When each of my children were tiny, we would recite these words together...
It’s time to go night-night baby. Hold me close.
Sweet baby, do you see the moon? Can you catch the moon?
Who can catch the moon?
Can Daddy catch the moon?
No, Daddy can't catch the moon.
Can an airplane catch the moon? Can a spaceship catch it?
No, they can’t catch it.
Can the mountains catch the moon? Can the trees?
No, they can't catch it.
Can birds or butterflies catch the moon?
No, they can’t catch it.
Who can catch the moon, baby?
That’s right! God can.
Sleep tight, precious baby. God holds the moon and God holds you.
I was thinking about this last night as I began to teach it to our son. What simple truth! Only God can catch the moon and only God can hold us. What a safe place to be!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Retreat
I did something that I have never, in my entire life, done. I truly rested on Thursday. Do you know what is strange about that? I got so much done!
It was a beautiful day. Crisp and clear. The sun was out and the dew was heavy. I sent everyone off from my house to their various activities for the day and then I went outside. I set blankets in my yard and a CD player on my deck. I brought out my journal and sat down on the blankets. For two hours I listened to quiet, meditative, worshipful music and just sat there. There were two questions that I sought to answer in the time. I was preparing to speak to a group of women the next day and I wanted to know: 1. Is there anything that is keeping me from being your spokesperson, Lord? 2. What do you want me to say?
As I sat and laid there, thoughts would well up and I would seek to categorize them by the two questions. I filled up two journal pages with thoughts on each topic. After the initial time of listening, I started working through the thoughts that had come up. Many were situations that I needed to let go of, either in forgiveness or surrender. Then there were these ideas of what to speak about. I want to be clear that I had already done a lot of work in preparation for these presentations. But, God had some things to add. The time was rich in revelations and affirmations.
By this time the dew on the grass had begun to dry and the sun was beginning to rise over my house casting it's direct rays on the backyard where I lay. I turned on another of my favorite Cd's and lay back down. I stared up into the brilliant blue sky and praised God for all that he had done in me and for me that morning. When it would get too bright, I would close my eyes for a moment and then stare again. Once I opened my eyes to see a monarch butterfly fluttering in the breeze not 5 feet above my head. I watched until it was out of sight. I closed my eyes to offer thanks for such a beautiful view and felt the full warmth of the sun hit my face at that moment. It had broken over the chimney and was blinding in it's brilliance.
The day was overflowing in it's bounty of goodness. I was amazed that God would choose to meet me in such a normal place on such a normal day. Maybe I wasn't normal that day, though.
When have you encountered God?
It was a beautiful day. Crisp and clear. The sun was out and the dew was heavy. I sent everyone off from my house to their various activities for the day and then I went outside. I set blankets in my yard and a CD player on my deck. I brought out my journal and sat down on the blankets. For two hours I listened to quiet, meditative, worshipful music and just sat there. There were two questions that I sought to answer in the time. I was preparing to speak to a group of women the next day and I wanted to know: 1. Is there anything that is keeping me from being your spokesperson, Lord? 2. What do you want me to say?
As I sat and laid there, thoughts would well up and I would seek to categorize them by the two questions. I filled up two journal pages with thoughts on each topic. After the initial time of listening, I started working through the thoughts that had come up. Many were situations that I needed to let go of, either in forgiveness or surrender. Then there were these ideas of what to speak about. I want to be clear that I had already done a lot of work in preparation for these presentations. But, God had some things to add. The time was rich in revelations and affirmations.
By this time the dew on the grass had begun to dry and the sun was beginning to rise over my house casting it's direct rays on the backyard where I lay. I turned on another of my favorite Cd's and lay back down. I stared up into the brilliant blue sky and praised God for all that he had done in me and for me that morning. When it would get too bright, I would close my eyes for a moment and then stare again. Once I opened my eyes to see a monarch butterfly fluttering in the breeze not 5 feet above my head. I watched until it was out of sight. I closed my eyes to offer thanks for such a beautiful view and felt the full warmth of the sun hit my face at that moment. It had broken over the chimney and was blinding in it's brilliance.
The day was overflowing in it's bounty of goodness. I was amazed that God would choose to meet me in such a normal place on such a normal day. Maybe I wasn't normal that day, though.
When have you encountered God?
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Junk
I realized today that my life is like my washing machine. See, our laundry room is just inside our back door. So any time someone walks in or out of the house to the garage, they have to go by the washing machine. What that means is that as we walk in and out of the door, we have a very convenient place to leave stuff.
I have a "once a week" rule about doing laundry. I hate laundry and so I save it all up for one day a week and just get it over with. Usually it's Friday and I do at least 8 loads of laundry.
The combination of the these factors makes for a very messy laundry room. The first twenty minutes of every laundry day begins with sorting all the stuff off of the washer. I have to find where it all goes and put it away so that I can even start the laundry.
My life is a little the same. Junk builds up higher and higher until I wonder where I really am. I'm lost under the rubble, suffocating. As my spirit gasps for air, I ask myself where it all came from. Why didn't I clean up sooner? How do I clean it all off?
How do you clean off?
I have a "once a week" rule about doing laundry. I hate laundry and so I save it all up for one day a week and just get it over with. Usually it's Friday and I do at least 8 loads of laundry.
The combination of the these factors makes for a very messy laundry room. The first twenty minutes of every laundry day begins with sorting all the stuff off of the washer. I have to find where it all goes and put it away so that I can even start the laundry.
My life is a little the same. Junk builds up higher and higher until I wonder where I really am. I'm lost under the rubble, suffocating. As my spirit gasps for air, I ask myself where it all came from. Why didn't I clean up sooner? How do I clean it all off?
How do you clean off?
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
STRESS
I am never my best when I am stressed out. None of us are. Right now I have too many big projects going all at once. I find myself unable to concentrate on any one thing because I am always thinking about what else I need to do.
This past weekend we even multitasked birthdays! Our middle daughter turned 4 last week and our son turns 1 on Friday. So, we had both of their parties on the same day to make it more convienent for family. The result? I am so tired that I can hardly move! Here a couple of cute pictures from the weekend. I'll try to do better next week!
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