noticing and responding to God in our everyday life
Sabbath. Set aside an hour. An afternoon. A day. Whatever this week can do. Be intentional. Light a candle. Welcome Sabbath in. Make a Sabbath box, mark the start by putting in it anything that will distract. A cell phone, car keys, a symbol. Go for a walk. Linger over a meal with friends. Play […]
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“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.” John Muir We drive the long way home. The little one in the back knows, I’ve been looking for places of beauty. “Look, beauty!” A place of nourishment […]
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There is beauty in heartache. There is beauty in redemption. They stand alone. Each their own, unique offering to our souls. There is beauty in both heartache and in redemption. Beauty in both trials and celebrations. Beauty in both waiting and receiving. Beauty in both tears and laughter. But we often live in an ‘either/or’ […]
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It was February 2007 and Rob and I sat in a library in North Seattle. I saw that I missed a phone call from our adoption social worker. I stepped outside to call her back. “I have a referral for you and Rob. I am emailing you the information now.” I try to make sense […]
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“There is no heartbeat.” There was last week. There is not this week. Again. The ultrasound machine and words being spoken fade far from me. Again. We are alone in a room of uncomfortable faces. Alone with people who want so desperately to be giving us different news. Again. Doctors and nurses who have fought […]
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We were on our way upstairs when he glanced out the living room window. At the same time we both saw that his neighborhood buddies were playing. He looked up at me, “can I go play?” In a moment I am torn between ‘my plan’ for the night- my husband is at a meeting, tonight […]
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Once upon a time Rob and I both took a Strength Finders test for a church planters assessment. One of my top strengths/values was Connectedness. Here’s an excerpt of the description: “… you know that we are all connected. You have a unique ability to connect the dots between what is happening in the here […]
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Play. The Beauty of Sabbath. {I am participating in The Nester’s 31 Days of Series. Click right here to see all the amazing topics! I am writing on 31 Beauty Full Days. You can read the intro post here. And you can also always click on the button on the sidebar to see all posts in the series. […]
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“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.” Ralph Waldo Emerson I carry around my camera more. Now that these 31 Days have begun. On a quest to notice beauty, and the ways it fills my life. Sometimes He interrupts my quest with the very thing I seek. And quiets […]
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Isaiah 35 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our […]
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I suppose if we are going to talk about beauty for 31 days, perhaps we should define it. But how do we? I would imagine that if we asked 100 people we would receive 100 different definitions, giving weight to the old adage “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. Our hearts are all […]
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He holds on to the edge of the boat railing. Anticipating. In awe. The power of the waterfall is overwhelming. The mist covers us. And his small hand, bravely steadying him as he faces the power. Both enthralled and cautious. That hand is beauty to me. That hand symbolizes vulnerability. Opening ourselves to experience more, […]
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And this button if you would like to read last years:
