Tag Archives: memories

To Dad, On Father’s Day

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Memories of my childhood are so precious to me. In so many of those my dad is the star.

I remember…

Walking on your feet, you carrying my weight
Running the halls of an empty church while you cleaned, counted money, and poured grape juice into communion cups
Sunday morning breakfasts of biscuits and biscuit dough
Learning to cook alongside you
Laughing and laughing while others rolled their eyes
Family devotions around the table in a bright yellow kitchen
Wondering if a stranger covered in snow came home early from a hunting trip instead of my dad
My sister taking a spill as a passenger on the back of your bicycle
Camping trips in a canvas tent (it always rained)
The only time I heard you swear (you were trying to fix something)
The sacrifices you made to send us to school
Going to the dairy with you (it was wet that day)
Counting washers, bolts, hosing by the inch (and getting donuts and money for it)
Sweating in Renaissance costumes (and loving it)
You shivering and waiting patiently for the birth of my firstborn
So. Much. More.

Countless memories, countless laughs, countless smiles.
(And yes, a few tears too.)

Thank you for all of the good memories. Looking forward to many more in the years to come. I love you.

God-Moments to Remember

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Seven people around a table. Night fell, turning an inky black occasionally broken by the headlights of distant, passing cars outside the windows. Tears coursed down cheeks and laughter broke through smiling lips. Hearts broke and healing began, and through it all, God whispered.

God whispered love, in and to and through us.
God whispered release, unknotting old wounds from our heartstrings.
God whispered revelation, speaking to our hearts and spirits.
God whispered healing, sealing over tears in hearts and making them new.
God whispered inspiration, nudging us forward with his creativity.
God whispered friendship, bonding our spirits through his.
God whispered thanks, acknowledging our hearts desires to glorify him.
God whispered affirmation.
God whispered YES.

Sometimes, God grants us God-moments on earth.

Thursday night, around that table, was full of God-moments. What a blessing. What a blessing those moments were, and what a blessing each of you are in my life.

I believe God put us together and gave us those moments for a purpose. He planted seeds of love, of inspiration, of creativity in us to prepare us for what is to come. When God whispered to Elijah, he ministered to his spirit and then gave him his orders: Now GO (I Kings 19). Elijah’s orders were to go back. I think our orders, as a growing group of creatives (including those who couldn’t be with us that night) were spoken months ago and only reinforced that night: Go. Work together and use your talents, use your creativity, and make an impact. Do it for and with me.

Let’s do this!

Gift tag with the words “Make an impact” alongside a book with a photo of coffee mugs on the cover and a half-full coffee mug

And for all of you—the creatives I’ve met over the past year and those who were there Thursday night, I have a message and a prayer:

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way … (I Corinthians 1:4-5)

I continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:9-12)

❣️What an unusual post—it’s a very personal message to a very personal (and much narrower than usual) audience. But it’s also one I struggled over and soaked in prayer, and the message God whispered to my heart this afternoon. I trust that God will lead those who need this message—whether a part of Thursday night’s group, my larger creative group, or not—to reading it, and whisper his message to your hearts. I’m praying that he will grant you God moments, precious times with him in which he speaks and ministers to you and changes your hearts forever.

❣️For my creative groups past and present, you are my people. I can’t express enough how much I love each of you and am thankful for being even a small part of your lives. Martha, Charlie, Lani, Wendy, Quezia, David, Myriam, Marian, Valerie, Lori, Jean, Jon, Megan, Jeremiah, and Kelly—yes, I mean you! For those I haven’t yet met, I look forward to meeting you someday soon.