It was the mid-90s. Jason and I had only been in the same room together four times with mutual friends, and yet somehow we found ourselves in a deep conversation, just the two of us, about our dreams for the future.
“Where would you like to live?” became the question that inspired passion within each of us and at the end of it all, we agreed wholeheartedly that Idaho would be an awesome spot, what with all of the tall pine trees and lakes and all.
Yes, with stars in our eyes, at ages 17 and 19, Idaho seemed pretty perfect to both of us.
Fast forward to our 20th wedding anniversary, after years of collectively dreaming of living on a lake surrounded by tall pine trees, and we both knew where we had to go to celebrate our two decades of married life, to one of the only states we had not yet visited together: Idaho!
Amazingly, we ended up in a little town in the northern panhandle called, “Hope” and found ourselves dreaming B!G again, dreams of the next 20 years, dreams of our someday lake home surrounded by tall pines, and dreams of the work we would do together as a couple, business partners and parents.
We tend to do our best dreaming while walking and talking, and while on one of our many hikes during that trip, I picked up this pine cone for a picture.
I noticed the true meaning only later when I connected the aspirations of this pine cone to be a full-fledged pine tree someday. So much hope, found in Hope, Idaho.
Dreaming big dreams is a powerful process, one fueled by faith, purpose, and passion.
This picture reminds me to keep asking the B!G questions with my partner-in-crime. My dreams will not only stay alive decades later, they may even quite possibly come true!
There are weeds in life, yucky distractions and demands that suck our time and steal our joy. But goodness can pop up if we stop and look a little closer.
Our youngest daughter and I were at the gas station after a series of discouraging events that left me in tears of frustration. As we walked inside we were both surprised by what unfolded.
A sweet older gentleman employee met our eyes warmly. His sincere welcome hit my heart immediately. His job was to hand out samples of the new food items being promoted, but he did WAY more than give us bite-sized samples.
He asked my daughter about her cowboy boots and complimented her silky blonde hair. We all discussed our love for lemon donuts, sharing playful banter that was unexpected and genuine. After it was all said and done he upgraded his original offering of the bite-sized lemon donut bite to a full-sized donut, joking that he might get fired but he didn’t care.
He made us feel special, taking a closer look at us, and noticing our need for some extra love and attention.
Slowing down to notice the details matters.
If you look a little closer at what’s right in front of you, you might be surprised by what you find.
You will never be able to keep all of the weeds out of your life. They are abundant and pop up too quickly. Daily challenges and discouragements come with the experience of living. But you can embrace what you’ve got in your midst with a fresh perspective.
Receiving the unexpected gift of kindness from this stranger reminds me of the truth that even amidst the weeds of life, we are ALL wonderfully made.
It’s healing to find refuge in a quiet place amidst the busyness of the normal pace of life.
One December, we snuck away to a mountainside retreat in the Smoky Mountains right outside of Asheville, North Carolina. As we drove along seemingly endless winding roads, making my belly rumble with every turn, I was assured that THIS place would serve our family well, being so remote and hidden from the rest of the world.
A small waterfall with the accompanying sounds of running water filled my attention as I sat peacefully on the porch swing overlooking the steep incline and surrounding whimsy. This house was a gem of a find, with eclectic thrift store treasures lovingly and intentionally placed in all of the right places, right down to this colorful coffee cup that I happened to grab for my morning quiet time.
With the crisp early morning air filling my lungs and beautiful puffs of white clouds wafting above me, I grabbed this shot. I lifted my coffee to take a sip and saw the clouds and pergola above me reflecting so crisply in the cup.
This quiet, isolated moment of peace and escape was a gift.
Moments like these give me the space to be present and reconnect my head and my heart.
This picture reminds me that I can stay strong if I take the time – protect the time I need – to stop, take notice, and reflect on what’s most important to my heart.
