"One Another" illustration...

I burned the midnight oil last night finishing up this project. My friend Merritt hired me to create this as a gift for a wedding she's in this weekend. She had seen the concept before and asked me to recreate it...in the background are the words "one another" and then written down the page are all different Scriptures that include the words "one another" or "each other". It's exciting to me that people will actually hire me to do something I love to do!

Sunday at the Arboretum.

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."

Michelle, Olivia, and I enjoyed a lovely Sunday afternoon at the Dallas Arboretum today. While studying a flower through a zoom lens, I can clearly see that every organism was intricately created to reflect the glory of God...

What is my vivid "yes"?

It's a good coffee morning. Not even 8 am yet, my husband has just left for work, and my mom is peacefully sleeping in the guest room. I'm on the front porch with my steaming cup of Yergacheffe, asking for guidance today to find "my vivid yes."

We have a self-imposed "study hall" with our community group (who is really just 1 other couple: Craig & Bonnie) every Monday night at Panera, and last Monday Steven shared something that has resonated with me every day since. It's something his Contracts & Negotiations professor taught him many years ago at Baylor:

"The more vivid of an image your 'yes' is,
the easier it is for you to say 'no'."

Hmm. After he said it, the rest of us just sat there, staring into space, trying to make our brains comprehend. We knew it was profound but couldn't make sense of it right away. Steven's professor explained it with an analogy. Anytime someone asked him to commit to another speaking event or to go on another trip and leave his family, all the professor had to do was look at the photo of his wife and kids on his desk. Then he could easily say "no" to their offer. After all, his "yes" - his valuable time with his family - was very clear.

It makes even more sense in the context of The Gospel of John, our currrent study hall topic. We've been on John Chapter 1 for months now, and we're still only about halfway through. There is just so much good stuff, so much to apply to life, if you really slow down and read it carefully...

"Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, 'I am not the Christ.'

They asked him, 'Then who are you? Are you Elijah?'

He said, 'I am not.'
'Are you the Prophet?'
He answered, 'No.'

Finally they said, 'Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?'

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, 'I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' '"
(John 1:15-23)

John the Baptist was pretty much a freak. But he knew his vivid "yes." He knew it without a shadow of a doubt, and he was not ashamed to speak it outwardly. He essentially said, "I am not the Answer" and was quick to add, "but let me show you the Answer." The Message calls John "the God-Revealer". Knowing his "yes" made it easy for him to say "no" to what the world offered him, and consequently everyone thought he was terribly odd. But John was also the one chosen to usher the Messiah into the world.

I want to know Truth like that.

So, what is my vivid "yes"? I sure as heck know how to say "yes" to my morning coffee and promptly become Mrs. Grumpy-Skirt if it's not brewed perfectly. I can say a surfacy "yes" to healthy eating (most of the time), living in a pretty home, and spending time outside. But to truly find it, I have to first think about what I know my "no" is.

I know I don't want to live a "cookie-cutter" American life.
I know I don't want to be materialistic.
I know I don't want to waste my life.
I know I don't want to live selfishly.
I know I don't want to believe that my house or my family or my husband or my kids are the best things in my life.
I know I don't want to die having never shared Christ to the best of my ability.

My "no's" seem pretty clear. But how quick am I to point to Christ when people ask me the same question they asked John: "Who are you?" 99.9% of the time I'll give myself a lot of credit first. "I consider myself to be creative. A pretty good writer. A thoughtful, kind person." I admit, I like to make myself sound good, and I take those qualities to heart before ever pointing out the fact that anything good in me is Christ. And what kind of testimony is that? "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10)

So, how am I uncovering the Mystery for people I encounter every day? How am I showing them that I know what I will and will not be about? What is my vivid "yes," and what keeps me from saying "no" to anything but Christ?

Faithful, like the trees.

" Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars... and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers - for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are." ~Osho

The other evening, during my favorite time of day, I found these lovely wildflowers sprouting up on the grassy strand in front of our yard. It made me happy. As a golden glow was cast on our lawn, I watched my husband contentedly care for our small piece of land. It's not much, but it's ours. It's our one piece of nature to care for and maintain. There is something fulfilling about that...






Lately, all of this creation sprouting around me has whispered one thing: be faithful. I know "faithful" is what I want to be in my marriage or in my friendships, but what does it mean as an overwhelming purpose? "Blessed is the man...whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."

Here we go again with nature being the perfect parallel to life.

What I'm learning is that faithfulness is simply about being who I was created to be. A tree does not wake up with a to-do list. It is simply a tree, and that is its job...every day. It is deeply rooted in the soil, straight down to the nutrient it needs to survive. It is just faithful being a tree, flowering in season and existing for the reason it was created. It does not worry what each day will bring or whether it will be ready when a wintry season comes to strip its bark and its leaves. It is ready.

What if....I just concentrated today on being a women of God and nothing else? Would everything else not fall into place? Will I not see that there truly is "a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven"? (Ecclesiastes 3)

To this day, I've never heard someone say they were more stressed after spending time in nature. This is why people seek out retreats in the mountains, build dream homes by the sea, and nurture flower gardens on urban patios. There is something beautifully calming about standing in a forest, gazing up at redwoods with tops too high to see. Trees are simply doing what they are supposed to do - GROW. No...I don't know a single person who isn't quieted by standing among a forest of trees. And I think it will always be that way, because nature was created to quiet our soul, to show us our purpose, and to show us God.

"I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees. The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets. It has given me blessed release from care and worry and the troubled thinking of our modern day. It has been a return to the primitive and the peaceful. Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and benumbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy."
~Hamlin Garland, McClure's, February 1899

Today, I will simply concentrate on being a faithful tree. And I will rest in knowing that my roots are reaching down just a little bit closer to their source of Life.

What should we name our new wabbit?

Let's have a moment of silence. Today, we traded in my beloved navy VW Beetle that I've driven for 7 years and left with a green VW Rabbit. Sigh. I knew I couldn't have the Beetle forever, but it was still hard to let go. I'm not the type of person who often chooses the "practical" route, but I admit it would have been awfully hard to cart our kids around in a few years in a 2-door blueberry egg :-\

As soon as I got behind the wheel to test-drive the Rabbit, I had accelerated to 80 mph in 2.5 seconds, and Steven's back was pinned to the seat. I looked over at him. His eyes were wide with terror and images of speeding tickets were dancing in his head.

"I want this one!" I exclaimed.

So the Rabbit drives like a dream, has a 6-CD changer, is a 2006 that was pre-owned by a VW exec., only has 10,000 miles, and it has my one prerequisite: a sunroof. It is honestly a way better car than my Beetle, although I'm mourning the loss of my bud vase and the ability to spot my recognizable car across any parking lot.

Moving on now...since my Beetle was my kindred spirit, I'm going to need to name the Rabbit something cute immediately in order to start the bonding process. Here's where you can help! Any suggestions? The only one I have so far is "Thumper". What do you think?

...And more spring beauty in North Oak Cliff...

I simply could not resist sharing more photos of the gorgeous spring here! I also have one strange story of what happened yesterday as I got a little snap-happy...it perfectly characterizes the type of neighbors we have.

As I was photographing this lovely Bradford Pear near our house, a burly dad holding a rake hurries down the sidewalk towards me. "Stop!" he says.

I pause.

"You can't take a picture of that tree. You're stealing its soul."

You kidding me? I don't know what to say. Suddenly feeling guilty for some reason, I stammer, "I...uh...I live down the street and just wanted to take pictures of some of these beautiful trees in our neighborhood...uh..."

"You're a freak," he says.

With wide eyes, all I can do is stare at him.

He stares back, dead serious, and then cracks a smile. "Just kidding. My wife [who is watching tentatively from the front yard] told me not to, but I thought it'd be funny to come over here and pester you."

[Polite grin and fake laugh] "Haha. Well, see ya!" Thoroughly weirded out, I go on my merry way.

More signs of spring...

Steven planted me some surprise flower bulbs in the front flower beds, and just a few days ago, I got to appreciate their beauty! By the way, what husband does that? Man, I'm lucky! :)




It's fun not knowing what's going to pop up next...

"See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.

Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.

The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me."

~Song of Solomon, 2:11-13

Spring!

Our Bradford Pear is blooming nicely! These pictures just make me feel like spring...

BEFORE....


AND AFTER...

Everything coming alive again...including me.

"The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day He created Spring."

You know those March days when the sun is shining so boldly that it doesn't seem to make sense how cool the air is? That's how it's been here the past few days. As Charles Dickens said, "It is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." My little piece of Texas can't seem to decide which season it wants to be.

Maybe it's just the cycle of the seasons and the first hints of spring, but I feel myself coming alive again. The past few weeks have been nurturing for me. I've really been pondering what it means to have the privilege of living. It's a great shift in thinking, because instead of feeling that I have to do this or that, I can now begin seeing it as something I'm blessed to experienced. I am not entitled to anything, really. I do not deserve encouraging relationships, a body that works, a family with parents who are still married, and a job that makes a difference.

One of the ways I've been learning to exercise this privilege is in talking to strangers. Because of a few things that happened in my childhood, I've always been fearful of opening up conversations with strangers. After trying it the past few weeks, I've shared a few moments of life with the most interesting people. Steven and I were at SMU last Sunday with Craig & Bonnie and their two dogs, Clyde & Tonus. We were playing baseball on the lawn and enjoying the heavenly 75 degrees. I spotted a gorgeous Australian Shepherd prancing around without a leash and then his owners, a middle-aged couple sitting on the edge of the fountain. I walked over to them and started petting their silky-soft and coifed puppy, whose name I learned was Jack. They were so friendly and if not for forcing myself to do it, I would have missed hearing about how much Jack is a part of their family and how much they also love Nikolini's, our favorite organic Greek restaurant in Dallas. The wife had a distinctive accent, so I asked her where she was from. Greece! So we talked about our love of the Mediterranean, our need for warm weather, wished each other a happy Sunday, and walked away smiling. I've also met a tattoo artist who was our waiter at Cafe Brazil and is opening up his own tattoo parlor and trying to figure out how to break up with his girlfriend. He gave our order a little extra love. Tonight while waiting for my to-go order at Peggy Sue's Barbeque, I laughed with a sporty-looking dad of two children (13 and 8) when he asked if I was an SMU student and was shocked to hear I was 29! The other day while shopping with Trish, we talked with our cashier at Kohl's who had just gotten in a fender-bender that day and needed to smile a little. It's amazing how someone can get a spark in their eyes when they feel someone else is interested in their life. It's fascinating to me to think about each person's history, what their days are like, and how our paths have crossed.

I've also been working on the privilege of using my body. There are people who would do anything to be able to walk right now, to just be able to use their legs. Yet, I grumble about working out and complain about the fat on my thighs. I'm sick of it. Time to start appreciating how I'm made.

Last Sunday, I had the most invorating workout I've had in years. After going to lunch after church at one of our favorite places, Zoe's Kitchen, and our previously mentioned stint at SMU, Steven, Craig, Bonnie, and I went to an area of Dallas called "The Village" where there are a bunch of apartment complexes and a park where all these young adults hang out on Sundays. We found a quieter area behind the clubhouse building, and Craig & Bonnie brought their kettlebells. I was a little hesitant to try them, but little did I know you could do an entire workout with just one piece of equipment, one of these little bells:

We did deck squats, lunges, swings, and I contorted my body in ways I never knew possible. There were even some moves that were similar to yoga, except holding a 12 lb. weight. I LOVED IT. Afterwards, I felt excited to be alive and encouraged to keep treating my body well.

But this week brought a whole new privilege: that of spending time with the close people in my life, while we still have today. It seems I've seen Steven with a fresh pair of eyes. As I come out of my shell, I'm noticing him even more. I look over at him doing the most ordinary of tasks and it makes me smile. I watch him cooking or working in the yard and know in my heart of hearts that he is the one man I want to be with forever. I realize the importance of getting up at 5:45am to spend time with a friend, or welcoming my mom's voice when she calls me, even when I'm in the middle of something. The privilege of being loved.

Tonight, Steven and I went to SMU to enjoy the weather. We were strolling side by side, when I got this burst of energy and said, "I just feel like running." He said, "Then go!" So I ran and ran, feeling the evening chill on my skin and hearing the swoosh of the leaves swirling around my feet and stirring in my wake. "I'm alive," I said. "This is the privilege of being alive."

Nothing is worth more than this day.

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."

~ Mother Teresa

This quote has deeply challenged me. The truth is, I've not been living lately as if "we have only today." I have been living each day as if there were a million more of 'todays' and a boundlessness of time. Translation: I've been lazy. Terribly lazy.

This laziness has permeated every part of my life...from what I'm literally feeding my body, to what kind of activity I'm engaging in, to how I'm stirring my mind and growing in knowledge, to whom I've allowed to pour into my life and in turn, in whom I am investing my time. I'm actually ashamed by how much I have not embraced today or my gifts. I have posed quietly upon my hilltop of laziness and let today pass me by, watching "just one more" mindless TV show that will not teach me anything, feed my spirit, make me laugh, or encourage me to live more intentionally.

Mother Teresa was a woman who sacrificed her entire life to love, in the most practical way, the most rejected of society, and although I don't agree with all of her theology, I know that she was not a woman who waited for things to happen. She even wrote a personal letter from all the way across the world to Bongo Java in Nashville to ask them to get quit making money off of the "Nun Bun"! She did not waste time with excuses or tiredness. She began. More importantly, Jesus did too. Jesus used the gifts He has been given by the Father, and He trusted solely in His Father to order His days. He only needed to do that to which He was called.

Part of this laziness comes from my lack of writing out my letters and prayers to God. My journals are my most prized possessions. I have an entire volume of them with my life since the first day of college documented therein. They help me pray and process and learn. I ran out of pages in my journal months ago and instead of continuing this prayer and processing, I just stopped. Ugh. A few weeks ago on a Saturday, I felt so dry and empty. I wonder why! It was time to make the first step and start journaling again. I went to a local bookstore and found this treasure:


Perfect. I took it home. And on the first page, I wrote this:

Turning over a new leaf....it's time. Time to begin. A friend of mine created a list of her "30 by 30" - 30 things to do by the time she turned 30 . Well since I'm turning 30 this November, I'd either have to do that at warp speed (not likely) or create a different kind of list :). So I decided on my "37 by 37". That brings me to 2015, which as many of you know, will be a very significant year for the Baileys....

I'm excited about 30. I've heard that in her 30's a woman really growns into who she is. One thing I'm not going to agree to do, though, is waste any of the days I have left in my 20's. So...in the spirit of new beginnings and living for today, here it is:

My "37 by 37"

1. Fly First-Class.
2. Take an art or photography class at a local community college.
   
3. Learn Italian fluently and use it by visiting Italy again.
   
4. Homeschool my kids when they're young.
5. Redesign DreamMore.com & start selling stuff.
6. Own a globe and be able to name all countries in Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa.
7. Go to Africa and hold a child that has AIDS.
8. Visit an orphanage.
9. Grow a flower garden in my own yard.
10. Visit the sites of the Bible in Israel.
    
11. Visit Colorado and frolic in a field of wildflowers.
12. Go to a small-town strawberry or blueberry festival.
13. Find a cliff and jump off it into the water!
14. Be able to do 25 man push-ups in a row.
15. Learn to embrace fish & grapefruit.
    
16. Learn to love my body, not obsess about it, and be healthy because I want to glorify God, not because I care what others think of me. Always a work-in-progress, but I've made some real strides.
    
17. Go on a benefit walk.
18. Own a Select-Comfort bed.
19. Be able to do the yoga pendulum pose without my feet touching the floor.
20. Visit Central & South America (Brazil and Costa Rica, please!).
    
21. Have at least 2 regular friends from other countries.
22. Learn to make cool stuff like pillows, hats, and clothes with a sewing machine and funky fabrics.
    
23. Take my nieces on a girl trip.
24. Visit Ellis Island and see my grandfather’s name on the log.
25. Learn how to salsa dance.
26. Wear a little black dress and go to the Rainbow Room in New York City with my husband to ballroom-dance the night away.
27. Return to India to see my “family” there.
28. Own a porch swing.
29. Visit Seattle and Portland and drink lots of coffee in both places.
30. Write a book. In progress as of January 2009!
    
31. Be able to bend over standing up and touch my nose to my knees and hold it.
32. Own a really big, cuddly dog.
33. See Bon Jovi live in concert again, with Steven.
34. Give birth naturally at a birthing center.
35. Sleep on a beach overnight.
36. Live in a solar-powered house and have a composting bin for my garden.

Well, that's 36 things at least. This list will probably change a bazillion times before I'm 37, and actually I hope it does! It shows growth. I will no longer sit back and let life happen to me. That means starting now on accomplishing these 37 things. It means getting up early in the morning to welcome the day, being intentional about my relationships and making time for people more than for the TV or my iBook, not letting my work or stress consume me, and stretching myself in ways I never thought possible....

"Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ." ~ Hebrews 3:12-14 (NLV)

I thought of one last item for the list:

37. Today: begin.