Intimacy

I do believe the most beautiful thing about marriage is that it has the potential to give you some of the deepest glimpses of heaven possible. The relationship, the connection, the intimacy. It's what God desires for us. To know others intimately and to be intimately known. When we experience this with others, then we receive a glimpse of what He desires in a relationship with us. This intimacy is found in the deepest longings of our soul, and marriage provides the opportunity to touch those deep places.

The Gift of the Seasons

I love the gift of the seasons, because, to me they are a beautiful reminder of so many things. Like for instance, they remind me that no season lasts forever. This past summer, suffering through the hottest summer in the past 25 years, setting day after day of record high temperatures, it felt like it would never end.  Hot. Miserable. Locked inside in order to survive the inferno days.  In fact, two days ago, Sept 13^th, we once again set a record high of 99. Then today came, and while the calendar officially says it is not autumn until next week, this morning I awoke to autumn.  On my morning run, I found myself ‘drinking the wind’, a term my once two year old daughter used to describe the feeling of inhaling that cold air deep into your lungs.  The walnut trees were letting loose of their yellow leaves, as the stiff wind blew them swirling down all around me. Nature’s confetti welcoming autumn.  

In a similar fashion, the seasons also remind me that change is a part of life. I can’t make summer last longer, or be shorter. I can’t make autumn come sooner, or push it back longer. The season comes when it is ready to come, whether I am ready for it or not. And so it is with life’s journey, one season may seem to never end, or perhaps we want it to never end, and yet, the reality is, the season we are in will eventually give way to a new season.

Lastly, the seasons remind me that there is something beautiful to be enjoyed in each and every season. This morning, I enjoyed homemade snickerdoodle muffins, sipping chocolately hot cocoa, snuggling in a fuzzy blanket, and that lovely smell of turning the furnace on for the first time in a long time.  This morning marked the beginning of autumn days ahead…yes, shorter days, cooler temps, world changing colors, children’s brains being expanded with learning, children’s laughter jumping in leaf piles. Of apple cider  and apple pies. Of bundling in blankets around campfire’s warmth and fireplaces casting glows on ceilings.  Of bike rides and long walks, all the while the crunching of leaves filling our ears.  And I’m reminded to count the gifts that each new season brings, for indeed they are all around me. Here. In this moment. For me to enjoy. 

Thunder Dog

I receive this book, for free, from www.booksneeze.com, in exchange for an honest and fair review.  

9/11 is one of those dates, where if you were alive, you probably know exactly where you were at the moment you discovered our great country was under attack.  And while 10 years have passed since that tragic day, you probably still remember vividly watching with terror the towers tumbling on your television screen.

Then there are the thousands who actually survived this horrific event.  Some have grown bitter, some still live in pain, and others, while this single day changed them and they have found a way to survive and heal and make the world a better place. And honestly, if I lived it, I'm not sure which of those responses would be mine, so I'm not judging. But I am inspired by the story of Michael Hingson, as told in Thunder Dog.

This book, Thunder Dog, is the story of Michael, and through it's pages, Michael gives us the opportunity to know what it was like for those who had to escape from the towers. Michael finds his strength down all 1,463 stairs from the 78th floor, with the help of his guide dog, Roselle. It's a story of how he chooses to fully live his life in the here and now. And one of the great things about this book is that even if 9/11 never happened, and he was never apart of it, his life story is inspirational and uplifting.  He's never let his blindness define him - he rode a bike, flew a plane, owned companies, married, traveled the world. It's a story for all of us to consider how we look at those with disabilities - do we define them by their disabilities or by their humanness? By their limitations or by their character? It's the story of the connection between humans with their dogs. I can only imagine how much greater that connection is with service dogs; but, Michael gives us the chance to witness first hand this beautiful relationship through the turning of each page. My only regret is that the story was over before I wanted to stop reading.

KC City Lights

Oh bright moon peeking out from clouds above, shinning down on a city so bright, I am captured by your brilliance tonight. A million lights dotting the landscape below us, with a dozen and more colors -bright white, dull white, yellow, green, red, bright blue, turquoise, purple – blinking, glowing, moving, resting; and, I can’t help but smile when I behold the beauty of them all together. Yes, I am indeed alive in this moment, gazing out of this 40^th floor window. I whisper to no one in particular, ‘feel it? Ah yes, I  just beheld another glimpse of eternity.’ 

Teardrops behind the Sunglasses

I awoke with hope, energy, new perspective. Monday morning washing away the 'funk' I had been in the past few days.  Being the first day of my girl's swim lessons, I grabbed my book, sunglasses, water and phone as we headed to the pool.  And it was there at the side of the pool I found teardrops sliding down behind my sunglasses.  So much for my resolve, as my heart quietly spoke,

Lord, three years since we moved, three years...and still no close friend to just sit poolside with and chat with.  Why? Why has it been so hard to make friends this time.  Oh I've met some amazing people, and many I call friends, and yet they lack the closeness I've felt in my past friendships. And I don't even have a baby or toddler that I have to go into the water with anymore, no excuse to chat with the other moms who are in the water with their little ones. Oh this growing up of my children is bittersweet, in so many ways.  

That was a week ago.  Today I left the pool feeling like I received a 'hug' from God himself.  Another mom I had worked with at the school had been at the pool last week for her kid's private lessons, and so for just 20 minutes every day last week, while their lessons overlapped, we found ourselves sitting poolside together. We chatted about our kids growing up and shared fun activities we're doing with our kids this summer. We smiled and we laughed.  And I enjoyed that sweet conversation for the joy it was.  Today was the last day of her kid's lessons, so it will be quiet again tomorrow, well unless God decides to send another hug to me.

Glimpses of Heaven

So, I've been thinking, I'm going to change the name of this blog from "I Breathe, I Write" to "Glimpses of Heaven" - because really, most of the time when I pause to write, it's because something deep within me catches a glimpse and in that moment I know this is what heaven must be like. Yet it's only a glimpse, a passing moment, and it's gone.  And yet in that moment, I've never felt more alive. I believe that is what heaven will be - a constant 'feeling alive', a constant bubble of joy, a smile that never leaves my face. And really, that's why I write, because I want to capture these fleeting moments here on earth. To remember that this life is a journey, and along the journey we get to collect souvenirs we call "moments." And these moments point us towards God and life ever after.  My writings are my humble attempts to capture life's moments into words.

Women of Faith Worship: rejoice CD

I was provided this CD for free from www.booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest and fair review. 

Women of Faith continues to release high quality products that both inspire and encourage women on their journey of faith.  This current CD is no exception, and if you love Christian worship music, your soul will be uplifted by the songs on this album.  I’ve enjoyed putting this CD on in the mornings as I’m waking up, to focus on Christ as I begin my day. To worship Him and be reminded that life is best lived when I’m focused on the bigger picture of who He is in the lyrics of The spirit of the Lord –“our God is greater, our God is stronger, God, you are higher than any other.”  The words in He is Exalted reminds me to give Him the glory for all the goodness I have in my life, and encourages me to live the words “let me whole life be a blazing offering…”as I begin my day. Only by Grace reminds me to ‘see beyond this moment’ for he alone is ‘high above it all’! I love the reminder that “you will never leave me in my sorrow” in the song Firm Foundation, because sometimes life does bring pain, yet, He is there and he “restores my song!”  And Lastly, The Solid Rock uplifts me with the truth that “You hold me in your hand, oh, Most High!” and reminds me that at the end of the day, I can sing of “his faithfulness at night!” Thanks Women of Faith ministries for letting God encourage others through your ministries!!

Spring

It was one of those beautiful spring days, where you just want to lay in the grass, capturing every single sunbeam that is reaching towards you. The sky so blue, you wish time would stop so you could live in this breath of time for always. As we ventured into the woods, the trees were still mostly bare, letting an exuberant amount of sunshine fall through their branches and keep us warm as a crisp breeze still whistled all around us. Everywhere I looked bright green was growing up, and out, and all over the world surrounding me. Then, as I searched even deeper, I found treasured colors hidden all around. Tiny blue flowers, no bigger than my pinky finger, silently waiting to be adored. White flowers filling a bare tree. Yellow wild flowers dotting the landscape, and purple ones too, rising up towards the sunshine. Oh and the creek, so clean, alive, rushing the spring rains downward, spilling over rocks, creating the most melodic sound. As we journeyed down the trail, we had the unexpected, delightful company of a half a dozen different butterflies. From the majestic monarchs, to the tiny purply-blue ones, that I would have missed, if we hadn’t we paused by the creek once again to look around and breathe it all in.  Yes! This is the feeling I love, spring breathing life back into my soul. Where I once again encounter the Creator of the universe – his majesty, his imagination, his wonder. My heart swells with gratitude as I capture it all in my heart, knowing that I have been blessed once again to receive a glimpse of heaven here on earth. For me, on this Palm Sunday, it was not in church where I encountered the beauty this day held; no, my heart beheld it all along a tiny creek bed in the middle of the woods. 

Who Is My Shelter?

I received a copy of the book “Who Is My Shelter?” by Neta Jackson for free from www.booksneeze.com, in exchange for an honest and fair review. Below is my review.

Who is My Shelter?” is a modern day story about Gabby, a woman facing mid-life, a broken marriage, new love, teenage kids,  as well as, embracing a new endeavor of creating transitional housing for homeless mothers. It’s really a story about her faith journey and her quest to learn what it looks like to have God be a part of every aspect of her life, especially in the difficulties life has unwillingly created for her.  

Overall, I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. I had the ending figured out almost immediately as it was introduced, perhaps a lucky guess? Also, I have not read the previous books in this serious, so I was not familiar with the characters, so that might have had an impact on my overall enjoyment of the book.  Lastly, the book felt just a bit too ‘preachy’ and not enough ‘story’ for my fictional reading enjoyment.  

However, I did appreciate her development of several characters in the book, whom I found to be ‘real’ and believable. In particular, I loved the character of Lucy, a bag lady, with a dog named Dandy, that Gabby befriends. As the book progressed, I found myself wanting to know more about her character. I hope Neta Jackson will consider writing a book about the life of Lucy.

Glimpses of Heaven in Motherhood

Just before the twilight gives way to the morning brightness, Sarah tumbles into my room and climbs into my bed. I lay here, feeling the warmth of my sweet daughter snuggling next to me. Her hair a tousled mess, it looks like the fairies danced in her hair again last night. Involuntarily, my hand reaches up and touches her face – so soft, so tender, I simply receive the gift as it is – a glimpse of heaven here on earth. I turn her eyes towards mine – those big, brown eyes – the windows to her soul – and I look deep into them and I whisper, “I love you. Every day. For the rest of my life.” And she whispers back, “I love you too,” as her lips curl into the sweetest smile. Then, as my arms reach around her, hugging her tight, my soul whispers a silent thanks to God, treasuring once again, this undeserved gift of motherhood.