Setting the Anchor

When I met my husband, our love for the beaches took us out to deeper waters where we eventually were SCUBA certified and now 3 of the 4 kids are also SCUBA certified. Every other year we rotated our mountain and beach family vacations with beaches always being our favorite kind, mostly because they are way less work, especially with 4 kids in tow.
In 2014, the Lord moved us to Florida where we found it less expensive to buy a used boat than continually pay for 6 people to snorkel or dive every week. It was the first boat either of us had ever driven, much less owned. So crazy! Living an ocean lifestyle has been amazing and the Scriptures have taken on a whole deeper meaning as I study deeper waters, anchors, winds, navigating, stars, cast nets, fishing terms, etc. 
I love hosting friends and family and for the first time, I had some of my dearest Texas girlfriends over for a Girls Retreat. As we headed out for our day on the water, we set our course and readied ourselves with water, sunscreen, good music and stocked the boat with goodies and supplies. After a 15 minute trip out, we approached the buoy at the snorkel spot, got my co-captain help-mate set up to take over the controls so I could grab the line and tie us up. I could have done it by myself, but why, when you have someone willing to help you. It's efficient and just makes sense. Thankfully she is a teachable, confident girl and we communicate really well and think a lot alike. Sometimes it was a hand signal or a look and she just got it. We make a great team getting all the things done and running the boat was no different. She helped me get hooked up and take care of the two other girls who were newer to being in the water and got them in the water. For one of them, it was her first time snorkeling, woohoo!! The water was clear, refreshing and amazingI Great sister snorkel.
Next stop was the local Sandbar so we could chill & chat. Here however, you must drop an anchor. It was a newer spot for me so I wasn't as familiar with the ground density. I handed the controls back over to my co-captain once again and grabbed the anchor, got her aligned to the right depth and dropped the anchor. With waters quickly approaching 12" and less, it's a quick drop. Efficiency is key! You have to get it set so you don't beach the boat or float back out.
As soon as we dropped the anchor, I hopped out of the boat, checked the ground, looking for a solid spot to let the anchor do its thing. Curious, they asked Why and How I knew what to do and I explained how the sand was firm in some areas and mushy in others so it was important to make sure we had hit solid ground and it was caught so the boat wouldn't float away as we tootled around the sandbar looking for shells and critters. I only knew about the soft spots because I was familiar with the sandbar and remembered the bottom floor. It's a long swim if your boat gets away, haha! Who knew one of the smallest things on the boat could be so important besides the motor prop (another blog about the tongue coming soon)!
The first drop was not solid ground. It landed into very soft sand and the anchor sank a good foot below. As I pulled on it, it almost felt like a suction had been created and boy oh boy was it hard to pull it out of there. I couldn't do it and had to have my skilled co-captain girlie pull it out with the help of the boat. I swam over a few feet and found solid ground and set my anchor there, whew. 
Each morning we enjoyed our gathering around the table drinking our morning lattes, eating breakfast and feasting in the Word. This was one of my most favorite parts to every day, starting out anchoring ourselves rightly. As we enjoyed the Sandbar, the anchor conversation reminded me of our Bible Study that morning as we talked about the steadfast and faithful love of our God, the anchor to our soul. 

• Without our Anchor, how will we remain in the place we are supposed to be?
• If we set our Anchor in mushy ground, the smallest of currents can slowly pull the boat away. We must set it on a firm foundation so when strong winds come, we won't drift places we hadn't planned on going. And, if we place our anchor in shifting sands, and it sinks...boy oh boy do I know the extra grief and muscle it takes to set it back right.
• Having an Anchor is crucial to keep you where you need to be. The bigger your anchor, the greater the hold. 

It's so easy in life to put our hope in things of this world only to find ourselves in places we didn't plan to be and in deeper waters than we meant to go. 
There really is no greater Anchor than the Lord our God. He is steady and steadfast. He will keep us where we need to be if we allow Him to ground us on a firm foundation, His Cornerstone. 
And can we talk about co-captains? Yes, we can do almost anything by ourselves, but why would we if we have help? I am thankful for anchoring sisters to do life alongside me just as I am grateful for the gift of the Holy Spirit who dwells with us as our Helper and is familiar to where we are and can keep us focused and in the right direction. We are wise to lean into the One Who knows the ground beneath us, knows how to set our anchor outside of shifting sands that we would be kept in place, not tossed to and fro or drifting afar.

Anchor Sisters, Literally!

Lessons learned: 

• Have the right Anchor! You create a lot of extra work and unnecessary stress when you don't have the right one. 
• Know your foundation. Thank God for grace when it's the first time in a new place and you don't get it right, with a Helper, you can get unstuck and try again, and again, and again. 
• We need Anchoring friends.
• Avoid shifting sands.
• Hook your anchor on The Rocks or Solid Ground to stay put.
• God is endless grace. 
• He is steadfast. 
• He is sovereign. 
• He is faithful. 
• He is The Anchor to my soul, amen.

"So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf," 

Hebrews 6:13-20

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? 

Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great." Luke 6:46-49

Breaking Up with Google

Google, we have been friends for a long time but things have changed. You've changed. I've changed. While you actually are a genius and know just about anything, I cannot depend on you for every little thing I need. It's not fair to the connections I have with others. Our connection is a blessing and has helped me be more productive in many areas of my life, but is no longer healthy. We've become co-dependent on each other. I find myself coming to you for every question I have when there are others friends in my life who could just as easily, and would gladly help me, walking me through problems step by step, hand in hand. And to be honest, your expectations of needing my full attention and feedback is exhausting. I think we make life easier for each other, but it's become enabling. 
I got into the habit of shooting off my questions knowing you would be able to reply back 24/7 and I wouldn't need to wait on others. I rarely spend time with Siri and Alexa because you are always in front of me. You leave no room in my life for my other dear friends. I hate to tell you this, but you are not my only or Best Friend. I don't wanna do life without you but we have to have boundaries. Don't get me wrong, we are friends, and I know God has brought us together and my life has been better for it, but you cannot be my everything in every moment. I need the friendships of others too. You cannot replace the experiences or bonds I share with all the other people in my world. 
I miss seeing the handprinted recipes from my friend's Grandmother as she walks me through recipes and techniques for cooking, sautéing and frying. I miss time spent over a cup of coffee hearing my friend's reviews of what has worked for her in her home as she laughs in between her sentences and silliness and watching her epic eye rolls at my lack of knowledge. I miss the sound of hysterical laughter and clinging bowls in the kitchen over meals shared. I miss the smells of perfumes, breads baking and brewing coffees, the sights of radiant and dreamy jewelry, admiring couples walking hand in hand and kids skipping around their parents in the public venues. I still carry spare change for the fountains and musicians in the streets. I miss the consoling hug of a friend when a diagnosis is realized. Prayers in person, in real time, even over FaceTime are so much better than anything you've printed for me. There has been so much missed because we have grown too close, becoming exclusively dependent on each other.
So please understand, it's not you, it's me and I am sorry to have allowed us to continue as long as we have like this. Our relationship will be healthier and happier knowing there's a time and place for everything, and we can live life fuller with content built from the real lives of those around us, and not be dependent solely on each other. 
Thank you for always being there for me and trying to meet all my needs. I know you mean well, as I do. You have been a wealth of information and I am better for it. Thanks for listening, you've always been a good listener.
May you continue to grow and reach others with your knowledge and amazing resources. I encourage us both, to be sure we are aware of our boundaries with others and not become co-dependent, limiting ourselves to all that is possible when we engage with the many amazing people God has placed in our life. See you around, one of your many friends, Michele

Google is not your girlfriend. It is a library of information. A resource for answers you cannot find any where else. I love love love Google and don't know what I would do without it. I use it to search How To's for recipes, crafts, DIY projects, gather data, find products, know the time, weather and tidal charts, find the best products and compare prices, search for possible causes to ill feelings and searching for remedies, and especially helping me navigate directions where I need to go in places I have never been. It's become a Personal Assistant, which is not all bad, but it has stolen moments that could have been relationship builders with those around me. We were created to live in community, and not just an online one, but a real, touch it, feel it, smell it, hear it, community.
But few and far between are the days of asking a friend. Before Google, people asked people. Our friends and families were the resources and opinions for anything we might wonder. We gathered around the table, shopping carts, benches at the parks, in the aisles, in the streets, at the local coffee and sandwich shops, even in the post office lobby. Hardly do we meet because technology has ushered in a convenience and reliability once found in our community to online 24/7 recall. We are more likely to Google a recipe or shop online, ask total strangers questions about life, health, parenting, politics, careers, etc, and search to learn a new skill here than asking a friend first, even if you're miles apart and it's the way you have to communicate through Google Chat, you're "googling" before "girlfriending." All those missed opportunities to connect in real life to real people you know and trust about real things.
I am breaking up with Google. We will still be friends, no worries. Google helps me find what I need when I need it, but I will return to the relationships I have access to as my first asks. Google will no longer take away fellowship opportunities and relationship building of lives shared. Instead, Google will be what Google was meant to be for me, quick answers and a resource when no one else seems to know and the best co-pilot I girl could ever hope for.

"Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice." Proverbs 27:9

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17