Friday, March 23, 2012

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.  



Thursday, March 22, 2012

Thought you might not want to ponder

Jesus asked God to provide his daily bread and asked us to do the same.  Those of you who attend a church service on a regular basis probably proclaim or mumble these words at least weekly.

Do I really believe God will provide for me?  Then why do I have so much stuff?  Could it be that I don't want to live with JUST what God provides?

What if God provides shoes but they are not cute?

What if God provides yarn but it is not wool?

What if God provides food but it is not sweet?

God gave manna and renewed it each day.  The Israelites were instructed not to look out for themselves, but to only trust in God's continual provision.  God instructs his children not to worry about tomorrow...shoot I could feed my family for a month off of what I have squirreled away.  

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Springy things

Little by little.  Minute by minute.  Day by day.  I am healing...those little red blood cells are powering up and I feel a little more alive.  With each baby-holding rocking chair minute I feel more like a person.  Also, spring helps.  Not that we ever had winter, but those little faces peeping out of the grass thrill me.  Hello violet.  You are why I hate lawns.  You are not a weed...you are a friend.


And, oh, the poetry of these flowering beauties.  I wish for a second that God had gifted me with elegant words. 




PEAS!  We will be crunching away on these so soon!



This fresh face makes me happy.  So happy.  That was my dress when I was little.  Awhhh.




Who votes we change the name of this luscious tree?  Crab apple?  No! Gorgeous-spreading-wonder-with-surprisingly-tart-fruit tree


 Wanna know what is fun?  Drawing with ice on a hot day.  Keeps you cool and no awful chalk feel.


Happy allergy season!

Monday, March 19, 2012

Not gone

I am not gone, I am just resting.  Looking forward to getting back here when I get my feet back underneath me.  Stop by and have a cup of tea or water.  Don't you dare bring Diet Coke into this house--I will bite you.  Can't wait to tell you about the weeping cherry tree and the beautiful chicks and the sweet little Ollie sweater, but it will all have to wait.  My soul needs to catch my body up.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Confessional

So, I failed Lent.  Well, not entirely, just the getting up early part.  When I started this Lenten discipline I had really good intentions.  The time I wasn't sleeping I would be getting everything in order so that I could have a serious and productive quiet time.  It was a great idea.  And I was only getting up at 7:00 am.  Not exactly heroism.  BUT, then I managed to couple that with a relatively new exercise regimen habit occasional undertaking and an attempt to restrict my calories.  Enter anemia and extreme exhaustion.

So, fortunately, discipleship is a process needfully laced with grace and humor.  Here I am, a few weeks out and recovering from self-induced exhaustion, and chuckling because it is so like me.  I had so many plans to write Lenten devotionals that would flow from my early morning study and possibly some amazing clarity about various stressors in my life and, oh, the beautiful pictures of sunrises.

Instead, I have me...funny, earnest, happy me.

So, I quit.  I quit getting up before my kids because it was becoming about me and not about becoming like Christ.  So, I quit, I lost, I failed.  But you know?  It gave grace a means of entering into my life and made me aware of the richness of God's love.  Mission accomplished.

I am still not drinking Diet Coke.  Even those letters look delicious.  What do they put in that stuff?

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Owly Pants

Today we went on a family hike.  Laine walked the mile and a half including hills and stairs all by himself.  He was very serious.  Well, he is generally serious, but today he was super serious.  AND he wore his owly pants.  Mama-made! I am actually unreasonably proud of these pants.  They are made from this Oliver + S pattern with ten inches added to make them pants.  The best part? No buttons or snaps so he can dress himself (one down...).


Seriously, this kid is SO serious!  And baby Wayfarers?  Coolness squared.






Owls and orange top-stitching.  Makes Mama happy.  Harvested the fabric from thrifted pants.  Aren't I clever cheap?


This baby is growing up...makes me sad and proud all mixed together.

Dang that is a lot of stairs.  My legs still kinda hurt.

Friday, March 9, 2012


{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Invisible Children

Please watch...it's long.  A friend of mine was working with this group 5 years ago, and I never really heard her (it is amazing what you can't hear when you are overwhelmed...)  Like Peter Rollins says, what doesn't stand out to you doesn't exist.

Invisible Children might not be the group for you.  Maybe they spend too much money on their product, but I believe Christ would agree with doing/spending whatever we can save one of the least of these.


“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”  Matthew 13: 45-46


My children are pearls.  Those children are pearls.  I pray love brings them into existence.




KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.


Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The more I look, the more I find

Awesome thing about life and God and the kingdom is that the more we look for God and love and mission, the more we find.  I have mentioned that I want to begin a table ministry invite people to my home to share my food.  This is turning out to be rather difficult because I (to quote my dearest husband) "don't make tons of friends." (Please read that in an apologetic, surprised voice) *note: please don't think my husband is a jerk, I have always just been an introvert who has to work at making conversation. He can talk to anyone anytime. Really. I don't mind talking, but I am more shy than he is and it surprises him.  I am a quiet person (most of the time) who literally (haha) would probably rather be reading than breathing.  That said, I am finding ways of following God despite my limited self.

Here is a fun blog.  Might have to add this to my list of ways to avoid talking...

http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2012/02/09/for-the-cheaters-shirkers-and-cherry-pickers

Slowly

Slowly, ever so slowly, I am getting my feet back.  Please bear with me!  Be back really really soon!

For now, here is something to snack on:

Peter Rollins: Salvation for Zombies

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Forgiveness

God blesses us each and every day with newness and joy.  Each and every day there are struggles and pain.  I am not feeling fully restored, but because of a very dear friend and the love of my husband and much needed rest, I woke up this morning without the gravelly voice of gloom in my ear.

My dear friend held my hand (ok, via text, but I WAS holding my phone) while I cried yesterday.  She was brave enough to tell me some tears are ok, but there is no shame in reaching out for help.  I agree!  So we made a list (of course) and I promised if I addressed those things and didn't feel better I would call my midwife for help.  I hope you have a friend like she.  If you get to the bottom of your list and still wake up sad, please reach out for help.  Turns out I was in need of forgiveness.  Because this isn't a confessional, I am not going to spill my guts.  It is enough to say that I asked my husband to forgive me of a (perceived) hurtful action.  Turns out he didn't even remember what I was talking about.  Lesson learned...be prompt with apologies and the full joy of forgiveness will follow.

This is a picture of Lent.  Forgiveness.  We must face ourselves during this season.  Our fasts from chocolate or caffeine or whatever make us remember the fast that Jesus undertook while he was preparing for his ministry.  Lent is not just about preparing for Easter, although it is! it is also about preparing for our ministry.  As we journey toward Jerusalem with Jesus we see our need for forgiveness.  Without grace, we are left sad and dejected.  As Easter dawns upon the Church once more, we are lifted through grace into forgiveness and move out into service.  Or that is how I hope it will happen each and every year.

Probably I'll just eat 247 pastel m&m's and drink a case of Diet Coke.