week 6 | 366

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand, and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."

~ Edith Sitwell

days 36-42 | 366

double time | take-down | betrayal | boy mom

captivating | freckles and lashes | pals



week 5

"The point of home is to be a refuge for the soul, a place where beauty can be encountered, truth told, goodness touched and known."

~ Sarah Clarkson, The Life-Giving Home

days 29-35 | 366

rest time | chopped | on the set | morning lines |

caucus | running circles | math


treasure

It's been six years since I first chose one word to ponder throughout the year, and now that small collection of words have become like old friends. I wanted those words to be kept in a spot where they're sure to be seen several times a day, so naturally I put them by the kitchen sink. And it works. These words are supposed to be reminders, not resolutions. It took me a while to find my word this year because I kept coming up with commands. Words that needed action. Words that felt like reminders of all that I'm not doing. I go there all too easily without any help from my word, so it needs to be an arrow pointing to the truth of who I already am in Christ, and the freedom that comes along with that position. It needs to point me in the direction I've already decided I want to go in those moments when life is pressing in and I'm most likely to run the opposite way. 

treasure

noun: wealth or riches stored or accumulated; any thing or person greatly valued or highly prized

verb: to retain carefully, or keep in store; to regard or treat as precious; to cherish

Matthew 6:20-21 sys, "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy, where thieves cannot break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

The relational, emotional and logistical demands on me are great in this season. I am quick to carry them around like a weight upon my shoulders, and when I'm attempting to haul that load perfectly myself then the truths of God's light burden and easy yoke feel elusive, at best. I begin to see those good things as unchecked boxes instead of opportunities for grace and mercy. I believe that the responsibility of building God's kingdom for him is on me, instead of offering myself for God to build his kingdom through me. I forget who I am and I forget Whose I am. I forget that I am the daughter of a king, the heir to a great treasure. I forget that my treasure is not in short-term good works, but in the work that Jesus has already done and the eternity he has prepared for me. 

My prayer this year is that I would remember that my treasure can not be found on this earth or in the approval of men. That the opportunities I have within my own walls to nurture and serve and love are significant and enough. That there are so many good and worthy things that I could do for God's kingdom, but there are a few things that only I  can do, and that those things are worthy of my full attention. That God promises to give abundant grace for what He is asking of me, but when I veer into other waters in an attempt to gain the approval of others (or myself. Or God) then I'm putting on a heavy-laden weight. If I am being reminded that my treasure is in heaven, then I am less likely to be tossed about like a ship at sea seeking earthly treasures. 

Planting Trees,   Andrew Peterson

We chose the spot
We dug the hole
We laid the maples in the ground
To have and hold

As autumn falls
To winters sleep
We pray that somehow in the spring
The roots grow deep

And many years from now
Long after we are gone
These trees will spread their branches out
And bless the dawn, hmm

He took a plane
To Africa
He gathered up into his arms
An orphan son

So many years from now
Long after we are gone
This tree will spread its branches out
And bless the dawn

So sit down and write that letter
Sign up and join the fight
Sink in to all that matters

Step out into the light

Let go of all that's passing
Lift up the least of these
Lean into something lasting
Planting trees, hmm, yeah

She rises up
As morning breaks
She moves among these rooms alone
Before we wake

And her heart is so full
It overflows
She waters us with love
And the children grow

So many years from now
Long after we are gone
These trees will spread their branches out
And bless the dawn

These trees will spread their branches out
And bless someone, hmm

 

snow days

Because I love all things routine and predictable, I thrive living in a place where four seasons arrive and depart exactly when they should, and can be counted on to display the best of themselves each time. Winter in the Upstate almost always guarantees one good, hearty snow a year, which means it's regular enough to count on, but not so frequent that we have to learn to live around it. So when a "wintery mix" makes it into the forecast, the grocery stores are abuzz and everyone prepares for hibernation of the best sort. 

Winter Storm Jonas did not disappoint. In fact, I think it's safe to say that he brought with him the best snow we've had since moving here ten years ago, and I know for certain that we enjoyed the most pleasantly relaxing snow weekend we've ever had. By 6pm on day 2, the two littlest boys were crying at the tiniest provocation or disappointment. And while incessant crying is nothing if not annoying, Jimmy and I agreed that it was also a sign of a wonderfully delightful two days. 

I'll always be the first to sign up for a weekend that includes an extra day, no leaving, no hurrying, the whole family playing outside together, coffee, cameras, goPro's, drones, The Office, The Hobbit, The Great British Baking Competition, and even Monopoly. Yes, I'll even play monopoly on a snow weekend. 


week 3 | 366

"Our perennial spiritual and psychological task is to look at things familiar until they become unfamiliar."    ~ GK Chesterton

days 15-21 | 366

dinner partners | shoe tying 101 | practice | second breakfast |

roommates | paint the moon | a new world


thirteen

He's fiercely loyal, determined, competitive, and artistic. Aesthetics and traditions are important to him. He is a contemplative thinker and will never embrace an idea that he hasn't turned over and over again in his mind. He has a quick and dry sense of humor and good timing to go with it. His handwriting is beautiful. Quality time and encouraging words build him up. He has a sensitive spirit and always notices the loners. Today he turns thirteen and we are beginning to see the man God is making him into. We're so grateful that he's ours! 

week 1 | 366

I'm doing it again. I'm revisiting the habit I made in 2011 of seeing all of the good, the true and the beautiful through the lens of my camera. I've gotten pretty good at noticing those little pockets of time, but I remember how my camera forced me to really soak them in from all angles; the light, the mood, the tone and feel of those fleeting moments. They're flying by faster than ever.

days 1-7 | 366


eleven

Our favorite present came eleven years ago when this precious lady was born. She is compassionate, tender-hearted, kind, and gracious. She is a  capable cook and baker, a willing laundry folder, a baby lover, and she makes a mean french press (with froth). Her favorites stories to read are ones about families, and her greatest dream is to be a wife and mommy. She's an extroverted extrovert who loves spending time with people. She lives with her eyes open to the needs around her. She loves in practical ways. We still haven't thought of a Christmas present that could ever top her.