I woke up just after 5:00 yesterday. Would have liked a little more sleep, but I love how much easier it is to wake up when it’s already daylight. Had to work at 9:00. Subbing at another library, enjoying it. Picked up a book.
Okay, people, your really need to read this one.
I finished it before breakfast. Continue reading “And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer”
So, a couple of years ago we made this really cool-looking water color paint with, as you can see from the photos, corn syrup, vinegar, corn starch, baking soda, and food coloring. It worked pretty well, but I’d love to hear other recipes!
2013 flashback for Father’s Day!
We made our annual trip to CMOG, the Corning Museum of Glass, in September. Joel and Nora made fused-glass nightlights. Jonathan and I chose flamework, also called lampwork. He made a pendant and I made a bead.
Since Family Camp is rapidly approaching, I thought it would be fun to post pictures from last year’s camps…
I started today’s post last week. Or at least what I thought was today’s post. As always, the subject evolved. It kept getting to me deeper, and more of me went into what I was writing. And today, it came down to the fact that I’m just not ready to finish it. The Lord needs to do more work in me before I can effectively say what needs to be said.
But I will say this:
Don’t let others establish your value or your values.
Our Heavenly Father really does know best. Continue reading “The Corinthian Love Challenge”
Pondering…
Looking at the photos I posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge…
As sharing the reality of my experience with depression drew a different audience than earlier posts, so has my photo post, people looking for something different than those who were encouraged by what I share of what God teaches me on my faith journey.
It’s funny the difference a tag can make…
What do people see when they look at my pictures?
It makes me consider again what I try to capture as I use my camera alongside my pen in gift-listing. It’s not enough to look for gifts. It is pursuit of the Giver that makes them true grace-bearers. As I shared with my church family on Sunday, I must begin and end with God. To record grace, EVERYTHING must be rooted in gratitude. First for what Christ did for me on the cross. Am I truly grateful? Do I trust the Love that would go to such lengths? If so, I must, and can, choose to accept each moment, regardless of what it contains, as a gift…
There is grace available in each moment. Refusing to trust God for it through the hard times is tragic. We choose greater trauma, and more pain, when we try to run from our pain and from the Comforter.
We even arrogantly bring tragedy to inconvenience by shortsightedly allowing annoyance and frustration to drive a wedge between us and God; missing His whisper in the clamor of our discontent, missing the grace, missing the blessing.
And then there’s the mundane.
If my pictures accomplish nothing else, they have shown me how choosing to be grateful to God in each moment transforms each moment.
If I missed it during shutter-snaps at the sliver in my older son’s foot, I noticed looking back how little injuries allow me to be Mommy. My kids are reminded that they need and want me. Slivers, scrapes, bumps and bruises drive them to seek and receive comfort. They give them something they can endure and overcome. And, as with my son taking over the tweezers, injuries allow them to mature and give them chances to prove they can live what they’ve learned.
What’s your sliver? Are you trying to deny the pain? Do you long for the grace?
Pain and loss are inevitable realities of this life. But God loves you even more than I could ever love my kids. More than you can imagine.
He IS Love.
Where ever you are right now, He’s waiting for You to notice Him, His outstretched hand… the nail-scarred hand that offers grace to transform all your moments.
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