Sometimes the Naming is hard. 7 years and 4 months without our son, sometimes makes the naming hard. It still catches me off guard. The grief. The ache. The longing. A reordering of how life should be. There's room where there should not be. And the Naming of that for which I am grateful is work. Practice. A soul work. Because when the words do not flow and the heart hurts the desire to focus inward often trumps all else. I sit with the ache for a few days. It's Thanksgiving and there is food to make and pies to bake. And my heart just longs for a glimpse of my red headed ... View Post
A Different Kind of Thanksgiving, Day 22
The sun shines through the window. It's going to be a different kind of Thanksgiving. Plans are being cancelled. Travel discouraged. A different kind of Thanksgiving. The oven warms the kitchen as blueberry muffins bake and sausage fries. A second pot of coffee is made and scrambled eggs wait to be poured into the piping hot cast iron. I will set soup to simmer on the back burner and bread to rise. A different kind of Thanksgiving. Our church usually hosts a dinner on this night. A gathering. Fellowship. Warmth. Food. And Praise. Always praise. Because that is the ... View Post
Thankful Journal, 30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 18
On a whim, I sign up for an on line study. 1,000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. A thankful journal. This was a few weeks ago. I have read the book and began counting my way to 1,000 - years ago. I start the study. It takes me most of the day to listen to the teaching. Most of it I have heard, or read. I find it refreshing. Naming the gifts we are thankful for. For 7 years I have recorded those gifts through the month of November, right here on this blog. Tonight. I wonder. When did I begin this naming journey? For a few moments I wonder. I head to the shelf for my 1,000 Gifts ... View Post
The Sounds of This Old Farmhouse, 30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 16
The sounds of this old Farmhouse when the wind blows is comforting to me. It started out low and slow. Then picked up. This old farmhouse shook and creaked. The shutters rattled and banged. The wind whistled through the windows. The farm boy looked around and seemed shocked. It's as if he were hearing the sounds of this old farmhouse for the first time. It's amazing as you watch your children become adults- How they begin to look differently at things. My farmer closed up the basement windows. We turned on the fire. The kids pulled blankets from the basket and snuggled in. The ... View Post
Unexpected , 30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 14
This unexpected, beautiful weather is heading out of town. I've so enjoyed these bonus days of warmth and sunshine. We've cooked out on the grill. A whole section of the old barn was repaired! We schedule the repairman a year in advance for a week. Grateful his week was so warm! There were many other things we wanted to get done and haven't. That's the way it goes. Each new day is filled with so much unexpected. Unexpected weather. . . . Unexpected coffee around the farmhouse table. I've written much about the unexpected. We need to embrace it. Not fight it. God works in those ... View Post
30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 11
30 Days of thankfulness Each day naming the gratitude. It sounds so trivial and repetitive. And it is. But it's so much more. It's slowing me down and helping me to be more present. I tend to rush through tasks. I struggle with focus. For this task, I want to be invested. 30 Days of Thankfulness. And so, I delight in seeking those moments of gratitude. Little, holy moments scattered throughout the day. Menial tasks, made holy by the naming of gratitude. Eyes open to the wonder and beauty. I stopped last night coming out of the grocery store. I was awed by the sheer beauty of ... View Post
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