un-stretched.

With it being the first month of a new year, I have seen post after post listing resolutions, goals, and words to claim for the year. The pastor at my church preached a sermon on choosing a word for the year, so these posts have been even more frequent this year than most. Yes, I claimed a word for myself, too, but that is not what I want to write about.

Amidst all of these posts from people I know, I ran across a blog that caught my eye. This blogger in particular challenged readers to choose a "un-word" for 2014. At first glimpse, the word "un-word" made my grammar senses cringe, as do most words that are not found in the Merriam Webster dictionary. After a few seconds, I let that go and kept reading. She challenged her readers to choose something they would not do...something they would not be any longer. She then wanted all those who participated to "link up" their blog post to hers all on the same particular day. I am not sure what exactly a "link up" is, and the day she mentioned most certainly has passed, but the thought of an "un-word" has not left my mind.

It only took me a few seconds to know what I need to let go of this year. I need to stop saying yes. At least saying yes to everything.

"Un-yes" is too far of a cry from a real word so I began my search for a comparable "un-word" to ascribe.

"Un-divided" made me think of the pledge of allegiance. Agreeable and pleasant popped into my head,  but if I told you I plan on being "un-agreeable" and "un-pleasant" in 2014, I might send everyone I care about running for the hills. After placing "un-" in front of a slew of words that made me sound like an angry, apathetic, or heartless person, I found my un-word.

{Un-stretched}

I have always been a "busy" person. I love people, conversations, and learning new things. With that in mind, saying "yes" is usually an immediate reaction. Looking back on the past couple of years, I can think of countless times I could look over the next couple of weeks on a calendar and see that every night was full. That is great for a season, but for an introvert like me, looking at a schedule like that for an extended period of time is enough to make me want to pull my hair out.

If it is a good thing, I usually say yes. One more volunteer opportunity? Why not? If someone would get upset if I said no, I definitely say yes. If I have an open night, I say yes. If I don't have an excuse I can't say no, can I?

A voice in my head too often tells me, "You are letting people down if you don't do this. You are a bad person if you don't sign up for that opportunity. You can do it all. You can fit one more thing in..."

Life, as it seems to me, is a delicate balance, one I haven't quite mastered yet. I only lasted for a year in gymnastics at the age of 6 (turns out if you can't do a cartwheel that is a red flag). Balance has never been one of my strong points, both on and off of a balance beam. If I am not teetering one way, I seem to be tottering the other, weighted down with the "yes's" of yesterday and the filled blanks on my calendar.

If I could, I would do it all. I would be a for profit blogger, floral enthusiast, book store clerk, calligrapher,  librarian, and baker, to name a few. I would be everyone's best friend, fill every night of the week with multiple coffee dates, read every book on the NYT best seller list, and say yes to every volunteer opportunity. I would have two jobs and pay off my car in a year, all the while leaving 2 hours at the end of the day to relax and unwind.

Turns out I don't have the know-how, skill set, or time to do many of those things. Even if I did, that wouldn't be a healthy way to live.

I read a post the other day that said this: "Saying no even though it's hard to do frees me up to say yes to what matters."

Several months ago, my "yes's" hit me like a brick wall. I was feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and stretched. There in front of me was a list of great things I was involved in. The problem, however, was that I felt like I was doing a bunch of things halfway instead of a few things with my whole heart.

I had several conversations with a mentor and
a good friend about what margin looked like, why I didn't have it, and how to find it.

They reminded me that just because something is a good opportunity, it doesn't mean it is necessarily a good opportunity for me. They reminded me that God blesses each of us with talents and abilities to accomplish the specific tasks he places before us.  They challenged me to seek God in what those areas were and then cut back on the things that didn't fit that mold and were taking away time from what God really wanted me to be doing.

After lots of prayer, some tears, and several internal battles, I did it. I started to let go. Instead of feeling like a failure, however, I felt a sense of peace. When I let go of some fillers, I began to see God open up doors for opportunities that filled me up instead of drained me. I saw God move in to the space that I wasn't willing to leave open for him before.

In the ever so eloquent words of John Michael Montgomery (can I call a 49 year old country singer eloquent?), life is a dance you learn as you go. Even though I may step on a few feet along the way (both literally and figuratively), I am learning to love the dance that has been placed before me. My steps aren't perfect and sometimes I turn the wrong way, but I am learning that's ok. I'm learning to laugh and learn from my mistakes and accepting that I will make mistakes again.

Three years ago, I learned that I will never know it all, that I will always be seeking and growing in the Lord. Two years ago, I learned to place my trust in God first, not in the physical securities around me. Last year, I learned that God is ever present and provides blessings through the people he places in my life at just the right time.
 
This year I am learning to say no. I am learning to say no to things that are just fillers. I am seeking to stop saying yes when I don't want to, or even when I just can't. I am learning to say no to that little voice that tells me I need to make everyone happy.  I am learning to say no to say no to fear of disappointing others and that tight feeling I get in my chest when I realize I can't add one more thing to my list. I am learning that saying no isn't always bad.

I am learning to say no so I can say yes to Jesus. I am learning listen so I can say yes to the things He calls me to do. I am learning to seek God's voice before I give a yes or no. I'm learning that a little bit of silence and stillness invites God to fill in the blanks in my day.

When I am stretched with things I decide to do on my own, I am forgetting that God wants to help me grow strong in the opportunities he gives me, not stretch me thin.

I can be "un-stretched" because I know that God is bigger than any area, time or space I can seek to fill with doing and stretching on my own. No matter the "un-word" I ascribe to my year, I serve a God who is unchanging. His love is unfathomable and his love for each of us is unending.

Expect the Unexpected.

I have been asked several times over the past few weeks what my new years resolutions are and what I am looking forward to in the new year. These questions naturally made me think back on the past year (not that it takes much for me to be reflective), all I that has happened, and all I have learned.

Last year, I resolved to not make any New Year's resolutions. I probably was just trying to go against the grain. However, that is not to say that 2013 was not a year of growth, change, and memorable experiences. As I thought back, I realized it was quite the contrary.

This might sound cliche (what are blogs for after all), but 2013 was the fastest year I have yet experienced. I boarded several airplanes, traveled to places I had never been, purchased a car on my own, celebrated the birth of a new niece, celebrated the weddings and engagements of several friends, entered a cherry pie in the state fair, helped photograph a wedding, and formed new friendships, relationships, and mentorships. 2013 has held it's share of laughs, tears, long conversations, and life realizations.

Whether I want to admit it or not, I'm a planner. I like to know what is going to happen and when. Turns out life doesn't usually work that way, but looking back on the past year, I would have to say that I am glad.

All of my favorite things about the past year were things I didn't plan for. I didn't ask God for them, and I couldn't have come up with them on one of the countless lists that cover my desk at work (yes, I should add that I killed a tree this year with the amount of "to do" lists I made to my list of yearly accomplishments).

The friendships and relationships I have built over the past year leading up to this point have been one of the biggest blessings in my life thus far. People I was just getting to know or hadn't even met yet this time last year are now some of the biggest parts of my life. This year, God has brought people into my life who daily inspire me to be better, point me toward him, ask me tough questions, and even people who will won't keep talking to me about a situation if I haven't prayed about it first. This year, God has brought me joy and laughter, all while teaching me more about myself, Him, and His world.

Last week, a good friend sent me a blog to read. In it, the author listed Psalm 16:11. I looked it up, and it stuck with me (and is literally stuck to my bathroom mirror as well). It reads:

"You make known to me the path of life, you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Over and over again, it seems, God reminds me that His plans are better than mine. You think by now, I would have learned that lesson, but thankfully God is a God of grace who doesn't seem to mind sending the same gentle reminders over and over again to a chronic list maker like me.

That verse in Psalm exemplifies what I feel I learned as a whole in the past year. It was a year of learning how to trust and how to let go. God showed me his faithfulness in ways I could have never imagined. By letting go and trusting in Him, His plans fell into place with each step I took, reminding me once again, that plans I make on my own pale in comparison. The beauty and joy that followed taught me to cherish the unexpected - the trust it requires and the beauty it creates. In the past year I have experienced joy in a new way, a joy that I found by stopping the plans and taking time to notice the small moments God places in front of me each day as they come.

This year, I actually did make a list of New Year's resolutions. I won't list them all here, but I do plan on using more postage stamps this year (I'll gladly take your address) and reluctantly joined the other resolution junkies at the gym last night. Resolutions aside, I know beyond a doubt what I am looking forward to the most in 2014, and it's not the accomplishment of any of the goals I established on my list.

This year, I hope and pray for the unexpected.  I expect God to work in ways I can't fathom at this moment. I recognize that the people, circumstances and conversations coming from the Lord over the next 12 months will be the things that change my life and give me the opporutnity to be His hands and feet to work in the lives of those around me. I am looking forward to the unexpected and waiting expectantly for God to work in big ways.

As you go into 2014, expect the unexpected. Expect beauty. Expect God to blow you away when you hand your life over to Him. And expect the joy that He promises will follow.

Here's to 2014. Here's to joy. And here's to another new year where we don't have to walk alone.

Carlene

If you have been friends with me for very long, or have read any amount of my blogs, I am sure you are aware of my fascination with airports.

I won't bore you by repeating myself...too much anyways. Coming and going. Meeting and greeting. Airports and aircrafts seem to be the crossroads for so many wonderful things in life.

All that said, each time I board an airplane, I look forward to seeing who I will be seated by and the stories I will get to hear. Yes, I am that annoying stranger you dread sitting by who will make you enter into conversation for the majority of your air travel time.

The day after Thanksgiving, I headed to the airport to travel to Phoenix to visit my sister and her family (I'll spare you from talking about my nieces right now. You know I could talk about how much I love them all day and then some more once I caught my breath). I booked my flight for  6:30 a.m.

In addition to the lack of sleep, I didn't account for the silence that would follow during my travel as a consequence.

As it turns out, most people prefer to keep to themselves during air travel. This truth is amplified at before 8 a.m. The closed eyelids and whimpers of snores in the seat next to me signaled that the only conversations I would hear during that flight would be between Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks through my ear buds (You've Got Mail never seems to get old, does it?).

My return flight to Dallas after my week long visit, however, made up for the initial leg of the trip.

Standing in line to board the plane, a couple in their late 50's began to talk to me. The smiles on their faces were telling of a story waiting to be told, so I, in turn, asked them where they were traveling to and why. As it turned out, they were headed to Albuquerque for the birth of their 3rd grandchild. They told me they had 6 kids of their own. The love in their eyes and warmth in their voices matched what they said. "Celebrating new life and family never gets old."

On my flight to reach my connection in Albuquerque, I sat next to a woman named Barb. She owns a company that makes the concrete blocks used to build WalMarts and told me all about her daughters upcoming wedding. While my conversation with her was completely pleasant, that's not what I am writing to tell you about.

As I boarded my flight in Albuquerque to reach Dallas, I searched for a window seat that was open not in the very back of the plane. I spotted one about midway and asked the woman on the aisle if the seat was taken. She told me no with a smile and let me slide in. As the flight attendant signaled that we were going to take off, the woman on the aisle and I realized that we had an empty seat between us, and we both agreed we were happy to have the extra space. We shared a laugh and introduced ourselves.

Her name was Carlene.

Have you ever met someone that exuded joy? I am not sure I had ever met someone who fully fit and deserved that description before that flight. Carlene is in her mid 60's and had short, brown hair. Her eyes had a smile of their own and her voice seemed to be the agent to deliver that contagious smile to anyone she talks to.

Carlene was traveling to Dallas to see her niece in a school production of the Little Mermaid. I shared the details of my trip to Phoenix with her, and before I knew it, we were sharing pictures, stories, and the things going on in our lives like we had known each other for years.

Carlene had just returned from a trip to Africa three weeks earlier. She shared her photos and stories with me for more than an hour. She showed me pictures of lions, ostriches, and trees that looked like they were taken straight out of a scene from the Lion King. She told me how she danced with a local tribe in South Africa and about a "tent" she stayed in during one leg of her trip that had marble bathroom countertops.

As it turned out, this wasn't the first trip she had been on. She retired from a printing company (we bonded over talking about photography and journalism) several years back and is now a part of a small travel group that travels the world centered out of Idaho.

In addition to her travel group, Carlene takes a trip with a group of 13 girls she went to high school with each year. She told me that even though they are now in their 60's, each time they get together, it is like not a single day has passed since their high school graduation.

Later in the conversation, I learned that Carlene was widowed in 1990. I told her I was sorry, but she told me not to be. Here is what she said instead. "When that happened to me, I had a choice. I could let the sadness define my life, or I could get out there and keep living. I've chosen to fill my life with places, experiences, and the love of my family. That choice to live has given me more joy in the past 23 years of my life than I could have ever hoped to experience my whole life."

She advised me to do the same thing...to get out and see the world and not take any person or experience in my life for granted. She looked me in the eye at the end of the flight and told me that it was lovely to share conversation on our flight. When she stood up, she looked back and told me that she knew good things were going to come in my life. She said she could just tell. I hope she is right.

I don't know Carlene's last name, I don't have her phone number, and I probably will never see her again. However, I hope to take a little piece of Carlene with me for the rest of my life. She had experienced joy, and she had expereinced life and did what came natural to her on that flight.

She shared it.

That's the thing about joy. It's contagious. It's evident. It's life giving.

I may not have traveled the world (at least not yet) like Carlene and have a few less years under my belt, but as I look ahead and look at today, I know this. I have the opportunity to continuously choose joy. We have all been given life and the opportunity to live it.

 A life well lived in my opinion, is not measured by the amount of money you make or the number of posessions you have, but instead by the moments you choose to live fully. Moments, people, and  opportunites, no matter how big or small, are placed in front of us each day.

Amongst the chaos and even in the negative, there is always good if you look for it. As long as God is real, and He always will be, we can trust that He has our best in mind and is present if we will just look for Him. Do we choose to dwell on the past and wallow in our sorrows, or do we choose to live? Joy is found in living each moment and filling life with the love that is already around us. Carlene reminded me of that.

To be honest, I don't know what my life holds or where I will be in ten years. I can only pray that wherever that is and whoever is involved, that I can experience half the joy and half the life that Carlene shared with me on that 2 hour flight.

Thank you Carlene and thanks to each of you who already fill my life with joy. Each of you are a blessing, and I am more thankful for you than you know.

I couldn't hope or pray for more than this. A life filled with joy that can't help but be shared with others.

Here's to new adventures.

Life is beautiful isn't it? I was reminded of that today.

Today, my second niece, Harper Sophia Codd came into the world. I saw her for the first time today on FaceTime at the hospital (isn't technology grand?) in Phoenix. Just as I knew she would be, she is beautiful and perfect. I'll be honest, the tears were flowing on my side of the screen, and I am sure they will once again when I meet her face to face in a few weeks.

The past week as we were all awaiting her arrival into the world (she took her sweet time), I became a bit nostalgic. I began looking through old pictures of my niece, Audrey, who is now 3 and a half years old.

Living in a different city, it has been breathtaking each time I have gone to visit to see the changes that can happen even over a few months. I remember crying the first time I held Audrey when she was a newborn baby. It seems I blinked, and before I knew it she was running around the living room, laughing when I spilled my cereal, singing songs, and asking me to paint glitter on her fingernails. Last week when I called, she told me her Bible verse of the week and told me all about Jonah going to Ninevah (I think she is pretty smart, but I’m a bit partial).

Being an aunt has hands down been one of the biggest blessings and joys in my life.  There aren’t words to describe the way my heart has grown for that little girl over the past 3 years.

After hundreds of pictures (literally. I feel as an aunt it is my duty to always have a camera in hand) and countless memories, today we start a new chapter. The phrase "favorite niece" is gone from my vocabulary, but I gladly exchange it for two new ones: "big sister" and "little sister". I can't wait to see this relationship unfold with my two favorite angels. 

Last week, I was talking to Audrey about when I will come to Phoenix to visit in a few weeks. I asked her if we could go on some adventures when I got there, to which she replied with a twinkle in her eye, “Oh I looovvve adventures.”

Helen Keller said, “Life is a daring adventure, or nothing.”

I think she and my niece have the right idea. Each day we are given is a new adventure. A journey into the unknown.  Do we dare to approach it as such?

The days we are given are numbered. I don’t know what that number reads for any of us, but I do know that no number of days could be large enough to discount the beauty and joy to be uncovered each day.

Life is short. Take a risk. Open your heart. Be yourself. Find your passion. Sing the song that only you can sing. Live the life God created you to live.

You know the scene in the Pixar movie UP that recounts Carl and Ellie's life? It makes me cry every time, but that is beside the point. In it, they have an adventure book that they fill with memories.

I want the pages of my life to be filled with adventure. By that I mean, I want to live a life where I wake each day and embrace whatever is in front of me, simple or not, familiar or unfamiliar, near or far. I too want to love adventures and love life. I believe we are called by God to love and seek out what that looks like for the people and situations we come into contact with each day.

Life and love are both beautiful, aren’t they? Don’t miss out on either. They are both right in front of and all around you. Here’s to new adventures. Here’s to new life. And here’s to loving every step of the way. 

And here's to my favorite 3 year old princess, Audrey. I can't wait to watch your adventure as a big sister unfold. This is just the beginning. You are going to change the world. You have already changed mine.

Happy birthday sweet baby Harper. Your parents have done a phenomenal job raising your sister and teaching her the love of Christ, and I know they will do the same with you. The world may be new for you today, but you are already loved more than you could ever know.

Oh, and here’s to many, many more pictures. You only regret the ones you don’t take. 

In case you were wondering what 3 years of nostalgia (and 3 years of hairstyles) looks like, here is a taste. Time flies.

 

 

Monday mornings and coffee mugs

Are you superstitious? I'm not. At least I don't think I am.

Although I occasionally find myself knocking on wood, most superstitions seem rather trivial and far stretched when I think about them.

I looked up a list of common superstitions, and all the ones you would expect were on the list including, Friday the 13th, walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror, and opening an umbrella indoors. Though I have never broken a mirror, I have walked under a ladder, lived through many Friday the 13th's with no notable harm, and have opened a handful of umbrellas indoors (in my opinion, it is best to check that the umbrella works before you step outside with one that doesn't in a downpour), and the promised impending "bad luck" that follows these actions has yet to catch up with me. Knock on... never mind.

My actions Monday morning, however, made me question the logical connection I make between my actions and the impending "luck" to follow.

Yesterday, I followed my usual "before work" routine. I got out of bed (with an extra hour of sleep... thank you daylight savings), got ready for work, headed to the kitchen, and turned my Keurig on. I placed a blue coffee mug I purchased in Destin, Florida reading "The Donut Hole" on the side under the brewer and pressed the button to begin brewing my daily dose of caffeine (the first one anyways). While the water heated up, I went to the cupboard to get a pan out to start making breakfast and abruptly stopped.

Several thoughts crossed my mind. It's Monday. It's going to be a good day. That's not the coffee mug I want to use. Where is my favorite coffee mug?

I quickly found what I was looking for (a deep floral mug I purchased at Anthropologie in college) and replaced the blue mug with the floral one before the coffee began to drip. That was a close one.

At 6:30 yesterday morning, it was perfectly logical that starting the day by drinking coffee out of my favorite mug would greatly improve my Monday trajectory.

Can the color and shape of my coffee mug actually impact the outcome of my day? Probably not. However, we all have our quirks and rhythms we choose to walk to (please tell me I'm not the only one), and honestly, many things appear logical before sunrise that probably are not.

Most mornings I am in a rush. No matter how early I wake up or how much preparation I make for the next day the night before, I always find myself scrambling to cook my eggs, down a cup of coffee and make it out the door by 7:30 (Thank goodness my television doesn't pick up Good Morning America, I would have to wake up an hour early to compensate).

I always seem to find time to make a warm breakfast, change my clothes two times, and pick out the perfect coffee mug, all of which seem to be of the utmost importance at the time. It's the things that I let slip through the cracks, though, that truly have an impact. Something I read yesterday reminded me of that.

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

No matter what I do or how I prepare for my day, sometimes I forget that I am not the one in control. I am not in the driver's seat. I can't change the world or my own life on my own. I am so quick to forget that the Lord is the one who guides my every step. He is the one who gives me opportunities, and all good things and all blessings come from Him. 

If I am so quick to nourish my body (which I know is important), why do I sometimes neglect to nourish my soul. I love in the verse above where it talks about the morning. I have always been a morning person. There is just something special about knowing that a whole day lies ahead with moments, places, and stories to experience. This verse is such a great reminder that the Lord wants us to invite Him to go through each moment and experience of the day with us. 

The mornings I neglect to pray, the mornings I neglect to take time to stop and listen, and the mornings I neglect to spend time in the Word, I can almost always notice a difference. Not a positive one. So many days, after a few hours have passed on the clock,  I notice my thoughts becoming anxious or negative and a heavy feeling in my heart. I never once have stopped and traced those thoughts to my coffee mug. More often than not, when those feelings arise, a crucial step in my morning more than likely was neglected. 

"I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

We don't serve a God of luck or one of superstition, but one of promises. One that we can approach and trust that He will act. We can present our day to him in the morning and expect Him to act. We can expect Him to work in our lives and in the lives of those around us. He works in the good and the bad, and in the crazy and the mundane. 

I want to have a heart that draws me to the Lord from the moment I wake to the moment I sleep. I want to invite Him into my day before I even head to the cupboard or lay my fingers on a mug. Lord give me that heart. Fuel my mornings and fuel my day with a desire to be closer to you walking hand in hand, moment by moment.

Tomorrow is Wednesday. It is going to be a great day. Lord, I invite you to walk through it with me. Open my eyes to see the good, the beauty, and the opportunities you place all around me. 

Life around the table.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of two of my worlds colliding. A group of women that I am in a small group with at church came to volunteer for the nonprofit I work for.

The homeowners I get to meet, the stories I get to hear, and the conversations I get to have are by far my favorite part of what I do. Building up to the volunteer day, I was thrilled to get to share a small piece of that with this group of friends who have gained a special place in my heart over the past year.

The couple who welcomed us into their home that Saturday morning might just be two of the most delightful people I have ever met. Mr. B is a World War II veteran, and he has been married to Mrs. B. for 60 years. Their children are grown, one a missionary in Russia and the other the pastor of the local church they attend. Their living room is covered in family photos, reminiscent of years of heartfelt memories. Love lives in that home and you can feel it as soon as you walk in the door.

In the list of home repairs they asked for, Mrs. B added one request on to the end, one for her favorite room in their home. The kitchen. That's where we came in. By the time we were finished with our volunteer day, the walls and cabinets were a lovely light mint green color. Though the transformation was beautiful, something else resonated with me more.

After we painted, we put everything back in its place including the kitchen table. Though the home and kitchen were small, the table was not. The ratio of space it took up in the room spoke to its value and importance in the home. Mrs. B is constantly in her kitchen baking Amish bread (apple, pumpkin...you name it, she bakes it) and stores the loaves in the freezer to hand out to anyone who visits her home. The day our group painted, Mrs. B was at a church retreat, but baked two fresh loaves and left them for a snack since she knew we were coming. After Mr. B took a look at the paint job, we all gathered around the table, sliced up the bread, and shared what i will always cherish as a memory together.

While we were surrounding the table, Mr. B asked us all to write down our names so his wife could pray for us each by name. He kindly told us that she prays for everyone in America. We all gladly obliged. How can you say no to that?  He told us fellowship is a big part of his and Mrs. B's life and assured us that we were all welcome in their home any time we wanted to stop by.

I am currently reading a book by one of my favorite authors, Shauna Niequest, called Bread and Wine. One of my good friends, Allison, introduced me to Shauna (I like to think we are on a first name basis), and I was immediately hooked. Shauna speaks my language- food, fellowship, and stories. In all of her books, this one in particular, Shauna highlights the beauty of living life around the table. She insinuates that some of life's best moments happen while sharing the breaking of bread. I can't help but agree.

I don't know about you, but I love food. I love to bake it, cook it, and eat it. I love the colors, the smells, and the tastes. Though God created us all uniquely, there are some things we all have in common, one being that food is an essential part of our lives. I believe that beauty comes in sharing that commonality together. Perhaps God created that need in the human body to draw us together for one common purpose, to create a central meeting point in our lives, a point to stop and to share. The chance to share an old memory and the opportunity to create new ones to cherish in the process.

Some of my favorite times are spent sitting across the table from those that I love the most. Whether it is cooking a meal together or sharing conversation over a cup of coffee, there is something about the table that I love.

I love to listen, and I love stories. I love learning where people have come from, what they are going through, and what God is teaching them through it. Maybe thats why I love the table so much. It creates  a space for all of those things. A space without technology, without the scurrying of feet to get somewhere, and without an agenda.

Sharing a meal is an invitation to share the heart. Though I would love a table large enough to seat all of my closest friends, I am just as happy with one set for two.

I think Shauna and Mr. and Mrs. B have the right idea, and I hope one day, my table can be as inviting as theirs. A home, a table, and life aren't made to be empty. They are meant to be filled. Filled with heartfelt relationships and deep love and overflowing with stories of life's beauty and God's goodness.

May your life always hold a place to call home. May your home always hold a table. And may your table always be overflowing with recipes worth sharing, those people you cherish the most, and moments that make you stop and recognize God's love and blessings each and every day.

{fresh air}

Fresh air. It's a necessity, isn't it?

"Take a deep breath." "Why don't you go get some fresh air?" These are phrases typically said to us when we need to slow down, take a chill pill, or gain new perspective. Our words and actions can speak volumes, and often, those actions apparently signify that there is something we need more of-- fresh air.

Two weeks ago marked the last full week of summer. Oklahoma temperatures didn't disappoint, giving us all a nice show of temperatures in the 90's with a steady dose of humidity. Starbucks had released the Pumpkin Spice Latte early this year as a part of a "ten year celebration", sweaters and boots flooded the department stores, and the Hobby Lobby aisles were already transitioning over to Christmas decor. Everything surrounding us signified that Fall had arrived (a false sense of reality mind you). However, walking out the door of Starbucks with a steamy hot PSL into a balmy 95 degrees leaves much to be desired.

The after affects of this dual season limbo, it seemed,  were apparent every way I turned. Hobby Lobby and Starbucks are to blame. Someone has to be, right? Anticipation is a good thing sometimes, but once it takes precedence over being grateful for the present moment, it becomes a detriment. I could see it in traffic, in the demeanor of clients at work, and even in my own general disposition. I believe I even used the word "cranky" to describe myself one day. I'm never cranky. Something was wrong. My boss and I decided that we both needed to sit out on our front porches in temperatures chilly enough for a sweatshirt, with a warm coffee mug to lift the muggy air and demeanor seeming to surround everyone we encountered that week. We needed some fresh air.

 Lucky for us, our prayers were answered, and as the calendar changed seasons, so did the air.  A cool front swiftly arrived with a does of fresh crisp Autumn air. One of my favorite things to do is to watch the sunrise. Last Monday, I woke up a few minutes early, got ready for work, and headed to a coffee shop patio. The clock on my phone signified I had a few minutes to spare before the sun made it's scheduled arrival. I ordered my coffee, found an east facing chair on the patio, and I waited. As the colors began to spread on the horizon, I took a deep breath. A smile quickly spread across my face. It was the fresh air I had been waiting for. The air was crisp, my sweater was warm, and the horizon was wide and beautiful.

In the past week, I have encountered countless breaths of fresh air. I have the pleasure of meeting many new faces each week at work. The conversations I was blessed to have this week were evidence of the fresh air surrounding us. I encountered more joy, thankfulness, and optimism in the past week than I have in the past month. Maybe we all just needed a change.

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the colors, the leaves, the smells, and the tastes. The list could go on and on.  Maybe more than anything else though, I love the change. The contrast between Summer and Fall is one of the largest characteristically between seasons, in my opinion. Along with change comes new opportunities, fresh beginnings, and the chance to discover something new and beautiful that seemed to be lost in the long summer months. A change in the seasons almost seems to be a forced and necessary "breath of fresh air".

Sometimes I think we get too set in our routines, bogged down with our schedules, and so consumed with our own lives that we forget to look up and recognize what is already surrounding us. Whether it is Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter, we are surrounded with things to be grateful for, creation to be in awe of, and opportunities to make the world a better place. Sometimes it takes a change in scenery, seasons, or situations to grasp our attention long enough for us to recognize the gap between where we are and what it takes to get us to where we want to be.

Life is full of seasons, not just the ones on the calendar. The good news is though, God provides changes in our own personal seasons just when we need them. We don't have to wait 3 months for the calendar season to change to get a good dose of fresh perspective. Too often, we view change as a negative thing. We focus on what we have lost, the inconvenience, and ways we can avert shifting the way we do life. Maybe what we view as harm, God intends for good. I think the seasons in our lives are full of teaching moments. Without change, we wouldn't grow and we wouldn't move forward, and perhaps we would miss out on being a part of the very thing God created us to do. I pray that my life is full of seasons of purpose, seasons sent by God himself.

Lord, open my eyes to the seasons and changes you place in front of me. Don't let me become consumed in my desires for my own life. When I do and when I fail, send me a breath of your fresh air. Fill me up, refresh me, and guide me. Send me seasons that challenge, shape, and mold me into who you want me to become. Guide me to where you want me to be and who you want me to meet. Give me a grateful heart and servants feet no matter what season, long or short, I am in. Amen.