Lilley of the field

I am digging in the dirt and planting in our backyard while attempting to watching the dogs and make sure they don't get into mischief. I search for them until I find them digging at the edge of our property. And I see it- right there in the thicket and shade are feet and feet of thorny shoots rising up from the ground and getting tangled in the trees above. I have had the desire to make a crown of thorns as a tangible reminder of Jesus's sacrifice to keep for each Easter and these are perfect. I don't want a table set with pastel colors, plastic easter eggs, and chocolate bunnies. While I definitely do not condemn any of that, in fact, I am using easter eggs to retell the story of Christ tomorrow to the children at church, there becomes a point when we want more than just the eggs and bunnies. I want the greusome. I want to see what He went through and feel the immense weight of His love that led Him to the cross. I retrieve the clippers and start with a thick vine, ...

Dear husband, I decided to look though several books I made for us when we got married of our dating years. All 4 and a half of them. I was stunned looking through them as I so easily forget how blessed I am by your love and how faithful God is. I flipped through page after page of handwritten letters starting our freshman year of college. Our letters span 10 different addresses and 3 states. That doesn't include the post cards from New Orleans or Florida. These notes are tenderly crafted on everything from graph paper to lined paper, to computer paper, to post-it notes, to coloring sheets. There's the license we got to go fising in Ellijay, the ticket stub to our first movie, that birthday card that I found in Russian and held onto for several months, the description of our angel tree child from 2007, that fake parking ticket you left on my car with a fine of a date to Dupont State Park, and a map of several different parks. There is birthday after birthday of handmade and...

In the wake of yesterday's shooting at North Ave, I found it quite appropriate that I stumbled across this speech early this morning and felt compelled to share. It's a speech that Darrell Scott, father of Rachel Joy Scott who was murdered in the Columbine shootings, delivered to a small group of House Representatives: "Since the dawn of creation there has been both good &evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers. "The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart. "In the days that followe...

I’ve just begun reading Everyday Justice by Julie Clawson. In the book, Julie unpacks how we get the goods that we daily buy- food, clothing, gas, and more- and shows us the negative impact it can have on the environment and people around the globe. When I asked my friend, Darlene, if she enjoyed the book, she said, “Well, I don’t know if ‘enjoyed’ is quite the word for it.” These books and thoughts and discoveries more or less wreck your life in the best way possible. Jesus wrecks my life in the best way possible. In a world that is driven by a desire for comfort and happiness, I am learning the value of living in the uncomfortable. Because once I know these truths, I am held responsible. How can I turn a blind eye? Now that’s an uncomfortable thought. It’s ok to be uncomfortable sometimes. It’s ok to be uncomfortable as we wrestle with how to make daily choices that glorify God. This is what we call “pressing in.” When things get hard or questions arise, human tenden...

Are we are one in the Spirit, are we are one in the Lord? Are we are one in the Spirit, are we are one in the Lord? Will we  pray that all unity may one day be restored? Will they know we are Christians by our love, by our love? Will they know we are Christians by our love? Will we  work with each other, will we work side by side? Will we will work with each other, will we work side by side? Will we  guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride? Will they know we are Christians by our love, by our love? Will they will know we are Christians by our love? Will we walk with each other, will we walk hand in hand? Will we walk with each other, will we walk hand in hand? Will we s pread the news that God is in our land? Will they know we are Christians by our love, by our love? Will they will know we are Christians by our love? This song has been playing in my mind for several days. I changed the italicized words above so that is not the original lyrics. I ch...

My life is not fair. It's true. I am going to say it. I believe it. I have things I don't deserve.  Aaron and I were talking about his mission trip in which he is leaving next Friday for 10 days to go love some orphans in Ukraine. I have generally been really excited for him even though I am not able to go. A little fear was sparked when a co-worker shared with Aaron her concern for him going to Ukraine because she had a friend go in high school on a mission trip there and was killed. Aaron is going to Ukraine and he could not come back. But at the same time, Aaron will drive a car to work on Monday and he could not come back. This is reality. I need not fear. Friday night, we had "date night" which always consists of a really, and I mean really, good dinner and a movie. This five star dinner included the last steak from our locally, grass-fed cow and sauteed onions and mushrooms with a white wine and blue cheese sauce. Is your mouth watering yet? Anyhow, as we...

I was enjoying the warmth and coziness of our home while watching the torrential downpour outside out house. I must have looked a little creepy to anyone driving past our house because I was glued to the window as I watched a phenomenon. It was absolutely pouring and then the skies turned orange. Then the blue sky was poking through- the grey clouds loosening their grip on the heavens. The colors tumbled out as the sun was setting far beyond the trees- orange, red, purple, pink. They spread out across the horizon. And it was still raining. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was pouring 2 minutes ago and right after my eyes graced a beautiful sunset. How does He do that? I gave thanks. Thank you for blue skies when it's raining. I remembered my gift list and grabbed my mini composition notebook to write it down. I have been forgetting to write down my gifts. I have not been giving thanks as quickly in the moment. I have not been closing my eyes and taking in the sounds and smell...

At church this morning, I was struggling to focus while standing and singing because my feet felt like they were on fire. I am a teacher. I stand on hard floors all day. I have plantars facilitis. I've prayed for it to be healed, have had other people pray, bought dr. schol's inserts, and expensive clogs. And they still hurt. It was worse this weekend for some reason and I have been fighting discouragement and fear of long term ramifications of it. Why God? Why do they still hurt? I am doing Your work. I know I am where you have called me. We were singing a song called "God is Able". The song begins, "God is able. He will never fail. He is Almighty God." I stopped to think about God being able. I've been thinking through God's authority and power here on earth and why sometimes we can pray for healing and it happens and why sometimes we pray and it doesn't. I've looked at Jesus healing everytime someone asked Him and realized- yes, God inde...