Nature Pal Exchange

Happy Tuesday my friends! In the words of Emily P. Freeman, it's "Simply Tuesday."  I am currently reading her book, titled as such.  Her tagline is "Small-moment living in a fast-moving world."  Yes and amen.  How about a few of my favorite passages from the book thus far? Because behind-the-scenes of my real life and real thoughts and what ends up on the blog, is this.  Embracing these seemingly everyday, mundane moments that are really packed with the power and passion of Christ.  

In the words of Emily….

"Tuesday is the week's producer.  What happens here, if done right, if done well, leaves no fingerprints-dinner around the table, laundry folded in baskets, the meeting with the boss over coffee, five hundred more words toward the deadline.  The big stuff of life we save for the weekend. Tuesday holds the ordinary, the everyday, and the small.

"The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.  The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, a net, yeast.  The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.  Seeds, nets, yeast, a hidden treasure, a farmer, and a child-these are the clues to the kingdom." 

"I have a vision of people who embrace the significance of our small words, knowing that whether they're spoken into microphones or near microwaves, they're all sacred when said in the power of the Spirit.  Let's take back quiet conversations with friends, whispered prayer over sick babies, belly laughter around the dining room table. Let's take back the honor of small donations, small care packages, and small movements toward fellow image-bearers, because love isn't measured in inches, grand gestures, or dollar amounts." 

You may be wondering how these thoughts from Emily's book collide with these photos and the Nature Pal Exchange, but in my mind they go perfectly together.  Long story short (kinda), I stumbled across an Instagram account called Nature Pal Exchange.  The whole point is to connect families so that they can literally exchange interesting finds from nature, from one state to another.  The girls and I signed up, with a $5 donation going towards Sole Hope, which is an organization providing help for foot disease in Uganda.  After signing up, we were given a family's address in Long Beach, California to send our nature box too.  

For days the girls and I combed the yard and farm, having the most Heaven-on-earth conversations as we went.  Talking about how marvelous and wonderful God is to make such neat stuff for us to find!  Our favorite adjective to use for all these treasures? Gorgeous.  We must have uttered dozens of "Isn't that gorgeous?" to each other while we searched.  

We then packed everything up safe and sound and traipsed into the post office.  Egg carton in hand, I at first, felt silly and small for mailing an egg carton full of things from my yard.  But then I remembered the lessons from Simply Tuesday and the even bigger lesson God has been whispering in my ear.  This matters.  This is good, rich, BIG stuff of life right here.  In stopping to gather, notice, talk, and appreciate our heavenly father and nature finds, we worshipped.  

So today I pray you have the guts, bravery, and audacity to let it be "Simply Tuesday." 

To worship and love right where you are.  Give your co-worker a smile, your neighbor a hug, your kids a belly laugh.  

(and while you're at it, there's a fun giveaway on yesterday's post you can enter too!)

You can find more about the Nature Pal Exchange by going  to https://instagram.com/naturepalexchange/