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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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It’s Wednesday. The middle of the week. And if

It’s Wednesday.

The middle of the week. And if you are anything like me, the pain of Monday is already a distant memory and you are looking forward to the weekend with all of it’s possibilities.

The middle days are like that aren’t they? They seem like they are neither here nor there. Sometimes it seems like they are just something to be gotten through.

But, what if we saw this middle day differently? And what if we saw the middle days of our faith differently?

There are so many times in our lives when we feel like we are in a holding pattern. We aren’t experiencing the high highs or the low lows.

We’re just trudging through.

These days can sometimes feel like a waste. But I think that God wants us to see them differently. I think He wants to see them as a gift. A break from the Mondays and the weekends. The middle can be a wonderful time to regroup, refocus and reflect on our lives. Don’t fight the middle days my friends. Embrace them in all of their in-between-ness and you might just be surprised by what they have to offer you.
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“We all have those times when there are no flashes of light and no apparent thrill to life, where we experience nothing but the daily routine with it’s common everyday tasks. The routine of life is actually God’s way of saving us between our times of great inspiration which come from Him. Don’t always expect God to give you His thrilling moments, but learn to live in those common times of drudgery of life by the power of God.” (Oswald Chambers)

Two days straight of sunshine calls for packing up

Two days straight of sunshine calls for packing up the last of anything winter-y and bringing out the spring decor and putting flowers everywhere even if some of them are of the ‘faux’ variety! And you guys, I’ve realized that I am definitely a better version of myself when the sun is shining.

Anyone else with me? 🙋🏻‍♀️☀️🙌🏻

My friend @katie_m_reid shared some words yesterda

My friend @katie_m_reid shared some words yesterday that totally struck a chord with me. Her husband is a pastor and in his sermon on Sunday he said this, "Our obedience can cause others to step out in faith and be obedient." Today I'm off to do something that I never planned to do in this season of my life.

A few months ago, I felt God calling me to start a book club for the high school girls at my kids' school. I feel such a burden for what teen girls are facing these days. But, when it first popped into my mind my initial reaction was, "NO WAY!" and I came up with every excuse you could imagine.

I'm super busy right now, I'm trying to get another book published, my husband is traveling a lot for work, we're leading a community group at church and, most importantly, I've NEVER led a group of high school girls! But, the nudge from the Lord would not go away so, reluctantly, I asked the school to make the announcement, researched books to use and now, here I am, on my way to the school to sit in an empty classroom and wait to see what happens. I may have one girl who shows up, I may have 10 girls who show up or I may have no girls show up. I'm praying for at least one or two! But, it's not about the numbers. It's about the obedience. That's all I'm called to do.

And I'm sharing this with you because I think Katie's husband Adam is so right. When I see someone being obedient it causes me to pay more attention to those God nudges. When I see them trusting in Him and stepping out in faith knowing that they don't control the outcome, it gives me courage to do the same. So maybe, just maybe, by me sharing my act of obedience with you here today, you will be emboldened to do that thing that you've been trying to push aside. Make that phone call, reconcile that relationship, write that article, lead that small group. Whatever it is, whatever the result, your act of obedience is what matters the most to God.
So, what are you feeling God calling you to? Would you be willing to share it in the comments so that I can be praying for you to have courage and boldness to act on it? It would be my honor to come alongside you.

“After all," Anne had said to Marilla once, "I b

“After all," Anne had said to Marilla once, "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.”
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I’m feeling oh so grateful for a day filled with simple pleasures most especially the sunshine that was streaming through my windows. And even though it showed all of the dusty corners I’ve missed, it didn’t stop me from appreciating its light and warmth. Hope you enjoyed some simple pleasures today too sweet friends! 🌿

Happy Friday friends!! Valentines Day is super low

Happy Friday friends!! Valentines Day is super low key around our house. I picked up everyone’s favorite foods from Trader Joe’s and we’re going to eat in the family room while we watch a movie. There’s no other way that I’d rather spend this day than with my three loves. Now I’m off to make chocolate lava cakes and hopefully they’ll turn out ok since I’ve never made them before. Good thing we have plenty of candy as a backup!

What are you up to tonight?

Anyone else doing a happy dance that it’s stayin

Anyone else doing a happy dance that it’s staying light until past 5 o’clock now?! 💃🏻🙌🏻 It seems like such a small thing and yet it makes such an impact on my soul since I know it means that spring is right around the corner.

What’s a seemingly small thing that made you happy today?

Not sure how it’s possible that we’ve reached

Not sure how it’s possible that we’ve reached this point in life but today...this kid bought his first car!

And out of all of our ‘proud parents’ moments this one definitely ranks pretty high!

He’s worked hard, saved his money (we matched some of his earnings), did a ton of research, read reviews and did ALL of the communication with the seller himself. He also did all of the negotiations on the price by himself and drove a hard bargain! (The sellers were a wonderful couple in their 60’s who were very impressed by our young man.)
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I can’t believe we’ve reached this milestone and if I’m honest I’m being much braver and more excited on the outside than I’m feeling on the inside. 😭 I stand in solidarity with all of you who are either currently in this stage or who survived it and are on the other side now. This isn’t for the faint of heart!!

There is a huge difference between being unintenti

There is a huge difference between being unintentionally exclusive and being intentionally inclusive.

In other words, just because you aren’t being intentionally unkind doesn’t mean you are being intentionally kind.

You see, I think that somewhere along the line we’ve started making excuses. We make them for ourselves and we make them for our children. We convince ourselves that as long as we (or anyone else) aren’t being outright mean that it’s pretty much the equivalent of being kind. But, it isn’t.

Let’s say, for example, that there was a class bully. And one day that bully decided that they weren’t going to torment anyone. They might claim that day as a victory and pat themselves on the back for showing so much restraint. But, is that the same as them reaching out a hand to help someone up? Is that the same as the bully inviting the loner to sit at the table with them? Of course not. Simply being ambivalent, being neither here nor there, doesn’t equate to showing kindness. Choosing to be kind requires more from us. It involves us getting out of our own heads for a moment in order to put ourselves in the shoes of another.

Recently I had the incredible opportunity to watch as my daughter put this into practice. You can read the full story over on my blog. And as we lay in her bed that night (she likes to talk with me or my husband before she falls asleep), I told her that I saw what she had done and affirmed her choice before praying over her. As I left her room, I reminded her that it’s never going to be the easiest way to do this life. But, it’s also never going to leave you with a life filled with regrets.

Just think what might happen if we all took this to heart. If we gave up passivity for proactivity. If we approached each day, each interaction with intentionality and a desire to leave people feeling better for having been around us.

I can imagine schools, churches and communities where the investment we pour into others, whether it’s one drop or a bucket full, overflows in such a way that it so deeply reflects the character and heart of God that they will be drawn to Him through us.

I pray it will be so.

We did it you guys!! We made it to FEBRUARY!!! 😅 That means Spring is right around the corner which fills me with hope as the Pacific NW has been living up to its reputation lately with a ridiculously long stretch of rainy days. 😩 In the meantime, I’ll just look at photos from Springs past to remind me that we WILL have sunny days again!

What are you most looking forward to about spring?

I think that for some time now, I’ve assumed tha

I think that for some time now, I’ve assumed that there is a hierarchy within the world of insecurity. Obviously having your insecurities manifest themselves in the form of trying too hard to please is MUCH nicer than having them manifest in not offering a smile to someone. But, who am I kidding? It’s all damaging. It’s all destructive. It’s all ugly. And when your insecurity meets my insecurity, we have two choices. We can either let them duke it out knowing there will be no winners. Or we can overwhelm them with grace and understanding knowing that then there is no way we can lose.

Because it might start about being about their issue and not mine. But how I process those feelings becomes about ME not about THEM.

Are you tracking with me here? I can’t control other people. I can’t change them. But I can change me. I can decide how I will evaluate and internalize those emotions. I can decide whether I will retaliate by being the one to not smile or say ‘hi’ the next time since they didn’t say ‘hi’ to me. I can decide if I will be willing to extend grace and forgiveness. I can decide if I will allow my insecurities to function as a cloud over every encounter in my life.

So, lately I’ve been playing the ‘what if’ game.

What if it didn’t have to be this way?

What if ALL of us realized that while we can’t change THEM we can change US?

What if we made peace with our insecurities?

What if when our insecurities met their insecurities there was sympathy and understanding instead of hurt and confusion?

What if we (gulp) actually acknowledged and even apologized for how our insecurities have wounded others? How they’ve tripped up relationships and made situations more complicated than they needed to be.

Just think what might happen!

I can imagine…

Healing

Reconciliation

Sympathy

Empathy

Peace

Joy

Does this have to exist only in my imagination?

I don’t know…you tell me!

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