Today, I pray you find moments of quiet serenity where the voices and noise of the world cease for a bit. I pray you sit in the peace of Christ that shields you, inviting you to rest your body, mind, and spirit as He ministers love, joy, and contentment to your soul.
You are safe with Him, you are enough, and so deeply loved. Peace be with you.
May your day unfold in lovely ways that delight your soul, brighten your face, and remind you how deeply you are loved.
Happy belated Thanksgiving!
My husband and I are empty-nesters and this year with my son in the military overseas and my daughter not having much time off, we decided to do something different and go camping. We love to be in the outdoors whether it be camping, hiking, beach days – if it’s outdoors, we enjoy it! So off we went to a campground we’d never been to before in the Redwoods. It was chilly, damp (so firewood was testy and finicky), and gets dark early especially deep in the trees. We watched DVDs when it was too dark and chilly to be outside, cozy and warm in the trailer.
If you have read any of my books, you KNOW that mountains and forests are my happy place. The hikes we took did not disappoint! The Redwoods were breathtakingly beautiful. I felt a deep peace gently fall on me as we hiked in the stillness. The muted, filtered light was magical and ethereal, the fog soaked forest floor felt spongy and tender under our boots. The tiny spider webs looked like elaborately woven lace as drops of mist clung to each strand. I could feel restoration wrapping me up as I breathed in that one of a kind forest air hiking with my husband, enjoying our time away from busy city life.
We spent aday in a coastal town that we love exploring the shops, buying our favorite homemade jam, and walking along the headlands breathing in the salty sea air. So fresh and clean. The ocean and setting sun didn’t disappoint either!
I am so thankful that we decided to get outside our “normal” and camp in the woods. It was cold, refreshing, invigorating, and a much needed time away for us to hike, laugh, and just be for a couple days. Pressures and stressors melted away for a bit. It was good for our souls. God always knows what we need, even when it looks different than what we always do. For that, I am so thankful.
Divine Presence…!!! Front and back cover reveal and a peek at the interior! I’m so excited!!!!!
The Kindle eBook version of Divine Presence…is LIVE and ready to go!
Stay tuned and I will announce when the paperback version is LIVE. It should be middle of next week!
I can’t wait for you all to read it and let the words wash over you, comfort, heal, and encourage you that God is with you always wherever you find yourself in a given day. You are seen and so loved! Peace be with you.
EXCITING NEWS
Divine Presence… blurb reveal!
I’m very excited to reveal the blurb for book #4, Divine Presence…! I’m proud of this book and can’t wait for it to be in your hands, speaking exactly what God tucked into the pages just for you. I believe that each of my books in the Divine series have a little nugget or two for everyone.
Stay tuned for the cover reveal very soon… it won’t be long before I send this book out into the world
I love how the autumn light filters and dances through the red and gold leaves; a light, pixie-like breeze gently rustling them, sending a few floating lazily to the ground.
Standing still for a moment, taking in the smell, the light, the feel of that breeze lightly brushing my skin, I feel my shoulders relax and drop down a bit as I smile and breathe deeply.
The packed dirt and gravel path looks so inviting; it’s already claimed other nature loving souls this morning, who heeded the call to get out and be refreshed; joggers, walkers, meanderers; their faces reflecting the serenity that I’m desperate for today.
Preoccupied squirrels with fluffy brown tails are busy with their autumn tasks; digging, ruffling, burying their treasures. They make me happy. In an odd way, it is calming and peaceful to see them hard at work, yet seeming to revel in the autumn air and changing season as much as I am; their purposeful movements interspersed with dramatic bouts of scampering, scolding and tail waving.
The crunch of small rocks and dried leaves makes a pleasing sound as I walk the park. Haphazardly scattered along the pathway, among the rocks and sticks and other seasonal detritus, I am delighted to find bright red and orange leaves, which at first sight seem random, yet cause me to marvel at Mother Nature and the seemingly perfect placement of her handiwork. Lovely. A bright spot on the path, a reminder to be alert and observe, “there is beauty on your path but you must watch for it.”
What else might I be missing? I still my mind and watch and listen and smell; I observe with eyes that are looking for small joys and beauty; the things so ordinary that they are overlooked, yet are packed with meaning, novelty and beauty.
Laughter. I hear it. Toddlers so delighted with their game of hide and seek that they shriek out their joy and reveal their hiding spaces; feeling confident and protected as they run full speed through the grass, filling their young lungs with air and collapsing in a giggling heap with their gasping parents close behind. This. This is living. Exhausting oneself with pure happiness!
There is the man on the shady bench with his dog; a picture of contentment as he strokes the white head of his poodle and talks gently to it. His face is serene and his posture relaxed; the dog lying still observing us walkers, joggers and meanderers. Easy companionship.
I see the determined jogger, who runs past with heavy breathing and intense focus on her path, yet takes a moment to make eye contact, smile and chuff out a hello! Determined, yet aware.
From one vantage point at the far end of the path, I see the entire park open up in front of me. I feel joyful. I can’t help but smile wide at the deep green of the grassy area, where delighted dogs romp and chase far flung Frisbees, frisking around their guardians; where an older couple strolls hand in hand, taking in the park and all its beauty, totally unhurried; the huge mix of old trees that offer shade and respite for those enjoying the morning – pines, oaks and other varieties – the playground with excited children busy at play, imagining themselves invincible as they climb the slide ladder.
This morning walk in the park helped me shed a feeling of heaviness I did not realize I had been hauling around with me. I feel relaxed, open and so light; aware of just how much the ordinary is designed to bring joy, peace and a sense of centering, but we must have our senses ready to receive it. Our Creator knew just what He was up to, down to every slight detail; so intricate, yet so often overlooked, as we search out something huge and wild and shattering to bring back our peace and our sense of normalcy, when all we need is right in front of us, waiting to be seen with new eyes and fresh appreciation. Nature is calling, can you hear her?
I went on a bike ride yesterday morning. The first longer one I’ve been able to do in months, due to knee and elbow injuries. It was lovely and refreshing; full of an almost overwhelming amount of much missed sensations.
I am very much a sensation person. You know, someone acutely aware of the nuances of the wind, scents, sights, sounds or the absence of sounds. Sensations fascinate me and stir something up inside. Originally, I was going to make this a ride of new beginnings in the most physical of ways; starting off with a pre-determined number of miles as my goal, so as not to overtax my knee and elbow, which are still healing and tender in spots. That was the focus and I was going to get ‘er done. No fooling around, fanciful riding! I also decided to add in to the mix, a prayer for safety and that God would use this new beginnings ride as He saw fit; whatever that means. He did. I’m pretty sure I knew deep down that He would; when I invite Him into what I am doing, He always shows up. Always.
The morning was chock full of sensations; I mean full. There was a light to moderate, persistently cooling breeze with notes of a gently sweet flower – jasmine I think, with undertones of dew damp grass and that calming scent of the sea floating along, teasing and soothing. The light was lovely. It was fairly early, so it was a new light, just waking up from its sleep; all soft, gentle and tumbly; pleasantly warm when it hit my bare skin. The birds were in rare form, especially some blue jays with the raucous calls they are famous for, along with the pretty little birds, finches maybe, who dart and dip all over my neighborhood, singing their hearts out to the new sun. Wind chimes played in the distance and I may have imagined the earthy smell of coffee, floating by, making me wonder who was up and what they were doing. I’m also intensely curious! Some leaves danced and twirled past on a side street, as the playful breeze flew in to stir them up and left again just as quickly. Naughty and playful!
By this time, I am on the bike path parallel to the canal, trying to take in all the blue and yellow wildflowers that dip and twist in the breeze as I fly past. I realize that I have not been paying close attention to how far I’ve gone, what my knee is feeling, who else is out and about. It has just been me, my six senses and such a feeling of joy and excitement over what sight, smell, sound, or creature I might encounter next. As I pedal along, I am struck by how much beauty and joy I rob myself of on a daily basis when all I am focused on is the next accomplishment, the next item marked off my list (I really, really like lists!!), the next thing I think I need to do because someone else is doing it, someone else thinks it would be a good idea . I am comparing my desires, my dreams and my genetic make-up, that calls and beckons me to get outside and bask in sensations’, to someone else’s make up that does not or sends them in a different direction. I felt like I had a mini epiphany that allowed me, through sensations, to see that this is good, right, ok and to not feel guilty or less than, because I choose to do life a little differently than the next guy and to embrace that and love it and deeply nurture it, because it is the essence of me. It is the spirit of me that my God put inside me when He created me. He knew I was going to crave and need nature and sensations in a big, big way along with words, dreams , music, visions and the scent of the air more than other things, and that He delighted in making me this way. I don’t have to decide to do something a different way because someone else is doing it; I don’t have to stress because I like to exercise and nourish my body, my way. I think it was such a revelation to me, because as I was riding my blue bike, feeling sweat running down my back just to be immediately cooled off by the chilly breeze, I simply thought, “why hello, Melissa. This is me.” I could see all those parts of me and loved them. So many thoughts started pouring through my brain. I won’t go into all of them, because a lot of them make sense only to me and I think God wants some of those revelations and thoughts to be just between Him and me. But thoughts regarding weight, gifting, inclinations, my ministries, friendships, past decisions, my food choices and my thoughts around those were highlighted in a gentle, yet firm way, pointing out that they stem from what God thought of and got excited over when He decided He was ready to set me loose on this earth. Yes, I do have a lot to learn from other people, things to re-think and maybe go about in a different way, but the essence of me, my spirit, is me and it’s mine and I desire to intimately know, cherish and fiercely protect every part of it; not feel like I have to explain myself, convince others to see the essence of me or to defend it.
So, God did show up on my bike ride. Like I said, I knew He would, I just didn’t know what He would bring to the party. For me, it was something deep and shifting inside. I’m not sure I did a great job explaining and sharing it, but I’m ok with that, too, because a lot of it was just for me. Maybe you will get a little nugget or tidbit for yourself. That is my hope. That through this convoluted and a bit random blog post, a little treasure will hop off the page that God put here just for you.
Sunlight filters in through the blinds; the breeze is cool and refreshing through the slightly open bedroom window.
Shifting from dreamy sleep to wakefulness; content and peace filled. Thank you Lord for waking me up – I’m coming!
Cozy cat stirs and stretches; stomping on body parts still under the covers. Time to get up. He knows the routine well.
Scent of brewing coffee brings homey memories to mind; rich and earthy, there is safety in predictability.
Dogs wait politely, then bound outdoors enjoying freedom after a long, snug night. Noses to the ground on high alert; sniffing out the offending evening invaders; dew drops spot their muzzles; glinting as the sun peeks through tree tops.
Sounds of the morning!
Wind chimes sing softly and gently as the breeze tosses itself about; birds up since dawn cling to the feeders, calling and scolding and jostling for position. Bright reds and yellows, muted greys and black.
The gentle light of early morning gives way to something stronger; fortifying, brighter, life giving.
Coffee and the Bible sit on the pine table; steam swirls and pages flutter; beckoning and calling.
My heart stirs. There are mysteries to unravel here; richness to take in and understanding waiting to be sought and known. Revelation, peace and contentment are what I seek; warmth, depth and life.
Who knows what will come as the day unfolds? Joy? Laughter? Tears? Fear? For now, I sit at my Daddy’s feet, listening to Him speak with all my senses; sipping the warm richness of my coffee. It’s just a morning; but it is my joy.
Meandering off into the distance, the mountain path looks inviting.
Relaxed and lazy; where does it lead? Who has walked here before?
How many stories this lonely path must hold; what are its mysteries?
Warm sun complements the cool mountain breeze; perfect weather to explore!
Curiosity piqued; I set out with rocks and leaves crunching underfoot.
The silence is alive with nature doing its thing.
Birds call out with their beautifully intricate songs; joyful and bright, full of energy.
Wildflowers dip and nod in the breeze; dancing to their own tune along the low, gentle hills.
Vibrant colors are splashed about in hues of blue, yellow, deep red-orange; a divine paintbrush at work.
Busy insects hover and flit; carrying out the business of nature.
Mountain silence is full of life, purpose and order; energizing, yet calming.
Walking along, I hear forest creatures rustling in bushes; peeking and darting to and fro.
Small animals busy, yet wary; alert, yet free in their mountain homes.
I wonder how many eyes are watching my progress along the path.
The air smells of warm earth and the faint perfume of wildflowers and sunshine.
Ascending at an easy pace, the flat land dotted with trees; the forest grows thicker.
A subtle change of light with deepening shades of green; a peaceful energy.
Dappled sunlight filters through tree tops; birds soar from branch to branch still calling.
The path feels springy underfoot with a bed of needles and leaves covering the hard dirt.
Cooler air carries scents of pine and a not unpleasant older smell; moldy, ancient, circle of life.
Patches of wildflowers stubbornly crowd into pockets of sun that reach the forest floor.
Shots of bright beauty in the more subdued light; tenacious and bold!
In the distance, a loud crash through the underbrush; a deer, squirrels, a dead branch fallen?
Deeper in the woods, wind in the tree tops sounds like the susurrating sigh of the sea; branches waving and swaying; stirring the calm air in a dance as old as time.
Walking deeper in, the trees are very close; sunlight is tightly filtered and shadows play over the towering trunks as the path soldiers on.
Remote peace settles over the path, interrupted only by chattering squirrels and the noisy jay, demanding attention.
The air is quite cool. It smells crisp and deep, so clean and pure. Deep breaths to capture that scent memory forever.
Sun is dipping lower; a little farther, then time to turn back. Shadows deepen; day is ending. The scents, sights, sounds are etched into memory. Captured.
Never making it to the very end of this mountain path, the mystery of it calls out to me. Keep going! Solve the mystery…
Maybe it was never meant to be fully known.
Extravagant Hope 