Nurturing Your Nest All the Way Through

Ahhh - the sweet life of Empty-Nester-hood!

Whether that is far (far...-wait for it... FAR) off, or you have already adapted to the whole quiet house/less chaos/more breathing room lifestyle, there is something mystical about Empty Nesters.

Something Unicorn-like and wistful, right?

I mean, what do they DO all day?

(Whatever they want.  The answer is they do almost whatever they want!)

I'm honored to be over at TheLaundryMoms.com talking about our mostly smooth transition into Empty Nester Life and how the secret is Nurturing Your Nest all the way through the parenting years! (If you build it, they will leave...)

Join me over there...
(Click HERE.)



P.S. Don't forget to enter to win our TEN YEAR BLOGIVERSARY GIVEAWAY!

Celebrating TEN YEARS of Blogging with a Giveaway

Ten Years, y'all! How crazy is that?

When I first starting tapping out words here at Abiding Love, Abounding Grace - I did it out of sheer obedience. The Lord asked me to give Him a year of Tuesdays and, well-- I know a good thing when I see it and so we just kept on going! 

I started writing just once a week but typed hot and cold for quite awhile.  I didn't really think many people were reading along and it was simply where I logged my thoughts and encounters with the Lord.  I was never really blogging to be a 'Big Blogger', or get a book deal, or build a platform. Way back when I started, I don't think anyone was blogging for those reasons! Still, even today, I pretty much do it all wrong and pay no attention to numbers or hits or followers, etc. That was never my goal. (Insert "Not that there's anything wrong with that.")

It was back in the Fall of 2012 when I felt the Lord ask me to be consistent with this whole thing and to treat it like it counted - because, according to Him, it does.  

This little corner of the interwebs is, to Him --for Him, a ministry of sorts.  We partner together and tap out words and stories and offer friendship and prayers and He gathers a community and we love and encourage each other and it counts!

Alive - A Five Minute Friday Post

So last week I mentioned that I was extremely overbooked. I also mentioned how I realized that I needed to not do this to myself again... this over-scheduling and doing too much. So this week I have stepped away from the blog a bit... and all other forms of Social Media... and I have read books and watched Netflix and painted and napped and oh my goodness! It has taken me until Thursday night to start to feel like myself again! Some seasons are just like that right? You just have to push through and keep up and get 'er done... but I know for me --I can't live my life like that! It's not how I am wired. I am wired for slow... for quiet... for poetry and jazz music and summertime on the patio in a breezy sundress and sipping on something yummy... and while we are not quite yet THERE --I have found freedom this week in not letting anything or anyone Boss me around! This can't be my life either - not every day, but it was my life this week - and my soul is oh so thankful for it!

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: ALIVE

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Alive... because, of course! 

It's Easter season and as much as we know that the hard, lonely, brutality of Friday had to happen... we like to look beyond the Cross and for the joy set before Him/us... we remember that, truly, we are Alive!

Today is Good Friday and so often we get stuck on the heaviness and brokenness of what this day represents... it was violent, horrible, evil... It was the devils' shining moment: when darkness overtook the sun and light refused to filter on through... When he thought, "Finally... I won!"

What He calls Good...

Good... The freewrite word prompt was "Good" and doesn't it just figure! Because here we are again, just days away from Good Friday and oh my how this holy week can cause shifts and longings deep within us!   

As this Holy Week is unfolding and life around us feels chaotic and out of control --from Presidential campaigns to the Brussels attacks to whatever is going on in your own world personally-- ...as pain and agony and desperate prayers rise up, this week - this year --this life... it can feel anything but Good!

Darkness can trick you into thinking that Light doesn't shine there... but oh, the Light - it shifts and bleeds, and filters down to everywhere!

When the enemy comes in, it really shouldn't be a Surprise... A Five Minute Friday

Y'all! This last week has been busy... not just 'full' - but busy! Man... mostly good things but still! If you recall, last week the Lord told me that I am a resting place... that I am a carrier of His Presence and a releaser of His Kingdom... but I glanced at my calendar and could only muster up a deep, exasperated sigh! Next week... next week I will rest!  

I missed out on the party last night but it was so worth it... because we got to do some pre-marital counseling with a young couple and ministering side by side, sowing into marriages and families - yeah... that is our jam!

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: SURPRISE

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I mentioned above that this week, y'all... I mean - come on? I did it to myself but I need a nap... or a chick flick... or -well, really - I need some down time with the Lord -just me and Him! That is what I really need!

Then again... that is how I am wired - to need quiet... to be quiet! And I know this about myself, but oh how I forget! I let myself get busy and over scheduled and I know that I can do it... but I'm not always clear halfway through if I am called to do it, ya know?

Here's the deal... this past week has been hard.  Heavy in ways I anticipated and in ways that I did not.  Add that heaviness to a bossy calendar and your normal run of the mill spiritual warfare and, well... like I said... A nap, man!

But this is what I know:

The enemy may be 'crafty', but he is not creative!  When he comes in with an attack, we really shouldn't be surprised, right? I mean - by now, we should see him coming... and yet...

To Share is Simply To Show Up... - A Five Minute Friday Post

I made it to the party again last night and oh my goodness if we didn't have some visitors and old timey partiers pop in and say hey! (By old timey I do not mean old... I mean... writers who used to join in on a regular basis back in the olden days of 2011 and 2012!)  This tribe... it grows and shifts and changes but it offers the same thing to all who gather: encouragement, support, love, sister- (and brother-) hood... recipes, prayers, laughter, grieve, ... this tribe is all in and goes all out as they tap on keys and type out on offering, all in five(ish) minutes flat!

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: SHARE

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I have been teetering on a very thin line lately, because growing a family (church) is hard work sometimes. Well not necessarily hard work - it's good work... but it can take a lot of pouring out in ways that are often draining and unseen --especially if you are not operating out of your true identity. Then, it is just exhausting.

I found over the past few weeks that I was trying to DO more than I was letting myself BE and here is what the Lord reminded me of a few days ago:

I am called to be a Be-er more than a Do-er.

Not that I don't DO... not that we all aren't called to both the Doing and the Being. 

We are.  (I believe even the Mary's DO and BE...)

But I think sometimes habit takes over and we are unaware and before we know it (or maybe it's just me) our habits or routines or going through the motions of how things get done can choke the life out of us in ways that make it hard to be who we are and still feel like who we are is enough.

He's Going to make us Marvel in March.

Here we are, a full week into March, and I decided to share a little secret with y'all.

Just a little something that I can't quite shake each day as I am praying. I shared a little glimpse of this on facebook last week and, oh my goodness, if God hasn't been whispering this soft and low to many others too!

Here's the thing: As I pray, I just keep hearing the Lord say:

"Look for things that make you Marvel in March!"

I know, right?

Marvel... It sounds so dreamy!
Who doesn't want to do a little of that right about now?

When Everything Feels Hard and All the News Seems Heavy... A Five Minute Friday post

I made it!  I finally made it for most of a Thursday night Five Minute Friday Twitter party (aka #fmfparty).  It's been awhile and it's truly one of my favorite gatherings online! In a world seemingly spinning out of control, we chat about some of that stuff but we also hit on bloggy things (Hint - check out Fistpump Media... Dan King will hook you up!) books, movies, chocolate and other food groups, coffee shops, sports, kids, marriage, prayer requests, vacations, ...you name it, we will touch on it - all while waiting to get the One Word Prompt!  It was so good to be back!

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: NEWS

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News... that is our prompt and at the risk of seeming head-in-the-sand-ish... I literally can't even.

I know it's an election year and I'm a grown up and I need to care.  I know that it matters... I mean, it matters a LOT! I know I need to jump on board somewhere, and vote for someone... and yet - it's still only March and honestly, I just don't have the bandwidth for it all quite yet!

So instead of the news... or the drama... or 'entertainment' of debates and campaigns... instead of the hard realities of growing and loving and nurturing, you know, humans... 

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program with this:

PUPPY NEWS!

Our girlie was never one to wish for a dog growing up. We are cat people. (I know.  But we are.)

But a couple of years ago, she fell in love with Corgi's.  I mean - right? They are adorable!

When You Embrace a Little Mystery, You Learn to Lean In to a Curious Faith - a book review.

So y'all know how I love me some books. (#ermagherdberks!)  And if you have been around my little corner of the Interwebs at all, then you know that I have some seriously amazing friends who just so happen to write books.

It's always a bonus when the two converge and I love both the book and the author.

Curious Faith by Logan Wolfram falls into that category from cover to cover!

I 'met' Logan online before I met her in real life at Allume.  She is one of the most genuine, authentic people I've ever met and she makes you want to live that kind of life!

Reading Curious Faith is like enjoying a slow meal with a close friend, with only a table between you.

Logan writes the way she talks, with all of that Southern charm and laugh out loud honesty. But don't be fooled... she can make you cry with the best of them, too!  

Her candid style of telling it like it is when it comes to living out a faith that has learned to embrace a bit of the unknown, that is bold enough to doubt, and brave enough to hold on when all you want to do is let go and give up --well, reading her journey just may enable you to live out yours with a little less fear, and a bit more freedom!

When Morning Comes Slowly...

I managed to stop in for a bit of the party last night over on Twitter (#fmfparty) but as we discussed there, it had already been the LONGEST week ever and when I am feeling all the feels and that over-tired, well - I am easily distracted and I left to eat dinner and pretty much forgot to come back!  Still... the community that gathers around this free writing one word prompt is real, y'all and they are my tribe... so even when I forget to sit back in front of this screen, I know they know I'm there in spirit --even if my flesh is a bit too exhausted to climb the stairs!

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: MORNING

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It's not that I don't remember...

I remember those mornings that were full of rush and hurry... all the racing around and cranky "Wake UP!" yelling conversations... the piling into the car and hitting every stop light just wrong and then the joy of tackling the drop off parking lots.

I even remember the mornings before I changed my 'job' and I would have a latte to grab before walking in to a time clock to punch and a desk to unclutter before starting my day.

I would be lying if I told you that I missed it. Any of it...

Well... almost any of it! 

I do miss those morning drop-off prayers and hearing all the thoughts and worries and hopes from that backseat...

I miss the laughter and camaraderie of co-workers... co-laborers... co-anyone.  

But only once in awhile do I miss that!

How to Stay Calm in the midst of Chaos and a Crowd...

First off, I miss y'all.

For real.

I am following God's leading to step away a bit  (--just a bit, He promised!)  from screen time to sow in to this local family that He is growing through our new church and it is amazing... and good... and I love them - but I miss you!

You know that you are maybe a little overbooked and way too rushed when the fifth person of the day stops you just to point out that you are busy lately! And by that fifth time, your response of "Life is Full... I'm full, not busy!" seems empty and slightly untrue.  

Maybe a bit of Busy snuck in to my Full and I was unaware. I didn't notice this until, you know, I hit the wall head on and am forced to just take a seat for a hot minute! 

We NEED Winter to prep us for Spring... and we need Rest to prepare us for Work --even (or especially!) for Kingdom Work!

So how do we cultivate Kingdom and graft in Rest?
How do we bloom in all seasons?

How do we make sure, even in our Winter seasons, that we remain well-watered and nourished? 

How do we push aside Scattered to make room for Sabbath... How do we stay calm in the midst of chaos and a crowd?

We let Death die and resurrect Life wherever we go!

When A New Thought Won't Leave You...

I close my eyes and hear the rhythm of traffic down below and the sun calling out to me, beckoning me to come outside and let its' rays soak in deep... thawing those chilled and frozen spaces the winter tends to harden.

Still instead of running, I hunker down and I can feel the Father's arms wrap around me and He gently lays my head to rest on His chest. I can hear the thumping of His heart and how it beats for me.

I lean in closer and wrap my arms around His waist and His heart races faster and I am reminded that I am His and He is Mine and we were created to be one.

There is no Limit to His Love... a Five Minute Friday post

A couple of days ago it was Ash Wednesday...

Can I be honest with you and tell you that I really don't know for sure what this means. I am a newcomer to Lent (and Advent and the liturgical things.) but not a newcomer to Christ.

I tried on religion as a young Christian and thankfully shook free from that bondage years ago.  Now I am clothed in His righteousness (not my own) --I am clothed in relationship and while Lent has become popular and trendy, I don't do it as a ritualistic practice. 

However, I know full well how it can quickly turn into that so I was praying earlier this week about what to give up.  I read THIS POST by Eugene Cho and THIS ONE by Osheta Moore and their words confirmed what the Lord had already whispered to my heart...

God oh so clearly spoke softly to me that it wasn't so much what He wanted me to give up this year, but it was more what He wanted me to add back in! 

--Like those blessed 5 minutes of silence at the beginning of each day... walks outside... lectio davina... simple easy (slower!) things that can so subtly get pushed aside.  

Things that give way to all our Doing, but steal so much from any of our Being!

So instead of joining in on the Twitter party last night for #fmfparty... I stopped all my doing, and I allowed myself to simply BE.  And then, this prompt... 

What IF... a Post If:Gathering post.

After all that adulting, I am introverting a bit today because, well, ...If:Gathering was last weekend!

But it was SO GOOD, y'all!

This is the third year of If:Gathering and this is the third year that I have participated.

The first year, I threw together a quick small gathering in my home with some of my people.  Ladies who came to my home for book studies or prayer meetings or just to hang out or go for a walk... there were maybe 10 of us and we loved it!  I loved sharing some of my favorite people/writers/bloggers/world changers with some of my inrl friends who had no idea who these women were!

The second year, --well, to host they really wanted you to be plugged in to a local church, which I love - but I was not so much plugged in to one.  It was not for lack of trying or wanting, but we just couldn't squeeze ourself in and so I watched it from home on my own in my pjs, Voxing with a handful of bloggy friends through out the conference.  That Voxer thread is STILL active, now over a year later, and we talk every week and pray together and love each other and it was a real thing.  We weren't sure in the beginning because, in real life is so vital and important... but the more we connected and opened up and prayed for each other and checked in, the more we realized our "If-Voxer" was an actual thing!

I had been looking forward to 'watching' with my Voxer girlies again this year when the Lord tapped me on the shoulder and whispered, "But we STARTED a local church, remember?" Oh Yeah... that, we did!

So, it turns out, He had plans for me to host an If:Local this year and we joined up with another local church and we filled a house (or two) and oh my goodness, did we meet with God together!

What I Learned in January... A Link Up with Emily P. Freeman

I am like a broken record (does anyone even know what that is anymore?) when it comes to this monthly Link Up over at Emily Freeman's place! Y'all know how much I love it! It is fun and quirky and filled with tips and tricks and great lessons learned... and again,if you don't play along yet, I think you should!

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12 Random Things That I Have Learned...

Five Minutes of Quiet... (Ya see what I did there?) - A Five Minute Friday post

I missed out on the party last night yet again.  It feels like it has been too long. I even had it on my calendar on my phone and had blocked out a chunk of time to visit, even if not to write. But then, you know... life, man!  I meant to scarf down a bite 'real quick' and sit right back in this chair to visit and write, but I got distracted!

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: QUIET

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"Quiet..."

...and everyone says, "Yes, please!"

Am I right? Or is that just me my Introverted self?

Seriously... you would think I would be nailing this, right?

I mean - I 'work' from home, I'm an empty nester, I screen my calls... you know the introvert ways!

I thrive in Quiet.  

I have written a LOT about the practice of just Five Minutes of Quiet... of purposely, intentionally setting aside a few minutes a day to relax, breath deep, to slow the crazy and the chaos, and simply find your center yet again!

I write about it... it's just sometimes I forget to actually DO it!

What Does an Evening with Bob Goff Look Like?

An evening with Bob Goff looks EXACTLY like how you'd hope and expect it would look like!

Joy...

It Looks A Lot Like Joy!

If you are not new around here, then you already know that I love Bob Goff!  I read through Love Does a couple of years ago and it seemed to break off layers of lies that I didn't even realize I had been believing... Lies that caused me to live safe and quiet... small and relatively risk-free.

Yeah... Bob changed all of that.  

Well, you know --Bob and Jesus! 

They make a pretty good team!

How To Take Back Time: Be Present! - A Five Minute Friday post

I missed out on the party last night because we had a dinner date with our friends... the very ones who we met about a year ago and nearly 10months ago had this crazy thought that we should start a church together... yeah - so, no church stuff or agenda or plans to discuss - just a casual (delicious!) dinner with friends - Hawaiian style... so how could I say no?

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: PRESENT

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Ah yes... Present - as in: to stay that way! 

That is so key!

Last week I wrote about Time and how it was bossing me around and while I love me a bossy to-do list, I am not so much a fan of feeling busy or hectic.

Monday I decided to take back Time and be the boss of it myself (along with God!)

I decided that together, God and I would tackle whatever He had planned for me in each day.

I had forgotten that I could trust Him to include little breaks and moments of glorious down time... even a surprise coffee date or a score of chocolate. 

 I forgot somehow that He has plans for my day that can and should trump my own, and that when I hand Him my days... He makes something beautiful out of each and every one of them!

I wrote a post on Monday, about counting gifts and taking note of small wonders.  

For we know this... how being thankful shifts our heart and focus and how we will find what we seek. Ann with no 'e' taught us well to count one thousand gifts and then just start right over again.

It's just that sometimes we forget, right?

So Monday - as I was enjoying some quiet time before my chaotic week began to unfold, I prayed and asked the Lord what He had in store for me this week...

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!

Time... a Five Minute Friday post

Oh how I love this tribe of writers who gather together, who uplift and encourage, who pray and celebrate, and then take just one little word and write for five minutes flat all brave and unfiltered... and hit publish for the world to read!

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: TIME

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Time... I hate that I feel so old every time I say that it seems to be going so much faster nowadays. (Side note: Maybe it's the use of 'nowadays' that makes me feel older?) 

I also hate that it is January 15th and I already feel behind on All. The. Things!

Already, I have pushed aside my desire and hope to workout three times per week... only managing to actually break a cardio sweat once or twice a week since the holidays (and honestly - not at all in between Thanksgiving and Christmas!) 

School has started up and I am behind on my reading. 

Bible study started this week and I am not caught up on my homework.

We have several events coming up in the next few weeks that require time and attention.

Let's not even discuss the laundry issue (and by 'issue' I mean my seeming inability to actually Fold AND Put Away!)

Time... last year I had the revelation to spend it like cash. 

I decided to INVEST it on purpose... you know, wisely... instead of wasting it here and there and splurging all over the place (read:facebook!)   

Yeah... I was nailing it for the first few months in 2015. 
Honestly - I was!