http://macromoments.blogspot.com/ennoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:46:50 -0500Blogger http://www.blogger.com309125http://www.feedburner.comhttp://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/flamocon.gifThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/330958645/girl-next-door.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:37:31 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-2712805239235528371 Her email caught me off guard, like an old song or a favorite scent carrying me back to another time and place. "Are you the same Bonnie Bruno who used to live next door to a little half-Korean girl?" asked the sender. "If you're the right person, please e-mail me back." I answered immediately. "Are YOU that little girl?" I wondered. She replied with an enthusiastic yes. Lisa, the http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/07/girl-next-door.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/314130567/roots.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:12:09 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-4214451598014471751 My perennials are thriving. It's their second year, after I dug out my back lawn and replaced grass with flowerbeds and paths. Never in my wildest January dreams did I think I'd have this much color a few months later. Plants that seemed to take forever to form strong, secure roots have suddenly multiplied. A single stalk of blue delphiniums has spread to five separate plants, each weighted nowhttp://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/06/roots.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/299971861/consider-birds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Wed, 28 May 2008 12:11:34 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-7747755054102267808 I hadn't seen a goldfinch in weeks, ever since the squawking began--a high-pitched cry that sliced through my quiet morning. At first, I thought our goldfinches were protesting the arrival of our resident scrub jay. Then I realized there were two jays flying back and forth into the hedge, not one. Uh-oh. Babies. Not just any bird babies, but baby scrub jays. Just what we need--another rowdy http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/05/consider-birds.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/289587140/influence.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Tue, 13 May 2008 12:37:44 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-1922034128496532640 I'm a bonafide collector of quotes. Give me an inspirational quote and a story or article begins to root. That's what happened when I read the following quote recently from Henry Drummond: The people who influence you are the people who believe in you. I had heard his name before, but didn't know much about him. I learned that Drummond, who lived from 1851-1897, was a http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/05/influence.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/282242070/god-knew.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Fri, 02 May 2008 12:20:25 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-1844522320974463036 "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” - Dr. Seuss Last spring, my backyard underwent a dramatic transformation. I didn't intend to dig up the entire lawn, but once determination grabs a shovel, there's no turning back. Perennials took root and swore their allegiance to a special mix of fine soil and fertilizer. Buds eased open and lasted http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/05/god-knew.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/263717806/reclaiming-office-part-1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:05:45 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-6849813062280031085 So I haven't blogged in two weeks. There's a perfectly good explanation. I began a decluttering project that evolved into more than I bargained for, but I'm here to report that I found my floor today. I hadn't seen it since sometime around Valentine's Day, as it has been protesting under the weight of bookstacks, boxed-up photos, and so much more. Between my desk and the window sit colorful http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/04/reclaiming-office-part-1.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/255600427/mapquest-to-your-heart.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:17:02 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-2349696522157312184 Perception varies from individual to individual. How we process information through our five senses--vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch--is often attached to experiences past or present. For example, pick a favorite smell. Why do you like it? Chances are, it's tied somehow to a sentimental memory that brought you joy. I love the scent of lilac. It reminds me of my early childhood in http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/03/mapquest-to-your-heart.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/245166538/can-you-hear-him-now.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:54:23 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-5976612317750766474 I'm rearranging furniture, hip-shoving chairs and couches like a woman on a mission. There's something about a little bit of sunshine that makes me want to clean the corners, toss out excess, and rotate everything. God rotates my inner life every now and then, too, by reminding me of how deeply I'm blessed and how much He loves me. Sometimes He surprises me by rearranging my priorities, goals, http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/03/can-you-hear-him-now.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/241799411/in-due-season.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:43:28 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-1133729688795984732 You know the scripture about the Word being sharper than a two-edged sword? How it jabs us when we need it? Wakes us up and spins us around? Today I got jabbed good. I'd baked cookies yesterday for a friend and packed them in one of those handy little foil baking pans. I had a dozen leftover, so I also refilled my granddaughter's cookie jar. (She'd reminded me at her last visit that it was http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/02/in-due-season.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/239592969/look-ahead.htmlthoughtsscripturecopingcolor imagesnature photographyinspirationallifeMacromomentsGodChristianityPsalmencouragementnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:41:29 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-8598133308643388713 Think back to a day when you felt the weight of the world pressing in. Time seemed to stand still, and you weren't sure if you'd get through the day intact. But with God's help, you did. Think of a loss that sucked the breath out of you. Life changed suddenly and it felt like you'd never experience happiness ever again. But with God's grace, you healed and rediscovered joy. Think of a http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/02/look-ahead.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/239007569/five-precious-years.htmlthoughtsdisabilitiesgrandchildreninspirationallifebirthdayloveGodgrandparentingnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:43:27 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-2458909366911002830 She's five years old today, but it feels as if she's been a part of our lives forever. Macey--my second grandchild, youngest daughter of my daughter. Anyone who is a grandparent will know how it feels to love your baby's babies. Life flies doublespeed when our children grow up, but grandparenting slows the pace in a beautiful, unexpected way. It's a time to learn new lessons in Life 101 from http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/02/five-precious-years.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/235802850/oblivion.htmlThe Messagethoughtsscripturecolor imagenature photographylifecolourageChristianityPsalmnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:00:26 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-1160929231655448765 Two blocks from my usual turnoff to the grocery store, traffic had reached a standstill. Up ahead, a woman who appeared to be well into her eighties was inching her walker across four lanes of traffic. She'd ignored the crosswalk, choosing instead to carve out her own path in the middle of the road. On the seat of her walker sat a bouquet of mixed flowers, wrapped in clear florist's plastic. http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/02/oblivion.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/231364606/two-doors.htmlWilliam Holman HuntBibleartthoughtsphotographyLight of the Worldlifefamous quotespaintingGodChristianitywritingnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:58:31 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-1040218517125466135 While watching tv coverage of the tornadoes in our southern U.S., I ran across a bizarre sight: A door standing there straight and tall within its frame, except for one detail. The walls that used to hug either side were no longer there. How it remained standing when the entire neighborhood lay in mounds of debris is beyond me. The door had been the entryway for a family who had built memorieshttp://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/02/two-doors.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/225499343/while-were-sleeping.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:07:17 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-7435938860724882099 The migratory patterns of birds is one of those subjects that can capture my attention for hours. I turned to a few bird-related websites recently during our cold snap, when a few new varieties of birds showed up in our backyard. You'd have thought they would arrive on a sunny morning, but instead, they waited for a snowy afternoon, when our local wind chill registered 26 degrees. I'm not a http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/01/while-were-sleeping.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/221310603/power-of-image.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:28:36 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-9221012708147662766For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. - Psalm 91:11 (NKJV) I ran into a familiar piece of art in a dim corner of a local antique shop recently, propped on a dusty shelf between an apple-shaped cookie jar and a collection of porcelain creamers. The faded print took me back to childhood, where a larger version had hung from my bedroom wall in a heavy old http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/01/power-of-image.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/218381293/ancient-reminder.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:16:15 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-8138945100800830101 Walk the talk. Don't give God orders; just report for duty. Put feet to your prayers. I collect adages and idioms, famous quotes and quips. Unless their message sinks in, though, they're as useless as a tongless fork. Back when my son and daughter were toddlers, I remember reading a Bible passage one morning, which related to the Israelites' trek through the wilderness. Moses was delivering a http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/01/ancient-reminder.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/216718945/prepared-for-takeoff.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:38:42 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-4815938229319325910 My husband was away on business last week, and I could hardly wait for Friday to arrive. I didn't accompany him to the airport, as he had to be there at 4 a.m. and had decided to leave his car in short-term parking so it would be ready for pickup when he returned. Even though I didn't see him off in person, I was fully focused on his departure. Early Monday morning, I kept a close watch on the http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/01/prepared-for-takeoff.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/210008894/sticking-to-basics.htmlresolutionBibleProverbsinspirationallifeMacromomentsfaithChristianityNew Year'snoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:08:27 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-6717139573343591411 The world is divided between those who do and those who don't make New Year's resolutions. I happen to fall into the second group, not out of a lack of direction or ambition, but because I'm wired like the Nike slogan: Just do it. I spent last week thinking about this idea of resolutions, and was intrigued by the word itself. So I Googled "resolution" and found three interesting definitions: http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2008/01/sticking-to-basics.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/207771006/measure-of-mountain.htmlphotographymountainsinspirationallifefaithnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:48:03 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-7964322047679985301 I love trivia, even though it might sound like useless information. Here's a trivial fact I read a few days ago about Mt. Everest. Did you know, Mt. Everest is increasing in size each year? You'd think five-plus miles of ice-capped desolation would be plenty tall, but researchers claim that the peak is growing 2" per year. (Don't ask how they measure it; I'm just the messenger.) By the time I http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2007/12/measure-of-mountain.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/184773516/spiritual-gps.htmlBibleinspirationallifeGPSphotosnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:40:38 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-3502686759624013373 The Bible is my spiritual compass, a daily GPS. It keeps me on track, in line, and appreciative of God's grace. I am a bonafide word lover--I enjoy digging up word origins and learning the history of words in general--but it's even more exciting to dig into a study Bible and discover the background of certain passages, because the Bible contains Life-giving truths. Eternity between two covers. http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2007/11/spiritual-gps.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/181249476/back-in-days-when-i-taught-childrens.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:43:16 -0600tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-950276108421099119 Back in the days when I taught a children's writing course for The Institute of Children's Literature, a gifted young writer sent me an introductory letter. It was November, and she wrote that she wasn't looking forward to seeing her tree empty its branches, as leaves fluttered and fell "in a death spiral toward the ground." I'd never heard Autumn described in such a depressing way before. Tohttp://macromoments.blogspot.com/2007/11/back-in-days-when-i-taught-childrens.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/176801334/beyond-flaws.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:52:06 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-7715930566700510497 It was hard to imagine an active family ever sharing life within those sagging walls. To outsiders, the dilapidated yellow home looked like it should have been on the city's list of condemned buildings. A wide porch with a scrolled trim no longer invited guests to sit and visit. The floor that had once been a gathering spot for children now had a splintery surface and gaping holes where rain http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2007/10/beyond-flaws.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/175455484/follow-leader.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:45:27 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-3823852782448368898 One of the first lessons I remember learning as a young elementary student is to not follow a leader just because everyone else is; know where he or she is taking you and why. Blindly following is an invitation to trouble. Maybe you heard about the impatient driver from Wisconsin who ignored a road barrier and decided to take a shortcut around it. A line of cars behind him followed without http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2007/10/follow-leader.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/168533280/every-part-matters.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:55:32 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-215253580853000594 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. - Ephesians 4:16 Turn a doorknob. Climb a flight of stairs. Recognize a familiar face across a crowded room. Trim a hedge. Read a story. Sing a favorite song. Learn a new skill. Sleep through the night. Memorize a poem. Fight a cold. Smell a rose. Tastehttp://macromoments.blogspot.com/2007/10/every-part-matters.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/LnCi/~3/164382058/to-be-rescued.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Macromoments)Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:48:46 -0500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10130149.post-6568283981651391487 After several hours of rain, it was a welcome relief to pull up a chair and huddle with my husband around our crackling campfire. Camping is not unusual this time of year in the Northwest, and those of us with RVs enjoy it even more in the colorful fall season. Now that school is in full swing, less campers means more quiet time--perfect for catching up on reading, or working on my next http://macromoments.blogspot.com/2007/10/to-be-rescued.html