Week's end with thanks

Kari Patterson > Sacred Mundane > Week's end with thanks
Sacred Mundane6 Comments0
  • Nyquil.
  • Girls getting real, vulnerable, breathing, crying, changing, growing — to be like more Christ.
  • House showing timed perfectly for 11am church.
  • Sunday afternoon naps for all.
  • Hum of dryer.
  • Learning.
  • Contentment.
  • Church home, faces smiling, arms embracing, love that’s true.
  • Feeding the right appetites.
  • Arriving at church 30 minutes early, time to play, meander, laugh.
  • Kids playing drums.
  • Coconut moisturizing hand-soap.
  • Feel of clean wood floors under my feet.
  • Black beans and cheese.
  • Sore throat, Marge Simpson voice, for some reason finding it fun.
  • Every at church commenting that my voice sounds sexy. Umm…kinda weird…ok!
  • Little boy in dress shirt and jeans.
  • Rainy day, dry home, no need to leave.
  • Jesus Storybook Bible.
  • Happy husband.
  • Drive with a friend.
  • Reflections on disappointments that turn out for good.
  • Electricity.
  • Learning to relax.
  • Getting organized.
  • Realizing all over again how rich I really am.
  • Paul the Apostle.
  • Inspiration from Anthroplogie without spending a dime.
  • Steady Mom.
  • Carrot sticks cold.
  • How Heidi helps me with laundry, crawling inside the dryer and handing items out one-by-one sorting and naming, “Dada … Bruh-Bruh … Mama … Mine!” Little helper.
  • How both my kids think that their underwear has a super-power button and gives them jet-propulsion power to zoom through the house. Where do they come up with this stuff?
  • Dutch holding his hands over his ears and saying, “Mommy can you hear me even when I do this?”
  • Children chasing each other. No idea who is “it” but they’re having fun!
  • Sneaking away from the family fun for some alone time. 30 seconds later all three of them have found me, surrounding me, hugging me, hanging on me, wanting me.  Reminding myself it is good to be loved!
  • Heidi cutting all four cuspids at once, poor girl, and after getting up from her nap asking “Car car!” I put her in the car (in the garage) with her dolly, strapped her in, and she promptly fell back asleep. Even when she’s miserable she’s sweet!
  • Letting Dutch eat the last bit of peanut butter right out of the jar.
  • Winning the purple primrose.
  • Nourishing Traditions.
  • Chickpeas.
  • My pasta-less spaghetti casserole concoction–yum!
  • Being able to laugh when I took Dutch into the bathroom at church for intense discipline, had nowhere to set my purse so I perched it in the sink forgetting it had an auto sensor–purse full of water!  Love those moments–we all need comic relief.
  • Hating hating hating disciplining my boy, but thankful for the strength God gives to do it. Clinging to His strength!
  • This blog.
  • Precious people who read it!
  • Like-minded friends in ministry.
  • Unity.
  • Hope.
  • Praying together.
  • Crockpot.
  • Children watercolor painting.
  • Duplo Legos.
  • My new 15-inch cast iron skillet–it’s HUGE and I love it!
  • Kids playing in packing material.
  • Dutch quote of the day: “Toys are more fun than vitamins.”
  • Foundation Farm.
  • Words.
  • Opportunities to risk.
  • Courage.
  • Google.
  • Old people.
  • Free Starbucks.
  • Beth Moore.
  • A gift of ginger tea from a generous praying friend.
  • Homeschool day with the girls.  Hiking down to creek. Mud to knees. Storm threatening. Seven tired happy people ready for a nap.
  • On my face, “back to the sky”, the safest place to be.
  • Elder and wife who care. Laid back dinner. Made to feel at home.
  • Molalla friends.
  • 45 minute drive out to the country which always nourishes my soul.
  • Hundreds of acres of clear-cut, logs and branch remains, speckled with thousands of daffodils, delicate brilliant yellow heads sprinkled throughout. Breathtaking.  Beauty from devastation.
  • Hundreds more acres of pasture, rolling green hills endless. Long-horns, sheep, trusty barns with peeling red paint. Faithful homes.
  • A small sign out front of a tiny house tucked miles away from anywhere. Sign reads “My son is army strong.”  Brave mama holds her man-boy with an open hand. I reach mine back to grab Dutch’s. Hold it tight and pray. God give strength to this mama as she grips his little life to give it away.
  • Trout Creek Rd. connecting two “middle of nowhere” roads. Winding down down down through moss-filled forests. Looks like it snowed green.
  • Barkless trees I’ve never seen before.  Must slow, stop, see. Learning to see.
  • The familiar curve of my parents’ driveway, car knows the way, down the hill, curve to the right, up the slight crest, pull to a stop. Front door opens. Weight of life slides off. Inhale peace.
  • Riversong.
  • The smell of my mom–home.
  • A baker’s dozen of kids taking off for the woods like fierce little miniature rangers. Dutch dragging his shovel, off to fight for freedom, catch bears, capture pirates all at once. Something about sharks in the woods.
  • Ministry meetings that feel like parties.
  • Laughter.
  • Repentance.
  • Our new Jehovah’s Witness friends who we love love love.
  • Meeting neighbors.
  • My momma-in-law.
  • Jeff beside me, now, tucked into bed, reading parenting book. A dad who cares. A treasure.
  • Doing my Bible study in bed, legs tucked under quilt, a little early-riser snuggled up at my side, shaft of sunlight, patch of blue sky, a promise through the curtains. Sleepy little voice, “I love you so much.” The pages of my Bible telling me the same. Engulfed with love.   Lord You are too much!  How do I get moments like these? They are too much for words.
  • Amazing morning with my discipler-sister-friend. Not one, not two, but four miracle stories. Gratitude always precedes the miracle. In awe.  Jaw dropping eyes-filled-with-tears sort of awe. That kind. That’s our God.
  • A very busy day that forced me to be diligent, getting everything done, dinner made, house clean, kids down, then unexpected no-show meeting meant two whole hours to sit on the porch, in the warm surprise of afternoon sun, sip iced tea already made, read, write, talk with my man.  The gift of time, of stillness, of holy leisure. Amid the thousand gifts of my week this was the sweetest.
  • Mother-in-law’s words: “I’ll make dinner!”
  • Ikea chalkboard easel.
  • Lentils.
  • Sunset magazine.
  • Smell of fresh barkdust, the scent of summer.  All this and sunshine too?!! Too much.
  • Watching out the window at my two workers, busy.  One with wheelbarrow, shovel, arms of strength. One with Lightning McQueen hat, sagging shorts, little boy arms and trowel.  Man and man-child fulfilling their calling, subduing the earth.
  • Combing tiny tangles from Heidi’s wet curls.
  • Psalms of Ascent.
  • Christ in you.
  • Beauty.
  • Honesty.
  • Truth.

6 thoughts on “Week's end with thanks”

  2. Snow…flakes specifically. Each bound for earth on a very distinct, unique path. No two alike. Each gloriously beautiful. Like you, like me. Thanks for the good words from your path.

    1. Debra you better believe that YOU will be on next week’s list of thanks. You were such a God-gift to me yesterday. Thank you for your initiative to reach out to me in friendship. So excited to see what God will do in and through your words…

  3. Hi Kari

    Thank you for introducing yourself after my Freelance Writing Workshop at yesterday’s Faith & Culture Writers Conference. It was great to meet you and to learn of your interest in Writing. It is always fun to meet other writer moms in West Linn!! And your Willamette Church connection, etc.

    It will be fun to stay connected on matters of faith, culture. the arts.

    Blessings on your writing and email with any questions you might have about the freelance writing world!

    See you around West Linn! – Cornelia

    1. Thank you so much, Cornelia, for your warmth and encouragement! You were such a gift yesterday. Looking forward to reading more of your work and learning all I can!

      Thanks for visiting me here. Hope you got some rest today!

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