Of Thriving and Grace

Over the weekend I hit a post-holiday slump. With the end of our break in sight and the return of normal patterns and routines looming, I was suddenly tired and discouraged. I've noticed that the dreading is often worse than the reality... perhaps because in my crazy mixture of thoughts and emotions I forget to factor in God's grace. And His fingerprints... His mercies... they are always there.
This morning I was up as the sun was rising to read and savor the silence before getting the boys out the door. And I read, "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of Him who sent me..." John 4:34. "My food," he says, "my food." Jesus thrived on doing His father's will. My prayer is that I will thrive in doing the Father's will as I carry out His daily callings... His will. And that in the thriving, my life will well-up full with life-giving, grace-filled, merciful living water.
For from His fulness we have all received, grace upon grace. John 1:16

For a Little While... At Least

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You can find me on Instagram if you feel inclined to meander over there. It's not the same as blogging and I haven't figured out what a hashtag is or how to follow or how to be followed {yes, I'm stumbling around a bit} but for me, for right now it's the best I can do.

And, really, what it's all about is moving a little slower, taking time to see and savor, and giving thanks... because my life {and your's} is a beautiful tapestry of mercy and grace being woven by a creative and compassionate God. Let's walk together and look for the loving fingerprints of the Father.

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Because we're called to live by faith... and underneath us are the everlasting arms.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

These Fathers

{their father and my father, on the shore of Lake Michigan} On guard, Standing firm in the faith, Men of courage, Strong. Doing everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

We Carry On

{On the shore of Lake Michigan}

As the mother of school aged children I've noticed that the weeks between Spring Break and the last day of school go by so quickly. As a teacher and the mother of school aged children, those weeks were. a. blur. Although school ended in mid-May the momentum, the mayhem, continued... Our family took to the highway on a long dreamed of, much anticipated road trip to Michigan, an adventure that all of us thoroughly enjoyed. Upon returning home {ahhh, home!} the pace continued... gatherings with friends, swimming lessons, an out of town wedding. Finally, we're settling in for the slower, hot days of summer. And so, we carry on now as before, and as always, under His grace.

In the Light

"The Christian should be like those lovely spring flowers which, when the sun is shining, open their golden cups, as if saying, "Fill us with Thy beams!"...So should the Christian feel the sweet influence of Jesus; Jesus must be his sun, and he must be the flower which yields itself to the Sun of Righteousness." Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

...now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light.

Ephesians 5:8

A People Prepared

In the Deep South, late winter/early spring has a give and take kind of way about her. "Here, take a week of glorious, balmy days... and some flowers, too," she says. But then, she gets fickle and takes it away. The cold rain arrived in the night and, once again, a fire burning in the fireplace will be bliss.
Before the winter chill returned, Sister and I gathered blooms one afternoon while we waited for the boys to get home from school. I missed a sweet friend's birthday {it seems I'm often a day late these days}. We pulled together a sweet smelling bouquet, plopped it in a mason jar, and hand stamped a simple card. When the boys got home we made a quick delivery. Even the simplest gifts bring smiles.
Last night, after homework and laundry and dinner and tucking in children, the professor and I sat on opposite ends of the couch huddled under a big, warm blanket. Through head congestion and a double-dose of pinkeye {me} and a sore throat with headache {him} we laughingly wished each other a "happy" anniversary. And such is the way life goes sometimes, but, oh, I'm thankful for this man and for fourteen years covered in God's grace. I'm thankful, so thankful.
A few days ago I was reading in Luke about the angel Gabriel's visit to Zechariah... Gabriel tells Zechariah that his barren wife, Elizabeth, will give birth to a son who's name will be John. This son, he goes on to say, will go before the coming Messiah, he'll be a messenger to make ready "a people prepared" to receive the coming Grace. "A people prepared," I love that... Shouldn't we also be people prepared? Prepared to receive grace, prepared to be messengers of grace, prepared to be vessels of grace, prepared because we're clinging to the Source... the One who is grace.
This week I found grace in an understanding friend, in two sinners remaining one in heart for another year, and in the innumerable blessings showered down on us like the fickle February sunshine and rain.

His Banner Over Me

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,

to grasp how wide

and long

and high

and deep

is the love of Christ,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—

that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:17-19

Under a Canopy of Grace

February can be a tease. Rainy and cold with whispers of snow and ice one day, then hammocks in sunshine two days later. I don't mind. The professor arranged everything on the new shelves in the hall. I love this little alcove; it makes me happy. If I could add an extra window and a cozy chair I would. And, Sister did some decorating of her own one afternoon; an endeavor that kept her busy for hours. It seems she prefers a washi tape and watercolor theme, quite colorful and fun. As for the washi tape... we found strips of it plastered on every surface in her room with several rolls hanging on the wall.
Little moments are quickly filling our February days. Big Brother provides the music {always the clarinet!} while Little Brother adds plenty of commentary. Sister contributes the flair... hello, green fingernails and pink tutu adventures. Despite the chaos I try to see and savor the beautiful, ordinary moments... my orchid in bloom, chocolate cake, sweet sibling companionship, sunlight in windows, good books, the kitty always around, and winter sunsets.
Most days, the sunset hour is the hardest. Between homework, home-keeping, attitudes, and tired, hungry, noisy people it's the time of day when I need the most grace. Oh, how I fail. I often catch a glimpse of our winter sunsets when I climb the stairs as the day turns to evening. Sometimes I step out on the deck. From the top of our house that sits on top of a hill I watch the painted sky, the Artist's canopy at the end of the day. I'm keenly aware of my failures, my shortcomings, and my need for grace. This daily task of tending my own heart and lovingly, faithfully shepherding little hearts adds an intensity to life that only God's promise of sufficient grace can soothe.
I've been thinking about the Israelites in the wilderness and how the presence of the Lord went with them... a cloud of cooling shade by day, a pillar of warming fire by night... always a visible reminder that He was there. The circumstances weren't easy but there was comfort because He dwelled among them. His presence was literally a canopy of grace. I've pondered this a lot lately and in the pondering He's reminded me that He still dwells among us... intimately in the hearts of His children, hearts that are covered with mercy and grace. A canopy. In the day-to-day grace-needing moments {and I have so many!} there's comfort in knowing that, like His people wandering in the wilderness, I dwell under a canopy of grace, and His grace is sufficient for my failures and my trials.
Then the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain. Isaiah 4:5-6

In Part

The daffodils sitting on the table, all lively and bright, caught my eye in the winter-morning sun. I reached for the camera and snapped a few shots, focusing on the details... happy, yellow blooms, amazingly green stems, curly gray moss, and earthy clay pot. I loved it all. But, it wasn't until I downloaded the photos a day later that I saw the whole picture, and in the seeing I was reminded...

In this crippled world of trials and pain intermingled with beauty and blessing we seldom see the big, beautiful picture that the Father is creating. But in His loving grace, He tenderly gives us a precious reminder... "Take heart," He whispers, "I'm doing more than you can see, more than you can imagine. Trust me, dear one. I know your heart." One day I will fully see... and fully know... just as He fully knows little, broken, wondering me right now. Therein lies the comfort and the hope and the grace.

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

1 Corinthians 13:12b

Winter Beauty Bright

Winter Sunrise : : Morning Bedroom : : Afternoon Moon
Friday afternoon and evening.... Moments to exhale after a full week. Moments to toss school bags in the corner, forgotten. Moments to kick off shoes. Relaxed, cozy, warm moments. Taking our time moments. Stop to see the baby moments. Playing moments. Moments to chase the cat. Moments for ignoring the call of the laundry room. Easy dinner moments. Thankful moments for another blessed week and a family gathered home. Together. Moments to be still and filled. Grateful.
And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac... I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant... Genesis 32:9-10

Keeping Warm

The five of us returned to school on Monday. The going back was a reluctant meandering for four of us, while Sister, of course, was excited and ready, ready, ready! Now a few days in, we're finding our regular rhythm again. Our late December and early January days were simple and slow in the delightful way they should be. It was hard to have the break come to an end, but I'm grateful for the time we had together with very little on the calendar.
Last week we woke one morning to a frigid house only to discover that our brand new, just six months old, furnace decided to go flakey on us. Since then it's been a week of unreliability in the heat department... and during one of the coldest cold snaps I've experienced! With the help of a service team {yes, a team!!}, we've diagnosed the problem and have a temporary solution. In an effort to keep warm during the unpredictable cold-house moments, I cooked and baked myself silly, we sat in front of the fire, and wore our coats in the house. The quilts were nice too. I'm thankful for a warm house today.
One theme that's emerging in our home renovations is that we continue to remove storage spaces... first, the coat closet on the main level became the return for our new HVAC system, then the workroom closet became a utility space, and now we've converted half of the built-in cabinets in the upstairs hallway to built-in bookshelves. The professor worked hard this past weekend to install some custom lighting in them which looks great. In the future, we plan to open up the stairwell to create a light-filled stair atrium of sorts. When this happens we'll knock out a wall and, of course, tear out another closet.
We cheered hard and loud for Auburn {our alma mater} on Monday night. While the win slipped away at the end of the game we're proud of how the Tigers played and for their amazing season. War Eagle!
Today is what Sister calls a home day; no school for the two of us. We've been puttering about in the most quiet and delightful ways... vintage Fisher Price Little People, Frances books, recipes, ballet slippers, tea, patches of sunlight, and chocolate. It's good for my soul to move slowly and quietly, to see and to savor His blessings. I find it best to do this often because His grace is always there and, for me, seeing it is the first step in savoring it. "O taste and see that the Lord is good..." Psalm 34:8

December Last

We kept inside most of the day, away from the damp, gray chill. Late in the afternoon we zipped into jackets and walked through the woods on the Boy Scout trail where the trees and vines twist and grow over and around the winding path. The woods were quiet and still, like the day, this December last. And after we'd passed through the woods we meandered along, coming home by way of the walking path in the park, stopping to read the names of the trees planted along the way. Red oak, sugar maple, live oak, longleaf pine, ash, and elm. As we walked back up the hill we stuffed cold hands into our jacket pockets while the sun set behind us... ending the day and the month and the year.

In this new year...

O Father as You did with Moses, make all Your goodness pass before us,

proclaim the name of the Lord before us, be gracious unto us and show us compassion.

A.C. Dixon

Days Merry and Bright

These have been bright days of family and friends, of celebrating and pondering. Merry, sweet days...
Cousins : : Christmas cake : : Cups and cups of tea : : Lessons and carols on Christmas Eve : : Boys' pocket knives tucked into stocking toes : : Surprises : : Christmas morning fairy wings : : Festive lights : : Bare trees against gray skies : : Late nights and late mornings : : Camellias coming out : : Raking leaves : : Outside play : : Vintage Little People : : Baby cuddles : : Sister digging in the candy bowl looking like a Candyland queen : : New books : : Afternoon movies : : Sweaters and boots
And this hope, echoing in my heart...
For all those who live in the shadow of death, a glorious light has dawned. For all those who stumble in the darkness, behold your light has come. Immanuel our God is with us. from "Immanuel" by Michael Card