Today, I am hosting one of my sweetest blogging friends, Katie M. Reid. Katie has guest posted for me in the past. I am immensely proud of her of as she officially launched her first book, Made Like Martha, last week. I am honored to have her share a little of what her book is about. In this post she shares story from her book when she encounters Jesus in her living room. After that, scroll down to the bottom to read my personal review of the book.
Autumn is so delicious. Everything about it makes me happy: chill in the air, gorgeous shades of oranges and reds, the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind or crunching underfoot, the smell of the fire pit, and of course, pumpkin flavored everything!
Just as we are to embrace each season as they come, we also need to recognize that we were never meant to stay in the same season forever.
Thirty years ago today the trajectory of my life changed forever.
One moment I was a healthy, happy seven-year-old running around our new house playing with friends, and the next I was being rushed to the hospital. I don’t remember much about that day. More like flashes really. I remember collapsing in the first hospital, waking up briefly in the second hospital, and then nothing until the next day when I woke up in the third hospital paralyzed on my right side.
It’s been almost two years ago now that I sat in my counselor’s office sobbing uncontrollably. She looked across the empty space between us and simply asked, “Do you have hope?” I shook my head no. I have no idea what she said after that. It’s hard to hear anything when you are in a pit of despair and a storm is raging.
With some reservations I want share something with you. I suffer from OCD. Not the funny “haha I like everything in it’s place” OCD. I suffer from crippling Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. I hear people joke all the time about their “OCD kicking in”; however for those who truly struggle with this disorder, it is not a joke.
Silence.
Not a word has flowed through these fingers onto this blog for over 18 months. Not because I don’t have anything to say…those who know me well know that I always have something to say. Not a word have I typed because The Father has wooed me into the wilderness so that we can be alone…in the quiet…so that I can listen.
A friend once asked me what I liked to read. I told her I didn’t read much. She said, “But you are a writer!” I said, “Exactly! I am a writer not a reader. Just like I am a talker and not a listener.” We all had a good laugh. But looking back, I must have sounded so arrogant and immature.
What an amazing journey I had this past year! I was given the honor to teach a group of Hispanic parents in the Springdale Family Literacy Program. Monday-Thursday these women (and one gentleman) showed up to my little cottage outside an elementary school with one motivation…providing a better life for their families.
Y’all, I am so excited to share with you one of my most precious blogging friends, Katie Reid. I introduced you to her back in the Fall when we met in real life. We met through the Five Minute Friday Community. She has been one of my biggest online cheerleaders. Katie has helped me get over a lot of my insecurities of writing by inviting me to guest blog on two of her blog series. I honestly don’t think I would still be here without her encouragement!
Ten years ago this spring, Michael and I visited our Pastor’s office for several sessions of pre-marital counseling. Some things were very helpful. Most topics were very awkward as you can imagine. We discussed finances, family history, goals…and intimacy. Yikes!
We had only been dating for a few months. These counseling sessions were revealing things that had not come up in the short time we had known each other.
I distinctly remember Pastor asking, “Where do you see yourself in ten years?” My knee jerk response was, “Published.”
A life lived simply is a beautiful life!
When we live a rushed, overscheduled, complicated life, we quickly become winded. Our lungs struggle to get a deep breath. We strain through the shallow pants.
But a simple life…the small life… allows us to breath deeply.
To exhale.
It is morning. I am checking off tasks on my morning routine “to do” list.