your Practice Resurrection photo stories [2015, vol. 2]

Scroll to the bottom of this post to see how to participate.

I'd love to include your photo story next week!

via: Lent & Beyond

For the next six weeks (from now until Pentecost), will you join me in feasting on Resurrection goodness in our everyday lives?  It can be as simple as a special candle you use for your meals during Eastertide or as elaborate as travelling across the world to meet new people.  Whatever it is, will you show us a picture and tell us a few words?   Plant spring flowers (maybe a new variety this year)?  Show us! Get up to see the sun rise on a Sunday morning?  Tell us about it! Take a new route to work (maybe taking more time than necessary in honor of the mad farmer)?  Share it!

"I set up an easel in the middle of our garden beds and told Lucy to paint what she saw. She dug in and created the most lovely garden masterpiece. Claude Monet would have been proud. It was a peaceful session of plein air painting for both of us."  (Betony & Tim Coons, Greeley, Colorado)

.....

A Last Blue Bonnet Sighting at Pedernales Falls

"During Lent I realized that I'd forgotten some things that used to be so life-giving to me. In particular I used to be nourished by natural beauty, but in the non-stop pace of the last few years, I'd forgotten its power to heal. Since Easter, I've been more intentional about plunking myself down in nature. While my first foray ended in being attacked by fire ants, more successful attempts -- including a camping trip to Pedernales Falls--have been deeply restorative.  Thanks be to God."  (Krista Vossler, Austin, TX)

.....

"We've had our share of pain this year, but it's hard not to feel life renewed in the giggles of a two year old." (Alicia Nichols, Vestal, NY)

.....

"I try to remember each day to notice the creative genius of our God in the order and beauty of the natural world around me. It's views like this one on a golf weekend with my Dad and brothers that remind me each new day is uniquely designed and crafted by God with me in mind in order that I should glorify Him and do the work he has remade me to accomplish!" (Benjamin Murphy, Vestal, NY)

.....

"Took a spontaneous exit for funsies and found a lovely village, Gengenbach, in the Black Forest region. Beautiful medieval town square, delicious gelato, and a fantastic sprawling playground amidst a vineyard and creek. Lots of families and kids out on a gorgeous spring Sunday."  (Tsh Oxenreider, Bend, Oregon & currently on a year-long journey around the world with her family)

.....

"Watching my girl climb the Ornamental Cherry tree in our yard reminds me that security in God's abundance allows me to freely and fearlessly enter in to new life with others.  Also, it reminds me of climbing the apple tree in my Grampa's yard when I was a girl." (Kelcy Poat, Hammonton, NJ)

.....

"Anna was our surprise baby in several ways.  We found out she was coming when her older brother was only 6 months old and we waited until she was born to see if she was a he or she. Surprise! A baby sister to two older brothers.  She's a spirited one, to put it kindly. God has grown that little 5 year old heart to love and care for her sick father. Her dad (my husband) was hospitalized around Valentine's Day with heart failure. She has gone from giving him a hard time (once a diva of sorts) to taking his hand and caring for her dad (a true daughter of the King). She breathes life into the heart of her father. She's the best surprise I've ever received." (Natalie Briggs, Temple, TX )

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Three steps to play along:

1. Add something to your day that helps you practice resurrection. (one day or fifty days doesn't matter)
2. Take a picture and write a description in 1-50 words.
3. Share it with me via an email, Facebook or hashtag it on Twitter or Instagram #practiceresurrection2015.  I'll share some of your photo-stories with everyone here each week.

Who wants to join us?

your Practice Resurrection photo stories [2015, vol. 1]

I'd love to include your photo story next week, 

scroll to the bottom of this post to see how to participate.

via: Lent & Beyond

For the next six weeks (from now until Pentecost), will you join me in feasting on Resurrection goodness in our everyday lives?  It can be as simple as a special candle you use for your meals during Eastertide or as elaborate as travelling across the world to meet new people.  Whatever it is, will you show us a picture and tell us a few words?   Plant spring flowers (maybe a new variety this year)?  Show us! Get up to see the sun rise on a Sunday morning?  Tell us about it! Take a new route to work (maybe taking more time than necessary in honor of the mad farmer)?  Share it!

"No classroom can do justice to the fullness of life experienced and lessons taught from this double pitch 5.8+ climb up Seneca Rocks in West Virginia. I was truly humbled. I was pushed physically and mentally the most I have ever been, and as a result experienced a depth of intimacy to others and the Creator and creation -- so much so, I kissed my friend on the cheek at the summit. One begins to rearrange one's life to experience more life-giving opportunities like this." (Jake Blasdel, Ashland, OH)

.....

"Silvia told me that her Grandfather used to ride [a tandem bicycle] with her Grandmother and that Valentine's Day was coming up...anyhow, a second hand store nearby had one for sale so I bought it and fixed it up. Silvia loved it!"(Andy Palmer, Bakersville, NC)

.....

"I spent a wonderful weekend with my sister, Debbie, on a jaunt to Taughannock Falls State Park (Ithaca, NY).  Cayuga Lake was the most gorgeous shade of turquoise that day.  Among other things, we saw: the top of the main falls catching the afternoon sunlight, Hepatica flowers all over in shades of white and palest pink, fallen logs and luxuriant fungus, the amazing texture at the bottom of the creek, Trillium foliage and buds (another few days, and they'll be gorgeous in bloom), Coltsfoot flowers growing in the rocky scree at the bottom of the gorge, Common Merganser ducks, and these fly fishermen at the lower falls in the gorge." (Laurel Rudd, Central NY)

.....

"The only advantage I can see to the wicked winter we just survived here in Toronto is the timing of Easter. Easter came just as we were emerging from what felt like 'always winter and never Christmas.' Spring here is slow, but going into the garden every opportunity to look for signs of life is one way I'm practising resurrection. Chives are early, faithful friends, brilliant green. Rhubarb is unique, wrinkly, swelling from the ground. New life."  (Judith Cooke, Toronto)
.....

Photo credit:  Scott Hatch

"Grandma was my safe haven growing up.  I lived in dysfunction, and I hung onto hope that I will be with my Grandma soon (we spent summers together), and she will protect me from the craziness of life. She lost her husband early on, but she remained strong for all of us left to deal with life without a safe man around. She took charge, she taught us strength, determination and hope that God will take care of us. She also taught me thankfulness: what you have today is enough to live with. You make the best of it and learn to improvise, if needed.  This photo was taken last week when I went back to visit her at her home in Valenii de Munte, Romania." (Anca Kochis, Vestal, NY)

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Three steps to play along:

1. Add something to your day that helps you practice resurrection. (one day or fifty days doesn't matter)
2. Take a picture and write a description in 1-50 words.
3. Share it with me via an email, Facebook or hashtag it on Twitter or Instagram #practiceresurrection2015.  I'll share some of your photo-stories with everyone here each week.

Who wants to join us?

A mini-mag of Sarah Day's neighborhood notes from Southwest China

Having fun with the Steller app to create digital mini-magazines of each of our Epiphany series guest posters.  Here's Sarah Day's Steller story.

Loving this special Epiphany series of guest posts.  I've asked a few friends who live (literally) around the world to take a walk through their neighborhoods and share some of what they see through photos, videos and words.  Each one has selected from a variety of thoughtful prompts to consider the ways the Light has moved into their neighborhoods.  Will you join us?

Paying Attention (20): retelling the road rage story

In this season that my time is called for in places other than writing new posts, my good Father gave me an idea:  Ponder and notice again the words I've already written once, keep praying the beads of memory in this sacramental life.  I've  moved from a chronology to just the "Paying Attention" part of this project -- to this little confession I shared last year, same week.  You get to play along if you'd like!

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road rage [a mini story]

Tell a mini story about something you regret.

Short answer?  I flipped off a guy behind me at a stop sign.  While my kids were in the car with me.  And my daughter was in the driver's seat.

Yes.  I did that.  And I deeply regret it.

Truth is, it felt really good to spend my anger on someone, a stranger.  The man had driven behind us for a few blocks and blasted his car horn at my daughter at two different stop signs.  I'm not sure what was bothering him.  Maybe she wasn't pushing through the intersections as quickly as he'd like.  Either way, he did more than blow his horn, he pushed my buttons.  Big time.

I have not cried behind the steering wheel or cussed more in traffic than the past two years since I've been learning Austin roads.  In short, they infuriate me.  I'm not sure why, exactly.  Many of Austin's roads are notoriously confusing, congested, convoluted. 

Then there's the matter of my own exhaustion.  Insecurity as a mom of teenaged girls and college boys.  If I remember correctly, we were also running late to get somewhere. Probably a church event.

I honestly thought I was protecting my daughter, spinning my head around like a horror film character, crooking my elbow and letting the middle digit stand tall. And it felt really, really good.

Until I noticed my daughter's face.  Instead of feeling protected, she felt embarrassed, stressed, piled on.  I did not help her one bit.  

Then I remembered that the man blasting his car horn at us was also a parent.  There was a baby in a carseat in the back seat of his vehicle.  

Later in the week I remembered that killing in my heart is killing period. My anger was fueled by a thirst for violence.  I wanted violence to happen and this man is the one I decided to spend it on.  

Forgive me my trespasses.

And in your forgiveness, would you help my daughter and me laugh at this together some day?

[epilogue]

Since I first wrote this post, not only did Kendra get her license but so did our youngest daughter, Natalie!  We are done forever teaching people how to drive!  I am (hopefully) done forever using violent hand gestures while sitting in traffic.  

I don't think Kendra and I have laughed yet about this story.  Still too soon, I guess.

source

How about you?

Tell us a mini story about something you regret.

the time we got mac & cheese as a wedding gift [a mini story]

*Think Christian published a short essay I wrote in response to Chipotle's viral ad. If I'd had space for 100 more words, I'd have included this story about the dear woman who gave us mac & cheese for a wedding gift.*

Twenty-two years ago -- and only a few months after our wedding day -- my husband and I knocked on the door of a church acquaintance’s apartment.  She’d invited us to join her and her three sons for dinner.  It was her wedding gift to us.  We were touched.  We’d never been to her home before but we knew a good bit of her story.  Her on-again, off-again husband lived in prison.  Each time he got out he promised to sober up, quit the drugs and be her man.  Each time he left her jobless, pregnant and broke.  

Since her quiet invitation following service one Sunday I’d tried to imagine what dinner in her home would look, feel and taste like.  She weighed probably less than 100 pounds herself and I wondered what sort of food she had to offer.  Frankly, I was nervous.

We arrived to her hot kitchen, children and their toys cluttered bare floors.  She stood over a pot on the stove, stirring bubbling water.  On the counter a blue and gold box, cardboard lid ripped open, stood our entree:  Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.  

Frankly, I was relieved.  We knew this food.  It gave us something in common. Turned out the entree was the entire meal, we sat where we could find a seat, television blaring and enjoyed creamy noodles and awkward conversation.

It's one of the best gifts I've ever received.

source

What's a food gift you remember? 

Tell us your mini story.