Tag Archives: blogging

A Quick Post

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a quick post

This is just a quick post to let you know that I’m taking this week to step away from the blog.

To quiet my heart before the Lord. To hear His voice. To lean into Him.

So there will be no devo thought today and no post at all on Friday.

Regular posting will resume next week.

Until then and in the absence of my words, might I humbly suggest you read HIS instead.

I just started the book of Joshua…

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:8-9 (ESV – emphasis added)

5 Things

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5things - railroad crossing

1. I took this photo last night when my roommate, B, and I were stopped for the slowest. train. ever. on the way home from dinner last night. I kinda love it.

2. If we’re friends on Facebook, you may have noticed that I posted a status about dreams not too long ago. Basically, I’m considering writing a post or two about dreams/hopes/plans for the future. I’ve never considered myself much of a dreamer, but lately, I find myself dreaming about and considering “big” things for the future a lot. And it’s a little uncomfortable.

I suppose I’m hesitant to become what I consider a dreamer because I don’t want to leave the Lord out of my dreams for the future or not give Him room to move and re-direct in their midst.

Something about naming a dream and putting a hope for the future into words makes it seem like a real thing, too. As in, if it’s truly a dream or desire I have, it might require action on my part, and it may not be easy. But maybe the Lord gives dreams … or at least works through them? Maybe there’s something to delighting yourself in Him and being given the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4)? Maybe the closer we move towards Him, the more our hearts align with His, and the dreams of our hearts reflect His heart?

I don’t know. I don’t have a schedule for this yet. And I’m sure I won’t get it right. But I’m interested in talking about it and exploring it if you’re willing to come along for the ride.

3. Remember that baby dedication I mentioned in last month’s “5 Things” post? Well, my friend (and favorite photographer. no lie. except for these boys. they still top my list.) let me use her good camera (uh, I was a little nervous, but it was super fun!) to take a few shots of the event, and ended up using a few in this post of my favorite 9 month old (I promise she’s incredibly cute!!). Check it out. And take a few minutes to look at some other photos while you’re over at her blog. Beautiful, right?!

4. This verse has been swirling around in my heart and mind ever since I read it a couple of weeks ago…

“They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.”
Nehemiah 9:17 (ESV)

5. According to the official WordPress count (which means feed readers aren’t included…), I’m ONE blog subscriber away from 100. I know. Numbers don’t mean that much and that particular number is not really anything to write home about. But if you read my blog with some degree of regularity, would you consider subscribing to receive updates via email? (note: I blog twice a week.)

If so, see the sidebar to the right, type in your email address, and click the ‘Yes, please!’ button. If I make it over 100, I could even be convinced to have another giveaway to honor the occasion.

And just for the record, I so appreciate each and every one of you! Whether you subscribe or not. Whether you comment or not. I’m just grateful you read here and pray you walk away encouraged and filled with truth. So there.

5 Things

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5things

1. I may have more stories of Holy Spirit moments from Guatemala to share at some point (because trust me, it was such a Holy Spirit led and filled trip that there are still many of them!), but my heart needed a break from sharing in this space. So because it’s Friday, a catch-all 5 things post seemed in order.

2. But speaking of Guatemala, have you read this post yet? You should. Seriously. The message is so far beyond me and the story is so worth hearing.

3. Have you noticed there’s a new schedule around here? The goal is new posts on Tuesdays and Fridays with the occasional third post thrown in if necessary. It’s a recent shift, but I like the rhythm of it so far. Tuesdays will be for devo thoughts and Fridays will be for anything goes.

4. It snowed last weekend, y’all! In typical Charlotte style, it snowed on Saturday afternoon and was pretty much completely melted by Sunday afternoon, but it was beautiful while it lasted. The photo is the view out my kitchen window.

5. This verse has been extremely close to my heart all week…

“…for we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)

5 Things

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1. The beach is pretty much my favorite place. Ever.

2. This here blog has a new look. Nothing too drastic, but if you usually read through a feed reader or via email, you should click over and check it out!

3. There’s just something about watering plants on a Saturday evening that makes me want to embrace my inner child and play in the hose.

4. This makes my heart happy and is just plain goodness:

“Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”

- Psalm 28:6-7

5. I’m currently eating a bowl of cocoa puffs (yes, at 10:30pm) and watching the season premiere of Covert Affairs (love that show!), so I’m gonna get back to that now. . .good night!

With Paragraphs & Everything…

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It’s been awfully quiet over here, no?

Technically it’s time for another photo of the week (and I do have one ready to go, so it will be up in the next day or so), and I know it’s past time for another devo thought, and I even considered doing a “5 Things” post because those are always fun and relatively easy, but since it’s been so long since I’ve actually “shown up” around here, I decided on a real post instead … with paragraphs and everything.

It’s certainly not for lack of content that I’ve been missing from this space. My energy has just been spent elsewhere.

This past month {maybe a little longer…} has been just plain full and, as usual, I struggle to find balance in the fullness. I love my community, my commitments, and my friends, but when I open the calendar on my too-smart-for-its-own-good phone to see multiple dots on each day of every weekend {and several in between} for a solid month, I get exhausted just thinking about it, tend to lose perspective, and then the temptation to pull away {and if I’m being really honest, to hide!} is great.

I suppose in those moments, maybe it’s a good thing that I DO have commitments and hiding is just not an option.

Truthfully, effortless and encouraging conversations with precious friends over meals, on the phone driving across town, during movie intros, late at night on bedroom floors, and even while “exploring” unfamiliar industrial parks keep me going through these seasons that can leave me feeling somewhat disconnected because of the fullness. Especially when my calendar is not the only one that pulls in far too many directions all at once … it seems to be a problem that plagues many around this time of year.

And although I enjoy social media, and I so appreciate each one of you, some moments – maybe even some seasons – just aren’t intended for sharing in real time via this blog or twitter or instagram.

So I keep going knowing that sometimes quiet is best and sometimes quiet {at least in this space} is just necessary. I’m not gone for good. I’m still writing. And as things begin to slow down I’ll show up around here with more than just a photo a little more frequently.

And while I am very much looking forward to a slightly slower paced summer and enjoying more Saturday mornings with a cup of coffee and a good book {soon to be happening poolside! woot!}, I just don’t want to miss being fully present for all of the really great moments {from graduations and weddings to beach weekends and beyond} that this season of fullness has to offer … because there are many. And for that, I am truly grateful.

What are you looking forward to this summer and what moments are you grateful for in this season?

The 2012 Blogging Adventure(s)

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As I mentioned here, I’m changing things up a little this year:

1. I have decided to use a new read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan for 2012 (the M’Cheyne plan…which goes through the New Testament and Psalms twice and the rest of the Old Testament once). As part of my effort to stay accountable to both the reading plan and to writing, on Tuesday or Wednesday of each week I will be posting a devo thought based on the previous week’s reading {at least for now}. As I have always considered devotions to be the heartbeat and core of this blog, I’m really looking forward to a more systematic approach to the devo thoughts this year, and pray that this walk through Scripture will be an encouragement to you as well!

2. Although I’m technically already a week behind (unless if you count the above photo…), in an attempt to improve in and further my knowledge of all things photography, I will also be doing an unofficial 52-week photo project and posting one photo per week (hopefully on Friday, but that is totally subject to change at this point). These posts probably won’t be super long or wordy (shocking, I know) as they’ll mainly serve to document the photos throughout the year, and I have no rules for myself other than that the photo must have been taken within the prior seven days.

Of course, you can still expect to see recipes and life thrown randomly into the mix here and there as well. Thanks for hanging in there with me and continuing to read this humble little blog…I am so grateful for each one of you!