#Advent – Page 2 – Random Reflection

December 10, 2021

Advent – An Invitation to a Joyful Life

JOY

A regular rhythm of practicing gratitude invites us to live a joyful life, regardless of circumstances. Joy Marker Eucharisteo, a Greek word that I have been sitting with a lot lately, a word that means thanksgiving but also includes the derivative Chara, the Greek word for joy. In this season where joy can feel challenging…

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December 3, 2021

Advent -An Invitation to be a Peacemaker.

These days the world feels far from peaceful and inner peace; that sense of calm in the face of stressors feels impossible to grasp. In Greek, the word for peace Eirenen means unity and accord, and in Hebrew, the word for peace is Shalom, which refers to the appearance of calm and tranquility. While we…

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November 26, 2021

Advent – An Invitation to Hope

2021 was a year many of us HOPED for life to return to the pre-pandemic normal. But, even as the world began to open up and return to some form of normalcy, we found the once “normal” no longer seemed to work. It appeared that #pandemiclife changed us, and in some cases, we even found…

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November 25, 2020

Living Out The Advent Season: Active Hope

It is almost December, and the Christmas season approaches. While some people celebrate birthdays only on a single day, the actual day of birth, others I know love to celebrate for the entire birth month. The word Advent means the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. In various Church traditions, Advent is celebrated…

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joy.marker

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

As we seek to cultivate space for beautiful things

As we seek to cultivate space for beautiful things to grow;

May we avoid the labels of good and bad and instead reconsider what works in this space and this season.

May we be brave enough to release something beautiful when it prevents our Best Yes from blooming.

May we cultivate our space each season to allow roots to grow deeper and seasonal plants to florish.

May we consider spring cleaning an opportunity to remove that which no longer fits in this season, and create space for beautiful things to grow.

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #beautifulthing #growingslow #scatterbeautifulseeds

Andrew, you have often said that you were the play

Andrew, you have often said that you were the playmate to the afterthought in your family. The child your parents had so your brother didn't grow up on his own.

But I believe you were always meant to be my playmate.

You have taught me to be flexible in my planning and capture the moments when they come. You have inspired my passion for taking the scenic route and enjoying the journey, helping me to release my obsession with the destination. You have taught me the art of play.

You are our music, our safe space, our welcome home, and you are MY playmate.

You are why we always make time to play, no matter our age. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Happy Birthday to my best friend and playmate.

#birthdaycelebration #play #artofplay #birthday #thisisfiftyfour

For a long time now, I have considered myself to b

For a long time now, I have considered myself to be a trail wanderer, a beauty seeker, and a treasure hunter, but I find the desire now grows even deeper within me. It feels almost as necessary as the air I breathe.

Perhaps it is the heaviness and weight of all that life asks of us. Everywhere we turn, there are hard stories, war-torn countries, broken things, and sad endings.

Yet, perhaps it is the darkness that drives us to seek out the light, the beauty, that which is good. Maybe it is the weight we carry that causes art to spill out from the depths of our souls.

Everything feels so noisy, so loud that I find myself craving time in nature; when I cannot be surrounded by its beauty, I hunt for beauty in random and ordinary places.

Beauty is there, down back alleyways, on city streets, even in the shadows.

Darkness may attempt to crowd out the light, but it cannot extinguish it.

Ugliness may appear to block that which is beautiful, yet the beauty is always there, waiting to be seen.

And when we feel that there is no beauty to be found, it simply means we have found our invitation to create beauty and bring light into that space.

#randomreflection
#throughouttheseasons
#seasons #spring
#ordinarydays
#artisticpractices
#beautifulthings
#artist

If you read my weekly reflections on Substack, you

If you read my weekly reflections on Substack, you will be familiar with my rhythm of picking a word to consider for each month.

For June, that word was fragrant, easily defined as a sweet or pleasant smell. These are the words I wrote as I considered that word.

Fragrance is not unique to flowers or plants. Recently, my teen arrived home and quickly announced that our house smelled just like Grandma Marker's. I had been cooking bacon, and apparently, in his mind, he associated the smell of bacon with his grandparents' home. Grandma often cooks bacon for breakfast when we visit.

The food we cook, the scented candles we light, and even the laundry detergent we use can create unique scent memories that remind us of home.

While our family's rhythms create a unique fragrance for our home, I can't help but wonder what unique fragrance I might take with me and release into the places I enter. Is my fragrant sweet and pleasant or sour and uncomfortable to be around?

I think I'd like to be lavender. I love the scent of lavender, finding it to be a calming and soothing fragrance—or perhaps honeysuckle, a sweet fragrance that feels nostalgic, joyful, and loving.

After reading these words, a friend wrote in the comments, "I love lavender and honeysuckle, too. I wonder how those would smell together."

So, with lavender already in my garden, I have been keeping my eye out for the honeysuckle to start blooming. I have been on a mission to see if these two fragrances are pleasant together.

And guess what? The honeysuckle is blooming, and I have decided to stick with my co-mingling of lavender and honeysuckle. After all, I tend to be resistant to being limited to being just one thing,

Are you fragrant? What sweet aroma would you like to be associated with?

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #seasons #spring #fragrant

A few weeks ago, Andrew and I spent a day at The N

A few weeks ago, Andrew and I spent a day at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art as part of my birthday celebration.

As we wandered through the more modern art section, I couldn't help but think about how subjective art can be. There were pieces that I found awe-inspiring and others I felt my preschool friends could have created.

And I wonder who gets to decide what qualifies for museum-worthy art?

As I stood in the museum, surrounded by art that was both awe-inspiring and seemingly simple, I considered the idea that we each have been given an invitation from a creative God to co-create beauty in this world.

What might it look like if more of us accepted this invitation, seeing the seemingly ordinary work we do as an opportunity for artistic expression? An opportunity to cultivate innovative thinking, paint a vision for a diverse community, care for our earth, or simply plant beautiful seeds everywhere we go.

Join me on Substack (link in bio) to read the complete reflection on artistic practices in ordinary days?

#randomreflection
#throughouttheseasons
#seasons #spring
#ordinarydays
#artisticpractices
#beautifulthings
#artist

As we enter a new week, may we remember to take th

As we enter a new week, may we remember to take the scenic route and be seekers of beauty, treasure hunters, creators, caretakers, seed planters, and cultivators.

May we find beauty in the often-overlooked places.

Have the courage to accept God's invitation to co-create beautiful things in this world.

And wisdom to know where and how we have been called to use our creative talents.

Wherever we go, may we scatter seeds that grow beautiful things.

#beautifulthings #cultivatebeauty #seasons #spring #treasurehunting

Today, I accepted an invitation to adventure out o

Today, I accepted an invitation to adventure out on bike trails. @a.t.marker said if we went far enough we'd find a place I might want to collect pictures. ( I felt so known in that statement)

On our way back, I was learning a new cool way to mount the bike, and well, I crashed in a not very cool way.

As we were riding back, it struck me as ironic, me who is in many ways overly cautious, has often pushed the limits of what I was told I could do, and occasionally I even crash.

For years, I have attempted to fit into a specific label, a mold that I thought would define me, give me a place to belong.

Yet, I am learning to accept that I do not need to fit one mold, I can be two opposites, contradictions even; holding two very different realities of who I am together.

I can be a city girl often found wandering on country trails.

I can be someone who battles anxiety but is also daringly brave.

I can be structured and also flexible, adjustable to changes in the well laid out plan.

I can be task oriented, focused on getting things done, and yet linger at a table with friends well past the allocated time in my schedule.

I can be cautious and daring, scared but moving forward. I can fall down and get back up even when it's hard.

It is good to know our personality types, our ennegram numbers, our natural defaults, but not as boundaries or moulds that define or confine us.

Be you for only you are you,

that is true,

there is no one else exactly like you.

Be terrified of heights and still climb mountains.

Be a coffee connoisseur who drinks tea in the afternoon.

Let tears of grief flow, and still dance in the kitchen.

Let yourself break the mold, hold two opposites as true.

And one last thing, please always, always stop to embrace the moments, or capture the picture.

Oh, and one more last thing, when you fall and get injured, ignore that it actually hurts, immediately ask that pictures be taken because your certain that your preschool friends will have questions and you need your teenage kids to think you're somewhat cool. 🤣

#randomreflection #bikeadventures

Mother's Day, a day set aside to celebrate and hon

Mother's Day, a day set aside to celebrate and honor the mothers in our lives. For some, this day will be a beautiful celebration of motherhood, but for others, it isn't a celebration but a reminder of something or someone missing.

The role of a mother can be both an extraordinary gift and an incredible challenge. Mom is a name that sounds simple and small yet carries so much weight and so much responsibility.

For some women, it is a responsibility they did not ask for, a weight they would prefer not to carry. While others grieve that it is not a title they hold and long to hear themselves called mom.

Every year, on repeat, this day arrives bringing welcomed celebration or challenging emotions. Perhaps a co-mingling of both.

So today, as we celebrate all those who serve in mom roles by giving birth or filling a space where a mom is needed, let's celebrate motherhood's beauty. Let's honor the women in our lives for all their hands have done.

And yet, let us also make space to acknowledge those who grieve this day, remembering to let them know that we see and love them.

Whatever this Mother's Day brings you, I pray that you feel seen and known as a mom, a woman who carries grief, or perhaps someone who holds a co-mingling of all the emotions around this day.

Regardless of your title or lack thereof, you are so very loved. Today, we celebrate and honor you.

"Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."
Proverbs 31:31

It seems fitting in a week we label as Teacher App

It seems fitting in a week we label as Teacher Appreciation Week to say goodbye to one of the finest teachers we'll ever know.

It will take awhile to process all the feelings that come with this loss. This beautiful woman was not just a teacher for both my boys, she was a mentor and a friend. Helping me navigate and loving my boys through some challenging life seasons.

This woman scattered beautiful seeds wherever she went, seeds that will continue to grow even after her lifetime.

Becky Stiles you are so very loved and you will be so very missed. May you rest well in the arms of your loving heavenly father.

#randomreflection #teachers #grief #welostagoodone #reatinpeace

In the early morning hours I sit, coffee freshly b

In the early morning hours I sit, coffee freshly brewed and poured into a beautiful gift from a preschool friend.

On this particular morning, I pick a spot facing east, hoping to catch an early glimpse of the sunrise.

I sit with words freshly printed on pages from my friend @sarah_westfall. Words I find are asking me to read them slow and give them space to breathe encouragment in to my soul.

It is the end of another school year, and my mind and body are weary. I find tears form as I read Sarah's reminder that, "Our weariness reorients us to his (God's) welcome, and our hollow spaces become holy places for Love to dwell."

Blessed with an advanced copy of The Way of Belonging, I find the timing of these words a gift, a reminder that it is not my accomplishments or doing but my presence that God desires. I do not need to strive to belong.

And, God whispers, "REST"

I close the book, pick up my coffee mug, allowing words to sit as I wait for the Sun.

Friends, this book releases June 11th, but don't wait, go ahead and pre-order a copy because this is a book that will help us reimagine who we are and how we relate.

The sunrise does not come in the way I had hoped for. The sky is once again covered in grey, but it is light outside now. The light always comes one way or another.

May we pause from the busy schedules and allow our overwhelmed souls to be filled with Love.

#randombookrwview #belonging #thewayofbelonging

I consider May to be a transition month, moving us

I consider May to be a transition month, moving us from Spring into Summer.

Transitions can be challenging for those of us who love steady rhythms. Yet, with transition months comes opportunity—an opportunity to pause and consider.

This week, in Throughout The Seasons, I'm pausing to consider how I practice the kind of person I want to be. Who I am and who I am becoming.

Have you ever paused to consider how the rhythms and routines of our ordinary days are forming us?

As a task person, I can easily turn the idea of practice into a list of do's and don'ts, tasks to achieve, and things to accomplish. I have to intentionally fight against developing a rigid structure, remembering that practices are fluid with the seasons of life.

So, as I prepare to move from Spring into Summer, I pause to consider.

What in my life is forming me, influencing who I am? What am I practicing? Who am I becoming?

Join me on Substack, link in bio, to read the full reflections: you are and you are becoming.

#randomreflection #throughouttheseasons #seasons #spring #transitions #becoming #practice

A Prayer as we practice the rhythm of our days. M

A Prayer as we practice the rhythm of our days.

May we not be content with saying this is who I am, but desire to continue becoming.

May we be intentional in our practices, rhythms, and routines, considering how they form us.

May we find spiritual practices less about rules to follow and more about opportunities for a relationship to grow.

As we plant beautiful seeds, may we see you, God, grow beautiful things from our lives.

#randomreflection #aprayer #practice #becoming #seasons #spring

It's National Teacher Day! We are losing good te

It's National Teacher Day!

We are losing good teachers at a rapid rate, and there are a thousand different reasons why. I could fill pages with words on the state of education, but that's not what today is about. Today is about recognizing and thanking the teachers planting beautiful seeds, especially those planting in challenging conditions and hard soil.

While teacher gifts are always appreciated, as an educator, I can tell you what touches a teacher's heart most: handwritten notes and, from younger ones, the proudly made art.

(Honestly, most teachers would appreciate a reply to a class email to know someone read their communication.)

The seeds a teacher plants don't always start to bloom on their watch; these seeds are often slow-growing. And, when you pour your heart out day in and day out, it's nice to know that someone notices and get some feedback on occassion.

So, to all my teacher friends, I want to say Thank You.

I see you.
You are so appreciated.
You are changing the world one child at a time.
What you do matters.
Keep planting beautiful seeds.

#nationalteacherday #beautifulseeds #teachers #educators

It's hard to believe we've already arrived at May

It's hard to believe we've already arrived at May and are just weeks away from the end of this school year.

May can be challenging;

- as an educator May is packed full of year-end activities and let's face it, the kids are done learning and we teachers have been worn down.

- as a parent the May calendar fills with not only year-end activities, recognitions, performance and graduations but also planning and meetings to prepare for summer activities and even fall.

Looking at the May calendar I find myself easily overwhelmed. It would be so easy to get lost in the tasks, checking off the to-do list.

My phone alerts me to an overflow of pictures, one more task to handle; delete some pictures to free up space. And as I start scrolling, my heart begins to fill with the beauty of all the ordinary moments captured.

And, I realize I do not wish for the overwhelming calendar to rob me of the joy of the beautiful ordinary moments of the days. I wish to cherish the final days of this school year and celebrate what matters most.

May we fight against the demands of what feels urgent, to be present in the moments that ultimately matter most.

The photo was found as I scrolled, credit going to one of my preschool photographers.

#ramdomreflections #may #seasons #endofschoolyear #spring #ordinaryeveryday #beautifulthings

I can easily be drawn into the feeling that there

I can easily be drawn into the feeling that there is a bigger and better story out there. And yet, I have watched people do amazing things, big things while overlooking the smaller stories closer to home.

We need people who are brave enough to do big things, and yet I can't help but think we must not do so at the expense of our ordinary lives at home.

We can change the world, but if the price of changing the world and writing big stories leaves our home unattended, perhaps we have failed to recognize our most significant impact.

If we are called to write big stories, may we always keep a close watch over the smaller stories written in our homes.

And for those of us who feel our stories are too small, too ordinary, may we recognize the beauty and significant things that small but deep roots grow over time.

#randomreflections #ordinarydays #beautifulthings #deeproots

April has gifted us a fair amount of rain. Which m

April has gifted us a fair amount of rain.
Which my butterfly garden is loving.

In between rainy days, I'm trying to get out and manage some weeds. But let's face it, when most of your garden is made up of weeds to feed the butterflies and bees, weeding can be a challenge.

The truth is I have no idea what I'm doing.

Every year, I add some new plants, scatter some butterfly and bee friendly wild seeds and then wait to see what beautiful things grow.

I still get out to tend, pulling the weeds that threaten to take over or spread outside the garden plot. But, let's face it, by the end of May I've generally lost all control.

For this recovering try-hard, control obsessed girl, gardening has gifted me a new perspective on what beautiful things can come when we .....

Plant

Tend

And release the outcome that was never ours to carry.

So friends, in this season known for planting, let's scatter beautiful seeds, tend where needed, but be brave enough to release control and see what beautiful things begin to grow.

#randomreflections
#butterflygarden
#scatterbeautifulseeds
#gardeningseason

Do you ever feel as if your life is small? Your co

Do you ever feel as if your life is small? Your contribution to the world insignificant?

When we think of making a difference, we often think big. Considering ways we can volunteer and use our time and resources to make the world a better place. And those can be beautiful and good callings.

Yet, the reality is that most of us live seemingly small and ordinary lives, and writing beautifully deep and significant stories happens as we begin to see the beauty in the mundane work of tending the garden, cooking meals, washing dishes, or reading one hundred bedtime stories every night.

This week on Throughout The Seasons on Substack, we're reflecting on our Small but beautifully Deep stories. Follow the link in my bio to join us there.

#randomreflections #throughouttheseasons #beautifulthings #ordinarydays #smallbutdeep

A Prayer for our Ordinary Days: May we not be so

A Prayer for our Ordinary Days:

May we not be so blinded in our pursuit of bigger and better stories that we miss the depth of small, ordinary moments.

May we be faithful to write the stories we are living well, starting in our homes and communities.

May we be content with the ordinary and see value in growing deep roots.

May we seek to write beautifully small but deep stories, that we allow you, God, to grow in ways we never imagined.

#randomreflection #smallbutdeep #ordinarydays #beautifulthings

Thank you friends for all the birthday wishes and

Thank you friends for all the birthday wishes and love shared throughout this week.

One of the gifts of growing older is the expanse of friendships and diversity of community grown through the years.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for such a beautiful community that I get to do life with.

Some of you have been life long friends, some as far back as the day I was born, or soon after. Others of you, our paths have intersected along the way and while our physical paths may have diverged our friendship remains. Then there is the gift of local friends, doing life with me in the present moments. And while for some, our physical paths have never crossed or the intersection has been brief, our friendship has grown with time in these virtual spaces.

Community and friendship grow in various ways and the diversity and uniqueness makes life beautiful and interesting.

Today, I was gifted a day with my bestest friend, @a.t.marker. And our adventures have filled my heart with thoughts and words that now ask to be held close and for time to marinate before shared.

But, amidst our adventures, I wanted to stop in and say, thank you.
And remind you, you are so very loved and appreciated.

❤️

#randomreflection
#thisisfifty
#friendship

A name had been chosen: I was to be Elizabeth Ann,

A name had been chosen: I was to be Elizabeth Ann, but as a good Southern girl, I would go by Beth Ann. And then, my mother went into labor, and things did not go as planned.

It seems I was reluctant to enter this world and made my mother endure a difficult labor. In his youthful wisdom, my father decided to encourage my mother by quoting scripture. As you can imagine, my mother was not all that impressed with this method of encouragement during her challenging labor, but one verse lingered.

"Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning." (Psalm 30:5)

I was born in the morning, and I was named Joy.

A well-known fact is that the name Joy means "joy" or "rejoicing."

My name is often associated with happiness and a sense of well-being, and I am told that people with this name are known for their positive outlook on life and ability to find joy in even the smallest things.

(Side note: A friend once stated that I am the only person she knows who can get excited about spotting an opossum across the street.)

A name can be just that, a name, a word your parents liked. But it can also be part of your story, the foundation for the person you are and are becoming.

As I enter my fifth decade of life, I find myself reflecting on the story of my name, who I am, and who I wish to be.

Such a small word, only three letters, and yet such big shoes to fill.

Life has been and can be painful. We can have a plan, a name picked out, and then the unexpected can change that plan. But joy comes; we can find joy in the ordinary moments and the smallest gifts.

#birthdayreflections #thestoryofaname #yourstorymatters #thisisfifty

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