day 270

2015 was beautiful and in some ways difficult but through each day, His grace was with me and those I love.

270 days x 3 gifts + 48 birthday gifts = 858 gifts of beauty and grace

3 Gifts Anticipated

1. New beginnings. There is a stirring in me that this year will have many new beginnings. I have a growing anticipation inside me for 2016.

2. Celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. We're having so much fun dreaming about what we are going to do to celebrate. 

3. Dreaming, praying, experiencing and taking steps in faith where I am afraid.  

She knew who she was in Christ and she dared to dream big.

This last day of 2015 has been sweet. A slow and restful morning, visit with Aaron, Stacy, and Eli, lunch with the family, reading, music, writing, and celebrating our dear friend Debbie who turned 50. 

Eli. He's amazing. 

Williams family. I love them so. 

She loves her new piano and I love hearing her explore and play new pieces.

Birthday girl with her momma and sisters. Happy Birthday, DK!

Two of my favorites. Beauties in every way.

These girls. So much joy.

Cheers 2015!

day 269

3 Gifts of Christmas Break

1. A slower rhythm without a plan. This is such a simple gift. There is always this slight jealousy in me for those who get to go away to beautiful places. I fight for joy some days to see the gift of remaining. I've experienced the gift of remaining this break.

2. Friends who are part of our story. This Christmas season has brought many friends back to Columbia to visit family for the holidays. I have had sweet times with several of these woman who I love deeply. They are brave and strong and kind and weak and beautiful. They are dreamers and warriors of grace and truth. What a gift to share tea and stories of all that we call life.

3. Multiple cups of tea a day, hours of reading, puzzles, and streaming the One Thing Conference. 

Ann Voskamp posted this on her blog: http://www.aholyexperience.com/2015/12/this-is-the-year-when-new-year-resolutions-feel-hopeless-you-want-some-soulutions-free-printable/

I have never been one to make resolutions. It stresses me out. For my birthday Todd gave me a small journal to dream, to pray for those things that seem impossible. I think it's quite possibly my most favorite gift ever from him. I might incorporate this too. It doesn't seem too stressful and could be part of my dream journal.

Home.

day 263

12.25.2015

3 Gifts from Luke 2

1. Just as the prophets foretold, He came. A babe, born of a virgin, in an unknown town, wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger. 

2.  Glory to God . . . good tidings . . . great JOY . . . PEACE and GOOD WILL to those with whom God is pleased." To think that the first thing God chose to have the angels announce to those who think we don't need Him was JOY and PEACE is astounding. Absolutely astounding.

3. Angels pronouncements, shepherds seeking, seeing, believing and telling of the King who had come, Simeon and Anna waiting and longing and beholding their Messiah. The Father always reveals Himself and desires to make Himself known to his creation. 

It's true: Jesus came into the world for you! And it's really true: you came into the world for Him--to let everyone know about Him. Advent, Ann Voskamp

day 261

3 Gifts with Wonder, Rejoicing, Praising

1. The wonder of new discoveries or being captivated by the things we experience every day. Like a child who notices the moon for the very first time and stretches out to touch it. Or the wonder of another sunset and all it's brilliant colors painting the sky. Or the wonder of reading the Christmas story to a group of 6th graders and seeing the story capture their hearts in a new way. It's possible to be captured by wonder each and every day.

2. Rejoice: to feel or show that you are very happy about something. to feel great joy or delight. I experienced this just last Sunday at church when we sang a familiar Christmas hymn. Hearing 700 voices all rejoicing in the truth that God has come to make himself known to us through His son--Emmanuel--God is with us! He truly is our great joy and delight!

3. Praise: to say or write good things about (someone or something): to express approval of: to express thanks to or love and respect for God. What a gift to celebrate another person. To affirm and show or celebration of who they are. I'm going to look for ways to celebrate and affirm those around me more--to speak love and grace and kindness in intentional and meaningful ways.

day 262

12.24.2015

Today is my birthday. In honor of my 48 years I am going to give thanks for 48 gifts to me in this past year. Perhaps this will become a birthday tradition. I have been feeling down about my birthday. Not because I'm another year older, that I don't mind. I wanted to be with friends and celebrate but it's hard to gather friends at Christmas. I decided this morning that I would battle the blues with THANKS! Hasn't this past year been all about giving thanks and looking for God's grace and beauty in each and every day! YES! Giving thanks leads to JOY and JOY leads to more THANKS and then your're back again to more JOY! It's amazing how once you start counting the gifts in your life, they start to flow out of you like a river. 

48 Gifts from 2015

1. Rehearsing the truth that Jesus rescued me and made me new. 
2. The Grace of God to me through Christ that sustains and keeps me each moment of each day. 
3. HOPE. 
4. PEACE when anxiety sought to consume me. 
5. JOY. 
6. God has strengthened and spoke to me through His word and prayer. 
7. My Darlin (we're closing in on 25 years). 
8. Zachary Todd. 
9. Lia-Joy. 
10. Treasured friendships. 
11. Provision for every need. 
12. Generosity given and received. 
13. Words of encouragement and affirmation. 
14. Pretty flowers in vases. 
15. Winter. 16. Spring. 17. Summer. 18. Fall. I am so thankful to live in an area where every season is distinct. I love them all!
19. Books--I've read so many great books this year. 
20. Candles. 
21. Music. 
22. the sky!--sun, moon, stars! 
23. Big, fluffy, rolling clouds. 
24. delicious food. 
25. marathon movie days with friends. 
26. Tea. 
27. My job. 
28. My co-laborer at work, Nanny. 
29. Visits from friends. 
30. Game nights. 
31. Trip to Seattle for Kelly's wedding. 
32. the Puget Sound. 
33. Dinner at Delancey with Cha and Karin. 
34. Beach walk with Jinny in LA. 
35. Anna's wedding and her beautiful friends and family. 
36. Celebrating Ray-Ray's 30th birthday. 
37. Birthday walks with Kristin. 
38. Stories of redemption and healing. 
39. Soccer, soccer, soccer. 
40. Basketball with the Junior High girls. 
41. Fresh veggies from farmer Debbie. 
42. Friends who helped celebrate Todd's 50th! 
43.Trail walks/runs. 
44. Surprises! I love surprises--the good ones of course! 
45. Dreaming of things to come. 
46. Kim and Amy's salad. 
47. Sailboat days. 
48. Being loved and known in sweet ways.

day 260

3 Gifts Lit

1. Christmas tree. Red, blue, green, and yellow twinkling lights. I love our Christmas tree. Every ornament a story and memory. 

2. Candles to soften and warm our space. Candles are one of my favorite, simple pleasures. One flame of a candle can light up any space filled with darkness. I reminds me of the STAR that lit up the dark night skies over Israel and led shepherds and the wise men to a simple home in Bethlehem. His Light, lights up all the darkness in this broken world.

3. Magic trees all over town. Over the past several years it seems this has become the new Christmas rage--thousands of lights covering every branch of a tree. It is pretty magical.

As we walked to the car after our magic tree viewing Lia said, "I feel so peaceful now. That made me feel calm." 

day 259

3 Gifts Miraculous

1. 28 years of knowing and following Jesus.

2. The Grace of God to me in Christ--it has sustained, held, kept and carried me each and every moment of every day. And it will continue to the day I see Him face to face.

3. 24 years of marriage to Todd and seeing the faces of Zach and Lia every day. 

day 258

A Gift Hung, Heard, Held

1. Each ornament hung on our tree. They tell stories of seasons in our lives and are reminders of the joy of the Christmas season.

2. The Elementary Christmas Program. Tonight was Lia's final elementary Christmas program. Hearing children sing is probably one of the greatest gifts in life. 

3. His hand. Just leaning upon him and holding his hand is a sweet gift after a long day.

Follow Me . . .

I've been thinking about how often the scriptures refer to God's people as sojourners, pilgrims in this life. This life is full of decisions and choices and plans that need to be made and executed for success. There's a lot of pressure to know what you want to be when you grow up! I'm still not sure!

Zach is a junior in high school. He is often asked, "What do you want to do after high school? Have you decided what you want to study? Where do you want to go to college?" These questions overwhelm him and he simply says, "I don't know."

None of these questions are bad. These are normal questions for someone who will graduate in 1.5 years (be still my heart). As we try to process with Zach the options that are before him, I have started to reflect on my own journey and our journey as a family. 

We have made plans, executed plans and sometimes we have even carried out plans but there has also been a lot of interruptions and unexpected changes that have set our lives often on a very different trajectory. It's certainly fine and good to make a plan, but it's also perfectly fine not to have everything figured out. Or to even think that you have it all figured out and discover, you really don't. It's okay to explore, to dream, and to even fail as we navigate what might lay before us. 

I have always wanted my life to feel epic. I have wanted my life to feel meaningful. I desire to follow Jesus, to love Him, to love others and to turn the world upside down with His love, generosity and power. I want to make wrong things right. I want to see the weak made strong and the weary made whole. Often as I'm grading papers for 6th graders or monitoring lunch and recess, my life doesn't feel very epic. I sometimes even ask, how in the world did I get here? Not that I'm above being a teachers aide but I don't see how it matters. It certainly doesn't feel like I'm turning the world upside down.

The disciples were a bunch of ordinary guys. Mary and Martha, ordinary sisters. Jesus called them with two simple words. "Follow Me!" And they did. They followed him from city to city, town to town, mountain sides and valleys, gardens and homes. Nothing about it was neat and tidy. The disciples made mistakes, misunderstood some things that Jesus taught, they doubted and argued, they denied him and left him. But they also kept following him. Some followed at a distance. Through all the ebbs and flows, they followed. I feel a little freedom in my own life when I look at their lives. Following Jesus is pretty epic. And sometimes it's confusing and messy. Following Jesus is meaningful. And sometimes it feels very normal and simple.

My friend Jane says to stay fascinated with Jesus. I think that's key in being a pilgrim. I want to stay close to Jesus. I want to learn from Him. To read and meditate on His word. I want to imagine His Kingdom coming into all the dark, confusing, unplanned, unknown spaces of life and hear Him say, Follow Me. Sometimes following Him will look like grading papers or making sure kids don't throw their food at the lunch table. Sometimes it will look like praying and encouraging a friend. Sometimes it will look like giving to the poor or serving a meal or giving a hug. It may sometimes look like leaving your home and country to move to a foreign land. In it all, Jesus is simply asking us to trust and follow Him.

I'm a pilgrim, a sojourner, following Jesus each day in all the planned and unplanned parts of my life. He is a good Shepherd. 

Christ be with me

Christ within me

Christ behind me

Christ before me

Christ beside me

Christ to win me

Christ to comfort & restore me

Christ beneath me

Christ above me

Christ in quiet

Christ in danger

Christ in hearts of all that love me

Christ in the mouths of friend and stranger

day 257

3 Gifts From Your Savior

1. His unfailing, never-stopping, always and forever love.

2. He has given me peace that is not dependent upon my circumstances or the state of the world around me. In these days, with much chaos and pain in the world, His peace has been an anchor for my soul.

3. He gave me a spiritual family. Our friend was here from Sweden to spend a few days with us. We met in 2001. Though land and seas and our jobs and responsibilities separate us from regularly being together, we have maintained our friendship. As I think about the relationships we have near and far, it's all possible because of our Savior connecting us together. What a beautiful tapestry of God's love! 

Karin.

Our beloved Swede.