potatoes in the herb garden (when god wrecks your plans)

jack and i labored long over

from left to right: potato, basil, sage
all over: rye

the raised bed,
just the right perimeter stones
in just the right places
i carefully selected soil
from the fresh-tilled vegetable garden
and collected organic fertilizer
from the chickens
(thank you, girls)
a gentle watering
and then the waiting for
thyme
sage
basil
oregano
cilantro
parsley
to create their pinterest-worthy tangles of yum
but what's this?
rye? corn? (thank you, girls)
and....
a potato?
sigh.
i pulled the rye and corn
(i continue to pull rye and corn)
but i am leaving that potato plant
because
new potatoes with sage and parsley?
it's what we do when life hands us
potatoes
i am so thankful that our lord sees fit to
wreck
our
plans
or i wouldn't have this blog
or i wouldn't this testimony
or i wouldn't have my girl, the one i mentor
or i wouldn't have this stronger marriage
so these potatoes?
i will savor
every
bite
amen.

what about you? what do you have because god wrecked your plans?

linking with jennifer and emily today.

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

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

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

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

the 19-year list



our friends' daughter and new husband

the wedding was beautiful -
flowers
music
dresses
tuxedos
smiling and vows
unity candle
sweet embrace
party
food
cake
cheering...
her dad married them
he married us, too
and
chris and i,
arms around each other,
watched our boys
play horseshoes
at the reception
and i was thinking that
i know we are solid
but the list?
19 years in?
looks more like...
air conditioner on the car broken, again
checking account strained
the car we bought for hank not doing so well
garden ravaged by raccoons
water heater not heating water
one of the cats gone missing
we're not riding in on a horse-drawn carriage
with a crowd of loved ones cheering us on
but
chris and i,
arms around each other,
watching our boys
play horseshoes
at the reception
know that we are solid
without even saying it
to have and to hold?
in sickness and in health?
for better or worse?
i
will.

and for these i am thankful:

263. my girl, the one i mentor, coming home!
264. a week with my family
265. my friend karrie had her baby!
266. the water heater is fixed
267. a handy husband
268. raccoons not liking my tomatoes
269. a cat, found
270. eagle scout ceremonies
271. my brother, cam, presenting eagle scout awards

linking with:

michelle for hear it on sunday, use it on monday

ann for 1000 gifts

jen for soli deo gloria

for my husband on our pretend anniversary

chris is leaving for
guatemala
tomorrow
he'll be gone for our
19th wedding anniversary
so today is our pretend....
we've marked the years with -
dating (we started in high school)
moves
new jobs
sickness
love
mercy
birth
death

gain
loss
change
what are those?
chapters?
if so, i wish i could look ahead
maybe read the ending
but
god doesn't give
look aheads
or
explanations
he gives opportunities and blessings....
and the wow of this life
is that
he chose chris for me
chris - i am so glad you heard that call
and asked me.
i love you!

and my thankfuls are:

187. wiffle ball in the back yard
188. katy d. inviting me to her bridal shower
189. seeing lovely people from my old church
190. my girl, the one i mentor, making progress
191. my husband answering the call to missions
192. blogging
193. my friend sitting with me a my son's baseball game
194. shoes lined up beside the door
195. finishing up my 17th year of teaching
196. the opportunity to work with great educators

ann for 1000 gifts
jen for soli deo gloria

dinner and a movie tonight

fall. 1986.

following a summer

of dating

guys who didn't come to the door

to speak to my parents

didn't take me home

to meet theirs
i literally made a list

of guys

i thought i might

like better

one, chris,

played football

didn't party

was definitely cute

his locker was on the first floor

near the library

i stopped to talk to him

one day on my way to

junior english

that sealed it

but we had no idea

i don't even remember the

conversation

but i know for a fact

that god put me there

that god put him there

that god has brought us

through fire,

refined

and will again and again

spring. 2010.

eighteen years of marriage

gosh