Nothing Good Gets Away

My mother once remarked on the differences between two of her children. While one said, “I’ll do it tomorrow,” the other said, “There is no tomorrow.”

Guess which one you’re reading.

Brace yourself. This may come as a surprise.

I’m a little high-strung.

The only gray in my life is on my head when I miss my salon appointment. I’m black and white—and read all over. Considered by some to be entertaining as well.

Although I may look super cool, my nature is type A. Prone to burnout, breakdowns and digestive issues.

Last post you read about how I drive with intention. You may have detected an urgency in other posts too, and you probably will again.

Live now. We’re not getting any younger. Get those ducks in a row. Just do it. Today, please.

When taken to extremes, our strengths look a lot like weaknesses. So I’m learning with age, motherhood, circumstances, my husband’s encouragement, and God’s gentle prodding to cool it. Take my foot off the gas pedal once in a while. Give myself and the rest of the world a break.

As much as I hate it, things spin out of my control.

Okay. Things were never in my control in the first place.

Pacing doesn’t come easy. But with practice and God’s grace, it’s possible to slow down. To actively wait and rest. As I heard the pastor say in yesterday’s sermon, “The invitation is to trust.”

One of my favorite quotes is from writer John Steinbeck. “Don’t worry about losing,” he said. “If it is right, it happens. The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.”

God has a good plan for you and me. He’s the driver. Nothing we do or don’t do stands in His way. God’s plan will be accomplished in spite of us.

Time to rest on that.

And I am certain that God, Who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 NLT

Taking My Time, Ashton, Becker & Dente.

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Posted on January 30, 2012July 14, 2012 by Aimee 12

Happy New Year from everyday epistle

XmasVolland828 — image from Vintage Catnip

Here’s to 2012. Lord, please bless the adventures to come, the laughter, love, trials, tears. Give us a little bitter and a lot of sweet.

As they say in the Kansas state motto,

Ad Astra per Aspera:
To the Stars with Difficulty.

To the stars. What are we waiting for? Let’s go.

See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 NIV

Come on, team! Let’s Go by The Cars.

Catnip Studio

I came across the lovely 1922 New Year’s greeting featured in this post on Pinterest and had to share it with you.

The pin lead me to Vintage Catnip of Catnip Studio, a delightful site filled with lots of goodies like free vintage clip art.

Catnip Studio’s creator explains the site “exists as my way to pay it forward.” I, for one, am thankful.

Posted on January 1, 2012July 14, 2012 by Aimee 7

Connecting the Dots of Thankfulness

I’ve noticed a lot of posts about thankfulness this month. Apropos with Thanksgiving less than two weeks away.

Today I’m thankful for June. For a house that sold after two excruciating years on a dismal market.

That saga nearly killed us. I’m thankful that by Grace it didn’t. May we remember the hard lessons learned.

I’m thankful for June when we left town on a road trip across these beautiful United States.

For our precious realtor and friend who handled the unexpected sale of our house and quickly secured another place for us to rent. I’m thankful for the blessing of a wise advisor.

June was only the beginning. It was then we first learned my husband’s employer was being acquired. I’m thankful for his job with the new company.

A new job in a new city. Where just last week, another savvy realtor helped us find another house in a mere 48 hours. One that wasn’t even on the market yet.

I’m thankful for Papa Bear who graciously gave up acreage to preserve unity with Momma Bear. May Papa Bear find joy in the negotiated concession of a healthy landscape budget.

May he go forth shopping trees, shrubs, and all good things that grow in the ground.

May our backyard be filled with the Cub’s small practice field and a slice of botanical garden, both sweeter than honeysuckle vine.

I’m thankful for nearly move-in ready.

Besides the minor detail of totally uprooting our lives, all that’s left is picking paint colors. A job I’m thankful to add to my to-dos.

Only been in the house three times. Less than an hour cumulatively. By Faith I traverse the waters of Sherwin-Williams.

We move in five weeks. Not a schedule for the faint of heart. Who knows what will happen tomorrow?

Not to worry. I’m thankful God’s strength is perfect. As is His timing.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful… Hebrews 12:28 NIV

God is still God and He holds it together.

What are you thankful for today?
I’d be so thankful if you would share.

Happy Veterans Day!

Today I’m also thankful for the brave men and women who’ve served in the United States military. Thank you Dad, Uncle Jon, Uncle Bill, Michael B., Joe G., Jeremy N., Cordel H., Eric B., Jeff W., Uncle O., John M., Jeff S., and the many more too numerous to name here. Freedom is not free.

Posted on November 11, 2011July 10, 2012 by Aimee 25

Don’t Save the Marshmallows

My mother used to tell me not to save my clothes. Go ahead and wear your best today, she’d say. Guest blogger Karla Foster explains how the same applies to the marshmallows.

Rummaging through my pantry, I came across a bag of marshmallows. I almost returned it to the back corner, but decided to bring it into the light instead.

Expiration June 2009. Oops.

Apparently, one day in 2008 I thought it might be nice to make Rice Krispies Treats. How many times since then had my hand brushed across the marshmallows looking for another ingredient?

I’d think to myself, “I should make something with these.” Then in the same breath, “No, I should save them.”

Not now. No time. Save for later. As I stared at the marshmallows now in our trash, I thought about what was missed because of my excuses.

marshmallowpillow — as seen at Good Works, www.goodworksfurniture4u.com

The marshmallows could have been a quick dessert for a family in need. A greeting to a new neighbor. A snack for a friend’s kids. Or even a sweet reward for lots of us working out at the gym.

Recently, a member of our Sunday school class entered the hospital in a life and death battle. This only gives me more pause to consider that I am not guaranteed a later. There is just today. There is just now to do what God is calling me to do.

Be holy as I am holy. Go and tell all the world. And so much more. There are kind words to share, notes of encouragement to be written, prayers to be lifted.

Why wait? And for goodness sake, don’t save the marshmallows.

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it
when it’s in your power to help them.
If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say,
“Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.” Proverbs 3:27-28 NLT

The Winans’ voices are smoother than s’mores. This song is an oldie—even older than Karla’s marshmallows, but such a goodie. Take a listen now to Tomorrow.

Karla Foster and her husband Bill are dear friends of ours.

Besides teaching Bible study and apologetics classes with Bill, whipping folks into shape as an aerobics instructor, and making the occasional pan of Rice Krispies Treats, Karla enjoys a successful career in IT sales.

Oh, and she’s a Tarheel, which never hurts on this blog.

Posted on October 17, 2011July 14, 2012 by Aimee 17

Birds on a Ledge

Stroll through the city with me. Come on. Let’s go for a walk.

Down along the river. Across the bridge then back again. It’s early evening and quiet here. Silent compared to the bustling day.

Look up to the top ledge of a building. Under the signage, still unlit as the sun begins its descent. What are those dots against the concrete? Is that dentil molding? Decorative relief?

One dot moves near the middle. Then a flutter far right, a quiver to the left. They’re birds. Hundreds of them perched in a row across the building. Lined up one by one on the ledge.

pigeonsbywili_hybird — image by wili_hybrid via flickr under creative commons license

In comes another, furiously flapping.

“Make room! Make room!” beat his wings.

And they do make room. Comfortably he is enveloped in the rest as if he’d always had a place.

Another lands. And another. One leaves, diving off the edge and lifting up. More come. Some go. Most stay.

The evening sky reaches above the building and the ledge and the ones resting. It’s filled with dots. Thousands more birds in endless, circling flight.

There are plenty of high buildings here, plenty of ledges to make for safe rows. Room enough to keep them all.

Come settle, little flying ones. Break from your wandering journeys, your weary circling and dipping and floating away. Come. Land. Many find rest. And still there is room.

“The servant reported back, ‘Master, I did what you commanded—and there’s still room.'” Luke 14:22 The Message, from a parable of Jesus

Landed by North Carolinian Ben Folds. If the piano alone doesn’t move you, please check your pulse.

This post is in fond memory of Dr. George Worrell.

Posted on August 20, 2011February 11, 2013 by Aimee 6

Team Steven

me&stevensmcrp — me & Steven Curtis Chapman

Standing in line last week to board a plane to Nashville. Gee, I thought to myself. That voice sounds familiar.

Turned around to see none other than Steven Curtis Chapman. We were on the same flight!

Might not have recognized him except for his voice. I’d heard his voice in an interview on Joy FM earlier that morning and a thousand times before. Added up, I’ve been listening to this man sing for 20 years.

The line was moving fast and soon he was out of reach. I’ll look for him on the plane, I thought.

That didn’t happen either because I found a front row seat. I happily spent the short flight sitting between a man who slept the entire time and a lovely 84-year-old woman who recounted to me her adventures traveling the world with her late husband. She may get a post of her own.

But before the plane took off, I updated my Facebook status: Steven Curtis Chapman is on my flight to Nashville!

When we deplaned an hour later, I figured I’d lost my chance to speak to him. Then I turned on my iPhone to check messages. A dozen excited Facebook comments popped up on my status along with a groundswell of likes.

Oh, dear. I vowed if I saw him again I would speak to him. I had to. For the team. And I got my chance in baggage claim. Yes, he carries his own luggage.

The businesswoman in me firmly shook his hand while the fan in me gushed and giggled. He was so gracious, so unpretentious, so normal.

Who among us cannot relate to the story of his songs and the story of his life? Love. Grace. Salvation. Adoption. Triumph. Tragedy. Grief. Mercy. Renewal.

(1990) Tomorrow morning if you wake up and the sun does not appear, I will be here.

(1992) Go on and say what you need to say while it’s still called today.

(1996) But when it all comes down, you know it all comes down to the walk.

(1999) So sink or swim I’m diving in.

(2004) You spoke and made the sun rise to light up the very first day.

(2008) It’s all Yours, God. Yours, God. Everything is Yours.

(2009) Out of these ashes, beauty will rise.

(2011) Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you.

nashvillelivemusicvenuesm — on 2nd ave north

Keep singing, Mr. Chapman. The team’s listening and loving every word.

He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what He has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord. Psalm 40:3 NLT

Hmm, what video to link up here. You choose: Dive or Do Everything or both. How’s that for interactive?

St. Louis area readers may like to know Steven Curtis Chapman will be singing in our city on October 13th. He will be joined by special guests Andrew Peterson and Josh Wilson. At time of publication only a few tickets remained. Get thee to joyfmonline.org quick.

Posted on August 16, 2011July 10, 2012 by Aimee 13

An Ebenezer in July

What’s your Ebenezer? Not the Scrooge kind with Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, “Bah! Humbug!” and all that. Surely you mistake this for the Christmas in July blog. Perhaps I should sign up for Pay Pal.

The first Ebenezer was a place of upheaval, distress and defeat. But God transformed it into a place of victory, remembering and thanksgiving. You can read the full saga in 1 Samuel 4-7.

It ends with Samuel setting up a stone memorial, calling it Ebenezer, and saying, “This marks the place where God helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12 The Message).

My friends Nicole, Katie and others have reposted significant blog entries to remember the places God helped them and their families. Fabulous idea. One I need to employ as it’s too easy for me to forget.

So here’s an Ebenezer in July. It comes not from this blog which is only five months old, but from a July 2007 email. Some of you received the original email or read the story in our 2007 Christmas letter.

A little background. Our only child Theo was born with an ASD or atrial septal heart defect. This condition usually heals on its own. Theo’s did not. He had open heart surgery four years ago when he was only two years old…

A Sigh of Relief, July 16, 2007

Hello, everyone. I am home to get some sleep after this long and truly amazing day. Theo’s surgery went very well and very quickly—only about two hours. He was away from us for a little more than four excruciating hours. Being separated from him was the hardest part for us—like holding your breath, stepping off the high dive, and waiting, waiting for the water to break your fall.

Theo has been resting with us at his bedside in the cardiac intensive care unit since lunchtime. Our incredibly compassionate and capable surgeon kept Theo’s incision small…“neat and square” comes to mind, like one of Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne’s corners. Theo is being kept sedated because when he wakes up, he immediately requests to “go bye-bye, please,” and then tries to sit up and pull out his IVs. What a relief to see his spunk has not faded one bit, nor have his manners.

I will relieve Jeff early tomorrow morning. Jeff insisted on staying the night, saying he is used to being up to all hours working and sleeping in strange places like airplanes and hotel rooms. He made me, the morning bird, come home to rest while he, the night owl, keeps watch by night. What a good daddy and husband he is!

Thank you for your prayers, calls, emails, visits, gifts and concern for us. It is not a coincidence that Theo was born in a time when this surgery is accessible to us and the technology exists to support its success. Nor is it a coincidence that he lives in a house 15 minutes away from a top 10 children’s hospital. That is the tip of this iceberg. How humbling to realize we cannot begin to understand all the connections and repercussions of God’s purpose.

Breathe then a sigh of relief with us that the first and highest hurdle of this race is past. Tomorrow will be a challenging day as Theo is weaned off the sedatives and strongest pain medications. His doctors hope to move him to a step-down unit, which in layman’s terms means a step-closer-to-going-home unit. Please pray that God will quiet Theo and help him to remain as calm as a two-year-old boy can remain in such a situation, and that He will give Jeff and I an extra measure of strength and wisdom to comfort Theo. Pray God protects him from infection or other complications, so he can come home soon. Please.

I leave you with one of Paul’s doxologies from Romans 11:33-36. It sums up our elation, amazement, and gratefulness. I see this short update is getting lengthier as I my mind spins and treads around the events of the day. Humor me as I cannot resist also including a verse from Charles Wesley. I read it early this morning in the near dark before we left our house, and it still seems appropriate as the sun sets on this evening. Good night, and sweet dreams.

Love,

Aimee

our heart breaker made a quick and full recovery. he was released from his cardiologist's care last year.

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable His judgments,
and His paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been His counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”
For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things.
To Him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-36 NIV

Other refuge have I none;

Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;

Leave, ah! Leave me not alone,

Still support and comfort me.

All my trust on Thee is stayed,

All my help from Thee I bring;

Cover my defenseless head

With the shadow of Thy wing.

Charles Wesley, from Jesus, Lover of My Soul

Don’t miss this link to Fernando Ortega’s version of Charles Wesley’s Jesus, Lover of My Soul. Ortega is one of my all-time favorite artists. I was surprised and grateful to find this recording on YouTube!

Posted on July 19, 2011July 14, 2012 by Aimee 4

House Arrest: Selling in a Buyer’s Market

Got a call one Friday. An agent wanted to show our house at noon on Saturday.

So Saturday morning we parked our child in front of a DVD and my husband and I cleaned like the dickens. We’ve been doing this for the nearly two years the house has been on the market. Have it down to a science.

We can clean 4,100 square feet top to bottom in less than three hours. That includes three floors, six bedrooms, and three and a half baths of restored 1918 colonial revival perfection.

All this can be yours if, say it with me now, the price is right.

Concerned friends ask have we lowered the price, marketed sufficiently, prayed? A resounding yes to all.

We’ve dropped the price, then dropped it again. Had so many open houses, our son declared when he grows up there will be “no open houses allowed.”

We estimate more than 500 people have come through. Been featured in local society pages, magazines and online.

God knows we’ve prayed. But the For Sale sign has taken root in our yard. Its thin stakes wrap around the iron water lines far below the ground.

We bought this house in 2008 because we needed another bathroom. Our house at the time, a darling 1926 model with a gambrel roof, had three bedrooms and only one and a half bathrooms.

Discussions ensued about adding on to the current structure. Then I perused the market to see what was available.

And there I found this house, a disheveled wreck of stale wallpaper, broken fixtures, and the evidence of cats. The former owner liked cats. A lot.

But ah, what good bones! Stone pediment, marble bathrooms, carved oak panels in the living room, sunrooms facing south and east. We were taken.

Little did we know what would have been a wise investment five years ago would be a quagmire today.

We bought the house then proceeded to spend more than anticipated restoring it. After a year of tussling with contractors and painting until our arms nearly fell off, we sat down and figured it out.

Our margins were running thin physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and with each other. Our little family was lost in this house. The situation was unsustainable. We would sell.

In 2008 our agent sold our previous house in 10 days. This is a different market.

The economy is weak and uncertain. Buyers are scarce, empowered and picky.

Our agent is steadfast. It’s a beautiful house, she says. It only takes one buyer.

There is nothing more we can do.

So that Friday with trepidation I said to our agent, “I don’t mean to sound cliché, but this really is in God’s hands.”

God has been faithful to provide all we need. Why should it scare me to be in His hands when it’s the safest place?

Ultimately we are safe, but this is still a battle, baby. It’s messy. There are casualties. And only God knows how it will all go down.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 NIV

Faith to Be Strong and singer-songwriter Andrew Peterson are favorites for life. Listen and take heart.

Posted on April 12, 2011July 14, 2012 by Aimee 3

everyday epistle

there's a story at every turn

everyday epistle

Tag: faith

Nothing Good Gets Away

Happy New Year from everyday epistle

Ad Astra per Aspera:
To the Stars with Difficulty.

Catnip Studio

Connecting the Dots of Thankfulness

What are you thankful for today?
I’d be so thankful if you would share.

Happy Veterans Day!

Don’t Save the Marshmallows

Birds on a Ledge

Team Steven

An Ebenezer in July

House Arrest: Selling in a Buyer’s Market

there's a story at every turn

Ad Astra per Aspera: To the Stars with Difficulty.

Catnip Studio

What are you thankful for today? I’d be so thankful if you would share.

Happy Veterans Day!

Ad Astra per Aspera:
To the Stars with Difficulty.

What are you thankful for today?
I’d be so thankful if you would share.