{Shushing the Creator}

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"Focus on the journey, not the destination.
Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”

- Greg Anderson

 My husband reminded me of this a few days ago, as I was wishing away time until my project would be completed.  A project I have been excited about, prepping for, and spending hours on.

Don't wish it away, honey; it's about the journey.

What else in life do I do that with?

Maybe not so much wishing time away, as much as thinking everything will fall into place once a goal is complete.

Once our saving account is big enough...

Once I lose that extra ten pounds...

Once we live in a bigger house...

Once we...

Am I wishing time away?

Not intentionally, but I fear that is the end result.

In the midst of that, am I ignoring promptings from God in my life?  

I'll have more people over after we get a bigger house.

We'll help this person out financially once our savings account is built up more.

Are we shushing the God who created us?  Are we tuning out that still small voice because we don't have everything all neat & tidy in our lives yet? 

Are we wishing away this season of our lives because we think the next one will be better?  Or bigger.  Or just plain different. 

Are we missing out on some things that God might have in store for us because we're too busy feeling inadequate about where we are in life right now? 

I read this blog post and was blessed by her honesty on this matter:  http://www.allthingsheartandhome.com/2011/10/05/always-waiting/

It made me think about listening now, obeying now, reaching out now.

Enjoying this season, now.

Remembering to enjoy the journey.

{What You Know}

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A wise person once said:
"Write what you know."

In a cyber world containing millions of bloggers, authors, and activists, I am but one small iota. 

A blip on the screen.

I cannot compete with writers who have thousands of followers that come day after day to read their words.  The writers that suck you in and leave you waiting for their next dose of thoughts to ponder throughout the day.   They are gifted, and I am thankful I get to be one of the thousands that reads those words, because God uses that to encourage my life and point my focus to Him.  

I am not them and that is not my gift.

But I can write what I know, and that is who I will be.

So, what is it that I do know?

I know life.

Love.  Cooking.  Laughter.

Simple joys.  Beauty.  Home.

I will write about the simplicity of my surroundings because that is what I know and have come to love. 

Some people have asked about the title of my blog, Bibelot. 

A trinket or bauble.  Small item of curiosity, beauty, or rarity.

That is who I am; it is what I know.

{Fall Commeth Quickly}

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As I mourn the passing of summer, a part of me welcomes the coming of fall.  There is a calm that seems to settle around me as the air turns cooler and the leaves start to change their color. 

I am content to stay home after work, wrapped in blankets and crafting or reading after the dishes are done and leftovers are put away.   Sunshine and warmth beckons me outside to wander, yet the chilly air leads me home.

The seasons of Michigan are beautiful, although I do wish that winter here didn’t last six out of twelve months.  But fall in Michigan brings a bit of something magical along with it.  In my mind, it’s almost as if Tinkerbell comes from the depths of her Neverland to sprinkle pixie dust on all us busy people, steeped in our oblivion. It helps me open my eyes and see the beauty in my surroundings. 

Fall is enchanting.  The crunching of leaves under my feet, people lined up for Pumpkin Spice lattes at Starbucks, and the parade of scarves, boots, and hats that I see everywhere.   I watch through the window and see people smile as the crazy wind whips their hair all around until they can hardly see through the tangled mess.  I see them laughing as they try to juggle umbrellas and bags, until they give up and just make a run for it. 

People are talking about gift-giving, cozy decorations, and passing around yummy candles to smell.  Soups are simmering on the stove and bread is baking in the oven.  You come home and everything smells so good, so inviting. 

Football games, bonfires with roasted marshmallows, crafty projects, jazzy music, knitting scarves, drinking hot cider, sleeping with open windows and listening to the sounds of wind and rain whirling around outside.  There are visits to apple orchards, hay rides and homemade cider with donuts.  Neighborhood homes have wreaths on doors and are scattered with pumpkins & gourds on doorsteps.  The scene makes my heart happy.  

I take a deep breath and sigh a happy little sigh. 

Fall is here, and I never get tired of anticipating its arrival.  I know soon I will be longing for spring, the green grass and birds singing in the trees, but I am glad that to everything there is a season, and for today, this season is mine.  I will stand breathless as I watch it bursting forth with incomparable beauty and explosions of color, hand painted by the God of the universe, here for us to enjoy.