feeling very...

...lonesome for them:









I miss my family. A lot. All of their true compassion, unbridled silliness, thoughtful wisdom, and...um...
sameness. Lord, comfort me.

The Lord's Prayer

He is risen! Let us be filled with joy as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ!

I thought this was an absolutely perfect and heartfelt recitation of the Lord's Prayer. The Lord be with you!

It's a good man

...that brings home Gillian Welch for my ears.

...that pulls me in close when I'm fearful and tells me with confidence that God has overcome this world.

...that takes me out for coffee and a good read.

...that listens attentively to new songs, knowing how close they are to my heart.

...that makes me giggle, even when I'm trying not to.

...that has the guts and love enough to correct me when I'm wrong in thought or deed.

...that loves me because I am his.

He's a good man, and handsome too. :)

pears & projects

Hi there, lovelies. I hope you all have been able to enjoy a spring preview similar to ours here in the Midwest! It was short-lived, but glorious. All I can say is that I've had naked toes for three days straight, and that's the way I like it! Our kitchen table has benefited greatly from the sunshine as well. I just had to snap a shot of the light streaming in on my little lunch-pear! I love how the green in the pear accents the airy colors of the cloth. It's a bit more 'floral' than I've been keen on lately, but I very much like the leaves.

It always gives me a grin when I see similar themes, colors and patterns pop in my life...can you tell I'm done with winter? So. Done. Anywho, the above shirt was actually a former reject of Sir Joshua's, which I snatched up in a jiffy for some (way overdue) repurposing!. I'm posting the 'before,' simply so I have some accountability to eventually post an 'after.' I'm excited (and a wee bit scared) to see what will come of it!

I'm also in the process of acquiring more of these to sew curtain panels for our kitchenette. I'll post pictures when they are hung!

Blessings, dears!

after all, I am part kansan

Hello, readers. I do apologize for my two-week absence. My excuse is simply that my first priorities are husband and home, and blogging just doesn't make the list some days! The retreat was even better than I expected. I'm not really in synopsis mode currently, but I'll most likely be sharing bits and pieces of things learned in posts, here and there.
One great quote the speaker brought to mind: "Through persistence, even the snail reached the ark." -Charles Spurgeon. Sometimes I feel like that snail...inching along towards this huge, terrifying and exciting embarkment, wondering just how long it will take me to get there. The analogy helps me in big and small ways, reminding me that every labor I undertake is kingdom work -- dishes, songwriting, correspondence, laundry, cooking, reading stories to the wee ones at work... it's all participation in the building of the city and the plowing of the soil. Hopefully that sends a bit of encouragement your way. (Besides, we humans do move a bit faster than those snails!)
As the weather changes (at the speed of that snail, mind you) into spring, I'm reminded of my love of all things sunny. Spring is coming, bringing blooms in tow! And although sunflowers aren't in season for a long time, they've been coming to mind lately.
Kansas will be full of them later this year, and it really is a sight to behold. I love Van Gogh's Sunflowers (pictured above), and Georgia O'Keefe's is also quite lovely.

Our beloved Etsy is bloomin' with sunflowers for the picking. Here are some of my favorites:

• This wallet will brighten any purse.
• Notecards, sure to bring a smile to the recipient.
• Flowers to hang from your ear.
• And who can resist this simple tee?

Have a sunny Saturday,

Sarah Marie