The Holy Spirit has descended on this old world of ours, and there’s a Psalm 29 powwow in Elmo (Montana) every day of the year: a grace-revealing gesture, a fresh snowfall, a friend’s forgiveness, the first migrating yellow warbler, a miracle conversion, a truth-telling poem, a pasqueflower in bloom, the good death of a parent, resurrection – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-all the endless permutations of life. The beauty of holiness. And we have ringside seats. Henry James once said that a writer is a person on whom nothing is ever lost. That sounds like a focused Christian identity to me: the men and women on whom nothing, at least nothing that has to do with life-and virtually everything does-is lost. “Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”
Amen.
~Eugene H. Peterson, As Kingfishers Catch Fire , note mine in parenthesis
I invite you to scroll through these beautifully encouraging pieces! I submitted mine awhile back and it was included (last piece, Amy M. Pine) with these others. They really are testimonials of God’s love and faithfulness! Just what I needed to peruse this morning as we are wrapping up our home school year. ♥️🌿
Millay’s poetry has been recently touching me deeply. Do you have a current favorite poet? Mine is constantly changing. I’m a lover of words and Beauty of poetry often waylays me! The other morning I stopped with great delight over my steaming coffee and knew that I was hearing the spring peepers on our little pond. It brought me so much joy. I received a Barnes & Noble gift card for Christmas last year and I’m sooo glad I picked this giant tome of her work. ♥️♥️♥️
My daughter and I admiring the rays we just got to pet! 😍♥️
Hello Friends! New fresh month, no mistakes in it yet! I’m hopping on to share that I’m going to attempt to do a bit of a 100 Day Project here! I’m excited to have a little something to challenge myself with and a place to dump all the beautiful ideas I’m gleaning. I have no format for what I will be sharing, it may be little more than a brain dump some days🤪😅, lists, a photo, a quote, and so on. My hope is that it will encourage and inspire you. What am I doing with the little I’ve been given? That is the question I’m asking myself currently. ☺️♥️🌿
Soooo, what prompted this plan? A couple things! My oldest child, my daughter, is engaged to be married later this year! 😳😭😍♥️Nothing like a family wedding to celebrate and work towards in multiple areas. Secondly, my sister kindly gifted me this book and we are going through it together:
I’m already a pretty established journal-er, but wanted to step it up a notch! By journaling HERE, my poor dark, quiet blog friend, 🤣 and using it as a catalyst for little writing creative projects. I see these as offerings of worship. 💜🌿
My goals and poetry writing notebook. Yes, weird combination, but it’s working currently. 😅💜 I found some fun graphics on Pinterest to color in as I go!
I also love my little to do/gratitude daily journal so will be keeping up with that! Another strange combo that works well for me!
My absolute favorite journaling is my reading journal and I have two buddy reads beginning this month! 😍💜
My reading journal spread where I will paste my April read book covers and short review! 💚🌿New this year has been favorite reads by month! 📚Buddy Read #1 📚♥️Buddy Read #2 📚♥️
I will be using the prompts in The Book of Alchemy and also continuing The Body Revelation questions, both with my sister. ☺️♥️Those are most likely private prayers/entries etc that go into my spiritual journal.
How ‘bout you? How do you ‘begin again’? How do you breathe life into creative or life projects? Having some sort of paper/stickers/glue and pens always motivates me! 🤷🏻♀️😂♥️ I’ll leave you with a quote that I saw that has me thinking deeply!
“…they fear love because it creates a world they can’t control.”
Happy Monday, friends. Thought I would do a late-ish mid-year check in of sorts. It’s always helpful for me to reflect on a few areas in my life periodically. This is a part 1, probably…stay tuned for more. 🍄
Reading…💜
Best book(s), so far:
-Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter (our perspective in life/living a life of gratitude)
– So Big by Edna Ferber (day of small things/ our perspective in life)
– Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell (gorgeous & lush/disturbing & sobering)
– A Heart Adrift by Laura Frantz (sweet & atmospheric/ Persuasion-like)
– Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (convicting character under microscope- reread)
Fanny spoke her feelings. ‘Here’s harmony! said she, ‘Here’s repose! Here’s what may leave all painting and all music behind, and what poetry only can attempt to describe. Here’s what may tranquilllise every care, and lift every heart to rapture! When I look out on such a night as this, I feel as if there could be neither wickedness nor sorrow in the world; and there certainly would be less of both if the sublimity of Nature were more attended to, and people were carried more out of themselves by contemplating such a scene.’
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Best Sequel(s), so far:
– Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (family survival at its finest- Pa Ingalls shines)
–Henrietta’s House by Elizabeth Goudge (not quite finished, but completely charming story featuring characters from A City of Bells)
– Books 4-9 in White House Chef Mysteries (very unique setting and amateur sleuth)
– reread of The Chamber ofSecrets by JK Rowling (audiobook was fantastic- I love young Harry, Ron, and Hermione)
Anticipated New Release I’m Excited About:
Laura Frantz – A Fierce Devotion (Historical Fiction)
Joanna Ruth Meyer – While Darkness Remains (Fantasy)
Emily Hayse – The Dogs of War (Science Fiction)
New-to-Me Authors I want to Read More From:
Edna Ferber (Modern American classics), Brittany Fichter (Fantasy, Fairy-Tale retellings) and Chris Wooding (Fantasy)
A few reading goals beginning in August will be reading from my shelves/piles/Kindle hoard here. Less public library! I want to focus on finishing my mother schooling choices that I’ve been reading this summer.
How about you? How has your reading been so far…I’ll chat more soon on reading. My favorite hobby!
Beauty Chasing…
-walks down our nearby gravel lane
– collaging & writing for small, independent letter/zine
– keeping up regularly on my journals
– planning a state park visit/picnic, late family cherry 🍒 picking trip, bonfires, and thinking on thoughtful Christmas gift plans
-container gardening
Hello Kindle, my old friend…
What have you loved reading and chasing so far this year? 🩷🌸🪴
I’m excited to start a new little ‘something something’ here. Just as we celebrate National Poetry Month, Letter Writing Month, (thanks for telling me, Kim!), Easter, and soak in the earth coming alive. A month to celebrate newness, resurrection, and the wheel of seasons turning again. I have a few things I’m simmering, so I hope you are as encouraged and inspired as I am about a freshness blowing through the windows…
How ‘bout you? Anything brewing in your heart? 🌿🌷✨
{thus ends my 4th annual participation in the Peace Poem project ~ I ended up writing a few poems I liked and just sending the same poems to multiple people on my list. I did send out a total 28 postcards poems for February! I really do love this project, even if I do it with my own twist and timeline}
Splashes of redNew recipe we made up! Peppermint tea, a little hot water, then two scoops favorite hot cocoa mix, favorite milk, then more hot water, mix! Delicious peppermint cocoa.Rich reds…red reminds me of grace! ♥️🎄
A.M. Pine - Hearth Ridge Reflections 