Monday, May 28, 2012

One Thousand Gifts



376.  My chiropractor

377.  An injury that will heal

378.  The sound of coffee percolating

379.  A clean kitchen

380.  Hail bouncing on the lawn like popcorn

381.  My husband's safe return home

382.  Having dinner together as a family after weeks of being on the go

383.  Warm pajamas, fresh out of the dryer

384.  Moments of inspiration

385.  That she pretends to have her stuffed animals bungee jump off the upper landing

386.  That his teacher was good-natured and forgiving when I called to confess that I had accidentally thrown away his homework

387.  Having time to read a book

388.  Celebrating 23 years of marriage to my best friend

389.  Impromptu barbeques

390.  Sitting around the table, chatting and laughing with friends

Monday, May 21, 2012

One Thousand Gifts



361.  Listening to the distinctive bark of a sea lion

362.  Laughing until my stomach hurts!

363.  Fuzzy bathrobes

364.  Receiving surprise gifts from a friend

365.  Visiting with friends we haven't seen in a long time

366.  Hearing him talk so excitedly about his first time riding quads with his friend

367.  The kind of friends he chooses to hang out with

368.  The sweet "I love you" note (with pictures!) that she slipped me during church on Mother's Day

369.  How cute she looked in her costume for the play

370.  Watching a friend stand tall in her faith during a difficult situation

371.  Ice cream parties in the park!

372.  Restful weekends

373.  When a friend comes right over to fix a leaking sink

374.  A brand new faucet!

375.  Underground parking on a rainy day

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Barn Quilt Tour

On a recent trip through western Iowa, my family spent a leisurely morning driving on a self-guided Barn Quilt tour.  Anyone who owns a barn and wishes to participate can create a square wooden quilt pattern, and then place it on a side of a barn that is visible from the road.  Visitors are encouraged to drive past the barns, take pictures, and enjoy “piecing together” a lovely patchwork quilt as they meander through the Iowa countryside. 

The quilt square at our first stop was entitled “Windmill.” 

We were lucky enough to drive past this farm while the owner was outside working.  He explained that the reason why they chose to call it “Windmill” was because they were the last farm in the county to pump water by windmill.  He also explained the reason behind the colors.  Red represented the fact that they were a century farm and stood for generational blood.  Yellow represented the harvest, green represented the fields, and blue stood for the sky.  Knowing the story behind the design of the pattern really made the quilt square come alive.  I hoped that we would encounter more farm owners who could share about their pattern, but we didn’t see anyone else. 

The quality of the pictures is not always great because we did not feel free to go on the property, and had to take pictures from a great distance most of the time.  Here are some of my favorites:

Crown of Thorns

Liberty Star

Iowa Star

Psalm 23


I’m not much of a quilter, but I admire people who have the skill and passion to create them.  I love to watch how they carefully select colors, choose patterns, and piece everything together.  Quilting is not a “random” activity.  There may be free flowing topstitching involved, but from what I have observed, there is a lot of planning and careful attention to detail that goes into creating and constructing these beautiful blankets.

Based on my encounter with the first farmer, there is probably a wonderful story behind each quilt square that we found.  I began to think about what sort of colors and pattern I would choose if I were to create a quilt square.  I thought about Romans 12:2 which says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (NIV)  The Lord wants us to live intentional lives that are patterned after Him.  Perhaps God views each of His precious children as a special and unique “square” in the blanket of His sovereign design.  When we live according to His commands and serve within the body of Christ, we come alongside others and are pieced together to create a picture of love that provides warmth and beauty to the world around us.

Monday, May 7, 2012

One Thousand Gifts



346.  A husband who loves to grill burgers when I don't feel like cooking

347.  Date night with my son

348.  Watching him try to eat with chopsticks

349.  Laughing at silly "fortunes" in the cookies

350.  Moving to the advanced level of a skill I am learning

351.  Eating breakfast in pj's

352.  Fresh blackberries

353.  A room with a view

354.  Pastel sunsets over the ocean

355.  Watching a bird land on the water...wings stretched, legs extended

356.  Finding a rock that is encrusted with fossilized sea shells

357.  Seeing the reflection of clouds in wet sand

358.  Finding a new restaurant with yummy food

359.  Fish tacos  (Who knew they could be so good!)

360.  Splurging at the candy store

Friday, May 4, 2012

Five Minute Friday: Real


I crave “real.”

I’m drawn to it.

Life is happening all around us…all day…every day.  We experience pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow.  It doesn’t get more real than that.  I find that as I get older, I seek out those people who are courageous enough to be real with me, and not ‘Tony the Tigers” where life is just grrrrreat all the time.

We put on masks because it feels safer, but in the end it feels like a prison.  As I go about my day to day activities, I may be smiling on the outside and accomplishing everything on my to do list, but I am grieving over the sudden death of  friend.  I’m recovering from the stranger who screamed horrible things at me on my driveway six years ago.  I battle with insecurity in a number of areas in my life.  (And yes, typing those last four sentences was scary, but I’m just trying to “keep it real,” here.)  As I get older, it just doesn’t seem to matter as much to me if my purse matches my shoes, or what the latest fad is.

I am drawn to people who have the courage to be honest and real with me.  I admire their strength.  It is like an open invitation that beckons me to come out from behind my mask and risk being seen….really seen, by another person.  If they see something in me that makes them feel safe enough to be vulnerable, then maybe, just maybe they will be compassionate and understanding with me…

…and I feel free.

      

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Under Construction

I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be working on getting a fresh new look for my blog very soon.  Until I have time to work on it, I have adjusted the settings for the current look.  Thank you for your patience and continued readership during the "construction phase!"

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Leaving a Voiceprint

On a recent trip to the Midwest, our family took the opportunity to tour Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI.  We enjoyed walking through the Packer Hall of Fame and learning about the history of the team.  Part of the tour included seeing a sky suite and a brief walk on the football field.  After explaining a little bit about the field, our tour guide suggested that we try to leave a voiceprint in the stadium.  She instructed us to turn and face a specific corner of the stadium and then yell “GO PACK, GO!” in unison, as loud as possible.  We heartily complied, and were rewarded with a faint echo of our voices bouncing back to us.

It was her term “voiceprint” that caught my attention

It made me think about a footprint...

or a handprint…


…evidence that someone has been in that spot.

I began to think, “What kind of voiceprint am I leaving in the corners of my children's hearts?” 

Are my words encouraging? edifying? uplifting?

Am I speaking His truth often enough, and loudly enough, so that it will echo in their hearts and minds throughout their lives, even when I'm not there?

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  (Deut. 6:5-9)

His Word is powerful.  It is Truth and the expression of His love for us.  When my son and daughter step out onto the field of life each day, I want to do my part as their parent in making sure that they hear His voice echoing in their minds and hearts…

"GO CHILD, GO!"