The beauty of growth...

I finished making a book on shutterfly today.  It's a gift for my family and for my parents.  It's a look back at 2010 for our family.  It's pretty cool.  As I was going back through camera cards, I came across pictures of my garden from last year and the beautiful food she grew for my family.  I suddenly missed her terribly.  I had an urge to run out and start turning her soil... just to let her know I am still here.  But she is resting.  And so am I.

As I looked at this picture of the most delicious tomatoes and peppers... I was smiling.  Their color alone reminds of how AMAZING they tasted.  It reminded me how I loved to walk out to the garden with my bowl and come back into the kitchen with her bounty and then serve it to my family.  She became a part of us... really... a part of my thoughts, my care, my time, my delight, my provision, and then my body and health.

My thoughts then came to the delight I had in taking care of the garden and simply watching her grow.  Before I was given the blessing of tasting her hardwork, I got to watch it and be a part of it.  I watched tiny little vines leave stems and reach out for support... and then hang on for strength and stability.  I got to watch tiny yellow buds turn into blooms that then turned into squash.  And I didn't just watch... I protected her, fed her, loved her, and helped her.  I planted flowers to keep out critters.  I gave her organic fertilizer to nourish her.  I watered her.  I placed her in the best sunshine.  I provided supports for her to lean on.  I picked out bugs and brought in walking sticks.  I fought ants with baby powder and cinnamon.  And I LOVED IT.

And so it hit me today, as I missed and remembered my garden, how our Father in heaven DELIGHTS in watching us grow.  How He DELIGHTS in being the source of our nourishment.  How He delights in feeding us, being our support, and giving us life!  How He DELIGHTS in seeing our fruit!  It really is so beautiful.

The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

for He founded the seas and eastablished it upon the waters.

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?

Who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not lift up his soul to an idol

or swear by what is false.

He will receive blessing from the Lord and the vindication from God his Savior.

Such is the generation of those who seek Him,

who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

Lift up your hands, O you gates;

be lifted up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of Glory?

The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O you gates;

lift them up, you ancient doors,

that the King of Glory may come in.

Who is He, this King of glory?

The LORD Almighty---

He is the King of glory.

Psalm 24~

All of creation cries out that God is God.  The roar of the ocean, the gentleness of a breeze, the fragile nature, beauty and song of birds, the grace peacefulness of deer, the sweetness and spirit of a puppy, the force and power of a stallion... the fresh smell of rain, the roll of thunder, the warmth of the sun... they ALL proclaim He is God... the Creator and Lover of the Universe.

I love meeting Him in nature.  I love to stand in the storm and feel His presence all around me.  I love to sit in the quiet and feel His presence stir inside me.

The God that has created everything and to whom everything belongs... placed a piece of HIMSELF inside us in with the Holy Spirit.  Have you really put your mind around that?  Have you really tried to grasp that if you are a believer, God HIMSELF put a PIECE of HIMSELF INSIDE YOU?  And do you know that if you seek that part of Him, if you seek Him, listen to Him and surrender to Him... it will overflow out of you and change your very breath...?  It's true.  Oh... is it ever true.  And it is oh so sweet.

I am moving. To this house. In Vermont. After I win it. From HGTV.  Will you come visit me?

I think I would never leave this house.  Maybe to venture into the beauty that surrounds it.  But never into town!  I stumbled across this yesterday.  I could win it.... really. :0)

This is the "gathering room".  Don't you want to gather there?  Isn't it yummy?

It's funny I came across it yesterday.  There is a longing in me to live somewhere with this type of beauty all around me.  How could you ever pull yourself from the windows?  I have a longing for this and another for the beach.  But there is this real pull in my soul to be in nature.  To live in it, breathe it, soak it in. 

Back to reality... I have pleurisy.  It's swelling of the lining of the lungs.  It feels as if my ribs are cracked and going to snap at any given sneeze, cough, or sudden movement.  It is pretty painful.  It comes along after being sick for months... coughing for at least a month.  It makes me feel broken.  Literally.

All this time, being sick and exhausted, has had me deep in thought.  It's amazing how many things God has already shown me.  And I know I am being broken.  It's crazy to get the physical brokeness to go along with your spiritual brokeness.  Makes it very real and apparent.

I feel this year is going to be a year of healing.  I am excited about it.  And I am sure that it will be a year of drawing closer to God.  I have never been attacked by the enemy so long and constant in my life.  Good things are in store for sure.

Who knows... I might even win a house.

A Whole New Year

Wow.  A whole New Year sits right here... right there... and waits.  She is full of possibilities.  She is full of paths.  She is full of opportunities.  She is full of challenges.  She is full of pain and she is full of joy.  She is full of life.  And she is waiting.  Waiting to be taken.

I have so much excitement for this year.  I know it will bloom before my eyes and fly right by.  I want to catch every moment I can and experience it fully. 

How sweet to be trusted with a whole new year.  I can't wait.