verse 19

462. reading to the three montana privettes!

james
the lord's brother
chastens...
be quick to listen
be slow to speak
i am usually
the antonym
chattering incessantly about the inane
restating my opinions
jumping in with stories
and
always always
seeking the laugh
and as i quickened my ears today
the words fell like rain
on
parched
soil

and for these i am thankful:

452. twenty-two years with my nephew cameron who left us two years ago
453. my brother, cam, who is serving our community in memory of his son today
454. students playing free rice to feed the hungry
455. wrapped presents
456. french roast coffee
457. christmas gifts from students - even some nutella!
458. cutting out heart biscuits with the montana privette girls (chris's nieces)
459. hearing little charlie (chris's nephew) try to say my name - kenling
460. my girl, the one i mentor, she is quick to listen and to forgive
461. my husband. he has loved me, does love me and will always love me:)

click here to read my latest inspired teacher article

linking with

michelle for hear it on sunday, use it on monday

ann for 1000 gifts

l.l. for on, in, and around mondays
richella for grace imparted
laura for playdates with god

jen for soli deo gloria
shanda for on your heart tuesdays
emily for tuesdays unwrapped

tcf



one of my brother's many,
awesome photos
he took more than 800 at the beach!

writing for five minutes on older

i was a baby when
he watched the hospital
from the living room window
so proud to welcome home
twin sisters
i was a little girl
when he gave me
a garden in an old drawer
and
a pony named buckwheat
we’re older now
but he’s still my big brother
and he’s a builder
and he’s a giver
and he’s a dreamer
and he perseveres
and he loves
and he hopes
and i am overwhelmed
with thanks
happy birthday, cam
love
kendal

linking with lisa jo for five-minute-friday

for a girl unknown

one of my brother cam's photos

i saw you in wal-mart
this morning
your too-tiny hand reaching
out to touch the boost
i saw you in wal-mart
this morning
your bone-thin crook
covered with cotton ball
and band-aid
you've had blood drawn
haven't you?
i don't know your name
but i know that look
in your eyes
the desperation
the anger
the fear
i don't know your name
but i know you've been
to the doctor today
and now you're ordered
to
gain
weight
and nothing scares you more
than
food
you don't know me
but i want to tell you
that
there
is
hope
you don't know me
but i want to tell you
that
the tiny part of you that wants to get better
can. win.
i've been there
touching the boost
ordered to gain
blood drawn
family terrified
i have
fought
that
battle
and won
i wish i could tell you

and for these i am thankful:

237. tomato sandwiches with fresh, homegrown tomatoes
238. my husband. he holds my hand
239. family reunions
240. finishing good books
241. my girl, the one i mentor. she answered the phone last night <3
242. worshiping with old friends and new
243. seeing the grieving family at church again
244. six days until the finley family beach trip
245. worship camp for my boys
246. scripture memory
247. financial prayers answered

linking with:

michelle for hear it on sunday, use it on monday

ann for 1000 gifts

jen for soli deo gloria

lately

for all you voyeurs, this is what's up in my world. oh, and i've included two of my brother's photos to wow you.

1. i spoke with chris (who is in guatemala) for 37 minutes on monday, our anniversary. he and the team (this is a wycliffe trip) are doing well. headed to villages for the remainder of the stay. this is a sort of training trip for him as he will lead future trips for college students into areas in which wycliffe is active.
2. my younger son, jack, makes me laugh a lot. today he said, one time i tasted a boomerang. it was good. i wanna taste another one some day. i have so many thoughts and questions.....
3. hank, the older son, asked me to play a game over the weekend. i beat out facebook and guitar to play boggle. i won.
4. i'm reading the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. i'm intrigued by a book that delves into science. what that means is this book is well-written. i'm not a fan of science if i am the one studying it.
5. and the pigs and garden? growing. pictures to follow when chris comes home with our camera!

the thursday-friday links:

christy for as of late

casey at the wiegand's

beki at the rusted chain for fingerprint friday

michelle for caffeinated randomness

studio jru for sneak peek friday

here. april 9.

i assumed there would
be no gifts
on my nephew's birthday...
he's gone...
but
his father sees
power
in this day
and
his brother
sees a day
for
remembering
and
his sister

tells him to
celebrate
and
i thought
i had missed
the snow bells this spring
but
they're here

and more and more gifts that are god's:

130. dishes to wash
131. mother-in-law who washes the dishes
132. dirt on the floor
133. garden growing new
134. my girl, the one i mentor, trying so hard
135. robin song and bluebird nests
136. grandparents' love
137. hot brownies and cold ice cream
138. twenty-two years with cameron, my first nephew

linking up with:

michelle at graceful for hear it on sunday, use it on monday
ann at a holy experience for multitude mondays
jen at finding heaven for soli deo gloria sisterhood

avalanche

forgetfulness
leaking radiator
a stack of unpaid bills
piles of ungraded papers
three places to be at one time
scary blinking orange light on the computer
husband making preparations for a trip to ghana
trivial
buried under the
trivial
and i breathe heavy sighs
and i utter petty complaints
but i crawl out of my snow cave
to listen to my brother
and he speaks of
rainbows
and
steeples
and he chokes it out
it was
cameron and god
watching
from
heaven
and i'm undone

what love is this
that rescues
us
from
the
avalanches?

linking:

emily for imperfect prose
tiffani for word women wednesday
bonnie at the faith barista for the faith barista jam
christy for as of late
beki at the rusted chain for fingerprint friday
michelle for caffeinated randomness
studio jru for sneak peek friday
jennifer v. davis

in which i show you where i live....

my house (left) and husband's wood shop (right)

it's one of those mornings
that my mind is whirring
can't settle on anything
just chattered to my husband
(not with, because that
would indicate he had
a chance to speak)
for 14 minutes
and covered 22 topics
left unchecked
i would spin for the day
so...i will
make a schedule
make a list
and start with
my thankfuls.

my father-in-law's place (left) and my house (right)
the sun is hitting the ridges....

do you have days like this?

for these i am thankful:

76. home
77. forest
78. aerial photos of
      home and forest
      thanks, cam!
79. my girl,
      the one i mentor,
      is making progress.
      small steps.
      but steps.
80. my husband. he was
      my preacher yesterday.
      and i am proud.
81. cam, my brother, and his wife
      they live and love and serve
      and haven't let grief consume
82. god's word which is living and active!
83. baseball
84. soccer
85. vick's vapo-rub

the links:

write-in candidate

there's a scripture i love in isaiah.
41:8-13
there was a dark time
years ago
an i-wish-i-could-beat-this time
and

i read the scripture

and

i wrote myself in

i read the scripture
and
wrote ED (eating disorder) in
and
held on to
truth

But you, kendal, my servant,
whom I have chosen,
you my friend,

I took you from the ends of the earth,

from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
ED who rages against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;

he who opposes you

will be as nothing and perish.
Though you search for ED,
you will not find him.
He who wages war against you
will be as nothing at all.
For I am the LORD your God
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.

what is your battle today?

write yourself in.
hold on to
truth.

i'm working on naming 1000 gifts in my life along with ann voskamp (her post today is about a birth and has precious baby pics!). and for these i am thankful:

21. my brother's aerial photos

22. grandparents for my boys

23. jack's drum set (really)

24. hank's guitar

25. missionaries

26. snow days

27. my blogger community

28. my husband who gets in wood

29. my girl, the one i love, the one i mentor,

      is safe <3

and linking up with jen for soli deo gloria sisterhood!













and a new linky for me:

gates

i was seven and at church camp with my family. camp susan barbour jones. i remember losing a tooth. my brother remembers a pool/swamp. he calls it the crappy camp. but i remember something else. a speaker. he was in a wheelchair, maybe? he had been to heaven. i perked up as he told his story of a car crash, being declared dead, going to heaven and being revived. i hung on every word. scripture isn't very detailed about heaven. maybe because we wouldn't be able to think about anything else if we knew it all?  i have to admit that i've had reservations about heaven. not that i don't want to go there, but i can't imagine not missing earthly things. and what if i get tired of singing? or what if it isn't real and i don't get to see family members? i feel like a horrible christian for admitting it.

i was intrigued by a human perspective on heaven then, and now, thirty-three years later, i still am. even though it's been out since 2004, i just read 90 minutes in heaven (on my kindle. which is awesome) by don piper. a truly compelling story not only of heaven but of courage and perseverance and faith. so, this guy, too, has been to heaven. again, a car crash, the pronouncement, heaven and revival. what i loved most was learning that he saw family members, didn't worry about earth, loved the music and felt an overwhelming sense of joy. all the time.

i told my sister and her daughter about it. they gasped. my niece's eyes lit up. she moved in closer. is it a true story? you bet, kiddo. we didn't say it, but we were thinking it - we'll get to see cameron and pops for sure. and there will be no more night and no more tears. and all things, all things, will be made new. (revelation 21 & 22) amen.

what are your thoughts on heaven?

four smiles

1. a great read: Burning Bright, short stories by ron rash. north carolina mountains author. north carolina mountains stories. loved it. you should read it. just saying.
2. another great read: Three Little Words, a memoir by ashley rhodes-courter. a little ouchie and a lot hopeful, this is a story about a young girl's life in foster care.
3. i'm kind of mentoring (?) a young lady as she battles anorexia. she gave me a painting she did just for me for christmas. hopeful colors. hopeful verse. she is beautiful
4. my brother climbed this tree to hang this star in remembrance of his son and the son. i'm so proud to be his sister.

6:07 AM, no time for a title

i couldn't decide between serious or not so today. so....both. i'm posting my favorite picture from the thanksgiving weekend. it may or may not be my son who is or isn't leaping over the couch onto what may or may not be the sofa bed, and my brother may or may not be condoning this behavior by shooting the picture instead of yelling, stop!

and now, on perspective:



number of times today that i wished for a new car:
2? 3? 14?
percentage of people, world wide, who own a car:
8
number of times i sighed today because we're on water rations at our house due to a a temporary electrical problem:
11
number of people who lack access to safe drinking water:
1.4 billion
amount of boy scout chocolate covered caramel popcorn i ate last night just for the sake of eating, not because i was hungry:
2 cups
number of malnourished people in our world:
1 billion
number of Bibles strewn carelessly about our house:
14
number of people in the world with no Bible available in their primary language:
340 million

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Linking up with emily:

thanksgiving honesty

today should be a big
thanksgiving post
a list
some photos
some joy
but i'm struggling with that
when i try
i feel bitter over the losses
when i try
i feel guilty for what i have
so i 'm spending the time
praying
for those who have lost -
cam and tammy
buddy and crystal
quinn and gabe
for those who are battling -
friend
friend
friend

and having done so
i can turn around
and
praise
thank
serve

Linking up with emily at chatting at the sky (her last tuesdays unwrapped) and jen at finding heaven.

shoes to fill

My brother, Cam, wrote this last week. I want to share:

In Michael J. Fox's book, "Always Looking Up", he encourages his readers to immediately enjoy moments when our children desire our attention. Do not say "wait a few minutes, I'll be back". By then the polish will have worn off of their excitement.

In November, maybe around Thanksgiving, Cameron was keyed up about a new pair of hiking boots he'd purchased. I stopped what I was doing to listen to him explain how light, waterproof and supportive they were. He said, "Try 'em on Dad". I did. They fit perfectly and were just as he'd described. Nice boots, buddy.

No way of knowing this would be his last pair of shoes. On our recent Troop hikes in the Colorado Rockies, those were the boots I wore. Over rocks, through water and snow. Up the mountains he loved. And I thought; "Wow, Cameron, these are perfect". I felt connected to Cameron. Thanks, son.

I rested on a rock overlooking a beautiful, icy lake at 10,000 feet, surrounded by majestic, snow covered mountains. I'd stepped into the lake and soaked one boot, so I took off the boots to dry and reflected. As tears rolled down my cheeks, I told some scouts and leaders how much it meant to me to have taken the time to listen to Cameron that day and to try on his boots.

So I pass along this story, my friends, hoping that you may apply it in your life; to stop and listen to your loved ones as you can. Absorb their excitement; their interests, their love. Little is as important. It's worth it.

-Cam Finley

Linkingup with Beki at the Rusted Chain. Fits the theme....