One Quiet Life

This week, I am particularly thankful for: Twenty-two years of marriage, thanks to the love of a godly man & the Lord's abundant grace. We're closing in on knowing each other longer than not knowing each other. We are in a sweet spot right now and I don't want to take that for granted. A quiet neighborhood that allows me to hear the birds singing. These words from my niece. Her daughter has been diagnosed with a rare disease, but she's not taking it lying down. My heart breaks for the road she walks every day, but I remember God's sovereignty and goodness even in this hard thing. Precious girl... Support near and far for my niece's family. The Lord is pouring out His goodness upon them. If you'd like to join us in prayer, please visit http://www.talynnsjourney.com/  for more information. The opportunities the Lord is giving my girl to grow this summer. God's mercy and grace. I'm so thankful He chose me because I never, never ...

This space has remained quiet for a long time. Perhaps too long. Sometimes I wonder if I should brush away the cobwebs, start writing here again. I look at the list of half-written draft posts and ask myself if I'll ever finish them. Then there's the question of who's still reading, and if I'm writing for you few or for myself. Every time I think of blogging again, I inevitably ask myself what I want this blog to be.  It seems paradoxical to talk too much, given my blog title. I live a quiet life, filled with ordinary days. Nothing particularly noteworthy to share. The things that mean the most to me are the simple moments that make up my days. Long conversations with my daughter about today, tomorrow, and the dreams of her life. Sitting on the front porch with my husband, talking about subjects both serious and not-so-serious and watching blue birds dart through the evening sky. Getting lost in a good book. Nurturing relationships outside of a compute...

Today I'm over at Out of the Ordinary, rambling on with my thoughts on common grace.  You can read it by clicking here .

 Three years ago today, my Mama slipped the earthly bonds of this life. Today, I remember... Nearly three weeks ago, my husband dropped our daughter off at my parents. Several hours later, she called in tears. She'd found Mama unresponsive in the bedroom. And so began the longest two weeks of my life. Even in those first hours, I could see His grace upon grace .  Living only 10 minutes from my parents, and reaching the house before the EMTs whisked Mama away. A dear friend coming in to the ER, although she wasn't scheduled to work. Strength to stay awake all night with my Dad and my sister, as we waited for test results. Clarity of mind to make decisions. Mama was transported to a large hospital over an hour away. During the days that followed, I was blessed with friends nearby who opened their home, friends who prayed, friends who provided meals for my family.  A boss who understood I needed to be with Mama. Traveling mercies on those journeys. An ama...

It seems I’m always one step away from being completely overwhelmed by social media. I’ve purged my Twitter and Instagram feeds and I’ve radically altered my Facebook settings. These changes have made social media more enjoyable for me. I can better process what I see. I don’t feel as if I’m dodging a barrage of words and images being hurled at me at lightning speed. Pinterest is another story. Click here to read the rest.

Aimee's review of Michael Horton's  Ordinary: Sustainable Faith in a Radical, Restless World piqued my interest. I knew this was a book I needed to read, particularly since thoughts of the ordinary life had been swirling around in my brain for quite some time. I knew I needed to step off the merry-go-round of my own self-importance, to give in to the lure of a quiet and ordinary life. I reached out to a couple of friends and asked them to join me. Together, the three of us have begun reading and contemplating Horton's book and exhorting each other to run the race of the ordinary Christian life. We will spend all of 2015 doing so. I'm still considering if I will blog through the book. At first, I thought I'd only be sharing quotes; however, I've quickly realized that even if I only posted the quotes I've found most significant, you wouldn't need to purchase the book! I've thought that once a week I'll share something I'm learning from the...

After a longer-than-intended blogging break, I'm back today at Out of the Ordinary to discuss aging gracefully. You can read the article here .