Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. ~ Galatians 6:9

Call it coincidence, but in the first week of the new year, a time that is infamous for vigorously begun and eventually retired resolutions, I've started both voice and piano lessons. Between lessons and practice time, that'll add up to roughly 12 hours of time each week spent sharpening those skills. I'm not starting from scratch on either front, and it's rewarding to already see some measurable progress! I'm hopeful that in a couple of months, I'll have made great strides...if I "do not grow weary."

What does it mean to lose heart? Why is motivation so often elusive?

Well, there's this quality called "discipline." And "diligence." And "perseverance." At the basic level, it's the ability to keep on with the course of action even when the "feels" aren't feeling it. To "for the joy set before us," (see Hebrews chapter 12) endure and push through the pain, soreness, brain overload, discouraging setbacks and mental blocks.

Motivation feeds off satisfaction and enjoyment. These two are sisters and best friends, so where the one is, you will not find the other far away. And while we often set goals to work toward, it is worth investing in our relish of the journey as well as the finish line.

That's why working out to music, and with a friend, helps me not give in to my sore muscles. Why treating each warm up exercise as a little song helps me not tense up from focusing too hard. Why playing a song I already love disguises the tedium of practicing chord progressions.

If it's like that for short-term pursuits, how much more for the long hauls!

Here are some ideas for keeping the mundane energized:

1. Partner up
Companionship is a surefire way to keep a task unboring. Whether unboring means irritating or fun depends on both your attitude and the person/s you are with--but at the very least monotony is held at bay! At best, you will be able to encourage each other and cheer each other on in a healthy, affirming way.

2. Eat soup with a side of chocolate (not that I don't like soup)
Incorporate an old hobby into your project, or combine the activity with another you like. Just be careful to not talk about the combo in the negative way you used to think about the less favorite of the two...or you may find the both of them demoted in your mind.

3. Write with your other hand
Stuck in a rut? Change it up! Dress up to go to the store, or turn kitchen clean up into a musical number. Figure your taxes while listening to a new soundtrack, or bake a foreign dessert to get in the patriotic spirit. Wait--what?!

4. Quit flapping and soar
Stop trying so hard to do it in your own strength. The Holy Spirit is working in us both to will (desire) and to act to fulfill his good purpose for us. We don't have to come up with our own plan. He's already got the perfect role for each of us. Have you asked the Director for his notes on this scene? Catch the right current and flow with it! Don't confuse being busy with being fruitful.

5. Measure twice, cut once
Some things are meant to fall away into oblivion, weights cast off in favor of more worthy treasures. The yardstick is not what pleases us in the moment, but what is pleasing to our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. His pleasure is the foundation of any lasting success, and we find joy by honoring him in the process as well as the product of our efforts.

Those are some things that help me. What helps you keep going when the road is rough? Please comment below! Meanwhile, I think I'll go practice "Edelweiss" on the piano....

Below is a poem I wrote a couple of years back to highlight what the fuss should really all be about. Please feel free to share it! What's the good news for if not to "tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere"?








God With Us
(c)2010 Rebekah Cook
 
Today we celebrate an event by Jewish prophets foretold
Anticipated and long-awaited by both the young and old
Today is when we commemorate our divine Savior's birth 
And the hour that marked his entrance as a Son of Man on earth

What made this so wondrous and so marvelous an affair
A time so worth remembering for year upon mortal year? 
What made this little infant boy attract the rapt attention
Of local shepherds and eastern kings, and not some other men? 

His birth announcement was proclaimed by mass angelic song 
Accompanied by starlight bursts as heaven joined the throng
They spoke of this natal miracle in majestic harmony
Declaring his identity and royal pedigree: 

"The essence of Love incarnate, immortal Truth revealed
The exact representation of the Father, approved and sealed
The Word of God made very man and draped in human flesh
Eternal Lord of all creation, Son of righteousness." 

The Light of all the world had come to seek and save the lost
The Source of Life to ransom us—HIS life is what it cost
The blameless, stainless Lamb of God was stained with sin's full cup 
As the Prince of Peace paid purchase price for what we'd given up

Emmanuel! God with us! Bask in that most glorious thought
Our Champion came to rescue us, and won the fight He fought
Who could've known? Who would've guessed the baby who came that night 
Was the very One to take our mixed-up world and make it right? 

This is the news that bears repeating, and begs to be spread well
The Shaper of the universe has come to us to dwell
He lived and died, yet lives today (He conquered death, you know)
To offer all who come to Him redemption's joyful glow

Our Counselor, Teacher, Comforter, Healer—Jesus is his name
The Holy One, the Risen One of everlasting fame
The reason for the season is not merely a story we tell
It's a Person that makes my heart swell with a gladness none can quell!

As we revel in the wonder of Jesus' first coming and eagerly anticipate his return, may we follow in his steps of undaunted faith, contagious joy, and sacrificial love.  

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Treasure In Heaven is the tale of a small town pastor who is merely going through the motions. All seems to be a smooth ride, until a stranger's quiet wisdom prompts the Rev to take a sober look at his congregation's complacency, as well as his own. No longer content with appeasing the church board, the Rev begins to take a stand for living according to scripture instead of the status quo. 

Not everyone is happy about his rekindled spiritual fervor, however. When he confronts a prominent businessman about an adulterous affair, threats and rumors start to fly. Now the Rev and his wife have a choice to make: to fear man, or to fear God.

This is the second feature I've acted in, and the first to be finished! I play a girl in the youth group named Jane who is startled out of her "normal" teenage existence through the radical change she sees in the life of her pastor. The premiere of Treasure in Heaven is scheduled for Saturday, November 10, 2012 at the Cobb Theater in Leesburg, VA. Unfortunately, I'll not be in the area, but if YOU are, you might want to check it out.

Cobb Theatre Auditorium #11 Village 12 1600 Village Market Blvd Leesburg, VA 20175 (571) 291-9462 http://www.cobbtheatres.com/leesburg12.aspx 

Doors will open at 9:15 AM and the movie will start promptly at 10:00 AM (i.e. there will be no movie trailers shown). The concession stand will be open.

Tickets are $5 at the door. Please bring cash as the movie showing is a special event for the theater, so will not be using the normal movie ticketing system.

Movie Trailer: http://www.tihthemovie.com/TIH_View_Trailer.html

Two weeks ago I had a lesson. It was a life lesson. It was a pottery lesson.

The potter I was learning from teaches sculpting. He taught me how to make a clay vase and then a bowl, using fine quality clay, a wheel, and a few small tools. He patiently demonstrated the entire workflow, talking through each step and explaining the hows and whys. Then he placed a generous lump of clay in my hand, we switched places around the wheel, and I began applying what I had just witnessed.

The first step, and the most important one, is to center the clay on the wheel. As the wheel began to spin faster and faster my hands pressed hard around the clay, keeping it in the center where the centrifugal and centripetal forces would work for and not against the shaping process.

Once this was accomplished, I carefully dug my thumb into the center to establish the base thickness, adding water as needed to moisten the clay. Balancing with my remaining fingers on the outer edge, I slowly drew my thumb toward the side, allowing the interior circle to widen. To create the sides, I crossed my thumbs for better control and gently pulled on either side of the clay wall with my index and middle fingers. The whirling wheel made the wall pull up evenly as I pressed and pulled the malleable clay. Shaping tools aided in refining texture and curve, or scraping excess clay from the base. From start to finish, this is called "throwing" the clay.

Finally, we slid durable string underneath the vessel in preparation for removing it from the wheel, and used a lifting tool to set it on another table to dry. When hardened some from air-drying, it would be ready for a last trim of the base and drawing the desired design in the clay before firing it in the kiln. If glazed, it would go through the fire twice.

On my second throw (first try at the bowl) all was going well until I got part way into the shaping of the walls. My pinching was not as even as I had hoped, and the instability this caused in the side of the bowl resulted in an implosion. My instructor wasn't upset; he explained what had happened, and gave me a new portion of clay to start over with.
The clay I had just mishandled was still usable, he clarified, but would need reworking (pounding, kneading, etc.) before throwing it again.

I was heavily reminded of the scriptures that speak of us being the clay in God's hands, the Potter's hands. I know how often I can get off-center, trying to pinch my own sides into what I think my life should look like. Alternately, I'll allow or invite others to mold me into how they think I should be, which inevitably leads to uneven, imploding walls. It is only by yielding once more to the master Potter's skill that I can be redeemed and formed into the beauty and usefulness He has destined for me.

This said, we are not promised an easy life, free of pain or hardship or sorrow. We are called to follow in the footsteps of our Master, who lived in sacrificial service to others, and obedience to the Father, in spite of opposition and offense and accusation. Jesus spoke regarding the abandonment and torment he would soon face:  

"Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." ~ John 16:32-33

The goal of our lives is to be transformed into the image, the shape, of Jesus Christ. Yielding to this transformation is both glorious and painful. But God is greater than the pokes and prods, yes, the abuse inflicted on our malleable selves by well-meaning friends, un-meaning strangers, and malicious "clay vandals."

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 1:6)

What follows are the lyrics to a song I wrote nearly two years ago. Some of my closest friends are dealing with extremely painful soul wounds right now, and it is to those beloved broken vessels that I dedicate these words.

The Faithful One
a song by Rebekah Cook

In a storm
When the lightning cracks 
And the thunder rumbles
In my storm
When I'm thrown off track 
And my dream has crumbled
I close my eyes and pray

In a storm 
All the windows rattle 
And the roof is shaking
In my storm 
Another fruitless battle
And my heart is breaking
I close my eyes and pray

I pray for strength to make it to another day
That when I blink away the tears
I'll see God's colors again

In the rainbow 
I see your faithfulness
In the rainbow 
Your promise is true
In the rainbow 
I see your faithfulness
In the rainbow 
Your mercies are new

They're new every morning...

On a cloudless day 
The sun beats down
I'm suffocating
On my hot, cloudless day
I feel I'm going to drown 
While I am waiting
So I lift my hands and pray

On a cloudless day
Becalmed on a sea 
Of expectations
On my hot, cloudless day 
Buried in the debris 
Of my frustrations
I lift my hands and pray

I pray for strength to make it to another day
That when you fill my sails once more
I've an anchor for my soul

When the wind blows
I see your faithfulness
When the wind blows 
Your promise is true
When the wind blows
I see Your faithfulness
When the wind blows 
Your mercies are new

They're new every morning...

In the darkness of night 
Lost in a drift 
Of silent grieving
In my darkest night 
Will it ever lift--
This pain I'm weeping?
I bow my head and pray

I pray for strength to make it to another day
That as your arms surround me now
I'll sense a glimpse of dawn

With the sunrise
I see your faithfulness
With the sunrise 
Your promise is true
With the sunrise
I see your faithfulness
With the sunrise 
Your mercies are new

In the storm, in the heat, in the darkness
Though near you sometimes seem so far away
Yet even in the midst of my intense confusion
Your love breathes hope deep inside of me

That when the rain comes
I'll see your faithfulness
For in the rainbow
Your promise is so true
When the wind blows
I'll see your faithfulness
And with each sunrise 
Your mercies are new

Yes, with each sunrise
Your mercies are new

For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ...Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.  ~ 2 Corinthians 4:6-11, 16-18

People sometimes tell me how strong I am. But I don't feel strong. Whatever strength is there, it surely isn't mine. I guess that would be scriptural:

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:25-27

I have been called. Called to live my life in love and joy and peace and patience and faith and kindness and obedience. Called to devote my energies and thoughts and words and actions as a living sacrifice of adoration to the one true God. Called to a steadfast surrender to the astounding Grace that makes it at all possible.

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. ~ Psalm 119:35

All well and good to be willing to obey, but what if we are unsure of the path to take? What constitutes obedience in a particular instance? It is said that the devil is in the details. Perhaps, but my God is Lord over both the details and the bigger picture, so I'm in the best of hands.

This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out. ~ Isaiah 48:17, 21

He will teach me, direct me, lead me in the way I should go. But so often I'm like a little kid: "Are we there yet?" and five minutes later "How much LONGer?!!"

In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
~ Psalm 5:3

As I was growing up my family would sometimes take an entire summer and visit friends and family all across the States. I grew used to lengthy drives and learned to use the time spent in the van productively. Those who were able might decide to nap some in order to arrive with more energy. Reading, studying, talking with parents and siblings, singing songs, playing travel games, folding origami, tatting, crocheting, solving puzzles—there were countless activities available to occupy us (besides the ever-tempting snack-box). Have I so quickly forgotten how to be content as a passenger?

Humph. But at least on THOSE trips I knew what to expect! Oh, really? What about traffic delays, adverse weather conditions, construction detours—and my still developing sense of time passage itself? Is this really so different? Many of us are still children with respect to interacting with heaven's timetable.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. ~ Psalm 130:5-6 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
~ Lamentations 3:22-26

A dear friend reminded me yesterday that I am not the only one having to employ patience here. God is being patient, too. Not just patient with me (which he is, and I am SO thankful!), but everything else going on that makes things take longer than they might otherwise. God is excited for me to glimpse the next adventure, thrilled to take me there and share my delight in what he has so graciously prepared.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~ Ephesians 2:10

He is infinitely more eager than I, and infinitely more patient. Anticipation is helpful. Impatience and anger over unmet expectations are not. Do we joyfully trust our Father that the good things he has prepared for us will also come in his beautiful time? 

I confess that after publishing my last post all about waiting, part of me indulged in the thought that the package I was waiting for (speaking figuratively) would now "magically" appear. Another part of me suspected that there was still much to learn about this fascinating facet of life called "waiting." The former part hoped that the latter part was being unnecessarily pessimistic. I chuckle inside now at my psychological game. Who was I kidding? It is when our own strength runs out that we discover the true strength that comes from depending on God alone.

God enjoys spending time with me—me spending time with him. Yes, he will be with me, holding my hand as I walk through the door when that time comes. I even think I know which door that is, though not fully what lies behind it. It hasn't opened yet, though I have knocked several times. Well, that doesn't mean I can't praise God in the hallway!

Let's break out the car songs . . . .   ;-)

Hail The Lamb
a song by Rebekah Cook 

Son of God upon a cross
Bled for guilt of all mankind
Bore the blame and felt the shame
Cleansed us for a newborn life

Innocence gave recompense
Canceled debt that drowned my soul
Healing rain dissolved my chains
Broke the curse and made me whole

Hail the Lamb that was slain
Who for our redemption paid
Hail the Lamb! Praise his name
Through his blood we are saved

From each nail a painful trail
Mercy flowed to make us free
His last breath sealed with his death
Grace that reaches even me

Sacrifice of greatest price
Love made plain upon a tree
Of our sin he made an end
“It is finished!” was his plea

Hail the Lamb that was slain
Who for our redemption paid
Hail the Lamb! Praise his name
Through his blood we are saved

Raised to life, now glorified
Empty grave proclaims his pow'r
He still lives, forgiveness gives
All who call this very hour

Lost now found, for heaven bound
Living hope of which I sing
There to be eternally
Loving on my Savior King

Hail the Lamb that was slain
Who for our redemption paid
Hail the Lamb! Praise his name
Through his blood we are saved

~ The following is resurrected from my journal musings of over four years ago. While I did not locate a specific date for the entry, in this case the time of origin has no real bearing on the content—which is as relevant to me now as it was then. ~

I reach through layers of slumber, past troubling dreams, and lie there, blinking slowly to let go of the remnants of sleep. The nightmare isn't true, I realize...and will my mind to stop churning.

It's early yet, and the birds have just begun to work their way through the Saturday morning repertoire. Some of the chirps sound quite close. Okay. I'm curious now. I work my way out of the bedclothes and get off the bed so I can look out the window. I smile, enjoying the sight. There are two of them, side by side, perched on the white rake of an antenna mounted on our roof. They have front row seats to the sunrise.

I love it when I'm close enough to watch their sharp, short beaks open and close as they keep the conversation going like good football [soccer] commentators. Regretfully, I leave the winged creatures to their melodies and retreat to the bathroom mirror to reflect on my thoughts.

What does it mean to have front row seats to a sunrise? - I wondered, drying my face on the short rose-colored towel.
It seemed utterly presumptuous now to assume that the pair of birds I had witnessed sitting above the roof would have a better view than those swooping gently in the fresh morning air.

And yet, did that mean all of them saw it equally well? Perhaps, though each of them has the unique opportunity to fully appreciate the joy of the morning right before their eyes—just perhaps, like us, there are only some who choose to watch the day's beauty unfold. Only some who acknowledge the singular creativity of this day's miracle. Who raise their eyes, their voices, their hearts, in humble thanksgiving and adoration of the One whose mercies are new every morning.

I am dressed now and sitting on the edge of my bed. I close my eyes, silently making my own choice: to play in tune with heaven's melody, to watch attentively for every movement of the orchestra Conductor's hand, and so live in harmony with the theme of eternity's love song.

May I remember this choice today, and always Today.

Count it all joy, my brothers,when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ~ James 1:2-4

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. ~ Proverbs 17:22

And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
~ Acts 13:49-52

You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, ~ 1 Thessalonians 1:6

Trials of temptation that test our faith...persecution for proclaiming the Gospel...feeling weak from sickness. How do YOU decide what counts as an opportunity for joy? The key in recognizing these opportunities AS opportunities may be in realizing the true nature of joy.

Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say, “All my springs of joy are in you.” ~ Psalm 87:7

Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing. ~ Psalm 100:2

How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all the day. ~ Psalm 89:15-16

Joy is not merely the result of a having a good day where everything went right. Joy comes from maintaining our focus where it should be: on God! No matter what happens to us or around us, if we keep our hearts and our minds set on Him, our joy will be full. 

When something goes how it should, we are glad, and our thanksgiving for the blessings brings joy. When something seems to go wrong—even horribly so—we can still choose a response that leads to joy, because God is greater than any problem we can ever face. He is I AM! Our trust grows through these times as we take joy in His never-failing love toward us, rejoice in the full salvation obtained through His sacrifice, and give thanks in faith for God's power at work on our behalf.

Our joy has no cause for wavering because it is founded in the unchanging person of Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). NOTHING can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39). And when the world does its worst, it will simply showcase over and over that the love of God is a sure anchor, His word is eternal truth, and His joy is a solid strength. 

If you have the right perspective, it all counts toward joy!

The film is wrapped, and so are the Christmas gifts.

And there are other gifts. Gifts that sometimes I forget to see, appreciate, delight in. Smelling blossoms in October snow, watching the sun rise out my car window on a dawn well-cracked, and hearing faint strains of teasing laughter float from the kitchen. Small gifts that point to the Great Gift—breathing bundle of Love swaddled and worshiped and sacrificed—the gracious, glorious God-Gift sung about across millennia proclaiming I AM among us.

Christmas: celebrating Christ Jesus, our Messiah. We celebrate Christ come to man, Power-Word wrapped in earth-skin. (John 1) We celebrate Christ the chosen Lamb, all most good and pure and innocent atoning for sin-cost beyond our repair. (John 1:29) We celebrate Christ in us, rapturous, holy mystery, the very hope of glory. (Col. 1:27) And it is right that we rejoice!

And there are other days. Days that sometimes I forget to stop and wonder, revel in, celebrate.

To fully celebrate HIM.

There are blessings every day for the counting, gifts of wonder to unwrap, give thanks for. Cold hands prickling, thawing by air of firelight, leftovers warming twice with memories, and sore muscles promising strength on the morrow. And again I say: Rejoice! ...For indeed, the Lord is near. (Phil. 4:4-5) Behold, NOW is the day of salvation. (2 Cor. 6:2) And day after day, while it is yet Today (Heb. 3:12-13), I need the encouragement, the warning, to leave my heart soft to the touch of heaven's grace, my eyes wide open to God-glory now, my fingertips feeling the edges of planet-paper to fold—yes, even rip it back to reveal the depth of his goodness!

I long to see with G-D vision. To look through God's glasses and reel from the absence of mortal myopia. To behold his Glory, his Grace, and his Goodness face to face, and live deeply in the reality of those dimensions. How I see will change how I live. And I see dimly now, know dimly now, but as I look for and gaze on his reflections around me, I am transformed from the inside out. (1 Cor. 13:12; 2 Cor. 3:18) I want to eye with heaven's measure, and prove grace to myself and others. (Rom. 12:2) Because clear sight is the difference between a light-filled life and a midnight existence. (Luke 11:34-35)

Unwrapping these other-day, every-day, holy-day gifts is a treasure hunt. My resolution? Find real Treasure, and give my heart to it. (Matt. 6:21) Even if--especially if—I find it in swaddling clothes, bound in common-place wrapping. God with us. God with me. God in me and around me and wrapping me in his arms of heaven-born, down-to-earth love.

What will I dare to unwrap today?

Feeling waves tease the sand from my feet as I wade along a breezy shoreline.
Listening to the tranquil stillness as it plucks chords of peace in my soul.

Tasting the tang of salt in misty sea-air.
Kneeling in the sand to adopt a lonely shell.

Standing in a bracing, gasping wind that shouts of freedom and surrender.
Closing my eyes as it whips my hair in its gusty breath.

Dancing barefoot in a long, flowing skirt.
Twirling in a swirling rhythmic current of musical emotion.

Whispering a lullaby to a small but precious charge.
Grasping their fragile finger—smiling as they grasp yours.

Folding a paper box, or gazelle, or yellow sunflower.
Making lacy bookmarks by hand to give away.

Hearing my younger sisters play a duet for flute and piano.
Holding tight to a motherly embrace for a moment longer before "good-bye."

Laughing for no reason as a smile passes between my eyes and those of a friend.
Singing opera in the shower. Just because.

Concocting an exotic and (subjectively) tasty spice blend.
Sharing a decadent chocolate dessert.

Teaching a young friend how to "ride a horsy."
Playing speed-scrabble and winning or losing by two points.

Blinking in the dawn of a Saturday morning.
Pulling up the covers for five more winks.

Sitting still on a mossy-soft stone in the woods.
Writing words as they flow dripping and new from my fingers onto the page.

Reading an apropos scripture passage.
Discussing it again during afternoon Bible study.

Leaning into the strength of an understanding shoulder.
Glancing across a room right when someone's glancing back.

Gazing at a star-spangled sky through the moon-roof.
Dreaming of tomorrow, of yesterday, and today.

Big, hairy audacious goals loom beckoning, promising, engrossing, exhausting.... Caught up in a draining cycle of Productivity, we take our tray and load it at the Busyness Buffet, then scarf it down in Guinness speed so we can go back for dessert.

We rush so fast that the moments memories are made of lie neglected, discarded like a wilted flower. Pick them!—press the flower. Frame it with a caption in your mind. Share its frail beauty with a fellow Traveler.

My own life is busy right now, and while I believe that what's on my plate right now is truly what God has prepared in advance for me to do (Ephesians 2:10), I still have to be careful not to be consumed by all my "good" activity, and keep my eyes on HIM. It helps to pause—to notice things—to remember, and tuck more memories away.

So I collect them. Big little things. Because they matter.

And they add up.

To a
Little
Big
Lot.