My Father's Daughter

It's strange how in all this busy and in all this rush and in all this crazy that one could still feel an empty space.  But so often we do.  I'll bet just about everyone of us does at one time or another. We try to fill it with all kinds of things: work, kids, hobbies, marriage. When those things don't work to fill up the void we move on. We try to just forget about it; we try to find ways to feel good as we travel on. It works for a while. We're so easily distractable. It's never enough, though. A husband won't be enough (he'll fail you, at some point, because he's human too). Kids can't fill it, at least not forever (they do get lives of their own). Work can distract but it doesn't make you whole (how often do we tell ourselves if I could just work harder or do better...). All of life's momentary pleasures can surely take your mind off the space but it usually leaves the space bigger when the pleasure ends. But eventually it sto

Five Minute Friday  (but mine's usually on Saturday) where we write with a prompt for 5 minutes without thinking (too much) or revising. We're just writing because we love the words. Loud. Go. Loud makes me cringe lately. My loud voice scolding a child. Their loud voices trying to out do mine. I saw a parent today be "loud" to his son in a very quiet way. Oh how it stung me to watch him sting that boy with his words. Watching that loud harsh whisper, the kind we use in public when we no longer want to debate our children, when we just want them silent and obedient (when is the last time I was silent and obedient?), it just held up a mirror. Love should rarely be loud, unless it's in laughter. I'm reminded that a gentle answer turns away wrath and that they rarely hear the words if they are being wounded by the volume. So I can save loud for music, playtime and tickle fights. Stop. Visit The Gypsy Mama and join in.

I tend to forget that there is so much more to reality than what I can see. When nothing will go the way I intend and I can't seem to do anything the right way and kids seem purposefully awful and everything is just a mess, there truly is more going on than can be seen with human eyes. There are battles everyday. We know Who prevails in the end but the battle for hearts still takes a toll on the lives we lead. I've realized recently that calm waters isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm noticing that the waves and the storms that make me cling to Him for dear life have much more use than the hypnotizing facade of floating along all unruffled. If I'm skating by under the radar and Satan has no reason to want to mess with me, then I'm doing something wrong. If I'm doing a good enough job at tearing down my own home that the father of lies doesn't need to assist, I'm in a very dangerous place. There are times when these battles will be worse tha

It isn't that we give thanks because we are joy-filled, but we are joy-filled because we give thanks. February's Joy Dare ~capturing the grace~ sharing some of my One Thousand Gifts that I'm recording in 2012.... gifts at 11:30 2:30 and 6:30 94. landing in Miami~safe and halfway home 95. airport lunch 96. landing in Philadelphia a little earlier than expected~so glad to be home 3 things overheard today~all gifts 97. Noah: mom, what can I do to help?" 98. Steve talking to Noah about his lost gift card saying "don't be too upset. It's only money. It can be replaced". 99. Nate saying "I'll make the list" to we get ready to grocery shop 3 gifts found in writing 100. birthday cards for a dear friend 101. emails and texts welcoming me home from people who missed me 102. blog post reminding me what's most important ...... one gift stitched , one hammered, one woven 106. my oldest son's "puppy"