Posted in Living this Life

what’s hiding in the back of your cupboards?

When I was in college, I worked at a thrift store in the afternoons for a little bit of spending money – and I never knew what I was going to bring home with me most days. This little sandwich griller found it’s way into my apartment 25 years ago from that thrift store … and my college roommates and I still laugh at all the “creations” I would make for us with this.

It followed me to Mn, AZ, and now continues to live in the back of my kitchen cupboard in Arkansas. I often forget about it, and only use it about twice a year because let’s be real, I can’t handle the stress of wondering when it’s going to blow up on me any more often than that. Today my son asked for a sandwich on it – and as I remembered using this all those years ago in my little college apartment, I thought of all the friendships and laughter that have been a part of my life – along with this this ancient little griller.

Sometimes we need to lift our eyes beyond today and the swirling anxiety that can fog our vision and trace the faithful hand of God in all the little places… those “insignificant” days that lay out in a long strand of pearls – a gift from our Creator.

“Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He; I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:3-4

Posted in Living this Life

the trees of the fields will clap their hands!

I was in high school … it was a warm Southern California day, and I was bored.

Mr Stenhouse surprised us all by telling us to go outside. Desperate for any interruption to the monotony of the day, we gladly complied. He led us all to a tree and strangely asked us all to find a spot under the tree and lie down. Again, happy to not be in a stuffy classroom, we followed his directions.

A few minutes passed and Mr Stenhouse asked to go back in the room. And so the lesson had begun – a lesson that I still am learning. He simply asked, “what did those few minutes lying there teach you about God?”

So today, here is my tree. It’s a beautiful sunny day here in AR, and the refreshing air is invigorating. What lesson can my heart absorb about my God today? Right here, in the middle of all the circumstances that surround us?

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. … Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy!” Isaiah 55:12

Posted in Living this Life

Do it again!

We went for a walk the other day. My youngest picked me this beautiful bouquet! The sweet random assortment of weed flowers make me smile!

Now look a little closer … see the amazing intricacies in the flower of what we might call a “weed”. Our God breathed this into existence. All around us, His breath is springing to life – don’t miss it!

“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we” – GK Chesterton #capturethewonder #eyeswideopen #springtimeglory