Chasing Bubbles & Beholding
Hi! If a friend forwarded you this monthly newsletter, you can start following along by clicking here!
| chasing bubbles & beholding |
How long has it been since you watched in awe as a cascade of bubbles danced in the breeze? I know you’re not five years old, but still…I’m just curious.
It’s summertime in Georgia, and for us that means bubble season has officially commenced. We broke out the bubble wands and gallons of soapy solution at Elowyn’s second birthday party back at the end of May.
The kids took turns dunking the wand into the tray and then flying down the hill waving the wand above their heads, leaving jubilant bubbles of all sizes trailing wildly behind them. Who knew a simple lattice wand could spill out that much magic? The breeze was just right that day, and over and over it carried the soapy suds all the way to the tree tops, past the neighbor’s roof, and out of sight.
Enchanting.
I don’t know what it is about those little iridescent spheres, but it is enchanting indeed. Something so simple and fleeting, but undeniably bathed in wonder.
Elowyn, my littlest, is still learning about bubbles. As we played that day, she would become mesmerized by a low-floating outlier and toddle after it, meanwhile missing a whole gaggle of bubbles floating right by her. Her pursuit would end suddenly as that single bubble popped at the slightest brush of a blade of grass, dissolving with it her hopes of capturing a piece of the magic.
/ /
Sometimes I feel the same way. Like I can’t keep up with life in the way I’d like to. The parts that I want to grab hold of the most disappear instantaneously in front of me. The sweetest moments slip by the quickest. While my attention is fixed on one thing, one child, one milestone, a whole host of others is happening in my peripheral vision. I want to see everything and be present for everything while also preserving and documenting everything – an exhausting task no parent has ever mastered. And if you ask me – that mentality is one of the greatest thieves of joy when it comes to our motherhood.
As much as I’d like to discover a hack for this conundrum, I can’t escape the limits of my humanity. I can’t stop the sun like God did for Joshua in an epic stalling technique any more than I can teach my two year old how to capture a floating bubble.
But we don’t tell our kids to stop blowing bubbles because they’re only temporary, do we? We don’t fret about trying to preserve bubbles before they pop….of course not. Instead, we find enjoyment in simply watching with wonder and delight. No matter how transient.
When it comes to our meaningful moments, perhaps we overestimate the storage capacity of our devices, and underestimate the capacity of our hearts.
If all we do is look up briefly from doing the dishes to see our kid soaring through the house in their superhero costume — that is enough.
If we take a different path as we walk to the mailbox so we can admire the sidewalk chalk drawing — that is enough.
If we pause tapping away on our laptop for a snuggle from the baby or a dance break with our oldest — I assure you, that is enough.
Take note. Relish. Behold. Admire. Engage. Savor.
Never underestimate what it is to simply SEE. To enjoy and delight in.
As Elowyn repeatedly pouted over her popped bubbles that day, we’d call out and remind her, “Look, Elly! Look around!” because there was always more to behold if she’d just shift her gaze. Sure enough, right over her shoulder her big sister was spinning a hurricane of bubbles into existence.
There is more to behold.
/ /
[ a prayer you can borrow ]
God, let me not be so distracted and distressed by what’s fleeting that I miss the beauty you’ve placed right here. Let me continually adjust my sights on the season I’m in, not the one I just left or the one to come.Help me to cherish my actual life you have given me and steward it well. This regular day. This ordinary hour. The good right alongside the bad. Let me walk in gratefulness and contentment. Help me to be like Mary as she was described in Luke 2:19, “treasuring up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”
/ /
| some news + updates |
Elowyn Faire turned two in May as I mentioned earlier. TWO! She is equal parts sweet & spicy, opinionated, potty trained (yay!), and can be found fulfilling her life mission of doing whatever her siblings are doing. You can read her birth story here.
In June, I went on a girls trip to Waco along with 5 of my girlfriends. We toured all of the must-see Magnolia spots and had a glorious time. It was a good reminder to me what sisterhood does for our souls. I’m in my mid-30’s and I’ve never experienced more depth in my friendships than I am right now, despite the fact that our lives have only gotten busier and more complex. Don’t put your sisters on the back burner, we need them in every season. And don’t expect deep friendships to just “happen” - they must be cultivated. I’m here to say, it’s so worth the investment.
| good, beautiful, & helpful things |
Caitlin Englebert’s Flowing Freely stretching videos. I recently came across her videos and have enjoyed working through some of her routines. I love her approach: “honoring God while honoring our bodies.”
This Old Navy dress. I haven’t shopped at ON in I don’t know how long, but this dress is a big win! I have it in the guava color and cream. It’s so easy to throw on since it’s flowy & tank style. Another plus — you can wear it with a regular bra! (hooray!)
A Scripture memorization hack : write the first letter of every word from the verse/passage on your wrist. For example, in the picture below what you see represents Psalm 95:6-7 (“Oh come let us worship and bow down…”) It prompts your brain when you get stuck on a word, and reminds you to practice the verse throughout the day whenever you see your wrist. I learned this from Hunter Beless, and I used it to memorize the entire chapter of Psalm 95, piece by piece, with my kids. Try it out!
These two resources (an article and a podcast/audio) go hand-in-hand, and have been so good and eye-opening for me. I know you’ll find them helpful!
PODCAST: How to Determine Core Doctrine
ARTICLE: The Cross We Won’t Carry: Unity, Orthodoxy, & Theological Pride
| be inspired! |
I love this admonition for parents via Crossformed Kids —
| be encouraged! |
[ via Risen Motherhood ]
Romans 5:20 tells us that “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” In the book Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund, he expounds on this thought, saying:
”The guilt and shame of those in Christ is ever outstripped by his abounding grace. When we feel as if our thoughts, words, and deeds are diminishing God’s grace toward us, those sins and failures are in fact causing it to surge forward all the more.”
Friend, I’m praying you feel the Lord so near to you this week and that you experience for yourself how his mercies are new each day. If there’s anything I can be praying with you about, just reply to this email and let me know.
Talk soon!
Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter. If you enjoyed it, I would love it if you would forward this to a friend!