We Find Rest

The job interview process is moving forward with some hopeful indicators.

Provision for our needs continues to come in various ways...lots of work hours available for John at Snow Trails, a friend offering a meal this weekend, the arrival of two gifts from a far-away couple we adore, the encouragement and prayers of many people, the reminder of the amazing good news of the Gospel that Ned delivered so passionately last Sunday--it has fueled me all week.

It is a bitterly cold January morning here in Mansfield. But the wood stove is blazing, there is food in the pantry, and we are surrounded by friends and family. Jobs come and go. The economy is up and down. Relationships are often complex. Days pass reminding us of our advancing age and the fraility of our bodies. We make mistakes and try to correct our errors. We sometimes see with well-lit clarity and sometimes wander around in a fog of uncertainty. But we are here, awake, alive, and invited again today to live life.

We are leaning in. We are working forward and waiting to see how this chapter unfolds. What I remember this morning is that it isn't just trying to get through it, it is trying to live in it (with most of the questions still on the table and the answers still hanging) with a full heart, with expectation, with confidence that we will make it. There is Someone looking after us. In the chaos we find rest.

God's Economy

Update:

Job #1: First interview was Tuesday, second one today. It is a three-interview process.
Job #2: A 4 1/2 hour interview yesterday, phone interview next with higher up. This one looks like it would be a particularly great fit for his personality and skills.
Job #3: Two sales rep openings at a place John worked at years ago. I expect he will hear from them.

Lesson:

God's economy is far less limited than we might think. He is not bound by the political scene or obligated to work within its parameters. His resources are endless. His purposes are unfolding. We have been invited to be a part of that. We live out our faith in the atmosphere of the tangible, but we dance in the truth that His kingdom is the biggest one, with the most possibilities, the most power.

I challenge you to today to dive deeply into the cold clear water of faith. It will wake you up. It will clear the cobwebs from your head. You will remember who you are and why you are here. Might as well live that way.

Bank on God

I realized that in sharing some of my recent manna, I've neglected to share some important information.

John has had some surprising activity in his job search. The economy might have scared us into thinking there were no decent jobs available, but he has three seemingly good possibilities unfolding!

1. He went to an interview in Columbus yesterday (they have a three interview proceedure) and they want him back for #2 on Thursday.

2. A management position at a health care facility up toward Cleveland. Due to how this one came about and some other details, this one has a particular glow around it and he is heading there today for an interview.

3. A company closer to Mansfield where he worked long ago has openings for two sales positions. His resume has been sent and he already knows the inner side of this business (which is still essentially the same). I would think he'd be an attractive applicant for that one.

We would appreciate your prayers for these interviews. I have sensed that God has something for John that is a great fit and to bring surprising "job-delight" for the days ahead. It wouldn't be too difficult in this economy to believe that he would have to settle for any first opportunity that came. I think there is something better than that happening. Would you join me in praying for that silver-lining for him?

I am reminded again that God's economy hasn't changed. He has plenty of resources at hand for the work of His purposes. Message of the morning...Believe that what He says is true. Then work at living in a way that leans on that truth, expecting it to have substance. Bank on Him!

Little Jesus

Little Jesus sat on my mantle.

He was right there where I put him, situated attractively between a handmade pottery vase and my daughter's latest soccer trophy.

My great-aunt had left him to me. Jesus had always been in the living room of her home, alongside her large-print Bible on the small walnut end table beside her favorite chair, where she read and prayed away her ancient days. But Auntie Maude had died, and now Jesus was mine.

I dusted him. On holidays, even with the extra decorations we brought from the back closet, I made sure it wasn't too cluttered around him. Jesus deserved a place of honor and respect.

But one day I entered the room to find Jesus in pieces on the floor. I ws heartbroken. I carefully picked up the fragments, went to the drawer in the kitchen to dig out a tube of extra-strength glue, and began to carefully reassemble him. All things consdiered, he didn't look too bad and when I was sure he was thoroughly dry, I set him carefully back in place.

Two days later I noticed he wasn't in quite the same position, now a couple of inches closer to the edge of the mantle than where I'd left him. The children were summoned to the living room, but each denied having moved him or knowing anything about it. I was not happy to have this fragile precious object in questionable safety.

Then next day Jesus was again on the floor, broken once more in the same places I'd just repaired a few days earlier. Out came the tube of glue again and I repeated the now familiar steps.

All was well for the next couple of weeks, until on a rainy Tuesday morning, rushing back to retrieve the car keys I'd left on the kitchen counter, I stopped short as I passed through the living room, finding Jesus once again in pieces on the floor. I set my bag and armfull of files onto the sofa and bent down to gather up the broken pieces once again.

This time the small figurine had cracked in different places. As I picked up a tiny fragment that had broken from his face I noticed how piercing his painted gaze was and how warm his smile. That evening he was carefully glued together again.

Over the next few months Jesus kept interrupting me, forcing me to repari him several more times. One day I was again gathering up the porcelain bits of his broken body, determined to keep this frustrating little figure intact. I guess I was in the right mood that edeay, for something tugged at me in a deep place, though I wasn't sure why.

Than my mind began to replay my experience with this little figurine and his continual invitation to deal with his broken body. This small delicate god I'd thought would fit neatly into my world wasn't staying conveniently there on a shelf for me to consider sentimentally when I was in the mood and had the time.

I began to discover that He isn't that kind of God.

Clues Lead You to the Right Place

Yesterday's daily bread was in the form of a morning-long feast. Worship was active and rich. The prayers offered and the testimonies shared were powerfully stated. The Eucharist introduction challenged us to check the condition of our hearts via a wonderful personal example of how muscles become hard when we aren't using them. It was one of those mornings when everything weaves together creating a seamless message. And then came the sermon...the most powerful, passionate telling of the Gospel that I've ever heard. The "moron logic" of it astonished me again.


The story didn't unfold in the way any of us would have written it. As Ned said, "I would have made action figures!" Indeed, all of us would have made it something flashy and unable to be missed. Humans are that way. Sometimes we hear about a lover who shouts his affections from the rooftops or the mountaintops or plans his marriage proposal by arranging for the stadium scoreboard to flash at half-time, "Jessica, will you marry me?"

Well, God had some brilliant moves up His sleeves too, like a dark hillside suddenly ablaze with angels announcing in their trumpet-like voices, "Glory to God in the highest..." But then the story takes an unexpected turn.


The angels don't part into two neat halves like the Red Sea so that the God of Heaven can proceed to earth draped in royal garments and kingly jewels. There is no crown here. There is no sceptor.


Isaiah had given us some clues. We'd been told about Bethlehem, and a virgin birth. Then there on that starry night came the angel's clue: "You'll know you have the right one by this: You'll find a baby...in a manger."

Is that the one you've found?

Go Play!

Sugar and spice and everything nice!

It was a wonderful day yesterday as we hung out with a friend who has one of those recipes you really want to know how to bake! She had given me the ingredient list and offered to teach the girls and me this baking skill. Wow, did the house smell great--all sweet and cinnamony! And then we got to EAT! Oh my, if the internet had tastesation capabilites you would all be very happy campers! We had some great conversation and some play thrown in for good measure. It was exactly what I needed today.

As evening approached there was a knock on the door. In came A. with a dozen eggs that were left at the end of the week at the little treasure of a place where she works. The owner had sent them our way. (Thanks, L.!) A. came in to visit and before long our conversation took off in an unexpected direction that lead to the topic of play. While I was sharing part of my own story it was clear that there was something bigger going on--one of those times when I feel like I'm in the exact right conversation at the exact right moment, a time when the talk nourishes in the moment and when it hints of seeds whose blossom or fruit might be seen, smelled, and tasted down the road as well. It felt like a big invitation to delve into, something to explore that would hold something to share, and probably something that others also needed.

So let's talk. What do you think of play? Do you find yourself thinking more often of responsibility and obligation and the things you "ought" to do, the never-ending "to do" list, work and effort almost always being the driving force?

Is your time of play often just unplugging from work, vegging out, rather than engaging in something that is fun and brings life?

Today I suggest that you take a little time to do something that delights your heart. Something that brings a smile to your face. And feel free to dive in with a comment here and share with others what you did and the refreshment it brought you.

"If you never did you should. Things are fun and fun is good." Dr. Seuss

The Robin on the Roof

It is still dark outside this morning. So far the only light is the one that is glowing from my computer screen. I've been sitting here thinking about the dark circumstances we are in and I remembered a precious lesson from many years ago.

We were living in town back then and I had had a recent history of a fierce battle with fear. Well, I wasn't really fighting, I tended to grab a blanket and bury myself in bed. Insulation was the only comfort I could find. Somehow, even when I felt totally immobilized, God was speaking. He had not turned His back on me and I was beginning to get back on my feet.

I remember looking out the window that early spring day. Snow had fallen recently, then a warm spell followed by the return of cold weather. But I heard singing. Loud singing. It drew my eye up to the roof of the house next door where a plump robin sat, chirping her little heart out. God began to speak to me:

"She is not worried. Yes, she sits in the snow today, but she knows that Spring is coming."

It was a powerful little scene of what life can look like as we remember the hope we have been given. Of course we cannot see all that the days ahead will hold or how we will get from here to there. We were not meant to. But He is here today, ready to continue His purposes and His work and to get me forward on solid ground. I can grit my teeth and resist and complain about the snow, or I can rest in the One who is actively looking after me.

I can sit in the snow and sing and find that trust brings beauty to this day.

I think it may be part of what thaws the snow.

Message Mystery Man

This evening I received a message from a man in Mansfield I have never met. We got connected because of mutual friends on facebook, but we only know of each other via the info that is written on our homepages, in comments on them, through the two messages he has written there and the replies I've sent. He is an artist who attends a church in the area and, when we meet one of these days, I suspect we will find that we know a boatload of the same people.

The first message was one he wrote after I posted that John had been laid off. He was inquiring about what kind of work John had done and offering to keep his ears open for possibilities. Tonight he wrote again (at least a week after his first message) with some detailed information he had gathered that he thought John may want to look into.

I was surprised, touched, and blessed that this unseen acquaintance would take the time and make such an effort. He doesn't really know us and yet has been keeping us in mind (and, I bet, in prayer).

Tonight I feel like I've discovered a wider sense of the body of Christ. I feel love and supported by someone "out there" that I don't even know, but who cared enough about us to act. He offered, and then he followed up. Maybe it was spurred by the Spirit that resides simultaneously in both of us. This guy is out there somewhere in this town, listening and responding.

His lead may not pan out to a job for John, but his expression of care was priceless.

Thank you, kind sir!

The Important Stuff

Excerpt from a poem by Mary Oliver entitled "Halleluiah"

"And have you too been trudging like that, sometimes
almost forgetting how wondrous the world is
and how miraculously kind some people can be?
And have you too decided that probably nothing important
is ever easy?"

This food for my morning reminds me that what I'm after is worth fighting for, worth trusting forward, worth the heart and energy and determination it will require for me to press on. The Good News is that I do not do any of this alone.

I was also hit with some lies this morning.

You gotta be careful whose voice you are heeding.

Insight and Egg Rolls

Two blessings from yesterday:

Before school I had grabbed a book off the shelf at home, figuring there would be a little time to read while Anastasia was taking her tests. This gem was in there:

"We find in Scripture that He is not a distant, passive observer, but is intricately present for purposes of refining and reorienting those He loves." Terry Wardle, in "Draw Close to the Fire"

Later, a friend of my kids was coming over to spend a few hours with us. She arrived at the dinner hour with a large bag full of Chinese food, which she and her dad had stopped to pick up for us.

I didn't notice the "orient" theme in both of the blessings until this morning, but it is a great one to consider as I start out in this day.

I love seeing how God's own joy in His work trickles out sometimes in humorous ways. We tend to take it all so seriously. We too often see our life in the tough spots as painful, or as drudgery, noses too close to the hard circumstances and work of it all. He delights in who we are becoming--the real us that He invites us to be as we come closer to know Him, to trust Him, to hope.

Let's aim for good orientation today--looking up, reminding ourselves of what is most true.

Photo by Jenna Hickinbotham

Love and War

There has been stress in our house.

Life (and emotions) are complex when a major issue like finances is on the line and individuals are trying to wade through the muck of the matter. John's and my communication has some gaps and broken places. We are not always "nice" people. We come into the day with some bad patterns, with some insecurities, with the truth, and with buttons that seem too often pressed lately.

We have a Friend. We also have an enemy. Yeah, "the truth" was listed in the middle in that sentence above. It is sometimes surrounded by other things that are more likely to tug at us and get our attention.

Yesterday I didn't post. It wasn't because God wasn't providing, but because I was wrestling with the issues, and because where He was working was hidden until quite late in the day.

Sometimes the provision is tangible, sometimes it is in one of those other areas that is a little harder to tick off on a list of the events as you see them. Yesterday's was kind of in that category.

I had written John an email last week that spelled out five things that I saw and described as "foundational stones" for us to get into place so we can move forward well. Three were spiritual, one was practical, one was relational.

He had addressed two of the items over the weekend, but seemed resistant to another of them. And I wasn't a happy camper. I left the house yesterday morning irritated at his "insensitivity" and seeming unwillingness. I am sure he was battling his own frustrations of the situation (and with me). I am aware that this season hits him in an entirely different way than it does me. He carries more of the immediate pressures of it.

But last night before dinner we read a section of scripture that he had chosen and he later shared some information that revealed he was tending to one of the key issues.

John and Stasi Eldredge have recently put out a book entitled, "Love and War." It is about marriage. This morning I was reading my email and opened the daily devotional I suscribe to from John's site: http://www.ransomedheart.com/ [You can find (and sign up for) these readings by going to his page, clicking on the "mission" button at the top, then clicking on the box on the right side of the page that says "daily readings." They are each an excerpt from one of his books. ] There was also a box at the bottom of the page that lead me to info (and their individual blogs) about their "Love and War" tour. I am reminded that all of us are under some kind of regular effort of the enemy to undermine us. His work is always to steal, kill, and destroy. And we need to fight for each other, pray for each other, help each other by cheering each other on and by sometimes (because we love each other) asking each other the hard questions.

By the end of yesterday I saw that God was also on the move. He was working in places I hadn't yet seen. Again, I need to trust. I also need to pray, listen, and communicate.

Today I am going to ask you to pray for us because I believe your prayers make a difference. Will you pray that John and I will love and learn well? Will you pray that we will care for each other these days and be attentive to the quiet nudges that will guide us in how to do that? Will you pray for protection from the enemy, for help from our Friend to allow us to come through this closer rather than more distant and wounded? For we are in a battle.

There is love, and there is war. I want the Good Guy's side to win this one in spades.

Photo by Lia Hickinbotham

Even on a National Holiday!

The federal government may have the day off (people in a particular ranking do, you know), but God did not take the day off.

This morning someone called--a person I rarely see and who is probably technically in the category of acquaintance, though in that funny place that feels like the heart's home, we both sensed "friend" right away. (Yikes--help me with grammar, folks!)

Anyway, she asked to come over, and arrived with an envelope holding some cash. Now what I find amazing is that this person is a young mom and they are closing on their first home this week. Her husband was out of work for a while and they are still catching up. Money isn't lavish on their plates either right now and they are busy preparing to move. Yet here she was, never even having been to my house before, saying that she felt God wanted her to give. Wow! I am deeply touched by her generosity and amazed by His ways of working.

The God who moves. He is the One I am seeing so active right now.

I am also remembering the reason we have this holiday--to honor the memory of a man who dared to have a dream, who worked sacrifically to build bridges, to peacefully yet courageously address some of the still-broken places in our culture. He wanted us to see the value in one another and challenged us to care for one another. He wanted love to flow across this land. It did today. Thank you, Mrs. S.

I just discovered that the gentleman (and his lovely lady) who borrowed the van for a short errand a while ago filled it with gas. There are some tricky people around! Thank you so very much!

Bring the Whole Tithe into the Storehouse

Yesterday...

"Help info" from MK, a surprise envelope with a monetary gift from a young unexpected giver--thank you M!, a nice lunch that my family brought in for all of us since my sister and brother-in-law were in town this weekend, John pinned down details for the work on friend's house, we arrived home from church to find two shopping bags of food (for a "Thanksgiving" feast) on our porch.

We've committed to lean in to tithe through this season, even though on paper it doesn't add up. But it is His instruction, His promise, and the only time in scripture that I know of where He says, "Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven..."

Is it possible to out-give God?

Photo: "River of Peace" by Lia Hickinbotham

Saturday

My sister and brother-in-law are in town this weekend and the family arrived with a wonderful meal last night.

I got two more book orders, and a wonderful friend came to drop off a large bag of potatoes and a jar of homemade jam. Someone sent an anonymous gift, then we received a What's 4 Dessert pie! Thank you B, J, L and A, and, of course, the God who is taking such good care of us.

We also had a great meeting with some of the creatives at church in the morning that solidified one piece forward. We are aiming for a late summer art event--theme to be Collage. More to be decided about that in the very near future.

John had hours at Snow Trails all day, then got an extra shift. (He had to eat dinner late and warmed, but we are glad for the work.)

Steadfast Love

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases

His mercies never come to an end

They are new every morning

New every morning

Great is thy faithfulness, O Lord

Great is thy faithfulness.

Today: We received help with this month's MCS tuition. We are most grateful!

Photo by Lia Hickinbotham

Practice

They say that courage needs to be practiced, that rather than praying for it, you should take hold of whatever courage you have and use it--letting it develop more "muscle."

Faith seems to be the same. We don't just wake up one morning with great faith; it is developed and grown as we practice leaning in and trusting Him. When we see God come through it gives us greater confidence that He is, indeed, who He says He is, we trust Him more.

How do you hope you would be able to walk through the challenges that could come in life? I realize that we get grace for those moments when they come, but we can also use the opportunities today to prepare for the road ahead.

Successful runners don't begin with a marathon length event. Musicians practice for a long time before getting a record deal. David met Goliath with confidence after he had already faced a lion and a bear. He had dealt with earlier days. He was ready when he met the giant.

Today, whatever you are facing, lean in. Pray. Do things according to what He says is good and right. Trust. Believe. Do what He tells you. Then watch to see how He works.

********
Yesterday someone brought me a bowl of delicious vegetable soup, and two amazing people arrived at our door with the day's manna. Thank you so much! We are grateful!


Photo by Jenna Hickinbotham

more than the watchmen

"I wait for the LORD; I wait, and put my hope in His word. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning--more than watchmen for the morning. Israel, put your hope in the LORD. For there is faithful love with the LORD, and with Him is redemption in abundance."--Psalm 130:5-7

More than the TV newscasters,
More than the political pundits,
More than any who see with partial vision
and understand with partial knowledge
and perceive with faulty thinking,
I will put my hope in You.

Taste and See

In both the Old and New Testaments we are called to love the LORD with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That sounds like a pretty complete focus and effort to me, and one we are invited into for every season of life, in every blessing, and in every difficulty. It isn't just a moment of life that occurs when we "invite God into our hearts" initially. It is how we are supposed to LIVE EVERY DAY.

Then, in Psalm 34 we are invited to taste and see that the LORD is good. It continues "...How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him! Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the LORD will not lack any good thing."

What happens if I dare to feast on Him today instead of chasing any of the other options available as I decide to which table I will go? We wrestle so much with the question "How much is God's part/How much is my part?" I am continually struck when I read the scripture how completely He wants us to lean on Him.

He never intended to be a side-pocket God. He never meant to be a tiny morsel for our day. He wants to be the whole meal.

Jeremiah speaks

During my free period today at school, I was drawn to read Jeremiah 31. Here is a part of it:

"He will watch over him as a shepherd guards his flock, for the LORD has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the power of one stronger than he. They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will be radiant with joy because of the LORD's goodness, because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil, and because of the young of the flocks andherds. Their life will be like an irrigated garden, and they will no longer grow weak from hunger.

"Then the virgin will rejoice with dancing, while the young and old men rejoice together. I will turn their mourning into joy, give them consolation, and bring happiness out of grief. I will give the priests their fill with abundance, and My people will be satisfied with My goodness. This is the LORD's declaration."

He is a God of restoration.

I also got an order for five of my booklets today!

Welcome

Glad you stopped by! Please scan down to the first entry (January 10, 2010, "A Piece at a Time") for the first chapter of this story. The road began over a year ago; God was paving the way....

Manna

You may remember the story of God providing manna for the Israelites in the wilderness.

He gave them daily bread, like dew on the ground each morning, with specific instructions about taking enough for that day, and two portions per person the day before the sabbath. If they stored it up, it became infested with maggots.

It seems that this season is asking us for that same kind of trust.

Will God bring enough for the day?
He has promised to do that.


On Friday, the day after John was laid off these things took place:

A friend arrived at our door with a key to her house and this offer: "I have a piano that I don't really need. You can check it out, sell it, and have whatever money it brings. I also have some work that needs done on my house, some cleaning and small repairs. You can have that work if you want it."

Another friend offered a box of antique items that we could sell.

John went down to Snow Trails (he had worked there for extra income the last two winters) to see what hours he might be able to pick up. They had a shift open that evening, then told him that someone had called off for the midnight ski and offered him those hours also.

Someone came by with a bundle of food and had a shared meal with us.

On Saturday a couple of friends arrived with lasagna and bread. We made the salad and dessert. Provision, community, friendship.

Manna received.

I have been thinking about the American economy. The landscape is bleak. Just this morning on the news they said it again, "Unemployment is at 10%!" I could get scared. But God has told us that He would provide. He knows what we need. I remember that His economy doesn't have ups and downs. He never runs out of resources or ideas or ways to meet us. And so I will pray and listen and trust and do what He tells me. I am confident in this One who has already shown over and over that He is more than able.

Today He will give us what we need, and He will give us opportunities to work and to receive...and to learn to trust that He is who He says He is.

Come, Follow Me

I need to remember that God hasn't relinquished His position to me or anyone else.

He said, "Come, follow me." Notice that although He begins to shape me into His image, He is after having a relationship with me more than setting me off on my own independent track once I've met Him.

I like how our friend Doug said it: "The posture of a Christian should always be, 'Yes, Sir; what next?' "

It seems to me that Jesus always is ahead of us, preparing the way for us to walk our next steps.

A Piece at a Time

I was on my way home from a trip to pick up some groceries for dinner. The route is familiar. The routine is too. And I was praying (sort of). (I'll explain that in a minute.) I was kind of struggling over financial stuff--trying to figure out how to wade through the stretching that we (and many others) are feeling. Well, I wasn't really praying. It was more like this:

"If we won the lottery..." (kind of unlikely since almost never have a ticket) or "If we had a distant financially-gifted acquaintance who left us a hefty unexpected inheritance..." (you can't wish that anyone close to you passes).

I suppose I'm not the only one who finds herself in wishful thinking mode, but I was suddenly aware that I was talking to God as if He was a genie in a lamp. Oops...

I realized it wasn't the direction I really wanted to go, and in that moment of pause, God began to whisper to me. (Funny how when I stopped yammering I could hear Him better.)

"Yes," He said, I could do it that way--but I'm not going to." (Darn .) (It would have been so much more comfortable for me to have a quick solution I could ease back on like an overstuffed pillow.) (I'm big on comfort.)

"I am going to meet every need. I am totally trustworthy and utterly able, but I'm going to do it as the need arises." (He always seems to remind me that it is relationship that He is primarily after. Me on that pillow wouldn't tend to put me closer to Him, I guess.) (I really knew that.) (Past experience and all...)

"I will meet you step by step. Piece by piece."

Last fall I received a birthday gift. (Hang on, this really does fit into the story.) My friend Eric, a tall, delightful, and solidly dear friend in Tampa had sent me a beautiful journal. Leather-bound. A gorgeous metal medallion on the front. He knows my love of contemplation and of writing--but I hadn't written a word in it. I sensed it should have a particular focus and I didn't yet know what that would be, only that I would probably know it when it came.

As God spoke the words "piece by piece" it hit me. I've never titled a journal before, but this one will have one. It will be the story of how He does it, how He provides grace, income, ideas, encouragemnt, tangible provision, and any other way He chooses to come through. He will meet us and He will help us to see how continually trustworthy He is. Hence the title:

Peace By Piece. (Notice the spelling, please.)

He really does intend to be God in our lives and teaches us to trust Him when everything is hitting the fan. He IS faithful. He IS powerful. Will I keep at it, with Him, letting myself be vulnerable in the unknowns, to discover the amazing truth that HE IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS?

He will bring me what I need. (I expect that the biggest part is that He brings Himself into every situation.) He will teach me peace. Life goes on and challenges continue to arise. Clearly the biggest need of all is that of knowing He is present. Always.

The really cool thing is that the journal is over two inches thick. I think it's a hint. God is active. He's gonna do a lot. My job is to watch for it, to receive it, to thank Him, and to tell you what He has done.

So today I wish you peace, even if it comes a little at a time. the sum total is still everything we need.

Anita Hickinbotham copyright 2009

......

Well, that was the beginning. I penned those words in February 2009. Today is January 10, 2010. The journal has a lot written in it and God has come through in surprising ways. I have seen Him work. He has provided many things--not only the basics for life, but some amazing blessings that met the desires of my heart. We are, however, still walking the journey of trust--the challenges of life an on-going matter. In the last 11 months I've prayed and listened and watched. I've thanked Him for His goodness and power and creativity and love. I've filled many pages with ink.

Last week the adventure took another turn when my husband called after an unexpected lunchtime meeting where he received the news that he was being laid off.

Deep breath, Self. Don't panic. Remember what God has said--and done. Look back through that journal and remind yourself what He has been teaching you.

As I've begun to process this new season, I felt a tug on the invisible sleeve of my spirit. "Others are struggling too. You need to be aware of what I am about, and others need to be encouraged, watching for My work in their own lives." It soon became apparent that this journal should also have a more public version.

As I get the next few entries written, they will catch you up a bit on more details of the story that's been unfolding. Then it will be a place where you can stop by and see what transpires.

I am grateful for the many friends and mentors in our lives who love us and walk alongside, and call us on when we stumble or get short-sighted. And I am glad to have the opportunity to share the journey with you.

Anita

Photo: Coffee and Journal, by subsetsum