The Laundry

The Laundry
The hamper is never empty
Because our lives are always full.

Full.

The grass streaks = playing at the park
The milk spit-up= sweet baby snuggles
The grease stains= how hard he works for us
The chocolate drips= yummy ice-cream dribbling down her chin
The spaghetti sauce= squeals of delight while squishing noodles

I plan and strategize and map out ways.
Ways to empty that hamper.

But they never fully work.
The clothes pile up like breeding bunnies-
Beyond belief before my eyes.

I sigh.
I groan.
And kick that hamper.

But then…I remember.

The hamper is never empty
Because our lives are so blessedly full.

Lately

Hello Friends.

It has been quite a while. 🙂

Between this toddler chasing (see Exhibit A)

Exhibit A

Exhibit A

and this baby birthing (see Exhibit B)

Exhibit B

Exhibit B

I haven’t had time to sleep. Yet alone write.

But I have missed you. Greatly.

All of this hullabaloo hasn’t dampened my love of words, of passion, of living a fixed-gaze life. Rather, my focus has been refined, further and further.

Lately?

I still love my golden-haired guy. He is my rock and sacred joy. I love laughing with him when all we want to do is yell because the toddler threw rice all over the floor again and the baby is crying forever.

I adore my exuberant toddler. She is so curious and so sweet and so joyful- she makes my heart sing.

I am swooningly in love with my new rosy, plump, delicious baby. She is as perfect as a babydoll.

I love my friends- and those who will one day be my friends. (Kindred spirits are hidden everywhere, you know.) In fact, I love them even more than ever in these whirlwind days of babies all around. They bring color and sanity and gladness to my days. I adore them.

I love life. There are so many wonderful things in this world. Sunshine on water, bird calls through my window, the joy of cleaning out clutter, the satisfaction of a good book, the rapture of a gorgeously-shot film, a strong body, hopeful plans. So much to partake.

The Beautiful Life

And I love Jesus. More than ever. More each moment. The last year has been hard and deep. At times almost, almost, too hard and too deep. But He has always been here. And He has made me strong. How? By constantly holding me up. Forever I am grateful, forever I am His.

So that’s where I’ve been.

I’d love to hear where you’ve been lately.

And I can’t wait to see where we’ll go next.

Until then.

E

On the Run

Mountains
“For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (
New King James Version, James 4:14b)

A rushed life. A hectic life. Busy, dizzy, blaring. Intoxicating, nauseating.

Why do we live such roaring lives? Why fear the quiet, the halt?

Is it because we are running away?

A blank calendar leaves us space to recall we only have so many days. A turned-off screen brings us back to reality where we’re finite and frail.

So tiny in the scheme of things. So little in the light of eternity.

It’s terrifying really. Here we are, fantastically intelligent creatures, housed in magnificently-tuned bodies, plopped in the middle of a glorious planet, swirling in an endless sea of universe.

How can we be so magnificent yet so fragile, our lives ever hanging in the balance?

Distraction shushes our terror.

And yet.

And yet what if there is something better? Something better than this sickening distraction?

What if we are called to fully uncover our weakness- to fill our eyes, fill our souls with the nakedness and the glory of our existence?

Our souls are bare before God. How far we fall from His perfect standard. We are an almost invisible vapor; He is the immortal Matter of all matters. Seeing our bankruptcy on every account causes us to run to Him. He is the deep well we must draw, He is the eternal life we must have. If only we let Him, He takes away our shame; He removes our failings; and He covers us.

We can face our finiteness and our frailty- because He is strong. We can face our weakness- because He is good. And we can face our smallness- because it means we fit in His hand.

No need to run anymore.

 

The Friendship Series: The Quiet Ones

The Quiet Ones

Hello there. 🙂 It’s been awhile since we met. Between chasing summer sunshine and a busy toddler, it’s been hard to drop in. But here I am, ready to continue our discussion on friendship…

Today, let’s talk about the Quiet Ones. Yes, the introverts. Although not an expert on personality types, I am an introvert and have learned a thing or two about dealing with these unique creatures. 🙂

To start, not all introverts are quiet. (I simply use the term “Quiet Ones” as an affectionate name for the souls who recharge on their own.) And not all introverts dislike people. In fact, I would venture to say that many, many introverts actually love people. It’s just that, unlike our extrovert counterparts, we can only take so much of others. People may engage us, inspire us, interest us, and warm us- but they also deplete us. Seriously. We need to gear up to be with other humans- and then we need to recharge afterwards. That’s just the way we’re wired.

But don’t let our seeming finickiness scare you away! We can be some of the most loyal, thoughtful, and steady friends you’ll ever have- with all our own quirks to boot. We just need some special care. Here are a few tips:

1. Choose quiet settings. We are much more apt to enjoy a coffee date than an all-night rave. Being more sensitive to stimulation, calmer settings put us at ease. We can then let our guard down and connect.

2. Smaller is better. Although we may find the mixer event to be a fun novelty once in a while, we are much more comfortable in small group settings- even one on ones. We can better give of ourselves when we only have a few people to interact with- our energy reserves go further. Put us in the middle of too many people and we can start to “hermit” away….

but….

3. Don’t let us hermit away! Yes, we may need breaks from people and space for our souls to breathe, but we also NEED people! Despite what we may think sometimes. 🙂 Don’t give up on us if we’re quiet or seem aloof. We are probably hungering to be your friend- we just need a warm up.

4. Write us a note. Not pigeonholing here, but words mean a lot to almost every introvert I know. So try writing us a note. I bet we’ll keep it for an insane amount of years, stored away in a Rubbermaid box in our bedroom closet, waiting for our heirs to sort through all the papers someday. Not that I know from personal experience or anything. 😉

5. Forgive us. Finally, as introverts, we need forgiveness. Often. Sometimes our need to be alone- to recharge solo and focus on ourselves- can slip unconsciously into selfishness. We don’t mean to be selfish. Truly. We just need reminders that there are so many people besides us- in the physical world outside our heads. 🙂

What about you? Do you know a Quiet One you can uniquely bless today?

Rain-Soak

Rainsoak
Hide me under a rain-soaked tree,
The weighted tendrils dripping over me.

I’m in love with these rainy weeks,
And all the grey days they bring.

Like autumn redone-
Though just a fleeting gift-
‘Fore the season of summer.

But I’ll take this excuse,
And choose the scarf, tea, and covers.

I’m so in love with these days.
Revel.

Me and my mini-Oregon.

Weighted Tendrils