Yesterday I visited an antique store with a friend of mine, and was reminded of my love for old things.
I especially love old books.
There’s something charming about picking an old book off the shelf, opening it, and smelling that familiar scent of age. I love the rhythm of old words, and the way they transport me back in time.
Old things also make me think about the future.
They remind me that everything I hold today will someday be old.
They remind me that today becomes tomorrow–again and again.
They remind me to live. To put my trust not in the things that I hold, but in the One that holds that whole world in His hands.
A dear friend of mine (who blogs over here) has inspired me to keep a diary of beautiful things.
I’m always finding a new excuse to start a journal, and this idea I knew I couldn’t resist. Keeping a diary of beautiful things could brighten my life and cause me to be more observant and appreciative of the beauty around me.
Beautiful things remind me of my Maker’s heart. I love beautiful things, because He loves beautiful things too. Creation testifies to that. He could have placed us on a dull planet, but He placed us on this earth where we have oceans and deserts and hills and meadows.
So often beautiful things are free, just waiting to be discovered. It can be the way sunlight slips through Venetian blinds in the morning, or the way that a baby’s cheeks dimple when he smiles so big.
I want to keep these things close to my heart. I want to capture the art that the Maker has created. I want to bring Him praise.
There’s so many beautiful things yet to be discovered, here are some so far:
A memorial to Jewish soldiers who fought against the Nazis
Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day.
I don’t quite know what to say…
But I must say something.
There are horrible things that happen in this world. And sometimes I wonder why I am blessed to be alive and happy and to feel the sunshine kiss my face.
What makes me different than any of those six million lives that died in the massacre of the Holocaust?
Nothing really.
We are all just as human, just as loved by God, just as fragile and dependent on Him.
Life isn’t fair, and that is hard to understand.
The holocaust is atrocious. It’s a reminder of how wicked mankind becomes when we reject God and follow our sinful inclinations. But what I want to share today is not another graphic reminder of the horror that engulfed so many.
What I want to share is hope.
Mount Herzl in Jerusalem (near the Holocaust Museum)
The Nazis tried to put an end to the Jewish people. But you know what?
They failed.
Israel is a living testament that the Nazis didn’t win in the end.
I’ve been blessed to visit that land several times. I’ve seen with my own eyes that Yahweh has returned the Jewish people to their home. I’ve walked in the streets of Jerusalem and heard the Hebrew language being spoken and songs being sung.
I’ve visited Holocaust museums in the Jerusalem, but after each dreadful visit, I’ve always stepped outside into the sunshine again to see Israel alive and well.
I’ve heard stories of the courageous souls that defied Hitler. Some gave their lives. In every generation, there are those who will stand for justice. There are those that believe in hope.
We live in a broken, sinful world, y’all, but Yahweh takes the brokenness and makes something beautiful in the end.
We can shake our fist at heaven or we can fall on our knees and let Him lift us up again.
He alone can give us hope.
As we remember the Holocaust, let’s also look at the future.
Last weekend my family and I celebrated Passover and the Last Supper.
I feel like there are so many things that I could share about what I learned over the weekend, but a lot of it is still spinning in my heart and not ready for words yet. It was truly a blessed time of encouragement and fellowship and memory making.
Last year, I shared a bit about the significance of Passover and how my family celebrates it, but this year I want to share one of the many lessons that Passover teaches me.
It teaches me about love–my Savior’s definition of love.
Love is humble.
Love knelt down before his disciples and washed the dirt from their feet. Love spent the last hours of His life on earth as a servant to broken humanity. In the garden, Love felt the deepest anguish of the soul. He knew the torture that awaited Him, and yet He prayed, “Thy will be done.”
Love is sacrificial.
Love pierced His hands and feet to the cross. Love adorned Himself with a crown of thorns. He bled his heart to win mine.
Love is alive.
Love rose again on the third day. He conquered the grave and quenched the sting of death. Two thousand years later, His love for us hasn’t changed. It never will, because His love is eternal.
It’s steady and true.
It’s righteous and pure and inexplainable with words.
This same love He gives to us, not so we can lock it in our hearts, but so we can give it freely, and lay down our lives for others, as He did for us. Feed the hungry. Heal the hurting. Be the love that this broken world desperately needs.
Love is our calling.
This is My command, that you love one another, as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: that he should lay down his life for his friends.
–John 15:12 & 13
May we have the courage to say, “Thy will be done.”
May we be His Love.
How about you…Have you ever celebrated Passover? If so, I would love to hear what Passover has taught you.
At some point this last year I discovered a love for poetry .
A poem can be so simple–sometimes only a few lines long–and yet it can leave me speechless.
What is it like to have a baby
Fall asleep while holding your finger?
It is a soft, precious touch.
It is relaxing, yet exciting.
It is a feeling of trust and importance.
It is so soothing it makes me want to
Fall asleep.
It is a sign of peace and love.
What is it like to have a baby
Fall asleep while holding your finger?
It is a great gift from Heaven.
–Mattie J.T. Stepanek 1999
Sometimes a poem says what my heart would say, if it could speak so freely, and sends my heart spinning with joy.
I love poems that bring me closer to God and remind me of the truths in the Bible.
I love Psalms.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me.
–Psalm 23
I love the melody that words sing and the way that my heart beats along with them.
I love poetic prose.
It is slowly dawning on me
that I did not get to God by Nature,
like the poet,
but that I have got to Nature by God.
Nature is more and more a sacrament to me,
I mean the real presence of God comes to me
in the common elements
of earth and air,
the sea and sky and moon,
and human love and friendship.
–Oswald Chambers 1916
I love my Creator who gives me my love for words.
He is the purest poetry.
How about you…Do you love poetry? What’s one of your favorite poems?
Setting out to write 10,000 things that I’m thankful for was quite an endeavor. I’ve yet to reach that ambitious goal, but thankfulness lives on in my heart.
Here are some joyful things from this week:
Meeting Fellow Writers & Artists—This week I had the privilege of attending a three day writers’ workshop taught by Renee Andrews. She is an excellent speaker and so inspiring. It was wonderful to connect with fellow writers and artists in my community and share our nerdy love for the printed word.
Cherry Blossoms—The large cherry tree in my backyard is in full bloom and showering the grass with white petals.
Mason Clover Music—I love the way that he weaves scripture verses and Hebrew into his songs. It reminds me of Revive Conferences where I first heard Clover sing and where I’ve made so many wonderful memories with friends.
How about you…What are you thankful for this week?
I like to think of myself as young and happy with a bright future ahead of me.
Most people think of me as a happy person. They tell me that my name suits me well–I love my name, and I consider myself a happy person too–but sometimes I don’t feel joyful.
I’m a private person (sort of confusing when I have a blog, huh?). I don’t share all my feelings. If I did, people would clearly see that I’m not always smiling on the inside. My emotions are generally a roller coaster. I’m happy; I’m sad. I’m calm; I’m worried. I’m peaceful; I’m fearful. It’s an ongoing circle.
I like the way tears feel on my cheeks. I like listening to melancholy tunes. I like staring out a window at the silhouetted evening.
But I also love sunshine and crisp, autumn air.
I love the giggles of my niece and nephew and siblings.
I love happy music and laughing and celebrating life.
I love these things more.
I want to be Joy.
I want to be known by my smile.
But I’m human too, and so I struggle.
Is joy a constant state of happiness? Is it the art of smiling when you’d rather be crying? Is it a hug when you’re falling apart, and a lilting voice when the world becomes a dirge?
If it is, I can’t be that. Not all the time. I never will. Try as I must, I’ll never fully be my name.
And in admitting that, I’m content. God is joy. I’m not competing with Him.
I don’t have all the answers. I don’t do everything right. I cry sometimes. But I’m not afraid to fall on my knees and look to Heaven. I’m not afraid to admit that I’m broken inside. I’m not afraid to be honest and tell God that I don’t understand.
I want to be Joy.
I want to trust God.
There’s a gentle peace in my heart reminding me that even when I change, Yahweh never changes. He’s always there for me.
He is my joy.
And I want to share that joy with others.
Sure there are many things that make me smile, but here are just five things in particular that brighten my winter:
A Snowy Neighborhood–Last week we got our first snow this winter here in Alabama. I love how snow changes the atmosphere, making it so peaceful and bright.
Good Friends—I love, love, love my friends, and I’m bountifully thankful that Yahweh has brought each and every one of them into my life. What a blessing! ❤
Hot Chocolate–This goes along with the snowy weather. After we played in the snow last week, I made hot chocolate for the fam. Since we rarely have hot chocolate, it’s a treat around our house. I savored the warmth. Winter never tasted so good.
Home by Josh Garrels–I am incredibly excited about this new album due to be released in early April by my all-time favorite artist. His music changes my life.
Today’s Burnt Pumpkin Pie–Because it reminds me that even when I have a super-productive day in the kitchen, I can still make mistakes, and that the best way to deal with it is to chop off the blackened crust and smile. Who needs the crust anyway?
How about you…What are some things that have brightened your winter? What makes you smile?
Ever since last Wednesday, when I discovered Brandon Heath’s song “When You Look at Me,” I’ve listened to it every day (and sometimes several times a day).
The song feels like summer. And despite the fact that it was snowing outside my window, the imagery of redemption in the chorus resonated with my soul.:
It’s like I’m barefoot running through a golden field
Like a child that’s how you make me feel
Oh Lord when You look at me
It’s like I’m twelve feet tall without a care
Your forgiveness feels like floating on air
Oh Lord when You look at me
I love happy music that glorifies my Savior. It fills me with joy and reminds me of what Yahweh has done in my life.
It’s like the weight of the world falls off of me
And I can just be who You’ve made me to be
Oh Lord when You look at me
