Contentment.

I couldn't be more content.

The bread is rising and the pumpkin pie is cooling on the counter.  I sit here and inhale the spiced pumpkin scent.  Mmmm ... deliciousness.

Taylor is here.  I offered him a hot bowl of potato soup as soon as he walked in the door.  Funny how happy I was that he accepted.  You know how on TV the moms are always trying to feed their adult children?  I think I get it now.  It's one small way that I can still care for him, now that he is on his own.  I hope that his hunger for food and family will always lead him back home.

We've settled in the living room to watch a movie.  Taylor is sprawled out on the floor and Celine is snuggled in between me and Scotty.  They are sipping hot chocolate and dipping biscotti.  Tomorrow we will eat too much and celebrate with family who is near and we will miss the family members who are too far away.  But for tonight it is just the four of us again.  And my heart is overflowing.  We are beyond blessed.

-Liv

Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with family and pumpkin pie and the things you love most. 

 

Five-Minute Friday: Fly

Because on some Fridays you can't even find five minutes and your sick on Saturday, so then it turns into last-minute Sunday.  I'm linking up with other writers at Lisa Jo's for a few minutes of writing without worrying about perfection.

 



The week flew by. The line of check marks running down my to-do list gave me a sense of control and left me feeling productive.  Why is it that busyness does that to us?  We feel better about ourselves when we are doing, doing, doing.

Saturday morning came with plans of finally pulling those weeds out of the flower bed.  I awoke to rain and a migraine headache.  I quickly texted my sister to ask her what I should do, because big sisters know about these things.  Her text came back.  Rest.

My idea of rest is curling up with a cup of coffee, a good book and my journal.  When did I last make time for that?  Instead, all I could do was draw the curtains closed and lie on the couch with my sunglasses on and a blanket over my head. 

I lay there frustrated as I thought about all the things I needed to get done.  I began to think about what I needed to do to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner.  And then I started going through the Christmas lists.  So much to do.  And all I could do is lay there.  And rest. 

 

 

Then the thought occurred to me about how quickly the most wonderful time of the year flies by.  What a shame it would be to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that I miss the wonder of it all.  Let's remind each other to not allow the holidays to become a headache.  Let's take moments to pause and rest in the reason for it all.  Emmanuel.  God with us.  Right here.  Right now.  In this moment.  Don't miss it.

Run away with me...

WE DID IT!  Thirteen point one miles!

Scotty and I had way too much fun this past weekend, doing "our thing"!

"Carbing it up" at Oregano's the night before. Yum!

We woke up way too early, but it was so beautiful watching the sun make it's way across the mountains.  It was a cool morning and we had to keep moving to stay warm while we waited for the race to start. 

I love running to such gorgeous views! 

The roads were a bit rough and I twisted my ankle at mile 7.  I was so frustrated to lose time while the first-aid crew iced and wrapped my ankle. Now I know how Scotty feels when we travel and have to stop for snacks while all the cars we've just passed drive by!  I was relieved to be able to finish the race and still beat my previous 1/2 marathon time! 

Scotty finished in 2 hours and 7 minutes. I'm so proud of him!

I came in at 2 hours and 13 minutes. 

 

Thanks for letting me share our adventure!  I'm sitting out for a bit while my ankle heals, but can't wait to be back out and running!    

 

 

I also have to say how proud I am of my sister, Monica.  She ran a total of 16.3 miles this past weekend in a Ragnar race in Las Vegas.  It sounds like fun!  Twelve people; two vans; two days; a combined total of 200 miles!  Sounds like something I'm going to have to look in to! 

 

That's her in Super Girl mode!

 

Like to run?  Click here to view my other posts on running!

Five-Minute Friday: Truth

Five-Minute Friday is when we link up with Lisa-Jo Baker and hundreds of others, to write on the same prompt for five minutes. No backspacing. No editing.  I followed neither of those rules today!  I am not a complete rule breaker, though!  I did follow the absolute-must-follow rule and left an encouragement for the writer who posted ahead of me! 



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They sit across from one another at a table in Starbucks sipping their Pumpkin Spice lattes. 

It's been a while and they talk about what they have been up to and how busy life is and how crazy- fast time flies.  They have daughters and marvel at what young ladies those girls are becoming.  They reflect on how they are mothering differently than their own mothers did. 

Life is good sitting across the table from a friend at Starbucks.

They smile.  They talk about Jesus.  They wear cute jeans, scarves and knee-high boots. 

Time is up much too quickly and they hug and agree to do it again soon.  They part ways, smiling about the lovely time they had.

And although this scene is played out in cafes everywhere -

that picture is not always the whole truth. 

In fact, it rarely is.  There's usually more.

We look at those two women and it looks like they have it all together.  The friendship and the smiles and the cute clothes.  But the truth is that we all have some sort of messy going on in our lives.  We all have difficult seasons and marriage is hard and parenting is even harder and people disappoint us.  And then there's loneliness and depression and sickness.  Things that people just don't talk about at Starbucks.  And we look at them and we look at ourselves and we realize, we are the Starbucks ladies.  And thank You, Jesus, for Pumpkin Spice lattes and friends and scarves, but in-between smiles and sips of coffee, let's not forget to share the messy too.  Because we need to give each other permission to not have it all figured out.

I wish I had asked that day.  I wish I would have known to reach across the table to take her hand and pray with her.  But I was too busy having it all together.

Five-Minute Friday: Grace

If Grace is an ocean, we're all sinking

What does grace look like in my life?

Amazing.

It looks like two great kids who are going to be okay in spite of my imperfections.

It looks like the wink and the squeeze Scotty gives my hand because I know he loves me and I love him.  Because not very long ago neither of us were very sure.

It sounds like the laughter between my siblings and myself after weathering a few storms together.

And it tastes like the delicious soup my mom brings to us because she is here and she loves and she smiles after sickness and heartache.

Grace looks a lot like the friendships across the miles after many years.  And sitting at Starbucks for hours or under trees at the park with friends who are nearby.  And it looks like the friendships made through words typed out on these little spaces we blog on.

It looks like this quote from Shauna Niequist:

"I know the church gathers in homes & hearts, anywhere at all, all week long, but I especially love how it gathers on Sunday mornings."

It is knowing that I am loved.  I am accepted.  I am forgiven and I bring delight to a God who gave everything just so that I can know Him.  And I did nothing to earn any of it.

Click on over here to read more on Grace and Five-Minute Friday

National Chocolate Day

 

My sweet friend, Deena has informed me that October 28th is National Chocolate Day!  I love that she knew I would want to know that!  To celebrate I've decided to make my favorite chocolate treat and share the recipe with you.  Not only is it super yummy, it is super easy and healthy!  My kind of recipe!

You need only 3 ingredients:
1 package of chocolate chips (I use dark chocolate)
Chopped pistachios
Dried cranberries
(As many as you want!)

 

Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between.

 

 

Spread the chocolate thinly onto a foil-lined cookie sheet.

 

 

Sprinkle the pistachios and cranberries on top (I prefer to do this rather than mixing it into the chocolate so you don't lose the color).  Place the cookie sheet in the freezer until the chocolate has hardened.

 

 

DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP:

Lick the bowl and spoon until spotless!  Hurry!  Before the kids figure out what's going on!

 

Break up the chocolate into pieces. Take one - or three or four pieces, several times daily, as needed.

 

 

Happy National Chocolate Day!  Spread the love! 

 

 

- Liv

Delight

This verse jumped out at me today at work as I was typing up Sunday's Power Point:

The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives!  -  Psalm 37:23

I thought about my kids and how they are a delight to me.  I am sure that nobody else wants to watch Celine's ballet videos over and over like I do.  I never tire of them.  Watching her dance makes me happy.  And when Taye walks into the house to borrow the vacuum cleaner, I can't wait to hug him and hear about what is going on in his life. 

And I love the way he calls me momma. 

And I bet nobody loves the freckles sprinkled across my girl's nose the way I do. 

I am especially fond of these two:

 

 

 



 

The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives!  -  Psalm 37:23

I love how my kids put into perspective how God feels about you and me.  Think about it.  Every detail.

Your smile.

When you call Him Father. 

When you pass your test.  Barely.  When you didn't go off on the rude cashier at Wal-mart.  When you make the final payment on the car.  When you are exasperated with work or toddlers or teenagers.  He sees the work you do as a caregiver.  The sacrifices you make as a mother. 

 ... Every little seemingly insignificant detail - He notices.  

He loves to hear you talk to Him about what's going on in your life because He is especially fond of you!

The Lord your God is with you; He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you; He will quiet you with His love.  He will rejoice over you with singing.  - Zephaniah 3:17

Saturdays...

 

 

I'm so grateful for days like today!  Scotty and I got up early to get ready for the Bisbee 1000.  Downtown Old Bisbee is my favorite spot, with it's artsy shops and quaint houses nestled into the mountains, not to mention the cozy places to eat!  The Bisbee 1000 draws people from all over the country the third Saturday of every October.  Today, over 1700 people completed the hilly course (5k plus 1000 stairs!).  I was pleased to have beat last year's time - yes!  I love sharing this experience with Scotty!


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After heading home and cleaning up, we met up with our son for lunch.  It's always great to see Taye.  It was nice to see our kids playfully ribbing at each other again.  It has been 3 months since he has moved out of the house - so weird! 

 

 

We stopped to pick up paint for Cel's room on the way home.  And after a much needed nap we finally tackled her bedroom walls.  It's looking great!  We'll do the second coat after church tomorrow and hopefully have her things moved back in so I can get started on my writing space (Taye's empty room)!   Yay for crossing something off of the 'to-do' list! 

Five Minute Friday: Laundry

There are so many things undone at the end of the day, like a mountain of laundry that never goes away.  A daughter waiting to be taken to the MVD to get her driver's permit.  Her bedroom walls are begging for a coat of paint to cover the primer.  The empty room left behind by a son who has moved out, waiting to become a sanctuary for writing.  A flower bed that has turned into a weed bed. There are the unfinished Pinterest projects and the box of Fall decorations, untouched.  Thoughts and ideas left unwritten and then forgotten, like a sock that's fallen behind the dresser.  There's the garden that never got started and a stack of books on the night stand, unread.  The Christmas shoebox that is to be filled with gifts for a needy child is empty and the bags of clothing for Goodwill sit in the corner.  The list of things undone leave a cluttered trail, like articles of clothing dropping from a bulging basket. 

Then, there's the small dent in the mountain - a stack of folded towels, soft and still warm from the dryer.  Their scent clean and fresh, like the scent of her hair when you hugged your sweet girl at the end of the day.  There are fresh apples in the fruit bowl from the Farmer's Market where you sat under a tree during your lunch break with a friend you don't get to spend enough time with.  An empty Starbucks cup reminds you of the dear friend who dropped by the office for a few minutes to  tell you how her recent trip went.  Sitting with the love of your life, talking about the day, as he rubs your sore shoulders.  You smile.  Yes, there is much undone.  But when taking inventory at day's end, isn't it great to know that you didn't miss out on the important over the urgent?

 

Happy Friday!  Click on over to Lisa-Jo's to find out how you can participate in Five Minute Friday!

I'm still here!

I've missed you!  I sure have been thinking about you a lot, even though it's been quiet on here. 

So this is what I've been up to:

Being a mom to this awesome girl.  It's been a busy school year so far with practices and club meetings and high school football games on cool Thursday evenings. 

Work.  Some of you don't know that I am a church secretary.  I couldn't ask for a better job!

Training for our upcoming 1/2 marathon.  I'm enjoying this too much to be considered normal!  Haha!  We're also preparing for the Bisbee 1000 this weekend.  Yay!  Also, a shout out to Justin and Amber from Sierra Vista Crossfit!  Love them!



I'm leaving out a lot of boring daily details, but there are many things left undone by the time I crawl into bed at night.  There are a lot of thoughts that are left unwritten and things I want to say to you that I haven't had the courage to pour out yet.  I've been thinking and praying much about which direction to go with this blog.  You all have been so supportive and have kept on reading, even though my writing has been sporadic.  You're the best!  I want for this space to always be a place where you can curl up with a warm cup of something and be encouraged! 

 

What kind of things have you been up to? 

When Pigs Fly...

You guys.  I think pigs really may fly!  I never thought this would happen!

Scotty signed us both up for a 1/2 marathon!!!!

This is his first one.  I ran my first in 2009.  It was an amazing experience and I always knew I would do it again, but I never dreamed that we would do one together!  And so soon!  In November.  Like, in five weeks.  Eek!  I trained for four months for the first one.  Dear Jesus, please help us to be ready!  I'm thinking we have a good start since we already run ... right?  

I will do my best to not bore you too much with marathon-y stuff, but if you knew how much of a miracle this is you wouldn't be too hard on me! 

Ok. That is all.  I'll let you get back to your Monday.

 

-Liv

Five Minute Friday: True

Five minutes.  Forgetting about perfect.  No back spacing.  No spell check.  Just writing. 



She wanted to believe it was true.  She wanted to know it in her heart, in a way that she could live it. She just could not seem to grasp that she was completely accepted and that she did not have to do one thing to earn God's approval.  It didn't make sense to her.  She faced failure everyday.  I didn't pray long enough.  I was selfish.  I lost my patience.  My home isn't clean enough.  I'm a bad Christian, friend, sister, daughter, mother, wife.  It played over and over in her head.  Her journal was full of I'm sorrys, please forgive me, and promises to do better.  It's the way she grew up.  Behave the right way, say the right thing and you will be loved.  It's hard to unlearn some things.  Her greatest fear was rejection so she worked hard to please and never to disappoint.  She didn't know even know what it was like to be real.  Then somebody told her that God was not disappointed in her because He never had illusions about her in the first place.  Light snuck through the cracks of her weary heart and she discovered that the truth really does make free.  Indeed.  Hope began to rise in her heart that she was loved more than she knew.  She began to learn that she had value, not because of how she behaved, but because of Who she belonged to.  Because simply behaving had nothing to do with love.  When those old thoughts tried to resurface, she saw them as they were - a lie.  She knew she was completely accepted.  And finally she began to live.

- Liv

Click here to read what other writers wrote on today's prompt.  While we're on the subject of truth - I might have gone over five minutes.  I'm just going to be ok with that.  Who's trying to be perfect anyway? *smile*

Five Minute Friday: SHE

I'm joining other writers for Five Minute Friday over at Lisa-Jo's.  Lisa Jo thinks that motherhood should come with a super hero cape.  I agree!  No matter what season of motherhood you find yourself in, this one's for you!  As your read, put your name in there.  Don't just believe it for someone else - believe it for you!   

Photo Credit: Rachel Duran

 

She's tired.

She wakes up early and goes to bed late - sometimes having to get up a few times in between.

The days run into each other.  It seems to be the same thing every day - is it even making a difference?

The laundry. The dishes.  The melt downs. 

And the guilt.

Late for another appointment.  Forgot to pay a bill.  Let them watch too much TV.  Cereal for dinner.  Again. 

Shoulda been more intentional.  Was I too hard on them?  Yelled again.  Need to get in shape.  Really should shaved my legs.  Need a date night   Who is that man in my bed, anyway?  Haven't talked to him in a while. 

She's tired.

She wakes up early so she can have a few minutes to pray for those precious kids before they go off to school.  And to prepare lunches and kiss those faces.

She keeps up with doctor appointments and teeth cleanings and parent/teacher conferences.  She takes the kids to tutoring and soccer and dance practices. 

Between throwing another load in the washing machine and scrounging for a clean sippy cup, she breaks up a fight, wipes a nose and kisses an owie. 

She helps a child with homework, signs a permission slip and reminds someone to hang up a wet towel and to brush those teeth.  Three stories, bedtime prayers and another drink of water later, she crawls into bed.  She attempts to read, but barely makes it through a paragraph before her heavy eyes start to close.  Sighing, she marks her page, turns off the light and kisses the handsome stranger next to her. 

She is strong.  She is beautiful.  She makes all the difference in the world.  My hero.  You.

What Running Has Taught Me About Life

The right shoes make all the difference!

 

Take in the scenery

Bad days are the exception, not the rule
Enjoying every minute is not the point
Music makes it better

Drink lots of water

I can do hard things
Pace yourself
When you don't feel like it - do it anyway
Breathe
Set a goal
I am strong
Your second wind is coming
Training pays off

Watching the sun rise never gets old
Cool breezes are a gift
Food is energy
Eating bad makes me feel bad
One foot in front of the other
I'm not a quitter
Keep going, even when it's hard

Rest

Right now it sucks, but it's going to get better
The pain reminds me that I have worked hard
When the pain subsides, I find I am stronger
Give yourself time to cool down
A little sweat never hurt anybody
It's an adventure
Just keep moving

Having a partner keeps me motivated

Head up, shoulders squared and tummy tucked
Attitude is everything
It's great to be outside
It's always a good time to pray
Just lean forward and push through the hills
You tend to try to hurry over the hills to get them over with...
Don't.  You'll only wear yourself out
...Unless you've been on that hill a hundred times before...
In that case - get over it and find a new course, for crying out loud!

 

Enjoy the easy parts...
but stay humble because another hill may be around the corner!
Keep your core strong - it'll give you a strong back bone
Finishing feels amazing!

 

Five Minute Friday: Mercy

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Yesterday wasn't perfect.  I wasn't perfect.  I didn't get everything done that I would have liked to.  I had too many cookies.  I may or may not have allowed a certain situation to make me angry.  A friend lost a loved one.  Another friend is going through an unthinkable trial.  There's flooding in Colorado.  There is a lot of uncertainty in our country - in the world.  It looks like a big mess.

But then.  I woke up this morning. 

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There was a beautiful fog outside my window. 
I looked over and there was Scotty.  And I love him.
A good morning hug from my girl.
A hot cup of strong coffee.
I woke up to a brand new day without any mistakes in it.  Yet.
I have a God who loves me and delights in me.  What an incredible thought!  Yesterday wasn't perfect.  Today won't be either. But every little thing is going to be ok.

"Your kindness and your mercies pursue me all the days of my life ..." - Psalm 23:6 

 

- Liv

Join other writer's here for Five Minute Friday

Our Thing

Saturday mornings are ours.  We get up way too early for a weekend, lace up our running shoes and go for a run before the sun gets high.  After a few miles and a good stretch, we go home to sit on the patio and sip on a cup or two of French-pressed coffee.  Sometimes we talk.  Sometimes we just sit - no need for words. I find myself being most thankful on these days, because it hasn't always been this way.  I can't believe we found our thing.  I can't believe running is our thing!   I tried to get Scotty to run with me for years and he wouldn't budge.  He had absolutely no desire nor inclination to run unless he was being chased...by zombies.  You can understand why I gave up hope that he would ever become my running partner! 

The real miracle here is that we found our thing after all these years.  More accurately, the things we thought were our things turned out to not really be our things.  We are not the same people we were when we got married.  Things have changed.  We have changed.  More on that in another post, but I will say that we weren't sure if we would make it long enough to ever find our thing.

We haven't just found our thing - we grew into it.  Without having survived some hard times, running together would be no big deal - it would just be running.  It hasn't been graceful, in fact, it has been quite messy.  But our story is full of grace.  We sort of clumsily muddled through, unsteady and unsure.  When we looked up, we found ourselves shaken up, but still together.  Surprised by grace.

Here's to many more miles. 

- Liv

I'd love to hear what your thing is!



Five Minute Friday: Red



She looked for us in the crowd.  She has done it every time since she was a little girl.  From church Christmas plays, to school recitals, to award ceremonies - she would look for us and wave.  Our eyes met, she smiled, and bounded over to where we were.  She was red-faced, breathless and giddy.  The long practices, blisters and sore toes, all worth it for one glorious night under the stage lights.  All of the dancers were beautiful, but our eyes were fixed on our girl - her captive audience.  Scott handed her a bunch of roses, just as he has done after every ballet performance for the past 10 years.

  

This past May she hung up her pointe shoes and picked up a set of blue and white poms.  Bittersweet.  The first football game of the season brought nervous excitement.  A summer of practices and sore muscles and anticipation for nights like this, beneath the stadium lights.  She looked for us in the crowd and smiled when our eyes met.  Don't ask me about the game - I wasn't watching it!  After, we met her on the field.  She was red-faced and breathless and giddy.

 

  

Baby, no matter where God takes you in this life, no matter what you are doing - big or small - look for us in the crowd.  I hope you find lots of moments that leave you red-faced, breathless and giddy.  Daddy and I will be there, clapping and cheering you on, with silly grins on our faces.