Anticipating…

sweet peas

strawberries

lettuce

garlic

apples (crossing our fingers that this will be the year!)

Savoring the exhilarating chill of the mornings, chatter of the birds in the air, and getting our hands back into the dirt as we watch new life emerging all around us.

I've mentioned before my issue with holding my breath.

I've been doing it again today. Too much to do. Not enough time. Never enough time. Always more to be done. Everywhere I turn evidence of what's not been finished. No end in sight. I discipline myself to walk calmly and take things one at a time, but inside I feel like I should be running at full speed…as if that would even even lead to catching up. 

Meanwhile, as is my bad habit, I stop breathing.

A brief few moments today were spent working on a Bible study lesson, and one of the things I was supposed to do was make a list of things that bring me life.

There were many things on the list, but the one that came to mind that took me by surprise was this: words.

Words bring me life. Spoken words, often. But written words…so much more.

I don't know why. Just the way I'm wired I suppose. But the right words at the right moment staring at me in big bold letters can breathe life into me in a way few other things can.

Today the words I was desperate for appeared, and I felt like I could breath again…

A celebrant is the one keeping her eyes on Jesus and His perfect sacrifice — precisely because she isn't perfect.

The sinners and the sick, the broken, the discouraged, the wounded and burdened — we are the ones who get to celebrate grace!

Christ invites us to celebrate the full life as the celebrants — not because we've got it all together, but because He's finished it all at the Cross!

The Art of Celebrating Life isn't about getting it right — but about receiving Grace.

-Ann Voskamp
Why You can Really Celebrate in the Midst of the Messy

Love these thoughts, and though I feel past the point of needing a book like this, it may be just what some of you are looking for.

For when you think you're failing motherhood :::  I’m convinced more than ever that parenthood, by design, is created to reveal all our many imperfections. Our short-tempers, our selfishness, our laziness, our flat out short fuses.

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice:

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"

Revelation 5:11-12