Lisa notes

Whole

It helps to see the whole picture.

A week ago I was busy cleaning house. Dusting. Vacuuming. Even mopping.

I don’t mop often, sorry to report.

But our granddaughter was coming. And she has learned how to crawl (sort of).

Because I knew she would spend time on the floor, I wanted the floors as clean as possible.

It’s the whole picture.

I don’t just clean the house because it’s fun (it’s not). Or because I need something else to do (I don’t).

I do it because I love the people who will be in it.

When we remember the big picture, it helps us stay motivated.

I still didn’t enjoy mopping the floor. But I did it with a lot more joy when I imagined my sweet grandbaby on it.

And later when I saw her crawling on it, I had the most joy of all.

Three Questions

Here are our three questions of the day:

(1) What’s your most dreaded household chore?

(2) Are you a skimmer of books and articles, or are you compelled to read the whole thing?

(3) Is there anything missing in your life that you wish God would give you right now to bring wholeness?

* * *

What are your answers? Please share in the comments.

My answers

(1) Cleaning the bathtub is one of my least favorite things.

(2) I skim articles. I sometimes skim non-fiction books if they get repetitive. I read every word of novels (I’m afraid I’ll miss an important nugget of information if I skim).

(3) My life feels very whole, but I do wish Morgan’s family lived closer.

Get the whole Handmade series here

First

There’s a first time for everything.

Sometimes the first time is the most exciting. (Sometimes it’s also the most frightening.)

I got to go with Victoria and Mason on their first field trip.

Neither had been to a pumpkin patch before.

This was an exciting first. For both of them.

There were many new things.

And because they were excited, I was, too.

When they smiled, I smiled, too.

While we can’t repeat a first ourselves, we can accompany somebody else experiencing a first.

After God created the first man and the first woman, I assume he didn’t get bored with every human thereafter. Because with each person, it was their first time coming into the world.

When we celebrate someone else coming to know Christ for the first time, we renew our excitement at knowing him, too.

If there’s a first you need to tackle—and you’re nervous about it—bring an old-timer with you. Not only will it be good for you, but it might be exciting for them as well.

There will be smiles all around.

Three Questions

Here are our three questions of the day:

(1) Is there a pumpkin at your house this October?

(2) Do you remember an exciting field trip that was a first from your own school years?

(3) What’s a first you have experienced with God in the recent past?

* * *

What are your answers? Please share in the comments.

My answers

(1) No, I gave Victoria my pumpkin to give to her youngest child.

(2) I remember my first helicopter ride with JROTC and also a fun math tournament in Montgomery with our high school Mu Alpha Theta team.

(3) God has been guiding me through the glorious wonder of being a grandmother for the first time this year!

Get the whole Handmade series here

Capture

I like to spread things out.

Don’t put too much emphasis on any one thing in case something falls apart.

But as I repeat my memory verses this fall, I’m reminded of this: There is one thing faithful enough for total dependence.

And I’m trying to recall it to mind often.

It’s the promise in these verses. This is part of our Fall Memory Challenge at Do Not Depart, Lamentations 3:21-26.

Lamentations 3:21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

If God’s love for me never stops, and his mercies never end, and he promises to give me grace every morning?

Then he’s a sturdy basket for all my eggs.

I want the Lord to capture all my heart, all my soul, all my mind. Everything.

He is reason enough to stay hopeful, even when other things may fail.

Three Questions

Here are our three questions of the day:

(1) Do you take screen captures?

(2) How do you best like to capture a special moment? Photo? Journal? Souvenir?

(3) What promise of God do you often rely on?

* * *

What are your answers? Please share in the comments.

My answers

(1) I take screenshots of so many things both on my phone and computer. (I just checked my phone and I have 107 screenshots! lol)

(2) I don’t always like taking pictures, but I love having them to remind me of special moments. (Shout out to my sister Sandy and my daughter Jenna for being the family photographers and thus memory-keepers.)

(3) That the Lord is good and will always be good; I rely on that truth as a basic foundation of my faith.

More here

• Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
  There is one basket that is safe for all your eggs. Put all your hope in the Lord. Your soul is safe there.
• How a Christian Concert Affirmed This Memory Challenge
  How did this Christian concert affirm my decision to memorize this scripture? It’s how God works.
• When You Get Your Grace
  When will you receive a fresh supply of grace? Always today.

Get the whole Handmade series here

Brief

When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s baby is born next spring, it will automatically be royalty.

But it won’t know that. At least not at first.

Sometimes we think we have to know everything before we can do something.

But as believers, it’s more about who we belong to than how much we know.

So do you know enough already?

Read the whole thing here, “Do You Know Enough Already?”

Three Questions

Here are our three questions of the day:

(1) How often did you visit your grandparents when you were a child?

(2) How far back can you trace your family of origin?

(3) “But I don’t know enough yet!” Have you ever said that to God when he wanted you to do something? How did it work out?

* * *

What are your answers? Please share in the comments.

My answers

(1) We lived in Alabama and my grandparents lived in Mississippi. For awhile we drove there every 6 weeks to visit, but less as we got older.

(2) My siblings have a family tree somewhere. I only know names back to some of my great-grandparents.

(3) I say that to God probably every week about something. I never think I know enough. Then I tell him, “Okay, I’ll just show up—but you have to do the rest!” and it usually works out pretty good.

More here

• When “I Don’t Know” Is Good
  We’ll never have all the answers. Is this ever good? Should we make peace with uncertainty and “I don’t know”?
• Are You Good Enough to Witness?
  Wouldn’t I be a better advertisement for Jesus if I could get it all together? Then I remember: I am not the point. I am only the pointer. It’s about Jesus.
• When You’re Not Sure
  When you’re not sure, don’t be so scared of being wrong that you do nothing. Even if you make a poor decision, God’s grace can redeem it.

I’m writing at Do Not Depart today. Will you join me there? Do you already know enough?