The Bigger Picture

Sometimes we get all wrapped up in what "we" want that we lose sight of the bigger picture.  What is the bigger picture you ask?  The bigger picture may be a relationship, a job, a pursuit of happiness. You name it.  All of these things have a set of must haves and also a set of deal breakers.  Sounds like we're on a dating sight, right?  No, we're looking at life.

What works and what doesn't work.  What we will and will not do.  And yet, sometimes it's not all black and white, there is a lot of gray matter in between.  Therein lies fertile ground for compromise, for accepting the unexpected, for owning our part of the struggles and working together for resolution.  I used to be very firm about deal breakers, now I find there is room for adjusting those parameters.  Sure, some are non-negotiable.  Sometimes if I give a little, I get a lot.  Life is like that. Give a little, for the greater good. Give a little in the name of understanding, in the name of faith, in the name of working together.

We are working on a list of 1000 gifts that grace our life.  We're at 135.  Dang we have a long way to go. Ever notice how much easier it is to list the things that aren't right, rather than those that are?  Are you stuck in the good things, or stuck in the bad things in life right now?  Perhaps it's time to turn the page.

You know, sometimes it takes a tragedy to provide a wake up call, sometimes it is simply a quiet resolution to appreciate what we have in all it's messiness, with all it's challenges.  It is our bigger picture at stake.  We can chose our response, and in doing so add to the things that grace our life.

Luke 2:19

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. ...  

I feel like I've been in Mary's shoes lately.  Perhaps it's a woman thing, or a Mom thing.  Some of my pondering comes in the form of worry. Try as I might, I struggle with this. Owning it is the first step, you know?  

I ponder the future, the past and the time in between.  I look forward, but can't resist a peek backwards.  I believe since I ponder things that my heart is actively engaged.  That is a good thing my friends.  

Recently I've been pondering the approach of Christmas, the traditions, the celebrations, the fact we don't live in a perfect world.  If things were perfect we could lavish all we love with gifts beyond measure.  Maybe lavishing love beyond measure is the best gift we can give.  Maybe it's human nature to want to go above and beyond, to give big, to show love in tangible ways.  It's humbling to offer just the depth of our love and trust it is good enough.  I tell my kids I wish I could do more, and they tell me I've given them more than they could ever ask for.

Maybe this is love.  You always want to give more and you are unaware how deeply your love touches others. So you give what you have and you ponder all these things in your heart.  And you do it in the company of Mary....so you are not alone.  

Saying Yes

Have you ever struggled with saying yes?  Seriously? I have, in fact I'm doing it right now. Sometimes in life we get stuck in the "no's".  No I can't.  No I shouldn't.  Not right now.

Perhaps it's fear that keeps us stuck, or perhaps our faith is shaken and our level of trust is wobbly. It is a path we all walk at some point in time.

This week's struggle came in the form of a new foster dog named Gunther. We knew coming in he was a doll, and easy keeper, a distinguished gentleman in fur.  Much like my beloved Mickey.  Chill, cool and stellar.

Your struggle in this arena might be in saying yes to a new career opportunity, to owning a truth, to taking a risk, to stepping outside your comfort zone.  Saying yes to the unknown.....frankly who isn't scared of that. It takes courage at times to say yes. Yes I will.  Yes I can.  And the flip side is saying No.  No I won't. No I can't.

In this case we've chosen to say yes to Gunther, to adding him to our family as a permanent member. But it has given me pause to consider if my heart is open to the "yes" opportunities life is sending me. So for me, and for you I pray to be open to the good things life is offering.  Take a look around you, they are there waiting to be embraced.

Gratitude

How do you measure gratitude?  Is it by volume, by weight, by the people who grace your table on Thanksgiving or by the way your heart is touched on a daily basis.  How is it defined? Is it the love of four footed furry friends, the support of family and friends, the awareness of beauty in our lives? Is it the blessings that show up when we most need them?

Perhaps it is a byproduct of hurts that bring tears to our eyes. It is, however, a very personal choice. It is what gives us strength to move forward and grace not to look back.

So on this day, and as best I can on every day, I give thanks. For both the joys and the tears. For those things that stop us in our tracks and those tracks that open to unexpected beauty. And for the dogs. Oh, come on, you knew I had to say that! For old dogs, young dogs, dogs who found forever homes, for dogs who have crossed the bridge. For dogs we don't know, but trust will find their way into our hearts and home.

I give thanks and I also wish you gratitude. May it be warm and soft around your heart. May it be light and joyful. May it be a belly laugh. May it be tears of joy. May it be your sunrise and sunset. May it even be present in times of sadness. May it overwhelm you...as it does me.



 

Cake, Harvest and Life Challenges

This morning I made a cake for my not so little boy.  Something I've done 32 times now.  Such a simple thing to celebrate a life.  Gone are the days he stood on the chair next to me waiting impatiently to lick the beaters.  Now I'm the impatient one as I wait to spend time with him.  When you get right down to it cake can be pretty poignant.  Life is precious, time flies, and making cake for someone you love is pretty darned special.

We find ourselves in the middle of harvest out here in our little section of the country.  While we don't personally farm, we are blessed to live in farm country.  We watch over the fields, are friends with the farmers and pray for their safety.  Crops are not the only things planted, tended and harvested.  Faith is very much the same.

Life challenges require us to dig deep and harvest our faith.  And face it, we all have them.  Illness, job loss, divorce, broken hearts, loss of a loved one, or just plain uncertainty.  At some point in life we face those hardships.  The challenges come, sometimes repeatedly.  And we struggle.  Until we remember we are not alone.

So I have to ask where are you in your harvest?  Who is sharing that journey? And, will there be cake?  In case you doubt, let me just say, yes, yes...there will be cake.  Better yet, it will be shared. Share your burdens, share your joys and spread your faith.  That's a blessed harvest.

A Resting Place

As pet owners, and volunteers for Great Plains Pointer Rescue, we know that part of loving them is losing them.  We lose them to forever homes and sometimes we lose them to failing health.  We knew that at our little house on the prairie we would eventually have to lay one to rest.  For some people the thought of burying a dog in your yard is not a comfortable.  For us it is as natural as loving them.

In this case it is not one of our resident pack, thankfully, but sadly one of our foster family.  We love our fosters as one of our own, and my son's foster dog counts just the same.  So when Pongo crossed the bridge unexpectedly, we gave them the option to bring him here to be laid to rest.

Our dogs, and our fosters are surely family in the best way possible. Therefore, it is a comfort to know family is close. Close in heart, close in the yard and close in our minds.  It is never what one wants to do, but sometimes what one has to do.

So while it was a sad, sad weekend we also found much grace in it.  We love our little house on the prairie, we love our family and we love that Pongo is here with us.  Literally and figuratively.  The ritual gives us closure and the love give us peace.  And, our home is even richer than before because of this process.  The process of love.

Jam Anyone?

So, as a city girl, berries came in neat packages at the grocery store.  With the exception being an occasional cherry tree or a strawberry patch.  Or a backyard raspberry bush.  Berries happened, and life, like berries sometimes came neat and tidy.  Other times, like this weekend, berries became much more hands on for us.

Enter the Elderberry bush.  Last year I didn't have a clue what one was. Didn't know we owned one, what the blossoms were like or when the fruit was ready. Now I know. How does one figure out life and berries? Sometimes you simply need to ask and go from there.  I started with a photograph of a random bush with its fruit.  Now, truth be told I have never tasted Elderberry anything.  But, that will change soon.

Jam is in the works, and it better be good.  After stemming elderberries I have a greater appreciation for any plant that has large fruit.  Let's just say this it's labor intensive.  It's a patience builder, and in a way it's therapeutic. It's especially nice if you have a tasty beverage, and a friend by your side as you stem them.

Someone asked me why I made them my mission this summer.  Because they are there, because I've never had them and because I love small culinary adventures.  Last year it was choke cherry's and wild plums, this year elderberries.

Isn't that a good enough reason to try something new?  Because you can, because you haven't and because life is made up of little adventures.  In the end we'll have jam and satisfaction.  Both will be sweet from making the effort.