Words and Pictures

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  I photo documented my day today.  And I have them to share with you.  

But I might also have a thousand words to go with each photo.

Photos and words are the perfect love story.

My day started how many of my days do.

But the unusual beauty of today's cup(s) of coffee was there was no To-Do list waiting at the end.  For realz.  It's Monday and I made zero lists.  Unheard of.  But I wholeheartedly believe in celebrating No Labor Day.

And it was so needed.  I feel like I've been burning the proverbial candle at both ends.  Today was a day of grace and refreshing.

I started reading a new book this morning.  Coffee and books.  Maybe a better love story than photos and words.

Yesterday I hosted the Youndt Family Labor Day Picnic.  My cousin, Nathaniel, brought me this book "Out of Solitude" by Henri J.M. Nouwen.  I love surprises and I love books, so being surprised by the gift of a book was perfectly delightful.  Earlier this summer I had this same experience when a dear friend gave me the book "Bittersweet" by Shauna Niequist for no other reason than they thought I'd enjoy it.  I really do know the best people.

Anyway, I was gripped even from the introduction.  I cannot wait for some more quiet space in which to savor this book.

After coffee and books I thought food thoughts.  But not very many.  Here's what I planned so far for this week's menu:

Suggestions welcomed.

Then I cleaned up a little from last night's party.

While I cleaned up, Jake and I danced to this song.  It's kinda on repeat around here these days.  Jake likes it cuz it's catchy.  As an introvert I like it cuz I'd rather that you bring the good time home to me.

Next, for some reason unknown to mankind, I started dusting the tops of my cupboards.  On NO LABOR DAY.

If you are guessing that I've never cleaned this space in the four years I've lived in this house you would be correct.  If you are guessing my thought process when something like this: "What the heck am I doing?  Nobody sees this.  Why would I waste precious time cleaning something nobody sees?" you would also be correct.

Thank God I came to my senses relatively quickly.

I observed this sweetness:

I organized this mess:

I labored a tiny bit on No Labor Day:

And then I went for a walk.  Which is where the bulk of this post is going to come from.

Uh, yeah, my socks don't match.  Their partners got holes in them and were subsequently tossed out but I can't bring myself to throw out perfectly fine socks so Orange and Purple have now become a happy Sock Couple.  They are different but, hey, it works.

Back to my walk.  I went alone.  I felt myself breathe.  I could hear my thoughts.  No one said "Mom..."

It was perfectly glorious.

As I walked, I noticed some things.  It was like Opposite Day.  Time and again, contrasts caught my attention.

Shadow vs. Light

Town vs. Country

Laundry Flapping In The Breeze vs. Houses Without Wash Lines

Runners vs. Porch Sitters

Friends vs. Strangers

I observed an old house with an upstairs balcony.  Can I just tell you?  Right now I have an obsession with balconies and side porches.  LOVE.  They are part of the character and charm of old houses and one day I want to live in a house that has both.

But.

Almost right across the street from this charming old house was a brand new house.  With an upstairs balcony.  I'm still not sure why this was so striking to me but it gave me pause.  Old and New sharing such a charming feature.  New acknowledging that Old has something worth preserving.  Old delighting in passing on her ways to New.  It feels like a Life Lesson is in there.

Shortly after the balcony moment I made eye contact with a cow.  Living my whole life in Lancaster county, cows are nothing new.  Nothing remarkable.  But as this cow and I locked eyes, she did something.  She turned her head and licked her own spine.  And I was caught off guard by this hilarious thought:  What if people could do that?  Just think about that and try not to smile.

As I moved deeper into the country I saw zinnias, morning glory, and black eyed susans.  They were all still bright with the vividness of summer.  But there were also dried corn stalks, yellowing tobacco leaves, and mums.

In one garden there were watermelons and pumpkins growing together.  

The flowers and watermelons called out "Hold on!  It's still summer!  We are bright and juicy!  We embody long days, no schedule, easy living!"

But the drying crops, mums, and pumpkins had a different message.  "Let go.  Fall is coming.  We embody shorter days, back-to-school, structure."

It's as if my inner struggle is splashed out in gardens and yards and fields.

It's hard for me.  This time of year.  When everything is changing, seasons melting into each other.  I love summer and I love fall.  But the weeks where it is both?  When I'm drowning in a sea of back to school papers and sports schedules and new school routines?  I want to fast forward to mid-September.  When we have everything (mostly) figured out.

But you know what?  It's also beautiful.  This time of year.  When I say to another mama "I don't know how to do this" and she admits to me "I don't either".  And we cry the tears and say the prayers "Sweet Jesus, help us."

I recently read the book "For The Love" by Jen Hatmaker.

The cover says "Fighting for Grace in a world of Impossible Standards."  It was warm, funny, and freeing.  Today, on my walk, I added it to my friend Erin's Little Free Library.  Technically, I left it between her front doors so she can read it first and then it will go in her Little Free Library.  Have you heard of these things? It's such a lovely idea.  Erin has put up a mailbox in front of her house.  In it there are books.  Children's books, teen books, cookbooks.  You are free to take and enjoy them.  Then either return them or pass them on to someone else.

Erin is so cool.  Also, she is a published author and she makes good looking crafts.

After my craft debacle (see my Instagram, madefromscratchwithlove, for more details) she made me this "H".  I was delighted.  I just really know the best people!

When I returned from my walk I sat on the porch and made notes about what I wanted to blog about because, let's be real, my memory's not what it used to be.

Then I assembled and consumed this:

I spent the afternoon lost in this story:

Except for when I was interrupted by this:

I made supper out of leftovers.

Larry (hearing the sound of sizzling oil):  "What are you making?"

Me: "Fried tacos."

Larry: "Sounds...healthy."

Me: "Very."

And then we ended the day with a trip to Fox Meadows Creamery.

My kids are into bunny ears, as this photo evidence shows.  Jake wasn't quite quick enough in the first photo to give the Baked Fox the bunny ears.  And Kye was a little high in giving his root beer float the ears.  Jessie straight up got caught giving the ears.

So, it was really a delightful day.  I heard my thoughts.  I ate delicious food.  I laid on the couch for hours with a book.  I spent time with my peeps.

After this restful departure from "normal" life, I feel ready to face this week.  Walking forward with my fam, hearing the support from my friends, feeling the arms of Jesus.

Change is hard.  But beautiful.  And we can do it.  

By the Grace of God.

Blogaversary

I missed it.  I knew my 2 year blogaversary was this month but I thought it was later.  It was August 3.  So happy belated blogaversary to me!  Thank you for reading my words, my bumbling attempts at untangling my ball of yarn thoughts.  You guys are the best.  I know I say it a lot but I mean it every time:  I really do know the best people.

So.

It's been two months since I've blogged.  My longest hiatus to date.  And oddly enough, I've been ok with it.  My brain (shockingly) doesn't feel tangled with unexpressed thoughts.  But today I had the honor of teaching the Junior High girl's Sunday school class for the last time.  I want to share with you what I shared with them.  

But, first, some photos of what my summer has been like so far.

We celebrated these two.  Ten and five.  Athlete and musician.

I broke in new running shoes.  Ow.

I bought a dress even though I said I wasn't going to buy myself any clothes this year.  Nobody is surprised.

We played kickball during a rainy cabin weekend.

We've eaten truckloads of ice cream.

We've made funny faces.  Don't tell Jessie this is on here.  She'll probably kill me.

I've worked.  A lot.

They haven't all been good days.  Sometimes we eat our feelings.

Sometimes we make tadpole pickles.  Sorry, Gina.

Some of us have created with clay.

Some of us are getting used to our football gear.

We've made messes in the kitchen and turned perfectly healthy vegetables into fried deliciousness.

We've played with puppies, gone to the beach, and watched the construction happening at the end of our driveway.  The construction crew knows Jake by name.

Back to today.  Teaching Sunday school.  I love it.  But I am terrible at planning ahead.  So 6:30 am found me trying to figure out what I was going to talk about.  Nothing was really coming to mind until I realized that this was the last time I would get to teach these girls.  And I knew right away that I wanted to talk about the things that I want them to remember always.

1.  The most elementary of all things:  Jesus loves you.

It's easy to go "Yeah, yeah.  I've heard this from the beginning of time."  But think about it.  Really hard.  Jeremiah 31 says "I have loved you with an everlasting love.  I have drawn you with my loving kindness."  

Everlasting.  

It always was, it is right now, it will always be.  

Everlasting.

2.  NOTHING can separate you from the love of Jesus.

I love Romans 8:38-39.  

Neither death nor life.

Neither angels nor demons.

Neither the present nor the future.

Neither height nor depth.

Nor anything else in all creation.

NOTHING.  

NO THING.

No thing that you have done.  No thing that you are doing.  No thing that you will do.

Jesus is always there, full of love for you.

3.  Your worth is astronomical.

I cried when I said this to the girls.  I believe this to the very depths of my soul and I want you all to feel the same.  I want you to know your worth.  

The world batters and shames and taunts.  We can be left feeling like we are not enough and at the same time like we are too much. 

But Jesus.

He says "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?"

This Jesus, he created my inmost being.  He knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise him because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  All of my days were written in his book before one of them came to be.

And he's redeemed me.  Not with perishable things like silver and gold.  But with his precious blood.

If someone is willing to die for you, you better believe that person thinks you are worth something.

4.  Choose your friends wisely.

My dad said this to me approximately one million times while I was growing up.  Turns out it was sound biblical advice.  

"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Prov 13:20

5.  Be kind.

I found photos to go with this one.

And then this one.  It gave us all pause.

It's important to be kind to everyone.  And that includes the way we speak to ourselves.

6.  Never get so old that you can't be silly.

This was a fun one.  Because these girls told on their parents.  I heard about moms dancing in the kitchen, making up silly songs, wearing wacky hairdos.  I won't give you away, but, well done ladies!

Proverbs 17:22 says "A joyful heart is good medicine..."  The internet kinda agreed.

So there you have it.  That is what I want you to know.  

You are loved.

You cannot be separated from the love of Jesus.

You are worth dying for.

Choose your friends wisely.

Be kind.

Be silly.

Live life well.