What an eventful week! Earthquakes, after shocks, and now a hurricane. Yet for many, the weather may not be the main event. So I was drawn to this photo taken by my friend Lindsey. Her husband is walking her sons down to the end of the drive to catch the bus. On Thursday, Jared started kindergarten. Notice how intent he is compared with his little brother. He’s clutching his backpack and walking straight ahead, while his little brother hops or skips, or a little bit of both. Dad is taking the lead, knowing that Mom may not share Jared’s enthusiasm. She has a chance to let go in private, to honor her son’s desire for independence while also honoring her own feelings. Other friends are dropping off their sons and daughters at college, some for the first time. Some are visiting their grown children in their own homes, their first place after graduation, or visiting to help with a new grandchild. Each of these changes stirs up a mix of emotions. We are happy, elated, expectant, amazed. We are also sad, mournful, confused and a little lost. We can be tempted to gloss over our mixed emotions, to hide the feelings we would rather not admit. Yet so often in life, what we seek to view as either or is truly both and. We are not promised a perfect life, we are promised abundant life. When our hearts are full, when we let all those emotions flow, we claim that promise of abundant life. Take time today to fully understand the impact of a change in your life. Allow yourself to freely experience the emotions that this change has wrought. Let go of what was to make room for what will be, trusting that our Lord works for good in all things for those that love Him. Photo by Lindsey Wangsgard
Reflecting on New Beginnings….
27 Aug 2011 Leave a comment
in Reflecting on...... Tags: challenge, change, childhood, faith, grief, growth, Lindsey B. Waansgard, love, new beginnings
Reflecting on Growth….
16 Aug 2011 Leave a comment
in Reflecting on...... Tags: Cecilia Carr, challenge, commitment, faith, growth, love, roots, tree
I spent most of last morning walking around our yard. We have an acre of oaks, and six of our ancient trees need to be felled. Yet what we see above the ground represents far less of the tree than what exists below the ground. So I was drawn to this photo of tree roots, taken by my friend Cecilia on one of their family hikes. I was struck by how the roots branch out so quickly and in such straight lines. This system of roots creates an extremely strong foundation for the trunk. The weight of the tree is distributed, so each of the roots shares the load. While the tree’s branches gently curve to offer the leaves the most sun, these roots go straight for the water and nutrients found in the soil. Even when the leaves fall, the roots silently continue their work. We often talk about times in our lives when we were challenged and stretched beyond our limits. These stressful intervals are described as periods of growth and learning. Yet I wonder if the true growth happens afterward. When we are overwhelmed, it is often difficult to understand what we are going through, let alone what it means to us. We simply put one foot in front of the other, and do what we need to do. What appears to be heroic or honorable behavior to others is simply a response to a heartfelt need, an almost instinctive action born out of love and firm commitment. Only afterwards do we understand how that time has changed us, molded us. During periods of quiet reflection and rest, we come to understand who we are now, and what really happened to us. As we integrate that experience into our current situation, a new normal emerges, stronger and wiser than our lives before the crisis. Take time today to reflect on past challenges, and understand how that experience is woven into the fabric of your daily life. Offer to help a loved one weathering a storm, to make their current situation a little less overwhelming. And remember, like those ancient oaks, that the roots are always there, continuing their work, no matter how barren the tree may appear. Photo by Cecilia Carr
Reflecting on Love….
12 Aug 2011 1 Comment
in Reflecting on...... Tags: childhood, faith, growth, Jen Faulconer, Kingdom of Azuria, listen, love, princess
The mornings and evenings are feeling cooler, and the humidity has dropped as well. We are enjoying a break from the heat, and looking forward to the mild days of autumn in Virginia. The cooler weather turns my thoughts to those who have passed on. It seems most deaths in my life have occurred in the fall, including both of my parents. So I was drawn to this photo of little girls at princess camp. My friend Jen conducts the camp and hosts princess themed parties, where little girls dress up and learn about what it means to be a princess. The girls are eagerly rushing down the stairs for the crowning ceremony. I like the whimsical feel of the photo, as if we are part of a dream or fantasy world. Yet is it really a fantasy? We all yearn to be special, to be called out as the hero of an adventure or the beautiful ruler of a magical kingdom. We love best the adults who allowed us to dream as children, to dare to reach for what we could not see or hear at the time, to hope for more than others believed possible. We learned to have faith in ourselves, because others had faith in us. Yet that gift starts with faith in God. If we seek a perfect love from imperfect humans, we are always disappointed. With God, we know we are all co-heirs of the Kingdom, all princes and princesses. Once we accept the unconditional love offered by the King of the Universe, we are capable of offering that love to others, inspiring each one to follow the path that God has prepared for them. Take time today to truly listen to those you love, to inspire them to follow the desire of their hearts. Call upon the Holy Spirit to give you His words, not your words, if any words at all are required. Crown them with your acceptance and unconditional love, eagerly awaiting the part of God’s kingdom that they will create. Photo by Jen Faulconer, camps by The Kingdom of Azuria
http://kingdomofazuria.com/
Reflecting on Choice….
01 Aug 2011 Leave a comment
in Reflecting on...... Tags: beauty, challenge, faith, growth, journey, Sarah Gulick
Clouds keep blowing through, threatening rain but not delivering it. Both the crops and our comfort are crying out for a storm, to soak the ground and cut the humidity. So I was drawn to this photo of clouds at sunset taken by my friend Sarah in the Amazon. I love how the sunset is reflected n the clouds, creating a real life watercolor. I imagine the colors changing moment by moment, as Sarah and her group floats down the Amazon in boats that ride low in the water. I particularly like how the clouds are mirrored in the river, slightly distorted by the ripples on the surface. It seems like they could see forever, until the clouds came to a point in the distance. The way we see this sky is a lot like how we view our lives. Here and now there are too many options, an illusion of infinite choice. The further we look toward the future, the less we can see or even imagine. Our view becomes obscured, or limited by what we see now. Perhaps we feel so overwhelmed that we are unable to make any choice. We float along the same path, hoping life will be different although we simply do the same things, again and again. Yet if we turn inward, and pause to reflect, we know the path ahead, deep inside of our hearts. We understand that God works in all things for the good of those who love Him. All paths lead toward God, who sees and knows the innermost workings of our heart. Take time today to look inward, to allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart and guide your soul. Then take that leap of faith to follow your heart, trusting that God has prepared more for you than you can imagine, or even hope for. Photo by Sarah Gulick
Reflecting on Discernment….
29 Jul 2011 Leave a comment
in Reflecting on...... Tags: Diane Brooks Myers, discernment, faith, growth, Holy Spirit, Infinite God, iron forger
The heat has returned with a vengeance today. At nine this morning, it is already as hot as yesterday afternoon. I can’t imagine doing much of anything outside, let alone working. So I was drawn to this photo of an iron forger taken by my cousin Diane. Jerry creates wrought iron that is both beautiful and incredibly strong. He is slowly twisting a piece of iron, keeping a respectful distance from fire hot enough to soften metal. Even though he stands off to one side to avoid the blast of heat from the forge, the glow of the fire still illuminates him. At first, you may think he is only using one hand, but if you look more closely, his whole body is alert and involved in his work. So I am reminded of my favorite hymn, ‘Humbly I Adore Thee’. During the many moves we made while Mark and I served in the military, our first task was always to find a new church home. Over the years, the ‘right’ church was always playing that hymn the Sunday we visited. The lyrics remind us that our conception of the Most Holy is only a glimpse of the glory to be revealed when we meet our Maker face to face. In our mortal life, our vision and hearing is limited, our understanding of the infinite God only finite. Like the iron forger, we stand off to one side, illuminated by the fire of the Holy Spirit, but not consumed by its flames. As mere mortals, we are unable to discern or understand what is best for us, especially when we are in the middle of stressful circumstances or relationships. Yet even a glimpse of the immortal can make all the difference in the world. Take time today to allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to light the path that has been prepared for you, trusting that the Most High knows and sees all. Photo by Diane Brooks Myers
Reflecting on Compromise….
20 Jul 2011 Leave a comment
in Reflecting on...... Tags: challenge, compromise, growth, Joseph Syzdek, trust
Sometimes it feels like things just pile up, one or top of the other. We think we are handling it all very well, until the smallest annoyance sets us off. We lose our temper with the wrong person, or allow that annoyance to spoil an otherwise lovely evening. Summer heat adds to it all, shortening tempers and trying our patience. Even the smallest tasks seem difficult. So I was drawn to this photo of a rock tower, taken by my friend Joseph. There was a rock beach on Block Island where Joseph and JoAnn spent their honeymoon last month. This rock tower was waiting for them when they arrived, patiently built by someone who came before them. Joseph was inspired to make a tower of his own. You can see one small tower in the background of this photo. In the Old Testament, piles of rocks were often constructed to commemorate a certain event, or agreement. We hear how Laban sought out Jacob, who left with Laban’s daughters and sheep, after working for Laban for many years and becoming his son-in-law. They iron out an agreement, to divide their property, and build a rock tower to remind themselves of both the conflict and its resolution. The rock tower Joseph found is much more like those Old Testament rock towers. Instead of building up resentment, rock upon rock, these towers represent the building of trust, the forging of compromises, and the cementing of relationships. So when conflict seems to abound, remember you are in good company. Build up your relationships, rather than allowing the busy-ness of life to tear them down. Take time today to address your grievances as they occur, rather than allowing these concerns to spill over into the peaceful parts of your life. Calmly explain the effect another’s behavior has upon you, trusting they may not understand what they did was hurtful. Talk about how to move on from here, rather than dwelling in the past or blaming one another. With God as our firm foundation, we all can start building our own towers, one rock at a time. Photo by Joseph Syzdek
Reflecting on Faith….
14 Jul 2011 1 Comment
in Reflecting on...... Tags: awe, challenge, faith, growth, journey, Poisson random walk
There are times when we are not sure where we are headed. We simply put one foot in front of the other, continuing along one step at a time. Yet in this simple forward motion we demonstrate a faith in the future, we cling to hope that more and better things await us. Life would be simple if that path was a straight line. More often, it is a seemingly endless path of twists and turns. So I was drawn to this photo of a tangled tree, taken by my friend David in Connecticut. This tree is a monument of faith, constantly striving toward the sun, the source of life. In engineering, there is a mathematical representation of such growth, called a Poisson random walk. It is a contradiction in terms, really. We usually describe events as either random or not, yet this mathematical construct combines both ideas. In a Poisson random walk, each step is a random choice, yet there is no backtracking. What seems to be a series of random steps always leads to the same destination. Yet each time, a different path leads to the same place. As a young engineering student, I felt that faith was a lot like that path, and this tree. Each step leads us toward our God and Creator, the source of all life and light. Because the path is not straight, each step is a tiny leap of faith, trusting that you are going in the right direction, even when your ultimate goal is not in sight. Even if we do take a wrong step, God transforms those diversions into greater glory. Take time today to consider where you are, and what your next step will be. Trust that while you may not be able to see the whole journey, our Lord and Savior sees all. And know that our God, who is, and was, and will be forever more, is always drawing us toward Him. Photo by David Buckwalter
Seek the Sacred Amidst the Ordinary 