Simple Fragments

Some of them hurt as I pick them up. The memories piercing deep into my heart. Others feel beautiful and smooth like polished glass.

As I pick up these fragments of my life I wonder at their meaning. A friend who turned on me. A group of homeschoolers that never accepted me. People who would call me names in front of my back. A drought of more than just rain to dry earth. People who didn't come through. These fragments have cut deep, slicing away opportunities, killing dreams, and causing more pain than I can tell.

Through the tears I see other fragments. Shards of beauty. Singing in the spring sunshine. Dancing in Daddy's arms. The warm hugs of my family. A performance done well. The loving touch of a friend. A teachers laughter. A song that lifted up eyes heaven-ward. I could go on like his forever, maybe one day I will.

As I cling to this fragile shard called now, I think about these fragments of my life. All of the seemingly unrelated and broken things that make up my life. What is God doing? All I see are fragmented pieces of a seemingly meaningless story.

But as I look closer I see love. Like tiny steel rods that can't be broken crisscrossing through the fragments of cut glass. God's love crisscrosses through all of these fragments binding them together in some mystical and wonderful way.

I stand back and look at these fragments framed by love. Light spills through illuminating the truth. All these shards come together to create a picture of His love and grace. And I am on my knees praising God for the fragments that show His love.

Simple Quote

Simple living is always going to be a process
Not a destination.
- Lorilee Lippincott 

Simple Nail Polish

For Christmas my sister Sarah and friend Debra bought me nail polish. I was thrilled to try out some new colors

Source - Mom

One day I painted my nails. It was so pretty and bright. It made me feel loved. Over the next few days the polish chipped and began to fall of. Now I have half-painted nails. 

But it made me remember something that I heard one time. I can't remember if it was my Dad or someone else. They said that perfectly manicured fingernails meant that that woman didn't do anything worthwhile with her life. Doing worthwhile things are hard work. 

So I must do some worthwhile things because my polish looks like it's been through a battle. But now I smile when I look at it. I must be doing something worthwhile.  

I Simply Wonder

I can't belief she had done it. A girl that I had respected for her purity, decided to run off with a guy.

Parents with a kid with a mental handicap. They seem powerless to do anything about it.

An elderly woman suffering from dementia.

I could go on and on about the suffering that I see on a daily basis. But that would be pointless.

Some people when faced with pain and suffering shake a fist and ask why God could let something like this happen.

Me? The why question has been, why me? God, Why was I born into a believing home? Why did I have parents that loved me enough to do the tough things in life so that I would be the person I am? Why did I always have enough food to eat? Why did I have always more than I needed and many times more than I ever wanted? Why was I born a healthy baby girl? Why hasn't sickness touched me more? Why am I blessed with so many encouraging friends? Why is it that I get to do things like write plays, make movies, take ASL, write on five blogs, play games with me family, and a host of other things that I don't even think twice about? Why God? Why do I live in so much luxury while others live with so little?

I'll never understand. Some things aren't meant to understand. But one thing I know. I can either sit here and wonder, or I can use what I have been given to bless others. To encourage to bless and to make where I am a better place.

This is my destiny, what's yours?

Simply Living It

Simple faith. Is there such a thing? Jesus said that even the smallest seed of faith has the ability to move mountains. When we start putting our faith into action, we cross over from being hearers to doers.

In being a part of the Live It challenge, I'm supposed to find ways to live out my faith everyday. To my family, to my friends, to the world I am to be His love and life.

You know the great thing about this is? My Father has shown me His love. All I have to do is follow in His footsteps. He has lived out His love.

But I'm not  perfect. I still struggle sometimes. Lately I haven't written much because I have been struggling. The last part of 2012 was hard for me. I was struggling with discontentment, depression, what God wanted me to do with the next part of my life, and feeling restless. For months it kept building. Boiling under the surface. Then in December I hit a wall. I was tired of living with the wild emotions. It wasn't a miracle, but on Christmas day, God set me free from the depression and pain that had been hovering over me for months. My problems didn't suddenly disappear, but my heart was healed. My workload still remained, but I now felt able to do what I was called to do.

As I have stepped into this new year, I want it to be more about living out my faith than talking about it. I can write 100 blog posts about how to live simply in Christ. But if I don't show love to my family and friends, I'm just making noise online. My heartfelt prayer is that this blog will be a reflection of God's love in my life.

As far as my simpleness journey, things are going well. I'm  enjoying time with my family and trying to enjoy the simple blessings God gives me every day. Relishing the simple pleasures of life is always a treat. And I'm  enjoying every minute of it.

Happy Simple New Year

Last year was an incredible year. It's been one of the busiest years of my life so far, but I really enjoyed it.

God taught me so much this year. One thing is how to live more simply in the midst of a hectic world. I find it so easy to get sucked into the craziness. I love being busy, but I never want to become so busy that I can't focus on what's important. For me one of the meanings of simplicity is being busy doing what really matters to you.

What really matters to me? Loving God and loving others. These have have been my goals since I was small, although living them out has always taken on new forms.

With each year (sometimes daily) we go and change. As I have changed, God has given me new ways to love Him through others.

This year I and the other MOHL girls are going to be taking on the challenge of living out our faith. I'm so excited about this. My goal for this year is to do more of living out my faith than I do talking about it.

To this end, I've made the following goals

1. Volunteer at a hospital.

2. Choose 1 ministry every month and make things for that ministry.

3. Read 75 books. Including rereading some devotional books, reviewing one audiobook a month, and read the free books I've gotten on my kindle.

4. Have a tea party every month.

5. Publish at least 2 plays, edit 4 plays, and write 3 plays/screenplays.

6. Continue to work on ASL.

7. Continue blogging.

8. Enjoy life as I work out my simpleness journey.