Heather Holleman's Blog, page 10

In the Garage

This morning, along with our across-the-street neighbors, we hosted our second annual “Donuts in the Driveway” event. We gave out invitations to the neighbors on our street that between 8:00-10:00 AM on Saturday, we’d have donuts, coffee, and plenty of hot cocoa for the kids. Last year, we set out a wide circle of chairs in the neighbor’s driveway, and everyone came out (even sleepy teenagers) to socialize and start the weekend with a good cup of coffee and a donut.

But this year? In the pouring, freezing rain, we moved our Donuts in the Driveway event into my neighbor’s garage. We condensed our circle of chairs and huddled together in what became a cozy, warm, and wonderful morning. We packed in! We caught up with the families, their children, and even their dogs.

If you haven’t hosted a “Donuts in the Driveway” or something like this, I highly recommend it. It’s easy, doesn’t cost very much, and creates a great community event to help build connection.

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Early Report: Fall Leaves

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A Return to Psalm 16

I’ve always been drawn to Psalm 16, and it was the first psalm I memorized. Each time I read it, I focus on something fresh. This morning, I’m aware of the power of verse 2:

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”

I remember deeply considering this truth as a young adult. If I have everything, but Jesus isn’t there, it’s not a good thing. If all my dreams come true, but Jesus isn’t a part of it, it’s not good. But with Jesus, everything become good. Everything becomes right. Apart from Him, there’s nothing good.

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The Lemon and the Fig

It’s time to move the potted fig to the garage and the potted lemon into the house for winter. Can you believe it’s already that cool at night? With colder nights, when a potted fig drops her leaves, it’s time to bring her someplace not quite as cold. I place the potted lemon tree in front of a sunny window. I’ll still water and care for her during the winter, but I don’t expect much to happen until the warmer days of summer.

I harvest the final raspberries and love to see the bags of frozen berries ready for smoothies or a cobbler. Next year, I’d love to put up so much more like jars of apple chips, homemade salsa, and peaches and plums. One day! For now, I’m thrilled for all the bags of berries and frozen corn from my friend.

I recently also arranged for a dozen fresh eggs to arrive every Tuesday from a local farm. Try as I might to resist this, I just become more and more in love with life in Pennsylvania and the people who live off the land, who store up for the winter, and who live in this simple, pure way that has captured my heart.

So I bring in the fig and the lemon, and I start dreaming about my fruit and berries that I’ll harvest next year.

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Reminder of a Journaling Plan

I feel so much better after this little morning journaling routine. In case you need a refresher, here’s a simple plan:

Record 5 things you’re thankful for.List out 5 people you’re praying for.Ask the Lord for 5 things you need or are worried about.

I like starting the morning with something simple but organized like this. It helps empty my mind out enough to receive God’s word into my heart. Once I’m reading the Bible after this, I can list out a few more things:

Something I’m learning from the Bible.A promise or encouragement to share with another person.

If you like to feel organized and deliberate in the morning, maybe this will help get us started.

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The Daily

The Lord keeps reminding me that He “daily” bears my burdens (Psalm 68:19) and that we’re to live day-by-day. We don’t know what a day will bring.

There’s something wise and good about taking life day-by-day.

We’re told to pray for “daily” bread; we’re told to take up our cross “daily”; we’re told to encourage one another “daily.” I think about how the Israelites couldn’t store up manna; they needed a fresh supply each new day. I think about how clear Jesus is in Matthew 6:34, for example, when He says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Today is enough! Let’s not think about tomorrow yet. Let’s get through today.

Finally, we’re cautioned not to boast about tomorrow in Proverbs in no uncertain terms: Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. James reiterates the point: Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

As I’m thinking about living life “daily,” I pause to read Andrew Murray’s words on daily living. He writes this:

In this faith, abide in Christ! Cling to Him; rest on Him; hope in Him. Renew your consecration daily; daly accept afresh your position as one ransomed from your tyrant, and now in turn made a conqueror. Daily look with holy fear on the enemy, self, which struggles to free itself from the cross. . . Abide in Him; He has promised to abide in you. He will teach you to be humble and watchful. He will teach you to be happy and trustful.

Daily!

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Sometimes When I Travel

First of all, I’m still blogging in my heart and in my journal, even when I travel to more remote locations with limited internet capabilities. This time, I found myself on the back porch of a cabin in the mountains of North Carolina at my beloved Camp Greystone. Since the weekend reunion request involved going “tech-free,” I thought I’d send another 3-in-1 blog post for you. I’m so sorry for the missed Friday-Sunday blogs! Here you go:

One day, you’ll find yourself so settled in your heart that you don’t need any more attention or affirmation. You’re part of the scenery, needing nothing, and only wanting to create joy for others. I returned to Camp Greystone 30 years after I was a needy, emotionally up and down, spiritually immature college girl. Now, I could see all the ways God grew me up. Remember how I prayed for that “missionary spirit?” Well, I arrived to camp ready to make up my bunk with blankets to survive the cold mountain air. I arrived ready for whatever would come my way. I loved walking the same paths I did as a young woman. This time, I felt so full of God’s love and abundant living, that the girl who once cried out for so many things now just walked by the tall pines and said, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” I found four snapping turtles, including an ancient one that I’m told was over 100 years old. This felt like a special gift from God. I don’t need fancy things; seeing a turtle sunning on a log will do. I read a quote during a morning devotion from Hannah Whitall Smith’s book, The Christian Secret of a Happy Life, that deepy resonated with many people. Here it is:

“Ye have not passed this way heretofore,” it may be; but today it is your happy
privilege to prove, as never before, your loyal confidence in the Lord by starting out
with Him on a life and walk of faith, lived moment by moment in absolute and childlike
trust in Him. You have trusted Him in a few things, and He has not failed you. Trust Him now
for everything, and see if He does not do for you exceeding abundantly above all that
you could ever have asked or thought; not according to your power or capacity, but
according to His own mighty power, that will work in you all the good pleasure of His
most blessed will. You find no difficulty in trusting the Lord with the management of the universe
and all the outward creation, and can your case be any more complex or difficult than
these, that you need to be anxious or troubled about his management of it.

Can your case be any more complex or difficult? The former campers and staff laughed at the truth of it.

The Lord can manage your life.

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Verb of the Day: Squander

Today my friend reminds me not to “squander” opportunities. I love the verb! I love the idea of making the most of every moment and not wasting a thing.

I look up the etymology of the verb, and it offers a powerful picture: to “squander” means to “drive something into disorder,” to “throw it loosely,” and to “scatter.” I think of squandering the day when I approach it without a good plan or without intention.

In the Bible, we see how the lost son in Luke 15 leaves his father and “squandered his wealth in wild living.” But it’s not hopeless for him as he returns to a loving father. What a beautiful picture of our Good Father restoring someone who has squandered their life. If we feel like this, we can return to the Lord and start living differently.

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Wise Words from a Missionary

I’ve been thinking the past two days about people who seem to have that “missionary spirit.” I asked a wise woman about how surrendered she was in her life; she can go anywhere, sleep anywhere, eat anything, and sacrifice all her comforts to serve the Lord. And she has. She’s in her 70’s, and she pushes on with her “missionary spirit.” Then, the very next day, I met with a missionary about to leave for another country after living in 14 other ones. I told her that I’ve been thinking about special people who have that “missionary spirit. “

“I don’t buy that,” she said. “You’re a Christ-follower, so you are a missionary. You have a missionary spirit already. It’s not reserved for special people.”

I thought about her words all day long. I asked God to help me live more in alignment with that missionary spirit. I want to go anywhere and do anything with great joy.

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Divine Love Pouring Out Through You

I loved the day a professor friend told me that she lets God’s love pour out of her onto her students. It’s something she asks God to do; she can’t do it on her own. I thought of Romans 5:5 and how the Holy Spirit pours God’s love into us and then we let it flow out to others.

I read Andrew Murray’s words on this when he writes, “Let our life be one of self-sacrifice, always studying the welfare of others, finding our highest joy in blessing others. And let us, in studying the divine art of doing good, yield oursevles as obedient learners to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. By His grace, the most commonplace life can be transformed with the brightness of heavenly beauty, as the infinite love of the divine nature shines out through our frail humanity.”

Can you imagine days spent “studying the welfare of others” and growing in the “divine art of doing good?”

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