Time to Celebrate!

I love a celebration. Not necessarily a party, but a celebration of accomplishment. Some days that accomplishment is surviving the week (or perhaps the day.) On other occasions it’s the anniversary of your birth, or being married to the same person for longer than the world expected. (anything  more than 6 months.)

But my favorite celebrations are just because . . . because the season is transitioning from one to another, the tomatoes are particularly flavorful this year, a newly discovered recipe, a three day weekend, grand-babies, wildflowers on the road side, the smell of rain, old handmade quilts, friends, family, life in general. It really doesn’t take much for me to be up for a celebration! Too often we wait for the big events or the calendar to dictate when and what we should celebrate. We run the risk of missing out on some great moments if we pause only to recognize those categories of events.

Everyday life is worth celebrating.

Every day, life is worth celebrating.

The celebration I’m talking about doesn’t require extensive party planning or guests lists. Look around. Expect that every day there will be something worth celebrating. Perhaps Paul described it best when he challenged us,

. . .whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.  Phillipians 4:8 NIV

True, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy! That is quite a list of “whatevers” from which to choose. And choice is the key. I can choose to see each day as ordinary, as EVERYDAY, the same. Or I can choose to look for truth, nobility, the right, purity, beauty and excellence. I really don’t have to look far and likely, neither do you. Our world is focused on negativity and darkness. But good is out there because it is within us.

As we choose to see the good and be the good – we celebrate the good. What can you celebrate today?

• Take a brief walk and breathe in the beauty and majesty of creation.
• Turn off the television.
• Look, really look at the hands of a loved one.
• Grab a few wildflowers from the roadside and place them in jar.
• Toss a Frisbee.
• Bake cornbread.
• Send an unexpected note of love / appreciation.
• Sing a hymn while bathing your child.
• Write/draw on your porch with sidewalk chart.

The list is endless. Just look around you at the goodness and beauty, then pause – and celebrate!

In His grace,

Easter Tablescapes!

Part of the joy of Easter is the tradition involved in the celebration.

A risen Savior means a new beginning, a blessed hope, the beginning of transformation in us and in nature. While many have chosen to disregard the traditions of the “Easter frock” most of my beloved church family continues it, especially with the children. In the era of wearing casual clothing to worship, it is delightful to see something extra special on Resurrection Sunday!  There are Easter programs, egg hunts, special songs, Easter baskets, pretty dresses, pastel ties, and new Spring shoes!

During MC’s routine checkup this week, the nurse asked her, “Well, what will you do on Easter?” Without missing a beat she replied, “We go to church and then WE FEAST!”  Tradition brings out favorite menus and recipes that are special to members of the family. The food preparation is a joy but the highlight for me is preparing the table(s) for our guests. It gives me the opportunity to express (in my own quirky creativity) my gratitude for the blessed celebration. I love sharing these sacred days with family and friends – or as my daughter lovingly refers to them, “framily.”

• My main rule for any tablescape: use what you have. Granted, over the years I’ve accumulated a lot of dishes and “stuff”. I try to be intentional about what I purchase, choosing only dishes, tablecloths, trinkets that are multi-purpose (and on sale.) If you stick around, you’ll see some of these objects used over and over, just with different themes and settings.
• The second rule: tell the story. If it’s a sacred day of celebration, use your decor to visually speak the message. Secular holidays and just for fun get-togethers deserve the same attention. Give a nod to the event and then just make folks feel comfortable. I’m not about over-the-top centerpieces or elaborate flower arrangements. Things that are too staged and demand too much attention seem to put folks off – at least they do me. I worry that I’ll spill something, or knock things over. In fact, I can pretty much guarantee I will – just ask the hubby.

Take a peek at our Easter tables from 2014. They are not elaborate, but they speak to the risen Savior, a new beginning, a new life.

Easter 2015

Table 2

This table (and the chairs) tell their own story, scars and all. My father-in-law built it 30 years ago for our first child.

Now, tell your Easter story.

In His Grace,