Three Days of Thanksgiving- Part 3

DAY 3: my future


As I wrapped up my last days at work, I knew I would go through a period of grief. A wise professor once counseled that we grieve for so much more than just death. Each change, each transition, is a loss. I'm so thankful for his teaching.

This wisdom prepared me for my most recent loss. After six years of learning, teaching, counseling, healing, tears and much joy, it was time for me to let go. It has left me abundantly thankful. I'm thankful for those I had the privilege of working with. I learned so much from the beautiful hearts at Alternatives Pregnancy Center. What a blessing it was to serve alongside amazing co-workers and volunteers.

It would be true to say I have grieved the loss of my job at Alternatives.  Six years taught me so much. One of my biggest lessons was understanding the need to grieve well.  When this doesn't happen, we find our hearts crippled; unable to fully engage in life before us. It is through grief that we find healing.  It is through grief that we understand the depths of those around us. It is through grief that we find our Lord.

The picture above was taken during another time of grief. It's a reminder to me that grief can be beautiful. Grief has a purpose.

I borrowed a book in the days after leaving my job. In it, the character finds a quote printed at a museum near the chapel Christopher Columbus prayed in before leaving for the New World. It's reported that he ended each night with the turning of his hourglass and words of hope for his future. On this Thanksgiving Day, my heart resonates with his words.

As I face this wonderful new season, I am thankful to say, there is much that awaits.  I am thankful for the renewed hope and purpose I have found in this time of transition.  I am thankful for what I have found in my time of rest.  I am ready for what's ahead and I'm excited for my future.

"The time spent has been good. The time to come will be better."
-Christopher Columbus
(Quoted from Canary Island Song)

Three Days of Thanksgiving- Part 2

DAY 2: my family


One year ago today, Heath asked me to be his wife.  Looking back, it’s amazing really… it was just six weeks after our first date, and four months until our wedding.  Were we crazy?  Maybe.  But I wouldn’t change a thing.

We found out the saying is true: When you know, you know.

There are many other things I know. Many things I know I’m thankful for. Today, I’m incredibly thankful for my family. I’m thankful that Heath is now the first person in my family. The one I’m most excited to see every day. The one I’m thankful to spend the rest of my life with.  He is the man God gave me, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

I’m thankful for my parents. I’m thankful for the example they have been; that in the working out of their own faith, their relationship, and their love for their family, they have been honest in the struggle and the pain.

I’m thankful for my siblings. Those I grew up with and those I have gained. I’m thankful for their friendship. I’m thankful for their creativity, their love, their honesty, their uniqueness, and definitely for their sweet children!

I’m thankful for our extended families. We have a strong heritage. A heritage of faith, of love, of hardship, of strength, and a heritage of overcoming. We have an abundance to be thankful for. That I know.

Is our family perfect? No. But I wouldn’t change a thing.

Three Days of Thanksgiving- Part 1

DAY 1: my freedom 

I am thankful for my freedom…

the freedom to live and the freedom to move
the freedom to love
the freedom of my faith
the freedom bought at a cost by those who serve
the freedom offered at the cross
the freedom to travel and experience the world
the freedom to rest and the freedom of home
the freedom to see beauty, capture beauty, and to create beautiful things
the freedom born of healing
the freedom to seek truth; the truth that sets us free

Little Turkey Craft

I’ve been a little obsessed with Pinterest lately. Some days I manage to waste all kinds of time, but most days it actually inspires creativity.  It’s also inspired a few trips to Michael’s with coupons in hand. J

I was looking for a fun craft to do with my nieces this weekend, so I created this project after seeing several holiday craft posts but not finding exactly what I wanted. I had to do most of the work, but we definitely had fun.

Here are the little Turkeys from left to right: Gabi, Bella, and Lili

Supplies I used:
11x14 Canvas (you can use smaller or bigger depending on the number of handprints)
Craft paints (I get the $.59 acrylics)
1 Large and 1 Small paint brush
Scroll and letter stencils
Small brown Sharpie
Paper plate


Step 1. Collect your materials and choose your paint colors. I used a mustard yellow, vanilla, tan, burnt orange, and espresso.

Step 2. I covered the canvas in vanilla paint using a large angled brush, using horizontal strokes. Then I added some of the tan color in the corners.  With both vertical and horizontal strokes, it gave the canvas an aged look. I added a few of these same strokes in the middle of the canvas. Don't forget to paint the sides!

Step 3. Using a scroll stencil, paint the top corners. (you can trace and then paint, but it seemed more efficient to paint directly over the stencil). I used mostly brown, but added other colors for more texture and variety.

Step 4. If you are right handed, make sure to paint the left side first so you don't run your hand through the wet paint.  

Step 5. Trace or paint over your stencils to write Happy Thanksgiving, or whatever message you choose. It's easiest if you have clear stencils (like my blue one above) so you can see where you are tracing them. If using pencil, write lightly as it doesn't erase. If you make any big mistakes, wait for the paint to dry and paint over it again. Remember that it doesn't have to be perfect, it's partly a kid project!

Step 6. Once the paint is dry, pour some of each color (except the white/vanilla) onto a paper plate. I poured more of the espresso as I wanted it to be the color for the turkey's body. The other colors were placed above for the fingers/feathers.

Step 7. To avoid a mess, it's best to guide your child's hand into the paint and then onto the canvas. We did two canvases for this project, so we re-dipped the hand for the second canvas. We went directly to the sink to wash off before the next Turkey got their turn.

Step 8. Add feet, beaks, eyes and the red gobbler thing that hangs down (anyone got the real name for that?). You can also add each child's name with a skinny brown Sharpie.  As a side note, I'm considering going back to add "From 3 Little Turkeys" under the Happy Thanksgiving message. 

Thanks for joining me on my first craft blog! Let me know if you try this out- I would love to hear how it goes.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Hurry up and Wait.

I find this phrase so very helpful. It explains so many things in life. How often do we hurry up, only to find ourselves waiting much longer than we hoped? It seems like it happens all the time…

Hurry to the store, but wait in line to check-out. Hurry to get dinner prepared, and then wait until everyone's ready to eat. We hurry up to leave on time (or at least try to), and end up waiting in traffic.

Earlier this week, Heath and I got to experience the hurry and wait phenomenon first hand.

Monday afternoon, Heath came home early with incredible pain in his lower left side. He was certain it was a kidney stone. We arrived at Urgent Care, and waited. When he was finally seen, they were in a hurry to get his blood drawn and an IV hooked up, but he had to wait to get any relief for his pain. The rest of the day and into the evening was more of the same. More hurry and more waiting. Thankfully, Heath's kidney stone was diagnosed and his pain was eventually subdued. Unfortunately, it took a trip to the hospital and surgery that night to blast the stone to bits. For those who are wondering, he's feeling much better and is looking forward to feeling back to normal again soon. Looks like the Miller house will be drinking lots more water and cranberry juice!

Sitting in the waiting room, waiting to hear how his surgery went made me think of all the other seasons in life we end up waiting for. When we're younger we wait to be in the next grade, for summer break, to get our driver's license, to graduate high school, and maybe go to college. Then we hurry up and wait to get the right job, meet the right person, buy a house, or to have kids. Later, we wait until we can take that needed vacation, or finally get to retire.

Oftentimes, we hurry up to get to that next stage in life, but are left waiting. How much of life do we miss out on while we wait? Are we experiencing today?

It seems like I've had so many seasons of waiting. Right now I'm waiting to find the right job. Heath and I are waiting until we can have kids. At the moment, I'm waiting for my cute nieces to come visit. There are a lot of things to wait for, but it seems like there should be a better way of going about this.

When I was in Uganda a few years ago, I remember doing a lot of the hurry up and wait routine. And that was just the thing; it was a very normal part of daily life. The difference was, it was acknowledged that waiting was normal. The hurry was merely preparation for what was next and the waiting meant being completely present in the moment.

Rather than being anxious for each next step to arrive, I hope to enjoy the one I'm in.

Dancing Light

"For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light."

Psalm 36:9

One week of snow and fire

My husband, Mr. Teacher Man, had a snow day last week.  I suppose that’s one of the perks to the many, many hours he’s been putting in as a first year math teacher.  I’m amazed at how much work he’s done and how much he’s learned already.  I’ve loved watching; knowing that he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be.

 

Our snow day started with an early morning phone call and the realization that our power was out.  Thankfully, we were still warm and toasty under our new sheets and comforter (I might have to post a picture soon- our bed is so pretty!).  Heath then bravely trekked through the wet snow, and took the truck out to buy firewood and some breakfast.  We felt so very thankful to have a real wood burning fireplace so we could stay warm until the power was restored. All in all, last week we had a great snow day.

The opposite was true yesterday. Sometime in the late afternoon we heard that my cousins were evacuated from their house due to a fire that started in their garage.  They were home on a snow day.  I can’t imagine what the phone calls must have been like for my aunt and uncle. The heartache and trauma that must have followed.  What can be more important to a little girl than the safety of home and family? My heart’s prayer yearns for all to be restored.

This morning I was struck by the extreme differences in these two snow days, one week apart.  Fire, when contained in its proper place, is a very good thing.  Fire brings warmth, energy, romance, and even safety when it is controlled.  Fire, left to its own devices becomes dangerous.  How many things in our lives fall along the same lines? When things are in their proper place, they are good and right. When these very same things escape their appropriate boundary, they easily become harmful and destructive.  Rest becomes laziness; healthy exercise becomes an addiction; good mothering becomes an obsession to perfection; good relationships become idolatry. Lord, help us!  How easily our boundaries become void.

I’m reminded at how much we need the One who gives good boundaries.  The One who desires to show us the way.  The One who promises to be with us, no matter what storm or fire we face.

My heart remains thoughtful and prayerful.  May we remain in the warmth of a contained fire and our lives reflect the hearth that was meant to keep us safe.

 Lord Jesus, we are so thankful that all are safe. Lord, we pray your continued protection over this family. Restore what has been lost. Renew what has been damaged. Redeem what has been destroyed. Lord, have mercy.

Coming soon...

I opened this blog over a year ago. This is my second post. What have I been waiting for?

I think I’ve been trying to decide if I had anything worth saying; anything that others would be interested in reading. I decided it was time to get over it. So, here I am. A blogger!

Over the last few weeks I’ve been perusing blogs on all sorts of things: kids, crafts, cupcakes, finances, fashion, photos, and just plain… life.  I decided this blog won’t just focus on one or two topics- there are too many things in this life I’m interested in talking about. So, keep a look out for things like photos, travels, thoughts on life and love, musings on the spiritual journey, fun crafts and recipes I’m trying, and whatever else I may come across. 

For a taste, here’s a picture I took today while out shooting my blog header (included: a great vintage suitcase from my neighbor’s garage sale- such a great find!):