You know what's amazing about rest? When you're resting, your face is all full of peace. Like, someone took a soft, warm washcloth and washed all the worry away. And all the stress. And all the trying-to-control.And the thing is, everybody in the whole entire world has to rest. No matter if you're a world leader or a millionaire, or just a common, ordinary fella without a penny to his name. At some point, we all have to relinquish control and quit striving and stop the stressing and just lay our heads down and get some sleep. Every last one of us. When you're resting, you just get to relax and be restored. It's such a good thing.We could live all our wide-awake moments full of this calm serenity. Because God doesn't get tired so He doesn't need sleep, and He offers us His Presence to be ou[...]

  I’m loving Christmas more and more. It’s incredibly fun with little ones. Gideon seems especially excited this year. I wish you could have seen him, in the living room, jumping up and down, exclaiming, “Momma, I can’t WAIT to put up the Christmas tree! You know why? Because I love those BALLS! You know those shiny BALLS? Let’s get some of those BALLS and put them on the tree! Can we? Can we?” He was ridiculously beside himself. And in all his thrill and awe, I recovered my little girl wonder. And now that our tree is up, one of my favorite things to do is get up early before my rambunctious little people do, stumble downstairs to turn on the Christmas tree lights and then drink coffee on the couch while I spend time with my Maker.  It’s a sweet time. Just me and God and the [...]

Gideon tells me, as he’s smacking on his fruit snacks at the kitchen table, that God wants us to talk to Him all the time, even when we’re tired.

I sweep up tid bits of paper into piles. The paper Hopey cut up into scraps to stuff into her teacups and heap onto her plastic pink plates to feed her babes.

We went to Arkansas to see our family, but we timed it just right so we could go to my friend’s wedding.

Dear people that I made,Why do you live like I don't exist?It's not like I don't make it plain before your face. As if I'm not daily shouting it out, "Here I AM!"I do. I shout it. I very much shout it. I made this whole wide world in such a way that you would clearly see Me. So you'd see My glory. And My grace. I gave you breath and beauty so you'd go looking for Me, so you could find Me.  Why walk here blind when I would have you see? Take a long and thoughtful look at what's right in front of you. This art I spoke into existence with My own words. My Personhood is reflected in the wildflowers at your feet and the sky above your head.Look up. Look out. Open wide your eyes and really see! Those leaves are crimson letters on the branch, spelling out the reality of Me. And why do [...]

I'm being a little more still these days. Because I have a new little one and my first trip to Lowe's with the three kids made me realize that I just don't quite have what it takes to go out and about just yet. I had thought it would be fun to get out and buy some living things. But, Gideon and Hope were far too fascinated with the bird baths and trickling water fountains to listen to their momma yell repeatedly to come back and Samuel took up all the space in the shopping cart with his car seat so there wasn't much room for perennials, anyways. Even if they were on sale for a dollar. So, I'm enjoying my yard more. And my house is staying a little cleaner because I used to leave my laundry and dishes behind on a whim, but now I get tired just thinking about it.And while I'm being a little[...]

I go out looking for You, to find You. You, who are Love, can do nothing but loveNothing but.And You are always whispering Always shouting it outThat You are real and You are hereI think I see. Only dimly, I see at firstWalking this earth half-blindBut then the clouds shiftAnd the light bends this way and thatAnd for one sheer brilliant second I see clearly.Your red-hot crimson loveSpilling downHealing this heart of mine.You are real and You are here.So I believe.  There at the kitchen tableAnd later on my pillow in the dark of nightI stretch my hands up toward YouAs if to touch Your faceAs if I could feel You on these fingertipsYou who made these handsAnd these eyes and all that I seeAnd can't seeYou are real and You are hereI feel You now.You were always all around meAnd I knew[...]

A friend came over today and brought us lunch and a freezer meal. Wasn't that nice? People have been overwhelming us with love in all these tangible ways since little Samuel came along. Shoot, we may need to have another kid soon when all this excitement wears off.No. Never mind. We need sleep. Anyways, as my friend sat across the table and rocked Samuel, she asked how everything was going. You know, the transition from two kids to three. I assessed everything for a moment, because I've hardly just begun this new adventure, but in my fuzzy, sleep-deprived brain, it sort of dawned on me. I realized that truthfully, I'm just trying to find my way again. Even here in my own house, with my own kids, with the grocery list always going and the toys that keep reappearing on the living room floor,[...]