Author: Lindsey P. Brackett

When I'm not wrangling four kids and a middle school classroom, I sit on my back porch in the mountains and write southern fiction that's short and long. I believe in Jesus, library fines, supper at the table, the Edislow life, and strong coffee. Pretty much in that order.
http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · reflections

Deep Calling

Lindsey P. BrackettLeave a comment

Someday I’m going to live with a waterfall only footsteps away. 

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. 

Psalm 42:7
These cascades of water, pounding, rushing, sweeping over spray slicked rocks to tumble down a mountainside to cut through more layers of earth and history reminding me that the all is always greater than me, that even the deepest cuts become a swath of beauty, that I can be refreshed, revived, re-stilled into awe.  How amazing.  Creation continues to create.
Zion National Park
These are my hideaways.  My retreats.  My moments when the roar of the waves sweeps over me and all my questions and all my doubts and all my insecurities rush by and leave me empty and yet spilling over joy.  It never fails.
When I was a summer missionary, I led hikes once a week up the paved trail to Anna Ruby Falls.  A double waterfall the Cherokees once called the falls of the Father and the Son.  And we called them heathens.  Yet, they saw the majesty.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that have been made…. Romans 1:20
Now I seek them out, these glimpses of glory.  On Saturday, we left the girls with Joshua’s parents and hiked 1000 steps to see the falls from the bottom of Tallulah Gorge.  My legs still burn.  My heart still soars. 
Photo Courtesty of Best Pics
We’ve been taking the girls on our hunts.  They’ve seen Anna Ruby, of course, and some local falls off the most beaten pats, best viewed after the rain.  Which we’ve thankfully had a lot of lately. 
I’m tempted to hideaway in my retreats.  To make these moments mine and not share them.  But this world I am surrounded by is tired.  We’re all fighting for more glimpses of beauty and quiet moments of peace.  I hope, for a minute, you shared in mine. 
http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday

Lindsey P. BrackettLeave a comment

Thanks be to Julia who is a never-failing reminder to be thankful and to rejoice in the small things that make our lives big and wonderful.  This week I’m offering some visuals of my thankfulness.  I’m trying to document some of my 1000 Gifts since sometimes I forget to write them down and sometimes a picture really does show a thousand blessings in a moment.

I’ve decided that a salad doesn’t always have to chopped and vegetables don’t always have to be cooked.  Thanks be to summer farmer’s markets.

So thankful for this sweet belly.

So thankful for this sweet friend.

Who needs spray grounds when there’s a playground?

Our blooming stargazers that cause the girls to shriek from the porch, “Mommy, come now!” making me think someone is on fire.  No, they’re just amazed that when we went to camp, there were no flowers.  We came home to this.

Organic soil bag garden.  We’re trying something small.  So far it’s still alive.  Yay, me.  Yay, rainstorms when I forget to water.

Everyone should have “wildflowers” picked from a parking lot in a mason jar on their table.

My latest read.  I love Francine Rivers.  If you haven’t read anything by her, pick up something immediately.  This one has been great for me as a mother and a daughter and someone who appreciates “Christian” writing that’s not preachy.
Link up your thankfulness this week.  Sometimes it’s a search for me to find the beauty, the joy, the small blessings in a day filled with tantrums and anger and frustration (more on raising over emotional girls later)
….but when it’s over I’m always glad I did.
reflections

Will Return

Lindsey P. BrackettLeave a comment

This blog will return to its regularly scheduled, um, schedule soon.  Because I’m so good at being regular.  Right.

Anyway, this blog will return to its semi-regular, a few times a week and trying for more, postings soon.  As in after art camp this week.  And after I unearth the computer from the desk.  And before Joshua’s birthday.  But after I figure out what kind of present to get him.

I thought summers were supposed to be relaxing and I quit my job to have more time at home?  Oh, that’s right.  I am at home more.  But so are the kids so that means there’s twice the laundry, twice the food, and ten times the clean up.  Seems like an oxymoron to me.  If I’m home, it should be done.

But, alas, it’s 10:30 p.m. on Monday and I’ve got twelve blog ideas in my head, childcare shifts at Jazzercise to schedule, and a pile of receipts Joshua’s ignoring that keeps getting in my way. 

Regular blog next week folks.  Or maybe earlier.  Or maybe not. 

What’s got you busy on this first day of summer? 

http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · Manic Monday · sisters · summer

(trying) to avoid the Manic

Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments

I hate when I get so behind that everything feels like a chore.  Blogging is supposed to be my release, my spread wings, my therapy.  I don’t like for it to be something I feel like I have to do.  Like the laundry.  Or the dishes.  Or brushing Amelia’s teeth, which FYI, we forgot to do again. 

Oh, well.

My sisters are begging for an update on all random things Brackett since for the past week I hosted my 8-weeks-older than Annabelle niece, Hailey….

Here she is.  Princess of the Stephens family.  Also known as Lava Girl.

and my 15-year-old-I’m-glad-I’m-not-her-mother sister, Audrey. 

Here’s Audrey enjoying some fine literature provided by her nieces.

It was VBS week and they always come.  It’s tradition, Audrey says.  Like macaroni and cheese at Easter. 

We had a fun, extremely busy, week.  And I found out that I’m glad I only have three kids.  Five is too many for this manic mama.  If someone wasn’t crying, they were fighting because three girls never works.  And someone always needed a popsicle, or a dry set of clothes, or a nap.  And they turned their noses up at my Pioneer Woman chicken spaghetti.  Seriously, what’s wrong with these kids?

To be fair, I should insert here that it was Annabelle who cried the most because she did not want “green things” in her spaghetti.  Spaghetti is red.  Lesson learned.  Next time, I’ll call it Mexican pasta.  After all, what’s in a name?

Here’s a little look at our fun times this past week and an answer to your question of where I’ve been.  I know you’ve all been wondering. 

Millie Moo napping on the deck of our friends’ pool.
Popsicles in the pool. 

Aunt Audrey giving Amelia her first water slide ride.

Tacky Tourist day at VBS.  Which I was informed meant they could wear whatever they wanted.

My living room on Tuesday afternoon.

The office on Tuesday afternoon before some major work.  It looks about 10% better now.
Playing in the sand at the state park beach.

Exhausted by Friday afternoon.

Playing with Moto at Uncle Corey’s campsite on Saturday.

Sliding Rock.  Belle’s only trip down into the 50 degree water.

Daddy and Madelynne trying it out.

“I’m n-n-n-not c-c-c-cold!”

Letting Amelia play.  Crazy kid loved it.

You know what?  I do feel better now.  Even chores can be therapeutic….

finding the glory in the mundane…on my way to 1000 gifts
#114  ooey gooey olive cheesebread
#115 Audrey playing Bananagrams
#127 5:45 a.m.
#133 children around my neck
#135 finding the lost box of summer clothes
#136 Annabelle cleaning her plate
#144 quiet hum of convenience

faith · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · reflections

The Manna

Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments

I’ve long had trust issues.  I think actually it’s that I have self-confidence issues that manifest as being unable to believe that I am worthy of anything.

Friendships.

Blessings.

Love.

I’ve talked a lot recently about living on faith, about believing that the Lord will provide for our family, about trusting His Hand in this little world of big change.  But do I believe it? When it counts do I really?

I cried the other night after Joshua made an innocent comment that I blew out of proportion and it all related back to me feeling like I wasn’t doing enough to keep our budget sound.  Our checkbook red.  Our kids fed.

I had no trust, not really.  I don’t think I truly believed He would come through when we needed it.  Even though He always has.  Even though He always will.  I went ahead and prepared myself for the worst thinking, “Well, at least we know.  At least we’ll be ready.”  But can one ever truly be ready for the unknown? 

And today when Joshua called to say he’d had an offer, that it was what he’d prayed and hoped and waited for, I realized how little faith I’d had.  Here I was prepared for the worst, never trusting for the best.  And that’s not faith.  That’s cowardice.  That’s untrust.  That’s unfaithful.

That’s the opposite of the person I want to be, am striving to become, am praying to be revealed. 

Trust.  So hard to eat the manna everyday and believe in its worth.  But always, always it is.