poem.

Keep walking, though there's no place to get to.

Don't try to see through the distances.

That's not for human beings. Move within,

but don't move the way fear makes you move.

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty

and frightened. Don't open the door to the study

and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

                                                                       -Rumi

Poetry is such a gift to me.

I love how it helps me pray,

and what depth it adds to my understanding of/interactions with

life and world.

My unoriginal post title was because I loved too many phrases in this to pick one.

These excerpts shared with me by this year's HNGR intern at Mosoj Yan, Heather.

I think Rumi is going to be my new obsession. I know what book I'm coveting!

Home.

I got the idea off Pinterest.

It makes me really happy

to look at these reminders of the places

where I've lived and loved and grown.

I have been so formed by all the places and people that have been homes for me.

(To make:

I printed the maps off of Google Images.

I bought the frames at Goodwill for $2 a piece

and spray-painted them all cream.

I cut watercolor paper,

which has a nice weight and texture,

into squares the same size as the frames.

I made a heart stencil out of cardboard,

traced it onto the paper squares,

and cut the hearts out.

Placed the paper over each map and framed.

Roughly 2 hours start to finish.)

Known.

Last night, the grown-ups lounged around the living room, laughing and chatting after a full and delicious Sunday dinner.

We could hear running and shouting and the jumping off of bunkbeds coming from the three kids playing in the back bedroom.

All of a sudden the two-year-old came running in, looking distressed. She threw herself on Korie's chest, words tumbling out urgently, too fast and toddler-spoken for me to make them out.

Korie, still looking up and laughing at something Brandon had said, smoothed her hair. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

She repeated her question, more urgently, more distressed.

"What is your name?". Korie looked amused and confused. "Well, what is your name?"

The tiny girl stared at her very seriously.

"I can't remember."

Korie got solemn.

She put her hands on her daughter's cheeks and looked deeply into her eyes.

She told her her name.

The baby's shoulders visibly relaxed and she smiled. All distress gone, she immediately dashed off to find her big brother and cousin and resume playing.

The person who loves her best had reminded her of who she was. All was well.

"...He is the one who can tell us the reason for our existence,

our place in the scheme of things, our real identity...

how we have chased around the world for answers to that riddle,

looked in the eyes of others for some hint, some clue,

hunted in the multiple worlds of pleasure and experience and self-fulfillment

for some glimpse, some revelation, some wisdom, some authority

to tell us our right name and our true destination...

but there was, and is, only One who can tell us this:

the Lord Himself...

He will whisper it to us

not in the mad rush and fever of our striving

and our fierce determination to be someone,

but rather when we are content to rest in Him,

to put ourselves into His keeping, into His hands."

-Emilie Griffin,

in Clinging



because of who He is.

Yesterday I was needing the gospel extra. Well, feeling it extra.

I texted two trusted friends,

asking for a reminder of it.

And then I hid away baking bread in my sunny kitchen for the rest of the afternoon.

I hung out in Romans and Colossians and the Book of Common Prayer at the kitchen table as the dough rose.

I listened to Indelible Grace's acoustic album on repeat and drew the lyrics out on my chalkboard.

"Jesus loves you with an everlasting love. It is his nature. He is the exact representation of God.
His nature was to love and give grace to the least of these...

some days I feel like the least of these! :-)"

"Jesus loves you because of who he is! Nothing you can ever do will earn or take away his love! Praying for you today."

"...Who dares accuse whom God has chosen for his own? No one- for God himself has given us right standing with himself...

Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ...No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us... not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love."

"Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee,

so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills,

that we may be wholly thine, utterly dedicated unto thee;

and then use us, we pray thee, as thou wilt,

and always to thy glory and the welfare of thy people;

through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen."

Chaco tan lines.

.strawberry basil lemonade.

ingredients:

4-5 cups water

1-2 cups sugar to taste

1 pint strawberries

5-6 lemons

a couple handfuls of fresh basil

step one:

send sweet friends outside to pick basil.

step two:

squeeze lemons.

chop strawberries.

step three:

bring water and sugar to boil.

stir.

add most of the strawberries and most of the basil to the pot (tear basil leaves in half before adding).

lower heat to low-medium and simmer for about half an hour,

stirring occasionally.

step four:

strain out solids and discard.

(i hate throwing out fruit, but at this point the strawberries and basil have no flavor left in them! it's all in the water!)

stir in lemon juice.

stir.

taste.

add sugar or lemon juice as necessary for desired sweet-tartness

(but we found it just right!).

step five:

pour into jars!

fills about five pint-size mason jars.

add a few of the remaining strawberries and basil leaves

to each jar for a lovely look.
seal tightly... this juice is VERY pink.
i also recommend not spilling...
especially not immediately after asking people half your age to be very careful.
(conveniently, strawberry basil lemonade is an excellent compliment to humble pie!)

step six:

unleash just-released-for-the-summer-bursting-with-creativity middle-schoolers

on a basket full of paper, glue, scissors, glitter and yarn

and watch magic happen.

step seven:

admire your jars of beautiful and delicious summer refreshment!

drink yourself and enjoy the taste

and distribute to friends and family and enjoy giving a lovely and fun gift.

happy taste of summer!

(love these girls + love cooking and crafting with them!)

In which I feel completely badass.

[one]

[two]

[three]

My Wednesday mornings.

High schoolers are my favorite.

I'd be so grateful if you would pray with me

for these six beautiful girls!

My Community Garden. (II)

(part one)

Friends, thank you for sharing the Life you are cultivating with me...

In Wheaton, Josh and Meghan have filled their apartment deck so beautifully. I love that.

In St. Louis, Chris is making good use of the porch of her first Own Home (we are bonding over how much fun it is to have one of those for the first time). Love this girl so.

("It was hard to get us all in the picture. Us is me and the plants.")

Lovely newlyweds Emily and Javan are growing tomatoes, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, more tomatoes, herbs, lettuce, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and tomatoes in their Colorado backyard. She signed her email, "Love, the tomato obsessed" and wrote, "I don't know what we'll do if all 20 tomato plants live... I'm going to get really good at canning!"

(more things they are creating these days: gorgeous pottery!)

My bosom friend offered up a picture of what she and Robby have "grown" in their yard recently: a new porch. HOLLER and love the lights :-).

In Seattle, Kari is growing these gorgeous lettuce beds which look like they are producing by the armful. Yum!

Jen and Shaun in Maryland are rocking out growth I'm sure in lots of ways right now, with their sprouting FOUR babes (four. when did that happen!!) plus all this green loveliness. Window herb garden ("I'm sure of basil and cilantro, I forgot to label the rest and forgot what I planted"... I would do that...)

Hydrangeas!!! One of my faves too.

This picture made me grin so big... Bree recently started working part-time on a farm in California. She sent this picture of the corn she's been planting. You are so hard core, babe.

And finally, the Buerkles sent a panoramic pic of their gorgeous yard here in Oregon.

This project is giving me so much joy. I love being able to picture what you all are growing and enjoying this season! Keep sending them!

xoxoxo

.evening prayer.

lord, you have always given bread for the coming day;

and though i am poor,

today i believe.

lord, you have always given strength for the coming day;

and though i am weak,

today i believe.

lord, you have always given peace for the coming day;

and though i am of anxious heart,

today i believe.

lord, you have always kept me safe in trials;

and now, tried as i am,

today i believe.

lord, you have always marked the road for the coming day;

and though it may be hidden,

today i believe.

lord, you have always lightened this darkness of mine;

and though the night is here,

today i believe.

lord, you have always spoken when the time was ripe;

and though you be silent now,

today i believe.

 -Celtic Daily Prayer

My Community Garden. (I)

I am having such a blast this spring

filling my little house and every spare corner of rocky yard with pots full of life and green.

 My four different kinds of basil. I can't get enough dude. There's more inside, too.

It's such a cliche, especially a Pacific Northwest cliche, and especially a Christian-20-something-social-justice-ish-girl-in-Birkenstocks cliche...

but growing things myself, even just my tiny little bits,

has been so exciting, inspiring, and life-giving.

And picturing the people I love,

some close and some (too!!!) far,

doing that too,

working with their hands in the soil and coaxing life out of seeds and eating flavors they watered and getting joy from flowers they've nurtured into bloom...

makes me feel extra connected to them and extra life-is-good happy.

So.

I present. Emily's Community Garden. Part ONE, because I KNOW I'm getting MORE PICTURES FROM PEOPLE. :-D

Kelly sent me pictures of their beautiful garden in Maryland...

especially impressive considering she is 9 months pregnant! Go Alec and Kelly!!

This year they're growing tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, green beans, spaghetti squash, cucumbers, rosemary, basil, and mint. Baby Pax is going to be eating so well!!!

Amy and James just bought their first home in San Diego... so excited for them!! They already made this beautiful plot. (I get to go visit soon!)

Claire is brightening her Washington D.C. house with this potted loveliness.

In North Carolina, Tim and Ash and her parents are rocking OUT a garden, which is its whole own story. I will put more pics of it up later, but here is one to start. This entire structure is new this season, and it's been so fun to talk to her about it and hear how excited they are to be enjoying the earth this new way.

I love this picture from Marty... He and his dad planted this tree together in Texas!

In his email he wrote, "Gonna grow up to 80ft in the next couple decades! Hopefully will provide ample shade for (hopefully) my future brood of kiddos." I love that.

Sarah has two gardens in D.C.- a big community one and this front-yard kitchen herb garden...

...in which she is currently growing parsley, cilantro, sorrel, tarragon, rosemary, oregano, thyme, peppermint, lemon balm, mint, lavender, basil and nasturtiums.

Underachiever.

She sent this picture of the "results" of her community garden:

It grows mustard greens, Red Russian kale, turnip greens, and apparently diamond rings.

0:-)

Miss Rach and her crazy happy self on her Arkansas farm. For real. Girlfriend is so happy every time I talk to her- I love seeing her English major mind thriving in the dirt and the green.

She, her brother Peter, and three friends are loving living on two acres and growing (in this picture): potatoes, herbs, lettuces, kale, cabbage, arugula, a few early tomato and pepper plants, onions, and garlic.

Beautiful girl and Rockefeller the rockstar dog!

My sweet mom in Maryland is doing her usual plot of gorgeous flowers full of color... I'm leaving this photo uncropped to show that she is also enjoying the weather by kayaking. Of course. Crazy lady.

Nate is growing spinach, a few beets, lettuce, and tomatoes in Durham. He told me he had a salad from his garden the day he sent the pic. Nice!

Here is some Caleb cuteness in Michigan!! Hans and Lindsay just moved into their new house last week!! She wrote that they were excited to find some things already growing for them when they got there.

Locally... I love getting to see these Oregon gardens in person often.

Bryan, Leah, Wellington and baby Pearl are growing a gorgeous one just down the street from me. Welly as you can see is quite the gardener. Here he is helping start their tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, peas, carrots, cucumbers, and beans.

What a helper!

Brandon and Korie's BEAUTIFUL backyard was a huge factor in my deciding to plant flowers this year. So lovely.

I'm hoping their gardeners (and firefighters, slas, Mr. and Mrs. Claus) will come over and help me with mine, too.

Check out these garden models.

Friends, thank you for sharing the Life you are cultivating with me.

I love your flowers, your food, your babies, your dogs,

and trying to know what I can about pieces of joy in your days,

no matter how near or far we are.