Lilley of the field

My posts have been less frequent towards the end of this summer, but today is the last official day of my summer so it felt necessary to end it with a blog post. While I was cutting a ton of peaches to freeze this morning, I thought I would include a little haiku I made up- counting syllables and all on my fingers covered in sweet, rich peach juice. Farewell sweet summer. I enjoyed playing with you. See you in a year! Alas, time has flown by. I had a mini freak out moment when I looked at the calendar and saw August first roll around. Why? Mainly because I realized it was time to go back to school and there are all these things I said I would update, redo, and plan during summer for this coming school year and well, not all of those got done. But, I've learned that I will never get all things done. There is grace for the teacher.  However, once my mild freak out subside I had multiple days (which are still continuing) in which I thought quite literally-  I have...

We were gathered together in the dim light of our living room. Huddled together laying hands on 3 friends leaving DCF- one of those leaving our house church after sticking around for 5 years. There were tears slipping from our eyes, faint sniffles, and peaceful smiles. We lifted up prayers and blessings over our friends as they leave this place they've called home for so many years. The large windows facing the street were wide open to outsiders. The blinds were up inviting all eyes to look in upon us. To look upon the most intimate of times for our house church. This is what a house church does. It is a an intimate spiritual family. We laugh together We mourn together. We eat meals. We tell funny stories. We sing songs. We break bread. We pray. We read the Word. We extend grace. We do it in the home- it is a house church after all. Those open blinds invite you into the most vulnerable space I have- my home. It is the place where I say selfish things to my husband, were dust c...

Sometimes I tell Aaron I wish I was an animal or bug instead of a human because then I wouldn't have to plan complex things, resolve conflict, or worry about a schedule. Depending on the animal, I could do things like hop from tree to tree, swim in cool waters all day long, lounge around in the shade, or soar through the clouds. (side note: I realize animals actually do resolve conflict and plan complex things it just seems a bit different than humans...). The one time I expressed this desire to Aaron, I think I used the example animal of a cow simply because we were driving by a field of cows. He informed me this is not that normal- most people do not desire to be cows- so I have made a habit of not generally bringing this thought up in conversation. I was in a bit of a funk today. A silly funk. One of those no-good-reason funks. I was standing under the shade of our dogwood tree watching our dogs play and looked up to find this hidden little creature keeping me company. Matthew...

We're at the breakfast table. He's reading articles and answering emails. We're talking about the church at large and at small. It's encouraging, discouraging, simple, complex, refreshing, and frustrating all at the same time somehow. He leaves for work and I take my Bible and journal out to the back yard to sit in the sunshine that has finally decided to make it's way back down to planet earth. I've been reading too many articles online probably. Reading too many blogs. Listening to too many other people. It's time for just me and the Word. I randomly flip open to Ezekiel and decide that this is as good a place as any to read (a great way to systematically read your Bible right? just kidding. no one says you always have to be systematic) Anyhow, I read chapter after chapter of gloom and destruction for the nations of Israel because of their idolatry, their rebellion, and their sin. It's not quite the uplifter I was looking for this morning. Then I m...

This is a quote from a book on tape (well CD, but I guess I still want to call it "book on tape") that Aaron and I just finished on our long car trip. When I picked it out from the library I had no idea that it was going to be a book about healing, miracles, slavery, segregation, kidnapping, Jesus, faith, and humility. I loved it way more than I thought I would. So much so that I rewinded to listen to one quote over and over so I could write it down. I would highly recommend this book. “There was a blessed time when miracles were something not far outside the norm, exceptions to the rules, holy, unexpected. Before Pilotville, he had expected to find persimmons when he asked for them and resurrected blackbirds and believers voices folded together as if one. Before Pilotville he had known no miracles just the constant ways God showed his love which of course were not miracles at all for they were with him everyday- invisible because they were so much i...

We enter The Christmas Shoppe in Smithfield, VA, my mother-in-"love" and I. I am looking around amazed at how a Christmas store can stay in business year round. And then I realize, it's people like me with an infinite and astonishing love for Christmas. I take my time looking at all the nativity scenes. Some are absolutely gorgeous and yet when I look at the price tag, I wonder how is it possible to pay $140 for a statue of baby Jesus, Mother Mary, and Joseph to set out once a year. Then I see the kind of nativity scene I've been hunting for. It's a small, crude carving of the nativity scene with driftwood for $10 (really $7 with the 30% off sale). While I'm certain Aaron could make it, I decide to buy it as a pattern and inspiration for future carvings. I don't think much of it at the time. I walk around the town with the nativity scene neatly wrapped and placed in a brown bag. On our drive home, Aaron and I reminisce and talk and laugh. During our ...

Grace. "Grace and peace be with you." These words are the bookends of almost every chapter Paul writes in the Bible.  A salutation and a benediction. A greeting and a farewell. It is as if Paul can't seem to emphasize it enough:  No matter was is held between these pages, make sure it is held in light of grace. Read it with the lens of grace. These are the bookends of life. Grace in Genesis. Grace in Revelation. Grace in the Garden of Eden. Grace in the New Jerusalem. Grace in your waking. Grace in your sleeping. Grace when the sun rises. Grace when dawn falls. Grace in your laughing. Grace in your crying. Grace in the valley. Grace on the mountain top. Grace in the desert. Grace in the meadow. Grace in the kneeling. Grace in the running. Grace in living. Grace in dying. Grace in your coming. Grace in your going. Grace when you inhale. Grace when you exhale.  Grace, grace, grace. "Therefore, since we receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, ...