Saplings and Sunflowers

    As I have learned about my ancestors I have appreciated more and more the value of the ordinary life.  The life as one of the ninety and nine.  A life where sacrifice and service take precedence over wealth, glamor or ease.  A life that is a composite of tender touches, work worn wrinkles, dusty shirts and dinner time conversations.  A life where success is sacrificed on the altar of integrity.  A life where ambition melts in a compassionate glance.  A life where a child’s call is answered.  In this type of life we don’t get seen much.  These lives become yet another plain cotton thread in the fabric of a very warm, very soft blanket.  A family.  A community.  A nation.   My Little Place “Father, where shall I work today?” And my love flowed warm and free.  Then He pointed me out a tiny spot And said, “Tend that for me.” I answered quickly, “Oh no, not that!” Why no one would ever see, No matter how well my w...

A while ago I was trying to make an important decision about a significant opportunity in my  life. It would have been a dream come true for many people and it seemed too good to pass up. The only problem was that no matter how I tried to make it work, it would require a significant amount of time away from my growing family. I prayed, stewed and turned it over in my mind. One day I was driving home and I looked up to the mountain. Something caught my attention that I had never noticed before. Going down the mountain was a line of trees surrounded by brown – brown being the common color in our arid climate. I knew they were following a water line and that that was the only way for trees to grow in this mountain desert. And then suddenly I had a thought flash into my mind:  “where mother is, children grow.” This was a decision maker for me. I knew that as much as I wanted this opportunity and as much as it “made sense” in every conceivable way, it was not right because I would ...