intentional serenity.

Every house tells a story,
& every room is a chapter.
Some captivate us in a way that no other can,
A sense of perfection despite all the imperfections.
That one room that provides serenity when the rest is chaos.
Even in our quaint home that room exists.
Awkwardly shaped and small in size,
Barely big enough for an office; but the room I {dream} to be a nursery.
Dusty blue carpet and two built-in cabinets,
Only one window facing north that allows the rays to dance past.
But this room,
This room is adorned with memories.
Intentionally placed treasures.
An old desk and cabinet with scratched surfaces that show the love of all us grandkids,
What used to be my grandparents' but now dwells in my heart and home.
& for my husband, a small wooden angel from his great grandma,
For, now she is dwelling in the Lord's kingdom.
My husband's affection for me displayed as dried remnants of roses as a reminder daily.
The love. So much love.
& then there's the dress. the dress that brings a flood of memories.
All white, covered in lace, that I walked the aisle toward my future. my lover. my friend.
Fresh greenery in a tea tin,
A tea tin emptied after casual porch swing dates and cuddles.
Items that bring me back to those times grace the four walls,
After all, what is a room if life isn't displayed?
The life that we walk through daily.
Things of new and old ,
all holding a special place and telling our story.

 

wilderness.

 

A long weekend to adventure in the wilderness; miles from home with no perception of what would lie ahead,
Down two tracks and winding roads, through the forest and past wildlife, the campsite getting near.
We put the truck in park & walked down a steep incline to set eyes on our destination.
Pure simplicity, yet so much beauty.
One little clearing made perfectly for our shelter, far enough away from our source of heat and wilderness stove.
Tall pine trees that oozed with sap with the occasional birch scattered amongst,
& peaking from behind the wooded area and over the cliff, a sparkling pond with a steady current.
Chilly mornings, perfect afternoons, and mosquito filled evenings,
The days crawled by.
Time, nothing but time--to sit. do nothing. bask in God's creation.
129 book pages read, short naps, chapters of the Bible studied & quality chats with my love.
In between, the frequent clanging of pans to keep the bears at a distance.
I admired and gazed at my husband as he worked effortlessly to provide.
Chopping wood, attending the fire, cooking meals.
Surrounded by nothing but the beauty of God's creation, yet he was what caught my attention.
His work jeans sagging ever so slightly, biceps bulging with every swing of the axe.
Those sparling blue eyes and sweet cuddles around the fire. The married life.

With a new perspective, we journey on home.
To a bed that no longer seems as hard,
A life that needs to be weeded of distractions.
New understandings of our marriage,
& an appreciation of what we have {especially bathrooms and coffee}.
With a thankful heart. A renewed spirit.
We welcome back the idea of [home] in good ol' grand rapids.

 

 

 

 

seperate agendas.

Cameron's alarm started its cadence at 3:30am today; too early on a Saturday. I'm sure he gave me a gentle kiss before departing, but my sleepy memory is hazy. To the fishing tournament he went for the rest of this peaceful Saturday. 

I typically dread days in which my better half will not be around.  I need him by my side; to partake in the joys of my day; to just be there.  That's always how its been ever since we met. I want to spend every moment with my best friend. my lover. But today, I welcome today. To be quiet and march to the beat of what my heart desires today. & I know he needs the very same thing; a rejuvenating Saturday.

As he's cultivating the relationship with his father out on the big lake, what am I going to be doing?
Planning for our upcoming survival mode camping trip, grocery shopping & creating in the kitchen, reorganizing, swinging on the porch with the pup & to end it all, a nice bubble bath with a book and glass of wine in hand. Ah, rest.

What a beautiful day that the Lord has made. I will REJOICE and be glad in it.