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Category: ponderings and ramblings

dreaming to live {and a giveaway!}

dreaming to live {and a giveaway!}

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

                                            -Howard Thurman

So, I recently stumbled upon a new blogger {Jessi of Suzie Studios} who I’m loving, and yesterday she penned a post about dreaming {let’s dream again}. It struck such a chord with me – I’ve been feeling something very similar, and my husband and I have been having conversations about “new” – new ideas, new plans, new dreams.

I believe that dreaming is a needed part of an abundant life. There is something soul-awakening about being open to the ideas and thoughts that God directs, and I can tell when it is lacking from my days. Of course, talking about dreaming and actually doing it are so very different – it seems that I need slowness and space to dream, to listen to my husband’s dreams, and that needed slowness and space do not come easily in this house!dreaming to live

Do you have dreams? What do you dream about?

Some of the things I’ve been dreaming about are related to the goals I have for this year, and others are connected to this shop, our future, or my walk with the Father. Many of these dreams are not fully formed, and some – if I/we pursue them – will take quite a bit of sacrifice. They might turn out “successfully” or they might not, but for the present, the fact that we are dreaming is in itself a success. The dreams are dim sometimes, but as we begin to pursue them we come alive.mist over the soybeans

Sometimes, in the midst of the busy, I lose my dreaming. My thoughts get foggy, full of work, kiddlets and the “need to do”. I lose the zest, the joy and the delight in beauty and life. And then I realize that I’ve let my priorities slide and focus shift away from the Light. But then faithfully, every time, He kindly shows me beauty again, reminds me of my dreams or gives a new one.

mist over the soybeansOne of the biggest blessings of having the shop and blog has been the freedom of being able to work out my dreams and share them with you – and then seeing it spark a creative flame in your own lives and hearing how you share it with others. And on a related note – how would you like to win a PLTMarket.com gift card to use for things you’ve been dreaming of or to use as a gift?

I’d love to give one of you lovelies a $15 gift card to the shop, and it can be used on {or toward} anything you’d like {some garlands, perhaps?}! Use the rafflecopter widget below to add your name to the drawing, and come back daily for additional chances to enter. {If you’re reading this via email, you’ll need to click through to the blog to enter}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will end midnight on Monday, August 19, 2013 and anyone worldwide is eligible to enter! I will announce the winner the following day. <3

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rest

rest

glorious skies

glorious skies

glorious skies

The skies over Indiana can be glorious.

True, Indiana may not  be able to boast of having the mountains that I grew up loving, but it does have glorious, wide open, sometimes breathtaking skies. And far too often I’m too busy to notice.

I get so wrapped up in being wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend and handmade business owner that I forget to take the moments needed to absorb the beauty I love so dearly and rest.

Does the same thing ever happen to you?

My soul needs rest just as much as my body. It needs time to refocus on the Creator in order to create well, but too often I push that aside for “later” or “when I’m not so busy”.

Today I’m purposing to pull back just a bit from this virtual world {if only for a day}, to leave your orders for tomorrow, to take the time to soak in the beauty that we have been given and to cherish the moments.

And I hope you that are doing the same <3

 

p.s. do you have any tips to help yourself rest in this busy world? please share!

p.p.s. here are some other thoughts on resting your soul and finding joy

just thinking

just thinking

I’ve been thinking about a phrase someone I know said a few weeks ago: “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle at a time, so that you won’t lose faith and turn away from Him.”

There was something about that phrase that really bothered me, but I didn’t have the quickness of mind at the time to be able to put my finger on it and respond.
A  few weeks later, though (kind of shows how scatter brained I am at the moment) and I think I have.

As I see it, the problem with what she said is that God does give us more than we can handle. It’s something that gives us opportunity to grow – grow in both our faith and in our character.
This growth is very important to Him, and even though we may think it’s hard, He sees the potential outcome and knows that it will be worth the struggle.

When I am in the midst of struggles, hard or trying situations, frustration, hurt, grief or anger, it can be difficult to remember that God is still there. He is waiting and watching, ready to comfort or give wisdom – whatever we might need at the time – just as I wait and watch my own children figure out things.

I have faith, but it needs to grow in the trials. That growth only comes through God, though, not through anything that I can do. (Ephesians 2:8-9) It comes from turning to Him and crying, “Lord, I believe. Help me in my unbelief”. (Mark 9:24)

I need a faith that believes God is who He is, not who I say or think He is. I need to believe that God is good in all things – even though the current situation may not seem to prove that. I need to believe that He is unchanging, compasstionate, holy, true, loving and forgiving, full of mercy, just.

He knows that even though I know so much about Him in my head, I still have areas of unbelief in my heart that are choking out faith. He and I both want me to walk in faith alone. And so He prunes out the unbelief. (John 15)
It hurts, but as I turn to Him in the midst of the pain and confusion, the unbelief is cast aside.

a little announcement

a little announcement

We’re moving (again)!

John has been transferred to Indianapolis and we are scheduled to be there this Thursday or Friday. It will be our fourth move in three years, and I’m still not sure how I feel about it.

There are times when I am excited, excited to see how God is working, excited to see what will happen in the next few years, where He will take us and the things that will happen along the way.

But there are times when I am scared, too. I want to be able to trust Him with everything, knowing that He is absolutely sovereign and is directing our days, but it scares me. I want to know where we will end up, where our next baby will be born and what city we will ultimately call home and when we’ll get there. I want to know when I can put down roots and have them be permanent.

But I don’t.
God does.

I want so badly to be able to trust Him with that, and trust Him gladly.

But for today I have a few tears.


for when I become complacent

for when I become complacent

“Disturb us, Lord, when We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

“Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

“Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

-Sir Francis Drake

I’ve read this prayer before, but it was a while ago and I had forgotten about it. The little ones and I were visiting Brian and Leah over the weekend while John was hunting, and the pastor of their church led the church in reading this together during the worship service.
I’ve been pondering it for a few days and thought I’d post it to share with you all.

Disturb us, Lord, when We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little
…
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
…

We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes

I’ve found that sometimes God uses poetry to re-say things that He has said before, things that I’ve heard so many times that my ears and heart become deaf to them.
God has plans and dreams for our family that are so much bigger, broader, deeper, higher and more wondrous than we can imagine (Isaiah 55:8-9), partly because He is God – all knowing, all seeing, all present – but partly because we are at times content to dream little dreams.

So, Father, what dreams would You have us dream? Disturb us, Lord.


just a song on the radio

just a song on the radio

John had to work on Sunday, so it was just me and the little ones going to church. We dropped him off (kisses all around – Emma loves giving kisses right now) and then Emma asked me to turn on the music (she also loves to sing and “dance” in her carseat as we’re driving).

After a few minutes “No Matter What” by Kerrie Roberts came on:

I’m running back to Your promises one more time
Lord that’s all I can hold on to
I gotta say this has taken me by surprise, but nothing surprises You
Before a heartache can ever touch my life
It has to go through Your hands
And even though I keep asking why, I keep asking why

No matter what, I’m gonna love You
No matter what I’m gonna need You
I know You can find a way to keep me from the pain
But if not, if not, I’ll trust You no matter what, no matter what

When I’m stuck and there’s nothing else by myself
I’m just sitting in silence
There’s no way I can make it without Your help, I won’t even try it
I know You have Your reasons for everything so I will keep believing
Whatever I might be feeling, God You are my hope
And You will be my strength

Anything I don’t have You can give it to me, but it’s OK if You don’t
I’m not here for those things
The touch of Your love is enough on its own
No matter what I still love You and I’m gonna need You

No matter what I’m gonna love You, no matter what I’m gonna need You
I know You can find a way to keep me from the pain
But if not, if not, I’ll trust You
I know You can find a way to keep me from the pain
But if not, but if not, I’ll trust You

No matter what
No matter no matter what
No matter no matter what
No matter no matter what

There was one line in particular that struck me, and as I pondered it, the truth that was in it ministered to my spirit as much – or maybe more than? – the fellowship and sermon that we enjoyed later that morning.
Before a heartache can ever touch my life
It has to go through Your hands

While I know that God is sovereign and permits trials to come into our lives for our benefit, I sometimes realize that I have forgotten that God is with me, before and behind, in my heartache as well as my joy.

It is easy for me to forget that He doesn’t just allow any pain to come into my life, no, just that which He is using to shape me for His glory.

Everything He does has purpose, and everything that He allows to touch me will end up being for my good – even the things that really hurt, the things that – at the time – I wish never happened.
It all goes through God’s hands before it touches me.
I can trust Him.
Even when I can’t see the hope through my tears, I can trust Him.

(nothing is going on right now, just in case you are wondering!)

faithful living

faithful living

“This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.” -Elisabeth Elliot
I found this quote on someone’s blog this morning. So good.
I’ve been pondering – what’s my job? What does this look like for me?
Job – wife. Mother.

So the quote could read like this: “Being a wife and mom is the job that has been given to me to do. 
Therefore, it is a gift. 
Therefore, it is a privilege (sometimes this is more evident than others!). 
Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. 
Therefore, being John’s wife and a mom to Emma and Ian is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. 
Here, in my days at home, I may learn God’s way. 
In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.”
pondering and applying this truth today.
amazing and full of wonder

amazing and full of wonder

My sister-in-law posted some ultrasound photos of our new little nephew or niece on facebook the other day.
As I was looking at them this morning I found myself choking up – they amaze me.
This little one already has a soul, an eternal soul. God knows his/her name and has known it since before the beginning of time. Even before it was ever spoken of, He know of Baby Smillie’s existence. Oh, these things are amazing and full of wonder.

I was thinking about the verses where God talks about knowing us before we were conceived, knitting our bones and muscles together, seeing us while we were hidden away in the safety and darkness of our mothers’ wombs.
Amazing.

O LORD, you havesearched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
   you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
   and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
   behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
   and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
   it is high; I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
   Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    M)’> lead me,
   and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say,P)’> formed my inward parts;
   you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.T)’> the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;in your