Steamed Shrimp

Several years ago, my dad started getting shrimp for New Year's and steaming them.  We had never done it before then, but now it's become a tradition.  My sister is in town with her boys, so she steamed the shrimp for today, and it was amazing!!  I love the Outer Banks, and I would never want to move back to Maryland, but no one can do seafood like Marylanders - at least, not in my opinion.  Maybe it's just because that's what I grew up on, but nothing is better than crabs or shrimp steamed with Old Bay seasoning.  Not just spread on top afterwards, actually steamed with it.  It makes all the difference in the world.  So now that I've gone on and on about Maryland steamed shrimp, can you guess where I found God today?  Yep, it was in that amazing shrimp steamed Maryland style by my sister.  Yummy!!

"Come To Me"

Father Tom gave a very moving sermon today.  It was perfect for the end of the year.  As much as I'd like to look forward to the new year as fresh and unencumbered, it's rarely so.  Especially with holiday debt tagging along and tax season looming ahead.  Instead of "Yay!  A new start!", many times I'm thinking, "Here we go again..."  Here I am struggling forward step by step; trying to improve, trying to leave negative stuff behind and move forward in a positive way.  And so often it's just overwhelming.  In his sermon, Father Tom said "... once upon a time in the person of Jesus, the divine invites each of us to come and cross the divide..."  Those words spoke to me.  I have crossed the divide... and then I slip back.  I start to try to do things on my own again, and I have to remember to re-cross that divide.  I have to remember that Jesus is there waiting.  In his sermon, he also quoted Matthew 11:28 (The Message Translation) "Are you tired? Worn out?... Come to me..."  Come to Him.  That's all I have to do, and yet I need constant reminding of it.  Today's sermon was just what I needed to hear at this time of year.  I'm not in this alone.  I have all the strength and hope I need if I just remember to ask for it.  I left church feeling uplifted and closer to God, and today, I found Him in Father Tom's inspiring words.

Faux "Feta"

Being Greek, I grew up with feta.  We had other Greek cheeses, too, but feta is the one we use the most in cooking in addition to eating it plain with Greek olives.  It's now the cheese I miss the most since I can't eat dairy anymore.  Recently, I found a recipe to make faux "feta" from tofu.  Needless to say, I was very skeptical.  But I gave it a try, and guess what?  It's pretty good!  I'm not going to claim it's an exact replacement for feta, but in salads, it comes pretty darn close.  In fact, Jeff liked it so much that he ate more of it than I did!  I'm going to try it in some recipes next and hope for good results.  In the meantime, my Greek salad finally tastes like it should.  Yay!!  Today, I found God in my faux feta cheese.

Early Light of Day

We left Maryland early this morning.  There are some beautiful places in Maryland, but I really dislike driving there because of all the traffic and big highways.  I lived there for most of my life and never really thought about it.  But since moving here and getting used to the slower pace, the difference is glaring.  So I wasn't looking forward to the start of the drive, but when we got on the highway, an absolutely gorgeous sky grabbed my attention.  The sun was mostly obscured by the clouds, but it was casting a glow that seemed to emanate from the clouds themselves.  As it rose higher, you could look straight at it as it was diffused by a gauzy layer of clouds.  There were muted rosy pinks, greys, pale blues, and golds all in layers around the sun.  And I thought even in the middle of all this traffic, highways, on and off ramps, buildings, etc., God's beautiful world cannot be dimmed.  You just need to look up and take notice.  Today, I found God on a Maryland highway in the early light of day.

"Went With The Wind"

We spent the day with Jeff's family, and we always have a good time together. But the best times are when the whole group of us get to laughing about something. Tonight, it was the old Carol Burnett show, and the Scarlett O'Hara skit called "Went With The Wind" in particular. Carol Burnett wearing the drapes with the curtain rod still attached is a classic! We bantered about different lines from the skit till we were all laughing almost as if watching it for the first time. Shared humor is a wonderful thing, and I found God today laughing with family over that hilarious old skit.

Greek Chicken

My mom was an amazing cook before she got dementia. She was from South Carolina so she made awesome southern food, but when she met my Greek dad she learned how to cook Greek food as good if not better than the Greek side of my family. But it's been many years since she's cooked anything so I mostly only get Greek food when I cook it myself. Well, the last time my mother-in-law visited I made Greek chicken with potatoes and lima beans. She loved it and asked for the recipe. So after a long, wet drive today, we arrived at my in-laws and a dinner of that Greek chicken. It was amazing!! It wasn't just that it tasted so good, it was having homemade Greek food again made by someone other than me. My mother-in-law is a great cook, too, so I'm blessed that I have her to cook for me sometimes when my own mom can't. Today, I found God in that awesome homemade Greek chicken dinner.

Peace In My Blanket

It's Christmas Day and I feel like I'm getting sick.  Ugh.  After opening gifts and breakfast, I went into my room for a nap.  I didn't really sleep much, mostly just dozed a little, but lying there I was thinking about the morning.  The thoughtful gifts from my family, the time we've spent together... and curled up in my blanket, I felt such peace.  It lifted my spirits up even as my body was slowly spiraling down into the drudgery of a cold.  That quiet nap was just what I needed after all of the busyness of late.  Peace on earth may still be wishful thinking, but peace in my blanket was definitely happening today.  I found God there in my late morning nap.

Beautiful Day

We had our Christmas Eve get-together with my family today.  My mom always made Christmas Eve the big "food" day, and I've continued in that tradition.  I make a ton of food, and my sister brings a ton of food.  We always overdo it, but that's part of what makes it fun.  Treating ourselves special with all of these extravagant goodies is a gift to ourselves and our family.   Jeff and I started the day with a walk in the early morning.  It was quiet, cool, and beautiful.  Then we finished up the food preparations, my family came over, and we talked, laughed, and ate a lot of that wonderful food.  Now it's quiet again.  The clean-up is done, the Christmas lights are twinkling, and I'm basking in the glow of an awesome Christmas Eve.  I found God in this whole beautiful day.

Stress Tears

There are tears of sadness, there are tears of joy, and then there are the tears that spilled from my eyes today.  I call them stress tears.  Take all the work I've been doing for our Christmas festivities, add in all that I had yet to do, and then throw in a dash of the usual family stress.  Mix it all up, and you've got me feeling overwhelmed.  So when Jeff and I decided to take some time for ourselves and go get tea this morning, I could feel the tears pressing behind my eyes.  All it took was a few kind words from him, and they broke loose.  He worried that I was upset, but I really wasn't.  As I explained to him, it was like opening a pressure valve and letting off steam.  There was no sadness involved, but just having those tears spill down my cheeks relieved so much stress.  It only lasted a few seconds, and then I felt so much better.  I was ready to face the rest of my tasks.  I'm always in awe of how God created us, and I believe the ability to cry is a great gift.  I found Him today in the gift of those stress-relieving tears.

The Christmas Project

We did our Christmas project today.  We've done one every year since the kids were little so it's going on twenty years of projects now.  It gets harder and harder for me to think of new ideas for the project, so when Marlayna suggested clay that could be oven-baked, I was all for it.  Plus, it was a nod to the pottery class she and I took in the fall so that was nice, too.  I had no idea what to expect going in, but our pieces turned out surprisingly well.  Marlayna's are usually the best (she's the artist in the family), and Morgan's are usually the most unique (that pretty much sums up Morgan!), but we all have a blast doing it.  There's lots of joking, laughter, and memories going around the table.  My favorite part, without a doubt, is just having my family together.  It's more and more difficult as they have their own lives now, but we all make the effort to come together for this, and I love them for it.  I found God today in the blessing of being able to do another Christmas project with my precious loved ones.

Our Masterpieces!!

Unexpectedly Fun Times

Out of all of my busy days leading up to Christmas, this one was going to be the worst.  I do most of my household stuff like banking, grocery shopping, and laundry on Mondays and Tuesdays.  Obviously, that wasn't going to happen next week.  So I wanted to take care of those things today.  Along with that, I had to go to five different stores for various things.  As much as I tried to consolidate, what I needed just couldn't be found in one place.  Needless to say, I wasn't looking forward to any of it.  But then Jeff decided to go with me.  He said he could take a little time off of work to help me with the running around.  Just like that, it turned into an adventure.  We hadn't taken time to walk this morning because we wanted to get an early start, but as we raced from one place to another, I mentioned that we were getting in our exercise after all!  Parking, hurrying through the wind and cold, maneuvering through the stores - it was actually fun because he was with me.  And things went so smoothly!  There were no lines, we found what we needed, and we were home in record time.  I can't help but think it was the positive attitude brought on by enjoying our time together that resulted in such a successful morning.  Today, I found God in my husband and best friend, Jeff, who turned a dreaded morning into such a fun experience.

Sunrise Cross

I'm lucky to be within walking distance of my church, and I pass it every morning on my walk.  Today,  as I approached it the sky behind it stopped me in my tracks.  It highlighted the cross on the roof so beautifully that I had to photograph it.  I took some pictures and then just stood there taking it in for a moment.  The place where my faith has grown so much was inspiring me once again just by being there at that moment.  I found God today in my beloved church's cross at sunrise.

Winter Beauty

I shuffled through a pile of leaves on my walk today, enjoying the fact that they were still around.  But as I was walking past the big, beautiful tree I wrote about a few weeks, ago, I realized the sidewalk was clear of it's leaves.  I don't know if they blew away or someone swept them away, but it made me a little sad that they were gone.  I looked up at it's bare branches silhouetted against the sky and caught my breath at it's awesome beauty even in winter.  All the bright, showy leaves are gone but what's left is a different kind of beauty.  Both grace and mystery have been revealed in the lines and twists of it's branches.  God made it to be beautiful in all seasons - just like us.  We age and we change, but there is a beauty revealed in the lines on our faces, the wisdom in our eyes, and, hopefully, a peace that shines through from our hearts as we go through the winter of our lives.  Today, I found God - again - in the awesome winter beauty of that glorious tree.

She Meets No Strangers

I had just started checking out at Harris Teeter today with a huge pile of groceries for our Christmas festivities when a woman got into line behind me with just a small basket of stuff.  I smiled at her a couple of times trying to silently apologize for her having to wait so long behind me, but she didn't seem the least bit perturbed.  When I was finally almost done, she said, "You look like you're going to be making some good food!".  I said that I hoped to because I had family coming in for Christmas.  She proceeded to carry on a conversation about family, food, and the holidays while my stuff was being bagged, and I had such a good time talking with her.  When I was just about ready to walk away, she said, "Make sure you take time for yourself, you know how it can get this time of year."  I thanked her and wished her the same.  I walked to my car feeling really good, and it was all because of her friendly conversation.  I was driving away before I realized I hadn't gotten her name, and I'm regretful of that.  She was one of those people that my mom used to say "doesn't meet any strangers".  I'd like to be more like that.  I always try to be friendly to anyone I meet, but I rarely go beyond the usual niceties.  She took the time to have a real conversation, and it brightened my day.  I wish I could tell her what a positive effect she had on me.  I found God today in one of those amazing people that meets no strangers.

Early Christmas Gift

It's officially holiday crunch time for me.  This last week before Christmas is when I do the bulk of the baking, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc., along with all of my normal day-to-day chores.  I was running around non-stop today, checking items off my list and continually adding new ones; my mind always on the next thing to do.  Then the doorbell rang, and all I could think was, "What now?".  I went to the door and saw a couple of packages.  My first thought was that it was gifts that I had ordered that would need to be wrapped.  But no... it was a gift for me and Jeff from his aunt.  Wow, what perfect timing.  I'm always spouting off about how Christmas is about more than gifts, and I truly believe that.  I try to put more focus on family time than presents.  But getting that gift at just that time today made me realize that we were thought of.  That's really the best part of getting a gift or a card - realizing that someone took some time out of their day and thought of you.  I needed that little nudge to remind me why I do all of this.  Today, I found God in an early Christmas gift that showed up at just the right time.

Vulnerable

I've been pondering the past couple of days about how people move on.  How do you start doing routine things again?  And when?  Whether it's moving past a horrific tragedy like the people of Newtown, or moving past any of the losses and letdowns that we all suffer at different times.  Father Tom gave a very inspiring sermon today, and one of the things he said was, "It is only when you allow yourself to be vulnerable that you have the option of feeling anything besides fear."  For some reason the word "vulnerable" jumped out at me.  Literally, I saw the word in giant letters in front of my eyes, and I think it was God telling me something.  In dealing with hurt both big and small, the only way to move on is to be vulnerable.  You want to protect yourself and your loved ones both physically and emotionally; you want to lock your heart away so you'll never be hurt.  But then how do you live, and how do you love?  The only way to move on is to put yourself out there - to be vulnerable.  When you fling open the door, yes, there is the chance that hurt and pain will come in.  But if you don't open the door, how will good come in?  How will God come in?  And happiness, love, joy....  Do you let them stay locked out because of your fear?  So the answer for me to the question "How do I move on?" past any of life's stumbling blocks literally jumped out at me from Father Tom's sermon - be vulnerable.  I found God today in that one word "vulnerable" when He flashed it in giant letters before my eyes.  Kinda hard to miss that one :) .

God's Light

It's the day after and I feel I should be doing something, but I don't know what to do.  Does anyone?  On my walk this morning, I prayed.  I prayed fervently for all who were lost, and all who were suffering.  I willed my heart to go out and find them, and let them know how I hurt for them.  How so many of us hurt for them and are grieving with them and praying for them.  There was a light fog hanging about and it seemed to match the pall hanging over the day.  But there was also a brief colorful sunrise shooting bright pink and orange streaks across the sky.  There were some Christmas lights shining, and candles glowing in windows.  And I thought how the light always comes through.  People have always lit candles for the lost.  I saw where someone suggested turning on porch lights to show their sorrow and offer support.  We turn to the light in our darkest hours, and surely yesterday was one of our darkest hours.  God is in that light.  God is the light.  And all we can do is try to reflect it in an effort to light up the dark.  I found Him today in the light all around me from sunrise to candles, from porch lights to Christmas lights, and I pray for His help to reflect it.

Love

Where do you find God on a day like today?  Where do you find Him in the midst of such horror and senseless death?  I can't begin to imagine what the victims went through, or what their families are going through now.  I have no words, and anything I write seems so trivial.  But as I read through some of the accounts of the incident, and then through postings and comments that people were making, I realized that God was there.  He was there in every bowed head, in every prayer said, in every thought sent.  He was there in every tear shed.  He was there in the massive outpouring of love sent to the victims and their families.  I found Him today not in the horror, but in the heartfelt response to that horror which comes from the love we have for each other.  That's all I can say.

Run, Run, Rudolph

We had some family issues to deal with today, and they were causing a fair amount of stress.  We got everything sorted out, but I was left feeling pretty drained.  I wanted to de-stress so I decided to bake cookies and listen to Christmas music.  I had downloaded some new songs just last night but hadn't had a chance to listen to them.  I started up the new playlist, and the first song to play was "Run, Run, Rudolph" by Dwight Yoakam.  What a fun song!  It lifted my spirits immensely, and the lively beat even had me dancing around the kitchen while I was pulling out ingredients for the cookies.  I can't understand half the words, but I don't care - it made me happy.  It's amazing how music can affect our mood.  That upbeat Christmas song turned my frown upside-down, and today I found God in it's lively, mood-changing melody.

(This live version is the only one I could find to link to.  It's not as good as the original, but you'll get the idea if you care to listen to it.)

Run, Run, Rudolph by Dwight Yoakam

Contentment

It was raining this morning so I couldn't go for my walk.  I was planning to do Christmas baking today, but since I had a little extra time, I decided to sit with a cup of tea before I started.  The Christmas tree was lit up, the rain was pouring down, and I was lucky enough to be cozy inside with my hot tea.  You know those moments when you feel totally centered and content?  It almost feels like time stands still for a few minutes, and in that stillness, you're just completely aware.  Aware of your blessings, aware of God, and just totally "there" in the moment.  I was blessed to experience that today watching the rain fall outside the window behind our beautiful, glowing Christmas tree.  God found me there in that moment today.

Shortbread

I'm behind on my baking for Christmas this year.  I've been busier than normal and just haven't had time.  But today I really wanted to try a new shortbread recipe I found.  Shortbread type cookies are really difficult to do gluten and dairy free. My usual flour blend doesn't work well with them.  So after running around this morning, I whipped up the new recipe, baked them, and set them out to cool.  I wasn't holding out much hope for them because they didn't look quite right when I took them out of the oven.  But while I was waiting, I decided to wrap a few gifts.  A few turned into all of them.  Wrapping gifts is one of my least favorite Christmas chores (along with licking envelopes!), so while I was at it, I figured I might as well finish.  I sit on the floor to wrap, and when I got up my back and neck were aching.  I stretched, groaned, and headed into the kitchen where I found the shortbread that I had completely forgotten about.  I looked at it skeptically, broke off a piece, and put it in my mouth... yummy!!  Oh my, it was so good!  I won't say the texture is exactly like regular shortbread, but it's pretty darn close, and the flavor was perfect.  What a treat after all that wrapping!  I found God today in my new tasty gluten and dairy free shortbread recipe.  Yay!

Leaf Attack

I've written about how much I love to watch falling leaves, and I still do.  But today they were attacking me!  Monday mornings are always hectic for Jeff and I (along with most of the world!) because he has to leave for Maryland.  So we were each doing our various chores to start the day, caught up in our own worlds.  Then it was time for him to go.  I always walk out to the car with him unless the weather is really bad.  Today, there was a light rain and some wind, but nothing major.  We said our goodbyes, I gave him a hug, and turned to go inside when the wind blew a bunch of leaves down over me.  They were wet with rain so they were heavier than normal.  I had fought a few of them off and turned around when Jeff called out that one was still stuck in my hair.  Just as I pulled it out, another bunch flew down  - it was like they were after me!  I waved my arms around trying to fend them off, and we both started laughing.  It was a comical scene, and the shared laughter over such an oddball event connected us in a way our usual routine goodbyes hadn't.  It's so easy to fall into a rut no matter how much you love someone, and sometimes a little laughter is all it takes to shake things up.  I found God today in those clingy wet leaves that turned a routine goodbye into something more special.

Glorious Beauty

There are days when I have to search for God in my day... and then there are days like today.  The days when He smacks you in the face with something so obvious it can't be denied.  Jeff and I went out to the ocean, and it was very calm with big, long swells breaking close to shore.  We had been watching for just a minute when we spotted dolphins - lots of them.  At least three pods, and they were all so active!  We saw one leap completely out of the water, and several more frolicking just a few yards from the shoreline.  It was breathtaking!  While the dolphins were skirting the shoreline and putting on their show, a flock of brown pelicans came flying by, skimming along the surface of the water, just feet from the dolphins.  And last, but not least, there was a loon or cormorant, swimming and diving in the midst of it all.  The sun was shining brightly to the south, and dark, dramatic clouds filled the sky to the north, so the ocean sparkled on one end and shimmered on the other.  I exclaimed to Jeff, "We live in paradise!!"  I was totally filled with the glorious beauty of God's natural world, and yes, without a doubt, that is where I found Him today.

Faux Rainfall

Jeff and I saw a dense fog when we stepped out the front door for our walk this morning, and I thought I heard rain.  We stopped but didn't feel any raindrops so we headed on out.  It had obviously been raining earlier because there were large puddles in the road.  A little farther along we passed between two empty wooded lots and the sound of rain falling was very strong.  It was just leftover drops falling from the leaves but it sounded like it was raining from the sky.  This wasn't just a little pitter-patter here and there, this was a steady rainfall sound!  I've never experienced anything like it.  It was so odd to be walking outside and hearing rain but not feeling it - like there was an invisible umbrella over my head.  That coupled with the dense fog made for a super-cool walk this morning.  I found God in the faux rainfall on our walk today.

Self-Stick Envelopes

I decided to do my Christmas cards today, and I've streamlined the process pretty well over the years.  I keep my addresses updated and print them out on labels; I also print out our return labels.  I sign them all by hand, but I don't mind that part - it makes me feel more connected to whoever I'm sending to.  But the part I hate is sealing the envelopes!  I don't want to lick them - yuck!  I've tried using a sponge, and that works okay, but it can be messy.  So today I opened my new pack of Christmas cards, signed them, put the first label on, turned it over to seal it and... Woohoo!!  They were self-stick!  I had no idea when I bought them.  You would think more Christmas card manufacturers would have caught on to this newfangled trend by now, but this is the first time I've ever seen a self-adhesive Christmas card envelope.  It just totally made my day to be able to rip off that little strip of paper and stick those babies closed.  It really is the little things.  Today I found God in those amazingly convenient self-stick envelopes.

Jammie Time

I just couldn't get warm today, and it wasn't that cold outside.  It was only in the forties so I don't know why I couldn't warm up.  But I also was very tired, and not feeling so great, so I decided to do one of my all-time favorite things - get in my jammies!!  For me, jammie time comes fairly early anyway, but today it came at about 3:00.  Oh, it was heavenly.  I instantly felt better... and warmer, both inside and out.  My pajamas aren't really much warmer than the clothes I had on so I think it must be psychological - or magic. :)  Whatever the reason, jammie time is the best time of day.  Today, I found God in the comfort of an extra early jammie time.

Chattering Leaves

It was slightly cloudy on my walk this morning, but as I neared the tree with the bright orange leaves I wrote about a while ago, I noticed it was still fairly full and glowing.  The sidewalk across the street from it is literally filled with leaves several inches deep.  It took a second to dawn on me that most all of them had come from that tree.  As I was kicking through them (one of my favorite things to do!) I thought "You're still going strong, beautiful tree."  I had just cleared the leaf pile when I heard what sounded like rain behind me.  I turned and saw a torrent of leaves come fluttering down.  There must have been a gust of wind up high that set them off because I couldn't feel it from the ground.  But I had to laugh.  It was almost as if the tree had answered me with it's chattering tumble of leaves.  I know winter is almost here, but I'm still enjoying every minute of this lovely autumn - without a doubt my favorite time of year.  Today, I found God listening to the voice of a tree as it's leaves chattered down behind me.

Dollar Store Decor

My beautiful impatiens that I posted pictures of over the summer died a few weeks ago because of the cold.  Jeff pulled the dead plants out, but the empty planters were a little depressing.  So I decided to spruce them up for Christmas.  I didn't want to spend much money because whatever I used probably would get ruined in the outdoor weather, plus... I just didn't want to spend much money!  I checked Walmart and Kmart and couldn't find anything cheap enough, but while I was in Kmart, I heard someone mention The Dollar Store.  Why hadn't I thought of that!  I found just what I needed there, and it all cost me a total of $6.00.  I was very happy.  I was even more happy when I got home and set everything up in my planters.  It's not the amazing glory of my beautiful flowers, but it's a pretty little scene that makes me smile.  I found God today in brightening up my empty planters with inexpensive Dollar Store decor.

Calvin

When Jeff moved in thirteen years ago he brought two cats with him.  I'm allergic to cats (and dogs, and pretty much everything I touch!).  They make me itch.  But the problem didn't develop until a few years after I had lived with the cats, so we went about minimizing my contact with them as much as possible.  Rikki, who passed away a few years ago, was sweet, gentle, and well-behaved;  Calvin - let's just say Calvin was not.  But Calvin has mellowed in his old age, and as much as it seems that one of his life's goals is to do the opposite of what I want, the two of us have come to an understanding.  I take care of him while Jeff is in Maryland, and he actually listens to me now - most of the time.  He's always been quite the character with a mind of his own, and though age has slowed him down, he still has those qualities.  He's pretty frail now, and each visit to the vet we worry will be his last.  Today was one of those days.  Jeff had to take him in, and he had prepared himself for the worst.  But Calvin is like Timex - he takes a licking and keeps on ticking.  And fortunately, he got to come home again.  Some things will be easier when Calvin's gone - like me trying to avoid his cat hair.  But the house will definitely feel more empty without His Ornery Highness prowling around.  For now, though, he's home, happy, and sleeping in his favorite chair.  I found God today in my arch-nemesis Calvin beating the odds once again.

"Just For Today"

In Father Tom's sermon today, he talked about the times when it seems that everything is going wrong. I know about those times.  I think we all do.  The times when you just have to throw up your hands and laugh, because otherwise you may crumple to the floor and cry.  Although, there are times when crumpling and crying is just what you need to get it all out and move on.  The thing that really resonated with me in his sermon is the prayer he said he uses at these times - "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  Just for today."  Just for today - those three words change so much.  I love the Serenity Prayer; it's simple and to the point, but it's also broad in it's scope.  Saying "just for today" brings it down to a manageable size and makes it seem doable.  I used to worry a lot more about the future than I do now.  I think the experience of age teaches you that very few things in life are as catastrophic as they seem to be when you're young.  But I still have to work at it;  I still have to remind myself that God is with me no matter what happens in my life.  And one of the ways I will remind myself from now on is to add those three words to my prayers.  Today, I found God in the words Father Tom so wisely added to a wonderful prayer, "Just for today."

The Bonsai Tree

Marlayna learned how to grow and trim bonsai trees a few years ago, and every now and then she'll start a new one.  She babies them as if they were pets, and they seem to respond accordingly.  She certainly didn't get her green thumb from me.  Most likely, it was from my dad who always has a huge vegetable garden and lots of fruit trees.  Anyway, last week she brought home this little tree (cedar, cypress? I don't remember) that she was beginning to nurture.  It weathers well so she left it on our front steps, and when Jeff and I left for our walk this morning we saw that she had hung a little red christmas ball from it.  It was adorable!  Though it's truly not scraggly, it reminded of the Charlie Brown tree.  We got such a kick out of seeing that little guy decorated for Christmas; it was a great way to start the day.  Sometimes simple is best, and today I found God in a single shiny, red ball on a tiny green tree.