Welcome 2018!

Reflections I've learned this year~


Love is more than skin deep, it penetrates the soul

Live life with the end in mind

God whispers, don't miss this, be watchful

Life has no pause button, live the legacy you want to leave

Courageously depend on God

Love 'em, launch 'em and work yourself out of a job

Blessings are often hidden in struggles

Live a life of grace

God enables sure footed confidence

Beauty can come from ashes

Pray honest prayers

Don't put a period where a coma belongs

If it costs you your peace, it's too expensive

Life is tough, but so are you 

Regrowth after destruction is tender, soft, fresh and vulnerable

Hurt people, hurt people but, loved people, love people 

Fling the doors open!

I will never tire of this view of my kitchen and with the sunshine drenching this space, I could sit here for hours. 
Oh wait, no I can't. 
I have way too much to do!
In my mind I'll sit for hours. 

Here in the PNW it has been an unusually wet Spring, but now, it's Summer and the weather has finally decided to act it's appropriate season! 

I love having the french doors open wide for the fresh air to skip in and wake things up. 
Simple, pretty details for a natural feel. Nothing beats fresh!  

We just listed a few new items. 
The link to our Shopify is below!
  
Follow the link to visit the shop!
https://dwell-with-me-studios.myshopify.com

Summertime and the livin' is easy

I must admit, I love the beach..... my soul is content and relaxed on the warm sand soaking up the sights, sounds and smells.

And, I love vacation...everyone running around, laughing, playing and genuinely having fun.

And this crew....what can I say, they have my whole heart.

And, I love the boat....relaxing though, it is not.
Relaxed is not the right word for me on the boat. I am a bit neurotic on that floating vessel, sure we are going to flip over and sink, it takes great mental preparation for a full day of "fun".
I unwillingly give plenty of fodder for my family to tease me about. Here we all are trying to make the face I apparently make in sheer terror as we are going around a corner on two wheels, of course if a boat had wheels that is.

My poor husband has the face most accurate I assume, since he is on the receiving end of my shrill screams. Happy to provide never ending material at the expense of my sanity.

Twelve weeks is entirely too short of a time to enjoy summer. I propose we take up a petition to extend summer a few more weeks!

Sometimes, life is like a walk in the park....Jurassic Park.

I bet you are humming the theme song to that movie aren't you? 
Makes for a nice background melody. Unless you just fast forwarded to the part where the dinosaurs break free and start eating everyone. Eeek! Come back to the serene beginning with me!

Ok, the ending though, I love the ending scene where they all make it safe and sound back in the helicopter, expect maybe not the accountant in the outhouse. He was plucked off the potty and eaten. But the others, they are beat up, bruised, scared to death and grateful to be alive heading home. They seem much more calm then I think I would be but maybe that's Hollywood's happily ever after ending.

What I've come to know is that in the tender years of life it often starts out like that walk in the park and at some point, sometimes without even knowing exactly when, the park morphs into a Jurassic Park type setting. 

Feelings get hurt.
Expectations go unmet.
Security may have been breached.
Sometimes we are left questioning, this is not the same guy/gal I know or am married to, is he/she even my same species? 

I've read that in the darkness of adversity, we are able to see more clearly the radiance of the face of Jesus. 
I love that. 
I love that when we are struggling to take the next logical step that if we draw close to him he will draw close to us. That he provides a refuge and fortress in whom we can trust. 

What the if?

Did you see that little tiny two letter word there? If you go too fast, it can be missed.
If. 
The way I understand it is that we are invited to take that first step to draw close, he commands his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. That they will lift us up in their hands. That the angel of the Lord encamps around us. 
If.
I'm learning to follow the instruction that each blessing has in it. 
To first be still, commit, trust, delight, wait, and refrain. 
Then, it says, then we will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.



Sometimes spiritual blessings come wrapped with a bow, but more often than not, through difficult trials.  
Often we meet God on our way up but really get to know him on our way down.

What does the if require of me? 
To be confident about releasing my fears and embracing healing.
To feed my faith.
To feed it like a gluten free person desires gluten. 
Like a Diabetic desires sugar.
Like an addicted texter who looses her phone desires to have it back. 
Oh, the thought of that!

For real now, one thing I do know is this; you don't know what you don't know. 
Brilliant right? 
But it's true. We can't know something we've never learned. 
But, when we do learn, we are responsible to let our doing flow from our being.
I'm learning to lasso my thoughts and seek first to find the blessings hidden in difficulties.  
To give up perfect in favor of good.
That sometimes it is good to allow tears to wash away the sorrow deep in our souls.

That the disquieting times perhaps might be Jesus saying; I want to keep blessing you so you've got to keep trusting me.

Welcome home. 
Stay Awhile. 
Journey with me. Let me bless you more than you could ever possibly ask or imagine. 
I have extraordinary love for you, do you trust me? 

Jesus broke the bread, then gave thanks. 

If we are broken, maybe we should give thanks first too. 
Seek restoration. Trust he knows our needs and is the master planner.
Invite him to be your DD. 
Do you know what that is? 
The DD? 
The designated driver. That was a new term to me. Who knew! 
The DD ensures that you make it home safe. 
The DD is the responsible one to be counted on and trusted.

With your life. 

I used to be married to a "man's man"....

You know that phrase; a man's man.
The Alpha Male type. 
The James Bond type. 
The Chuck Norris type. 
The Clint Eastwood type. 

I used to be married to him, a man's man that is. 

The super strong, can do anything kind of man.
The strong silent type. 
The hard shell that deflects fiery darts. 
The protector, the pleaser and the pumpkin eater. 
Ok, not the pumpkin eater, it just rhymed! 

But, guess what. 
My man's man has changed over the years.

He still is my super strong can do anything kind of man, but is much better after a season of redemptive rest. 
Being ever dependent on prayer the strong silent type becomes vocal about what God is doing through him and in him, not just for him.  
He removes easily the hard shell to expose wrinkles that are still being ironed out, having the wisdom to not go it alone. 
Dwelling in the shelter of the most high provides the rest, refuge and protection for daily living.

Learning years ago how to be a promise keeper, not just a promise maker has transformed my man's man, into God's man. 

I'm still married to that man's man, almost 30 years now. 
We've been given an extraordinary love story that I can never get enough of. 
Man's man, God's man, my man.

Without scary, you don't get to be brave

It was a Thursday afternoon in 2012. The sun wrapping it's long rays that stretched like arms around my bare shoulders. Holding me snug, whispering to my soul. 

Being startled out of my sun bathing bliss by the explanation of the expedition we were about to embark on.  I remember hearing something about the strength and safety of the little thread of a rope that I was about to be tethered to as I would be flung across a canyon....8 times. That the "brakes" and by brakes I mean an apparatus that slows, not stops were very important to know how to operate accurately. How we were to run and jump off the miles high platform that should belong in a circus. If we didn't run and jump off the platform we wouldn't make it all the way across the canyon below. We then would be dangling a million miles above the earth as the guide shimmied across the line to then retrieve you. All this happening while the rest of the expedition watched and waited and waited and.....

Watching each person ahead of us bravely trust the bouncy, long zip line as they, without hesitation, just ran and dove into the air! 
What was I thinking...how do I get out of this...they said it would be fun. This life threatening, treacherous adventure that we paid hundreds of dollars for, was supposed to be fun. I threw up a little in my mouth just watching what was soon going to be the death of me. 

Trying to quietly find a way to embrace my fear and let the sun melt me into Flat Stanley so I could just slip out of sight and back to the comfort of that beautiful resort we left, but no sooner was I navigating in my mind a quick exit, my harness was jerked to the edge of the platform by the guide. Truth be told, I cried, I peed my pants a little and before I knew it I was thrown off the platform into thin air. 

Ok, spoiler alert. 
I didn't die. 
Not once. 
No. 
I died about a thousand times! 

But, then it started to be fun. Just like they said. By the end of the adventure I was going upside down, dangling like a fall leaf just waiting for a gust of wind to blow me to the ground. 

Many times since that terrifying day I have felt those same feelings looking at the complexities of life. Wanting so bad to be brave and fling myself into life, fulling trusting without fear that the harness apparatus will hold me up. Even against those big storms that are so eager to blow me to the ground, I try to fear not. Not to just act brave but to be brave. To have faith and trust, fulling knowing who to draw my strength from. 

What I've learned is to step off the platform with faith first, then enjoy the adventure. Hang upside down; life has a completely different view that way. A perfect view of the heavens. 

I just used the "F" word!

What, you didn't think I'm that kind of girl did you?

I have said it before ya know, just only to those close enough to hear. 

I've said it with great passion and depth. 

Whispering it full of shame and sadness.
With tears washing my face clean and feeling a great release at the same time. 

Have you said the "F" word? 

Did it give you great power and freedom or guilt and remorse? 

Forgiveness. 

My "F" word.

Forgiveness. 

Granted or received, forgiveness is such a powerful word.
Sweet friend, get to know the "F" word. Get comfortable with using it daily. Grant it willingly and seek it often. 

Forgiveness is the gift you give yourself. 
Remembering back several years ago how I would burn with anger from deep wounds inflicted from a friend. Smoldering in the ashes of flippant words carelessly tossed about. Trying to laugh away the pain as salt was sprinkled in the gaping laceration. 

Not having the proper tools to address how to approach such hurtful behavior, I just let it simmer, on the back burner. Until one day, a few years later I realized, I was harboring hurt feelings that she had long forgotten about and moved on. Not owning her behavior but also not letting it get in her way either. 

A light bulb of life lessons was burning brighter than ever before. I was the one keeping kindling on the smoldering fire. Waiting for the much needed and desired apology...that never came.  
She was likely not consumed with what I was thinking, feeling or needing, so why was I allowing it to have such power over me?

The "F" word. 

I did it. I forgave her. Even without her asking for it. 
It freed me, not her. 

I have to admit, it did feel good to say "F" this and "F" that...forgiveness that is. 

Freedom 

Forgiveness

Living an exhausting life in constant communication with an inexhaustible God.