Dogs and Happy

family, rest, Uncategorized

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If I chased happy like Colt chases a lime green ball, I might be inclined to find it more often.

Or if I simply welcomed its possibility, like a dog bounds into the backyard

hoping that I follow into the moist morning grass

to reach down for the tennis ball,

squish it, soft, dirty and worn

and then throw it, straight and solid across the yard.

He rushes back, happy to  have it then drops it “Good boy!” I say like mama to child, “That’s good.” and he looks at me, happy to have pleased me.

Today I will pursue happy; invite it and be exuberant in my retrieving.

Then bring it back, drop it at the feet of the Father, the one inviting my pursuit.

 

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Broken Cherished Things

courage, Faith, family, Teaching, Uncategorized

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I moved it inside.

The plant by the pool, neglected and uncertain of thriving, the one with the succulents and stones.

I’d planted it meticulously remembering, “not too deep, room for roots to grow, break up the roots and soak it all down good, but don’t beat them to death with water …then leave it alone”.

I took the time, finally to use her pot

thinking it’d be my focus, my tribute and yet it was barely making it now midsummer.

So, I brought it inside, the succulents in the broken-edged pot.

The shallow dish planter from my mama’s deck, its edges crumbled and broken off in chunks, still I’d kept it all these years.

It sits nearby now, beginning to live again brightly.

Vivid green, sprigs of new and thriving of what was planted before.

It must be the choice of spot, the repositioning or perhaps just the noticing of need, my giving an honored spot close by.

Or maybe, the remembering of being cherished and loved again.

Moved closer now, close as possible to remember her love.

Remembering her hands in dirt, seasoning in the pots and icing on the cakes.

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Found in the Morning

courage, Faith, Prayer, Uncategorized

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Morning makes me feel like a child, there are chances and choices and I wake with the realization of opportunity.

Morning, more clear in its inventory of me, my prayers are more honest, less prompted as if thoughts were shuffled in my sleep to the place they become conversation with God, bedside and solitary.

Words are exchanged and then silence before the thoughts that can no longer be hidden from the day are offered, truth.

Lord, help me to stay on track, get back on track and stay there.

Have I hidden my eyes from you or have I allowed the maze of life to mask my view?

No need for pretty words or inserting of song or verse.

The heart has spoken in the time before day takes over and tries to obscure my view.

The secret things unhidden. I have been found.

The longings and commitments unmuffled and unmarred by this world we live in.

Morning, a brief abiding and

A prayer to stay here longer, abiding in Him.

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at His coming. I John 2:28

Prompted to write about being “Hidden”.

todayi am

 

 

 

 

Cause me to see, Lord

courage, Faith, family, grace, Motherhood, Prayer, rest, Teaching, Trust, Uncategorized

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

Psalm 143:8

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I watched a little boy digging a tunnel from the place where the tide crept close up to his mama’s feet. His lanky arms, working hard with occasional glances up to meet eyes and small of his mama.

A straight line, little clumpy hills bordering the hollowed out path from edge of ocean to his mama.

She smiled towards him, then towards me as I stepped over his tunneled path to walk down towards the open space of shore.

Her smile, a knowing smile, the sweetness of motherhood, our bond.

What beautiful stories are the ones of mamas and children, brief moments of treasure.

We walked on, my husband drifting ahead, slightly towards open water. My walk more slow, a response to the invitation of space wide and unhindered now.

I reach down to touch a washed up feather, wet, dull and textured, beaten by surf into its shape.  I’ll place it in my book, allow it to dry, become white again and cause me to remember it as my treasure.

This morning’s verse, a morning verse, a call to God to turn my heart, my eyes and mind towards grand things and small things. The King James Version, more direct a request  asking “Cause me to know you and see you, God.”

Cause me, stop me in my haste; may I be unable to look away, to not be aware of you, Lord.

Turn my face, Lord. Open my eyes and heart to the wide expanse of your glory and to the smallest of stories that invite my reading along.

 

Saturday morning with Sleeping House

courage, Faith, family, Prayer, rest, Uncategorized

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All are sleeping, cool quiet house and coffee in hand, I pause to pray.

Lord, help me; help us to love one another…to love well. Remind me to start with love, thinking of the great writer, Og Mandino’s words, how love sees everything, frames the perspective of everything from the beginning.

Help me not to strive to be the fixer of all, the holder together of all and the keep the peacer of all.

Help me to notice You today.

Remind me to pause to remember all the sweet and powerful answers to my prayers, your hearing and your replies and your goodness in my life.

Help me notice others in a way that is more attentive to hearts, to vulnerability and to need.

And then strengthen my compassion and my empathy so that I know clearly “but for the grace of God…” or just a reminder, not sad just memory of a time I might have been similarly downhearted.

Dear Lord, help us to love one another. May our hearts be light and our time be joyful.

Thank you for laughter.

We look forward to more silly, more funny and fun.

We love you Lord, our souls rejoice.

Thank you for the beauty of our earth.

Because of mercy, I pray

in Jesus name,

Amen

New and Foreign Territory

courage, Faith, Prayer, Teaching, Trust, Uncategorized

She asked if I’d help and I was hesitant.

“I don’t want to say yes and not do it well. I want to make sure it’s right for me, want to make sure I can connect.”

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I told her I knew nothing about being a Missions leader because, well…I’m just not a mission type person. It’s all so foreign and far away. I’m not worldly thinking. I told her I’d look into it, see what a leader should look like, don’t want to do it halfway.

All the countries, all the places all over the world and “Shoot! I’m afraid to even get on a plane!”

All my life I’ve considered my work my mission, called it that sometimes.

poverty, abuse, homelessness and suicide

My mission field is my work.

Still, I promised I would consider leading and the deadline to tell her, I missed it, but knew she was waiting to hear, waiting for me to pray about it.

I hadn’t until just now.

Asked God, “Clarify to me what you would have me do.”

Last week I met someone who described faith in action as being a deliverer of God’s kingdom right where you are to as many people as possible, to just start a spread.

I read in Matthew, a parable of an invitation to a wedding, unopened by many, ignored by many.

Then today, thinking about the question, the nomination…I journaled again, the words of Jabez…Bless me indeed, adding little words…good things, best things, right things.

Then on to the next line, a simple, vulnerable, powerful prayer…

Enlarge my territory.

I stopped, knew it then, underlined the words, straight solid and bold.

I researched the goals, the purpose of WMU and I decided to help.

Woman’s Missionary Union challenges Christian believers to understand and be radically involved in the mission of God.

To be challenged to understand more and to be radically involved.

To help the women and girls of my church as believers becoming more involved in things we see as “foreign”.

Linking up to hurriedly talk about help for Five Minute Friday…I think I took longer, though.

http://buff.ly/29QYESi

prayer for the middle

courage, grace, Prayer, rest, Trust, Vulnerability, wonder

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Dear Lord,

Help me to live with purpose, with meaning, with intention.

And let those three not be measured or determined by

another. Let the three be determined only by you

and by your promise.

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Help me not linger, disenchanted in the waiting,

the waiting for time to do all I feel so deeply you’ve made for me to do, the things of me, made by you.

Help me to move from hope to knowing.

Yet not rush, head and heart stumbling over self, a careless and haphazard effort driven by insecurity or comparison.

Dear Lord, help me to live as you purposed, as you promised.

Help me to live and love in the middle of hope and heart and

best to come

in time.

because of mercy and because of asking

and of believing,

I say

Amen.

And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”  And Jesus in pity touched their eyes and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

Matthew 20:32-34

 Linking up with Jennifer Dukes Lee at Tell His Story and Suzie Eller’s prompt, Lord, I need a sign.


Live Free Thursday

Wait and See

Faith, grace, Prayer, rest, Trust, Vulnerability

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The morning, for me means a pocket of quiet, either peaceful or pensive.

The evening walk finds me seeking, seeking, seeking.

An intentional unraveling, unfolding, disposal of day.

Pushing forward. Heavy walk, no lightness in pace or stride..

Walk feeling like consequence, not reward, some days.

Still, I walk, moving forward to the place of sometimes better for it.

The morning, sometimes the same.

Rote, habitual, methodical list, gratitude becomes cliche, I fear.

Then, walking I remember the morning’s request and pause to ask again.

It bears repeating, beckons for conversation.

Draws me near to God, I pray again.

Waiting, more attentive now, more straightforward and certain of my plea.

Then walk on as if tossed upwards, floating towards blue sky

untroubled then, unburdened, more genuinely submissive.

Then, again, a sweet reply, unexpected quite so clearly and quickly.

I remember then, the evening walk, the morning quiet.

The reasons why.

The joyous being heard, being known despite frailties or frustrations.

“Wait and see.”.

You are the God who sees me.

I have now seen the One who sees me. Genesis 16:13