It's a Wonderful Life :: Childlike Faith

My ALL-TIME favorite Christmas movie hands-down is It's a Wonderful Life. Jimmy Stewart's rendition of George Bailey and the subsequent characters his life impacts tug at my heart strings every time. I am always reminded what a powerful force each of us can be in the lives of others.

For Christmas, my mom bought me the DVD, because believe it or not, I still had the VHS version! ;-) And Netflix isn't giving up the goods quite yet. When I opened the present, there was another fun treat in there, 52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life by Bob Welch. He visits fifty-two various themes throughout the book that challenges us in our faith in God and how we live that out every day.

So I had a light bulb moment!

Why not share one of my arguably favorite movies of all time with you, on a weekly basis, all year long based on the short principles in this book.

So every Monday, I will bring to you in short, encouraging post, a new principle to focus on and be encouraged by for that week, hopefully, to inspire you {and me!} to realize that it REALLY is a wonderful life.

Lesson #1 :: Childlike Faith

Clarence, he is George's angel in our story. He is getting sent down on his first assignment, hopefully, to get his wings. The higher ups do not think much of Clarence's brains, but they admire his faith like a child. Although Clarence may not be the best angel around according to all the "angelic societal norms," he has a heart that has gained him the recognition of the higher-ranking angels who decide where the second-class angels get sent on assignment.

I love to live life with the heart of the child, to approach every situation with raw honesty and joy.

Welch says it like this, "As children, we are not jaded by the sophistication of the world.  We're real. We're humble. We're willing to admit our needs and trust that others can help us. We're unpretentious and adventurous. We're lighthearted and imaginative. And we're fearless, willing to take a risk."

But like most adults, I, too, forget to put adventure, imagination, and fearlessness at the forefront. I, we, live life safe, guarded. Welch said that we even "hide our needs from others." Guilty as charged. And finally, instead of approaching God with simplicity, without guile, complicated thinking gets in the way like trying to work out my salvation and problems all on my own....on our own.

If we can approach life a little more like Clarence, imagine how different life would be.

1 Corinthians 1:27 - "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."

I spent the afternoon on Sunday learning about the life of Randy Pausch and listening to his final Carnegie Melon lecture on Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.

 

If you want the ten minute condensed version, you can click here, but if you have time to soak in the hour and fifteen minute lecture, you will seriously NOT be sorry.

If there is a man who embraced life with childlike wonder, it was Randy Pausch. I am thoroughly challenged.

May you find the kid in your soul and the laughter in your moments as you trust the Father with the faith of a little child.

Project 365 :: Day 331-343

I cannot believe that I am on the home stretch on this Project 365 journey!  Wow! 

The past two weeks have been filled with photography assignments, outdoor maintenance, Christmas tree hunting and decorating, time with a few of my favorite kiddos, and MORE!

Day 331 :: Hello, world! 

Day 332(1) :: Illuminated Beauty in Focus 

Day 332(2) :: Sunshine and Symmetry 

Day 333 :: Sunset Play 

Day 334 :: Thank you, (in)courage and Lisa Leonard Designs

for this BEAUTIFUL #incouragers gift

#ILoveIt 

Day 335 :: Our new chair, now dubbed Morris' chair, for, well OBVIOUS reasons! ;-) 

Day 336 :: Raking leaves with my man

#FunTimes 

Day 337(1) :: Photo Montage with Sis

{She looks so much like my mom here!} 

Day 337(2) :: Christmas tree hunting at its best 

Day 337(3) :: On an adventure to find the PERFECT Christmas tree 

Day 338 :: An afternoon with the Gran 

Day 340 :: Watch out, Rudolph! There's a new reindeer in town! 

Day 341 :: All grown up! 

Day 342(1) :: "It's a hard life! I am just exhausted!!" 

Day 342(2) :: Mace girl, our goddaughter, LOVES her red boots!! 

Day 342(3) :: The Tabernacle Christmas production - Sci Fy stle 

Day 343(1) :: Our "mostly" finished tree

Day 343(2) :: One of my favorite in a set of ornaments gifted to me years ago --

handmade scrolls with the names of Jesus on it

I'm on a journey, chronicling my life with a picture a day for a year. I am nearing the end of my journey {just over 20 days left!} and have delighted in the consistent discovery of the world around me in my day-to-day life in a uniquely different way as well as learned more about my DSLR to better capture those precious moments. 

{Update: Currently taking the 2nd of two photography classes 
with my sister this fall/winter 2012...very exciting stuff!!}

When Tears Come...

Sometimes the ache is so big you can hardly breathe.
Sometimes the sorrow feels so real you cannot separate it from your skin.
Sometimes the movement in your soul
violates the peace,
the joy,
the radiance
He longs to display
within all those broken pieces.

Like a warrior
you fight
Hard and strong,
Swift and sure,
Noble and steady
in your aim.


And then there are days,
weeks,
months,
seasons where
the emptiness is too great to carry,
and you hide away,
fragile from the touch of the world,
lost in a sea of faces,
even the beautiful ones that hold you so dear.

The anguish burns away your passion,
your dreams,
your destiny.

Nothing to hold close
Nothing to draw near
to your heart,
your hand,
your cheek.

And there you stay
for awhile,
as sorrow burns pupils
begging to be released
from the torrent of angst that rages inside.

Until rebelliously
one tear
finds its way
down the curve
of your downcast cheek
past the carefully constructed walls
your heart has long held high.

When tears come,
words fall.

When tears come,
prayers spill forth.

When tears come,
peace floods the abandoned corners,
filling every crook and crack,
lifting shame and condemnation from the shoulders of the weary,
splicing pride and comparison with the very sword of truth,
breathing life into marrow
and felicity into dry bones
where dreams seem lost
and promises seem all-but-about-to-come-true.

And there the still small Voice speaks
with groans that flout intelligence
with whispers that quiet the dissonance
with Light that defies the darkness...

May it be well with your soul, My child, 
right where you are,
right in this season,
right in this moment.

May it be well with your soul.

"Oh yes, people of Zion, citizens of Jerusalem, your time of tears is over. Cry for help and you’ll find it’s grace and more grace. The moment he hears, he’ll answer. Just as the Master kept you alive during the hard times, he’ll keep your teacher alive and present among you. Your teacher will be right there, local and on the job, urging you on whenever you wander left or right: 'This is the right road. Walk down this road.'” 

~Isaiah 30:19-21 

Also linking up with these beautiful communities....
 Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday, Playdates with God,
 The Soli Deo Gloria party, and In, On, and Around Monday 

and with....
Jennifer, Mary Beth, Ann, Duane, and Heather
and the encouraging communities they have created here on the web.

also with Michelle and Emily at Imperfect Prose.

So thankful for places like these to share our words together...

What I Am Into These Days :: Fall 2012 Edition

Listening ... I haven't been listening to any one thing consistently recently. A few months ago, I purchased Deluge's latest album, Swell, and my favorite song there that stirs my heart is He Rose. Mandisa JUST released a Christmas album this year which I place to break out after Thanksgiving. {Review on that coming soon!}

Watching ... I absolutely ADORE The Voice. I will admit that I am quite often teary at a beautiful performance or watching an artist be praised for their efforts. I love to see a dreamer see some of their dreams coming true. Arno and I have been watching Alias together as neither of us saw it during its 6(or 7) season long run. Gotta love Netflix! I have also been catching up with Doctor Who on Netflix which I truly love. And of course, I could not wait until Downton Abbey was released in the U.S. in January, so I all caught up along with my U.K. friends in the current season. Love Mary and Matthew and I can honestly say shot that I STILL get a thrill of excitement every time I hear the musical intro. #MustDownload My interests are teasingly diverse...yes..that's me!

**Photo Credit

Reading ... I really did a lot of fictional catch up over the summer but seemed to have paused in that endeavor as of late. However, I am in the middle of Ted Dekker's {my favorite Christian fiction author}latest release, The Sanctuary. {Review on that coming soon too!}.  I am also really excited to be a part of the launch team for Graffiti by Alene Snodgrass. Stay tuned on my Twitter feed for more details about this amazing book from BOTH sides of the street. So amazing!

Pinning ... I recently bought Pinterpretation by Holly Gerth and Stephanie Bryant at Squee. I haven't written down all of my answers yet, but it was SUPER fun to go through my boards with all of the questions that they have AMAZINGLY come up with to figure out more of how I am wired! {I totally recommend it!}

Eating ... Um. Salted Caramel. EVERYTHING. The end.

Drinking ... See above. {Thank you, Starbucks, for this --> Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate}

**Photo Credit

Wearing ... Bought some fun random items recently :: sleeveless tuxedo dress, three-quarter length sleeved sheer white top with ruffles, a red ruffled skirt with blue flowers, a polka-dotted scarf, a maroon cotton dress, oh..and..two new pair of jeans. {Taking cute & comfy shoe suggestions for boot cut jeans. Criteria :: Must be able to wear "cutely"WITH socks and MUST be flats...no tennis shoes...comment below PLEASE!!}. Fall is my favorite clothing time of year with tights and boots and scarves. #SoFun

Feeling ... Winter weather is a bit tough on my body with recurring chronic pain flareups and insomnia issues. Thank you for your prayers on my behalf that it would be an AMAZING winter and not a painful one. Scared a bit about our foster care journey...some technical issues have put a pause on the progress but more on that at a later date.

Weather ... This week the forecast is sunny and high 50's -- just beautiful! Should make for perfect Thanksgiving weather!

Wanting ... A new telephoto lens for my DSLR. My current one is twelve years old and is slowly "giving up the ghost." Also for my oven to be fixed soon...looking forward to baking some yummy things this season...hopefully!

**Photo Credit

Needing ... to learn balance in my schedule, in my personality, in my goals, in my approach to life {creativity vs practical}

Thinking ... Christmas! Yay! My absolute favorite season and with this great room, I plan to have the BIG tree of my childhood dreams. #WhoSaysYouHaveToGrowUp

Enjoying ... fireplaces in our new-ish home, visits from long-time college pals, photography classes with my sister, time to learn and grow and process, and as always...His never-ending grace.

What about you? What are you currently up to?
Would love to hear your life-song in this season.

31 Days of Story {Day 29} When Your Greatest Fear Becomes Story

The memory is seared into my brain.
I can see it like it was yesterday.


photo by Jonathan Thompson

I walk into the classroom reminiscent of the sixties in hues of gold and blue. I smile as I see my-slightly-more-chatty-than-normal-psychology-major friends sitting in our usual front-row-of-the-class seats. I slide into my seat excited, as our newly-favorite professor begins the study of the day.

Counseling Psychology I.
Finally, it is my senior year and already this material is making my Top Hits list.

Dr. Feller shares scenarios with us and we students engage in a lively, guided discussion, especially the loud mouths on the front row. And suddenly he begins to present the case that would impact my heart for life….

A couple in counseling…. …because they cannot have a baby.

Immediately solutions spouted from the mouths of students in class.

“They have so many options.” 
“Maybe they could adopt.” 
“They could get a surrogate.” 

I raised my hand in frustration, “But what if that is not the point. What if the desire of this woman is to carry this child in HER womb? What if she just needs to grieve THAT loss?”

Would you join me over at Must Love God for the rest of the story today....?

Want to read the entire 31 days of story?

Click here to see a list of all of the posts, updated daily.

If you do not want to miss even ONE day, please subscribe 

at the top of this post by entering your email address.

I Am.....

I Am 

I am whimsy and prose 

I wonder why people don't SEE into each other more 

I hear animals talk
 I see fairies in my forest 

I want babies to call my own 

I am whimsy and prose 

I pretend I am a prima ballerina 

I feel the smell of the Caribbean sun 

I touch the mountains of Hispaniola 

I worry about what the future holds 

I cry for heart breaks and sorrows deeply felt 

I am whimsy and prose 

I understand people are my most valuable possession 

I say Dream Big and Be the Best Version of YOU 

I dream about living an artful life 

I try to give of my whole heart in all that I do 

I hope to show Jesus every day 

I am whimsy and prose

A fun little template filling in the blanks of who I am.....

Want to try it too? It only takes minutes....and the website generates the poem for you that you can post anywhere. I would love to hear your I Am words..... Please come share it with me if you decide to do it...you can even post it in the comments below!

Project 365 :: Day 127-149

My heart and mind have been full these past few weeks with thoughts, hopes, fears, dreams, worries, goals, anxieties about the future, the present, and even the past, making it a bit hard to truly write and express something coherently here in this space. So I have been continuing to snap photos, looking for the beauty in the every day as well as counting my gifts {although I haven't shared those in weeks} to help me to sort through the cacophony that is my mind. I will be sharing soon {hopefully!}, but until then...please enjoy little snatches of my life in the images below.

Day 127 :: My first view outside every day out of my 

bathroom window #MyFavorite 

Day 128 :: Just ME...enjoying my back yard!

Looks like the door needs some cleaning! ;-) 

Day 129 :: Natural Beauty 

#HangingWithOlivia 

Day 130 :: Arno getting some love 

Day 131 :: Fruit by the Foot

#HappyBoy 

Day 132 :: "I love my new house." ~Morris

#MyOwnBackYard 

Day 133 :: Mulching the garden

#HardWorker 

Day 134 :: First day out with the kite

and look.... #UpUpAndAway

Day 136 :: Forgot to take a pic yesterday {I know, weird!} 

but I will make up for it with a couple extra in the rest of the week. 

For today, this is Olivia just up from her nap drinking her "juice."

Day 137(1) :: Reflection

Day 137(2) :: Gazing

Day 138 :: Sheer Joy 

{Playing in the park with Liv}

Day 139 :: Pottery Competition at Monthly

3rd Friday Art Event -- I enjoyed this so much!

Day 140 :: Congrats, Liz, on achieving your Masters in Business

So proud of you!

Day 141 :: Raindrops

Day 142 :: Shopping with our local coupon queen,

my Aunt Bonnie

Day 143(1) :: Kitty "Love" 

Day 143(2) :: Schwing

Day 144 :: Banana Nut Muffins

Day 145(1) :: Embracing the Wind

Day 145(2) :: Little Liv with baby and "bobbie"

Day 146 :: So yeah...I live with a lion. ;-)

Day 147 :: Happy 2nd Birthday, Haylee

Day 148 :: She really loves him. ;-)

Day 149 :: Was doing some decorating today

and put a few pieces of Africa on display

{Don't you love how the ostrich egg broke

in close resemblance to the shape

of the African continent??}

I'm on a journey, chronicling my life with a picture a day for a year. I hope to discover the world around me in my day-to-day life in a uniquely different way as well as learn more about my DSLR to better capture those precious moments. Linking up with my friend Paige and others who are taking this challenge too.