What Would Wendell Berry Say

I love Wendell Berry's writing. I read "Hannah Coulter" last summer and it made me want to buy a large farm and raise some chickens. His writing is very nostalgic, and oh so beautiful. I'm reading a collection of his short stories called "That Distant Land" and I sometimes find myself thinking in what I like to call "Wendell Berry sentences." They go something like this:

Good things right now. Oh, there are many. 
There is the 6 foot magnolia tree in the garden, blooming in its full pre-summer beauty, beckoning for the sun's rays to shine upon it and give it the strength to grow.
There is the ocean. The time to go to the ocean. The kindred spirit friend to join me at the ocean.
There is the word. The word of God, the word of encouragement, the spoken, written, unwritten word.
There is the ticking of the clock. An unwelcome, unsettling sound to many, but an ever-present reminder that as long as you are able to hear that ticking, you have a purpose and a future.
There is the sky with its indecision between rain and shine. The clouds and rain drops adhering to the many moods of the day. 
There is the knowledge, built up by ancient dreamers and creative thinkers, pushing aside traditional thinking and making DISCOVERIES. 
There is the endurance that is only fully recognized for its substance once it has been accomplished. 
And yes, there are the people. Where do I begin with the people? The new, the long-time, the young, the old, the laughers, the planners, the story-tellers, the listeners, the deep-thinkers, the forward thinkers, the contemplative ones. Oh, the people. 
Yes, there are good things right now.


Much Love, Vivi

Sparklers & Celebrations

Sometimes you've just got to bring out the sparklers and put them to good use. Or buy a box of Purdy's. Or spend a good chunk of time walking around the garden, breathing in the scents of the outdoors and the freshness of Spring. My goal right now is to celebrate just that: the right now. I've struggled in the past with living in the moment, where I have tended to plan everything out into something structured and organized (and there is nothing wrong with planning and being organized! Everyday I make an agenda and a list of goals.) But I've come to the realization that God is good RIGHT NOW. No matter what my day looks like, He is good in this very moment, and THAT is something worth celebrating. Tomorrow holds its own good things, challenges, moments to build character, but TODAY holds beautiful things that are worth my time and focus. 

"How many are your works, Lord. In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small." Psalm 104: 24 & 25

" Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever." Psalm 136:1

Much love, Vivi