Fields rolled by and I wondered which farm was her’s. I took photos just in case this was the one.
It wasn’t. But we were getting close to the gravel road that would lead us to our resting place. After speaking at a women’s event in Ontario all weekend, I was traveling with my friend Leah to the Farm to visit with my sweet friend, Ann Voskamp.
I couldn’t wait to see Ann and meet her family. Each one as unique and wonderful as I had imagined. Two boys hid (and giggled) under the porch while we visited. Her girls sat on the swing and listened. Flowers bent in the breeze behind the white picket fence.
And a zip line waited for us in the backyard. I didn’t know about it until dinner time. Listening to each child describe their father’s creation and how much time it took to build, voices echoed excitement. So I decided to ask if I could try it.
Smiles stretched big across their faces. No one there knew that this city girl is a farm girl at heart who loves a little adventure.
I even talked their mama into trying it for her first time!!
The next day we sat on the porch, eating apple slices and talking. We talked about the power of naming things like self-doubt, anxiety and fear, as well as the beauty He brings that we easily miss. How naming them can bring clarity to our thinking and invite God into our everyday moments.
Then we talked about framing the moments and messes so we can see God in them and worship Him there. Will you join us on the porch?
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Lord, we want to see You. We.Need.To.See.You. Open the eyes of our hearts and our souls, slow us and show us how to frame the gifts You give us each day – the moments, the messes, the simple, the sacred. In Your Name Amen!
Join Us On The Porch
Slip a note in the comments below this post by clicking “Share your thoughts.” As a special gift, when you join Ann and my conversation you will be entered for a chance to win one of three copies of A Confident Heart or a copy of Ann Voskamp’s New York Times Best-Seller, One Thousand Gifts.
Re reading one of ur posts has made me realize again I’m battling again with doubt as just one thing again. I first realized I’m dealing with doubt at the moment and rejection self and others, fear of failure, fear of ppl doubting me and if there right. Lisa tyrkurest’s booked helped me work thru a lot. Of these things but as my marriage seems to b failing again its coming back, but I’ve made it a long way since then. I desperately want to talk to Renee about dealing with a child with ASD, ii, and adhd and having add and bipolar and multiple health issues myself. He doesn’t believe school re son and tells me I’m a hydro chondriact. It is so hard. There’s other issues going on as well. I’m so confused. Lord just help me deal with my doubt and their rejection as a start. And. Hold my son in ur hands and protect his heart and soul.
God told me thru someone at church, he hasn’t left me and he will be my strength
I am continually amazed as God is walking me through this journey with you, Renee! My devotions, my conversations with my husband, sermons at Church, your book, the videos… as all pointing the same way; keeping my eyes on Christ … who he is and what he is doing. He IS providing and taking care of me (us). There is much to be thankful for and to stand on God’s word as we stand against Satan and his wanting to create doubt and fear. Thank you so much for this journey… it is a God thing… in God’s timing. I look forward to continuing this journey in him and through him and by him. I do believe in Him and I am getting much stronger at believing Him as well.
Wow! God is amazing! A friend gave me a copy of Ann’s book a few weeks ago….but have not read it…Until on Sat morning, I got up very early-5:40am….struggling…and crying out to God…and started to read His word and Ann’s book…and God stirred my heart to look at gifts that He has given and not focus on the struggles….and my cup began to be filled with His peace and love and JOY!! Thanksgiving, Grace. Joy!
It made me smile when I saw my email today…God is Amazing!! May He continue to use Ann’s book to encourage others to see the gifts that He has given us!!
Im brand new to this blog…but I’ve visited “The Porch” and hope ya don’t mind…but I really want to stay a while! Naming these moments, photographing these moments…hello…where have I been? This could bring order to my life, names for my experiences and blowing-up (once again) this cute box of my understanding of God. I’m staying. Thanks!
What a blessing to have such a wonderful friend.
I’ve just returned from our yearly church kid’s camp where the Lord moved in both the kid’s hearts and all of the adult staff. I’m looking forward to listening to this video and seeing how the Holy Spirit weaves it’s message together with what he has been sharing with me all week. Self-doubt, worry and anxiety have been constant companions for several months now and I’m ready to recognize them for what they are and step out of their stranglehold and be released to do the work God has for me to do.
Thank u for sharing the gifts. For encouraging us to see the frame and seeing Gods work in our lives.
How I would love to be on that front porch!!
Hi..I really enjoyed your conversation on the porch. It made me think of the verse ‘whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are true think on these things. ” I have to admitt that I spend too much time focusing on what is wrong in my life and forget to look for the “pictue framing moments” that I know are a part of my reallity….I am a city girl with a farm heart too. My husband always tells everyone that my favorite store is TRACTOR SUPPLY. Thank you for the reminder to shift our perspective from the darkness and to focus on God’s light and goodness in our situations…I know there are wonders all around me that I sometimes miss because I don’t take the time to look for them . God bless you and your families.
Thank you Renee and Ann for sharing your life experiences and helping me to get closer to God and be able toappreciate Him. I see His Love shining through you both. Thank you so so much. May God continue to bless you both and your families. Lots of love.
I loved this! I am all about taking pictures for memories and this is an awesome way to think of that. Thank you so much for sharing your heart and I have been wanting to get Anns book for quite some time now. Love you ladies!
I wish Ann would invest in a hair clip to hold her hair back. There as some quite attractive ones. IHer hair flopping in her face is obviously a nusance for her and I found it distracting myself.
I can’t thank you enough for sharing these two porch visits with us. I learned so much from both of them. I think I need to go out and get a frame to keep empty to remind me to frame the events of my life and see God in them. I especially needed to be reminded to do this right now–my son is about to be deployed and my daughter is living with her boyfriend. My heart aches over both situations. Now I need to reframe what I see and see God in these situations. I know He is there.
It is all about perspective, isn’t it? Beautiful message! I have been enjoying joining my sisterss ‘on the porch’. Be blessed.
I’m amazed at how God uses conversations to bring home a message He has for our hearts. In my Bible study right now(Gideon, by Priscilla Shirer) she talks about “seeing” God and how that is what transfer what is in our head to our hearts. When we “see” God things become personal to us. We know God for ourselves. It’s through seeing God work in our lives that change us, not when we “hear” about God working in someone else’s life. It’s so simple, but yet so profound. Reading the prayer above reminded me of what the Lord is trying to teach me right now. I’m praying to “see” the Lord in the everyday moments. Thank you for sharing this video! What an inspiration it was to me!
Both of you ladies show your love for God. I enjoyed listening and sharing in your moments. Thank you! He is the only way and my prayers go out to you on the back porch praising our lord and saviour and realizing that there is a frame around the picture. It’s so wonderful to know him and that we can talk to him anytime of the day. He has healed my body so many times and I give him praise for the healing. He is an awesome God.
Sometimes we clutter our lives with so much technology and things we think we have to do or have that we no longer hear the voice of God or see the wonders he puts before us. We often miss the DIvine Interruptions and write them off as interuptions or delays. I am thankful that I am making time and being more present in the moment.
Love, love , love this time with both of you on the porch!!! I have read both books and they blessed my heart and soul. I love the idea of the frame and filling it with “God Sightings”. My heart has grown so much from both books. Thanks ladies for sharing what God puts on your heart.
Love the message, thanks so much for sharing. I love shifting from the darkness to the light, all the darkness fades away when we focus on God!!! If we would only remember that instead of focusing on our darkness and letting it overwhelm us!!
I love to hear Renee talk about,”OUR HOLY WALK THROUGH LIFE WITH JESUS!! I also love how she brings her friends and Sisters in CHRIST to all of us. Thank you , Renee ! And can’t wait to read yr book Ann!!!
Thank you for the reminder to see God in the every day moments of our lives. The plain, ordinary days are always full of His goodness. I constantly need the reminder to change my perpective and to keep my focus on God and not on my circumstances. Thanks you again for sharing your passion with others and for allowing God to work through you.
What an inspiring message today. I love to take pictures and you have given me a whole new perspective to how I view the world. I like the thought of moving the frame to focus on the light rather than the darkness. Thank you both for sharing the porch with all of us!
What a great convo! My 6 year old daughter says she is going to be an artist and she regularly shows me the beauty in everything. Thank you for sharing!
We are all God’s perfect masterpieces. We need to remember that fact as we focus on the light in this dark world. Very nice to hear your perspectives.
Thank you so much for sharing this, I love porches and swings and most of all thank you for sharing this prayer.
Lord, we want to see You. We.Need.To.See.You. Open the eyes of our hearts and our souls, slow us and show us how to frame the gifts You give us each day – the moments, the messes, the simple, the sacred. In Your Name Amen!
Elaine
I love this…I latly been think like I’m looking a camera:)
Beautiful friends on a peaceful porch having a lovely conversation…..doesn’t get any better!!
Thank you for inviting me onto your porch conversation. I look out my front window that has 6 long frames that allow me to see outside. I see branches moving that are rich with green leaves in the summer, golden leaves in the fall, and heavy laden with snow in the winter. Even in the spring, after the snow is gone and before the green leave dance on the branches, the window frames the sky through the brown arms reaching to heaven. I am seeing God’s Gifts.
We need to be reminded. We also need to open our minds and hearts to welcome the reminders. Take it all in as if we are sponges. We become so full that we cannot hold anymore and we then release the gifts He has given us. Thank you for being sponges and releasing. 🙂
I loved this very down to earth video. You two make me seem like I could jump in the car and join you on the porch. I love the “frame the moments” part. Just perfect!
Thank you so much for your perspective and willingness to share.
Enjoyed listening to this…framing the moments and taking the focus off of me, off of the problems and struggles, to see the light, the hope to inspire others and that God be glorified! I am job searching and this is my daily request to God…show me where you want me to serve you. Faming each job situation helps to see what that might be.
Thanks for this timely message God is Good
My prayer this morning, after reading my devotional, was “God, help me to see you in every moment” This is confirmation to my spirit, of what God is teaching me. Thank You.
I thank God for both of you framing a conversation about God’s glorious creativity between two sisters in Christ. I see you both sitting on the porch and sharing about the Lord’s magnificence and His purpose in our lives and I love being a part of the conversation on your porch, out in the open, free to share with God’s family! The two of you make a beautiful masterpiece in God’s eyes along with all your other sisters in Christ who are joining you in this conversation. Praise God for He is worthy of our Praise!
Thank you for this message today :-). I am in the midst of reading Ann’s book, One Thousand Gifts, and it is transforming my thoughts and ideas of life and God and how he works in our lives. Thank you!
Sounds so simple and comforting, but I let busy stuff get in the way of stopping to share and frame the moment. Thank you for reminding me and bring these things to the fore front of my day.
Thank you so much for this reminder. Such an anointed conversation that God has used to speak truth in our lives. A great message that I needed to hear. Will now look for ways to step into the framed moments instead of hiding in the background. Thank you.
I LOVE the expression Godfidence! I intend to incorporate that into my vocabulary. What a great reminder that it’s not in ourselves we have confidence, but through God!
I love listening to you ladies convesation. You look so peaceful and at rest in the Lord. Thanks for reminding me to frame God’s moments that are given to me in all situations. Our prespective can change without our sitautions changing. That’s very positive. I will continue to look for moments to frame until God heals me. I know he promises are true.
Thank you! It is an ongoing challenge to choose what I focus on. The journey of truly believing that God loves me and has an abundant life for me even in the midst of challenging, at times heart-breaking circumstances is one I never thought I’d be on.
Wow! How inspiring you both are! I loved reading One Thousand Gifts.
Thank you Renee and Ann for the wonderful message…God so spoke to me thru it. I love to take pictures, I have tons, and have burned CD’s for my children to have when I go home with our Lord. But in life, I never thought about framing “messy” things, I love what you two mention about move a little to the sides, to see the beauty God has for us, even in those moments…. When I open my front door each morning, I praise God and thank Him for His beauty, I close my eyes and hear the birds and just feel this rush of warmth… Yes, God is the Master Artist, He has painted a beautiful canvas for us to enjoy daily, on those days that are a little messy, I will shift the frame a little and find His beauty… I love that I’m His Masterpiece ! I just love saying that outloud……” I am God’s Masterpiece”…Love it, love it, love it. Your so right in saying that we need to “see beauty in all things, and it will change our perspective”.
Thank you for sharing your webpage, I have already visited it, and loved it…, thank you Ann.
Thank you for allowing me to get up off my couch where I’m stuck icing a knee injury, and join you on the porch in the beautiful country. I certainly need to slow down and ennjoy the special “gifts” God gives me everyday.
I liked this conversation so much – too often I just rush through life at breakneck speed and forget to notice the things God is doing in and for and through me. For me this focus is about ‘living intentionally’ – I so need to do this so that I can have eyes to see all the wonders that God places in my way every day.
I so appreciate how real you both are. I have been blessed to read your book, Renee, and I follow you Ann on your blog. I have been so encouraged by each of you. Thank you for sharing your struggles and the way God has spoken to each of you at different times in your life. What a blessing!
I just listened to a couple of the videos – how touching and practical for daily living. I am so glad I took the time to listen and plan to watch more of the messages. You come across as very sincere and open to God’s leading. It is so good that women can share their testimonies and questions/doubts in order to find answers, as well as build confidence in God.
Sincerely,
Charlotte
Thank you for sharing this insight. I will have to check out Ann’s book. Does this example fit what you mean?I start the day feeling grumpy about having to run with the dog on an early winter morning only to look up and realize as the sun is rising, there are snow flakes blowing about in the quiet, solitary moments of a new day. I end the run by being grateful the dog makes me have to get up and out so I wouldn’t miss God’s expression of beauty and creativity! The picture is tucked in my heart.
“Right where it is is actually beautiful if we’d just change or perspective…” So absolutely true and encouraging! Thank you!
How beautiful! I needed this suggestion of framing our moments . . . I shall slow down, frame the moments, and worship and praise God, the artist of my masterpiece!
God has blessed me abundantly but I really need to focus on His presence with me moment by moment.