Coming Alive

Daffodils by Russell James Smith, flickr, CC BY 2.0

There couldn't have been a more beautiful day for Easter here in Western Pennsylvania.  There was no church service for us. No colored eggs, no dressing up to impress, no sermon or singing in the Sunday choir. Just a morning walk with hubby under the bluest of skies, surrounded not by walls of doctrine and the rules of tradition, but everything living and springing to life...

There was the joyful serenade of birdsong and a good soaking of sunshine, the happy greetings of pets and neighbors, the laughing (at ourselves) and loving and spending the day with family, sharing a meal, telling our stories, digging through treasure, unwrapping the gifts of each other, and falling asleep counting our blessings.

We are learning...to live our lives in freedom with joy and gratitude, to see God in the beauty and wonder of nature and each other, to love and be loved, to count it and us all as worthy (worth it!)

We are coming alive, and this is our "worship." ♡

Wearing A Piece From The Past

I'm wearing a piece from the past...

Yesterday Mom and I were looking through old silver and flatware that belonged to my great-grandmother, Marie Black Murtland. She was a wonderful woman (so I'm told) who was adored by my dad, and who died much too young when he was just a boy. A friend made this ring for my mom from one of her spoons, and yesterday, Mom gave it to me. 

Every time I look at it's shine I think of of those who came before me, my ancestors who held this same spoon in their hard-working and wonderful hands. Was it part of a wedding gift perhaps? Or did my great-grandfather sacrifice to buy it? 

I think of Marie washing and drying and laying it away time and time again, handing it to my dad when he was teething or to her son for a taste of what she was cooking--her 2nd son was my Dad's dad; he also died much too young at 33, just a few years after she did. 

I think of this spoon touching the lips of the generations with love and sustenance, shining bright with the reflection of life and words shared, and what it must have been like to sit around their table. Did they know how wonderful they were? Did they appreciate each other? Did they laugh and cry and show affection? 

I think it strange I know about them, but they had no clue of me. How one day I would wear their history there on my hand and cherish their stories deep within my heart.  How I would shine their light as part of my own, and wonder what it might be like to know them face to face, heart to heart, hand to hand. 

Thanks for the ring, Mom!  I love you and Dad so much it hurts.

And thank you, Dad, for choosing to overcome and pass on this Murtland legacy! This circle of life, it's all becoming clearer the more we see with our hearts.

Like a Diamond

Free Little Girl in Turquoise Sea by D. Sharon Pruitt, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

 

Shine bright like a diamond.

Find light in the beautiful sea.

-Rihanna, Diamonds Lyrics

With little children, one doesn't need to look long to see the light of God.  Love runs full from their faces.

With adults, it's not always so easy.

But we're all swimming in a sea of it. And if we take the time to look deep into the eyes of another we'll see our own beautiful reflection.

We'll see each other ALL as little children...ALL twinkling light. Some newborn and needing breath. Others, fanning into flame.

And those rare few, blazing bright a pathway before us.

We're ALL created and called to...

Shine.

Arms Wide Open

Photo: KsenKAT/deviantART. Some rights reserved. Licensed under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) License.

It's OKAY to stop trying. 

Righteousness, love, peace and joy 

cannot be earned, bought or legislated...

...Only welcomed as a GIFT. 

You know it's a beautiful day when you wake

with all the world to see...

We were never meant to be burdened 

by trying to live up to an impossible standard...

...Or someone else's vision

of what is certain reality.

God is LOVE.

God is MYSTERY.

Our highest calling in this life is to BE...

one with God

and

one with each other.

 

To live every moment with EYES and HEART and 

ARMS wide open.

Waking to Grace

© Copyright Terry Johnston licensed for reuse under Creative Commons (CC by 2.0)

My sister and I made a new friend at Panera Bread yesterday.  After a chance encounter with a favorite high-school teacher, we were deep in conversation, catching up over what Panera does best:  Frontega Chicken Panini with Tomato Soup and my Roasted Turkey Harvest Wheat-Berry Salad, coffee and a strawberry scone (a mouthful to order, but so worth it.) 

Awkwardly, and without words, a silly girl wooed our attention. We didn't see at first the brilliance of her light.

Pretending she was a zombie from The Walking Dead, Madison "M-a-d-d-i-e" Grace stumbled by our table three times in hand-me-down clothes--as we found out later from her mother--before I said hello.

Our invitation was the very thing she hoped for. Flipping long blond hair out of big blue eyes she came alive. And without warning, jumped right into the fold of our hearts. We had the feeling she was a gift from the very beginning, in the way she spelled her name several times over so we would remember.  I Googled it just a while ago. Madison is from Matthew, and means, Gift of God.

And Grace, well, GRACE is a gift too...of favor and goodwill...

...of beauty and blessing ALL freely given.
 
GRACE is God permanently weaving Himself into the hearts of all His children, through the hearts of mankind, making LOVE known.

Our meeting with Grace wasn't a little thing.  She was bright and bold, and quite the drama queen.  Yet, she wasn't sure of her last name.  Was it her mom's or dad's or grandfather's?  One was from Russia, and another from Italy; and she was from ALL the other places, too.

We heard the message loud and clear--it resonated like a heartbeat, the joyful coming alive of our inner knowing--from a little girl who worked so hard to be so known.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.  The song of this GRACE-child was especially sweet in the ears of We-Like-Sheep who, at some point, had lost our way and wandered as if all alone. 

Like M-a-d-d-i-e did with us, GRACE leaves the flock grazing in greenest pasture, on grass and forbs and clover--she left her mother and grandmother drinking coffee in a booth at Panera--to go and find The One. 

And we, like little lambs slung up around the shoulders, can rest and trust the heart of a Father who cares only for his sheep.  As his most loved little children, He will lead us home.

We can choose to fill our bellies full of GRACE today.  We can become as little children and know as we are known--face to face, with nothing in between.

We can look within and see our WAY--the narrow path that leads straight beyond the Valley of Shadows.  And we will fear no evil.  For Perfect Love runs ahead to meet us where GRACE--a gift--always leads us.

Where beauty and blessing chase and feed us.

And where child-like, we let go and learn to be ourselves again, wholly loved and wholly accepted, no strings attached.

GRACE is always free for the asking. She does what she has to to grab our attention, and then joyfully anticipates a welcoming "Hello."  

Much thanks to Laura.  You can find this and other free printables at:  the albrechts blog.

Loved

To know LOVE like an ocean lapping at my shore, filling me to the full and wrapping me warm with all that LOVE is...

To listen to the music of family and friends, a songbird waking the dawn, the buttery smooth strings of a violin or acoustic guitar and our girls laughing, the telling of their stories, their calling me, "Mom"...

To be overcome with wonder, the extravagant beauty of nature, the changing of seasons, holding hands and remembering, dreaming, the flash of fireflies and stars dancing in the night sky, the comfort of my husband's shoulder...

To LOVE and be loved with such utter abandon, to live face to face with light, following a path that only we can take together with no thought of turning back and no regrets...

To share the ups and downs--the every day joys and sorrows, wins and losses, challenges and celebrations, the waking and sleeping--with a wonderful man at my side, one that just happens to be my best friend...

To give what I am--what a privilege-- to see our three beautiful and incredible daughters and one son-in-law bloom with their destiny, live life in the wonder of reality, knowing LOVE for themselves, and helping others to fly with them...free...

To rest content--like an eagle soaring--in who I am, in who I have yet to be... To carry the treasure of precious ones who have gone before me, knowing there is no separation. In Christ we are all one...

I am overwhelmed with blessing today. Love spills down my cheeks for all of you--everyone that I've known--you mean much to me.

My family...YOU are my joy. I love you more than words can say.

Last Dance

Photo:  Autumn Leaves by  Mark Schellhase CC Attribution Share Alike 2.5 Generic

LAST DANCE

When the light of harvest begins to dim
Cornfields and wheat fields expose their skin

And every fruitful tree reaches high with grace

 Bare arms still warm with October

Blue dome bleeds gold and crimson
Burning bush shouts epiphany, of substance running hidden
Through veins now scandalous with Autumn's farewell
Every leaf flashes fiery color

Like confetti in twilight they scatter and spin
Twirl their skirts and whirl with the Wind

Then fall breathless--I like getting caught in their rain--not wanting
The last dance to be over

Creation smiles, eyes wide with wonder
When Autumn's foliage pools at her feet, covers the toes of this beholder
Tempting me child-like to twirl and leap, to follow as she returns
Life-spent to the One who made her



Copyright © 2013 Melissa Campbell