Blessings this Week: 10.31.2014

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Inventive games and kids learning about Christ

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A beautiful Sunday afternoon, and playing in leaves

 

 with this little boy

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Tandem bikes and rides through the trees

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Pumpkin Spice coffee creamer.

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Surprise pictures on my camera- artsy shots, and Mom selfies, too. 

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 Being greeted by a clean entryway in the morning

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Birthdays and little girls getting another year older!

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Fireplaces and wood smoke

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Happy weekend!

Apples and Trees

My mom and I are very similar in a lot of ways.

So I'm not sure what I was thinking when I handed her my camera and left her unsupervised for an hour.

 

Blessings this Week: 10.24.2014

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Day One of Fall youth weekends--- today! 

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Raindrops making that "tap, tap" sound on fallen leaves

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Farm cats on four wheelers

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Butternut Squash, and all the yummy recipes!

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Harvest dust in the air

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This article, which pretty well describes my feelings towards this blessings project. Minus 8 years or so.

I'm off to finish prepping for those middle school kids...  six hours til launch!! 

What blessings have you seen in your life this week? 

Focusing on my Path

Too often, the voice of "You're-Not-Good-Enough" speaks so loudly in my ear, sometimes so loudly that I have trouble being grateful, that I have trouble finding joy.

She has much better fashion sense than I do. 
Her marriage seems so effortless and loving all the time. 
She has wonderful children.
Her home is always so clean. 
 
Why doesn't my path look like that?

You know what Jesus says about those feelings, those thoughts?

In John 21, the resurrected Jesus has just revealed himself to Peter and the other disciples. He and Peter have a good heart-to-heart about the whole denying three times before the rooster crows thing.

Jesus goes on to tell Peter the plans that God has for him, the awesome and humbling task of being the founder of the Church, of "feeding his sheep" and "tending his lambs," even to the horrible and painful martyrdom that will end Peter's time on earth- all to the glory of God. 

And how does Peter respond?

"Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them...When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, 'Lord, what about this man?' (John 21:20-21, ESV, emphasis mine)

Oh, Peter. You are just like me.

Jesus has just given Peter a tremendous path in life, and Peter asks, "But what about him?" 

We don't know what was going on in Peter's head, but my hunch is that Peter's hearing those same voices, the ones that I hear, whispering...

His life seems... better. 

And isn't that what's at the core of all of our comparisons? Her life seems... better. Easier. Cleaner. More godly. More polished. Calmer. More exciting. More blessed. Better. 

How does Jesus reply to my (well, Peter's) question?

"Jesus said to him, 'If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!'" (John 21:22, ESV, emphasis mine).

"What's it to you? Worry about your own path! Focus on Me!"

What does it matter if they have a great new house?

So what if she's lost fifty pounds and looks great?

Who cares if my neighbor does the cutest projects with her kids?

What does it matter to me if that woman in church can totally pull off the dress that would make me look like a frump?


(All those things aren't necessarily bad- good for them! But...) Other people's paths are not what I should be focusing on.


We know what our focus should be- Following Jesus. Plain and simple. Instead of worrying about how my life compares to the lives of those around me, I need to follow Jesus. The path he's given me may look a lot different than the path he's given other people, and that's okay. 

When I put my focus where it's supposed to be- on Christ alone- there is no more comparison problem. I just gotta worry about myself- Following Jesus, seeking God's will, no matter where that path may lead.

Blessings this Week: 10.17.2014

What a week for blessings!


Our sweet family, Trevor playing "swords" with our nephew, and being able to visit and see our neice's baptism.

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Fuzzy socks for long car trips. 

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New hobbies (target shooting!) 

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For Wade and Patricia, and the RV they rented to us. And the private hot tub. 

With this view.

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My "cave man." 

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The opportunity to be "face to face" with some amazing history (at the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs). 

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A natural water waterpark- Evans Plunge- with rocks on the bottom of the pool.

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Fall colors everywhere

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After hiding in the woods for most of the summer, the turkeys are back and ruling the roost around Camp again.

What blessings have you seen in your life this week?

My View...

It's been a great week.

Blessings this Week: 10.10.2014

You thought last week was light on the pictures? Welcome to this week, in which I don't have my camera available, and we're all just going to have to deal with old pictures. <Sigh>

Tunnels through piles of leaves

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A new leaf-hauling trailer for Trevor (donated by a nearby church)-- it cuts down his leaf-removal time immensely. And takes much less of a toll on him, physically. Thank you thank you!!

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Camp programs filling up quickly- more kids hearing the Gospel, having fun, and making friends this Fall! 

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Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week were spent at a conference at a different camp. The conference was for the regional camps and conferences association... so, a bunch of Camp people. It was great to get to share and learn and get some new ideas. 

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Shooting clay pigeons with Trevor at the conference. I wasn't even that bad! 

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Cushy socks and mugs of coffee

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The crispness in the air

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What blessings have you seen this week? Have a great weekend! 

Blessings this Week: 10.03.2014

So, not so many pictures this week due to it being a busy one... and also due to forgetting where I put my camera... so, you know, use your imagination.

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Fishing on Sunday with this guy. Beautiful sunsets, warm sunshine, and nine fish. Nine fish! 

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 Exciting announcements, yummy treats, and movie night at small group this week! 

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 Pine needle piles on the sidewalk

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Afternoons off to spend with little nieces, Northern Tool, and Scheels.

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The very first comment on this blog! Thanks, Amber!

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 Fun new ideas, a "pond" in the living room, smoky burning leaf smell, and much much more. 

 

What are some of your blessings this week? Have a great weekend!

Counting Gifts

Have you ever felt like God was telling you something?

When the sermon last week and the song on the radio and that conversation with a friend have all had the same theme?

When that one idea keeps coming up, over and over?

I've had that.

The past few months have been that for me.

A few months ago, I sat with Trevor and told him about this restlessness in my soul, how I felt so far from contentment that I started to dislike everything around me. "You just need to count your blessings," he said. "Be thankful for what we have."

And so I started writing and taking pictures and posting blessings every week. Because life is beautiful. And I am incredibly blessed.

About a month later (was it a month? My timeline may be way off...), my Life Group started a new series. On a book called One Thousand Gifts. A challenge to find blessings in every ordinary moment.

Okay, God. I get it!

But I didn't know how much learning I'd do from that seemingly simple task of counting gifts. The book gives examples- teeny tiny things that may seem so... insignificant. But when you look at these little blessings through the lens of an almighty God, giving me this moment, this little glimpse of beauty, as a gift... it changes everything. 

If I'm busy noticing the ladybug on the railing,

If I'm giving thanks for the rain-smell in the air,

If I see the beauty in the way the folded towels sit on the living room floor,

I can't bemoan things beyond my control, I can't focus on the things I don't have, I can't say that God doesn't love me enough. I'm busy seeing the gifts, the tiny things, that show me that He does. He really does.


So I encourage you- find those blessings. Name the gifts. It really makes a difference.