Messy Rooms - #JoyDare No. 2290

Due to a small book club group for women started in 2012 by a friend at my church, I actually picked up & read Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts, in early 2012. I began listing gifts then & am planning to continue for years to come. It's a WONDERFUL way to remind myself of God's tender loving care for & faithfulness to me -- and to all his children! I've always been one to get super excited about the little things from God - seeing a mother deer & her fawns while out walking early in the morning, the way the clouds look on a cold -- but sunny -- winter day, the lighting or angle I was able to catch in a photo, the quiet snoring/breathing of the LOML as he sleeps beside me, new fuzzy socks or slippers, an apple right off my tree, etc. Often times my descriptions make no sense to anyone but me & God. So, I decided to expand upon those thoughts in a few posts. So... for today... 

Messy Rooms - #JoyDare No. 2290

Today I'm thankful for messy rooms - because they mean that great things have happened, that work is being done or that new things are on the way. 

The great room is a mess because last night I removed the ornaments from the Christmas tree (an artificial mammoth of a beast) & the LOML is disassembling it today to drag it down to the basement for storage until next year. The furniture is in disarray & covered with items to be put away for another season. And, connecting it all is a floor littered with baby things - clothes, toys, lotions, shoes, socks, books & more. 

The kitchen table is a mess because J & I are in the process of printing, trimming & organizing photos to put in the photo album that will be given to my mom later today by her first & only great grandchild. The kitchen counters & sink are a mess because... well, just because :)

The master bedroom is a mess because I've done four loads of laundry which are waiting to be folded & put away and because I opted to NOT clean up after playing with the one-year-old yesterday. (And, don't even ask me about the mess on the floor from getting things ready to file our income taxes.)

The entire basement (family room) is a mess because we can't seem to bring ourselves to taking down the balloons & streamers from our party 3 weeks ago celebrating A's FIRST BIRTHDAY. The pool table (which was gifted to us by the previous owners since it was impossible to remove) is covered with gift bags, Sesame Street party hats, pink & red tissue flowers... and presents reminding us of dear loved ones who came to celebrate her BIG DAY. 

So, as I reflect upon the ways I see God  blessing me today, I see the beauty of my messy rooms! Thank you God for these messy rooms... and even more for what they mean :)

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Linking with Ann Voskamp - A Holy Experience...

My #JoyDare list for Sunday, 2/9/14:

2289. open spaces

2290. messy rooms

2291. old people

HOPE, Harvest Haze 10-14-13

There's a haze in the air around here these days. Our home is surrounded by miles & miles of fields. In our area of the world, the most common crops planted are soybeans ("beans") and field corn (for livestock - as opposed to sweet corn for US!!). This year, there seemed to be more fields planted with beans. From the moment the beans sprout to the final harvest, beans take on a myriad of colors...

- light green - when first growing

deep, dark green AND yellow & green mixed

 golden yellow AND orange-brown

 AND dusty brown - when ready for harvest

And, now that I think about it, I'm not certain that I haven't taken to calling that last color "dusty brown" due to the amount of dust created when beans are harvested. You can see for miles when they've begun harvesting a field of beans.

Our cars get covered with a fine dust - as do the windows of the house and the outside furniture. Even the flowering plants outside our home get a nice coat of fine dust. All seeming to wait until God sends a good, cleansing rain. If they harvested the beans when they weren't so totally dried out, the homes in our corner of the world (aka stuckinindiana) would be saved a lot of extra cleaning. However, in order to the get the best yield, the beans have to be dried out to harvest.

I've learned quite a few life-lessons in the past four years residing among the cornfields, cows, beans, pigs, wheat, chickens & MORE. Harvesting of beans is a lot like life. Sometimes the best yield comes only at a specific time & often when things seem much messier & inconvenient for our liking! I'm reminded to...

Trust the Father's guidance for harvesting.

Don't mind the dust & mess. 

Concentrate on the end product -- the yield! 

You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you didn't plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest. John 4:37-38

Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." Luke 10:2

Linking this month with The Nesting Place

 for the 31-day Challenge

Linking with Ann Voskamp - A Holy Experience today...