Thankful

I am thankful for the Light of my life, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,

an amazingly talented, loving and hilarious husband,

two fabulous, creative, intelligent children,

a warm, comfortable home,

plenty of nutritious food to eat,

cars that run,

loving pets,

faithful friends,

loving family,

creative gifts,

a purpose to pursue,

and

hope for tomorrow

Clutter

Shopping for Christmas gifts tends to remind me how much stuff I already have.  And, that it's been a while since it was sorted and cleaned out.  I've noticed that, in addition to all of the clutter in my home, there tends to be a lot of untended clutter in other parts of my life too.

My days are sometimes filled with unimportant, even useless (can you say iphone games?!) activities that clutter up what could be a productive day.

My thoughts are frequently unfocused and tend to get cluttered up dwelling on things that are outside of my control or even, dare I say it, none of my business.

Even relationships can become cluttered with baggage from the past that was never sorted and cleaned out.

So how do I solve the problem of clutter?  I believe it is possible, piece by piece, to remove distractions so that I can think more clearly, perform more productively and even become a better listener to those around me.

Frequently, a helping hand from He-Hauls may be required to dispense with some of the bigger junk. And, occasionally, there may be times where you just have to throw in a grenade, duck for cover and start over from scratch. 

Radical? Yes.  But, out of the ashes, a new foundation can be laid; a foundation that is stronger because of its past trials.  In addition, inviting the Master Mover to park His truck outside, will allow me to daily remove the things that threaten to clutter up my life.  And, as He removes them, piece by piece, He will leave behind His uncluttered peace.

Bus Stop



Life is a little like riding the bus. 

We decide where we want to go, get on the right route and, eventually, arrive at our destination.  For example, say the Lord puts it on your heart to be a teacher.  You pick a college that has a great program in that field, sign up for classes and in four years you've reached your goal and can start sending out resumes.

Life can be like that.  Or, sometimes, not so much.

Sometimes, we miss our stop. 

So, what happens when you think you heard Him say one thing and it just doesn't happen?  Perhaps going to college never materialized because of financial challenges.  Or, you went to school, but changed majors to something else entirely.  Or maybe you even got off the bus early and dropped out of school before completing your goal.

In essence, you've missed your original stop. 

Have you missed this window of opportunity entirely?  Will the bus do another lap around the same route to give you another chance?  Or is there another opportunity just around the bend that's good too...just different?   Did you even hear Him correctly??

Or, is it possible, like in Narnia, that the signs look different down here?  You look around and see that you really are a teacher - teaching your own children at home, or maybe sharing words of wisdom with a friend, or even instructing your dog on how to be a decent member of society? 

One day I will be asking the Bus Driver these questions.  But, even though I may have missed some amazing things that He had for me at a previous stop, due to my own laziness, ignorance or willful disobedience, I know He works all things together for good. 

And, the next stop will be my best so far because He is the One driving me there.

The Elusive Fruit

There is nothing quite like sinking your teeth into  mealy fruit.  There's a lot of things better, but nothing quite like it. 

Having married a man who spent considerable time growing up in "apple country", I've been well versed on finding the perfect apple.  It must be slightly green by the stem, smooth to the touch, no pits in the skin and can only be found in the early to mid-fall.  The rest of the year, fruit is no longer fresh from the field but brought out periodically from cold storage.  Definitely not the same as fresh. 

You can tell when someone has found the perfect apple.  You hear the juicy crunch, and see the slow smile begin to creep across their face.  Pure pleasure and a brief break from the world. 


Finding time to truly rest can be just as daunting as seeking out that perfect apple.  There is a season for all things, including working and resting from that work.  I believe our amazing Creator has designed us to live from rest to rest.  

Our day, one revolution around our own axis, begins and ends with rest.  Our months go from a new moon rising and falling; and our year, a trip around the sun, begins on New Year's Day with a day of rest and ends on New Year's eve, with an evening of fun and, hopefully, reflection.  Rest to rest.

Only our week has nothing to revolve around.  It is strictly a God-created cycle especially made for us to know how to rest.  In His wisdom, He knew that we have the potential to run from thing to thing, never stopping for a break.  And so, He modeled it for us. 

But how do we rest when there's so much to be accomplished?  And for Him, no less??  And, when we do find the time, what are we supposed to do to be rested?  Does it mean sleeping in?  Playing with the kids?  Going golfing with the fellas?  What does it mean to truly rest? 

I believe finding the rest and refreshment we seek, is like digging in that apple bin.  We tune out the world for that moment; we are focused on something outside our usual activity and, in that quiet moment, the Lord can speak.  He can show us the perfect fruit.  It is then that He gives us rest, true rest, as a loving gift.  It is not something we find on our own, but as we take time away from our usual activities, time to pause and reflect, in that quiet space when our focus is on Him, He reveals it.

Crunch.  Ahhh....