Sacred Mundane: The Blog

We’re at the end! (Aren’t those gals cute up there?) I so hope and pray that when I’m precious and saggy like that I still have my best girlfriends by my side. Oh God, help me love to the end.   Now, while I can’t say that I’ve done every single one of these every single day, I will say that it has helped renew my focus on relationships. Anyone else out there a do-er? Doing stuff is always my default, relationships rarely are. But this has helped to make people a priority and remember that all our “ministry” and “good works” are nothing if they are not rooted in relationship. As I read this week about a woman who moved from her “successful” life into a selfless and humbling place of serving the poorest of the poor: “He sent me into a world that could care less about my writing ability, my prestigious resume, or my so-called success. The only thing in which they were remotely interested was the answer to one question: Do you really love me?”

Isn’t that the same question everyone around us asking. Really asking? Beneath it all, isn’t that what the world around us wonders. Is there a Savior who really loves? Do you really care? It is overwhelming to think of living from this place of selfless, unconditional, sacrificial love, but it is the only place to experience the living, powerful, life-changing power and presence of God. We love because He first loved us, and when we begin to dig down deep into this love everything changes. Priorities change. Concerns change. Families change. Finances change. The gospel of grace is the gospel of love. A relentless Father seeking His children, a heavenly Lover seeking His Bride, a passionate God seeking His people.

I pray you are completely overwhelmed and enveloped in the love of God this week. That everything you do flows out of a place of love. That all your One Anothers come from a genuine love that the Holy Spirit is working in your heart. This challenge has made me see how far I have to go! But let’s continue to grow together, amen? Thanks so much for doing this with me… And thanks for reading.

~

Monday, June 18: Hebrews 10:24: “Spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”

Remember how we spur one another on? By encouragement, and by a few loving sticks, pokes, and irritations. Will you revisit this with me here? 

Tuesday, June 19: Romans 15:1-2: Don’t please yourself but please others

Martin Luther King Jr. said about the story of the Good Samaritan: “The first question that the priest … and the Levite asked was, “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But the Good Samaritan … reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him.”

It’s so basic it seems childish, but simply pausing long enough to think, “How does this affect someone else? What would they want most right now? What would please them? Serve them? Help them?” Then do it. 

Wednesday, June 20: Galatians 5:13: “Serve one another.”

We’ll finish here because this sums up all the One Anothers: “Through love serve One Another.” There it is. The whole of the Christian faith. The law and the prophets. We are to use our freedom, the free grace gift of the gospel, to the end that we love and serve one another. That is greatness. That is success. 

Thanks for growing alongside me in this adventure of learning to love One Another each day. I pray we continue …

I recently sat down across a small starbucks table from a woman. She related the desperate struggle she was seeing in someone she loves dearly. It was something I could relate to. Had been through.

“What happened?” She asked. “How did you change? What did it for you?”

Although of course God’s grace  is always the ultimate answer, He uses various channels, or conduits of that grace. I knew the answer, have always known it:

“Jeff.”

What happened was I married the most selfless man I have ever met. A man who daily chooses me, chooses our children, chooses others above himself. A man who isn’t driven by preferences but by conviction and selflessness, by an others-centered love and faithfulness I’ve never seen to such an extent. That’s what happened to me. 

My life was changed by his love.

Where I was insecure, he wrapped me closely in this love.

Where I was beaten down, he lifted me up with this love.

Where I was believing lies, he whispered to me this love.

Where I saw myself through the enemy’s lens, he gave me new glasses–made of this love–and enabled me to see myself the way he–and Christ–see me.

That’s what happened to me. 

Jeff.

Now my man’s not perfect, that’s not what this post is about. He has a rare genetic condition where he is incapable of picking clothes up off the floor. But oh, my man loves me, and I will pick up dirty socks and throw away the empty bag of chips that’s left in the pantry and clean those whiskers out of the sink for as many glorious years God gives us in this life. Gladly! Jeff is my man and he’s my home, he’s where I belong. He’s changed my life.

And today is his birthday. Yes, his birthday and Father’s day together, and this is as close as I can come to shouting from the rooftops that I love my man and I’m eternally grateful for his love.

Thank you, babe. And Happy Birthday.

~

{Thanks, all, for giving me a few moments to shout about my man. Bless your Father’s Day, and thanks for reading.}

• Heidi-so-silly.
• Love Has a Face. 
• No Longer a Slumdog.
• Simplicity.
• Picking strawberries.
• Flats lined on the countertop; the whole kitchen smelling of fresh berries.
• Family day.
• Doing everything together.
• Dying to self.
• Finding life.
• His joy, His love, His grace.
• Forgiving.
• Friends who care so much.
• Impromptu visits.
• Sunshine!
• Listening to the kids’ delightful and never-ending stories.
• Hearing them talk on the phone.
• Bible ‘tudy every morning with Heidi. An early riser like her mama.
• Baseball T and balls left out in the yard. Evidence of fun.
• Visiting neighbors with strawberries in hand.
• Rhubarb.
• Steaks from a friend for Jeff’s birthday. Really, steaks?!
• That God always provides.
• Growing in love.
• Wanting to love more.
• Tears.
• Him here, so real.
• Blueberry muffins.
• Coffee.
• Strawberry lemonade on the back deck with my man.
• A hundred kisses on the dirty cheeks of my favorite miniature cowboy.
• Heidi sweaty and sleepy-eyed after her nap. Cannot get enough of that girl.
• A new perspective.
• Loving life.
• Receiving a gift of grace.

Happy weekend! Thanks for reading.

Yesterday was one of my all-time favorite days with the kids. As soon as we finished our breakfast we piled into the car and drove to South Barlow Berry Farm to pick Strawberries.

So. Fun.

It was cool, low 70s, only a few other people there. The kids ran and picked and laughed and had so much fun. When we started getting hungry we quit and took our buckets and boxes over to weigh:

31 lbs.

Not bad! The best part? 31 lbs. only cost $31 and these strawberries are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  There’s probably only 20 lbs left today …

So there’s obviously lots more to eating whole foods on a budget, and for those of you who know me well I’m pretty passionate about this, so we’re not taking much time for it today because and we’ll talk more about it (lots more about it) later and … well, because last night I was too busy freezing berries to write much more on this post. 😉 BUT, we’re over at Frugal Living NW talking about Making Summer Last by taking advantage of these fresh fruit deals and freezing them for later months. Enjoy! Read the rest here…

*Also: Check out the Resources for You tab at the top for more information on healthy frugal living, whole foods, grocery lists, menus, recipes, and lots more. Check it out!