5 Father’s Day gift ideas that make a difference -.

Have a happy Father’s Day! Celebrate well the fathers in your life.

Two hours of pure, energy-burning toddler bliss: priceless

Yesterday we were gifted with a perfect, unseasonably warm early fall day and an excuse to visit Country Apple Orchard. Lucas got to explore apples and pumpkins, not in crates or plastic bags at the grocery store, but on the vine and tree. He got to watch horse-drawn wagons full of people on their way to ‘harvest’ the bounty of summer. He got to pet goats, squeal and point enthusiastically at whatever caught his interest, while we guessed; “Oh yes, what a lovely, urm, haybale (I think)!”

He was happy as long has he had room to roam and stuff to pick up off the ground. We were happy that he was happy. What fun to view the world through a little person’s eyes!

I was so grateful to make this memory with my little family. We’ve been through more than our share of sadness and shadow lately. It was good to share these moments of light, color and beauty.

He was an extraordinary man; creative, intelligent, elegant, charming and warm. He was also a man of strong, yet quiet faith, who went to the same Lutheran church all his life–it was the one he visited one last time on the day of his funeral, where his children shared stories about their dad and how proud they were to carry his name.

In a while I’ll share a one of his stories from the war, which was read by his pastor–he had included it in a devotional book made up of stories written by members of the congregation. I’m waiting to get it from the pastor.

In the meantime, I just wanted to take this moment, today while I’m reminded of it, to honor him and so many who have sacrificed so much so that my little boy, and so many millions, can sleep soundly and in peace tonight…

I got up this morning at 7 am. Since then I have spent the entire morning doing a thousand and one annoying things that I had absolutely no desire to do. I finally got to brush my teeth at around 11:00, and now, at 12:39 pm, I am actually getting around to doing what I wanted to do today.

Once I’ve finished with what I want to do, I know that there are clean dishes in the dishwasher, dirty dishes in the sink, a dog that needs to be fed, floors that need to be washed, and at least three loads of laundry to do, not to mention dinner, and Lucas needs a bath. And I’d really like to get some reading in after he goes to bed tonight.

These days I spend most of my time dealing with one distraction after another. Constant. Distraction. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my little boy and wouldn’t change a thing for one second. But I don’t deal well with distraction. And it’s a dark, rainy day. Hence, the mood.

A scripture entered my mind on this crazy, normal day: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication make your requests known to God, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” I can’t be bothered to check the words exactly; this is just the verse as I remember it.

So I remember this verse, and a prayer bubbles up from my heart: “Don’t be anxious? Are you kidding me God?! How about this for a request–HELP!!!”

Peace certainly would be beyond my understanding today, that’s for sure. I am so thankful for God’s grace and loving mercy–His hesed (one of my favorite Hebrew words). I may not find inner peace today, but I did discover online grocery shopping. I’ll take that for now.

Yet, growing from that same root system is another, smaller tree (look at the bit jutting off to the left). And if you look up into the branches, you see plenty of healthy green leaves growing out of what appears to be a completely shattered tree. It’s incredibly beautiful.

I couldn’t help but think that, if lightning hadn’t hit this tree at some point in its past, I might never have really noticed it. Sure, there might be more leaves at the top, and it might be a bit taller, not bent over like it is today. But it is precisely the tragic event in the life of this tree that has made it so striking.

By now the metaphor must be obvious. I believe there is precious beauty in each person, and true uniqueness. And I also believe that life can be really tough at times, and that being struck by ‘lightning’ now and again is pretty much par for the course. What a restorative image this tree is to me, that beauty can come from tragedy, and that life continues; not the same kind of life, certainly, but somehow deeper and more striking. By the grace of God, beauty can come from ashes.

Praise the Lord.