It’s a quiet, perfect morning here on the screened-in porch. Or, it was until someone started vacuuming their driveway. I don’t know if that’s what they’re doing but it sounds like an industrial Dust Buster. It’s fine. I wasn’t enjoying the birdsong or anything. And now he’s apparently clapping giant erasers together.

Sigh.

The day never goes exactly the way we’d like, does it?

I mean, I was hoping our geriatric dog would break into the guest bathroom and gnaw on a roll of toilet paper like it was corn on the cob, so that went to plan.

Ok, back to writing.

I haven’t posted anything in nearly two years.

Life has been blessedly boring, mostly. We’ve taken a couple vacations, two summers ago to the Ark Experience and Creation Museum in Kentucky and this past July we went to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to see Amish Country and Hershey Park.

We adopted a kitten and named him Tabasco (he just turned two).

I gained back twenty pounds.

Ben’s mom had cancer but after surgery she is now in remission and by the grace of God doesn’t need any further treatment.

We were so excited to be able to put a screened-in porch where our deck used to be and I pretty much live out here now. It’s a problem.

Audrey is almost finished with fourth grade and turns ten next Sunday. She is an awesome kid and it’s cool to see her grow (and grow and grow. She’ll be taller than me before she hits middle school).

We joined a solid church down the road from us. Great teaching, great worship, and thriving kid and youth ministries. Ben and I hope to start serving in the youth group at some point.

We got a chicken coop and a bunch of chicken stuff but never got chickens because I chickened out.

And so here we are.

Life for us lately has been mostly steady rhythms.

I know that may not (probably won’t) always be the case. This isn’t heaven, and I know hard stuff will come our way. Something I’ve been thinking about lately is making life beautiful, no matter the season. We can’t always control our circumstances, but we can put in effort to bring beauty and peace to whatever situation we find ourselves in. Here are a few things that come to mind:

Because I am a visual person, my first thoughts go to physical surroundings. I have tried to create a home that is beautiful and comfortable and welcoming, both for our little family and for our friends. We don’t have a huge house but little touches like fresh flowers and sweeping now and then really make a difference. Making home a place we love to be and want to invite others into is important to me.

I also think being healthy is part of a beautiful life. I have battled my weight forever and it’s super annoying. Unless I’m in a significant calorie deficit my body goes into hibernation overdrive, apparently packing on the pounds in anticipation for a long, hard winter. I am trying to break free from a “diet” mindset and focus on eating nourishing food, as close to the way God made it. I’m also moving my body several times a day, and not just on the way to the fridge for more cottage cheese “chocolate mousse”. P.S. You’re not fooling anyone, cottage cheese.

One of the most important ways to make life beautiful is to invest in relationships. As someone who gets “peopled” (over-stimulated by too much interaction), this is something I have to (and want to) be more intentional about. We weren’t meant to do life alone. I can tell you from experience that it’s no fun telling dad jokes to yourself. We need each other. I am so grateful for my people, and I want to show up for them.

Another crucial element of a beautiful life, I’ve come to realize, is being out in nature. Nothing restores my soul more than putting down the screens and experiencing the natural world. Just getting outside into the fresh air and green all around allows me to slow down and just “be”. It’s how we were meant to live: to see and hear and feel and enjoy all the life around us. No amount of “entertainment “ can bring peace like immersing ourselves in God’s creation. It’s so good for us! As they say, “Go touch grass!”.

What else? Good books, good food, good books about good food, laughter, animals, art, music, John Crist, sunsets… there’s so much beauty in this life we can find and hold onto.

Lastly, and most importantly, the truly beautiful life is one lived in relationship with God. I have done this so imperfectly, but I am beyond thankful for the grace and peace and hope I find, every day, in Jesus. No matter what comes, I KNOW he is faithful. I’ve seen it over and over. Knowing God makes life beautiful even when things are hard.

I know these things may sound basic, but it’s easy to get caught up in the day to day and forget to prioritize the things that matter. Together, the little (and big) things that make life beautiful add so much value over the course of our lives.

What makes your list?

Angela