There's no place like home. A safe, comfy, beautiful haven where we can let our guards down, relax, and enjoy ourselves. Where we can make memories with loved ones. Where we can be refreshed before going back out into the crazy and chaotic world.
But now that I stay at home full time with a baby-turning-toddler, I'm realizing how much work it takes to keep our home a haven! Oddly enough, it seems that the more often I'm home, the harder it is to keep it clean, warm, loving, and welcoming!
This past weekend was one of those where I was shamefully nitpicky to my poor husband. To be honest, weekends at home can be challenging for me these days. I've spent a long week of making and cleaning up messes and taking care of G, but my husband has spent a long week of working hard as director for his ministries. We're both exhausted but there are still meals to be made, messes to be cleaned, and a mini energizer bunny to keep up with. There's a tension inside me know both he and I desire a break, so who deserves it more?? (I know, I know. I'm not proud of these feelings, just keeping it real!). If I see him lying on the couch, I feel resentment building up inside, thinking he should be helping me do all the work around the house (and don't get me wrong, he often does help!).
Yet one day as I was driving alone in the car, I was reflecting on the situation and a totally different perspective settled in. Yes, it's a lot of work to create a home, but it's also a blessing to have that as a job! Like any job, there are exhausting moments, discouragement, frustration, and such. But what a satisfying feeling to know that because of your efforts, other feel comforted, welcomed, and restful. When my husband is lying on the couch, it's not that he's being lazy. It's that my efforts to create our home have given him a safe space to rejuvenate after his long days working hard in ministry. What a gift that I can provide that for him! It's so funny how just a change in perspective can change your whole attitude. Seeing things this way helps me to see my work as a gift, a privilege, even *gasp* a joy. It's rewarding to know that even the most mundane work that I do (dishes, laundry, meals) is sustaining a life-giving place for my loved ones to flourish. While my husband will continue to help me around the house (grateful!) and while self-care and my needs are certainly an important balance to have with homemaking, I'm finding a renewed energy in my role. Instead of seeing the endless and monotonous, I'm seeing purpose and art.
Whether we're single, married, or mothers...whether we live in an apartment or house...whether we have lots of money or very little...I believe all women have the gift of an innate ability to create a home with beauty, comfort, and security. What are your favorite ways to create 'home' in your space?
Showing posts with label simplicity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simplicity. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Tuesday Talk #30: Sweet Nothings and a Recipe
It's hard to believe two weeks ago we had several inches of snow on the ground!! Now we're enjoying sunshine and warm breezes and everything in bloom! It was wonderful to get prayer time on the porch this morning with a cup of tea while the birds chattered (probably because the squirrel was eating their food!).
My days are still hit or miss with how I feel physically, but I'm learning to adjust to that and it's probably good practice for when we'll have a newborn in the house and schedules are out the window. Slowing down in life has never been a bad thing for me, so I'm enjoying the lighter schedule and hopefully will see some spiritual growth as well.
Last week I sat down with a pile of cookbooks and browsed through them. While I'll always be a Pinterest fan, some days I get tired of scrolling through all my recipes on there and just want to flip through a good, old-fashioned cookbook! So I did! And I flagged all sorts of oldie but goodie recipes to make in the coming month. What's your favorite way to plan meals or find recipes?
And as a bonus for visiting me today, here's a healthy and easy salad recipe I've been enjoying for lunches lately. It's packed with protein and tasty, tangy crunch.
Simple Bean Salad
1 bell pepper (any color)
2 cans of garbanzo beans
1 package of grape tomatoes
1 cucumber
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
Chop the veggies, rinse the beans, and mix all together in a bowl. Mix the oil and vinegar in a separate bowl then pour over veggies and beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill in fridge and allow those tasty flavors to marinate together! So simple and very modifiable. I like to add extra tomatoes and extra red wine vinegar. :)
Want to join this week's link up? Grab our button below and link back to one of the hosts!
You can join us on Pinterest, too!
Follow Sweet Little Ones's board Tuesday Talk Features on Pinterest.
Join the party, friends, by linking up with your favorite post from the week! Here's the scoop:
My days are still hit or miss with how I feel physically, but I'm learning to adjust to that and it's probably good practice for when we'll have a newborn in the house and schedules are out the window. Slowing down in life has never been a bad thing for me, so I'm enjoying the lighter schedule and hopefully will see some spiritual growth as well.
Last week I sat down with a pile of cookbooks and browsed through them. While I'll always be a Pinterest fan, some days I get tired of scrolling through all my recipes on there and just want to flip through a good, old-fashioned cookbook! So I did! And I flagged all sorts of oldie but goodie recipes to make in the coming month. What's your favorite way to plan meals or find recipes?
And as a bonus for visiting me today, here's a healthy and easy salad recipe I've been enjoying for lunches lately. It's packed with protein and tasty, tangy crunch.
Simple Bean Salad
1 bell pepper (any color)
2 cans of garbanzo beans
1 package of grape tomatoes
1 cucumber
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
Chop the veggies, rinse the beans, and mix all together in a bowl. Mix the oil and vinegar in a separate bowl then pour over veggies and beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill in fridge and allow those tasty flavors to marinate together! So simple and very modifiable. I like to add extra tomatoes and extra red wine vinegar. :)
Want to join this week's link up? Grab our button below and link back to one of the hosts!
You can join us on Pinterest, too!
Follow Sweet Little Ones's board Tuesday Talk Features on Pinterest.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Currently // vol. 2
Linking up with Gold and Bloom and Anne in Residence to take a look at the little things in life currently...
Sending // Bills! It seems like they all come at once. Our property taxes were due and it's always painful to send that large check, but we're so thankful for our happy home and the money to pay our taxes on it. God always seems to provide and we continually pray that He be Lord of our finances.
Eating // Leftover oven-fried chicken. I thawed some drumsticks from the freezer, coated them with a delicious mix of Panko, flour, and spices and baked them in the oven in a stick of butter for some extra crispiness. We both enjoyed our 'Southern-style' meal, including my first attempt at homemade baked beans.
Dreaming // of Spring. We've had some unusually warm weather the past week or two, the snow has melted, and it feels like Spring is on its way! I know we have awhile to go but I can't help but dream of green grass and beautiful flowers and singing birds and sunshine. It's so gorgeous when the world awakens with new life.
Smelling // Everything. There's something about pregnancy that heightens your senses. This is both good and bad. One night I could have sworn there were onions on my pillow...
Hearting // The month of February. I always get so excited about it. I love Valentine's Day (even when I was single!). It's just so pretty with the pinks and reds and lace and roses-- and chocolate helps, too. ;) Then there's my birthday, too, which I tend to celebrate the whole month according to my husband, friends, and family. My birthday wishes? Card-making party with friends, organizing the basement with my husband, and a big fat German Chocolate cake.
What are you currently up to, dear friends?
Sending // Bills! It seems like they all come at once. Our property taxes were due and it's always painful to send that large check, but we're so thankful for our happy home and the money to pay our taxes on it. God always seems to provide and we continually pray that He be Lord of our finances.
Eating // Leftover oven-fried chicken. I thawed some drumsticks from the freezer, coated them with a delicious mix of Panko, flour, and spices and baked them in the oven in a stick of butter for some extra crispiness. We both enjoyed our 'Southern-style' meal, including my first attempt at homemade baked beans.
Dreaming // of Spring. We've had some unusually warm weather the past week or two, the snow has melted, and it feels like Spring is on its way! I know we have awhile to go but I can't help but dream of green grass and beautiful flowers and singing birds and sunshine. It's so gorgeous when the world awakens with new life.
Smelling // Everything. There's something about pregnancy that heightens your senses. This is both good and bad. One night I could have sworn there were onions on my pillow...
Hearting // The month of February. I always get so excited about it. I love Valentine's Day (even when I was single!). It's just so pretty with the pinks and reds and lace and roses-- and chocolate helps, too. ;) Then there's my birthday, too, which I tend to celebrate the whole month according to my husband, friends, and family. My birthday wishes? Card-making party with friends, organizing the basement with my husband, and a big fat German Chocolate cake.
What are you currently up to, dear friends?
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Tuesday Talk # 6: Closet Craziness
Welcome to Tuesday Talk! Scroll down below to visit all the links, and make sure to stop by each of the hosts!
This past week was one reminiscent of my single girl days. No meal planning, no cleaning, and lots of ice cream and episodes.
My husband was in Washington D.C. this past week for work, taking a course to receive a certificate in Catholic social teaching. So it was just me and the Little Dog on the homefront. I couldn't believe how much I missed him. I guess six months of marriage will do that to you. (YES! Six months on the 22nd!! Time flies when you're in love!)
But since there was no jumping on a plane to D.C. (only in my dreams or the latest chick flick), I did the next best thing.
Clean out my closet.
I know. It's sad how much I enjoy organizing. But this, this closet was a job that meant calling in reinforcements: my mom and my sister (and my stinkin' cute 18-month-old niece).
Three hours and three garbage bags later, my closet is clean. And organized. And simplified. I can now walk in without stepping on something or having something fall on top of me. Life is good.
Yes, I'll share the pics but trust me, you have to see this in person. (Seriously, come visit me! I'll make you pumpkin bread and hot apple cider!)
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| Before. Definitely before. I did not wear half these clothes. |
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| After. Simplified and stream-lined. I no longer feel like I should be on Hoarders. |
Next stop: the freezer...(should I be embarrassed for showing you these??)
What are your disaster areas? What are your favorite tips for organizing or simply being motivated to organize?
Give me some comment love and then check out the other chatter this Tuesday morning.
The hosts of Tuesday Talk
Beth - Our Pretty Little Girls ~ Michelle - Grammie Time
Keri - Living In This Season ~ Christina - Waltzing In Beauty
Lauren - Simply Free ~ Becky - BYBMG
Jess and Katie - Sweet Little Ones ~ Whitney - Polka Dotty Place
Laura - Life Is Beautiful ~ Elizabeth - All Kinds Of Things
Sarah - Abiding In Grace ~ Stephanie - Wife Mommy Me
Emily - Morning Motivated Mom
You can join us on Pinterest, too!
Follow Sweet Little Ones's board Tuesday Talk Features on Pinterest.
Join the party, friends, by linking up with your favorite post from the week! Here's the scoop:
Keri - Living In This Season ~ Christina - Waltzing In Beauty
Lauren - Simply Free ~ Becky - BYBMG
Jess and Katie - Sweet Little Ones ~ Whitney - Polka Dotty Place
Laura - Life Is Beautiful ~ Elizabeth - All Kinds Of Things
Sarah - Abiding In Grace ~ Stephanie - Wife Mommy Me
Emily - Morning Motivated Mom
You can join us on Pinterest, too!
Follow Sweet Little Ones's board Tuesday Talk Features on Pinterest.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Media Detox
I'm detoxing this week, friends.
No, I'm not drinking that weird mix of lemonade, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper.
I'm not slurping green smoothies with chunks of broccoli and kale floating in them.
I'm not even exercising (okay, I'm going to try to take a run tonight!).
Instead, I'm cleansing my mind and spirit from habits related to a little handheld idol...
My Smart Phone.
The other day I was reflecting on the amount of time I spend on my phone (and the internet). It's not that I spend long hours at a time online...but rather that I fill little moments with it. If I'm in a waiting room at a medical office, waiting in the grocery store, eating lunch by myself, even if I'm procrastinating getting out of bed in the morning-- I'm scanning through the apps on my phone. What's new on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest?
It's so. easy. to get hooked on it and to waste those precious little moments with it. I mean, what else would I be doing during those short bursts of time? But that's the problem! What could I be doing with that time? (Prayer for others, meditation on God's love, thinking of a creative way to bring joy to someone else, relishing silence and simplicity.)
My phone can be an enjoyable distraction and a comforting habit. But it's also a thief. Of mental energy. Of focus and concentration. Of joy and contentment (what one of us has NOT struggled with comparison or jealously perusing a social media site at one time?).
Enter the detox plan.
As I reflected on my phone use and wondered what it would be like to use those moments in other ways, I thought...."I should do a fasting week from my phone sometime." Sometime. You know, like far in the future.
But then I changed my mind. There's no time like the present, right? So I announced it to my sister to hold me accountable. And then she decided to join and told my mom. And then my mom decided to join.
And then that night on the news they discussed a recent study on cell phones and the way our constant 'notifications' from them distract our focus and cause us to make up to THREE TIMES more mistakes than we would normally make on whatever we're working on. Thank you, Lord, for the affirmation of my decision! :)
Want to join us? Here's the scoop. We're not throwing the computers, laptops, and phones in the lake. We're being pretty reasonable about this, in case you were getting nervous when I asked you to join.
Here are my rules for the week:
1. Phone can only be used for texts and calls.
2. I am allowed to reference my Pinterest boards for projects/DIY/recipes that I'm working on, but no new pins or scrolling through my feed.
3. I can blog to my little heart's content because writing is creative and beautiful and joyful.
4. No Facebook at all. No Instagram at all (painful!). No surfing from blog to blog to blog.
I'm on Day 2 and it's been fabulous. My mind feels clearer already. I feel closer to the Lord because I don't feel like my online activities are coming before Him. I don't think we were ever meant to have such information overload and such busyness that the online world creates. I'll go back to it, of course. Just like I'd go back to a slice of chocolate cake after a veggie detox. But I'm re-creating better habits in the meantime. Like more discipline in my prayer life and time management.
I'll let you know more thoughts when the week is over! Until then, don't pin anything great that I'll miss out on! ;)
Love,
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Turning the Page
This has been a beautiful holiday break. I mean, hey, it's 1:15pm and I'm cuddled in my chair with coffee, the Little Dog, and a Christmas quilt. Does it get any more cozy than this?Quiet simplicity and time for reflection. My soul is happily expanding.
I'm reflecting on 2014. And looking ahead at 2015. I'm thinking about all of you. Some of you have been with me the past several years...maybe even some of you since the blog started. You, too, have caused my soul to expand with your own stories, your comments, your love and encouragement. God uses everything. Even (especially?) the internet. To connect His children. The kindred spirits I'd never have known if it weren't for the blog. So thank you. For being with me on the journey.
This past year was full of sunshine and storms and much grace. The beginning of the year found me lost in Paris. No joke. Stranded alone at an airport without a working cell phone and only a French phrase book to guide me. Pretty much an emergency course in trusting God's providence and protection. But all is well as I sit in my American home a year later, realizing with His help I conquered the metro system and my fears.
February found me reeling from a second break-up with my now-fiance. Even on heart-sharing blogs, there must be some things kept in a private corner of the heart. So though I want to share more details, and certainly would if you were across from me with your own coffee mug in hand, I'll simply repeat that God uses everything. I never doubted P.'s love for me, but both of us painfully separated to figure out what God really wanted from us. What a time of surrender and being covered by grace. Of being stripped of everything but the present moment. Of learning to pray with an open hand and heart, confused but earnestly desiring God to make His plan known whatever it might be. If you're going through your own storm right now, my heart is with you. I have tears in my eyes as I write this because hearts that have been broken love best and care most. Lean into Him, friend. He is enough. He does love you and has not forgotten you, even when you don't understand His ways.
I resigned from my manager position with the crisis pregnancy center this spring. It was a difficult decision (to put it mildly) but seemed best when I looked at the neglected areas of my life due to a too busy and stressful schedule. I'm still able to volunteer for them and have more one-on-one contact with clients, including performing ultrasounds-- my true passion. So though I miss the leadership role, I think this current role is perfect for this season and I look forward to how the Lord will use all my experiences in the future to promote a culture of life.
The summertime found me traveling to Tennessee with a carload of 6 girlfriends en route to our cabin in the mountains! We called our Facebook planning group "Epic Tennessee Adventure" and looking back, I can't think of a better description! It was an adventure, and it was epic. I learned how to cook on a charcoal grill, prayed devotions with the girls on our cabin deck, braved class 4 white water rafting, hiked the Smokies, and soaked in a hot tub with my sisters while Dollywood shot off fireworks in the distance. Traveling is such a bonding experience (and it can bring out the worst in us, too, haha!); this trip was a treasured gift and memory.
Then in October, there's this fairy tale where the dragon is slain, the forests are navigated, and all of a sudden I have this diamond on my left hand, the man I love before me, and overflowing joy in my heart. It's humbling and crazy and amazing and messy and indescribably beautiful. Our time apart has solidified our foundation in Christ and I am forever grateful. For all of it. Our God is in the business of redeeming everything we give Him...especially ourselves.
So this 2014 stuff: lost in Paris, then found in Tennessee. A broken heart then a heart that overflows (Psalm 45:1). What can happen in a year...
Now I'm turned the page. 2015. Marriage. Moving. Life as I know it is changing. Will you stay with me, my friends? You who have traveled with me, who send emails and comment love, who remind me time and again how beautiful are human hearts? I invite you into my journey of 2015, my heart and my life. I hope you will let me walk with you, too.
Grace upon grace,
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Presence
A few weeks ago I shared with you my struggle this Advent about the clutter in my stable. My soul-searching questions on what to do with the messiness of my life and heart this season.
I considered giving up Facebook or Pinterest. (umm...ok. I take that back. I didn't actually consider giving up Pinterest, not even for a brief moment.) I tried decreasing my cell phone use. I bought Scott Hahn's new book Joy to the World. (hashtag: favorite Catholic author.)
And those were good things to do and to give up.
But I ended up taking a different route this Advent...a different path to Bethlehem, perhaps.
I chose a word.
Just one word. My thoughts and goals and desires stripped down to one single word to simplify my season and focus.
Presence.
(Now since you are reading this instead of hearing it, I can't use the play on words that I did at an Advent presentation for my parish the other night about presents vs. presence. Just pretend and we'll move on.)
I want to be aware of God's presence in my life. In my day. Because that's Emmanuel, God with us. He really is with us every moment. He with us right now--you at your computer, me at mine...He's with us. We forget that, don't we? We're never alone. He is present. He is with us. He loves us.
In our busy lives, how often do we pause and remember that God is with us? It's a gift. And I think if we paused more often this month to remember that truth, it would help guide the choices we make, the gifts we buy, the ways we fill our schedule and spend the time.
I also wanted the word Presence to remind me to live in the present moment. I so often am thinking about the future, whether it's planning homemade Christmas gifts, my wedding next May, or even what I can find to make for dinner tomorrow night. I miss out on the gift and grace of the here and now. I forget to be grateful. There's only ever enough grace to live the moment. God has the rest in His hands. I think we feel less rushed when we live one day, one moment at a time. Instead of worrying or planning for tomorrow, I'm committing to simply accepting the gift of this day and living it with gratitude.
Finally I want the word Presence to call me to be more fully present to others. Maybe that's the cashier at Walmart (because I hate shopping there this time of year, you guys; too many people and carts, and too. much. stuff.)...maybe God is calling me to make conversation with her because she just lost her mom and is dreading the holidays. Maybe it's the patient I had last Monday who was recovering from a stroke. Her mind was healthy and hard at work but there was a disconnect as she struggled and tearfully stuttered her words. Watching her and helping her made me slow down and be more fully present to her than I had realized I could be. Afterwards, I noticed my whole being was more at peace, because I had slowed down, lived in the moment, been fully present to her, and saw Jesus in her.
Choosing this word and reflecting on it this season hasn't changed my life, but it has changed moments. It hasn't given me a spotless, decluttered manger-heart for Jesus to enter, but it has helped me look for Him more in my day and make more room for Him in my life.
Today may you be aware of God's presence with you personally right now, His love for you, His desire for you to experience Him and his hope, peace, and joy this Advent. Be in this present moment. Let Him speak to your heart. He always speaks with love. And being filled with Him, may you find moments this season to be more fully present to the hurting and needy around us.
Happy Gaudete (Joyful!) Sunday, dear friends. Life doesn't have to be perfect to be joyful, and neither do the holidays!
Monday, September 8, 2014
Hidden Kindness
Hardly anyone knew I was nursing a broken heart that day. And every day for the past several weeks. It's just easier sometimes to hide a broken heart and shattered dreams and shameful disappointment.
But whenever I hide from the world during suffering, I find a gift and grace hiding there as well-- the ability to see people more clearly, more slowly, more beautifully.
And so it was that day.
I was her cardiac stress test nurse. She was my patient for four hours, a quiet little woman who seemed to be hiding from the world, too. In a fast-paced day, she was slow and calm and silent, a nursing home resident confined to a wheelchair and needing help even to stand up. Her mind was slow and her body slower. Neither of us spoke much during the test though I tried to be gentle with her, to take extra time explaining things, touch her hand reassuringly, cover her with an extra blanket.
I was transferring her to radiology for the next portion of her test. We were on a tight schedule, keeping rhythm with the clock, a small margin for delays. But she needed to use the restroom. So we stopped and I donned my gloves and ditched my pride and helped her...because we're all going to need help someday. Maybe it's the slow beating of a broken heart that gives us time to see but all of a sudden it felt like the most dignified job in the world. Assisting this needy woman in her vulnerability was a gift, a mission, an honor.
She slowly, meticulously washed her hands afterwards while I held her by the sink. She took the paper towel and slowly, meticulously dried around the sink, wiping the porcelain basin and the faucet. In a public medical restroom. I never do that and it struck me. Such a little thing but such a thoughtful thing. Why do I think I'm above that? That the hired cleaning help can do that? That I'm in too much of a hurry to make it a little cleaner for the next person? It wasn't even necessarily the action but rather the gentle and humble spirit that accompanied it. The hidden care and kindness.
I was realizing this slow, quiet little woman was teaching me.
But there was more to come.
As I lowered her back into the wheelchair and squeezed her hand gently, she looked up at me with the purest blue eyes meeting my own and said "Thank you." One of the few things she said all day but with incredible sincerity and meaning.
I saw Jesus.
Unmistakably. Undeniably. In those beautiful blue eyes that reflected a precious soul unseen by many.
We don't always see Him where we want or where we expect...or even where we look for Him. In the wake of my grieving, I realized by now in life I wanted to see Him reflected in the eyes of a baby of my own held in my embrace. But instead He was showing up in the eyes of this woman as I connected with her. As we both hid from a world too loud and fast and uncaring.
That was months ago. But I now gently and purposefully wipe my sink after washing the dishes or washing my hands and I remember her. The quiet little woman tucked away who showed me the eyes of Jesus...and His heart.
But whenever I hide from the world during suffering, I find a gift and grace hiding there as well-- the ability to see people more clearly, more slowly, more beautifully.
And so it was that day.
I was her cardiac stress test nurse. She was my patient for four hours, a quiet little woman who seemed to be hiding from the world, too. In a fast-paced day, she was slow and calm and silent, a nursing home resident confined to a wheelchair and needing help even to stand up. Her mind was slow and her body slower. Neither of us spoke much during the test though I tried to be gentle with her, to take extra time explaining things, touch her hand reassuringly, cover her with an extra blanket.
I was transferring her to radiology for the next portion of her test. We were on a tight schedule, keeping rhythm with the clock, a small margin for delays. But she needed to use the restroom. So we stopped and I donned my gloves and ditched my pride and helped her...because we're all going to need help someday. Maybe it's the slow beating of a broken heart that gives us time to see but all of a sudden it felt like the most dignified job in the world. Assisting this needy woman in her vulnerability was a gift, a mission, an honor.
She slowly, meticulously washed her hands afterwards while I held her by the sink. She took the paper towel and slowly, meticulously dried around the sink, wiping the porcelain basin and the faucet. In a public medical restroom. I never do that and it struck me. Such a little thing but such a thoughtful thing. Why do I think I'm above that? That the hired cleaning help can do that? That I'm in too much of a hurry to make it a little cleaner for the next person? It wasn't even necessarily the action but rather the gentle and humble spirit that accompanied it. The hidden care and kindness.
I was realizing this slow, quiet little woman was teaching me.
But there was more to come.
As I lowered her back into the wheelchair and squeezed her hand gently, she looked up at me with the purest blue eyes meeting my own and said "Thank you." One of the few things she said all day but with incredible sincerity and meaning.
I saw Jesus.
Unmistakably. Undeniably. In those beautiful blue eyes that reflected a precious soul unseen by many.
We don't always see Him where we want or where we expect...or even where we look for Him. In the wake of my grieving, I realized by now in life I wanted to see Him reflected in the eyes of a baby of my own held in my embrace. But instead He was showing up in the eyes of this woman as I connected with her. As we both hid from a world too loud and fast and uncaring.
That was months ago. But I now gently and purposefully wipe my sink after washing the dishes or washing my hands and I remember her. The quiet little woman tucked away who showed me the eyes of Jesus...and His heart.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Starting Small
Why, hello, blog world.
It's good to see you again.
I've missed you so.
Will you let me come in again, share a cup of tea, a smile, and our heart-thoughts?
It's been awhile. My fingers tread gently across the keyboard tonight.
My heart is hesitant yet eager to speak.
Tonight we start small.
With just a timid "hello." An "I've missed you, my friends."
And how are you?
It's good to see you again.
I've missed you so.
Will you let me come in again, share a cup of tea, a smile, and our heart-thoughts?
It's been awhile. My fingers tread gently across the keyboard tonight.
My heart is hesitant yet eager to speak.
Tonight we start small.
With just a timid "hello." An "I've missed you, my friends."
And how are you?
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Home from Haiti
I'm home.
My heart has been broken for what breaks His.
And I know my life is changed because of it.
My heart is full. How did I have such joy, peace, and freedom when I had so little in Haiti?
My mind is full. Questions that arise and refuse to settle just yet.
And our nation. It's full, so full. Of stuff. Too much stuff. We can't see through it all.
The Haitians. Their stomachs are empty. Their homes are empty.
Their eyes are full. Sometimes of pain. Sometimes of joy.
Their churches are full.
My eyes are full. Of tears as I remember smiling with the people, laughing with them...crying with them.
My arms are empty. They ache with wanting to hold those precious babies again, those orphans, those sick children. Just one more time to hold you close and love on you and press your tiny bodies close to my heart.
My heart is so full.
My suitcases are empty. Unpacked and stored away.
But how do I unpack my heart?
My heart has been broken for what breaks His.
And I know my life is changed because of it.
My heart is full. How did I have such joy, peace, and freedom when I had so little in Haiti?
My mind is full. Questions that arise and refuse to settle just yet.
And our nation. It's full, so full. Of stuff. Too much stuff. We can't see through it all.
The Haitians. Their stomachs are empty. Their homes are empty.
Their eyes are full. Sometimes of pain. Sometimes of joy.
Their churches are full.
My eyes are full. Of tears as I remember smiling with the people, laughing with them...crying with them.
My arms are empty. They ache with wanting to hold those precious babies again, those orphans, those sick children. Just one more time to hold you close and love on you and press your tiny bodies close to my heart.
My heart is so full.
My suitcases are empty. Unpacked and stored away.
But how do I unpack my heart?
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Happy Sunday Morning to you
It's a gorgeous Sunday morning. Quiet and peaceful (and the house is clean!). I'm sipping the house blend from my favorite coffee shop and eating Kashi cereal before I leave for Mass.
I hope your morning is beautiful, too. Let's worship the Lord together across the miles this day, His day.
I spent the weekend with this amazing friend, who inspired me to get back into blogging! I may even join up with this cool series.
Happy Sunday, friends! Enjoy the sunshine!
I hope your morning is beautiful, too. Let's worship the Lord together across the miles this day, His day.
I spent the weekend with this amazing friend, who inspired me to get back into blogging! I may even join up with this cool series.
Happy Sunday, friends! Enjoy the sunshine!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Wisdom for Wednesdays
"Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is different..."
-C. S. Lewis
(We build our lives with the building blocks of individual days. Let's not underestimate them or misuse them...God is in the ordinary day, my friends.)
-C. S. Lewis
(We build our lives with the building blocks of individual days. Let's not underestimate them or misuse them...God is in the ordinary day, my friends.)
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Is there such a thing as too many choices?
I flip through magazines. I scan through the 10 pre-set radio channels in my
car. I skim Pinterest and Facebook and blogs and Boundless articles.
And every once in awhile, I stop. I think about the vast amount of information that goes through my mind every single day. We are constantly bombarded with stuff. While technology brings a lot of good and improvement into our lives, it also brings a lot of stuff.
I start to wonder if we were ever meant to deal with so. much. stuff.
Read the rest of this article over at The Catholic Young Woman
And every once in awhile, I stop. I think about the vast amount of information that goes through my mind every single day. We are constantly bombarded with stuff. While technology brings a lot of good and improvement into our lives, it also brings a lot of stuff.
I start to wonder if we were ever meant to deal with so. much. stuff.
Read the rest of this article over at The Catholic Young Woman
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wisdom for Wednesdays
"Holiness is not something extraordinary, not something for only a few with brains, with intellectual powers that can reason, that can discuss, that can have long talks and read very wonderful books. Holiness is for every one of us as a simple duty - the acceptance of God with a smile, at all times, anywhere, and everywhere."
- Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Ministry Without a Name
I’ve done a lot of volunteering in the years gone by. I’ve walked dogs at the animal shelter. I’ve played bingo with the nursing home residents. I’ve been a youth leader and a choir member and a server at the soup kitchen.
And it was beautiful. Each time taught me about serving and loving—and how we are all so very much the same at heart.
But during a season of heartache and burnout combined, I drew back. I pulled out of each ministry and sought silence more, simplicity more--Jesus more.
I found that sometimes when we’re in ministry, we focus more on serving than on the One we serve. Sometimes pride creeps in with the labels that accompany our deeds or committees or outreach. We feel justified by our contributions to a named ministry. Sometimes we forget that we are only the vessel.
Read the rest at The Catholic Young Woman...
And it was beautiful. Each time taught me about serving and loving—and how we are all so very much the same at heart.
But during a season of heartache and burnout combined, I drew back. I pulled out of each ministry and sought silence more, simplicity more--Jesus more.
I found that sometimes when we’re in ministry, we focus more on serving than on the One we serve. Sometimes pride creeps in with the labels that accompany our deeds or committees or outreach. We feel justified by our contributions to a named ministry. Sometimes we forget that we are only the vessel.
Read the rest at The Catholic Young Woman...
Friday, December 9, 2011
The (Im)Perfect Christmas
If you know me well (…or actually if you know me at all), you know I love holidays. I love decorating, cooking, hosting, and anything festive that coordinates with a holiday. I drink tea in pink mugs for Valentine’s day and make red-white-blue desserts in July and read Christmas stories in December. Oh yes, I celebrate holidays with the best of ‘em.
So don’t think me a Scrooge when I say the commercials on TV this year are driving me crazy! Every other commercial teaches us about the ‘perfect’ Christmas. First, everything must look perfect—clothing, smiles, food, families, homes—with the assumption that perfect things make a perfect holiday. Secondly, the preparation for a perfect Christmas includes buying, buying, and more buying—the more expensive the item, the more you love that person.
The perfect Christmas, right?
I don’t think so.
The only perfect Christmas I know of…was the first one two thousand years ago.
When nothing about it looked perfect… a full inn, an uncomfortable stable, a tiring journey.
Instead of elaborate, it was simple.
Instead of noise and hurry, there was silence and stillness.
Instead of extravagance, there was humility.
Sorry, media. The perfect Christmas looks a little different than you thought. It’s not about making the yummiest cookies, sending the most cards, or even giving the best gifts.
It’s not about stuff. It’s about souls. Salvation. The ultimate gift from the only One who is perfect. It’s about preparing our hearts to give Him even more room than we have before.
Happy Advent, sweet friends. May you have an imperfect Christmas season that leads you closer to our perfect God.
So don’t think me a Scrooge when I say the commercials on TV this year are driving me crazy! Every other commercial teaches us about the ‘perfect’ Christmas. First, everything must look perfect—clothing, smiles, food, families, homes—with the assumption that perfect things make a perfect holiday. Secondly, the preparation for a perfect Christmas includes buying, buying, and more buying—the more expensive the item, the more you love that person.
The perfect Christmas, right?
I don’t think so.
The only perfect Christmas I know of…was the first one two thousand years ago.
When nothing about it looked perfect… a full inn, an uncomfortable stable, a tiring journey.
Instead of elaborate, it was simple.
Instead of noise and hurry, there was silence and stillness.
Instead of extravagance, there was humility.
Sorry, media. The perfect Christmas looks a little different than you thought. It’s not about making the yummiest cookies, sending the most cards, or even giving the best gifts.
It’s not about stuff. It’s about souls. Salvation. The ultimate gift from the only One who is perfect. It’s about preparing our hearts to give Him even more room than we have before.
Happy Advent, sweet friends. May you have an imperfect Christmas season that leads you closer to our perfect God.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Dirty Dishes and Glory
It was a quiet Sunday morning after church. No plans for the day, so I had made waffles for breakfast. I love waffles, but cleaning up afterwards—not so much. (All those little grooves that make waffles so yummy when you fill them with peanut butter and syrupy goodness…they make the waffle maker awfully hard to clean!)
I stood at the sink in my great-grandma’s apron, hands deep in water and bubbles. Scrubbing dishes while the rain poured outside and Christian music played on the radio inside.
A new song from Steven Curtis Chapman came on, and the appropriate timing tickled me pink.
“Little stuff, big stuff, in-between stuff
God sees it all the same
And while I may not know you I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes does it matter at all
Well, let me remind you, it all matters just as long as you do
Everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
Cause He made you
To do every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace
with every move that you make
And every little thing that you do.”
Uh-huh. LOVED it. This reminder that it all matters. Whether you’re climbing the ladder in a career…or just making ends meet with unemployment. Whether you’ve been on ten life-changing mission trips…or have quietly, steadfastly lifted others in prayer each morning in your own home. Whether you speak dynamic and inspirational words to hundreds at conferences…or speak kindly to the telemarketer who calls at dinnertime.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta, that beautiful woman of great deeds and great love, said: “Do not pursue spectacular deeds. What matters is the gift of your self, the degree of love that you put into each one of your actions.”
I continued washing the dishes, thinking how even this mundane little daily task could bring glory to God.
Okay, then, this is for you, God.
I smiled.
And perhaps, as Steven says in the song, God did, too.
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