Myopic View

I’ve decided that myopic persons named the constellations. Last night as I lay under a blanket of stars, I viewed the vast night sky through my severely nearsighted eyes. The bright stars were round gold buttons, the dim stars swallowed by the black. The patterns of the constellations distinctly appeared, danced, and told me their ancient stories.

Things I learned about nature:

• Dew forms early in the night and quickly soaks into nice soft blankets that are not in tents.
• Fireflies are surreal when spread across an entire pasture.
• Lightning is swift, dangerous, bold and entrancing.
• Rain is refreshing, and tents are essential.
• The tiniest of frogs can sing their beautiful songs all night.
• A search for treasure in nature gives a bountiful harvest.

I awoke this morning to find my daughter settled quietly on this little island.

She had found a treasure of her own.

The mother didn’t mind her presence as long as she stayed back.

And when the mother felt threatened, the father came to the rescue.

amanda ∞

Flair

From Edith Schaeffer’s The Hidden Art of Homemaking, chapter 12, Clothing:

“Since ancient times people have been concerned to dress ‘correctly’, which usually just means dressing in the fashion of the period. Attached to this whole subject of fashion, however, are many other topics. Does it matter how we dress? Is it a sign of spirituality to be dowdy? Are certain clothes and styles positively ‘wrong’? And are other positively ‘right’? Certainly some Christians have asked these questions, and sometimes they have come up with some very strange answers.”

Edith goes on to encourage displaying creativity in dress, just as God beautifully and creatively clothes the grass of the field.

I don’t keep up with fashion well. Number one, I don’t really like to shop unless I’m in that perfect mood. Number two, my budget could not allow for me to keep up with the ever changing fashions. I have noticed that I tend to gravitate to vintage pieces and wear them until the seams fall apart, and in some cases, I mend the seams and keep on wearing.

One favorite shirt of mine I recently retired. My mom made it for herself in the early ’70’s. After she passed it on to me, I wore it so much that the oil from my body changed the color of the material. Although I have mended many seams, it is literally falling to pieces. I love the style so much that I borrowed mom’s old pattern and made a new shirt for myself.

If the clothing isn’t old, it must be comfortable. I think this comes from the years I had to wear a business suit to work each day. Pantyhose is no longer a piece in my wardrobe. They have been replaced with really long socks in the winter, and bare legs in the summer. Aaaahhhh.

What’s my style? Sporty, retro, farm girl, all at the same time. God made me this way. I feel most comfortable when I can dress in what strikes my fancy for the day. Today that happened to be moccasin boots and my shirt made of Civil War Era fabric. My man said I needed a buck knife strapped to my hip today, but I didn’t think Wild Oats would appreciate the accessory when I was out grocery shopping. 

amanda ∞

Hospitality

Last night I was reminded of the importance and joy of hospitality. A friend came by later in the evening. She stayed and laughed and shared her heart. Her presence was a great gift to me.

The repercussions of making and serving lunch yesterday were still evident when she came by, plus books and art supplies were scattered across the dining room table. Our house was a tad untidy. This didn’t hinder us from enjoying each other’s company.

Although having a clean home is refreshing, more important is having a welcoming home. If I am more concerned about the mess than I am about my company, the real distraction is not the mess, but my pride. At one point in my life, I would have been so preoccupied with someone seeing my house messy that I would have rushed her right back out the door.

Hospitality means keeping the guest in mind even if no visit is planned. In this, there is a balance to find. I like to always have my home in a state in which any impromptu guests would not be grossed out, but not have the cleanliness of my home be my focus all the time. By allowing others to see our natural day to day mess, I am inviting others into how we truly live. I am welcoming them into our well used home. The real gifts in hospitality are building relationships, learning to put others first, a chance to practice listening, a time to share. This is truly art.

amanda ∞

Hidden Art Every Day

I thought since I was on the topic of art every day this month that I would make an effort to also share the hidden art each day.

Today I worshiped through the hidden art of service. Each Friday, my family serves a delicious meal at VERONICA’s Voice. We serve intentionally. The food is homeade and as organic as we can afford. The dishes are not disposable. The napkins are cloth. We go through the extra effort and time rather than quickly cranking out and distributing a meal because we want to surround these women with God’s amazing, sacrificial love. We are not there to do our duty in service to our community. We are serving because God led us there through specific events. By giving of our time to show God’s value of these women through our hands, our whole family is being doubly blessed. He is filling our cup to overflowing. This is truly art.

amanda ∞