Encouraging Deep Roots

The greatest challenge in life is to be our own person and accept that being different is a blessing and not a curse. A person who knows who they are lives a simple life by eliminating from their orbit anything that does not align with his or her overriding purpose and values. A person must be selective with their time and energy because both elements of life are limited.” ― Kilroy J. Oldster "In hurrying for more happiness, you ca n hurry right past it."  ~ Ann Voskamp Rushing from one thing to the next - the next event, the next paper to write, the next project to do. It seems that often my life is one giant to-do list and while productivity is a good thing, I often forget to stop and smell the roses and enjoy life. Lately I've been trying to slow down a bit and just take a few extra moments and enjoy things around me. The beauty of the autumn leaves. The scent of baking bread. The prettiness is jars of homemade g...

" Our homes, imperfect as they are, must be a haven from the chaos outside. They should be a reflection of our eternal home, where troubled souls find peace, weary hearts find rest, hungry bodies find refreshment, lonely pilgrims find communion, and wounded spirits find compassion.” ― Jani Ortlund  “Watching and learning from Mama and the other women in my family gave me a deep love for home and hearth and taking care of people. I knew from a young age that there was eternal value in those things.” ― Sophie Hudson My parents just left after a week long visit and I'm thankful for a wonderful time with them. I enjoyed cooking and baking for them. As they sat and read a book some afternoons, I was able to putter around and get some housework done for the first time in months. I filed a year's worth of paperwork that had been sitting in piles. I really enjoyed being in homemaking mode this week. The ...

We have selective memory at times, don't we?  When going through a difficult time or struggle, it's so easy to begin to grumble and complain and feel like the Lord has abandoned us.  We whine and wail and whimper.   We forget the blessings.  We forget the many ways we see His hand on our lives.  We forget the multitude of little things on a daily basis that show us God is in control. Let’s take a look at the what, why and who of praise. Psalm 103:1-13a Praise the Lord , my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord , my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to...

I stooped to pick up a rock at the beach and felt the smooth warmth in my hand. It's amazing to me that the water pounding over and over onto the rocks will smooth out the rough edges and polish them to the point where they are almost like glass. It made me think of the rough waves in my own life. Each one not welcomed at the moment and yet, as I reflect back, have been used to make the same result on my character and life. I am thankful for the experiences I've had in my life, no matter how painful.  At the time, each of those experiences alone felt like a wave, pushing me down and causing discomfort. Some were larger and more turbulent than others.  As the waves crashed over me, it often seemed as if I were drowning in troubles. But as I look back, I can see how each of those experiences was used for a specific purpose. They were being used to smooth out my rough edges and mold my character to become more like Christ. When I reflect back on those experiences now, I...

This past week our church had its yearly missions conference. It started on Sunday night and went through Wednesday night and I knew that it was going to be a busy time, but I was prepared. The way the missions conference works in our denomination is that each district is assigned an International Worker and it's the responsibility of the host church to get him to his next church and on and on. The other day I discovered that our International Worker was not required to get to the next place until late in the afternoon on Thursday. Since Dan had to tutor and our friend needed to be out of the place he was staying by 11 a.m. that meant I was going to have to be the one to entertain him yesterday. I had planned on getting other things done so to be honest, I wasn't super happy about the whole thing. However, it ended up being a great unexpected change.  I snagged another friend and we drove our International Worker friend around to see all the sights. We ...