Along The Trail

Merry + Bright

Our tree is trimmed, imagination lights the eyes, and music fills the air. (Most) packages are wrapped, mailed, or resting under the tree. Our mailbox is filling with the beautiful faces of families we love. By the looks of "Christmas", all is merry and bright!

Perhaps the most merry and bright part of Christmas is the glow burning beneath these festivities. The daily slowing and quieting as a family each evening, reading Ann's words, reading His Word. Her poetic writing as she unwraps God's truth in such profound beauty, His grace-filled truth as hope envelops our hearts with such warmth. Jesus has brought the glow--the fullness--to the season. Heaven's Light, merry + bright! 

seven years

His dream has been a reality for seven years now!

Yesterday came and went as any other Sunday does. We didn't have a grand celebration or even a conversation about it. But my thoughts were drawn to the beginning. To the place where God began to put cement to the journey.

Seven years of pouring out in ways we never anticipated; seven years of God bringing unexpected people along the trail to serve, grow and pray with us; seven years of deep personal growth; seven years of investing in campers, seeing life change and being in awe of God. The words fall short as I try to commemorate the mile stone of another year Proclaiming Jesus through the camp ministry of Whisper Mountain.

We are grateful to those of you who have helped make these seven years possible. We are grateful for God's faithfulness every.step.of.the.way. There's no God like ours!

quietly changing skies

We didn't notice the blue of the sky looking different on those days. We just enjoyed the brilliant and beautiful, crisp and (surprisingly) clean (for Denver!) canopy overhead as we spent a few days chasing memories and engaging with loved ones.

I was reminded how those moments we engage in, the picking up of life if you will, are the moments of beauty swelling us with joy.

Even in the sorrow of life's rolling landscape, being careful to pick up the beauty ensures we embrace His hope. With heart wide open His hope always finds a home.

My hours were spent discovering more strands of grace lining my heritage, imagining the old stories unfold through Grandpa's telling, watching Grandma use her practiced (though slowed) hands in the kitchen still. My heart realized again how the quiet changing of the skies through the seasons of one's life is really the movement of grace hovering overhead.

And this, the season of life where I am surrounded by crazy beauty, wild growth, and heart wrenching love. Smackers of adoration, freedom of silliness, scarce moments of sibling peace! Fighting to keep from getting lost in the sometimes chaos, my heart scrambles to embrace. Embrace this beauty under the canopy of quietly changing skies.
I don't always notice the changing of the hues, but the beauty of Christ reflected all around this life still captivates me, quiets me, fills me. His hope breathes new life under His canopy of grace.

Memorize It Monday :: 09

 

How long has it been since you stopped to consider the miracle of grace God has given us? Royalty getting dusty. Perfection penetrating the sphere of imperfection. How absolutely mindblowing to think about how much we are loved by the living God! How very personal to come as a baby so we would know Him and be redeemed by Him. The "with us" God--Emmanuel. Something tells me we could use a little more thought on this subject, so let's do that this week with the short truth below!