put-here-for-me

chris's dishes and daffodils and nepal-hiking and fathering

this man that
God
put-here-for-me
washes dishes
secretly plants eighty daffodils
in
october
for my february enjoyment
tends to
chickens and teenagers and driving
after
dark
this man
loves my age spots
are you sure they aren't birthmarks?
he
loves
my
every
fiber
he teaches his boys
wrestling

woodworking

wife-loving

and

the word

and
this man that
God
put-here-for-me
is taking his Jesus-walk
to
honduras in 47.5 hours

and

humbly covets our

prayers

for whom are you especially thankful this day?

linking with kelly, laura, jen, jennifer, barbie, sharita

basic

feeling thankful
this morning
and isn't this basic
to
the
walk?
i will give thanks to you, 
Lord, 
with all my heart; 
i will tell of all your 
wonderful 
deeds:
hank home from ten weeks of running and yes, drill sergeanting
a generous gift-that-helps-so-much
jack's wide smile 
husband in the kitchen
tomatoes and squash and cantaloupe and corn
dogs that guard the tomatoes and squash and cantaloupe and corn
sunrise, every day
and
music that points me to the one who 
gives
all
good 
gifts

what are your thankfuls today?

linking with  kelli, laura, jen, jennifer, barbie, sharita

this is when you come alive

this is when you come alive -
missionary shirt-clad
and
balancing tattered bible
on open hand

and this is when you come alive -
speaking jesus,
interpreter-by-your-side,
to the seekers on pews or benches or floor
this globe trekking wasn't on our horizon

twenty-seven years ago
but god
opened us
so

every time you leave for a

far-away-pulpit

i love you more
and this is when you come alive

how about you? when does your love come alive?

linking with michelle, laura, amber

sunday sound bites

in wal-mart i overheard a customer say to his wife -
i hope they have them sanny clause cakes
i grinned,
thinking about a grown man
hoping for the sanny clause cakes
and
in church our pastor explained the ephesians 6 armor -
you know when we think about something really big
like the number of stars in the universe
we say we can't wrap our minds around it
well, the helmet of salvation means 
wrapping the gospel around our minds
letting it envelope all we are and all we do
i groaned,
thinking about how often i leave that helmet in the hall closet
and
at home i heard my husband, after a spate of anger toward an apple peeler, say to our son -
i'm sorry
i sighed,
thankful for a man who wears his gospel helmet well

what did you hear this weekend?

linking with:

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, kathy for titus 2 confessions,  joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, jennifer for tell his story, jen for soli deo gloria, emily for imperfect prose

the 6:4 man

this is chris,
my husband of twenty-one years
he makes persimmon pudding
puts the seat down
kills spiders
changes tires
washes dishes
travels the world
plays ping pong with his sons
speaks reason into my chaos-mind
and
calls me beautiful
but what i love best?
he's an ephesians 6:4 man
teaching his children
to jesus-walk this earth
and
this is the greatest a man can be

what has god shown you about a family member lately?

linking with - 

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, heather for just write,  joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, jennifer for tell his story, jen for soli deo gloria, emily for imperfect prose

fever, australia and a chris mug

a thankful list is in order this morning....

for jack's fever coming down
for chris and team safely in australia
for hank's music
for fox darting roadside in the cool morning
for chocolate-chip-cookie-ice-cream-nutella second breakfast
for squash ready on vine
for forty-seven hours without finding lizard poop near the fridge
for this retro chris chris chris coffee mug
for this word, a david-prayer that i'm feeling today -
who am i, o lord,
and what is my house
that you have 
brought
me
thus
far?

what are your thankfuls this morning?

linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, jennifer for tell his story, jen for soli deo gloria, my freshly brewed life and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

twenty-one: the email anniversary (and a ministry update)

today is our anniversary

chris in lavege last year

(twenty-one)
and
last year
we were once-in-a-lifetiming it
in the carribean
but
this year is real -
chris is in tomorrow
sharing jesus with the generations
and
i'm home making lists -
trash
blueberries - cover with net
strawberries - pick and freeze
walkway weeding
bathrooms
dusting....
but
no matter where we are
he is a portion of my very being
and
i'm so glad i said yes

how about you? what do you do for your anniversaries?

*ministry update: chris and his team have arrived (finally) in australia and should be in lavege, papua new guinea in the next twenty-four hours. there, they will show the jesus film and work on simple translations. these GET global trips (wycliffe) are for the purpose of exposing young people to the translation process. please pray for safety, wisdom, courage, luggage location and good health. thanks!

linking with jennifer and emily today.

on closing boxes

chris closed his boxes

this morning,
snapping the red latches on
cameras
batteries
projector
jesus film
(yarn?)
and
it's atlanta-aukland-port moresby
to lavege,
an electricless village
in papua new guinea
he'll have
eleven teens in tow
to practice basic translation
to show film in heart language
to jesus-walk these seventeen days....
chris closed his boxes
this morning
and
we covet your prayers
amen

linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, jennifer for tell his story, jen for soli deo gloria, my freshly brewed life and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

how to receive deadish flowers for mother's day

1. become the teensiest bit a flower nerd
2. develop the tiniest problem with jealousy
3. whine at least once a week in april over the lack of wake robins in your wildflower garden
4. jump up and down a little when your brother mentions the veritable carpet of wake robins below the farm's falls
5. marry a guy who listens (wait. that should be number one....)
6. and voila! deadish flowers on the porch for mother's day!

seriously, they aren't actually dead, just the blooms are over. my husband and brother contrived, despite the busy season, to meet at the farm, tramp up to the falls, and dig. this makes my heart do some flips because i'm reminded that chris is an ephesians man, living out paul's directive to love me as christ loved the church. and i'm so glad to travel this motherhood road with him by my side.

how about you? did you give or receive any interesting gifts this year?

linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, jennifer for tell his story, jen for soli deo gloria, my freshly brewed life and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

dear chris (if i could chatter in your ear today)

my chris, on mission

i would tell you....

the chickens have been cooped 

for two whole days 

(an accident)

the dog was sprayed by a skunk 

23 seconds after 

i fed him this morning

(i sprinted in, so i was spared)

i seem to have left my cloak of patience 

at home today

(maybe it's on the laundry room floor?)

i devised my own stinkbug trap, 

and ten died because of it

(evil-witch laugh)
hank found his 
lost-jacket-that-caused-us-angst
(at the wrestling club)

i love you 

(to the moon and back sixty-three-trillion times)

and

i would tell you

if i could chatter in your ear

today

linking with -

tracy at my daily walk

michelle for caffeinated randomness

studio jru for sneak peek friday
grace for FYBF
beholding glory for faith-filled friday
oikos living for true vine challenge

shooting the half

it's winter and
the friday night lights are dark
the stadiums empty
it's winter and
the mats are rolled out
across the gym floor
it's winter and
the wrestling is constant
at home
the father, the sons
they talk it
practice it
watch it
cross face, break him down, shoot the half
ya know,
under the christmas tree....
and
maybe i'm a novice with the language
maybe i don't know what to yell at a match
maybe i have a very real fear that the tree will crash
but
this father, son, brother time?
sigh. long, contented, happy sigh.

linking with -

jen for god bumps, joy for life:unmasked, emily for imperfect prose, grace for FYBF, michelle for caffeinated randomness and studio jru for sneak peek friday

where i found a love note....

writing for five minutes on roots:



this is the pan i use and love. click here for details



i found a note in my bundt pan this morning

i love you

from my husband

who knew i would bake

at 4:30

and wanted to remind me

this love?

rooted,
grounded
in
christ
and
i found a note in my bundt pan this morning

linking with -
the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday

michelle for caffeinated randomness

studio jru for sneak peek friday
grace for FYBF
beholding glory for faith-filled friday

waiting for the sun - how anorexia affected our marriage

the mountain road called my name
but saturday was gray and dripping
so i set my asics aside
to wait for the sunday sun
and
the deluge reminded me
of the rainy season
in our marriage
when ed (anorexia) had slipped in
and i loved him most
because chris threatened my thinness
i was
self-destructive
determined
hard-hearted
and
chris was
confused
afraid
angry
we were gray and dripping
but we waited for the sun
and in the waiting we listened
to god and wise counsel
and in the waiting we worked
at love
and in the waiting we began
to turn from ourselves
until a new day
arrived

how about you? what do you do in the waiting?

continuing to count his gifts to 1000 -

784. gathering eggs
785. first soup of the season
786. field trip success (we didn't see a snake)
787. time for naps
788. grocery shopping with my husband
789. son dressed up for dinner and a dance
790. a friend's book on the way

linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, l.l. for on, in, and around mondays

joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, elaine for miss elaine-ous monday, jen for soli deo gloria shanda for on your heart tuesdays and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

on marriage - the lost words

the pastor spoke to his wife
from the pulpit today
when he couldn't find a word
i'm drawing a blank, honey
and she knew what he needed
(franco)
this symbiosis
is a treasure,
and one i take for granted
i would be the pastor's wife
caught not paying attention
unable to provide the lost word
so today i give intentional thanks
for my marriage
for finding each others' words
for cooking together
for ballgames side by side
for together
i love you, chris

how about you? what do you take for granted? for what are you thankful?

and continuing to count all of god's gifts to 1000 -

755.  fudge icing on fresh pound cake
756.  taking my dog for a walk in the early morning
757.  parents who check their teens' whereabouts
758.  a few days of rest
759.  friends who cook for us
760.  touchdowns
761.  meals with all of us home
762.  college planning
763.  passport applications for the boys

linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, l.l. for on, in, and around mondays

joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, elaine for miss elaine-ous monday, jen for soli deo gloria shanda for on your heart tuesdays and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

much

my husband's pictures brought
papua new guinea
to life on my screen -
it's called paradise for a reason
flowers, palm trees, birds, the blue pacific
but these two caught my breath
and
i want to remember this bible in the mornings
when choosing
facebook or psalms,
blog stats or galatians

and i want to remember these feet

on sunday when i sigh heavy

in my closet

thinking there's nothing to wear to church
and
i want to remember
the much in my life
so i'm

continuing to count his gifts to 1000-

730.  cutting my husband's hair

731.  dinner, all four of us

732.  olympics

733.  students!

734.  time for training my dog, moses
735.  seventy-five degrees
736.  conversations with nieces and nephews

737.  college for my girl, the one i mentor

linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, l.l. for on, in, and around mondays

joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, elaine for miss elaine-ous monday, jen for soli deo gloria shanda for on your heart tuesdays and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

wednesday night news, verklempt and a prayer for sons

• my dog, moses, has hurt my feelings. he's been trekking down the mountain to my brother-in-law's house to hang out with their dog and their kids and their red tire swing. and i feel bereft and not enough, but lucy snapped this pic. how can i stay mad at this, my favorite dog ever?
• i found myself verklempt when i heard my husband's voice on the phone last night - all the way from papua new guinea! the team is well and will be home in nine days.
• i came upon this, one of paul's prayers, today. and i made it for my sons because what better plea could i lift up for those guys?

i have not stopped giving thanks for you
(hank and jack)
remembering you in my prayers
i keep asking that the god of our lord jesus christ
the glorious father
may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation
so that you may
know
him
better

so what's going on in your life? what prayers do you take from scripture to pray for your loved ones?

linking with:

jen for god bumps, joy for life:unmasked, grace for FYBF, faith links, carina for i am thankful, beki at the rusted chain, michelle for caffeinated randomness and studio jru for sneak peek friday

vacation rentals

we scraped and saved
adding bills to a wrinkled business envelope
for nearly a year
so
we could rent a cottage on the caribbean
for a week
we flew and ferried and drove
to keel point on anegada
and the promises of stunning beauty
were real
but we got much more than
a vacation rental
and blue water
and seafood
and souvenirs
we got a lot of no's
no interruptions
no phones
no tv
no internet
no people
just time together to celebrate these years
twenty of them
and even beyond that
i learned that i am okay with myself
if i'm not blogging
if i'm not running
if i'm not in control of home
and this?
stunning beauty

how about you? what's going on with your summer?

linking with:

emily for imperfect prose
jen for god bumps
joy for life:unmasked
seeds of faith for #ifellowship

for chris: flowers from a ditch

queen anne's lace
adorns the dusty roadside
tall and white,
opening proud
and it's my wedding flower
it's strong,
difficult to uproot
and
it's beauty from nothing
and
it
is
always
which  is everything i want
us to be
protecting
trusting
hoping
persevering
always

what reminds you of your wedding?

continuing to count his gifts to 1000

663. pat, the cutest kitten on earth
664. moses, our dog, tolerating pat
665. fresh strawberries from the garden
666. seeing friends from small group
667. time for naps
668. looking forward
linking with:

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, l.l. for on, in, and around mondays

joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god jen for soli deo gloria shanda for on your heart tuesdays and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

lesson from a pasture



photo credit

my husband's brief encounter with a cow on friday
has unraveled my heart
and
left an image burned
behind my eyes
she was a black cow and she stood
all day in the same spot
seeking neither water nor shade
curious, he left the mower
and approached the fence
that cow
that stoic black cow?
was protecting
her
dead
baby
from buzzards
and
there's always a bigger picture
we just have to go
to the fence to see it

how about you? any lessons from unusual places lately?

continuing to count his gifts from 1-1000 -

610. the chickens have left my living room!!!
611. a chipper message from my girl, the one i mentor
612. vegetable garden, planted
613. fresh herbs
614. back to school this week
615. baseball

linking with:

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, l.l. for on, in, and around mondays

joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god jen for soli deo gloria and
shanda for on your heart tuesdays

when the goodbyes left

writing for five minutes on goodbye

i met this football player
in 1986
we went to a ballgame
for our first date
and
he kept calling and coming around
and
it was love
but the goodbyes
after the dates,
i hated them....
twenty years ago
he asked me the question
(i said yes)
and then knew
the goodbyes would leave
and this lack of goodbyes?
it is my favorite part
of
marriage

how about you? if you're married, what do you like most?

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday
beki at the rusted chain for fingerprint friday

michelle for caffeinated randomness

studio jru for sneak peek friday