i have made, and i will bear

we've talked lately,
you and i,
in a parking lot
at the checkout
or
in the hall
we've shared text messages, emails
and
phone calls
so i know
the
burden
you
bear
how it feels too heavy
and
you wish it was
lighter
or
not as frightening
or
vanished, even
and you came to mind
this morning
as i read the livingandactive word -
even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;    
I will carry and will save.
and
i wanted you to have
this
promise
today


i'm praying courage and peace and wisdom for so many women these days. what is your struggle? how can i pray for you this day?

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

because who doesn't like a little joy?

i have joy over my classroom

thanks for the pic, sarah harrison!

literally
our art teacher and principal
invited us
to claim a word-for-the-year
great!
i love words!
and
to create an artistic representation
for the white space above our doors
great.
i'm artistically challenged.
i chose joy
because
it's positive (who doesn't like a little joy?)
and
it's short (who couldn't draw and color three little letters?)
but god?
he meets me
even in my sarcasm
those little three letters
show up at the end of the israelite's rebuilding
under nehemiah's leadership
god worked through and among them
to reestablish jerusalem
and when they finished
their joy was heard far away
taping a word above my door
will not make me joyful
when i know god, my face on the floor before I AM
when i join god for his work among us
then my joy will be heard far away

what has god shown you in the word 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, barbie for weekend brew

in which a non-knitter waxes poetic on knitting

a stack of papers, ungraded,

lies on the couch beside me
while
60 minutes, closed captioning on,
competes for my attention
and
a bag of chocolate chips, in the cabinet,
really wants to assuage my sugar craving
but
before i grade
before i pay attention to the news magazine
before i whip up a batch of cookies
i want to retrace saturday -
a road trip to stokesdale
to connect, in real life,
with women
seeking community
as
writers
readers
talkers
listeners
believers
the hurting
the healing
and saturday? there was knitting
(for real, a lady sat and listened and knitted something purple)
but also knitting friendships
like david and jonathan -
the soul of jonathan was knit to the soul of david
i'm not the greatest friend in the world
my excuses are that i'm busy and sleepy
but look.
look at david and jonathan - knit together
and i want to stop dropping stitches, you know?

how are you with friendships - tightly knit? out of yarn? dropping stitches?

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

word from the word - forever

the afternoon found me
under dogwood
hanging clothes on the line
in a cool spring breeze
and
meditating on word
every day i will...praise you forever
not
every day i will praise you until....
i can't get the string opener to work on the cat food
jack leaves his baseball cleats at home
hank needs gas
i'm triple-booked during my planning period
a loved one receives a grim prognosis
the money isn't enough for the month....
no,
i will praise the lord for the forever of
each
day
and
for all my forevers
amen

what word from the word has stuck with you this week?

continuing to count his gifts beyond 1000 -

995. running trails with my doggies
996. sitting in my baseball chair for new church (this is post-worthy for later in the week, i think)
997. boys playing their instruments
998. the hope of a newly planted garden
999. school's home stretch
1000. this husband who loves. always.
1001. reaching 1000 on a thankfuls list

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

word from the word

the day passed slowly

as we sat in pews
under a veritable
cascade
of
words
tumbling from the psalms, the letters
and i found myself caught by
is
for he himself is our peace
the lord is my shepherd
the lord is your keeper
this tiny wisp of a word,
a harbinger of promise,
declares that the lord god
lives - he is
and who doesn't need that
hope
today?

what word from the word has caught you lately?

continuing to count his gifts to 1000 -

981. my friend, sarah, meeting my twin, carol
982. the sound of my son arriving home
983. holding hands with my husband
984. watching jack fired up at his soccer game
985. my brother's words about our cousin when we celebrated her home-going
986. cousins
987. talking on the phone with my emily

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