Home is Where Your Story Begins

I have a plaque over the desk in my home office.  It reads, "Home is where your story begins."  My mother in law gave it to me because she wanted the words to inspire me as I write.  Every day I look at that sign and think of what an amazingly true and powerful statement it is.  No matter the home you come from, your story begins there.  But as I was reflecting on the plaque today, I realized that your story doesn't have to end there.

I grew up in a stable Christian home with parents who loved each other fiercely.  They attempted to have their every action be Christ and family centered.  So when I draw on the beginning of my story, it is strong and good and comforting.  But what about those whose story doesn't start so well?  What about those who began life neglected or abused or in the midst of strife and chaos?  If their story begins like that, what hope do they have?  At least when you start out life with a good story, then when bad things come, you have a solid basis on which to deal with those things. 

I began to feel bad.  Should I take the plaque down?  Is what it says unfair?  As I started to pray about it, I realized that "home" is where your heart is.  It is where you feel peace and loved.  And if the only place you feel peace and loved is with the Lord, then that's where your story begins.  That's your home.  That's where you find out who you are and what you were created for.  What a place to find out the plans and the purposes for your life.

What if your story started off well and you really screwed it up?  Then what?  You get to start your story over, with Christ.  You get to wash away the past and begin afresh.  That doesn't mean you won't have to deal with consequences of sin, but you can begin to clean up the mess and the yuck, by starting your story over new every day. 

So you see, precious one, no matter the home where your story began, you can start with a brand new chapter.  One where you are valued and precious and celebrated.  Be fierce about figuring out the plans and purposes He has for you and go after them and write a whole new story.  I've had to begin new chapters several times.  I'm so glad He wants me to make my home in Him!  I am continually amazed at the blessings He has given me to be grateful for:

100.  My parent's passion for following after the things of God.  For the example of putting Him first, above all else.  Their example of righteous living.

101.  My parent's passion for each other.  For the example of trying to outdo each other in love.  For their selflessness in putting each other first.  For their love story.

102.  For a childhood filled with love and safety.

103.  For meeting a new group of sisters this week who I get to study the Word with and pray with and do life with.

104.  For learning that He will give me grace sufficient to get through each day when I spend time with Him.

105.  For beautiful Oklahoma sunsets that make my heart sing at the glory of God!

If you'd like to see what others are grateful for, head on over to Ann Voskamp's site, A Holy Experience.




From His lap,

In the Cool of the Day

In the beauty of the day, I walk quietly reflecting on how the air is becoming crisp and cool.  I imagine that when Adam walked in the garden with God in the cool of the evening, it must have felt like this.  Just as the air is clear, my heart is clear.  I'm pierced through and through with a joy that I'm walking with Him in the cool of my day.  There can be no other way to walk through this life for me...but with Him.


Here is where my story begins new every day, walking with Him.  Blessings settling on me like the dew that blankets the grass where I walk.  Like the dew, new blessings came sometime during the night, while I was dreaming.  Blessings of life and love and joy.  Any sadness of yesterday is washed away quietly and my heart is full and content.

Here is where my story begins, walking with Him.  I can tell Him of things that can't be uttered to anyone else.  My soul is laid open before Him and that dew comes in and makes me clean and whole and fresh and I thank Him.  Thank Him for the redemptive work that He did as I lay sleeping next to him breathing beside me.  He just came and did His work quietly; in my heart that longs for pureness, for fellowship.

So I rise and walk with Him in the cool of the day and thank Him...

66.  For the cleansing of my soul as I slept.

67.  For the cool crisp air as we walk together.

68.  For a restful night's sleep.

69.  For the breathing of the man who sleeps next to me who loves me more than he loves his life.

70.  For peace that came in the midst of a storm in my heart.

71.  For the life of the young man in our church who was taken from our midst too suddenly, too young.

72.  For telling me truths when I didn't want to hear them.

73.  For learning that the very name of Him, YHWH, means breath and when I say His name, I am breathing and when I breath, I am saying His name.

74.  For seeing my mom when I look at my face in the mirror.

75.  For a chance at a new day with a fresh start and a pure heart.

Did you walk with Him today?  If you did, what things did you tell Him you are grateful for?

To read what others told Him they are grateful for, stop by One Thousand Gifts and see what they are saying!





From His Lap,

Beautiful Things



Lake near Tall Grass Prairie

Yesterday we took a drive through the Tall Grass Prairies that run through Oklahoma and Kansas.  It was such a strange day, weather wise.  There were blue skies, clouds, rain, rainbows and dust.  It seemed as though every couple of miles that we drove, we were under a different sky.  We would drive for a while, the car covered in dust, then a beautiful refreshing rain would come and wash away the dust, the dirt, the unclean.



Rainbow over Tall Grass Prairie

But at one point, as we were pulled off to the side of the road to take in a rainbow, buffalo walking right past the car, I was struck at the handiwork of God, untouched by man.  I thought I could have been standing in that exact spot 100 years ago, and it would have looked just the same as it does at this instant.  God's glory stretched from horizon to horizon, no matter which way I turned...just God and His creation, His handiwork.

Is it possible that every day, He is renewing me, making me untouched by this old world, by man, by sin?  Is there a place in me that corruption hasn't touched, is only clean and pure? 



Buffaloe on Tall Grass Prairie

Can I go to Him each day and get quiet long enough for Him to do His work in me?  Can I make time for the cleansing of of my soul?  As we drove along, the grasses and wildflowers on the side of the road once covered in hot tired dust, were washed by the rains, and the prairies and the buffalo looked fresh and full of life again.  God had His way on the prairie, yes, He had His way.  I had not one ounce of control over what touched His creation out there.  It felt holy, pure somehow.  I wanted to feel that on the inside.   I wanted my heart to be clean and new, untouched by sin and hurt.

As the sun began to set over the prairie and we headed for home, I sat in quiet wonder.  I am His creation as surely as the prairie, the buffalo, the rainbow.  He made me beautiful.  I have the chance for Him to make me more beautiful everyday.  As the sunset and the moon brought a perfect end to a perfect day, it was settled in my heart.  I will sit quiet, still and listening every day, inviting Him to make me new, make me clean, make me beautiful.  It won't matter what I did to get dirty yesterday, because today, I can be bathed in His love, pure and clean.



Sunset over the prairie



Brilliant evening sky



The Lord knows how bring an end to the day!



Moonlight over the prairie

Our pastor's son wrote a wonderful song called "Beautiful Things".  Click on the title and let the song minister to you.

To read other posts about "Beauty" visit my dear friend, Shanda's blog, A Pause on the Path.

From His Lap, (pure & clean)