Everyday Blessings in our Community

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the frit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. Psalm 128:1-4

"Note the everyday way this psalm unfolds divine blessing - it is a matter of eating and drinking, of enjoying one's spouse and children (v. 3-4). To be blessed is to become ourselves, enjoying God in alignment with the way he created us to be as creatures on this globe."

~Devotional Psalter

The end of May brough some sweet everyday gifts our way. 

A rainy Saturday morning provided the perfect opportunity to try a new recipe with fresh food from our local farmers. Sweet potato, bacon, and spinach scramble will definitely be added to our breakfast rotation!

My incredible, beautiful, tenacious grandmother turned 94. What a treasure to have the opportunity to celebrate her! Her big birthday party got postponed because of the weather, but our family enjoyed taking some Danish Pecan Snails to share on her special day.

The predicted rain and storms prompted the farmers market to cancel, but many of the small local farms had already harvested and prepared to sell to the crowds the descend on our delightful market. I reached out to my farmer who always brings leafy greens, and her daughter delivered to our doorstep at 9:20 on a Saturday night. They had to throw away the majority of their harvest, and I was so grateful they were willing to go the extra mile so my family could enjoy the fruit of their labors. 

My berry farmer texted me at 6:45 on Saturday morning to say that he had berries for sale and could meet me in the parking lot. So, in the pouring rain, I handed him last year's clam shells and some cash, and he passed me blueberries, blackberries, and boysenberries. Community is such a beautiful thing!

I'm still in shock about this recital. Several of my orchestra and private studio students dance or participate in stage productions with Red Curtain Theater, and I try to attend their performances whenever possible. The end of the year recital was entitled, "Legacy in Motion", a "special performance honoring individuals who have made a lasting impact on our community". The students and teachers nominated community members for awards. The group you see in the picture above chose me. Three of them play stringed instruments, and two of them are daughters of a friend from junior high youth group. Did I boohoo as one of my cello students introduced me? You better believe it.

Sweet Sabbath

"The proximity of a Sabbath practice (in that it happens in direct and regular relationship to my everyday relationships and circumstances) helps to clear my vision to see more completely and lovingly what I have." ~Justin McRoberts, Sacred Strides

Recently, several people have reached out to tell me how much they are enjoying my hydrangeas. I can't take much credit, my mom grew these from her own plants, then placed them along the north side of our house while we were overseas.

 

Slowing down to intentionally rest certainly helps "clear my vision to see more completely and lovingly what I have". What do I have? Beautiful flowers, certainly. But also, a thoughtful mama and a community that cares enough to tell me that they are also soaking up the beauty of God's creation in my yard.

Just Over Here Listening

Lord, teach me to listen. The times are noisy and my ears are weary with the thousand raucous sounds which continually assault them. Give me the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to Thee, "Speak, for Thy servant heareth." Let me hear Thee speaking in my heart. Let me get used to the sound of Thy voice, that its tones may be familiar when the sounds of the earth die away and the only sound will be the music of Thy speaking voice. ~ A.W. Tozer

Even though Tozer's prayer was written before the advent of most of our daily technology, I find myself requesting the same things. My days ARE noisy, and my ears are weary, too. So sometimes the Lord has to speak multiple times to me, just like He did with Samuel. I heard His voice in the joy of my gym buddy when he lands an incredibly high box jump.

I felt the nudge in my Holy Spirit hearing aids to go check on wrecks, two in the span of just a few days. I heard the first wreck when I was in the back yard battling the aphids on my tomato plants. I walked the half block to see if anybody needed coffee or a bathroom. Thankfully, everyone was calm and no one was injured in the two car collision. 

The next wreck happened on a Saturday morning in the pouring rain. Just a single car that took down a crape myrtle and a light pole. I quickly got in touch with a neighbor who had a porch closer than mine, and we waited in the shelter while she offered the driver a bottle of water.

The first zinnia bloom always woos me with God's whisper. These flowers I grew from seeds that originated in plants a sweet friend plunked in my flower bed shortly after I had surgery two years ago. The bright colors never fail to encourage me.

Slowing down challenges me. That's one of the reasons why spending time with small children is so good for me. They notice things! When I visited my Wonder Twin recently, her kids were playing in the yard with some neighbor kids. A tow headed seven-year-old found a tiny praying mantis, and his delight in sharing his discovery with the rest of us sounded a whole lot like the sound of our beloved Father's voice.

Sweet Sabbath

"True rest implies worship and restoration, savoring the presence of the Lord. But rest is not limited to prayer and praise. It involves relaxation, too. Rest is not the passive leisure of entertainment. Instead, restful activities should fill in all the desolate places of your mind, body, and emotions. They should refuel and repair your soul." ~Jamie Erickson, "Holy Hygge"

If you need me, I'll be outside breathing in the fragrance of my lone gardenia bloom and basking in the joy of the brilliant hydrangeas my mom planted for us when we bought this house.

A Spirit of Appreciation

"When gratitude is simply a duty, we discharge it by making a list and checking off boxes, It doesn't accomplish much. But when gratitude becomes a spirit of appreciation, and we allow ourselves to feel the thankfulness for more than a few seconds, it prepares our hearts for connection with God. I think this is one of the reasons we are so often encouraged to enter God's presence with gratitude and praise. It isn't an obligation so much as an invitation to come relationally ready to meet with someone we enjoy." ~Marcus Warner, "A Deeper Walk" 

Lately, our lives have overflowed with reasons to be grateful. I taught my last "Technique Tuesday" for the high school orchestra. Although seeing the students only two or three times a month has been quite different from working with them every day, I savor every opportunity to interact with these amazing musicians.

Katherine finished her ceramics class at ASU Beebe. She drove every Tuesday and Thursday evening and stretched her comfort zone. The result? We have some of her beautiful and creative pieces of art to enjoy! 

My little backyard garden is taking off. I'm trying to hold things loosely, but I do look forward to watching all of the little zucchini, tomatoes, beans, and peppers grow as the Lord works His creative wonders.

Hannah's Graduation

We are super proud of Hannah! The reason we made the road trip to Austin was to celebrate her MA graduation.

The last three years brought more challenges than she anticipated, but she hung in there and finished.

These three have accumulated four masters degrees. So, they invented a little "masters handshake". Benjamin and Hannah will be moving to Kansas City this summer for Benjamin to begin his next degree at UMKC

 

Road Trip to Austin, TX

We set out early on a Saturday morning to drive to Austin. We haven't made this long of a road trip in a very long time!

Our Air BnB was near the Pemberton Heights Trail, a cute little path nestled alongside a creek.

My morning Jesus and coffee looked a little different from a 6th floor apartment, but it was still a lovely way to begin the day.

Antioch, Georgetown, recently partnered with the Lavukal translation project, and we were thrilled to finally be close enough to visit the church and to say thank you.

Sarah stayed with us in Austin and brought her own prayer cards. She hopes to be back in the Solomon Islands early next year serving with Pioneer Bible Translators in EthnoArts.

On My Bookshelf

I just finished reading "A Deeper Walk" by Marcus Warner on my Kindle App. I love how he uses acronyms to make his practical tips easier to remember. We may have to purchase this one! 

My new audiobook is "Tattoos on the Heart" by Gregory Boyle. I've listened to the introduction and the first chapter, and I think I'm going to love this book, which is full of compassion and real-life stories about gangs in Los Angeles.

 

Day 10 of 40

Our last day together, we decided to splurge and walk over to Common Grounds Coffee House for brunch. Their mission statement: To build a culture and atmosphere of inclusion by employing individuals with disabilities, empowering them and helping them to achieve their full potential, while creating a memorable coffee experience for our customers and guests. The barista made my latte at exactly the right temperature, 190 degrees. As we paid for our order, a regular came in behind us. The barista knew the guy's order without having to be told. The food was scrumptious. The walk to and from the restaurant was filled with historic, one of a kind buildings. Fabulous way to begin the day together. 

The main hallway of the Air BnB displayed paintings by artists from Missouri. This one, named "Eating Up the Lights", caught my eye. The website has a detailed description of the process, but the last few sentences made me catch my breath: "A long procession of marker lights would highlight the safest path through an otherwise hazardous and unpredictable river. With confidence in his lead crew, the boat's pilot would gently advance into the darkness toward this path of lights."

 

What a beautiful analogy of how the Lord leads us through a hazardous and unpredictable life river with a path of lights so we can gently and safely advance.

On the way home, we paused to hike outside Poplar Bluff on the easy Wolf Creek Trail. Getting the blood circulating again felt good. The honeysuckle was in full bloom, perfuming the air along the rain washed trail. We did bring some Missouri ticks home with us, and now I've stocked the van with bug spray for the next time we invest in our marriage along the trails!

 

Day 9 of 40

We're history nerds, so Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, seemed like the perfect place for us to explore together. We utilized Aaron's willingness to donate plasma to stay in a beautiful old building, the Dr. Hertich House, built around 1850.

Breakfast on the patio gave us more opportunities to talk through some books that we've been reading and to enjoy a relaxed start to the day.

The Modoc Ferry took us across the Mississippi River 

and reminded us of all the boat travel we do when we are in the Solomon Islands.

The day was absolutely gorgeous. A slight breeze. Blue skies. Perfect for making memories together.

Our first stop was a big WIN.

Fort de Chartres reminded us of our visits to Castillo de San Marcos.

Climbing around on the walls took us back to our college days when we explored the walls and towers of Lucerne. As we continue to build on the foundation of our friendship and strengthen our secure attachment with each other, our marriage slowly grows into a strong, tall shelter. Playing together is one of the things that adds bricks to the legacy we are slowly creating.

Trusting that the Lord is the One actively and intentionally laying those bricks is the mortar that cements us and protects us from growing self absorbed. Even with all of our differences.

The other places we tried to visit in Illinois either weren't open or were just disappointing. Fort Kaskaskia had beautiful trees and an old graveyard that had been moved to save it from the encroaching Mississippi River. The Pierre Menard home was closed, despite the posted hours.

So we consoled ourselves with ice cream once we got back across the Mississippi River. Sara's Ice Cream makes an incredible brownie sundae!

Day 8 of 40

An overseas trip, Easter, and the season of orchestra concerts made us press pause on celebrating our forty years of friendship, but we are back at it again! Aaron and I snatched a weekend away to explore some of our favorite things.

We stopped at a coffee shop in Walnut Ridge to stretch our legs. The Post Bakery and Bistro is nestled in a historic post office. The owners kept much of the original fixtures and layout, so this place is a dream come true for lovers of old buildings! Make sure you visit the restroom to see the charming sink that fits in the corner. A tiny prayer room is nestled in the middle of the restaurant, too. One downside, they don't serve any decaf. So I didn't get any coffee here :(

We've learned to stop and stretch often, and we enjoy finding hiking trails along our route. We stopped at the lovely Sam A. Baker State Park and soaked up the Shut-In Trail and Mudlick Loop to allow our bodies to limber up after so many hours in the van. We surprised some deer at the beginning of the trail.

The gentle hike was just what we needed. An opportunity to chat and also to slow down and soak up the beauty that God created. Sometimes it takes a while to reconnect and to talk about deep, hard things. Road trips and walks through the woods make space for that essential part of our friendship.

Life With the Life-Giver

"The problem is that as soon as we have framed life with the life-giver as a discipline or duty, it begins to feel like a discipline or duty. That is to say, it feels like something we have to do, not something we get to do." ~Will Acuff, "No Elevator to Everest"

One of the best things about having cancer? It helped me look at life with new lenses of gratitude. Of remember that I GET to do lots of things, even things that take discipline. I can have a garden with more variety this year because I can devote more time to trying new things. Two kinds of zucchini are currently flourishing in a backyard raised bed.

Riding my bike again has brought me great joy and another way to move my body. During chemo, the side effects of the medicine kept me close to home, so the bike was not a good option. But now I GET to ride my bicycle and enjoy our beautiful hometown. This time of year, families of geese often stroll across my bike route, reminding me of "Make Way for Ducklings".

Working fewer hours with orchestra and having more energy gives me opportunities to volunteer, and I really enjoyed playing my cello for one of the elementary school's field day. The librarian is the mom of one of my cello students, so we collaborated with music and literature. I brought Katherine's first cello, a sturdy little half size, and the students loved trying it out. The Life-Giver on keeps giving!

First Weekend in May

The first weekend in May was full of good things! 

We love the Conard family. Making memories together is one of our favorite things to do. For years, the wives have been encouraging the husbands to take an "iron sharpens iron" retreat together. Finally, they were able to find a free weekend. They rode on the beautiful mountain bike trails of northwest Arkansas and filled each other's tanks. These people are always giving, pouring out to serve each person who crosses their path.

While Aaron was gone, I went to the Tadpole Trot as part of our hometown's Toadsuck Daze.

Some cousins of mine were running, and so were some friends I met from my gym family.

Katherine's youth group held a spaghetti fundraiser, and she and I made a strawberry trifle with sweet local strawberries. I love this time of year!

It was a delicious labor of love, used a dozen eggs (egg whites for the angel food cake and a dozen yolks for the pudding), and took us most of Saturday to put together.

Sunday after church, the bowl quickly emptied and helped raise money for church camp.