Tuesday in February

It's the first Tuesday of February.   Somehow January has come and gone.  And 2017 marches on.

There's the expected: cold mornings and gorgeous Florida afternoons.
And the unexpected: the entire second half of the Superbowl.

There's beauty.  There's unknowns.  And there is routine.

There are so many more days to unfold.

Happy February friends.

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To Bottle Happiness

I wish that I could find a way
To bottle happiness and stay
Within its grasp, within its sway
For all the moments, all the days

But happiness I find
As impacted as the day unwinds
A state of grace, a state of mind
Not always what I can combine.

Thus, happiness it seems
Is not the measurement of dreams
But rays of a larger grander scheme
That proclaims, protects, this life redeems.

So that one day life will have its way
And put bright happiness on full display
Within it's grasp, its easy sway
Eternal moments, endless days.

-Kristen Harmon

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At Great Cost, Thoughts on Rogue One

My husband and I saw the new Star Wars movie, Rogue One, last week.

It was incredible.

As the movie progressed I kept thinking about the line in Episode 4, A New Hope- when one of the rebel leaders says that the files to the death star were obtained at great cost.

As this movie so brilliantly reveals, so they were.

What I find interesting is this.  Had I seen Rogue 1 before the original trilogy, I would not have liked it at all.  It's not in my nature to like those kind of endings.

But because I know the rest of the story, because I've seen the result of their sacrifice, I can appreciate the movie.

Perhaps in some small way, this gives insight into how all of heaven was able to endure Jesus' death.

I don't know if I could have done it.   I don't know if I could have watched someone I had loved for eternity experience the suffering that he did without intervening.  But so it was.   And because of it, a precious door was opened.

Hebrews 12:2 says these words:  "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.  Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne."

As I see it, sacrifice is only possible when it is for a cause that promises a better future.  Not just for the recipient, but for the one making the sacrifice.

I'm not suggesting that we seek out pain or that we stop pursing goodness and joy.  But rather that if we find ourselves in a dark moment that feels of epic proportion (even if it is not), that we remember.

When you desperately want some quiet time, but the kids are sick.  When you dream to start a new company, but instead stay in your job to provide stability for your family. When hope feels lost.  When you can't see the future. When you want to give up, but press on.

In those moments may we remember the joy set before us.   May we remember the ending.

And keep going.

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Hope

There is something about a new year that calls me to hope.

Hope for good things to come.

Hope for a clear mind to make good decisions.

Hope for the new, the fresh, the growing.

Hope for the remembering, the familiar, the known.

May hope spring eternal in your heart this new year.

And may it grow into a deep resevoir of life.



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Christmas Letters

In an age of ecards and Instagram, it's amazing that Christmas cards and letters still exist.

What is it that still compels us each year to choose a favorite photo.  Upload it to a printing site.  Add all the addresses and a Christmas stamp. And mail a card to our loved ones?

It's a tradition from times past.  Yet it remains.

Have you ever wondered why?

A recent podcast suggested suggested that we need to surround ourselves with things that are real.  Real sunlight, real food, real books, real people.

A Christmas card is real, tangible, and mailed from someone who knows you.

A reminder that the best nouns are not digital.

The best memories are not on social media.

And lasting relationships are worth their investment.

So as your mailbox fills with glittering Christmas cards and letters, remember the uniqueness of each person on your address list.

Happy reading!

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Lament for a Coffee

Coffee is meant for sipping
Not gulping.

Such a shame to watch its drops
Disappear quickly.

Losing the time to savor them
While words flow in and out.

Sometimes life demands gulping
But it should not always.

Otherwise caffeinated and brimming
We may forget.

Life is not only doing
Life is also being.

And who we are becoming
With each sip.

-Kristen Meyer Harmon

Just another Tuesday?

It's Tuesday.  A day usually overshadowed in dread by Monday and in excitement by Friday.

But what makes this day unique in perhaps both dread and excitement is the culmination of months of planning, reading, commenting, thinking, debating, and hopefully praying.

It's election day.   While some of us cast our votes by mail or at libraries around the country, many Americans went to the polls today.   And soon, the outcome of this volatile election season will be revealed.

Some Americans will be genuinely happy for the victor.  Others will find solace in knowing their opponent lost, and pray the victor isn't too terrible for America.

And still others may fear for our future.  For the America the next generation will know.

Whatever your opinion of the result today.  And whether that result be fairly or fraudulently won, this will remain true.

Time will pass.

And truth will be known, whether in this life or the next.

God is still on His throne.

The best thing we can do tonight is pray for our nation.  Pray for those who influence its leaders. Pray that they might have wisdom and discernment in their counsel.  And pray that God will fulfill His purpose for you.  For me.   That we may be lights in this world.

Shining brightly towards the next.