wishing you a cozy Christmas!!!

softness

i put a petal to my lips

something exquisite

about this feather touch

in a world with such rough edges

i imagine how it would feel

to fold myself in the softness

of a luscious bloom

then i slip into our sheets

 next to you

and realize

i already know 

words and images © Melody Armstrong 2015

memorize....

of all the intricacies

i want etched in my mind

i tell myself

i won't need to memorize your hands

the shapes, the bends, the ridges

where your lines and wrinkles end

and mine begin

as counted days of holding on

still sweetly grow

and two hands blend into one

till yours lets go

and i'll look closer than ever

and hope to find

my hands as old as yours

with lines of tenderness

still reaching, serving, sharing

with wrinkles from pressing and smoothing

and faithful, humble folding

with secret giving

and i'll tell myself

maybe i should have memorized

and i'll wonder

will my hands ever

look like yours?

words and images © melody armstrong 2014

still lovely......

 I saw this flower on an evening walk and loved it so much for all of it's glorious, ragged, half spent beauty.  

I wish I could have brought it home still preserved in it's luminous  sunset glow, and propped it up on the dresser beside my bed to remind me that HERE IS BEAUTY - IN ALL IT'S IMPERFECT PERFECTION. Then surely I wouldn't forget. Again.  

And all the days when I am so hard on myself and feel like I just can't get it right, I could see this piece of gorgeousness and remember what I KNOW WAAAYYYY DEEP DOWN IN THE FIBRES OF MY SOUL:  that I'm still lovely...covered in God's love and forgiveness. 

But I do forget.  Over and over and over.  I am still so hard on myself - even over small things.

I can be my own toughest critic.  Add to that the criticism of others, and it's a wind strong enough to send all my delicate petals flying right off the stem some days.

But God sees me so much differently than I see myself.  He is never hard on me the way I am....but instead, he favors me with his love and freedom.  He cherishes me unconditionally.  He calls me His own.  

One scripture from the Bible that speaks so tenderly to my soul in times like these is Zephaniah 3:17:

"The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save;  He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." (NKJ Version)

He sees this wildflower that I am, this vision of frailty and beauty wrapped in one, and rejoices over me with singing.  He bursts into song at the sight of me.  Imagine!!

The crazy truth, so simple yet so mind-boggling, is that my sins aren't enough to diminish His love and my strengths aren't enough to earn it.  NEITHER MY SINS NOR MY STRENGTHS ARE ENOUGH.  

BUT GOD'S GRACE, that unearned gift of love that he offers every single, longing, wildflower-of-a-soul that turns to His gaze --IT IS ENOUGH.  ALWAYS.  

Words and text © copyright Melody Armstrong 2013.

In Honor of Dads - Part II - My Man!

ME with MY KID'S DAD!!

I married this guy in 1995.  He is my lover and best friend.  He is my shelter and rock.  He is the one who will always make my heart sing.  He is an incredible father to our three kids.

Today this post is dedicated to Lance.  I think the world (our children especially) needs to know that there are still fathers out there who honor their wedding vows, put their families first, care for the needs of others, and are willing to submit to their Heavenly Father's authority and correction the best that they can.

A quick apology to Lance might be in order since he isn't crazy about being the center of attention when it comes to personal things.  He DOES, however, enjoy drawing a great deal of attention to the crazy, outrageously creative and large-scale ideas he comes up with.  I have to say, Lance is one of the most creative people I have ever met.  He is full of ideas...most of us can't keep up.  And though his plans usually entail a teeny, tiny bit of work on my part, I admit that this is still one of my favorite things about him.  

LANCE SPECIALIZES IN UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS and my kids LOVE it.  This dad ROCKS!!  See for yourself.  

Whether he is.....

sculpting 6'5" tall snow men with the kids

setting up for "dinner on ice" with friends,

crafting a halloween costume,

building an enormous back yard ice rink 

or an ice bar for a New Year's Eve party...

maybe he's making a giant football logo and
stapling it to our roof, 

constructing a fort that fills a room,

cutting blocks for another igloo (we found our 2 grown neighbors huddled inside the last one, watching a movie with our kids)

or even designing a life sized movie screen in the yard...

LANCE IS GOING TO PULL IT OFF WITH STYLE.  

But Lance doesn't only concern himself with the huge, crazy things.  He is also a man that pours a great deal of energy into the small things of life that matter most.  

He models care, compassion and respect  to his children in the way he treats others. He has the most generous heart and and my kids catch glimpses of it all the time.  I say glimpses, not because the occasions are rare, but because Lance finds ways to constantly give and give that no one else ever sees.  What a gift for my children in a world that values appearance and public applause, maybe even more than having a character of substance and integrity.

Lance is fun...and he is funny!!

He is unique....

He knows how to play...

He knows how to make work like play

And he loves to build things......

Last summer Lance built a pizza over in our back yard so that we could "have the whole neighbourhood over for pizza parties."  

It was a stinking huge project and I was about ready to curse it by the time we were almost finished.  The reason I tell this story is because it is SO Lance.  Big idea, huge creativity and hard work, and it shows the person he is....especially the small detail he incorporated on the back wall of the oven.  

It's just like Lance to make a place to honor God in what he does. I know he would argue that he doesn't do this very well...but I live with the guy and I see it all the time.  Yet another quality about Lance that makes him so amazing.

And finally, Lance really knows how to love (not just his cars -- which I really should take more pictures of.)  I mean LOVE -- fierce, dedicated, protect his family at any cost --- kind of love!! 

And this Father's Day, Lance, we want you to know that we see all the ways you care for, provide, and gives of yourself for us.  We know that you give 100% and sometimes feels like you have nothing left to give.  We understand that sometimes you feel worn out and run down.  It's okay.  We want to say THANK YOU ----FOR EVERYTHING!  We know that you are not perfect and we don't expect you to be because you always accept and forgive us our imperfections.  In fact, we think you are amazing exactly the way you are BECAUSE YOU'RE THE BEST.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY -- INCREDIBLE YOU!!

Love,

Melody and your Kids.