Peace Like a River

With the arrival of the new year, many of us take stock of our lives--where we're at, where we're headed, what we wish to accomplish in the year to come.  While I've never been a huge "resolution" person, in more recent years I've become more intentional about the progress I wish to make in the coming year. By being around goal-oriented friends and reading books on the subject, goal-making has rubbed off on me a bit!  So, while I'm still reluctant to adopt the more formal (and intimidating!) "list" approach to resolutions, I do love the practice of choosing a one-word goal.


Having a one word goal helps give me focus during the day-to-day routines of life.  It's a gentle reminder, when I feel like I'm stumbling and overwhelmed, to just slow down and see the bigger picture. My one word becomes a part of me, changing me forever.  One of the really neat things that has happened ever since adopting this practice, is that I have begun to see the inter-connection between my words from year to year.  As I worked on trust a couple of years ago, I discovered how it was related to my previous goal of "courage."  The connection makes sense, really, since spiritual goals never really exist in isolation.  I've been marveling at how my words have fit together year by year, like puzzle pieces.

A beautiful necklace my (awesome!) sister made for me for Christmas.

This year, the word I've chosen is peace.  Sometime last Fall I started thinking about what my new word would be.  One of the words that initially came to mind was "stillness."  As I began to think and read about stillness, it led me to the word peace, which felt just perfect.  While I spent 2014 trying to live more fully in the present, I felt like I wasn't allowing enough time to just be at peace.  My days are often filled with near-constant interruptions, noise and busyness (homeschooling 4 kids can have that effect!).  But I need peace in order to steady myself.  And one of the amazing things about peace is that it can still exist in times of chaos, because it's not dependent upon the environment; it's something that dwells within us.

Once I decided on peace as my word for 2015 I wanted to start by seeing how the dictionary defines it. The definitions were a great place to begin:

Peace: Freedom from disturbance; quiet tranquility.  A state of security.  Freedom from oppressive thoughts or emotions.  A state of calmness. 

I loved thinking about peace as a type of "freedom."  How true that being held captive--by our surroundings, or thoughts and fears--is what destroys our peace. After pondering this definition I wanted to see what scripture had to say on the matter of peace:


"'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed' says the Lord." --Isaiah 54:10


"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." --Isaiah 55:12


"I have told you these things, so that in me, you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world." --John 16:33


"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the holy spirit." --Rom. 15:13


"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." --Phil. 4:6-7



But the one that spoke to me the loudest was this verse that helped bring me comfort through my miscarriages:

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  --John 14:27

As I read all of these verses, so many amazing things kept popping out at me...most of all the connection between peace and hope, trust, thanksgiving and joy.  Before I had read the scripture verses on peace, I hadn't given a ton of thought to how closely related all of these things are.  But it started to dawn on me, that when we have give thanks, we can trust more deeply, which fills us with hope, spilling over into joy...all of these things working together toward peace.  So, in a sense, peace is the gateway to joy!  Amazing!

I'm looking forward to seeing where my one word will take me this year.  So far, I've been setting aside time each day to read and think about peace.  I've been trying my best to put aside the Martha-esque to-dos and worries, to just be still.  One of the things I've enjoyed playing around with lately is Zentangle.  Concentrating on the repetitive strokes and letting go of perfection while I do it is a great way to bring calm and a feeling of peacefulness.  My good friend introduced me to it about a month ago, and I've been loving it ever since! 

I've also resolved to write in my gratitude journal every. single. day.  While I've somewhat kept up kept up on jotting things down in my journal, I had fallen out of the practice of writing in it daily.  So, now I begin each morning jotting down my eucharisteo.  

I've also put into practice, during my morning prayer time, a few minutes to just be quiet and let God speak.  I tend to do a lot of "talking" to God when I pray, and sometimes I forget to just listen.   


I can't wait to see what the year ahead will bring!


Do you choose a one word goal for the year?  I'd love to hear yours.  Do you make a list of resolutions?  Feel free to share in the comments!

Capturing Beauty {a picture recap of 2013}

As I was looking back on the photos I took in 2013 I was thinking about how much I truly enjoy capturing God's beauty with my camera.  It's a way for me to pause in amazement at the wonderment all around, all the time.  So, I wanted to bundle together some of that beauty here, in this space, all in one post.  Want to have a look with me? 

Capturing a bit of Valentine cheer against the backdrop of beautiful white.

My favorite tree in our backyard.  I love to watch the changing of the seasons through this tree.  It's always beautiful, whether bare-branched, covered in snow, bright green or autumn yellow.  Such a gift this tree is to me.

It's sometimes a challenge to find the beauty in the often dreary dark days of winter, but I love capturing the everyday bits of cozy and comfort in our daily rituals.  And I've always been a lover of steam in sunlight. :)

There is such beauty in the dishes we create!  The color!  The art!  I love snapping a few shots of kitchen beauty made.

Amidst the waking of Spring, the kids were blowing bubbles this sunny afternoon.  Bubbles are always stunning!

The first violets of Spring lovingly picked and given to me by the kiddos. :)

This picture was taken at the park while feeding the ducks.  I love the reflection of the trees on the water, and it also makes me chuckle because, right in the center, is an ENTIRE slice of bread my daughter hurled into the water, as opposed to tearing it up into little bits.  So funny. :)

Springtime always makes me wild for a bit of green.  Seedlings on the window sill--perfect.

Whenever the buds start to turn all pink and irresistible I find myself wanting to capture them all on camera.  Such a symbol of newness and such balm to my winter-weary soul!

more buds!

I've always loved ferns, and these bright cheery fiddleheads popping up all over make my heart sing!

I've always been a sucker for the beauty of flowers.  I mean, they're just BEGGING to be photographed!

Field of clover in the backyard...one of the benefits of putting off mowing ha-ha!

These tree stumps are happily perched at the foot of our backyard.  I love to watch the kids hop about them on green afternoons.

Peonies--one of my favorite flowers.  They were my mom's favorite, too, so they always make me think of her. :)  I especially love this pale pink variety.

Just a little helicopter seed amidst the grass.  Love finding the simple beauty all around.

Gorgeous hilltop view at one of our favorite parks.

This picture doesn't even do justice to the sea of green that was this swamp.  It was breath-taking to be there in person.

Along with flower shots, I'm also a sucker for shadows!  So simple and, quite literally, always around! :)

bouquet of clover the kids brought me.  (The perks of not mowing frequently give all summer long!!)

This picture screams 4th of July!  I just love the memories it evokes--BBQ with the family, hot sticky happiness. :)

Fore is endlessly captivating.  I could stare at it for hours!  (But it's hard to photograph!)

This shot was taken at a children's museum with the kids.  I'm continually amazed by the God's beauty reflected in man-made art.

Sunflower against a brilliant blue sky.  End of summer awe.

Marsh grass.  So simple.  Amazing.

These budding morning glories in our backyard were so serendipitous!  Since it was our first summer at the new house, I had no idea what was planted anywhere.  All summer long I thought these were just weeds that but then, one day in August, they burst into bloom!  They lasted well into the Fall, and I just loved watching them open and close each day.

Morning Glories in all their...well, glory!

A last bit of summer's wildness as chilly Fall nights start to make there way.

Late summer is one of the best times to capture amazing sunsets!  Every evening the kids and I would run outside to catch a glimpse of the sky on fire.

More baked goodness.  A gift of deliciousness, enjoying the last of the season's blueberries.

End of summer is also an amazing time to catch the moon looking GIANT and amazing. (Another toughie to photograph without a DSLR!  I do what I can with my point and shoot.)

While on an afternoon walk with the kids at the pond down the street we happened to see this swan.  So beautiful!  We were lucky enough to catch him visiting a few more times throughout the season.

I LOVE succulents.  Always have.  This beauty is extra special to me because it was given to me by one of my oldest friends at her wedding.  I will always treasure it. :)

Stunning view from atop a lighthouse while on vacation in North Carolina.

Amazing sand dunes on our vacation.  I love to see how God's gifts of beauty differ so much from location to location.

The ocean--one of the most amazing of God's creations.  So vast.  So powerful. Always changing.  There's something therapeutic about sitting and watching the waves for hours. I always feel renewed.

Aaaah...Fall bursting in all it's technicolor splendor.  This shot was taken at a nearby apple orchard.

One of my favorite fields down the road from me.  I love to see how the seasons change the view throughout the year.  Here it is a lovely golden brown as the last of the golden rod dies off.

Nature silhouettes are always so much fun to snap.  I love the simple shapes, without all of the color.  It's such a different way to see beauty--through outlines.

Another one of my favorites in nature are colorful gourds!  Lit up by afternoon sun, they are breathtaking.  Each one is so unique.

A bit of Halloween yum I made for the kids' birthday party that past Fall.

The leaves were falling, and we spent the afternoon soaking up the late-autumn beauty at the park.  It's amazing how things still look gorgeous, even as they're dying.  The muted browns and spent seedpods have a rustic beauty of their own.

More late autumn beauty.

We were delighted to find this Praying Mantis at the park!  We watched it for a very long time.  God's creatures are so amazing!

Autumn path on a sunny afternoon.

Jack-o-lanterns!  So much fun!

Feeding the ducks on a chilly November day.

My favorite backyard maple turning a late-autumn golden yellow.  This tree turned colors long after most of the surrounding trees had already faded.  It was extra special that way!

More evidence of the beauty in nature, even as the colors fade.

This gorgeous sky was greeting me right outside my backdoor!  I ran to grab my camera before it floated away!

I love finding mushrooms on trees.  The patterns they make are captivating.

The first snowfall of the winter, at sunset.  Amazing.

I just love Advent.  The calmness.  The stillness.  The anticipation.  The sense of renewal.  Though it's a challenge to make room for the quiet in the midst of obligations and to-dos, each year I fall in love all over again with this 4-week season.  It was extra special for me this past year, since it was the first one settled into the new house. (Last year Advent was all about unpacking, since we'd moved in at the beginning of December!)

December afternoon moon.

We were lucky to have quite a bit of white this past December (pretty unusual in Connecticut!)  I just love how snow highlights the shapes of everything (much like silhouettes!).  Whether it's the first snowfall of the season or the fifteenth, snow never ceases to look stunning.

Aaaand, that's all!  It was wonderful to look back on all the ordinary everyday beauty I was privileged to capture these last 12 months.  It's so much fun to wrap up the year and all its changing seasons in one post like this--a first for me.  Thanks for looking with me! :)  I can't wait to see what everyday beauty 2014 brings.