Sometimes Simplicity Takes Your Breath Away... a Small Wonders post.

Well Hello there, my friends!

Remember me?

It feels like I haven't been around as much (which is on purpose, btw) but don't think for a moment that I haven't missed you and that I am not still thinking about you and praying for y'all! 

Last week I wrote about how God is doing a New Thing... and I wrote about Time (or feeling a lack of it)... and all week, I felt like I was being bossed around!

By the end of that last post, I reminded myself of some truth... I reminded myself of how I get to fill my days... I get to decide what I will do... but I give my days all over to Him first and I give Him the right to order them!

I give Him to right to prioritize my days!  

Here's the deal: that only feels scary when our priorities are all mixed up!

And this is why: Because when we are rushing around, crossing things off our bossy lists and doing things for the sake of getting them done, we forget that we are precious in His sight and that WE are a priority to Him!

So remembering those things helped me to take back control of my hours... it freed me up to breathe a little deeper, slower; to lean back, relax, and listen.

Is it just me who gets so busy with all the things and all the goals and all the projects that are good... that are God, even... but I forget to listen? I forget that when He tells me what to do and when to do it... I am able to complete the task without feeling undone or rung out!

So I started on Friday... breathing... counting gifts... looking again for small wonders... all while still embracing change. 

Here another thing I forgot... Change is slow going... we can't rush it.  It unfolds and unfurls as it will and we can run around in circles with it, or we can trust.

Doesn't it always just go right back to Trust?

We choose to trust Him with our days... with our dreams... with our hearts and very lives... we choose to trust... to lean in and wait... and change shifts and pulls and stretches. Change wraps around us and makes us taller... it bends us low and spreads us thin, yes - but it also builds us up and pushes forward.  But when we are trusting in the midst of all of that growth... it feels less hurried and frantic, and it feels more thorough and like a deeper, longer lasting work.

So, this week is just as full... just as bossy as last week, and yet God and I, --we have decided that WE are in charge and as long as we are in tune, we're gonna nail whatever is on our plate... because we are going to nail it together!

This morning during prayer, I heard Him say: There will be opportunities to minister every day this week. I immediately thought through my day planner and thought, "Yep! That is correct."  

But He said "No, in addition to your calendar... take the opportunities as they come."

And can I tell you something? Not everything is crossed off my list for today and it's almost 4:30pm already... but the things that were on His heart for me to do... those are done (so far!) and life is good.  

Normally, I introvert on Mondays because - pastoring and Sundays, y'all!  But I followed His lead and I'm expectant for the whole week ahead and how He is going to interrupt and reorganize my days so that I can do what He wants me to do.  

One thing that has been helping over the past few days is simply counting gifts and looking for small wonders... So, we are just going to approach the rest of this post old school, counting #1000gifts and small wonders found over the past two weeks!

Here we go:

Preparing for a message...

MercyHouse & Fair Trade Friday sales...

Zambian Worship at Dad's House church...

Cheering on our team...

(I know... we're not talking it about right now!)

Finally signed up for ePantry...

I love my Crockpot on these long, cold Winter days...

Unwinding with my Honey...

The beginning of our Leadership Development course...

Waking up slowly... thinking on these things...

Blue Skies and Sunshine (and snow... still snow!)

Digging in to the Word and my Book Study...

Running errands on a gorgeous day...

If:Gathering Shopping from Hobby Lobby...

The (Starbucks) Breakfast of Champions...

(plus meeting a friend for coffee!)

I can't get over this necklace by ViBella from Fair Trade Friday matched with my Team Mercy jersey from MercyHouse...

More snow... even though I am so over it!

It helped to have a meeting and yummy coffee and snacks!

Just go to Applebees - and order this:

Maple Bacon Chicken Piadini...

(#yourewelcome)

Worship with an East Indian flair at Dad's House...

 

The reason our tree is still up in the Family Room...

(It's coming down tonight... don't tell Jonah Boy!)

Have I mentioned my love for my Crockpot?

Balsamic Vinegar Roast Beef - it's what's for dinner!

   

These are so many little things... so many moments that could just slip by - but these are the moments that capture my heart, that feed my soul (and my belly) and that refresh and revive me!

On Saturday while just running errands and grabbing lunch, we were walking through a parking lot and I slipped my hand into his.  Simple. After so many years together, it's second nature and it happens every single day and yet, the simplicity of it took my breath away. This is the best part of every one of my Saturdays: simply slipping my hand into his. 

Small wonders are every where... they can be big and special, or small and nearly ignored for their normalcy.

And yet... we slow time and weigh the moments heavy with purpose when we fully arrive in each one of them and take notice of this blessed life that we've been gifted!

P.S.  I'm linking up with these lovely writers:

The Community over at #SmallWonders

Laura Boggess over at #ChasingTheBlueFlower

Holly Barrett for #TestimonyTuesday

Kelly Balarie for #RaRaLinkUp

Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory

It's your turn! What are some Small Wonders in your life that, if you're not careful, may just go unnoticed? I'd love to hear in the comments!