52 linked: growth

All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without benefit of experience.

Henry Miller

The closer I get to forty, the less content I am to live a life that is "fine." I had never really given it much thought until when asked how my life (in general) was I replied, "It's fine." And this new friend said, "Fine is no way to live a life." She has a point. Fine is okay, but I long for more. I crave more. There is a place deep down inside that longs for something bigger. I don't know what that something bigger is supposed to look like or feel like. I do know that I need to take the time to really listen to the whispers in my ear. I do know that growth requires a willingness to give-up the thoughts and actions that are no longer working for me to make way for what's to come. I do know that I need to spend more time in prayer. And I do know He will be right there with me as I take those steps into the dark unknown.

52 Linked 2012 A new theme every week.

A few other friends are joining-in on the adventure.

Please stop by and see their interpretations of our word of the week.

Michelle, Tracey, Stacey, Heather, Jenn, Jessica, Amanda, Amanda, Kristin, Sara, Tracy, Lesli, Janet, Naomi, Rhonda, Rose, Carla, Heidi, Kristin, Heather, Amy, Liza, and Veronica.

the sun.

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

C. S. Lewis

living the questions.

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.

~Rainer Maria Rilke

evidence of sun.

Every shadow is evidence of sun

And every tomorrow holds out hope for us

~Nichole Nordeman

details.

Details create the big picture.~ Sanford I. Weill

Dad had just mowed and edged the lawn. After watching for awhile, Max ran inside and grabbed his scissors. (And I grabbed my camera.) Max wanted to help. He was going to help edge the lawn with those little kid scissors. Of course it would take him forever, clipping a few pieces at a time, but he didn't care. He was focused on those two or three blades of grass he could clip at once. He was focused on the details. It was easy enough for daddy to cut large rows of lawn with a passing of the mower. A lot of grass clipped, quickly. While daddy was focused on the big picture, Max was concerned with the details. He didn't think anything of his small scissors versus the large amount of grass to clip. He didn't hesitate. (Ok, well his clipping didn't last very long.)

That picture has me thinking of the details. It's so easy to let the day pass working on the big picture - cleaning the house, preparing meals, caring for pets, paying bills, returning emails and phone calls. The big stuff that needs to be done, the stuff that keeps us going. But what about the details of the day? Holding hands, the extra story read at bedtime, the phone call to parents to really talk and listen, letting kids help with dinner even though it creates a big mess. Those are the details that create the stories in our lives. The story would be pretty boring if we left out the details, right? Woke-up, ate, went to school/work, had lunch, played/worked some more, ate dinner, went to bed.



Life is in the details - those details are the big picture.
You create the details in your big picture.
What will your details be?

As a journalist, the details always tell the story. ~ James McBride

wise old lady.

Dogs are better than human beings because they know but do not tell.
~ Emily Dickinson