taking care

"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.  Make them known to your children and your children's children."  Deuteronomy 4:9




Many times we let the weather dictate our posture in life...

This little tree.  Alive in our soil for over 6 years now.
A late frost came early in its development and stunted its growth.
It's not been the same since that bitter night.
Still blooming each spring but NEVER shooting up.

So sad... a tree so lovely... hindered.

Isn't that true for most of us?
One incident and we get stuck...
Binded roots...
Truths of who we are meant to be become...

Out of focus...

Even with HOPE in the backdrop we choose to die a slow death...

A little sprout covered in a sea of green... lost and almost unseen.  It refuses to grow.

God's people must remember His truths in the midst of the bitter cold.  We must be firmly rooted and remain under the protection of His cloak.  

It is Him that helps us weather the elements.  

We must take care... guard with diligence.

I wonder and pray over this one often...

Her story so filled with pain and fight.  It's enough to break the tender reed.

Shock is a symptom we endured for quite sometime...

It still shows its face from time to time... 

I am tempted to cringe at the remembering... He invites me to rest in the retelling... 

Lest my eyes forget....

His light of redemption... faithfully shining in our faces and our stories... 

Oh... 

He doesn't want us to just sit still...complacency our only growth...

Stunned by life... stunted by shock...

He wants us to remember deep deposits worth more than gold...

Little hands beholding big promise.  

Growth... slow but eminent... 

Charli will be an expert of her story.  She will know the treasure of every detail.  She will have visions of life with her brothers... reminders of sacred spaces once shared...  

She will ache... and she will grow.

Like our whole family... she will declare... to her children and to her children's children.  God is good.  He can be trusted no matter the inclement.

Frost... it is sure... 

But... if we abide... His covering will protect, and the thawing will bring the most beautiful of blooms.

All the days of our lives... through all storms... we must REMEMBER... His faithfulness...

Continuing through ALL GENERATIONS...

Taking care today... 

Keeping my very soul...

Lest I forget and reflect the bitterness born in the sad little tree at Hope's house...

Praying with expectancy for innumerable blooms... offering His fragrance not just to the generations... but the NATIONS as well.

looking in tune

He's looking...

She's looking...

We're all looking.

Still singing trust's tune... 

Hopeful that our move is in the VERY near future.

As I was talking to God this morning... His Spirit stirred up testimonies of His faithful past...

Each story filled with desperation and giving up hope on my part...

So wishing I could return and do over... shine with brighter faith...

I can't...

But this present I can do differently... 

I can press in... I can press on. 

I can remember that breakthrough is but a stones throw away...

My faith... fruit in process...

Appearing so full of color and beautiful.... 

Unaware until this season of the hidden rot from the ready ripe not being used...

Funny how fruit can appear certain ways in a basket...  all stored up in the safe and pretty.  

You think you have plenty of time and then hidden on the underside you see... 

Wasted potential....

Most of my faith days spent.... looking like this...

Alive and shapely... housing juice dried up... hardened pulp... unused opportunity...

Juice meant to season and flavor my story and the story of others... gone... 

Thankful for The Vine that redeems ever square inch of my fruit bearing branches.

Continuing to learn what it means to put into practice all the fruits...  

Gifts given for particular recipes... 

Not wanting to squander a drop...

So... 

Though the ache to be together grows... so does my faith...  

He invites... "Press in deeper."

And I do...

We all do...

We don't give up on the keys of learning...

He faithfully puts His foot on the sustaining pedal... and provides by His strength that which I cannot...

Sustaining power!

Yes!  Oh how I need this...

Thank you!

He giggles with delight... cheers me on as I press with my baby fingers... deeper into The One writing melodies of Faith in me.

He loves it when we make music together... so do I.

Fruit... The Spirit's composition...  And He invites me to play.

surprising growth

The House of Hope was full this weekend...
Filled with fun and surprises...

Wide-eyed with joy and freshness on her tongue... now wholly complete... two front teeth are outta there.  Mouth marked with love's shape...

Her new grin makes her seem small again.  

I sigh with thanks.

We had two showings on Saturday.  Not sure what will come of them, but the smalls feel sure and optimistic.  

I learn from their big faith.

This little had a couple of surprises too...

She decided it was time for more "big girl" food.. 

She enjoyed...

Daddy's plum

Broccoli... 

Go figure!!!

And I had Pastor document her first ever Oreo...

Two handed enjoyment...

It was also sweet being a carrier of surprise...

This lovely... now official... double digits and full of beauty.

Pastor and I enjoyed filling her world with unknown blessings.

Like a box of chocolates... no big deal to most... a first for this princess with a sweet tooth.  Due to allergies this is the first time in her life she has been able to taste such divinity.

Handmade by her momma and sister... she relished the mystery... I whisper... "you are seen..."

She hears.

The day has been chocolate rich...

It is a gift to celebrate the stories of others...

Each life... no matter the age... is a blessing worth recounting...

And of course... the greatest mystery... the secret birthday dessert...

A dream come true to the one with allergy-induced limitations...

"Triple oreo surprise."

Made with love from a momma's heart.  A heart that longs for all her smalls to know they matter and are so VERY special... to me and the King...

Praying that from the overflow of such love my baby eyes would see each day like a birthday party... celebrating all forms of growth...

For all too soon... it will be time to blow my candle out...

So a different kind of party can begin...

I am not indifferent to the notion...

This princess has eyes aware... 

Resting in the truth that greater surprise-filled celebrations are underway...

resting...

Remembering truths...

Delighting...

Letting go of work and filling our hands with the colors of Sabbath...

Sabbath blessings from Charli and the entire House of Hope...

together love

This heart...
So thankful to have Pastor back.  He truly is good.  When he isn't here, His goodness is greatly missed.

Smalls need their papas.  Little hearts get all confused with the back and forth... their faces filled with story.

Papas are equipped to love in ways that are different from mommas.  

Bear arms engulf and Love whispers... "All is well..." The seven year old princess echoes His truths.

The Papa... so gentle... eyes tender with knowing and bigness that consumes even the biggest aches.

Love so pure... the princess cannot get enough... she grips on... thinking it's her strength that locks them together...

With time and growth she will see that it is His deep affection that holds.

Thankful and feasting on the fruits of togetherness...

Breaking bread with Pastor... 

Sharing life... never tasted so sweet.  

Absence... it has made my heart grow fonder.

Pastor speaks love into all royals in this house... Especially the momma-princess.  His hands offer constant reminders that I am loved...

Truth and LOVE... 

A great combo... much like me and Pastor.

Thanking God for... the gift of today... papas with their smalls and together love.

growing thick

This morning I attempted to do what I have needed to do for a couple of weeks...

Trim the excess.  

Crazy... First day of March and so full of thick and green.  Seems too early.

As I fired up little red... I surveyed the land.  I thought it might be tricky in the fuller spots... 

But... it took me walking...tool in hand... pushing... to the fully feel the weight and heaviness that I was about to tackle.

Just a few short moments into the pruning... the tool gave out... gave up... it was too much.  The grass was too tall... too wet.

It just didn't have enough gas to press on.

I tried tricks...

Wheels up to the sky... letting grass spit from all sides...  

I primed... I pulled... I used strategy... 

It was frustrating... a task... blocked.

It was also an opportunity...

To process... to see...

Thankful for the growth... feel like it's a word picture for the acreage of heart... I love being full of the green... thriving with plush... clogging mechanisms with my clippings.

My little engine that could needed to between rows... so I rested my body and invited my eyes to see.

I saw other forms of life blooming...

The brittle turning bright... surviving much inclement and soaking up the springtime rain... new green is underway... 

Regeneration...

It's amazing to see limbs sharing life and death... they coexist with the season in perfect harmony.

Spent some time with my sons' trees too... baby buds already peeking... prompting remembrance...

I wonder if they will bloom before their time this year?  It would seem appropriate.

I try again...

and again...

and again...

Disappointment overshadowed by glory seen. 

A trail is made, but total pruning will be a process. 

I will wait for more fuel... for the mower and for me... and for the sun to do its perfect work.

A different kind of growth happens in the waiting... 

Like beautiful green shoots pushing it's way up to bless the agents of change...  I bring my color and my thanks.

Not blind to all the existing gaps and remnants of death still lurking... but... courage-filled as I remember the grass-jammed tool on the hill... 

Growth... thick and full... on Ridgegate Lane and in the depths of me.

storms

It's always storming somewhere...
While some enjoy peace and the glow of sunshine... others are enduring hailstorms.

There is endless pain everywhere.  As Pastor and I try to partner in ministry through prayer across the miles my heart is BROKEN... my spirit grieves.

Just in our little region we pray for miraculous healing over..
addicted ones...
dying ones...
abandoned ones...
the poor...
the lost...
the distraught...
the broken...

tears pour...
cries ring...
hearts aching... everywhere...

I had to take this one to my Daddy today.  The Author of all things good... I needed to see His heart.  I needed to hear His voice.

The land of ache threatens to swallow hole... my anchor must be sure.

Slammed doors can make for crooked hope...

It must be firmly mounted.

What I received from the asking was... "yes... the brokenness is big, but I am  BIGGER..."

The storms are real...
I don't ignore them... but I don't stand in agreement with them either.

We are called to be intercessors...
The root of intercession is love.  As my root grows so are my groans... I must remember... intercessory is a gift meant to be given back.

I am not meant to keep the ache stirred from supernatural affections... they are to be returned in prayer.

Today... my Spirit moans... and pleads...
Out of love...  I sing with Andy Cherry:

Rise with a shout,
Cry out our God's alive
Rise holy fire, 
Burn bright, burn bright
Rise with a shout,
Cry out for freedom
Rise church, arise
Our God's alive


Reigning on His throne
Drawing ever close
Giving us this hope
He'll never let us go
Oh, death has been defeated
Jesus Christ, Redeemer
Conquered hell and freed us
Forever we are saved


Rise with a shout,
Cry out our God's alive
Rise holy fire, 
Burn bright, burn bright
Rise with a shout,
Cry out for freedom
Rise church, arise
Our God's alive

He alone can save us
He will not forsake us
He remains forever,
Our savior

See Him reign in power
Stronger than our failures
Always and forever,
Our savior

Savior... 

From all storms... all deaths. 

Often perched in silence... His costly red offered and fills our death-filled branches.

The song I hear Him singing through His own tears is LOVE... 

Not only God of the Grieving... but also THE tear catcher.

In the midst of the storms that bring death and destruction He brings reconstruction.

In more than 12,775 days of walking this earth I have weathered some pretty catastrophic winds and...

I can honestly say...

He never stops doing me good.

Our focus must be on The Calmer... not on the storms themselves.

And as a church we must rise with a shout and offer our prayers of ache... trusting that they are powerful and effective. 

Press in and pray on...

"Rise Holy fire burn bright, burn bright!"