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  • August 26, 2020

How Twenty Minutes a Day Can Change Your Life.

Did you know that the average American only spends 7% of their life outside? Maybe you are surprised by that number or perhaps not. When you put it in years, if we...

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  • August 24, 2020

Taking Time For Reflection As We Transition To A New Season.

It is that time of year when we begin to put away the pool towels and the sunscreen in favor of bouquets of sharpened pencils and stacks of notebooks. While I love...

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  • August 19, 2020

Why do we need to be intentional about rest even if life is less busy right now?

We have been home for the past six months and still, life feels as busy as ever. How can our calendar be almost completely void of activity and yet our lives feel...

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  • August 17, 2020

Your story matters, if not now for the next generation.

The other night while my husband worked late I decided to sit on his office floor and go through a packet of papers and photos my mother had given me some time...

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  • August 12, 2020

How to live a creative life.

Play a word association game with me. Take a deep breath, clear the clutter from your mind and when you read the next word I want you to capture the first thoughts...

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  • August 10, 2020

Adjusting Perspective

My vision is blurry without my glasses or contacts. My hearing is poor without the assistance of hearing aids. Basically I’m a hot mess without corrective lenses or volume control. Thankfully there...

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  • About Me
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joy.marker

✍️Writing hope-filled words of reflection.
🌅 Cultivating beauty in every season.

Not so fun fact:  Multiple Sclerosis is only one o Not so fun fact:  Multiple Sclerosis is only one of over 100 autoimmune diseases.  Early symptoms of autoimmune diseases are often things like pain and fatigue, and can present similarly for different autoimmune issues.  It can take years and many doctors before getting a diagnosis.

I was one of the lucky ones, getting a clear diagnosis quickly.  

Autoimmune diseases are often invisible diseases.  Meaning you can't tell someone is sick.  They are mostly treated, not cured. Leading to life long journeys learning to live with a chronic illness.  

I have chosen to walk this journey openly. I am blessed with people who love, encourage and support me.  I believe we are all stronger together. Yet many people walk these journeys in silence for various reasons. Or they walk alone, isolated.  

Awareness is so important.  There are so many personal battles people face.  Multiple Sclerosis and autoimmune diseases are just a few .....

March is #msawareness month, but the need for awareness goes far beyond this one disease.

Please be slow to make assumptions. Be generous with grace and kindness. Our battles are not always visible for the public eye to see.  

#msawareness #mswarrior #kindnessmatters #randomreflection
As a task-oriented, get-things-done person, I can As a task-oriented, get-things-done person, I can find transitions challenging. I know Spring is just around the corner. There have even been days when the weather feels more Spring than Winter making me eager to put away my heavy coat and winter sweaters in favor of spring-like attire. And yet, I am learning the value of sitting in transition, the dance between seasons. I am learning the gift of being fully present in the days of Winter that remain, while also preparing my heart and my home for the Spring that is to come.

As I am learning to live more in rhythm with nature's seasons, I have found myself drawn to books that incorporate seasons into their stories. Often, I pick up a book with seasonal themes I have long ago read and skip to the season we are preparing to welcome. What do I need to remember as I prepare for this coming season? 

Recently, I pulled Seasons of the Soul by Michelle Derusha off my dusty shelf, and as I searched for the section on Spring, I landed on words I knew my heart needed to hear.  A reminder that my inpatient soul needed, that perhaps your soul needs too.

“The productive, striving, achievement-oriented part of me had no patience for the early March pace of my soul’s rousing. I wanted to get going, put a plan in place, take action, tick goals off my checklist. [] But the soul awakens in much the same way that spring arrives on the Nebraska Prairie—slowly, gently stretching from its long winter's sleep.” Michelle Derusha

#randomreflection #changingseasons #preparingforspring #embracingwinter
March arrives, and while there are plenty of days March arrives, and while there are plenty of days that it still feels like Winter outside, I begin to consider what needs to be done to prepare for Spring's arrival.

As soon as the weather begins to warm, I am tempted to rush out and start buying all the freshly budding flowers to curate an appearance of Spring. And yet, I have learned over the years that this method does not produce sustainable growth.

If I rush the transition of seasons, producing the feeling of Spring before its time, frost will kill the beautiful plants I forget to bring inside at night. I am learning to slow down and allow the seasons to dance together for a while. I am learning that to cultivate sustainable growth, I must first clear out what no longer serves a purpose and prepare the crusted-over soil, allowing fresh air, nutrients, and water to penetrate deeper, where plant roots grow.

Spring makes me think about caring for the earth, but it’s also a chance to care for our own souls. Let’s be honest—cultivating isn’t always easy or enjoyable. Still, using the change of seasons to reflect on my rhythms and routines can be helpful.

This month's edition of Throughout the Seasons is all about Cultivating Sustainable Growth as we prepare for Spring. Read more reflections by following the link in my bio.

#randomreflections #throughouttheseasons #winter #preparingforspring #cultivate
This time of year, #preschoollife can be challengi This time of year, #preschoollife can be challenging. We’ve been at school for a while now; we know things, we are comfortable, and we’re only here to see our friends.  It’s not uncommon for my smartwatch to remind me to breathe or suggest that my stress level might be a little high. 

However, there are times throughout the day when I have noticed my heart rate lowers, and even though I am physically moving my body, it appears at rest. I am on a journey of learning that rest is not passive, nor does it mean being inactive.  For example, when I take my tiny human friends outside for recess, everyone is active but also at rest. 

Life is chaotic most of the time. It can be challenging to find the time to rest, especially if we view rest as doing nothing or sleeping. It can be easy to get into the habit of going all day and then crashing into bed at night. Yet, I am learning that rest can be found woven into the busyness of our days. 

Stepping outside to soak in the sun and take a deep breath of fresh air. Taking a moment to sit and drink that afternoon cup of tea or coffee instead of grabbing it to go.  Instead of scrolling on a phone, grab a book and read a few pages. Pausing for a conversation with a friend, via text or phone call, or better yet, with that afternoon cup of joe.  When life feels a lot, we can struggle to rest for fear of getting behind. Yet, what if we paused long enough in our days to find opportunities for rest amidst the chaos?

Rest is as much a mindset as an activity.

“Just because we’re cultivating rest doesn’t mean life is all calm and collect. What it does mean is that as the mess comes, which it will, we’re in a better place mentally to handle the madness.” 

Shaye Elliott, Seasons At The Farm

#randomreflection #seasons #winter #rest #chaos
Today marks the start of Lent. Lent is a season f Today marks the start of Lent.

Lent is a season for lament, confession, and sacrifice, and it can feel heavy, especially when many of us already carry grief. Still, as I’ve learned more about its purpose, I now see Lent as a chance to let go and make room for something better.

Instead of adding another thing “to do”, Lent invites us to notice and let go of what takes up too much space or power in our lives. Lent invites us to make space for our souls to breathe and allow God’s grace to fill us.

It seems fitting that Lent comes as winter turns to spring—a time for cultivating, when we prepare both the soil and our hearts for new growth. Even if we don’t observe Lent ourselves, it can still remind us to make space to nurture our hearts. 

We might pause, asking ourselves questions like:

What is it in my life that is taking up an unhealthy amount of time?

What is consuming space that robs me of investing in what matters most?

What do I need to set aside to reset my priorities and focus?

And so, as we begin this season of Lent,

​May we recognize the grief that we hold and allow space to lament that which weighs heavily on our hearts.

May we take the weight of grief and the burdens that feel impossible to carry and leave them at the feet of our friend Jesus.

May we see Lent, this time between winter and spring, not just as a season of sacrifice but as a season of opportunity.

May we make room for our souls to breathe out that which we no longer need, allowing God’s Grace to fill us.

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #lent
Just leaving these words here, something to consid Just leaving these words here, something to consider.

“We often think of time as linear and fixed, moving only in one direction, from past to present to future.[ ]But the earth doesn’t follow a linear path. She moves in cycles of growth and decay, rest and renewal.”

Kat Armas, Liturgy for Resisting Empire

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #winter #aquotetoconsider #time
It’s Galentine’s Day, almost Valentine’s Day, and It’s Galentine’s Day, almost Valentine’s Day, and there are a lot of words I considered sharing about love; I even wrote some and then erased them. The more words I wrote, the more the sentiment I wanted to convey felt lost within them. 

So here I am showing up in this space to simply say:

YOU ARE SO VERY LOVED. 

YOU MATTER.

YOU BELONG.

YOU ARE SO VERY WELCOME HERE.

(photo credit: Preschool Photographer)

#randomreflection #love #bettertogether #galentinesday #valentinesday
Take a look at the world around us, and it would b Take a look at the world around us, and it would be easy to assume that to make a difference, to make the world a better place, one needs to do something extraordinary.

But do we?

What if our impact is not in what we “do”, but rather in who we decide to “be” in this world?

What if our greatest contribution is consistently doing small things in extraordinary ways?

The stories of Jesus, as monumental as they are, are not heroic legends or tales of the heavens.  They are ordinary stories of ordinary people in ordinary places doing ordinary things like fishing, tilling fields, and setting tables, but in an extraordinary way.” (Leonard Sweet, from his book - From Tablet to Table)

We live in a world that pulls us into the idea that “doing” matters.  What do you do for a living? A hobby? In what activities are your children involved?  We measure success by tasks checked off a to-do list, titles, and accomplishments worthy of holding space on our resume. 

Honestly, I am naturally drawn to the “doing,” and I easily fall into striving for accomplishment, yet in recent years I have begun to see the importance of learning to “be” in this world.

As I watch division and anger grow around me, as I notice the exhaustion and overwhelm so many of us carry, I long for more ordinary days, days that allow me to be fully present with family and friends. 

And I wonder if what we need is more gatherings around tables with community, sharing stories, life, and experiences. More time spent simply “being” together.

So I ask?

What kind of person are we striving to “be” in this world? Not what do we “do,” but who should we “be.”

What if the most lasting impact we have in this world comes from sharing each other’s everyday ordinary stories?  What might it look like to live more in-depth into the ordinary, in extraordinary ways?

What if, when we focus on cultivating the type of person we want to “be” in this world, our contribution to the world, our “doing” naturally begins to flow from that place of “being”?

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #winter #ordinarydays #extraordinary #bettertogether
After Christmas, we packed away all the holiday de After Christmas, we packed away all the holiday decorations, but this year we left the tree up for several weeks after, with just white lights. I like to gradually change the seasonal decor. Seasons don’t shift overnight, and I’ve learned to take my time at home, too. I was ready to put away the Christmas ornaments, but not quite ready to lose the lights.

Twinkle, a word to ponder, a sparkling light. 
Merriam-Webster defines twinkle as "to appear bright, especially with merriment."

I love sunlight, but I’ve also come to appreciate the calm that darkness brings. Still, there’s something special about sitting in the dark with just a twinkle of light.

A twinkle of light, or perhaps, a flicker of hope to hold onto, a sparkle of joy to warm your heart.

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #winter #wordtoponder #twinkle
Not all of us enjoy putting pen to paper. Not all Not all of us enjoy putting pen to paper.  Not all of us desire to fill pages that later become a book or use pictures or poetry to tell our stories.  Not all of us create imaginary worlds that become wondrous bedtime stories for little ones. Not all of us believe ourselves to be storytellers, writers, or poets, but we all are. 

The real question isn’t “am I a writer?” It’s “what story am I writing?”

History often shares stories of kings, queens, and leaders, both good and bad. These tales usually end up as facts in textbooks. But the stories that touch us most are about everyday people who do ordinary things in extraordinary ways.

​We might not write our stories with pen and paper for large audiences to read. Most of our stories are small, told close to home, among family and friends. And we often fail to recognize the value in the story we are speaking with our lives. However, we are all writing our stories as we live our ordinary days.

We create beautiful stories when we notice the beauty in everyday tasks like gardening, cooking, washing dishes, or reading bedtime stories. It’s about how we see things. What story do we want our children to see in our lives? What story are we telling about our marriages, our homes, and our communities? What matters most to us, and does our daily life show what we truly value?

So I ask, what stories are we writing as we live out mundane, unextraordinary everyday lives? 

#randomreflection #ordinarydays #seasons #winter #writer #storyteller
When I began thinking about the word time, I thoug When I began thinking about the word time, I thought it might be a good choice for this month's word to ponder. But as I reflected, so many ideas came up that it seemed time wanted to be the main topic. 

I’ve written about time before, but as the years go by, our perspective can shift. It’s helpful to look back and rethink what we believe we know.

Time, by definition, is a moment indicated by a clock or a calendar; a representative of past, present, and future events. Time moves tick-tock on the clock without considering our need for more time or our plan for the time we have been given. Time remains steady in its pace, unhurried, without the weight of all the tasks needing to be completed on time. Time simply is.

Time cannot be stretched or bent to fit my needs. And my efforts to manipulate time have left me frustrated and stressed. There are seasons when I have felt good about my time management. It turns out even the management of time is more a management of our rhythms within time.

When we consider time, most of us think in chronos time: time measured in seconds, minutes, and hours. 

Yet, what if time is more than quantitative and linear?

Join me over on Substack as we consider or reconsider our relationship with time. Link in bio.

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #winter #time #twinkle
This January, it has felt as if one storm after an This January, it has felt as if one storm after another has blown through. Not only has the weather been bitterly cold, but the news seems to bring a deep chill that lingers in one's bones. My normally winter-enthusiastic self has struggled to stay enthusiastic. 

And while winter rest, aka hiberbation is a valid form of self-care and called for on occasion. I do not want to hibernate to avoid what is happening in the world. 

It is so easy to become numb or hardened to the latest headline, to attempt to avoid the darkness altogether. And yet, “Art requires that we be vulnerable to the darkness as well as to the light,” Makoto Fujimura. 

Vulnerable, a word that comes from the Latin noun vulnus, meaning “wound.” Vulnerable was originally used to mean “capable of being physically wounded,” but has come to mean “open to being physically, mentally, or emotionally wounded.”

The ability to remain soft and vulnerable in times of trauma or after being wounded reveals resilience, empathy, self-compassion, and grace. The ability to stay open to learning and growing, even when it means stretching outside one's comfort zone, is a strength of vulnerability not always seen these days.

I can’t help but wonder if, when things get challenging, it will be the deep thinkers, the poets, the musicians, the artists, and the storytellers who will carry the light. Those who, by living a “kintsugi life,” take that which is broken and transform it into something beautiful. Perhaps it is the artist who will lead the way towards love.

I’ll be honest with you: I am tired, my creativity feels lacking, and words are hard to come by. My enthusiasm for Winter has not been so enthusiastic this year.  Yet I continue to find hope and inspiration in those who keep showing up with offerings of beauty in words, song, or art. 

As we move from January into February, looking towards Spring, may we do so with a focus on love. May we find ourselves people who repair rather than discard, who see darkness as a canvas in which light can emerge. May we dare to imagine and reimagine that transformation and restoration are possible. May we hold onto Hope.

#randomrefletion #throughouttheseasons #winter
Who said it's too cold to play outside? (feels li Who said it's too cold to play outside?
 (feels like -9 degrees)
Who said grown-ups don't play?

Extreme cold weather days are simply an opportunity to get creative. 

Stay safe and warm, 
AND
Don't forget to play.

#randomreflection #winter #snowdays #optputside
My desire is to always create a place of welcome, My desire is to always create a place of welcome, a place of hope and encouragement for everyone. My words are not shared as an expression of opinion, but rather in hopes that they encourage thoughtful reflection in whatever season you may find yourself.

As temperatures plummet, the world around us feels as if it's on fire, and hope-filled words are hard to come by. I find myself tempted to hibernate; sleeping has always been my coping mechanism. Yet, even the option to stay home, ignore the news, and the rhythms of ordinary tasks feel like a privilege these days. 

While I do not consider myself an activist, whispered prayers no longer feel enough. 

What then is it we shall do?

“Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.” (Jeremiah 22:3 ESV)

Where then shall we start?

We start right where we are, with love in action. Where we see need, we no longer walk by absorbed in our own lives, but respond to the need before us in love. There is no greater commandment than Love, Love God, and Love your neighbor. (Matt. 12:29) And as Martin Luther King, Jr said, “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Perhaps there is time and place for righteous anger, yet I believe what the world needs now more than ever is for us all to show up with an overwhelming amount of love for our neighbors. And by neighbor, I mean everyone and anyone who crosses our path.

Because Life is Better Together!

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #winter #loveinaction #dojustice #bettertogether #neighbors
People who knew us in our youth will often say we People who knew us in our youth will often say we haven’t changed that much. Perhaps we are still recognizable in our appearance, but I would say we have both changed a great deal over the years. 

Last year, in a meeting, we were told that, as a couple, we had a very relaxed demeanor and a calm presence. I am grateful that this person felt that way around us, and I would like to point out that calm presence was not always the case and was hard-earned over time. Thirty-two years of time to be exact. 

Gratitude only begins to express how I feel about “us”. I am so incredibly grateful to have married a man who thought “us” a relationship worth fighting for. We were so young and idealistic when we got married, and had so much growing up and learning to do, we still do really.

We are who we are today as a result of grace, lots of grace. 
We are who we are today because we said “I chose you,” over and over again.

Happy thirty-second anniversary to us!
I love us!

#randomreflection #anniversary #32years @a.t.marker  @a.t.marker
On this day, may we remember that “True peace is n On this day, may we remember that “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” Martin Luther King Jr

#randomquote #peace #justice #MLKday
I can be so focused on where I am going, on the ta I can be so focused on where I am going, on the tasks at hand, that I fail to see nature's beauty, the skies art.

And yet, when I pause for a moment, and allow myself to really look, I see how I actually live in an ever changing art gallery. 

It does not matter how many times I see the sky painted in vibrant colors. Every single time I find myself startled by its beauty. 

In allowing myself time to pause and absorb my surroundings, to notice and take in the subtle changes each day, I have found the Master Art. 

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #naturesart #ordindarylife
My Word to Ponder for January is “Koselig.” While My Word to Ponder for January is “Koselig.”

While I have frequently claimed Winter to be a season that invites us to rest, learning about the Norwegian word “Koselig” has inspired me to see Winter’s rest as so much more than just taking naps. We hear the word 'rest' and easily define it as ceasing activities, even something that requires solitude.  But perhaps we have limited rest and failed to understand its capacity to be so much more than mere inaction.

Koselig, the Norwegian version of Hygge, extends beyond a cozy environment to foster a sense of community. Instead of allowing the cold, dark days of winter to drive them indoors, Koselig in Norway means hanging outdoor lights, building fires, and laying blankets out in outdoor seating areas, where they continue to gather.  And, when they move indoors, koselig is the feeling created in the home, including inviting people in, lighting candles, having a warm fire, and, of course, food is essential, and in Norway, likely homemade.

While Winter draws us inward, inviting us to rest, Koselig invites us to consider the relational aspect of rest and reminds us that there is also room for celebration and community in a restful way. The more I learn about the practice of Koselig, the more I see it as a mindset rather than a physical action or inaction.  A mindset that first begins in our hearts and our homes, then flows out from there.

#throughouttheseasons #winter #koselig #hygge #rest #wordtoponder #cozy
Just leaving these words here for you; a quote to Just leaving these words here for you; a quote to consider:

“In a world that demands we produce, consume, and repeat, we choose to pause. To breathe. To Listen. To remember that we were not made for exhaustion, but for embodiment, wonder, and rest.” Kat Amas

#throughouttheseasons #winter #aquotetoconsider #breathe #listen #wonder #rest
For almost half of the year, I take my morning wal For almost half of the year, I take my morning walks in the dark. It’s not uncommon for me to get concerned looks or comments about my safety when people learn this. Most of us associate darkness with a lack of safety, a time when bad things happen. 

I don’t usually worry about safety because my dog and walking partner would die protecting me. More than that, I’ve grown to appreciate the quiet and beauty of walking in the dark. Everything feels calmer, I can hear my own thoughts, and sometimes the moon and stars light up the path.

Light is good and dark is bad, or is it? I myself have often made statements about seeking the light and being the light in darkness. Statements that can easily support the idea of light as good, dark as bad.

Lately, I’ve realized there’s beauty and value in both light and dark. It’s not as simple as good or bad.

Wanting to better understand darkness, I started reading Barbara Brown Taylor’s book, Learning to Walk in the Dark. It’s the perfect book for winter, when the nights are dark and long. In it, Barbara Brown Taylor invites us to join her as she learns to sit with darkness, move through it, and find meaning in both darkness and light.

“To be human is to live by sunlight and moonlight, with anxiety and delight, admitting limits and transcending them, falling down and rising up.” 
Barbara Brown Taylor

It would seem that even good things can be found in the dark.

#randombookreview #throughouttheseasons #winter #darkness
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