrived--your wedding day--the day that you publicly, officially promise your heart, your life, and your love to Sweetie Christina, whom we adore and wholeheartedly affirm as the most excellent wife for you.

Brady, you have blessed me!  I’m grateful for the time that we’ve had together as mother and son that has shaped both of us into better people. I appreciate the way you’ve openly shared your thoughts and struggles with your father and me. You’ve taught me a lot and I am constantly amazed at your abilities, your spiritual strength, your creativity, and your potential.  Your ideas, out-of-the-box thinking, and know-how blow me away.  I do still want to adopt more of your sense of humor!  

Once you embrace an interest, you stick with it . You are consistent and loyal.  During your early years, your favorite pastimes were: Batman, and Legos.  

Every birthday or Christmas we knew what gifts would capture your imagination. More Batman toys.  More Legos. I’ve always thought that these represented the beginnings of what you are called to be and do--prophetic pictures of your destiny.   

Even though you have grown up and your ‘toys’ have gotten more sophisticated, you still fiercely pursue and exhibit:    

(Think Batman)--Wanting to do what is right in relationships, exposing negative schemes and potential villains, seeking justice in every situation.  Your heart is as good as gold, you never speak ill against anyone, you are quick to forgive, never hold grudges.  You have practiced, battled through many difficult situations, and you ARE skilled at warfare of all kinds--you have what it takes--to continue the fight for your wife, for your family and loved ones, your business, for the world.    

(Think Legos)--You are a Builder. Combining little ‘pieces’ to transform them into ‘masterpieces’ with your special touch.  Always envisioning bigger and better inventions, sounds, business ideas.  Always asking, ‘How can I make this better?”  Every gadget you acquire, you quickly explore its limits by loading it up and testing those limits--and then figure out how to exceed its quantum capabilities.  It is a value you hold--of expanding potential.  You may not be fully aware of how you challenge the people around you to expand by being an example of allowing God to push you past your limits, stretching you and training you to carry and sustain increasing weight.    

I bless that visionary part of you that sees sights and hears sounds that have not been created yet...the yearning you feel to take these and make them reality...the constant building and fashioning...sometimes seeing fruit at the end, and sometimes impatient because it takes time for your visions to solidify and come together.    

Your father and I bless you and Christina in your building and crusading in life together.  May God blend your gifts and abilities together as you seek new visions on the horizon.  Add Christina’s skill for details and radiant flair to make your dreams become a combined adventurous reality.  May you always continue to burst out in wacky song, corny joke, or spontaneous water fights or middle-of-the-night rainstorm dances.  May you both continue to desire and pursue the best of everything in life.  I believe it is Creator’s intention that you receive even more than you ask for or imagine!  

I love you! 

The Power of a Grateful Heart

Submitted by Merry Bruton on Tue, 09/22/2009 - 12:08pm
In this day and age it can be so easy to look around and find gazillions of things to grumble about...from biggies like the economy, poverty, and war...to the tiniest annoyances like a slow computer or a loved one’s messy clutter. Some days, everything seems to multiply and we get worn down by the assault of the ‘negatives’. 
 
If we are not careful in how we respond, we can succumb to the frustrating buildup of grievances that turn us into griping grumps that stew and storm through the day with bitter expectations and very short fuses. 
 
Quick!  Time to turn it around!  Before we contribute to someone else’s set of problems. 
 
The solution?  A grateful heart.  The deliberate mindset that says we choose to be thankful and positive no matter what our circumstances are.  A grateful heart is not so much an emotion, but a decision.  
 
We all know people who exude joy and a radiant peace despite major health or financial problems or struggles with untold troubles.  What is their secret?  A faith that says there is a God whose best hopes for us are bigger than our present daily grind in this life, and a grateful heart that sees the victories, rather than the defeats.  A grateful heart is a weapon of warfare that guarantees success in every battle.  
 
Many of us have learned to pray and release our burdens so that we can journey more weightlessly.  But perhaps we can take action a bit further, even more proactively. 
 
Several years ago, I was talking to God in the shower (where we often communicate--perhaps because I’m in such a naked, humble state) and started in with my requests.  Spirit stopped me, and said, “Don’t ask anything today--only give thanks for the things in your life.”
 
So, I whispered thanks for running water, my own home, my car, my job, for our free country, for my family, for my iced tea, my friends, my doggies...everything I could think of.  Something in my heart broke as I realized how many precious treasures I have to be thankful for, yet never really acknowledge. Gratitude grabbed my heart that day and shook out a lot of junk, turned it around, gave my mind a new perspective.  By evening, I was a blubbery mess of tears and snot, barely able to function because God's presence was so close...and...healing.  
 
So, I challenge you to pick a day, perhaps one of those where you may seem to stumble through, and deliberately give thanks--even for the difficulties that are shaping and maturing you.  See for yourself what the power of a grateful heart can accomplish in you--and through you.  

 

Flushing Dreams

Submitted by Merry Bruton on Wed, 09/16/2009 - 9:59am
Have you ever paid attention to your dreams during those brief, frenzied periods in life where you are in transition, where you seem surrounded by chaos and too much change all at once?  Your head spins from information or sensory overload and your body is fatigued because you are operating in ‘supercharged’ mode, trying to keep afloat and on top of the demands rushing all around you like debris in a tsunami.  
 
Sometimes we may have a dream that brings clarity to our circumstances, giving us a chance to take a breather and dive back in with focus and determination. 
 
Often, however, we experience dreams of release, called flushing dreams.  We may have too much on our plate to process and deal with, so that a toxic buildup threatens healthy functioning.  We may have seen or experienced something that is grieving us, or we are not able to tackle everything well, and the stress level builds.  We may also be standing in the middle of a spiritual battle ground that is disorienting to us.  
 
Flushing dreams cleanse our mind, body, and spirit from the negatives that attach to us and need to be swept away so we can function at our best. Similar to clear, refreshing water poured in us and through us, power-washing away stubborn dirt, until we are left shining and spotless, ready for another day.   
 
Many of these dreams ironically take place in a bathroom, a place we normally visit to deal with and purge ‘stinky’ issues.  Toilets flush away waste, showers soothingly soak and bathe us, just like the water of God’s Spirit that purifies and transforms us again and again into presentable, sweet-smelling creatures.  We even receive the benefit of flushing dreams to inform us what is happening in the process.  
 

We all get dirty.  The harder we work, the dirtier we get.  There is nothing wrong with having to deal with a lot of issues in our lives.  It means we are making progress, getting involved, making a difference.

And Someone who is much greater and smarter than us loves us and takes care of us when we have a difficult time taking care of ourselves.  God's grace and mercy manifest in his gentle rinsing and disinfecting--empowering us to move forward in life with greater ease.      

Perpetual Deep Rest

Submitted by Merry Bruton on Sat, 09/12/2009 - 10:10am
The last several weeks for us have been somewhat adventurous, forcing a necessary stretching flexibility in order to survive. Part of the journey was planned, but some surprises sneaked in that added to the drama.  
 
My husband and I traveled to Burning Man outside of Reno, Nevada, to join a team and 50,000 ‘burners’ in a unique desert Arts festival. It is an extreme event requiring grace to thrive in a hot and dusty environment with no running water, community porta-potties, and around-the-clock thumping music and noise. The trip takes all year to plan and is a massive effort to transport a team, all our gear, tents, food and trash in and out for a week.  
 
Five days before that, I had emergency surgery to remove a malfunctioning gall bladder.  I almost didn’t get to go to on my trip, but everything worked out fine.  
 
Reflecting on the past three weeks, I find myself amazed at some of the little things.  Like beds.  I have recently slept in a hospital bed equipped with lights, bells, and whistles, a new young friend’s pillow top bed, a thin mat in a tent (which I lovingly called my dust pit), a cheap motel bed that smelled like a cigarette ash tray, a casino hotel bed, and even a cushion in an RV in a Walmart parking lot.  (Some of these were not the most conducive toward sleep).  Finally, there's my own bed sweet bed.  
 
Symbolically speaking, like in dream interpretation, a bed represents a place of rest.  A setting of intimacy, a quiet refuge in which a person can be still, unwind from the busy-ness of the previous day and to recharge for the coming day.  
 
We all need physical rest found only in deep sleep, or we do not function at our premium best. Spiritual rest is equally important. The busier we get, the more crucial it becomes for us to relinquish the stress of our chaos and passionately pursue deep rest, so that we can press on deliberately with focus and inner strength.  
 
We release our cares into the hands of the Creator, who knows our circumstances and can manage our cares better than we can.  As we allow a restful ‘shifting’, we choose to ‘center’ on what is most important in life.  We receive a new perspective. Our dreams are restored and vision for life is renewed.  The resulting peace allows us to respond wisely to life’s events, instead of operating in tired, knee-jerk reactions that may cause turmoil.    
 
No matter what is happening in your life right now, no matter what kind of ‘bed’ you find yourself in, you can choose rest and peace, even if you feel like you are in a war zone.  It takes a conscious decision for downtime in spite of life’s distractions.  God will meet you there.  
 
I have too many things to do today.  But first, I think I will go take a nap....    

 

Persevering through Dark and Distressing Seasons

Submitted by Merry Bruton on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 11:52am
How often do you find yourself struggling through seemingly endless days, weeks, months, or YEARS, battling through obstacles or oppositions that appear to threaten your destiny…or your very existence?  Where you feel nothing is working out right—like you are trying to swim uphill—through quicksand? 
 
Take heart!  Breakthrough is just around the corner! 
 
Remember the phrase, “Things are darkest right before the dawn”?  I believe this is true…most of our struggles are a test of our character, preparing us for victory by increasing inner strength that we need for the next level of success.  Because of the heavy nature of those dark days, we are trained to carry the ‘weight’ of what is ahead of us, so that we will not fail when the ‘wait’ is over.  
 
Some principles that I’ve learned over time (and through many struggles): 
 
o     The heights to which you are called to ascend, like mountains, will necessitate some deep, descending ‘valley’ travel to get there
 
o     When you are next in line for ‘promotion’, the very OPPOSITE may seem to happen first 
 
o     When a specific blessing or miracle has just left the hand of God toward you, things often seem to fall apart
 
o     Crisis often occurs on the eve of a major success
 
o     Mixups and mayhem most often manifest in areas of money, marriage and with people closest to us.  We get overcharged for something, misunderstandings blur communication, ugly jealousy rears up, harsh words hurt
 
o     The degree of intensity in the warfare you are facing is in direct proportion to the magnitude of triumph in your future
 
Some folks may not agree, but I believe there are negative, opposing forces in our world that attack and try to block us from reaching our full potential.  The intent is to steal our dreams, kill our hope, deceive, distract, discourage, delay, and disappoint, keeping us in a fog of fatigue that limits us from positive progress. It is our job on this earth to overcome--keeping our eyes on God, who gives us strength, clarity, purpose, and strategy.
 
If you are not clear about your goals, and your life seems to be going nowhere in particular, you will not be aware of much opposition. 
 
On the other hand, if you are weathering wicked warfare, you can persevere through these dark times with the steady, encouraging certainty that you have a spectacular destiny ahead of you, and that you are making tracks in the right direction.  
 
Good job!  You're almost there....

 

The Metaphorical Melody of Life

Submitted by Merry Bruton on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 10:38am
If all of life and our hopes and dreams can be described by metaphors, I would prefer mine to be musical.  Put on your metaphorical thinking cap and bebop with me for a stanza or two of lyrical musing.  Let us stretch our right brains together in combined melody that resonates and unifies. 
 
Describing life in metaphors strengthens our ability to interpret dreams.  We learn to compare and contrast large and tiny details, combining high and low notes, fusing every part together to compose the big picture.  Hence this little refrain.  Practice this lesson with me. 
 
Music reflects and grabs the soul.  It stirs our spirits and is an instrument of healing and bonding among humankind.  People team up together based on likes and dislikes in melodic preferences.  
 
The world witnesses our individual distinctions and can discern a lot about us based on music that we listen to and reflect outwardly.  Are you a rock song?  A Gospel hymn?  A folk ditty, Gangsta rap?  Perhaps you lean more toward soul, spirituals, jazz, funk or swing?  Which category describes your  innate, inner tune? 
 
We are all musical composers, if not literally, then expressively, vocally.  Each of us divinely receives and generates messages, creative tones, and raw noises within, and we get to process and choose the level of amplification, the preferred ‘sync’ with others--how well our harmony blends with others--and the timing to release our concert to the world.  After years of hidden preparation, our practice pays off and we get our big gig, advance into our destiny, go public in a huge way, contributing to everyone's enjoyment.  
 
Whether our performance season of symphony is a joyful boogie, the boisterous blues, a stunning salsa, or a distressing dirge, we all have the capacity to allow our heartstrings to be plucked to produce a Lifesong that is uniquely ours.  It changes over time, and becomes rich as we become professionals in production. 
 
My prayer is for every one of us to reach our full potential and range in being used to become pleasing melodies and sweet sounds that soothe and call each other to higher levels of  rhythm and acceleration.
 
Feel free to chime in.  
 
(Photo:  Our musician son, Brady)

 

Homecoming

Submitted by Merry Bruton on Thu, 08/06/2009 - 1:16pm
Autumn is nearly upon us, and recently I asked some friends what came to their minds when they thought about ‘homecoming’.  What thoughts and feelings do they associate with the idea of returning home? Answers ranged from ‘Heaven’ to ‘mother’s home cooking,’ to ‘game night’ and even ‘football and decorated mums’. 
 
Most people have happy memories from childhood, family, friends, hometown happenings.  The term “homecoming” implies that someone has left center camp and is now returning. We often get sentimental about the past--it is appealing to wistfully re-experience sights, sounds, touches that have become distant memories. 
 
Some people, however, depart from the home nest to rarely look back, perhaps because of frustration, broken relationships, hurtful experiences they would rather not face again.  But life has a way of calling us back ‘home’ from time to time, such as family weddings or deaths.  What happens when homecoming becomes a dreaded mission? 
 
Perhaps we have all experienced the uncertainty expressed by the phrase, “you can’t go home again.”  Meaning, things reshape, people change, YOU change--it won’t be the same when you return. Dynamics are different and homecoming sometimes morphs into a time of painful adjustment.  
 
I have experienced both sides—the excitement of reuniting with loved ones and revisiting places where wonderful memories were made, as well as the apprehension of possible rejection or conflict upon arrival.  Will my family and friends notice the changes in me?  Will they welcome me or fuss at me?  Will they like the real me?  Can we relax with each other?
 
I think of a well-known story of a similar situation, about an estranged father and son.  The son used all of his inheritance money to travel and party, and ended up serving pig slop to make ends meet.  He finally decided to go home, uncertain of how he would be embraced.  On the way, he planned his speech to his parents. 
 
While the son was a long way off, his dad saw him, because he had been searching the horizon every single day, longing to see his son again.  He called the family together and told them, “Quick!  He’s coming home!  Call the best caterers and order tons of his favorite foods!  Freshen up his room, and put his favorite things in there so he will feel right at home.  It doesn't matter how he has changed, or what he has done--I love WHO he is, because he is my son.  I'm thrilled that he is coming back home!”
 
The father (and mother) were willing to listen, but didn’t need to hear their son’s speech or explanations—they were so happy to have him at their table, where there had been an empty chair waiting all along.
 
Circumstances change.  Parents change and children change.  Perspectives, attitudes, and beliefs change.  Mostly over time they refine and improve.  Whether you are one who is returning with butterflies in your spirit, or one at home that is watching and waiting, keep hope alive!  Don’t give up.  Give second chances.  
 
Trust that you CAN go 'home again', try again, and look forward to new beginnings and delightful surprises. You are loved, no matter what! 

 

Pun Fun

Submitted by Merry Bruton on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 10:29am
No matter how old you are, you can never outgrow the need for more play or fun in life.  We can get to be too serious.  It is healthy and energizing to lighten up a little.  Take a breath, step back and work on something creative just for grins.  Seems to make the rest of life’s tasks go a little easier.
 
One of my favorite ways to release tension is to imagine or design something.  Or to write…it stretches my mind, bursts me out of my boxes, rejuvenates my spirit, releases outflow of pent up thoughts—so that more can flood in and replace.  I am thus continually mentally refreshed and less likely to become stagnant in my thinking.
 
With that being said, I think word play is hilarious!  A person can quickly get just downright silly.  I have noticed, too, that the Giver of Dreams seems to enjoy it as well—because many of my dreams contain bizarre elements that I puzzle over and finally figure out I’ve been given a ‘punny’ dream. 
 
Like being ‘docked’ at the Doc’s office, where I’m docked crucial time and considerable dignity in the examination room. 
 
Wait!  I’ve gained WAY too much weight!
 
If you are a leader, it is good to “hire’ “highered’ help, as opposed to workers who are too stooped in their own tired troubles.  To entice happy ‘crews’ on the proverbial ‘cruise’ ship.  Each ‘man’ ‘mans’ his own station, ‘hands’ tasks efficiently to all ‘hands’ on deck, ‘knows’ when to say, “no."  You'll need a navigator who is able to escape the moat and keep the boat afloat.  
 
Is that a ‘porpoise’ I ‘see’ at ‘sea’ in my dream, or is it my ‘purpose’, signaling for me to ‘go deep’?
 
I always anticipate the awe and allure of artsy alliteration. The musical magic and raw rhythm deliver delectable delights to this easily bored soul.  
 
What about you? 

 

Warning Dreams—Divine Destiny Direction

Submitted by Merry Bruton on Fri, 07/31/2009 - 11:34am
How many times in your life have you had a dream that alerted you to possible turbulence ahead if you continued with a particular pursuit? Even if you don’t understand the dreams, your spirit-awareness heightens toward possible pitfalls that could keep you from making a costly mistake--because of warning dreams. 
 
Though highly unsettling and sometimes deeply disturbing, warning dreams are given by God, who sees what is up ahead and down the road a little for us, things we don’t perceive.  He knows the obstacles and dangers that could threaten to derail or delay us in reaching our destiny.  His heart is to get our attention, cause us to pause and reflect, and direct us toward ‘higher ground’ so we can journey forward, guarded by wisdom and protection. 
 
I call them ‘red flags’.  These dreams say to us, “Heads up! Something’s not right!  Proceed with caution!  Alarm bells are going off!” 
 
Some examples: 
 
o     “Go home another way”—God tells Joseph in a dream to move to Egypt so they can escape the king that wants to kill baby Jesus (Mt 2)
 
o     Dreamer decides to take a new job, but has a dream that the new boss is more preoccupied with the ‘cash box’ than with ethics or integrity
 
o     Dreamer shares deeply with a new friend, then dreams of the friend turning into a vicious alligator with a big mouth (gossip) and lots of sharp, biting teeth
 
o     Teacher/leader dreams they sets up their new class or venture, and the people they are leading are not just admiring the inherited ‘jewelry’ on display, they are stealing it
 
o     Dreamer is deciding whether to partner with a new venture, and dreams about buying a house that is dirty, disorganized, in disrepair, too costly to renovate
 
The big question to ask when we realize we’ve had a warning dream (or vision) is how to respond.  Do we acknowledge there might be a problem and continue to advance slowly with discerning eyes, or do we STOP dead in our tracks and take another route? How significant are those red flags?
 
I’ve made grave goofs either way.  Looking back, in some instances, I should have completely halted.  Sometimes I believe I should have kept moving ahead to be used as a willing conduit for change or as a truthful voice. 
 
Consistently though, I’ve regretted every single time that I did not pay serious attention, hesitate, get some guidance.  Warning dreams may be recurrent if we do not listen. God has grace to keep reminding us.  But we can expect to pay a big price if we don’t give these dreams our full attention. 
 
A wise man once said, "A prudent man sees trouble coming and ducks, but the simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered."  (Proverbs 22:3)

 

Truth and Reality from a Divine Perspective

Submitted by Merry Bruton on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 2:25pm
Quite often when we experience transition in our lives, it can mirror similar shifts in our surrounding spiritual atmosphere at the same time.  We may dream of something happening, and then it does.  This serves as a physical reminder of the fact that we are the blessed recipients of divine communication. 
Things unseen and unperceived, with little tangible tripping truth reminders, are happening all around us, but how aware are we of what is really ‘going down’—so that we can cooperate with positive change, or fight to reverse a negative progression?
 
What do we do with what we ‘see’ or ‘hear’, or perceive, from our senses, intuition, from people around us, from our dreams, from Spirit? Do we trust that what we are being shown is reliable information, test it, and then act on it? 
 
Or do we dismiss it, thinking we are making it up on some level, not giving credibility to revelation or insights that may not seem concrete enough? How much trust do we put into how circumstances seem to appear to us? Are we able to peer behind the scenes to identify spiritual forces in action?
 
How would we live our days differently if our eyes and hears could discern with absolute certainty the truths surrounding our choices, our jobs, our loved ones?  If we could see what others do not, would we act confidently on information—even if it looks strange or contrary to popular belief—trusting that everything will work out better in the end?
 
Ancient scriptures tell us to ‘fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,” because “what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
 
Your circumstances may not actually be what they appear...there is much more going on in your life in hidden ways that are often illustrated and confirmed by events in the natural. There is always MORE than what you can see, believe,  or imagine for your life.  You can listen for it, look for it, bank on it, trust it with all your heart, believe it, hope for it, work toward it, take courage and then GO for it!

 

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