Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns
If you think Jesus would have come into your home that day and not issued a strong rebuke to the head of household, you are mistaken. These words of condemnation have been haunting me for days now. They aren’t all that different than the soundtrack I play in my head on an almost-daily basis. It’s…
I am nesting. On Saturday I emptied the refrigerator. Last summer’s homemade pickles in their jars. The bread ends that seem to multiply on every shelf. The eggs. The milk. The fruit and veggies. All of it sat on the floor or the counter as I carefully removed the shelves and wiped them down with…
I’ve heard that life is like a highway. And it definitely seems like that sometimes. The pace of life swirls around me at dizzying speeds. We’re all so busy. In such a hurry. Always somewhere to be, something else to do. I’m a get-to-the-point, get-there-quick kind of girl. I don’t like to waste time on…
Seeing the sun rise over Lebanon (the city, not the country, though it, too, might be beautiful)
Losing 3 pounds in 10 days after seeing no change or weight gain for months
Related to that, running 1.5 miles three times in 8 days. Feels good to be back on the horse.
Alphabet pasta. And finding our names in it.
“I’m an African.”
Seriously, where does she come up with this? I’m hoping we’re just raising a globally minded daughter.
Collecting leaves.
Fixing hot chocolate for my kids and watching them fish the marshmallows out with their hands.
Hearing Corban sing the theme song to “The Cat in Hat Knows A Lot About That.”
Bandaids fixing everything.
A “tea party” in the “tree house” of the seminary playground.
My own geekiness when an author whose book I’m reading approaches our dinner table and my subsequent disappointment that I didn’t get to shake his hand.
My inner boldness to approach said author at his book table afterward and shake his hand and tell him how much I’ve enjoyed reading it so far.
Great ideas. Mine and others’.
Creativity.
A clean kitchen. And the power of baking soda to clean the grease off counters and stovetops.
A picked-up living room. (It’s a short-lived smile, but I’ll take what I can get.)
Isabelle earning a mommy-daddy-daughter movie night for 5 more straight days of no potty accidents. (We’ll be watching “Beauty and the Beast.” I’ll try to refrain from quoting/singing the whole thing to her, but I failed miserably with “The Lion King” a week ago.
Hearing what’s on my husband’s heart and mind.
Watching my daughter write the letters in her short name. (I-Z-Z-Y. And seeing her get excited about spotting a “z” in another name.)
Hearing my son give kisses and say “bye-bye” to everything from daddy to the bath water to the pumpkins on the porch.
My husband shooing me out of the house at 6 a.m. to go work out.
Hope.
Friends. Especially when I discover “kindred spirits,” as Anne of Green Gables would say.
Hobby Lobby, even if I don’t buy anything.
“Mom, you’re the best mom.” (Said to me after I made shaped pancakes for breakfast. Apparently the qualifications for this “award” are low.)
Mommy-daughter date. (We saw “Lion King 3D.” A bonus smile: singing all the songs and Isabelle dancing to them.)
Writer’s group — learning from other writers, being with other writers, seeing my own writing with fresh eyes.
Thursday night NBC comedy, especially “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office,” my two current favorite shows on TV.
The Bartelt bobsled team. (Isabelle pulls the wagon. Corban pushes. And they run down the block. It always makes me think of bobsled. And I giggle.)
Ditto for the Bartelt gymnastics squad, acrobat act, dance team and soccer team.
If you catch yourself smiling this week, make a note of it, even if it’s only a mental note. Then pick a time later in the week to reflect on those moments. See if your spirits don’t lift a little. If the world doesn’t look a little brighter. We all know how dark and bleak life can be at times and is at times.
Add a few extra smiles to your week. And pass them on.