Scatter Far and Wide; Some Will Take Root

The visit with the Bakers was wonderful! A special moment for me was when the daughter ("a face without freckles is like the sky without stars"--that one!) shared with me the list of my blogs she had personally saved to a file over the past four years. She's a rising 9th grader now, and she's been a faithful blog reader all these years. She read on my blog that I wanted to compile my favorite blogs for a little devotional book, and she figured her list might be of interest to me as I build my chapters.

I was so touched! I was so honored! I didn't realize she not only read them but saved them. All this time, when I think I'm doing no good in the world because publisher after publisher rejects my manuscripts because I'm not famous enough, I have before me an amazing young woman who reads my writing and gains courage and hope from it. I didn't know! I will keep writing for you forever and ever and ever!

So she pulls out her handwritten list of her favorite 25 blogs by title, and I smile for so many reasons. I smile because she chose some blogs that I thought resonated with no one. I smile because she put little stars by her favorite blogs within the list.

What did I notice? I noticed she loved blogs about courage, strength, hope, and risk taking. She loved blogs about family and authentic living and Jesus. Teenage girls want these things in their deep, intelligent hearts!

I also noticed that there was simply no way I could have predicted which insights mattered to her and for what reasons. I wrote what I felt like writing, and God did all the rest. I scattered my writing far and wide, and some of it took root in her heart.

I was amazed and thankful.

She doesn't mind my sharing, so I thought I'd show you her list. Maybe some of these, by God's grace, will take root in your heart, too.

Run the Mile You're In
If You Have a Child Who Talks too Much
Am I Fond of Them?
We Can Pray, Can't We Mom?
But It's Impossible
Because You need To
God's Love Would Be Enough for Me
Afraid of What They Think
Supremely Uncool Behavior
I Still Use the Chalkboard
The Right Path
No Matter What Happens
I Didn't Believe It
All the Ways to Laugh Together
Because I'm So Loved
*Of Courage and Second Chances 
My Favorite Back to School Bible Verse
See What Happens
*The Thing You Need Strength For
The Greatest Ending Ever
*On This Bench
*You Won't Miss It
*Give Them Time to Unload
*It's Sort of Awkward
*Playing it Too Safe

I pray today it is a great encouragement to you as you scatter your gifts far and wide. Some will take root, and maybe you'll see the fruit of it. You might not, but just know that somewhere, someone is saving your words and putting little stars by them because of what they meant to her.

A Prayer for New Teachers and New Classrooms

It's that time of year again when teacher assignments come and school supply lists scatter around my kitchen like late-summer dropped flower petals. We love school around here. We count down the days, pack backpacks, pick out special outfits, organize our desks, and begin dreaming of all the wonderful experiences we'll enjoy and the new friends we'll have.

I do the same thing as a college teacher; I'm printing out my class lists and getting so excited to meet those new students.

This morning, I begin praying for the new school year. I pray for several specific things both for my daughters' classrooms and my own.

I pray for a great spirit of community within each class room. I pray that students would feel loved and cared for. I pray that a profound sense of belonging and acceptance would fill students' hearts. This kind of reality enables students to learn well. This kind of atmosphere fosters the freedom to explore new ideas together with joy.

Then I imagine each classroom and pray that the room might be filled with celebration, wonder, curiosity, and joyfulness. I pray that the room would enjoy safety and protection all year.

More specifically, I pray that students would have an overwhelming and sustained desire to learn and to work hard at their tasks. I pray that students and teachers would experience freedom from self-consciousness, comparison, and insecurity as they learn well.

I pray that the teachers would be filled with enthusiasm, energy, good health, and joy (and the principal too!). I pray for their perseverance through grading, conferences, and lesson plans. I pray for their families. I pray that God blesses them with "immeasurably more than they could ask or imagine" and that "God would meet all their needs according to his glorious riches" (Ephesians and Philippians).

I pray that school leaders are filled with wisdom to know what to do in difficult situations.

I pray for laughter. I pray for the gift of lots and lots of laughter.

I pray for empathy and compassion to fill classrooms.

I pray for freedom from fear. 

Finally, I pray that this year plants great seeds of hope within both teacher and student. I pray that students receive a glimpse of who God made them to be and how they might contribute to their world as global citizens with a unique calling. This could be the year that this one falls in love with chemistry or the year that one develops a life-long love of semicolons and vivid verbs. This could be the year that a student dreams of a political position, writes a novel, invents a new product, hones a skill, or realizes a special talent. This could be the year that they meet their best friends for life. This could be the year that changes everything.

This could be the year! 

(Did I forget anything? Will you pray for this new school year with me? So excited!)

Look No Further: The Best Blueberry Cobbler Recipe

Today's a baking day over here! I wish you were here with me to drink iced coffee, smell all the good buttery smells, and enjoy the morning. We have a special friend coming for lunch, so our treat for her is our favorite blueberry cobbler. Here's the recipe we use: Best Ever Blueberry Cobbler. We've made this recipe five times at least this summer.

However, we sometimes use fresh lemon juice (we love lemony things) instead of the orange juice. My favorite part of this recipe is that the berries soak in the juice you use. It's just wonderful to soak. Think of being thoroughly immersed in yumminess today.

You can whip this up in 10 minutes, and it bakes for 35 minutes at 375 degrees.

You can serve it with whipped cream or some vanilla ice cream, but we love it plain and simple.

After our cobbler, we're making brownies for our house guests this weekend, our amazing friends the Bakers! I'm sure I'll report on all the wise things I learn from the Baker Family next week.