Family projects

Last weekend for the very first time since we married, Jamey and I painted walls in our home! We have always rented or lived with others...but this time its ours to go crazy with! Some might say that "Bold Terra Cotta" in the living room is crazy...but we love it. We also had a blast painting Jessi's room ~ with help from her brothers it was a family affair.
It has really been great to work together to enhance the beauty of our haven...we all love to "retreat" here and now we enjoy it even more. We are blessed.

some lovely things in my life

silly boy

Jakob took this picture when I wasn't looking...its precious to me.

my lovely reenie girl on picture day...she is only 8??

"Little" Things

I am learning an important lesson these days.
The "weight" of financial strain, relational challenges, medical concerns, job shortages, trials in church, at work, in the world at large...they can really take their toll...if we allow them to.

Its difficult to see past all that can worry us. There are realities that we sometimes must face in order to continue on our journey in this life. The beautiful efficiency of God is this: while we "trudge" on our journey and sometimes scrape and achingly walk uphill...there are little gifts He provides. These gifts can sustain us, if we let them. We can see them if we ask Him to open our eyes.

I am often tempted to close my eyes and try not to see that which troubles me. However, if my eyes are closed...I will also miss many things that I really NEED to see.

My prayer is that I would lean on the Giver and soak in the gifts so that I may faithfully walk the path ahead.

A Minnesota Trip

Okay, bear with me...there are going to be as many photos in this entry as I can have the patience for. I am so excited about these pictures. We had such a special time as a family in Minnesota. We are richly blessed with precious cousins, aunts (sisters), uncles (brothers), parents and grandparents in that lovely state. So blessed in fact, that if it weren't for the certainty with which we love and serve our "world" in maryland, we would hitail it back to the land full of folks we love.

For now we pour over these photos and polish the memory nuggets again and again as we work to remember the loving help that made our trip possible.
I hope you can see even a glimpse of the joy shared during that time.
Thanks for sharing the joy with me.
My love goes out to all of you...

P.S. Some precious folks didn't make it into my photos...don't underestimate your important part in our time together...we love you dearly each and every one of you.

CLICK ON A PICTURE TO SEE A LARGER VERSION!!

Evening hayride with cousins to feed the cows - they tried to eat the hay right out from under us!

Barnhart and Diggs cousins on a giant swing in Soldier Field Park

Grandpa and the kids in the woods having an adventure walk!

Playing a game with Grandma Rosi ~ she plays a mean game whether its Whoonu or Baseball!

God of Process

A few weeks ago we studied the creation story at our Corridor gathering. For certain this is a story that I could recite with little feeling having heard it my entire life...but God is just so versatile and resourceful that this particular study of the "old" story showed some amazing new insight into yet another aspect of His steady and intricate character.
As you read the account for each day of creation there is a common end to each day that had never caught my attention - until now. Each day in the creation story of course includes a portion of creation...the sky, the land, waters, stars...etc,. So as you read the scriptures in Genesis 1 you see that God wasn't finished with the job in one sitting. I believe He could have been if that was His desired plan...but that's beside the point. He did some of the project each day...and on EVERY day it is recorded that, "God saw that it was good".

I find tremendous comfort and an important lesson for me in this. I never feel "at rest" until a project is done, until all my ducks are in a row. I am very emotionally affected by things being unfinished, unseen, undone. But in this passage I see a God who is certainly powerful enough to just blast it all into place and finish every one of his "projects" instantly. He doesn't though...he does some each day and each day He sees that what He has done is good. I see rest in that. I see a God who rests while IN PROCESS.
There are so many areas of my life where things are in process. Probably nothing is done at this moment, except maybe the morning dishes. And I have such a consistent spirit of unrest, unsettledness, anxiety over all the undone and unknown and unplanned. This simple scripture passage that has been a consistent part of my life since birth, has been such a treasure to unfold. God sees the process, the work in progress as good. He sees the investment of the day as good.
I am encouraged so much by this new-to-me insight. I am so thankful that even the style with which the story was written and told can be more information, more insight for us as we seek God's ways and His purpose for even the most daily of our walks.

Stop this Train

Sometimes a song can express how one feels during particular moments of life so perfectly.

This Cup

So the easter weekend got me to thinkin'; especially Good Friday. We had a Tenebrae service in our home Friday night with some dear friends who are also members of our church community. For me it was a siginificant night. I had been "prepping" for the story with my focus on God's character shown through Jesus' life. This time the reading of the Garden of Gethsemane events did not just roll over my mind and heart as a story "I've heard" at least 35 times. I think I finally HEARD it.

As I listened and read and studied further afterward I was hung up on Jesus request that His Father-God "take this cup" from him. I keenly felt that Jesus request was for himself in that moment but also perhaps for us. Is this the ONLY way...can you take this cup? Do we have to walk here? I find so much comfort in Jesus' request. I feel understood, known and walked with.
These days my "cups" don't feel too heavy if I look at the world around me. But I do feel exhausted and desparate at times trying to navigate all that is in front of me...some of it feels painful. I pray and ask that my baby sister's "cup" be taken from her. Over and over that request is made. I believe many who know and love her have prayed along these lines. I have prayed and asked that my husband's particular "cup" at various times in life be taken from him as well.

In all this petitioning, the "cup" hasn't been taken (at least not yet) but God has been so good to allow me, or whoever I am petitioning for, to recieve the cup with trust and sometimes even with grace.

I am thankful for Jesus' words in Gethsemane. Part of the pain with any "cup" is the lonely, isolated feeling it can bring. Jesus abolished this when he walked that lonely path and took that cup and brought new life to the world. The promise and comfort in these moments of Jesus' life give me renewed desire to continue to walk, regardless of the weight of the cup.