One Quiet Life

During the time between my grandmother's passing and her funeral, the four granddaughters sifted through photos to put together a memorial collage. Looking at those pictures, many of which I'd never seen, was like walking through my grandparents' life together. As we narrowed them down to create a collage that adequately captured my grandmother's spirit, one in particular jumped out at me.  I couldn't stop staring at it. To see the photograph and read more, join me at Out of the Ordinary .

A while ago my friend Trisha reviewed Pursue the Intentional Life by Jean Fleming. I already had the book on my wishlist. Trisha's review  sparked me to move it off the wishlist and into my shopping cart. Sometime after that, Becky told me she was reading as well and suggested the three of us write a series of blog posts about the impact the book has made on our lives. Join me over at Trisha's lovely blog today as we continue discussing how to finish well and pursue an intentional life.

After a summer sabbatical from Out of the Ordinary, I'm back to pay tribute to my grandparents. They lived their lives in accordance to Psalm 16:5-6 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. You can read the post here .  Meanwhile, I'm continuing to ponder long and hard the intentional and ordinary life.  

Two women stand behind us in line. I judge they are perhaps 10 years my senior, but it's hard to tell. I inwardly cringe as one bursts into a litany of complaints and coarse language. The other can hardly stop talking about who she's tweeting and snap chatting while we wait. One as salty as a sailor, the other as giddy as a schoolgirl. I see myself in these women. A complainer who makes those around her miserable. A foolish woman too mesmerized by social media to be a friend to someone standing right beside her. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Lisa's friend passes away. A woman I've never met, but will one day. Her example to Lisa became an example to me. While she is just beginning to understand what it means to worship God fully, her family and friends mourn a life ended too soon. I consider the woman I long to be. A woman who, in Lisa's words , "...believes the good news of the gospel to be true; she believes it, she needs it, she banks her life on it." ...

This space has been dormant for a month. I never intended to take an extended break. Time has passed in slow rhythm frequently broken by the frenetic pace of a girl growing up too fast. These are days I want to remember, to savor and cherish. They are my treasures, not for public consumption and so the blog has remained quiet. And, truth be told, I've been too busy watching Masterpiece Theater and reading excellent books to think about writing and so the blog has remained quiet. Although I haven't written any blog posts, I've read plenty. Sometimes with a resounding "Amen!"; sometimes shaking my head in disbelief. More often than not, realizing much of what happens in Fantasy Land (as my beloved has dubbed social media) should have little impact on - or value in -  my life and so the blog has remained quiet. Although I haven't made my presence known here, I've been present with family and friends. Long and thoughtful conversations arou...

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh?" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand. "I just wanted to be sure of you.”   ~A.A. Milne I've known him exactly half of my life. Soon, life with him will overtake life without him. Truth be told, it's hard to remember when he wasn't here. Those years are dim images dusty with cobwebs and time. The older I become, the further they fade away. Today marks 21 years of cleaving to each other, of adhering firmly and closely or loyally and unwaveringly ( source ).  Our marriage is marked by God's indelible grace and His unending goodness. As I contemplate these decades together, I'm thankful for: ~laughing together ~crying together ~worshipping together ~loving together ~grieving together ~working together ~traveling together ~cooking together ~eating together ~walking together ~parenting together ~growing older together ~praying toge...

It's been a long while since I've written a Thankful Thursday post. I'm hoping this will spark my blogging creativity and that I'll start posting with some sort of regularity again. This month, I've been especially thankful for: ~fresh strawberries, picked from a local patch ~celebrating my dad's birthday ~Mother's Day with some of my favorite people, on a baseball diamond in one of my favorite places ~some particularly good books, among them Made for More: An Invitation to Live in God's Image and True Beauty . More to come on both. ~my pastor and his wife ~days of sunshine after what seemed like a constant deluge of rain ~the unconditional love of my husband and my daughter ~the gospel Blessings all mine, with 10,000 beside!