Month: June 2019

It’s Not About Me

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” (Ps 86:11)

For the last couple of years, I’ve read at least one spiritual growth book every month. From revealing insecurities to inspiring change, God has used the words in these books to provide an avenue of personal and spiritual growth for me.

Recently, I read Free of Me: Why Life Is Better When It’s Not about You by Sharon Hodde Miller. This book spoke to me in a powerful way, and I want to deviate from my normal blog format to share what I learned.

In this book, Miller examines how our insecurities show up in various, hidden ways in our lives. We make things about us that aren’t really about us, and this is a manifestation of our insecurities. Continue reading “It’s Not About Me” →

The Joys of Reading

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” (Ps 32:8)

As a child, I would read until I heard my mom’s raised voice, asking me to dry dishes for her. I knew I was in trouble at that point – it meant she’d called for me at least two or three times. I wasn’t ignoring her; I just didn’t hear her because I’d been transported to another world.

My mom’s voice brought me crashing back to the real world pretty quickly. I would hurry through the task so that I could get back to my book. I took books to family holiday gatherings, and I always had enough books to fill an entire suitcase when I went on vacation. (This was before the Kindle.) I even had to pay extra for my luggage one time because I bought so many books while on vacation. Continue reading “The Joys of Reading” →

A Father’s Example

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Cor 3:2-3)

From praying before meals when I was a child to demonstrating a strong work ethic, my dad is a man of conviction who leads by example and supports and encourages his family.

When I was growing up, I learned the value of a good education by watching my dad earn multiple degrees and become a teacher. He didn’t need all those degrees to teach, but he enjoyed the process of learning, and he taught me to enjoy it as well. When he attended summer school in Stillwater, he took my brother and me to class with him a few times. It’s an experience I still remember to this day.   Continue reading “A Father’s Example” →

The Difficulty of Decision Making

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’” (Mk 9:24)

Lately, I’ve been fascinated by the Enneagram, which is a self-assessment to determine personality type. The Enneagram consists of nine distinct personality types, and they interact with each other. In other words, we’re not all one or the other, but a combination. Some of the personality types manifest themselves more obviously than others in our lives. (For a free Enneagram test, click here.)

For instance, I’m a one, the perfectionist. No surprise there. (You can read my recent post about being a perfectionist here.) Traits of the perfectionist include being responsible and working toward self-improvement, which explains the appeal of self-assessments such as the Enneagram. I also have what the Enneagram designers call a two wing. This means I’m a one who also has strong tendencies of a two, the caregiver. Continue reading “The Difficulty of Decision Making” →

Lessons Learned from Gardening

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Lk 8:14-15)

Before the first freeze last fall, I brought my herbs inside my house. Each one grew in its own container, so I made a place for them in my laundry room, which receives a lot of sunlight. There were four: basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.

One by one, the herbs died until the oregano was the only one left. At first, I watched it diligently for rot or dryness. Soon, I became distracted and forgot to check it as often as it needed. One day, I noticed its dry leaves and realized with chagrin that I had forgotten to water it. Overnight, it seemed, many of the leaves dried up and fell on the floor. My neglectfulness led to the eventual death of the oregano plant. Continue reading “Lessons Learned from Gardening” →