Libby | Lifesongs.com

Libby | Lifesongs.com

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Libby | Lifesongs.com episodes

  • Treasure | Libby
    What gift have you received that you will always treasure? Maybe it’s something you got as a child, or something a loved one made for you. Perhaps it’s not something tangible, but something someone did for you or time they spent with you. There’s always a story behind a meaningful gift. What’s yours?
     
    I can think of many that stand out over the years. A hard to find toy I didn’t think anyone knew I wanted. Homemade pottery from a relative. Just last week, when I was feeling sick and couldn’t do much, Julie sent over some hot soup. This may have felt like a small gesture to her, but it meant so much to me and truly helped me start feeling better.
     
    November is National Gratitude Month. As we reflect on all the many things we have to be grateful for (and those memorable gifts we still treasure), let’s embrace a spirit of generosity, too, and give. You never know – your gift could be the one someone never forgets. 
     
    One way to do this is by joining us in packing shoebox gifts for Operation Christmas Child. We’re continuing to share stories of these memorable gifts (a green yo yo, a blanket, a stuffed purple mouse) and praying for those receiving them. This is our opportunity to change a child’s life by sharing Jesus with them, and it all starts with one (memorable) gift.
     
    Click here to get started!
    2 min
  • New Seasons | Libby

    A new season is here! It’s September, and while it may not feel like fall for a while, it is a time of transition. For our family, that includes the start of kindergarten for my son. It’s an exciting new phase of life, and also one that isn’t without the challenges of transition.

    Growth and change indeed lead to some beautiful things, but they can also come with plenty of obstacles. We’ve been working in our garden, doing lots of planting, and have had our fair share of challenges there, too. (Looking at you, bugs and squirrels!) But we keep on keeping on, hoping to see results from those seeds. (C’mon, pumpkins!)

    This year, we also did some significant pruning; boy was that hard. How much is too much? Snipping away – it just feels like you’re cutting off so much that it can’t possibly be good. But, we already see positive results! More blooms, more fruit, more growth.

    These past few years, I’ve dealt with some new health problems, and I’ve also struggled with anxiety and panic/fear. I’m not proud of that, and it has been a time filled with plenty of challenges and obstacles. But God is faithful. And, just like our garden (and kindergarten!), I’m trying to keep planting and tending to seeds of faith so there will be a harvest of hope, even in these new transitions and seasons. The pruning process is a tough one, but I’m trusting God in it and looking forward to the growth and blooms to come.

     

     

     

    2 min
  • JOY | Libby

    I hope your summer days have been filled with FUN! We’ve been

    celebrating the fun this summer by focusing on simple things that make
    us smile. These “moments of joy” have been the highlight of my summer,
    because they’ve reminded me to have a grateful perspective and be
    thankful for the little things.

    Some of my family members came to visit this summer, and my cousin

    brought an art project with her – a paint by number kit for us to all
    work on together. As soon as I saw it I had to smile. It was an image
    (waiting to be brought to life with paint) of Dolly Parton with the
    words “I wish you JOY” on it.

    How sweet is that? This ended up being a collaborative effort,

    everyone grabbing a brush and choosing a number every so often as we
    passed by the table. It gradually filled in with vibrant paint colors
    (some lines painted a bit more neatly than others) to create a bright,
    happy image (that my son is proudly displaying in this photo).

    When looking at the unpainted blobs and shapes with numbers all over

    it, I couldn’t envision just what the finished product would look
    like. Which is how I feel sometimes in life, too. I get so focused on
    the minutia of what’s unfinished that I can’t get a clear idea of the
    big picture. Or I see all those floating numbers and get overwhelmed
    by the idea that I have to manage or complete it all. When, in
    reality, it’s each of us being part of something, bringing our own
    style and messy strokes, that gets us closer to the JOY.

    If I’m focusing on the small things, I want to be thankful for them.

    Like those little moments this summer, the ones that add up to one
    beautiful, messy, fantastic collaboration that is filled with JOY.

    “I wish you JOY” – Dolly (& me, too)

    2 min
  • Chirpy | Libby

    I feel like the season of spring lasted about 2.5 minutes this year. It’s been warmer than usual, but the jasmine is still blooming and the birds are still singing! So, while it may FEEL more like summer these days, it smells and sounds like spring at my house. And I love it. Something about waking up to hearing those birds tweeting their hearts out just lifts my mood. (And feel a bit like a Disney princess with my own backyard soundtrack of bird songs.)

    Research suggests it’s not just me – listening to birds “singing” can lower stress and have positive impacts on our mental health. (To be clear, not all birds have this effect. If the bird outside your window is a woodpecker, you know why.) The research found some bird sounds offered relief from mental fatigue and stress. One of the theories behind this phenomenon? Birdsong, in many instances, is a sign that there are no predators around. It’s a sign of safety.

    I love hearing these happy birds chirp and tweet their springtime tunes because it reminds me that I’m safe in the arms of God. He’s taking care of the sparrows, and He’s taking care of me and you, too.

    “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 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?” Matthew 6:25-26

    “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7

    2 min

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