Female in Motion

  Be still, and know that I am God . When The Hubster and I were courting, we would spend hours together. One of our favorite activities was driving outside of the city, laying on the hood of the car and staring up at the star-filled night sky. We held hands, talking of the future, or being silent--simply living in the moment. Life intervened, with all its busyness. Some days, I ache for that hopeful, quiet feeling again. This is the time when the Lord whispers truths in my ear: Tomorrow is none of your business. No is a complete sentence. Make rest a priority. When I find myself more and more overextended, I realize I've been listening to my fears, and not my Heavenly Father. He encourages me to allow my life and surroundings to be imperfect. It's time to make a move toward simplicity. *** Female in Motion Health Update: Today was my last day at the hospital. It's the end of a chapter in my life that was a big challenge, but I have no regrets. I lear...

When I was in high school, I took a tour through a number of missions sponsored by the United Methodist Church. The one that stuck with me the most was deep in the heart of Appalachia. Something about the simplicity of life there attracted me. I was enchanted by the warm smiles of the people, their log cabin dwellings, and colorful crafts. After I returned home, I hit my favorite research spot--the library. I wanted to learn everything I could about the culture of the mountain folk of Kentucky. The Foxfire book series provided all of the folklore, planting schedules, tool and instrument design, Appalachian cookery, and other items of plain living I was curious about. The people of Red Bird Mission live a simple life...some might even say primitive. I found them to be warm and joyous, content with their lives in a way I had only imagined. How much is needed to be truly happy and at peace? This summer, I will take a closer look at what I need to feel complete and the steps to acc...

Acts 20:33-35 (KJV) I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Growing up, my household was lively. Mom, Dad, four kids, a dog and a chameleon named Cleo, all lived in the house on Farmington Drive. There was a lot of noise and activity going on day to day. Some days, I craved a quiet space. Early on, I would clear out the shoes in the bottom of my closet, make a little nest with a pillow and blanket, close the door and read the day away. In this tiny nook, I found the peace I desired. This location was spartan, but effective. Everything I needed was there. During Christ's ministry here on earth, He traveled light. With not much more than the clothes on His back, He trave...

I am getting a checkup at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, and won't be able to post a new blog until Tuesday evening. Don't worry, I'll give you a full report on my test results. Thanks for your prayers, friends!

Summer of Simplicity When our daughters were much younger, their toy boxes overflowed with playthings. It seemed they spent more time looking for a toy to play with, rather than plain old playing. So The Hubster and I developed a strategy. Once a month, we had the girls put a few toys into a black plastic trash bag or opaque plastic bin. These were toys that Sarah & Rachel picked out themselves to store. No forcing allowed. After setting on a basement shelf for a month, we found the girls weren't so interested in looking inside the bins, much less playing with the old toys. They had the option of donating the toys to charity, or letting them set on the shelf a little longer. "Out of sight, out of mind" worked wonders in this instance. The trick was to make sure they did not see any of the toys during the first month. I made the mistake of buying clear bins the first time.  The object lesson learned by our girls (and their parents!), is that stuff we think is...

The start of summer reminds me of childhood days spent playing in the backyard, or bike riding, or reading for hours on end. When my daughters were young, we spent summers at the park, library and ice cream parlor. The focus was not filling a day with activities, rather it was spending time together. I've decided to try something new this summer. After spending the better part of a year working way too many hours and stuffing the rest of my time full of other activities, I've decided to change my tactic. I'm going simple.  My goal is to pare down activities, commitments, meetings, and all the rest of that jazz, and simplify my summer. Doing more didn't bring me any peace at all. It further complicated my life. Even more than that, it strained my relationship with the One who loves me more than anyone else. Weekly blog posts this summer will feature ideas, recipes, memories, Scriptures and failures...all designed to speak to your heart and mine. Sit down on the...