A Big Snow fell on our little coming-up-the-mountain town last week. For once, the storm came during the day. Our community is tired of the storms coming during the night. The snow started falling about 9 a.m. An hour later, our roads were covered. By the afternoon, you couldn’t tell where a road was in our little neighborhood.

The wind blows stronger on our edge of the mountain. I can’t even keep count of the number of umbrella’s felled by the winds coming from the West. I guess a snow storm brings a powerful wind with it. My sons came in to lunch with a rush to their step as they blew through the door. It was a pepperoni roll and Mama’s (Muddy’s) Hot Chocolate Day.

The bird’s felt the wind, too. Some got caught in a hard draft and had to work harder to get their daily quota of seeds.

Imagine eating 1/2 to 1/4 your body weight one seed at a time in a day? (How Much Do Bird’s Eat in a Day)

The storm didn’t deter their work. The Tufted Titmouse, the House Finch and the Black Capped Chickadee, along with other feathered friends, met at the source for their nourishment. Not once did my backyard birds give up their EveryDay Ordinary work in the snow storm! The winds buffeted, the temperature dropped, some birds behaved unkindly, others gave grace and made room in the uncomfortable challenges.

How they faced their challenge made me think of two things. One was how God blesses those who don’t give up in the seemingly EveryDay Ordinary of the daily – whether the sun shines or the storm blows all kinds of mess. Maybe the bird’s song is all the sweeter because they do not give up. . . one seed at a time, 1/2 to 1/4 of their weight, every day in their God-designed Journey. Like each bird’s Song, maybe our story is all the more beautiful when we do not give up.

“So you must be brave.
Don’t give up!
God will honor you for obeying him.”
~ 2 Chronicled 15:7

The cardinals came, along with the Chipping Sparrow and Nut Hatch. The Blue Jay was too cautious to meet at all the feeding places. It picked up the seeds that had fallen to the ground near Holly and Cleveland Pear Trees, distant aloof, keeping to the shadows. Maybe he would be a happier bird if he met more often with his fellow birds at the source of his nourishment.

Besides the importance of Not Giving Up, how the birds faced their challenges made me think of the Importance of Meeting Together. The Meeting Together where they fed made me think of you, of this community where we write and meet, where we come despite the challenges in our individual EveryDay Ordinaries, where we make room for each other, and give each other grace – and where we share the seeds of God’s word to encourage each other in our God-Designed Journeys. My story is better because of the Faith Seeds you share here – God’s seeds shared that give me courage to not give up, not let go. I need 1/4 to 1/2 my body weight in God’s seed daily – from the scripture, from worship, from meeting in our churches to meeting in places those listed in the link-ups below.

No, I didn’t see the wind last week during the storm. But I saw the effects of the wind on our little mountain and how it affected the birds. I didn’t see God, either – but I saw the effects of Him in the storm and in the birds, in my community and outside my community. . . and in my story. In it all, there seemed to be a chorus repeating itself quietly, “Don’t Give Up.” Don’t Give Up on the tasks of the daily. Don’t Give Up on Meeting Together. Don’t Give up on Filling Up with God’s Soul Seeds. The effects of it all can be seen in your story.

Are you letting God be the author of your Story? God is the author of Stories that Don’t Give Up.

“Can you see God?
You haven’t seen him?
I’ve never seen the wind.
I see the effects of the wind,
but I’ve never seen the wind.
There’s a mystery to it.”
~ Billy Graham

Remember Me Monday: #58 & Linky

“I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings,
    all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God,
    his great goodness to the family of Israel—
Compassion lavished,
.    love extravagant.”
~ Isaiah 63:7, The Message

In the Old Testament, God repeatedly, quietly and loudly, tells his children, “You have forgotten me!”  (Jeremiah 3:32, Ezekiel 22:12, to name a few). It’s a heart cry from a father to a child who has forgotten all the love, all the saving, helping, little and big blessings – and it leaves me stunned when I realize our Father, the creator of the universe, who knows things I cannot begin to fathom, who authors storylines that leave me amazed, delights in all of us so much, He cries out, “Remember Me.”

While every day is a Remember God Day, I am inviting you to join me on Monday mornings to come by and remember what God has done for you, for your family. Maybe God sent a cardinal darting out in front of you, as if to tell you, “I’m here,” or broke a child’s fever after you laid it all down at His feet in a 2 a.m. bedside vigil. Maybe He stood with you in the wait of a prayer sent out, or brought someone you loved to Christ. Maybe He healed your broken heart, gave your courage, or you gave Him your dreams as a love offering only to have Him give them back in an unimaginable way. Maybe God helped you survive to bedtime after a crazy Monday, or forgive yourself for missing it with your kiddos –– Whatever it is, let’s Remember Him. . . in a “Remember Me Monday” love letter.

“My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
Of your salvation all the day long,
Though I know not its measure.
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord”
~ Psalm 71:15-16.

Let us delight in Him by telling the  stories of what He’s done!  If you wrote a blog post remembering what He’s done for you, join the linky. If you didn’t but still want to praise Him for what He’s done – write it in the comment section. Then visit a comment before or after yours! One of the beautiful things about the blogging community is the relationships it builds!

Rules?  Write long or short, a list or a story, include photos or not. Just Remember Him and what He has done, and let the gratitude of your heart guide you. Let’s make Monday so Rejoice, that the goodness of God spills into the rest of the week!

If are having trouble linking, the linky service recommends to do the following: use [Photo] FROM FILE ” if it will not generate automatically.

Places I’m Linking at This Week:
 Inspire Me Monday,   Instaencouragements, 
Legacy Link-Up, Recharge Wednesday
 Faith on Fire, Tell His Story, Grace&Truth
Let’s Have Coffee Wednesday Celebrate Your Story
Scripture&Snapshot, Sunday Scripture Blessings