Beauty In The Ordinary

If you're on Facebook much you might think that everyone you know has exceptionally gifted children, both academically and athletically, they've either just come from or are heading to some fabulous destination. . .

Or

If you're on Twitter much, you might believe that everyone you follow is always headed to some fabulous conference-or is the speaker at the fabulous conference, has the ability to always craft meaningful, life giving statements in 140 characters  or less.

It seems there is no room for ordinary anymore.

I always describe myself as an ordinary girl.

I live in Kansas. Not on a ranch. Not on the prairie. No Dorothy is not my neighbor.
Middle of the country, middle of the 'burbs.
Kansas.

I have one great husband.  We've been married 22 years.  I still think he's cute.
He's  not a pastor, not a deacon, not a Sunday School teacher.
He's the hardest working mailman you'll ever meet.

I have three amazing kids.
Funny, smart, cute as all get out, and yes -sassy at times.
Only God knows what they'll grow up to be, and I'm sure those little (BIG) personalities He's given each one of them will be used for His glory someday.
However, as of right now, I don't have the star of the team.

And you know what-it's ok.

As a culture, we've somehow become afraid of the ordinary.

As if by having dinner together as a family, attending church on Sunday-not in  a uniform mind you-will somehow hold our kids back.

Ordinary has become a code word for failure.

You know what I've found though?

In the middle of all ordinariness, there are extraordinary moments everywhere.

Instead of being consumed with worry over the ordinary, and somehow think if we just try harder, push ourselves-or better yet are kids even more we can fight our way out of our ordinary days, why not embrace it?

You know what I saw out my ordinary window, of my ordinary house, in my ordinary suburban neighborhood of Kansas the other day?

This:

Beautiful.
Ordinarily beautiful.

Or if I was so wrapped in who my kids weren't or aren't yet, I might have missed this:

A picture my daughter took after she ran into the house asking for my phone because she saw something so beautiful she needed to take a picture of it. She was right.

A brother teaching his little sister how to shoot a basket-and the JOY of it FINALLY going through the hoop!


In our modern world, the comparison game is easier to play and harder to overcome than ever before.

But, let's try.

Embrace the ordinary- you never know what beauty you'll find there.


Blessings from my ordinary, beautiful mess!