Uncategorized – Page 50 – everything He gives

Worry is Replaced by Worship

September 14, 2014September 14, 2014 MarthaKimballLeave a comment

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?

“Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are? And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?

“Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, won’t he clothe you even more, you people of little faith?

“So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.”

{Matthew 6:25-34 NET}

Worry robs us of joy.

Worry reveals that to our deepest core we believe God is not good, He will not come through.

“He is able, and He is present, and He is good. Worry is replaced by worship. And it may be that you have to sing all day long. It may be that you have to worship all night long. But you have the power in your mouth to proclaim what you see and hear of the One who killed your giant. And as you worship Him, worry doesn’t have room to take up a foothold in your heart and in your life.” {Louie Giglio}

Weekends are for…

September 13, 2014 MarthaKimballLeave a comment

Stealing away with family to a nearby lake.
Potluck picnic in the rain.
Nieces holding hands with uncles.
First swims in a cold lake.
Boat rides.
Rest and conversation.
Swimming with grandpa.
First bee stings on tiny fingers.
Laughter.

Happy Weekending!

Loving where you live

August 24, 2014August 25, 2014 MarthaKimballLeave a comment

Last Sunday afternoon we were aching for some time in the quiet of wilderness and some time at a lake. In Brevard, our backyard is Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Park, some of the most gorgeous areas in Western NC. We hiked (walked, really) out to Lake Julia in DuPont for the afternoon, bringing a picnic dinner. It was so lovely, quiet, peaceful. Our recent weeks have been busy and harried with moving preparations, and it is so good for us as a family to reconnect in the outdoors, the avenue through which Brandon and I fell in love in the first place. We hope to pass onto our kids our love for God’s creation. No matter where you live, it’s important to find fun ways to get out and explore it and enjoy it! And here, in these beautiful North Caroline mountains, there are certainly no shortages of beautiful and accessible getaways. Here are a few snaps I took from our time together, marveling over the simple but profound gifts God has given us. This wild beauty. These precious children. Their unique ways and personalities. The bond between them. Able bodies. The uncertain road before us. Journeying through it all together. The Gospel that makes sense of everything and gives us rest every day, a foretaste of glory now. Unspeakable joy, unfathomable grace.

“Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.”
{Psalm 23:6 MSG}

Living in the Midst of Boxes

August 20, 2014August 20, 2014 MarthaKimball1 Comment

Just an ordinary, quiet dinner this tuesday night. Daddy was late getting home, kids were tired (and so was momma!). Walls are barren, floors stacked with boxes. It’s hard to want to do the normal things, like light the candle for dinner, cut the fresh blooms from the zinnias the kids gave me for my 30th. But in the midst of the transition and the mix of emotions, it helps to keep some things normal. The silly things that seem a waste of time and energy: they are the things that sort of keep me sane right now.

A little beauty and a little normalcy go a long way when nothing feels normal! So here’s to holding onto home, when home is being redefined.

Longing for Home

July 29, 2014July 29, 2014 MarthaKimball2 Comments

I packed the first closet today. An ugly stack of boxes is now in plain sight against one of our walls, a constant reminder to me of the chore and the change ahead of us.

Our landlord told us a few days ago that we would need to be moving out by the end of September so her parents, relocating from Switzerland, can move in. We have called this place home for 4 years now, the longest we have ever stayed in one spot. Our time in this house has certainly had its ups and downs (read: major mold infestation last summer, massive rattlesnakes + copperheads), but these four walls have held the sweetest memories of our lives.

Both of my babies have come home from the hospital in the dead frigid cold of December to these walls. To this wood stove crackling every day with heat. It’s hard for me to imagine bringing home baby number 3 to any other place, especially a totally as-of-yet-unknown place.

Maybe it’s just pregnancy and all the accompanying hormones (yay for those!), maybe it’s just because I have a hard time letting anything go. But it’s painful to pull out boxes, to take pictures and paintings quietly off walls and wrap them, tuck them away. Pulling down memories, tucking them away.

Maybe it’s because my nesting urges are just starting to kick in, and we’re having to fly the nest. Maybe it’s because a sense of place is so important to me, a sense of home, and I don’t have the energy right now to start over. Or, let’s be honest, I just don’t want to.

Whatever “it” is, I almost can’t talk about it because I’m just really sad. And I’m okay with that. It’s wouldn’t be human for me not to be sad.

In the midst of that, God gave me words immediately to meditate on and keep always before me in these coming weeks.

He is so faithful. I am confident He is going before us and opening the way before us, and that He will provide a peaceful, secure home for us. It may not have the crazy good view this home has, or the seclusion and privacy. It may not have the space to garden, or that third bedroom for baby girl. It may not have all the glorious sunlight we get all day long in this home. It can’t possibly have neighbors as great as the ones next door to us here who have been our adopted grandparents.

But it will be the place of His choosing. And He is our home, our lives are hidden away in Him, found in Him, unshakeably secure in Him.

And while others around the world are holding loved ones dying from Ebola, dying in the bombings in Hamas, dying from an unexpected allergic reaction to yellow jackets, I have all my loved ones here.

I’m reminded that our “suffering” is so very mild. We have so much to be thankful for, even in this. We have each other. We are healthy and able-bodied and we get to do the adventure of life together. We have Jesus, and He is enough.

We have His promises:

He will never leave us, nor forsake us {Heb. 13:5}.
He will go before us and guide us, and be our rear guard {Deut. 31:8}.
He will keep His hand upon us {Psa. 139:5}.
He will provide for all our needs {Phil. 4:19}.
Even the sparrow finds a home at His altar {Psa. 84:3}, and if He cares for the sparrows, how much more does He care for us {Matt. 6:26}?
And every sense of longing for home always reveals to us our deeper long for Home with Him, in that far country, in that city whose builder and maker is God {Heb.11:10, 16}.

In all things, I have a reason to sing.

Counting His graces

July 22, 2014 MarthaKimball1 Comment

“The initial step for a soul to come to knowledge of God is contemplation of nature.”
{Irenaeus}

“Some people, in order to discover God, read books. But there is a great book: the very appearance of created things. Look above you! Look below you! Read it. God, whom you want to discover, never wrote that book with ink. Instead He set before your eyes the things that He had made. Can you ask for a louder voice than that?”
{St. Augustine}

“Christ wears ‘two shoes’ in the world: Scripture and nature. Both are necessary to understand the Lord, and at no stage can creation be seen as a separation of things from God.”
{John Scottus Eriugena}

“Nature is schoolmistress, the soul the pupil; and whatever one has taught or the other has learned has come from God–the Teacher of the teacher.”
{Tertullian}

“The whole earth is a living icon of the face of God.”
{St. John of Damascus}

“I see You in the field of stars
I see You in the yield of the land
In every breath and sound, a blade of grass, a simple flower,
An echo of Your holy Name.”
{Abraham Ibn Ezra}

“See that I am God. See that I am in everything. See that I do everything.
See that I have never stopped ordering my works, nor ever shall, eternally.
See that I lead everything on to the conclusion I ordained for it before time began,
by the same power, wisdom and love with which I made it.
How can anything be amiss?”
{Julian of Norwich}

“I want creation to penetrate you with so much admiration that wherever you go, the least plant may bring you the clear remembrance of the Creator.”
{Basil the Great}

“Everywhere windows and gates, and I did not know it. No.
I have known it and I have forgotten it and I remember it again.”
{Ann Voskamp}

Sometimes a hard week calls for the rest of soul that comes from escaping into the wild for a bit. Going where only the sound of wind, and birds, buzzing bees, and hushed voices live.

Leaving behind the busy world and going where your soul can grow a size or two,
expanding and remembering that we live to collect moments, not things.

And in these moments, ordinary, simple, we find we are counting His gifts.

“Counting His graces makes all moments into one holy kiss of communion
and communion comes in the common.
He will break bread and I will take and the world is His feast!”
{Ann Voskamp}

Going where the voice of man is quieted, absent almost. And the voice of God is amplified.
Looking into what He has made and seeing how His invisible qualities are written over each one {Rom.1:20}, how the expanse of sky is declaring His glory {Ps. 19:1}.

This is what brings rest to our souls on the Sabbath: the coupling of the Word of God spoken over us, the quiet expanse of the Creation singing over us.

surrendering to the seasons

July 18, 2014July 18, 2014 MarthaKimball1 Comment

This week finds us laid low at home with a nasty head cold. The kids and I have been fighting low fevers, runny noses and sore throats all week, not to mention the fatigue and bad attitudes that easily accompany such symptoms. We’ve pretty much stayed home all week, surrendering to the rhythm of what God has given this week, and all the copious opportunities for sanctification that have resulted. This rainy, dreary Friday finds my soul rainy and downcast as well. The hard work of parenting has truly bowled me over a bit this week. Bombs and airplanes have exploded in the skies in the world this week, and in our little home, words and tempers have flared hot as well.

Rain drips in steady streams from the awning outside the window. I can’t help but feel God’s heart weeping too. Weeping over angry words, thoughtless hands, grumbling hearts. Weeping over the sin in us. The sin in the four walls of this house, the sin in the angry bombings in Israel, the sin in the pulsing, beating chambers held within my frail flesh.

It’s summer here in these blue mountains, and the vast field in front of our home is full of ripening blackberries. Brandon was out in the foggy, dusky morning, picking for an hour or so. And though I can hardly muster the energy to do it, I gather the kids together this morning to take what God has given and to make something of it. To make something together. To tie on apron strings and pray for family ties to bind together. To pour flour and sugar and butter in a bowl and put our six hands together in the mess of it, and pray for something beautiful and tasteful to be produced by these hands, instead of hurt we are so easily capable of. To place the elements together in one dish into the heat, and to pray for something better to come out of it, as a result.

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” {Eccl. 3:1}

It’s hard to surrender to the seasons. I want only good days. Only summer-sun-fruit-producing days. Only laughter and comfort and love. But God has demonstrated His wisdom in the use of seasons. There is a time for every season, a time for planting and waiting and hoping for fruit. A time for harvesting and enjoying an overwhelming abundance. A time for the earth to freeze as hard as iron and for all to appear dead forever. A time to long for the signs of life, and a time to long for that first wisp of snow that closes us up in our homes with books, crackling fires and all things pumpkin. It would be iron pride in me that would demand to produce all the time and never allow the field to lie fallow. As much as I want to always keep the same pace in our home, the same happy, busy pace, I have heard the Lord calling me every day this week to surrender to the season of this week, which has consisted of wiping noses, holding feverish children, reading books and taking naps. It has meant surrendering to seeing more of the interior walls of our home than playing out in the sun. It has meant seeing more of the interior of our hearts, than the busyness that often proves to mask the issues bubbling underneath. It has meant fighting the gloominess that easily descends over my heart in a week like this, and looking for the grace and the gift hidden in the bitter.

In all things, in all things, give thanks. {1 Thess. 5:18}

I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. {Psa. 34:1}

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.
{Nahum 1:7}

The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. {Psa. 145:9}

In God’s economy, life and death are both a part. Life always comes from death. It’s His sure promise. That’s how we can have rejoicing in the sorrow, because we know every form of death has been overcome, and a season of life, in due time, is coming. Tender mercy is hovering over death. That is how I can find joy even in a week where the days have ended in hot tears and hot baths. I must be willing to embrace every small death He gives if I want to see new life. I must surrender to the seasons.

And He has made everything beautiful in its time. {Eccl. 3:11}

This is My Father’s World

July 11, 2014 MarthaKimballLeave a comment

“How can I buy the communion wine? Who am I to buy the communion wine? Someone has to buy the communion wine. Having wine instead of grape juice was my idea, and of course I offered to buy it. Shouldn’t I be wearing robes and, especially, a mask? Shouldn’t I make the communion wine? Are there holy grapes, is there holy ground? There are no holy grapes, there is no holy ground, nor is there anyone but us.” -Annie Dillard

I read this post today, and a resounding YES in my soul. I pray it will never cease to amaze me, that God, the Creator of this world, the sustainer of it even in its fallen state, works WITHIN it, not apart from it. He deems it suitable to use the elements we call “ordinary,” which really are all supernaturally derived, to convey Himself to us. To give Himself to us. Flesh and blood. Bread and wine. His immense constraint in demonstrating the divine to us in cooperation always with man. Man, his partner. What an incredible, profound, eternal mystery.

Grain and Grape

And then, these words from that precious old hymn:

“This is my Father’s world, O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: why should my heart by sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad.”

to make you feel my love

July 1, 2014July 2, 2014 MarthaKimball2 Comments

dear phoebe

last night we cut into the cake and discovered that this baby growing in mommy’s tummy is a girl! you screamed and bounced in your chair, so excited. from the very beginning you said you wanted a sister. then lately you’ve been wanting another brother. and late last night, after all the excitement had settled and we were tucking your sleepy head into your bed, your little precious face clouded over, your big solemn eyes became troubled.

“Mommy, can I get back in your tummy,” you asked.

“Will the ‘new girl’ sit in the front seat?” (your special favorite treat lately is when mommy lets you sit next to me in the car when we drive our back road home.)

and oh, my heart squeezed for you. do you know how special you are to me? no one and nothing ever can replace you, my girl. your quirky, silly, wild, hilarious, exuberant, scrawny, gorgeous little self is entirely unique. you’ll always be my very favorite firstborn ever.

having a sister can be hard sometimes but there is no other relationship like it on this earth! I think you’re going to love it.

love,
mommy

A Visit to the Farm {Part II}

June 27, 2014 MarthaKimball3 Comments

Last week after our stop at Flying Cloud Farm we drove down the road to Hickory Nut Gap Farm, one of very favorite places to go in the summer and fall. My husband and I harbor dreams of having our own little homestead/farm one day and are so drawn to farm life. Any time we get to visit one we are inspired and reinvigorated! We love Hickory Nut Gap especially in the Fall, when they have rides and tons of animals around, fresh apples and pumpkins. But summers are fun for berry picking, swimming, and 50 cent apple cider pops. Last week was my first time taking the kids berry picking there and we had so much fun. Phoebe would make a great farm-hand! She got right to work picking, insisted on carrying the bucket the whole time {which she did so carefully} and would have worked all morning had I let her. Noah on the other hand seemed to prefer the stroller. 🙂

And then there was this one, for some reason not feeling the berry-picking adventure:

Moving on to pick black raspberries…

(His perch)

Then after a picnic lunch in the sweaty humid heat, the kids basked in the creek. Such a fun way to wind down!

If you’re local, you should go for a visit! Check out their website for updates on what’s in season. Thanks Hickory Nut Gap for a super fun environment for kids to explore and learn about animals and plants, as well as providing lovely organic local food!

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