A Thankful Heart

Do you ever just wake in a state of dread and grumpiness not knowing exactly why? Yesterday I battled it by whipping out my guitar and singing Psalm 89 back to God. This morning I'm battling it with a thankful heart through pics.

Precious girl, books inspiring, comfy Momma's bed, warm daylight...I am truly blessed.






Artful mind, eyes for beauty, nimble fingers, tender heart...I give thanks!

Family Pics

These images were taken by Amy Glover and are a brief and small sample of her artful handiwork. You can see more of her work at amygloverphotography.com

Others Minded

Our youth group, Starbound, raised $400 to spend in the Harvest of Hope catalog for Christmas. Isn't it so important to not only consider the others in our families, but also the others around the world in GREAT need? I think it helps us more than it helps them. For we get truly lost in our surplus and busy-ness. I found it encouraging to see so many of the kids engaging in the fundraising, but ultimately and hopefully in the very heart of God.

Micah 6:8 (New Living Translation)

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.

After all, all we have is His, isn't it? I'm looking forward to picking out a gift on this Christmas day with my family in hopes that our hearts will expand and mature as we become more others-minded. Take a look at the catalog. Click on the link below. Maybe there is something for you there too?

Harvest of Hope - Partners International - Browse the Catalog

Happy Christmas

I found this video on the 24/7 prayer website. It's a bit quirky, which makes me love it all the more! It so represents the Christian life to me and, thus, a tribute to the power of Christmas. Hope it encourages you!

A Precious Piece of Mail

Today I opened up a precious piece of mail. Pictures of the little guy we sponsor in Guatemala. I reviewed his birthday remembering he was born in 2000 and I felt like he was one of MY kids. "He would be between Audrey and Lily," I thought. It's a small thing. Actually, it should be a bigger thing. We should pray more, write more. It's not a guilt thing. I love this boy, we are committed to him. But our rush of busy-ness too often impairs our outpouring of that love.

Then I read Ann Voskamp's blog who just happens to be in Guatemala right now visiting with Compassion. And she writes about this...piercing my soul with her words:

"How our lives full of cluttered ease, muffle out the songs. That when we go to the places that strip life back to its barest essence -- of courage and love and raw, unmasked pain -- our hearts feel again, beat again, hear again the haunting music of a beautiful, bleeding humanity.

Maybe it's this: God hides with the poor and in the pain and we can only witness Him at His most beautifully creative work in the places needing redemption.

Maybe we are only at our most beautiful work in the same places too --- the places where we don't hide behind the distractions of stuff, where we finally empty our hands of all our possessions and idols and come to God empty and ready. The places where we can make art with tears.

Where the notes can finally soar in the space.

No one tells you that wealth numbs you to life and consumerism callouses your soul to the sacred.

Or maybe Someone did: “"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:25 NIV)

(For her full post go to: http://www.aholyexperience.com/2010/09/whats-really-muffling-out-music-of-our.html)

Oddly Contagious

We spent a few days at a B&B in Manheim, PA with incredible hospitality and amazing property. In addition to their nightly firefly display and charming animals they had a creek. Well now, "a creek," you say? Yes...with good ol' fashioned crawdads, salamanders and leeches. The kind I remember growing up with. Lily spent lots of time down there and even made her own makeshift fishing pole with a stick, string and a paper clip. With this she impaled slugs and worms to bait the crawfish and minnows. After catching her first few, her sisters were lured in. My city girls all caught their own crawdad and put them in cups for observation! I loved it. Made me happy. :)

Just Plain Silliness

So, Caramel the moth died in captivity. Lily was sad and wanted to bury him. Then she had bug mac and cheese in remembrance of him. There was always a smile lingering on her lips of sadness though... as if she knew how just plain silly it all was! And here am I documenting it! Am I derranged? Maybe. But I find my kid's sense of humor to be such a source of joy in my life. Even when it's connected to a death!