Lord, I want to be like Zacchaeus. That little guy in the Bible who climbed up a tree just to catch a glimpse of You coming round the dusty bend. Grown men don't climb trees but that street was awfully crowded and his heart was hungry and yearning for Your coming. He knew he might scuff his knees or rip his shirt and people would laugh, and though he was the guy who was known to have everything, he didn't have You. He was just a shorty pants in a world so big, so he had to take a risk and go out on a limb and crane his neck so he could see. What a surprise he must have felt to discover that You who came to find the lost were coming right for him. (Luke 19) Lord, this day gets awfully crowded with things to do. And sometimes I lose my way and feel afraid and small, but my heart, it yea[...]

When I was a little girl, I would play for hours in my yard or in the woods after school because there I felt the remedies of God in nature. I still do. Even now as I sit at my desk and scribble these words down, I can't help but look up again and again to drink in all the beauty filling up my view outside this window. There's just something about all the wild things. God speaks volumes to me through a tree, a leaf, a blade of grass. I know it's strange to say, but when I'm outside, something inside me heals.As I've grown older and have looked around at life, I've found that most of us go about our days with this busy rush of living. I wonder if our frantic pace has impaired our vision? It isn't that we don't see enough, it's that we don't see well enough. The sky [...]

Here lately, Gideon has been saying some funny stuff. He's at that fun age, you know, where he just says whatever in the world is going on in his head and whatever in the world is going on in his head is very interesting and usually makes me laugh. I love the way a 2 year old processes life.Like the other day, I got him this old television. Like the kind that has a vhs player in it. Does anyone even know what I'm talking about? Anyways, I told him not to touch it, because you know how a 2 year old is...they think happiness in life consists in pushing buttons. The more buttons, the merrier. And on top of that, a vhs player has this cool flap that you can open and stick your hand in there and there's all these other cool buttons on the inside that you can't see and it feels kind of neat and [...]

Today I went out to gather pinecones. I love the smell of cinnamon and I was thinking it would be neat to make my own cinnamon scented pinecones. So, I gathered them up and put them in a basket. And I couldn't help but notice how lovely they were. For some reason, no one had ever told me how amazing a pinecone is. I almost went my whole life without really noticing one.So, I found myself sitting in the yard looking down at pinecones. Have you ever looked down a pinecone? You really should.I just can't express to you how captivating they are. Those outer rims are all sappy and smell amazing. And just before that white sappy frosty stuff is this delicate little curve of brown--looks like someone took a paintbrush and did a little water coloring on them. Anyways, I was kind of lost in the adm[...]

I want to have unbroken fellowship with my Creator. The One who knit me together, who molded and fashioned me like clay in a potter's hand. The One who formed life from dust and makes beautiful things out of jars of clay. I want to hear His voice. To follow His lead. To feel His love.I want to gut-believe in the good hand of God toward me. To trust Him in a wild abandoning way. The reckless kind that knows no fear because of the sure belief that He is good and that everything He does is good and I am held. I want to breathe in and out His grace. To open my hand to whatever He gives. To know that whatever trouble and pain I stumble upon in the path ahead are not circumstances that I should fear, but life-lines meant to draw me closer into the tender heart of Him who one day will right [...]

If you ever get invited to a field day, I think you should go. "What's a field day?" you may wonder. Well, let me explain.A field day is a day where you go out in this big field and look at corn. Or I suppose you can look at soybeans but on this day, it was corn. This guy tells you all about the corn and you get to see for yourself how good the corn grows. And when you see how good the corn grows you'll want to buy all your seeds from this guy and this guy's seed company.But, there's a lot more to a field day than that. For one thing, you'll get to see a lot of trucks while you're there. Big trucks. Gas-eatin trucks. Hard-to-climb-up-into trucks. Loud trucks. That's pretty much a given at a field day.You're also sure to see a bunch of farm-folks standing around talkin' about farm thing[...]

Dear friends--this last weekend, I spent a good amount of time with some llamas. Like, well over 10 minutes with them at the county fair, and there are some things I feel I must inform you about them. It's just that there are some common misconceptions that I simply need to correct. Here are just a few:First of all, in case it was in your heart to befriend a pack of llamas, let me spare you the effort and humiliation. Llamas are simply too cool for you. They neither need nor desire your friendship. They don't even care that you exist on the earth. They wouldn't even cry if you died. They don't have time for you. They don't like the way you smell or the way you stare and they certainly don't appreciate your amusing laughter. In fact, you make them want to spit.  Secondly, in spite what[...]

So, I've been trying to write more frequently--as in each weekday (because weekends are for steering clear of this here computer-machiney as much as I can, so I can thoroughly enjoy my family!) And this will be the first week of my whole entire life that I've posted each day! Woohoo! I did it! But, unfortunately, I'm kind of running out of important things to talk to you about, so today is just going to have to be a weird, random story that popped into my head just now. And this story is about chasing turkeys. Ready? Here goes. Photo creditSo, a few years ago, like, before there was ever a Hope or a Gideon, I was driving along a very beautiful stretch of road when I decided that I needed to do something crazy. I decided that life is far too short to always be acting like a grown-up. L[...]

Go ahead, loud, crazy, rambunctiously busy world...spin away.  Run this way and that way and make your racket and live your frantic, frenzied, stressed-out life. But not me. Not this girl. I might never be here again. I'm going to be still to see.I'll go take a peek at her while she sleeps. I'll gaze at her long. I'll sneek in his room, trying not to trip over the blocks and the cars and I'll just enjoy this moment of quiet. I'll enjoy his being little. He's almost two already and nearly too heavy for me to carry. I won't wish him away. Not even when he's loud...and boy is he loud. I'll pause long enough to admire the light streaming through. I'll even rest. Why is everybody in such a hurry, anyway? Is life really more fun if you rush? Are you somehow worth more if you cram all the ac[...]