Tiny candles tucked in places around the house.
An old miniature tree in the bathroom
Gold stars resting in a pretty white bowl
Little pine cones gathered on a pretty afternoon to be sprinkled golden and then hung with ribbons
A little touch of country for the tree
A mantle with greenery, candles flickering just enough to give a glow
To sit in the quiet of home at Christmas is to be still.
To adore the season.
To adore the Savior.
O’ Come let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord.
On this, the seventh day of Advent, I undo the card from my display.
Remembering my son’s girlfriend, IsabeI chose this as her favorite.
On this Saturday that’s yet to unfold
O’ Glorious Day!
My heart sings an old song.
My Jesus, I love thee
Know thou art mine
For thee all the folly
Of sin, I resign. My precious redeemer
Savior
Art thou. If ever I loved thee
My Jesus ’tis now.
Oh, what a beautiful reminder of peace is the sunshine flooding through my window, remembrance of the gift of day!
As if to say, “Here’s a new day…Let it be good.”
The tree, only partly adorned, 
reaching out to capture the light of day
And my little journal, gratitude list,
Just one word with a period added for emphasis.
Prayer.
To you, O’ Lord, I lift up my soul. For you are good, and ready to forgive and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. Psalm 86:4-5
Jesus, we love you.
Linking up with Jennifer Dukes Lee today
http://jenniferdukeslee.com/six-steps-to-a-guilt-free-christmas-tellhisstory/
Day 3, its image soft in color, peaceful again
Beautifully scripted three at the base, centered at the foot of the cross
The chorus of a longing lyric, trading ashes for beauty
Laying burdens down.
Lord, help us to center ourselves at the foot of the cross.
The culmination of your good design.
Help us remember the goodness of three.
Father, Spirit, Son.
Like standing back to reflect on placement of objects to mark occasion in places all around the house.
Like adding a tiny candle, satisfied now.
Let me add nothing to or remove what you purposed for me…
To call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21
Advent Thoughts
The Advent image for today, the second day, is darker in color, a brilliantly deep red.
Smooth and symmetrical white lines evenly flowing through color and text,
“Deep calls to Deep.” evoking thoughts of wide, deep ocean.
The red, a deep wash. The hue representing our Savior, the color of love, blood-red.
Psalm 41 and 42 : a cry for rescue
I read Psalm 42 this morning.
A searching for peace, questions of returning to a place of discouragement, of remembering God’s kindness; but, being unable to muffle the sounds of the tumultuous raging of life’s seas.
The waves and surging tides washing over again and again.
Life mirrors the Psalms.
We praise. We thank. We glorify and honor.
We cry out. We question. We long for understanding.
We remember the rescue only to question again the storms.
We search for redemption rather than remember we’re never without.
God’s love is unfailing. He beckons us, calls us, longs for us to experience the deep. Deeply loved, loving deeply.
We find ourselves lost in the deep to eventually find his love is deeper still.
We find ourselves in Him
When we come undone in His presence.
My prayer for Day 2 of Advent, my exercise in mindfulness and peace…
Cleanse me Lord, wash over me anew so that I can believe again, be reminded again…of your rescue.
You have preserved my life because I am innocent; You have brought me into Your presence forever.
Psalm 41: 12
On Saturday, I opened a gift to our family.
26 beautiful little paintings to illicit thoughtful pause and intentional focus, 26 days before Christmas Eve, the season of Advent, time of preparing hearts.
Not being quite sure of the proper activity, I’ve displayed them all and will, each day seek to be enlightened.
Prayerfully, quietly, peacefully.
Day 1,a buff colored tan with barely noticeable white lettering.
If peace were a color, it’d be white like this.
Barely there, almost translucent.
And white against a background of subtle doe colored buff would be contentment, acceptance, humble submission.
A color evoking a heart that has settled, found a resting place. A color that speaks of believing what God promised would be.
A heart like Mary’s, settled and waiting
unafraid of the scary or the spectacularly miraculous.
Because she believed what the Lord said would be accomplished.
So, I begin this journey of Advent, purposefully seeking to be at rest, to believe, to anticipate my heart’s welcome of the coming day.
To believe in the glorious
To believe like Mary
To be brave in a quiet way. Brave enough for feet to travel places that minds say are not possible.
Humbly content
Confidently at rest and accomplished through God’s hand on my life
Mostly though…
To be still in His presence and wait for Him to act. Psalm 46:10
This morning was a chance to sleep a little later.
I sat with coffee and journal, the sun already warming the windows.
Deciding to walk with my daughter, morning instead of late afternoon, I saw sunlight through the pines, wrapping round them in loose embrace.
Earlier this morning, at just the right time, I looked towards the wiry branch of barren crepe myrtle to see a lone cardinal amongst a group of sparrows.
Sparrows flew away quickly, the cardinal too and then one tiny sparrow came back to rest, as if coming back for me.
I believe this to be true.
I’m convinced of it actually.
That my place on this earth is surrounded by beauty waiting to be noticed.
So, I notice.
Out walking, I thought of the poem about growing old, of all things purple. Of wearing purple and living like brilliant purple.
I turned to notice the brightness in sky of clear blue today.
I thought of how odd I may seem to neighbors glancing through living room windows as I pause to capture skies and trees, out for a walk with my phone pointed towards the sky.
I thought, just a minute and then continued on.
I’m not bothered in the least that people might find me odd
My love of sparrows, skies, moons, and trees, the words to my rhyme.
When I am old, I shall notice sparrows and stop to collect blue feathers beside my feet.
I shall marvel at cloudless blue sky and notice the budding of trees after coldest of days.
I shall spend mornings quiet, in quiet home, a satisfied nothingness of retreat.
I shall paint for hours, with abandon and careless grasp of time.
And I shall notice even more each minute.
In this world made to be noticed.
The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display His marvelous craftsmanship. Psalm 19:1
Dear Child of God frustrated by life,
If you could ask yourself now, is this the person I want seen…to be seen as, to be joined together with?
And if you know, maybe not so much you at your best.
Just know it’s not God befuddled by you, it’s you conflicted over the place you’ve stopped by to mull your condition.
It’s not God telling you in an earth shaking reminder that this is not your place.
But, it’s a subtle heads up because people around you have noticed and are satisfied in your communion…drinking the wine of bitterness, anger, confusion and retributive response.
And they might be your people, so you share in their meal and the thick bread of satisfaction over like-minded condition is scarfed down with gluttonous abandon.
So, you join because you belong there, sharing in the feast of ugliness.
But, you leave the table feeling bloated by discussion.
Until, you get by yourself and rest in the quiet of whatever reminds of you of light.
Slight breeze, hot bath, quiet rain, crisp sheets, moonlight, or birdsong far off.
It’s a funny type odd thing to me.
The way I don’t always see when I can’t hear.
In the quiet of finally hearing and feeling, I begin to see.
When relieved of the noise that buffers, I’m reminded then that my heart has been listening patiently.
You’re reminded then gently without chastising or shameful correction of a flickering inside gone unflamed.
Ever burning, just a little shadowed by angst.
You remember again.
It’s the light, your light and it hasn’t gone out.
It won’t.
Ever.
Get quiet now and shine
if only a tiny and nondescript tealight kind of shimmer
until you can shine again, a bright luminous glow.
Stay there, rest in the quiet flicker.
Make it your ambition to live a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, so that your daily life may show the world that you are a Christian.
I Thessalonians 4:11-12
Shine now, quiet child. You are loved.
Linking up with Jennifer Dukes Lee along with other story tellers.
http://jenniferdukeslee.com/what-we-all-need-to-know-when-we-want-to-
give-up-tellhisstory/
Having absolutely no natural sense of direction, I was unsure of the right road.
I almost stopped, rolled down my window and asked for help.
Instead, I sensed moving forward rather than turning would have me end up in the right place. 
And just ahead, yes, this is where you should be!
Other times, I’ve lost my way.
Second guessed a left or right turn, rationalized the direction that made sense, felt best or quicker.
Kept going because I’d gone too far, knowing with each step I was lost.
Roads continuing farther away than planned and me thinking
“Oh, just go a little farther, don’t turn back yet; just ahead you’ll see you’re where you should be.”
Told myself, stop doubting, worrying, you can trust yourself.
Yet, ending up lost and looking to be found.
I’m lost less often than in years past.
Thank goodness. Thank God.
I’ve learned that traveling alongside the one who directs me is easier than turning back.
Running back, mostly.
Reminded of my need to be guided, assisted, instructed, comforted by one who knows.
Reminded of times of clearest connections.
Of solace following desperate and heartbroken plea.
Remembering now of the best path, sure although clearly unsure.
Trusting the directions, the One directing.
How can we understand the road we travel? It is the Lord who directs our steps. Proverbs 20: 24
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.
Oh, for grace to trust Him more.
Your hope will not be disappointed.
Proverbs 23:18
I only made it through 9 of the 31 days “of UNimpressive writing”.
I neglected to announce to the hundreds of bloggers who all, in their own voices, committed to write for 31 days on topics of “inspiration”.
I just stepped away from the challenge, no need to acknowledge a surrender or writer’s defeat. I just decided to go at my own pace.
Less demand, more heart.
I continued to write, though hoping to avoid the pull of being “impressive”.
One lapse into writing to impress and one follower, kindly and honestly picked up on it.
His honesty is and was a gift.
Otherwise, on this day 26 of 31 I’ve been content in my writing. My words have continued to be honest, to attempt to point to God’s place with me now as opposed to where I’ve been, and to write bravely with confidence in such a way that someone may read and stop to think, just to think.
Either, can’t believe she had the courage or lack of discretion to write about that or I have felt the same way and I’m glad I’m not the only one.
My aim, the transparency of a writer’s heart exposed to the world like a house made of windows with no drapery.
There has been purpose for pain and for pleasure on my journey. I am led to share the stories reframing of God’s hand, his constant redesign.
And so I walk slowly, writing along the way.
I heard the sweetest story yesterday about a baby excited to walk. The grandmother, my friend with an honest and earthen voice, told all of us ladies in the choir that “He’s learning to walk!”
We all sighed a collective and excited reply, “Awww.”
The grandpa wanted to buy him shoes right away, make his legs good and strong, saying ” We got to get him going, help him learn to run !”
To which grandma replied, “Oh no, let’s take our time, let him walk.”
This morning I prayed a request to just handle whatever shows up in my life.
To respond and adjust in a way that demonstrates faith in God.
Consistency and persistence, growing more important than ever somehow.
Baby steps are good.
Slow moving, tenuous steps, cautious enough to anticipate.
Steady and strong enough to run.
So much talk I have of faith, trust, courage, honoring God and yet I get all twisted and tangled in why I stumbled back there, back then…
Or how I’m ever going to make it to wherever and whenever.
I read this morning about a runner, concerned over impending rain.
A brilliant writer whose images literally pull me to his words.
Words, so subtly strong, they sink down and ease me to a powerful place of insight, never jolted or pushed.
Offering a chance to understand, never a demand.
I’d like to grow in this way. I’m humbled that he has read my words, has shared them.
Just keep moving forward, Lisa… keep moving through, noticing the beauty.
Keep writing, painting, loving, trusting, holding fast to faith; in life, in God.
Run when you can; but trust your walk, pausing just long enough to grow strong.
Or waiting there, stepping forward only towards Good.
Linking up with others who write at Jennifer Dukes Lee, Tell His Story. Read her important and wise advice on friendships here, http://jenniferdukeslee.com/the-five-friends-we-all-need-tellhisstory/
There are a few, maybe more than a few things I am persistent in.
I always make my bed, taut linens, perfectly smoothed quilt.
I pray every morning in the shower, like singing it’s a place to be secret, a sanctuary.
I journal, sometimes half-heartedly, gratitude and anxiety.
I walk in the evenings, if daylight allows. My walking, sometimes good and refreshing, sometimes nothing more than prescribed discipline.
Yet, I persist.
I walked yesterday evening. The sky was clear, the roads quiet and empty. I looked for pink skies and found only icy blue.
Earlier than usual, a warm afternoon and the sparrows were gathered, moving tree to tree in rapid little sweeping flight.
Landing for just a second or two before gathering again to rest in brief refrain. I caught sight of one resting up high on skinny branch.
Reminding me of rest, of waiting, of listening and trusting.
Persisting.
Scribbling, quickly this morning
Again my thoughts on persistence.
It may take years and years and many types of trouble, calamity, crisis and question to truly understand the value of prayer.
Because the answer holds little value, is really no more than change in circumstances. God loves us so, so much that He will bless us with reprieve, with clarity, with relief.
Still, this is not the significance of God’s longing for us to discover through prayer. God’s desire and constant beckoning of our hearts is for us to lay our hearts bare and broken before him…to persist there in that place…aligned with Him. To be fully content in simply abiding.
To return to rest in the safe place of God.
To persist in pursuit of the peace of God.
To be hid in the shadow of His wings and that be all we need to keep us confident and courageous as He bends to listen, protect and strengthen. This is design and desire of God.
I am praying to You, because I know You will answer O God. Bend down, listen as I pray. Your unfailing love is wonderful and You save with Your strength those who seek you as a refuge. Guard me as the apple of Your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 17: 6-8
Linking up to Tell His Story with other writers, persistently praying.
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