Never Once, Did We Ever Walk Alone

It was Christmas socks that would make a "favorite photo", and it was that "favorite photo" that would set the tone for my New Year's Eve reflections.   
I could spend hours writing stories about the places these feet have walked in 2018 (and in some cases I have).  These feet belong to those nearest and dearest to me.  
In our walking, we love deeply and laugh heartily.  In our walking, we face challenges and endure, together. 
The places we walk always lead us to friends, sometimes new and sometimes old.  And almost always, we walk with purpose and a mission greater than ourselves.  Some of my greatest joys and fears have come while walking "in step" and "alongside" of them. 
There are moments where we take giant leaps, but most days we plod along, one small step at a time. From the smallest feet (my sweet Haddie Lou) to the biggest feet, from the fastest feet to the slowest feet, we are...

Standing on this mountaintop

Looking just how far we've come

Knowing that for every step

You were with us
Kneeling on this battleground
Seeing just how much You've done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Yes, our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone
Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we'll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful!
Matt Redman Lyrics - Never Once

Christmas socks and all, we are walking into 2019 together, and never alone!
Happy New Year,
Crystal

COME TO THE TABLE

The evergreens and lanterns lining the walk-way offered a warm-glow welcome to all who entered.  Once inside, A beautiful winter-wonderland beckoned us all...

COME TO THE TABLE and Celebrate....

Friendship
Family
Joy
Sharing

Merriment

Peace

Dreams

Tradition

Giving

Creation 

Stillness 

To the wife and mother who is really gifted at creating beautiful things, but struggles at the thought of a large gathering and people she doesn't know,  she "just happens" to sit next to the woman who makes her feel at ease and joyful.  When the night is over, a kindred spirit has been found.  

To the young professional who thanks us for including her -- she also "just happens" to sit next to the woman who offers her just what she needs.  Kindness and Passion for her profession!  She later sent me a note expressing, "it was incredible to sit at a table filled with such confident, inspiring women".  

To the woman and friend who saw fit to fill a tin with cookies, and deliver it to a friend who couldn't be there because she is often just physically unable to get out. 

To the coordinators of the event itself,  hard work is always rewarding when you get to see first hand so many expressions of awe and joy and wonder.  As a point person for the event, I received a lot of compliments and thanks.  BUT, I learned a long time ago, it isn't about how good "I" can be, rather, it is about the amazingly good people surrounding me.  I am grateful for the love and thanks offered towards such a fine affair, but I am beyond grateful for all the ladies who collectively and sacrificially gave of their time, their resources and their talents.  To the hostess and the table setters, to the decorators and silver polishers, to the soup makers and the bread buyers, and ALL  who expressed their joy of the season thru making invitations and baking cookies to share...YOU are the amazingly good people around me.   

 As fulfilling as it is to create fun, festive, beautiful and delicious Christmas Cookies, it is really so much more than a cookie exchange.   In the celebration, whether simple or elaborate, in our own unique styles, we find community and connection, we inspire other women, and most importantly, those places in all of us that feel void or uncertain, are encouraged.  Something very special happens when we COME TO THE TABLE with an open and willing heart, ready to celebrate.    

This Christmas Season may you savor the goodness of all those cookies, but more importantly, may you savor the gifts in COMING TO THE TABLE.  

Merry Christmas

Crystal 

THE PARABLE OF THE SQUIRREL AND A PUMPKIN

My day off began with the usual domestic duties....cooking, laundry, cleaning, tidying. 

Because nothing takes the place of fresh pumpkin I decided to cook one in preparation for all of the upcoming holiday goodies...pumpkin scones, pumpkin pie and pumpkin-squash soup.  

Feeling both resourceful and generous towards the animal kingdom this cold snowy morning, I took the butt of the pumpkin with all of the seeds and other stuff not really conducive to human consumption, and placed the two halves face up in the back yard.

It wasn’t long until the unfolding drama caught my attention. A very plump squirrel was happily marking his territory—those two pumpkin halves. He feasted like it was the finest! Curiosity got the better of me and in my attempts at capturing him on camera, I was taken with his persistence, not to mention his selfishness. Just as keenly as he guarded himself from “human” scent, he also with a vigilance and aggression, guarded his provision. Each time another squirrel would attempt to close in to partake in the feast of goodness, he would lunge as if to say, “back off, this is mine, all mine”.  Feasting like royalty, he had no intentions on sharing the bounty.

I found myself both entertained and somewhat saddened by this little exchange.  In a strange sort of way I saw a picture of the church and God’s goodness. What is the correlation you ask? 

So often as Christians we partake in the feast set before us....through blessings and circumstance, through great teaching that is right and true, through favor poured out, peace and joy unspeakable....we guard it and mark it as our very own.
The world watches, and in their attempts to get close, we push them away. We guard "our turf" because it's safe and good and right.  Sharing might leave us lacking or doing without.

Luke 6:38 says, Give away your life, you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back---given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. (The Message Translation).

Going about my day, I soon forgot about the squirrel and his pumpkin, only to later discover an even greater act of drama. Mr. Squirrel had finally succeeded in getting rid of the “other” squirrels only to take on 2 new and bigger opponents. Not for one minute did he drop his guard. He scurried and lunged back and forth between 2 very large crows, and never once did he relent. The

battle got intense but finally, the crows were gone and he had succeeded in guarding his turf and keeping it all to himself. 

Yes, I am fully aware that God created animals with survival and protective instincts.  But, as I witnessed what seemed a trivial animal kingdom drama on this wintry morning, I couldn't help but reflect on the goodness of God, all that I have to be thankful for, and how I can become better at sharing His Goodness with others.

I was never really able to capture the full extent of the drama on camera, but to see 2 squirrels and 2 crows feasting together on a pumpkin in my yard on a cold snowy November morning, would have been a “Kodak Moment” for sure. This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the moments in my life that are “Kodak” worthy (and yes, even the ones that aren't).  May I strive to spread the wealth, share the feast, and indeed, be generous with life and all of its goodness. 

Crystal