Autumn Days

       I have begun to notice that Summer is slipping away and Fall is beginning to dance. On my way to school the other day, leaves were scurrying and crackling across my path as the wind swirled through them in a crunchy melody. And the woods are beginning to be painted with brilliant red and orange splashes amongst the green.
       Today is the perfect sort of Autumn day. I have my knitting out and the deep reds and browns of the yarn wrap themselves around me in a cozy cocoon. The wood stove is crackling and smells oh so wonderful. The music is gently playing in the background and the cup of coffee offers itself as a pleasant afternoon respite.
        Oh the simple beauties of a Fall day in Northern Minnesota. I hope you can see the beauty around you today. Stay cozy.

“I loved autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it.”  ~Lee Maynard

Moonlight

     The other night, my husband and I went for a drive. We weren't going any where in particular, we were simply enjoying a lovely evening. There is something so beautiful and peaceful about a warm late summer day as it winds to an end. One thing that I noticed on our little adventure was the lake. As the sun goes down in a splash of purple, pink and blue it spreads its colors across the water. And then, when the sun is gone and the moon rises to the sky it dances across the lake in a magical way that inspires your heart to rest.
     Do you ever have a moment like that. A moment when you just feel a sense of rest wash over you. The radio plays a gentle tune, the wind dances through your hair and the man in the moon smiles down at you. It's like a moment of tangible grace. The circumstances that were trying to drag you down start to melt away and just like that you are reminded what grace truly is. So today, as we end a lovely Sunday, I challenge you to look for it. Let the moonlight dance, the music play, and the wind blow and feel it. Feel the grace of the One who holds you in His hand and says hear it, feel it, know it...My grace is for you. Good night.

"When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator."  ~Mahatma Gandhi

“How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank. Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music. Creep in our ears; soft stillness, and the night. Become the touches of sweet harmony.” ~Shakespeare

      

Control

        Have you ever felt in control or out of control or like you just can't quite figure out what's going on? I've been thinking about control lately because I realize that I am a control freak. This realization has been slowly settling in my mind, but truly hit home yesterday when I had to call into work sick. I agonized over the decision, thinking "But maybe I'm not really that sick? or what if I'm just being pathetic and don't want to go to work today?" Until my husband finally got through to me and told me to call my boss and go back to sleep. As I was laying there I began to realize that this early morning drama stemmed from my need to be in control. By calling in sick, I was, in a way, letting go of some of my control.
       As I have thought about this, I have come to understand that many of the things that I worry about stem from my deep seated need for control. I worry that I have to continually do things to "Make God happy with me." I often fear that if I make one wrong step God is going to remove His love and grace from me. I think to myself that I have to "cross my T's and dot my i's" I'll be doing okay.  I also see this need for control coming out in the form of OCD. For example,  I feel the pressing need to check and make sure I turned all the lights off not once but two or three times. I check and re-check things because in some way I think my mind believes that I am then in control.
        Someone once told me that by striving to take control and have the upper hand, I am ignoring God's gift of grace. And, it has occurred to me that that is what I'm trying to do. But, His grace came because we can't do it.  He so wants me and you to lay down our need for control, to simply hand it over and allow Him to have complete control. This seems kind of scary to a control freak like myself. But I don't think that I will be able to fully and completely walk in the joy of His grace until I've stopped trying to do it myself. So, my challenge to you today is to recognize that He came so we won't have to worry about the controls anymore and to lay back and enjoy the ride. Have a great Saturday.

"But You say let it go, You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one to lose control
You say you will be, everything I need
You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go."~Tenth Avenue North  


"It makes no sense to worry about things you have no control over because there's nothing you can do about them, and why worry about things you do control? The activity of worrying keeps you immobilized."  ~Wayne Dyer

 
        
     

The Choice

        I have found that the early moments in the morning, right when I'm first waking up, are the ones that fears often like to invade. So often, I open my eyes and am suddenly hit with a deluge of worry, fear or anxiety. I have come to realize that this happens because if the fears can get me down at the very beginning of the day, I'm pretty much down for the whole day. This can be very annoying and frustrating.
         Then, the other day, I woke up and the words of Joshua 24: 15 floated through my head. They say, "Choose this day whom you will serve..." And it occurred to me. Every single morning I need to wake up and make a choice, I can either choose to serve the God who loves me by trusting in Him regardless of how I feel, or I can choose to allow fear to have a grip in my life and drag me down with every passing day.
        And so, I have been trying this over the past couple of days. Fear has still tried to find a footing, but I am trying harder to consistently make the choice. And you know what, as I have been making a more conscious effort, I have been able to step back a little and see things from a different angle. Also, I have found that when I make the choice I feel more peace and closer to Jesus. Because, when I stop trying to make things right by myself, I allow God to step in and do what He does best.
         So, my challenge to you is that you would wake up every morning and consciously make the choice. Choose to trust in the One who loves you more than you will ever know. Choose to rest in His grace. Choose to not allow fear and worry to be a part of your life. Choose to live.

Joshua 24:15
"Choose this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

“A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy and nothing can stop him.” 
~Alexander Sozenitsyn



“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” ~Flora Whittemore 

Worship

        I'm in a rut. I've allowed myself to become entangled in fear and doubt and worry, and it feels as though there is no way out. Whenever I find myself in this place, I get even more frustrated because I begin to fear that God is mad at me and I can't seem to find a way to express myself and talk to Him. When I try to pray or spend time reading the Bible, I feel as though I am simply hitting a wall and I soon dissolve into more tears and fear. As I was sitting on the couch in this very predicament, I decided that since I couldn't seem to pray I would turn on some music and just spend some time in worship.
         This reminded me of King David. I love reading the Psalms because no matter what predicament David was in, He always praised God. I so desire to live my life as David did and walk through my days--both the good and the bad--in praise. And so, I began to simply worship. I didn't try to analyze what I was worrying about or try to figure it out, I simply sang. And soon the weight began to feel slightly less. Because when we allow ourselves to sit in our Father's presence the troubles of life begin to melt away.
           So, my challenge to you today is simply to be still and bring your praises to God. Believe me this may not be easy at first, thoughts and fears and the dilemmas of the day will swirl through your mind and attempt to drive you to distraction, but if you keep at it, the day will begin to fade into the background and you'll find a breathe of fresh air. He is waiting for you to simply step into His arms. So go ahead.

"Without worship, we go about miserable." ~ A.W Tozer


"The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in
God which made David dance." ~ C.S Lewis

Weekend Adventures

          I love weekends and summer makes them about a million times better. They offer up so many opportunities for adventure. This one was especially nice. The sun was shinning, friends were present and laughter was at hand. The delightfulness started on Friday when I dragged my keyboard outside and played in the sunshine, had coffee with a good friend and got the first sunburn of the summer. Friday night turned into a party when we had a spur of the moment supper for eleven people in our tiny little apartment. Saturday was spent with a couple hours on the lake with the same group of amazing friends and a cook off where my sister-in-law and I battled it out in the kitchen. And to pass the time on this lovely afternoon we rode 15 miles around the lake, got rained on and stopped for ice cream.
        And so you see, adventures abound. Their is so much life to be lived, laughs to be laughed and moments to be shared. Thanks to the One who gave us this life, we can have a smile in our hearts and truly enjoy the adventures that await us. Have a great summer.

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."  ~Henry James

"There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart."  ~Celia Thaxter

"Each fairy breath of summer, as it blows with loveliness, inspires the blushing rose."

~Author Unknown

Music

         I love music. It is like an invisible ribbon that dances around you and brings a little magic to the ordinary. Someone once told me that my husband and I were chronic music listeners. Meaning that we always have it playing. And I will admit, it's true. One of my favorite things is singing at Church. I love to open the song book and watch as the notes on the page come to life. There is something simply beautiful that happens when a multitude of voices come together and the parts blend to create a masterpiece of sound. Then, when the piano drops out and all that is heard is voices, I can't help but smile. It's beautiful, it's simple, it's a gift. So, no matter what you are dealing with today, crank up the music, close your eyes and sing out loud. Allow yourself to get lost in the sound, the dance, the wonder. And know that the One who gave us the music sings over you! Happy Saturday.

Zephaniah 3:17
"The Lord your God is with you;
      his power gives you victory.
   The Lord will take delight in you,
      and in his love he will give you new life.
   He will sing and be joyful over you."

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." ~Victor Hugo

The Hand

       The girl was walking through the field and her heart was heavy. She felt so alone and the sun seemed to have disappeared behind a cloud with no intention of coming back. Her shoulders stooped because in her hands was the largest of rocks. It was bound in ropes of fear, anxiety and doubt. The girl's steps grew slow and soon she was simply standing there with tears running down her face. Suddenly He was standing next to her with a sad look in His eyes. She looked at Him and suddenly the weight in her hand seemed so much heavier, and she said, "Why aren't you helping me with this? You promised to hold my hand on this journey and yet, here I am with this giant rock."
        He smiled a sad smile and replied, "I promised to hold your hand and be with you through the thick and thin, but you can't hold my hand when you are holding onto that load. You have to give it to me so that your hands will be free to hold mine."
        The girl looked down at the boulder in her hands, it was garish and unsightly and oh so heavy. Could she do it? she wondered. Could she really simply just hand it over? He reached out his hands and waited. She pulled back slightly, suddenly feeling protective of the heavy mess in her hands.  He said, "Will you give it to me? Will you let me hold your hand?"
        Hesitantly the girl took a step forward and moved toward handing Him the rock. A though flashed across her mind, would she really be able to simply let go of this burden that had been weighing her down for so long? Then, she just let it go. And suddenly, she realized that the boulder was gone. She looked up and He smiled at her, in his hands was the tiniest of pebbles.  As she watched the pebble continued to shrink to nothing more than a speck of dust and then it was gone.
        The girl felt a smile form on her lips and a laugh began to bubble within her. He threw back his head and laughed with her. A joyous, full, laugh. He looked into her eyes and said, "When you give your giants to me, they becoming nothing. You see, I have it under control. What seems impossible to you is easily handled when you let Me have it."
      The girl looked down at her hands and relished the delicious freedom that was there. Then, she reached out and slipped her hand into His.
   
"Close your eyes, Clear your heart, Let it go." ~Uknown

Home

        I'm excited about this weekend because of many things. First of all, it's a four day weekend for me and the sun is shining, secondly my husband and I get to go home and spend some time with my family and the third thing that is making my heart smile today is that this weekend is the anniversary of when the love of my life asked me to be his forever. But, it's the second thing that I wanted to talk about...Home.
        I love it when we get the chance to go home. My parents have always told me that no matter what, I can always come home and that is something special. My Dad and Mom have a house that is a true home. It's a place where life happens and where you are loved. It's a place that smells like fresh baked bread and cookies. It's a noisy place because I still have little sisters running around and it's a treasure trove of memories.
        As I have been thinking about homes, I realized that since I've moved and gotten married my in-laws house has also become a home to me. Spending time with my husband and his family is one of my favorite things to do on a weekend. To know that I am welcome there to be just who I am puts a smile in my heart.
        I am so truly blessed to be surrounded by love and a place called home. And all of this has led me to have a desire in my heart. I want to create a home with my husband. A place where people feel free to just stop by and be themselves. A place where love happens and life happens. A place where friends gather and memories are made. I want my house to be a place where people know that they can come to when they need a fix of home. I have been blessed, let me share it with you.


"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." ~Maya Angelou

Joshua 24:15b
"But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”  

Summer Love

      Today I woke up a little before the alarm clock and listened as a bird softly sang outside my window. School is done and Summer break is upon me. There are oh so many adventures just waiting to be had, Laughs to be shared, Memories to make and Dreams to dream. I have a whole list of things that I want to do this summer. I want to perfect my sewing skills and make myself a dress. I want to get back to playing the piano. I want to ride my bike and splash through a few puddles. I want to read a lot of books and I want to watch the fireflies dance with the love of my life by my side. But most importantly, this summer, I want to rediscover the love that God has for me. I realize that I have not always allowed myself to accept that unconditional love, to simply rest in His grace. And so, my goal is learn how to let go and simply be. To live and to laugh and love and to be loved. My prayer is that you too can learn to rest in His love today. Know that the Father's heart is for you and that He desires for you to be all that you can be. He won't let you go, sit back and allow yourself to be wrapped in the arms of the One who will never fail you. Have a great day!

The Prairie

       My Grandpa is a prairie man. What I mean by this is that he has literally planted several prairies around on his property. He spends hours out collecting wild seeds that he finds on his country drives. Now technically it takes about a 100 years for a prairie to truly be considered a prairie. But that is besides the point. I was thinking about these prairies the other day. They are so beautiful, offering up a blaze of colors every summer. They are wild and untamed and free.
        But sometimes, prairie fires happen. They rip their way through the tall grasses, bringing the once beautiful landscape to a chard mess. At first, this seems devastating, the beauty is gone and everything seems dead. But guess what, that fire is actually a good thing. It makes way for the prairie to grow back even stronger.
       It occurred to me that life is sometimes like this, we go along and everything seems beautiful and perfect and then suddenly, out of the blue, trouble strikes. These experiences often leave us feeling hopeless and abandoned. Why did it happen? why is the beauty gone? why am I left in a pile of burning ashes? And that is when the One who desires for use to be all that we can be gently whispers in our ear, "just wait, allow Me to grow you back, stronger than ever."
       Bad things do happen in life, but if we can't allow them to destroy us. Trust in the One who gave you life, lean on Him, and with His help, know that you will grow back. Be it depression, fear, financial troubles, lost loved ones etc. I encourage you to just hold on. There is beauty ahead. Even if it would seem as though all hope is lost, it's not. There is always hope for tomorrow. Allow yourself to come back stronger than ever and be ready for a new adventure.

"Healing does not mean going back to the way things were before, but rather allowing what is now to move us closer to God." ~Ram Dass