From the Back Porch

To truly receive the gift of forgiveness and new life, I have to see how much my life depends on it.

I love order. But why do I fight it when the order isn’t how I would order it? Time to stop looking for short cuts and be present in the process- no matter what it looks like.

Sometimes the “in-between” places have more significance than we ever expected.

A final moment on the back porch.

It's a crazy time and so easy to get distracted or to feel the pressure to have it all together.  But what if we slowed down long enough to remember?  To reflect on where we've come from in order to better see where we are going.  To remember how much we are loved in order to live as the beloved child of God.  There is no naughty and nice list here.  Just forgiveness and love and a promise of more to come.

Soaking up all the final days on the farm and a swarm of bees is challenging me to let go and move forward. There’s life ahead- an ever-flowing spring to fill me and guide me. It’s GO time!

There's a lot happening, and it's happening faster than I'd hoped.  I'm up late making lists, worrying about how it's all going to get done.  And it took a chapter from Monroe's children's Bible to remind me that I am God's child, he loves me dearly, and his favor is on me.  He loves taking care of the things I'm most worried about. It's gonna be ok.

Walking thoroughly through Isaiah 58, I continue to be surprised at what God is really asking for from his people.  Moving from the practice of fasting for a day to the everyday "fast" kind of life is no joke.  I mean, it's hard AND it's what God asks for.  This is another way that my faith matures from just a solid set of beliefs, to an intricate weaving of those beliefs into the way I live out each day in relationship to others.  It takes me a long time to land the plane today, but it's important that I really work this one through.  I want to get it right.  This "fast" life is anything but being in a hurry.

Reflecting on my conversation with Amy, I’m reminded how important it is to have a deep understanding of how much God loves me.