Twenty-four

I have been married to this man for twenty-four years. We celebrated our anniversary on Sunday. Here are twenty-four reasons why I love this guy:

1. He loves Jesus.
2. He is handsome.
3. He works hard.
4. He is a dedicated dad.
5. He regularly tells me how beautiful I am.
6. He cried when our first child was born.
7. He loves birds and feathers and making bird houses.
8. He enjoys cooking good food for others.
9. He makes healthy choices.
10. He studies other languages so he can communicate with more people.
11. He is an excellent dancer.
12. He writes amazing love letters.
13. He is such a good listener.
14. He has great taste in music.
15. He puts tons of pepper on everything.
16. He loves our dog.
17. He tolerates our cat.
18. He can drive for hours and hours.
19. He listens to educational podcasts.
20. He can build an entire house.
21. He eats lots of vegetables.
22. He makes me laugh.
23. He does not complain.
24. He loves me.

He also reads this blog, so I know he will see this and smile. I love you, Daniel!

Review

How about a year end review? 2022 had many grand moments, but today I want to share with you a dozen of the simple and familiar because most of our lives are such. I enjoy celebrating these common and everyday experiences because in giving them attention, I give them meaning. So, my life filled with ordinary, becomes a life filled with purpose.

January – A winter walk in the park with Nathan and our dog, Sadie.

February – I slammed right into that rock hard pile of ice and snow going backwards at a speed unlawful for mamas in their forties. It’s a good thing we have ribs to protect our vital organs. It hurt to laugh for months.

March – A bowl of lemons in the sun on our kitchen table. Simple and bright.

April – What! Why is it snowing? It is suppose to be spring. Why am I surprised?

May – Chalk on the sidewalk. Childhood and spring. The kid who made this is a high school graduate, an adult, a college student, a registered voter, and still my baby girl.

June – I really enjoyed my flowers this year. It seemed like an especially good season of blooms, but maybe I was just paying attention more.

July – All five! They are pile-into-the-minivan pros.

August – Napping Callie.

September – That chalk artist is also old enough to get a tattoo. she chose an outline of the country of Brasil with a heart in Santa Catarina, the state where much of our family lives. We had cousins visit us from Brasil and we took them to visit Leona at college.

October – A walk in the park.

November – Our messy kitchen table as we make coffee filter snowflakes to tape to our front window.

December – Daniel and I took a quick trip to Florida to spend time with his sister.

That’s a wrap. As the title of the Messer family’s favorite Christmas movie so simply expresses, “It’s a Wonderful Life!”

Danny Bobby

I spend a lot of time gazing out my bedroom window. I see the seasons change. I see the wind and the rain and the snow and the sunshine. I see cars wind up the hill and buses take my children to school.

And then I see this guy, my workin’ man, climbing a ladder to fix something, but taking a moment to say hello to his love. He is a good man. His birthday is tomorrow.

Here he is on another ladder with all our kids working with him. He is a very good dad, full of kindness and discipline, love and determination.

He takes us on adventures.

He sings songs to Jesus.

He reads Scripture.

He works hard.

He goes on hikes with me and pauses to look at interesting flowers.

He appreciates art.

I honor my husband here today with these photos and words. I love him every day, more and more.

And just for fun, here is one last photo because the 90s happened and so did this perm.

Happy Birthday, Daniel Robert. You are my favorite, always!

Cheio

My heart is full.

Mi corazón esta lleno.

Meu coração esta cheio.

And my tree is full of priceless ornaments.

We put up our Christmas tree on Friday. Julia was especially eager to help decorate. At 12, she has a good eye for ornament selection and placement. Her older brother, Nathan, commented on how nice the tree looks this year.

As the kids mature, they seem to want the tree to look more stylish. This translates to their handmade ornaments from elementary school being placed on the back of the tree or back in the shoe box. I tried placing a colorful, glitterful school photo ornament front and center. It was quickly discovered and promptly demoted to a less conspicuous location. How far we have come from the days when all the ornaments were hung in a jumbled bunch about two feet up the tree!

Well, mama has a blog, so now the whole world can see these masterpieces. (By “whole world” I mean you precious handful of kind readers. I appreicate you!)

I still have an ornament my mother made for me when I was very young.

The all time family favorite is Daniel’s.

I love to wake up early and go out into the living room to see the warm white lights and the shimmering ornaments. Beautiful and peaceful. I wrap myself in a blanket, sit on the sofa and gaze at our Christmas tree with a heart…full!

Philippians 4

Philippians 4

26 years ago, I made a little note in my Bible that Daniel and I memorized verses 4-7 together on November 20, 1996. I have a few of these notes throughout my Bible and I love seeing them. They become more precious to me as time goes on just as the Scriptures I have hidden in my heart become more precious.

Philippians 4

My favorites from this chapter are:

Verses 4-7
Verse 8
Verse 13
Verse 19

These words are alive to me. They breathe goodness into my soul. They water my heart with truth and hope. They direct me to Jesus, my Savior and Friend. They magnify the Lord.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear ones! “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”

Philippians 3

I want to know Christ…

Philippians 2

One benefit of having this chapter memorized is that I can whip it out whenever my kids give me attitude. My children know Jesus and they love Jesus. It is really hard for us to stay stuck in selfishness and conceit when we think of the magnitude and humility of Christ’s love.

Also, when the crew is in the throws of a heated argument nothing puts out the fire quite like verses 14-16. They may sigh and roll their eyes when Mama spouts Scripture, but the words water their wrestling souls and solid Truth cannot be denied by an honest heart.

Quoting the Bible as a method of encouragement and discipline is effective because my kids can see how I too listen and act upon these passages. It is hard for me to get away from all encompassing directives like “Do nothing…” and “Do everything…”, so that is what I aim for. Even though I fall short, the trajectory keeps me right were I need and want to be, ever close to my Beloved Savior, bowing and confessing Jesus Christ is Lord!

Philippians 2

Philippians 1

A few years ago I memorzied the book of Philippians because I was going through a very challenging season and I desperately needed to fill my mind with Good Word and focus my thougths on Truth. I remembered that my mom told me she memorized Philippians as a final exam for one of her Bible college courses, so that is the book I chose.

Philippians 1 from my Bible

I share this video now because it feels like the right time for it. Maybe you will be encouraged by hearing these words. Maybe you will be inspired to memorize Scripture too.

I will post another video each week for the next three weeks to share all of Philippians.

Thank you for experiencing these treasured words with me.

Much joy,

Kara

Feathers

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4

I have been hanging out under the wings of the Most High for a while now. It is a good place to be. I get plenty of time to study his feathers.

Feathers.
Flight, Fight. Frame.
Wings. Warrior. Writer.

Feathers.
Comfort. Costume. Cover.
Pillow. Plumage. Protection.

The Lord carries me on the wings of the wind. Our flight over the mountains and through the valleys fills my soul with adventure and confidence.

The Lord fights for me. His plume is my quill, the sword that slays all fear and doubt with songs of deliverance, written on the shield of his faithfulness.

The Lord is the author of my being. He hems me in behind and before, framing my life with the endurance of his word.

The Lord is my rest, drawing me to the downy comfort of his kindness. I lay my head upon the peace of his presence.

The Lord is my beauty. He adorns my life with joy and gladness. My life in him is vibrant and colorful.

The Lord is my hiding place. I am sheltered from all danger, nestled close to his heart, where I can hear the steady beat of his love and strength.

Feathers! El Shaddai has great feathers!

Great Gardener

My mind is like a field
Flowers of thoughts
I want to gather a bouquet
To place here on the table
There do not seem to be
Many thoughts for me
To pick from
The field isn’t blooming
So here’s a bundle of grass
And a fist full of dirt

I wrote that poem about two years ago.

Yesterday I went out into my yard and found a rose and a few dahlias and some cat mint, just a little of leftover summer to brighten my kitchen table on an overcast autumn day.

Progress. I didn’t settle for dried grass and dirt this year. I found flowers, even after a night where cold threatened to steal any remaining beauty.

There will always be beauty. I have gotten better at finding it. I have gotten better at cultivating it when the weather is good. I am not just rambling about the seasons of Ohio. I am articulating the seasons of the soul.

When the mornings greet me with sunshine and hope, I plant – fill my mind with whatever is true, lovely, right, pure, noble, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy (Philippians); I weed – taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5); I water what is growing in my soul with worship and praise and prayer. When the season changes, when it is harder to jump out of bed and greet the day; I see fruit that has grown and needs to be harvested and shared.

I beseech you. Do not settle for dried grass and dirt as I did. If you didn’t plant anything this year, there is grace for you. Here, let me share this fruit with you. Enjoy the nourishment and savor the sweet, then save the seeds and plant something beautiful for yourself and for others.

The best part. You don’t have to figure out how it will grow. It WILL. I know this because I share with you fruit that will last. The seed is the Word of God. The Son is the Light that makes it spring forth. Christ is the Living Water that keeps it fresh and fragrant.

Let your heart be good soil! When you feel the growth springing forth in your soul, take care of it. Protect it. And if you don’t know how, ask the One who does. He is a Great Gardener!