B and I have been taking first time home buyers classes to see where we are on the path to becoming homeowners. Just when we think we’re well on our way, we learn something new about homeownership that makes it feel farther from our reach. That’s when the dangerous self pity can set in and my focus turns from God’s blessings and provision to my own plan and timeline for life. Lately I’ve found it very easy to become so concerned with what I may not be able to do in my life that I am blinded the fact that there are countless great things already present in my life. So, as a meditation on the blessings already placed in my life, over the next few posts I’m sharing with you a few of my favorite things.Whenever I wear this necklace I am reminded of how amazingly crafted we as humans are. While on a service learning trip I took with a group in college, we made a stop at a flea market. A friend and I found a bead vendor and were drawn to a bucket of Indian and African turquoise and we each began selecting a big handful of beads that would cost the rest of our spending money. When we finished making our selections we compared our collections and noticed that I picked out greener stones and she chose more blueish ones. We weren’t trying to select turquoise of a particular variation, we just picked the ones we liked the best. All the beads would looked the same when we stepped back from the bucket, yet when we stepped close we were drawn to their subtle differences. Wearing this necklace helps me appreciate the all the experiences I was exposed to on that trip, the fact that I have eyes and interest to see the beautiful details of creation, and that someone else might see a different, yet no less beautiful set of details in the same situation.
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The few fuzzy memories I have of my grandmother all have to do with the kitchen: helping her grind the meat, asking for a piece of ribbon candy, watching out the window for my cousin coming off the bus at lunchtime. I haven’t tried making any of the recipes from my Grandma’s recipe* box yet, but I have documented some of them on the scanner. Her soda bread recipe is the one my dad, his brothers and sister make for get-togethers. It isn’t in this box, but I hope I’ll soon know it by heart just like they do. To me, this box represents what my family and good friends have taught me about cooking and getting together. At the end of a hard week, serving or or being served a handmade meal is fuel that keeps me going.*Did you know I had it? Let me know if you need it back, Dad!
