Beginning a blog in the midst of my life...

And so I begin… 

with no clear direction or defined purpose other than to consolidate the proof that my ordinary life is a pretty amazing composite of extraordinary moments. 

So, what is Ordinary Lovely?  Today it was my kids raking leaves like it was a privilege instead of a chore, boys racing to observe a grasshopper, a walk in the woods and the genuine fascination we all felt finding trees baring varying degrees of beaver activity, cozy reading at bedtime.  Ordinary Lovely is the simple things that to me, are the important things.  The leaves, the grasshopper, the wood chips, the picture books, and the delight and wonderment of my children - they are the glory of God revealed in a way that I appreciate and in which I can participate.  The awesome glory of God in my everyday life. 

What else is Ordinary Lovely?  It is knowing that life as a wife, homemaker, and home schooling mother does not have to be tedious and uninspired.  It’s keeping this ordinary home and family lovely by the grace of God... and a whole lot of intentional living.  Planning, effort, activities, projects, events… craftiness. 

And what else is Ordinary Lovely?  Consider this: “God’s will is fulfilled in the simplest, most ordinary of circumstances: a woman who gives birth, a family, a home… There is no human situation, no matter how trivial and ordinary it may seem, which cannot be a meeting place with Christ and a step forward on our journey toward the kingdom of heaven.”

-          St. JoseMaria Escriva, Christ is Passing By, No. 22  (emphasis my own)

and this:

“Rest assured that you will usually find few opportunities for dazzling deeds, one reason being that they seldom occur.  On the other hand, you will not lack opportunities, in the small and ordinary things around you, of showing your love for Christ.”

-          St. JoseMaria Escriva, Friends of God, No. 8

And so I begin.  When your inspiration is the simple things, there is so much to look forward to, to learn from, to celebrate.  There is so much fun to be had and so much lovely to uncover in my little old ordinary life.