Making Time for Fall

Things are slowly starting to look different around here. We're saying goodbye to summer and stepping into fall. While that means more homework to check, extra-curricular activities to drive the kids to, and earlier bedtimes, I want to ensure that we take time out to enjoy the little things. I want to make time to enjoy each other.

  

 Fall Bucket List:

Family

• Decorate Pumpkins
• Enjoy a Hayride
• Go Trick or Treating
• Have S'mores and Hot Chocolate
• Complete a Service Project
• Go on a Ghost Walk (Family Friendly)
• Make Leaf Art
• Bake a Fall Treat
• Visit the Zoo  

 

Fall Bucket List: 

Personal 

• Go on a Picnic Date with the Hubster
• Create a Gratitude Craft
• Try a New Fall Recipe
• Visit Farmer's Market
• Buy a Fall Candle 

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." 

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Right Now

Yesterday I submitted my last assignments for grad school. I've been looking forward to that moment for a long time now. When it happened, I was sure I was going to scream, cry, or dance around naked. I did none of the above. (You're welcome.) I closed my laptop and I exhaled. I didn't even realize that after a nearly two year journey, what I looked forward to most was breathing. 

If you ask the Hubster, he would agree that I have a hard time sitting still. I constantly jump from one thing to the next. Interest turns into excitement which turns into anxiety which often turns into "What was I thinking?" Now that grad school is over and I'm on maternity leave, it's only natural for my mind to wander to what I can accomplish next. Which project can I tackle on my list? Which craft do I want to try? Which bandwagon will I hop on? (Adult coloring is a thing. A very good thing.) 

However, lately my heart has taken a new turn. I feel that He's calling me to be still. 

I have this desire to do absolutely nothing. A lot of people have wondered why I'm taking additional weeks off after having a summer baby. The truth is I went back to work right at six weeks with both my girls and both times I struggled. I struggled emotionally and it took a while for my mind to actually work when at work. All I could think of was how I wanted to be home. Now that I've completed my master's program, I don't want to jump right back into work. I want to ease into it and take it day by day. I want to soak in every moment and milestone. 

I find that we often get pressured into jumping into the next thing. We earn a degree and are asked if we are considering the next program. We have a baby and are asked if we want more. We make purchases and consider upgrades almost immediately. I wonder how much slower the world would turn if we just sat and enjoyed what we had. Being grateful in the moment can do measures on your well-being. 

"Enough is a feast." -Buddhist Proverb

How much happier would I be if I didn't overlook the small things for the next big thing? I'm challenging myself to face the day with gratitude…to appreciate every gesture, laugh, tantrum, smile, cry, time-out, hug, "I love you", piece of laundry, apology, diaper, and moment with my people. I want to appreciate every star in the sky. There are blessings to be found. Blessings are in the now…the 'right where we are' moments. We just have to listen. 

Brave Enough to Go

When I first sat down with Katherine at a Fro-Yo shop, her radiant smile grabbed my attention. Then she spoke, and my soul was still. 

I 'knew about' Katherine, because her mother and I teach at the same school. I knew she was in college. I knew she had been on a mission trip. I knew that she was only 20 years old. I knew that her mother, though missing her like crazy, was extremely proud of her daughter that decided to listen to God, and follow her heart. But to actually be in her presence was a totally different experience. 

We only had an hour to meet, but it felt like we were talking for days. She shared her heart about mission trips and her decision to pause on the traditional road of going to college and listen to her heart's whispers instead. I told her about my 'Literacy Dream' and the fears that accompanied dreaming big. We spoke about adoption and the future and what it feels like to take the first step towards doing something that scares us. 

When it was time for us to go, I knew that I had just been blessed. When today's date approached, marking the last day of the 31 Day Writing Challenge, I knew I wanted to feature someone who represented bravery. I knew it was going to be Katherine.

I pray her answers to my questions bless you in even the slightest way. I pray you step boldly, not only into your dreams but into your everyday routines. Put Jesus first, for He's our source of strength. Keep your head high, and remember that when the storms come, it's our decision to dance in the rain and keep going that make us brave. 

   

What does bravery mean to you?

 

Bravery is growth, it is challenge, and it is transformation. But most importantly, bravery is trust. This summer, in Uganda, one of my devotions said: “Leap before you look.”  This has stuck with me every day since. Could every day be a day that we look to the Lord, and fully surrender everything to Him. That we would say, my time is in YOUR hands, and may all my strength, safety, and security be found in You, and You alone. To me, that is what bravery looks like. It is complete and utter trust in Jesus. 

 

Who's brave that inspires you?

So many people. Most of all though, my friend Lauren. She is the most trusting person that I know, and since I have met her I have learned so incredibly much about what it looks like to trust in the Lord. She spent her summer in Kenya, spreading the word of Christ to the people of Turkana. 

 

When were you bravest?

Here is the thing, people always tell me how courageous and brave I am, but I do not consider myself to be either, honestly. I am on fire for Jesus, and I have a passion and a desire to follow the callings that He has placed on my heart. As I have and am learning to trust in the Lord, I am watching Him do incredible things. I think the time that I was most trusting however, was when I was in Uganda this past summer. I got incredibly sick with an intestinal infection, and it had been over two weeks, and two hospital visits of desperately trying to fight this. My doctors in the US told me on a Friday that I had until the following Monday to get better or I had to come home. I prayed and I prayed and I prayed, fully believing and trusting in the Lord that Uganda where I was supposed to be, and praying for a miracle. Monday morning I woke up feeling drastically better.  

 

How do you face your fears?

By taking the first step. By entering in. We never know where this life is headed, but is that not the mostbeautiful part? For me, facing my fears is asking for the courage to always choose Jesus. It is actually begging for difficult, and asking for the challenges, knowing that as we enter into these challenges, He shapes us and He molds us. 

 

What were you most afraid of when you went to Africa for the first time?

This is a hard question to answer, and I do not want to say I was not afraid of anything, but to be honest, I was not. In Africa, there is this unexplainable peace for me. A peace that surrounds every part of who I am, and lets me know that I am right where I am supposed to be. In Africa especially, I feel so close to Christ. On the outside Africa may look scary to some, but not to me. There are dangers there, just like there are dangers here. But the thing about not feeling safe is a lack of trust. So let go of your fears, let go of your insecurities, let go of the voices in your head that say "you can't" and listen to Christ who says with Me all things are possible.

 

What advice would you give to someone that was afraid to pursue their dream?

 

Pray bold prayers. Pray about dreams that before you were scared of. It is so important to dream, especially dreams that terrify you. You see, dreams that were once limited by us, have no limit with Christ. So, dothe credible and let God do the incredible. Do the believable and watch God do the unbelievable. We all have dreams, but most of them fall within what we feel like we are qualified to do, or what our financialboundaries allow us to do, but trust in Christ. Dare to dream big, and do not fear. Let go of all of it. With Christ all things are possible.

(You can find Katherine and more of her story at bethechange.blogspot.com)

Brave Enough to Be Grateful

You ever have a chat with someone and it leads to a topic that turns your life upside down? It's almost as if He planned the encounter and the moment that the lesson would smack you right in the face. 

That happened today. 

Listening to a woman share her story shed so much light on my own. Her pain and testimony enabled me to learn so much about my circumstances and choices. 

I recently heard that we should share our stories. All of them. Because our pain, our trials, and our tribulations can glorify Him in ways that we could never imagine. 

That's exactly what listening to her story did for me. My heart ached as she replayed moments I couldn't bear to imagine to deal with. Through it all though, her faith is at a mountain's peak. Through it all her strength is ferocious and contagious. Through it all her heart glows and the light can be seen coming through her eyes. 

After sharing my fears and concerns about a certain situation she hit me with truth. 

"Where you are now is out of your control. You are more aware of the possibilities because of those around you and their experiences, but let it go. What will be, will be. You are not in control. What you need to do is to count every little victory, every single one of them, and see them as a blessing. Because they are. That's why it's called a miracle. It pretty much boils down to being grateful."

What would happen if I was brave enough to be truly grateful? To realize wholeheartedly that I am not in control and that these moments are simply gifts. Undeserved, beautiful, gracious gifts. 

Brave Enough to Fly

On our way to Trunk or Treat tonight at a friend's church, Baby Miss grabbed her cape and said, "I dhny, momma. Dhny."

"You wanna fly, baby?"

And in her funny language that only we understand, she said yes. 

What a joy to be nearly two. Unaware of pain. Fearless. Trusting. Willing. Taking the world in one raindrop and blade of grass at a time. 

To bear an imagination the size of the ocean and a heart the width of the shore it meets. 

What would my life look like if I was brave enough to believe I could fly?

Brave Enough to Make Time

I hope good friendships never go out of style. There's nothing like sitting across a table and talking face to face with a friend. Bearing your soul of how your week is going. Exchanging updates about kids. Sharing goals and the fears that roll with them. 

Sometimes life hangs on tightly and it feels like there's no breathing room for people. But, people matter. People matter more than texts and emails. People matter more than likes and cute comments. People matter more than popular posts and private messages. 

People have hearts. Those hearts need to be felt. Let's be brave enough to put people first. Let's not make excuses, but instead make time. Because people matter. 

Brave Enough to Be Together

Marvin Fall Bucket List 

What we've done:

1) Visit pumpkin patch and pick pumpkins (West Farm Corn Maze)

2) Enjoy a Hay Ride (West Farm Corn Maze)

3) Pumpking Painting Contest (instead of carving). The Hubster won. 

4) Have a picnic (Charleston)

5) Create a fall craft ( Spooky house and mini-monster craft kit from Target)

6) Watch a Family Friendly Scary Movie (The Little Vampire and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters)

What's left to do:

1) Take family photos 

2) Get away for the weekend

3) Trick or Treat

4) Pick out costumes 

5) Donate food to a local shelter

6) Bake a fall dessert 

Being intentional about what we do during this busy fall season has helped us to slow down and embrace the moments that count. It's like setting a challenge to remember to capture moments. When the demands of school, work, and extracurricular activities pull on our limbs, it takes bravery to shout 'Stop!' and do what matters most. For us that's slowing down and being with each other.