Being faithful in the small things sometimes means getting rid of your stuff.

Small things......small children, small projects, small books, small houses, small dreams, and small victories. There are many 'small things' in life that call for our attention, yet may not excite us. While we believe they are worthwhile, essential to life, enjoyable, and necessary, they may not feel as adventurous as the daring dreams we long for.

Today I'm thinking on this phrase 'being faithful in the small things' (taken from Luke 16:10).  It will look different to everyone. To someone learning to read, being faithful in small things will look like continuously practicing smaller books until they are equipped to pull out the larger ones. At times, small children may seem less exciting as we dream of future days of road trips, camping, and board-games with older kids. But unless we are faithful in those small projects, small people, and small dreams, we will never be ready for the big ones ahead of us.

This is my "small things".  Simplifying, minimalizing, cleaning out...call it what you want. I call it 'preparing for our next baby', 'minimizing what's not important so I can maximize my home and time for what has value', and 'preparing for future adventures'.

If you dream of sailing to far off places, 

then you must ready your ship 

so you can pull up anchor at a moments notice. 

Athletes don't just decide to run a marathon. They run around the block, lift the first five pound weight, kick the first ball....everything has a small beginning. One of my favorite phrases from a high school graduation card given to me, says "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." When I was venting my overwhelmed feelings to my husband and wondering how to tackle each thing on my heart, he reminded me of that phrase.  I can't accomplish the big dreams today. But I can be faithful in the small things. Each day, I can take another 'bite'. I can do this small project, small dream, small step that will eventually lead to the big things I hope for.

(see my happy, clutter free and dusted shelves from today's project?)

Do you ever have those 'zinger' conversations? Where you are talking with someone and 'zing!', their comment hit you right where you needed to hear it? Last night, my husband and I were discussing his methods of cleaning out the laundry room and what to do with the unneeded items in there. He wanted to get rid of a certain item and I said we had to keep it (though we have no current need for it) and then he said it.....'We have to be faithful in the small things. If you ever expect to get another place, then we need to be faithful with the house we have. There, that's a word from God for you!".  I couldn't argue with that. Indeed, that very phrase 'faithful in the small things' had been whispered to my heart at least a month before.


If my dreams of having a place where I can garden at my own house were to be fulfilled, then I must be faithful to be a good steward of my current home.  If my dreams of creative, thoughtful, and 'self-motivated to learn' children will happen, then I must invest the time now to cultivate those characteristics.

How about you? What are your little things (that may not seem exciting) that you need to be faithful in? What 'bites' of the elephant do you need to take? Leave a comment to share! I'd be interested in hearing!

Looking for treasures in the weeds

    How often have you found a treasure in the least expected place? If you are a thrift store or antique lover, the thrill of the hunt probably drives you on. I was thinking about finding treasures in the least expected places this last week, while I was weeding my garden.  It definitely looked more like a 'weed garden' than a 'vegetable garden'! I had to remove 75% of the growth in some areas as I looked for treasure. Somehow when you are gone for a week and leave a freshly cleared patch of ground, the weeds seem to swarm in. It can be rather discouraging looking at that mess and wondering if anything good will come of it.

It can often feel like that when you start something new like attend a new conference (where you don't know anyone), move to a new state, start a new job, begin a new season of life.  Often the hardest parts of it stand out the most, making it feel so overwhelming. And we wonder when it will pay off. For a parent it might mean seeing the living room strewn with toys, dishes undone, and hearing the tantrum upstairs. For someone in the office, it may mean seeing the unending emails. And we wonder if anything good will grow out of this. 

But underneath all those weeds, there is new growth. The green beans are sprouting, there are little baby squash plants, and the kale is just coming up. With careful searching, perseverance, and an eye for what is true and good, new growth can be found. Perhaps in that sea of people at your conference, new job or new church, you will find someone who will be your life long friend. Perhaps when your child's tantrum is finished, you'll see evidence of a heart change and that something you said bore fruit. The growth is there, but it may require some weeding, perseverance and searching to find it. 

This last week, we had our van loaded up for vacation and we were just about to load the kids in to begin our drive when we received notice that our place for the next three nights was canceled. And we realized that our son had a low grade fever and wasn't feeling well. It was a discouraging start to our trip. So we gave him some meds (which did the trick, and he felt great the rest of the week) and starting searching online for somewhere to stay that night. We ended up staying 30 min  further away than we wanted to, but it turned out great! Another place had a last minute cancellation, which was the perfect space for our family and dog. And when we started exploring this new, unplanned city we found ourselves in, we found an amazing 400+ acre free nature park which housed bison, an elk, birds, turtles, and hiking trails.  Our family loved starting our vacation there!  It was hard to see when we first got in the van with a sick kid and cancelled plans, how there could be good underneath.  But the Lord worked out all the plans. 

God is constantly working, even if we can't see it. "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." (Is. 43:19) We need to trust Him, persevere, and clean out the weeds until His new life is visible and ready to flourish. 

You can stay home with your kids!~a book review

Money...it seems like it always comes up in conversations. Even if you're not discussing bills or income directly, it's there in the background as you talk about the value of an item, whether you'll have the funds to fulfill that dream, or make plans for summer break.

In her book, "You can stay home with your kids!", Erin Odom provides 100 "tips, tricks and ways to make it work on a budget". Whether you are trying to live on one income, working to pay off debt, or just trying to live on less so you can spend less time working and more time living life, this book is for you.  It isn't a textbook style budget book, but rather a cute and simple (but with a lovely cover!) book of tips.


                                                                    

The book covers saving money on everyday living expenses (use cold water for washing laundry), meal planning, planning celebrations on a budge, DIY household products, how to find free family activities, health care, clothes shopping, and adding income to your budget.

Being from a thrifty family, I already do many of the tips. However, there were some that I've heard of, but just haven't tried. Next on my list to make is our own hand soap and toothpaste. I'd also like to make more freezer meals or do large batch cooking, just to have things ready for crazy afternoons. I haven't read through her section on generating income yet, as I'm slowly thinking through each of her ideas. But I'm curious how to implement them as life definitely gets more expensive the more family members or pets we have.

I was very excited when I saw this book on the Booklook Bloggers review program, as Erin Odom was on my list of authors to read. Though this was a complementary review copy, all the opinions written above are mine. This is a quick read, full of helpful tips for living economically so you can spend your time/money on what matters most to you.

Making room for the new

My violets have been in desperate need of trimming off the old blossoms and dead leaves, and I finally got around to it this week. You know those tasks you keep rewriting to the next day's to do list? Now I can officially mark it off. As I was pulling the dead leaves off one of my larger plants, my daughter asked me something like, "Mama, why you pull those off?" It must have seemed strange to her to see her mama pulling leaves off a plant after all the lectures she's heard about looking and not touching, being careful with flowers, etc.

"I have to pull off the dead stuff to make room for the new", I replied. 

Then I thought about my response more, and marveled at how true that is in all of my life. How many times have I heard God say lately, "You need to clean out the old stuff, so you can make room for the new seasons I'm bringing you".  Any gardener would laugh at the thought of that African Violet tenaciously clinging to it's dead blossoms despite the promise of new, fresh blossoms and baby leaves.

Yet, how often do I hold on to stuff, memories, old dreams, etc despite God's whispers to me of new seasons with new life.  

As we prepare for our next little one to arrive this year, my mind automatically starts wondering about space.  Where will they sleep? Where am I going to fit his/her clothes? How do I keep track of multiple sizes of diapers? Though I haven't gotten it done yet, I've mentally been making a list of areas that need to be cleaned out and stuff donated so I can fit in our new blessing. And not just 'stuff'', but there is a letting go of activities or old manners of doing things as our family grows.   I've been volunteering at Good News Club at the Elementary school for 6 or 7 years, and my littles have attended with me. But with our new addition coming, I've said farewell to that season.

While there may be grief in letting go of the old, there is also excitement in looking forward to the new. 

Without winter there couldn't be spring. Without a seed giving of itself, we could not have fresh growth. I've been processing what it means to minimize what is not essential, so I can maximize space and time for those people and activities we love most. I have so far to go, so don't look to me for solutions. If anyone has this all figured out, please share your ideas in the comments. :-)

And while it may be a slow process to trim away my old blossoms, I look forward to the new seasons promised me. 

Only half the picture: or when the obedient children of today turn into tomorrow's drama

This last Wednesday, a random stranger stopped me at the library to marvel at the obedience of my toddler. Yes, let's stop to wonder at that for a moment......for it may never happen again. We had pulled up to the library, and my toddler was waiting for me to get the little one out. This gentleman stopped to complement me on how she stayed right with me, and asked how I trained her to do that. He explained that his own children usually bolt in a million directions. Caught off guard, I initially responded, "lots of prayer!" But then followed it up with something about clear directions, follow through, consequences, and timeouts to think about what a better choice would be. My answer may have sounded a bit mixed up as I was completely caught off guard.

I went home feeling validated that at least a small part of my work had payed off...for a moment.

But the man only saw half the picture. He never saw the next morning as she cried and whined, and complained about everything. Or heard my desperate prayers for God's help. Or saw how much I just wanted to put her in timeout and shut the door for some moments of peace. He never saw us Friday morning when I had to hot glue the bear she broke back together, or when she had to clean up the cats' water she spread all over the floor.  He only saw half the picture.

How often do I look at someone's snapshot and immediately judge that their whole life must be as marvelous as this "half picture".   Seeing Instagram pictures, smiling children on Sunday, or seeing a person in public vs. as they really are at home, gives us only half the picture of their life. My obedient child of Wednesday turned into my drama child of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  I know I often fall prey to feeling like I don't measure up after viewing other's shining moments. But it's because I don't see their sink of dishes or toddler tantrums. 

Equally wrong is when I only look at a snapshot of my life, and believe that to be the whole picture. If I only look at her tantrums this weekend, or the Cheerios on the freshly swept floor, I quickly feel exhausted.  But I would miss our tea parties and nature hikes. I would miss our morning devotions, and night time songs. I would only see half my picture. 

So if your day feels like a cracked bear hot glued together....

Or like you're living the dream......

Remember, that moment is only half the picture.  Let's celebrate moments in our friends' lives....while remembering they are real people with messy moments too. And let's hold on to the memories of strangers complementing our child's obedience to get us through the days of wet floors and tantrums.  Let's look at the whole picture. Let's live in grace.  Grace for ourselves, and grace for others. Let's celebrate the moments in each of our lives that are beautiful.  And cheer each other on, on the days when the only thing we are thankful for is that not every day is like this.

We're in this together.

May your seconds feel like minutes and your minutes like hours......

As I sat and rocked her...again...all while wishing I was the one to be heading to bed, I began thinking of this moment.  This perfect moment. Her warm body snuggled to me as we rocked in the antique chair passed on by great grandparents, never mind that her leg hurt or I was anxious to head to bed myself.  In that moment, it was just us. Her soft breath on my neck as she slept on my shoulder, unaware of her leg pain anymore.  And in that moment, I wanted the seconds to feel like minutes, and the minutes like hours......so when that time is gone I could hold on to that moment.

You don't have to tell me how fast time will go. It feels like only yesterday that she was my baby (I often tease her that I'm going to squish her up again to be my baby because she is too big), but yet it feels like tomorrow she will already graduate high school.  You never seem to understand your own parents' sentimentalism until you have your own children.


One of the reasons I love my husband is his sense of urgency with time.  Having lost his sister and dad too early, and lost contact with different close1 friends, he doesn't take time with those closest for granted. He is very aware of not letting anything take him away from our family, and very mindful of being intentional with the moments with our kiddos. At this moment, he's out working in the yard with his little shadow, whose heart was crushed when she thought she may not be able to join him. 

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Time waits for no one. I don't take any day for granted with these little ones, for I know none are guaranteed.


I read or heard once about someone who rocked their baby just one minute longer or snuggled just one minute more for they knew that season would soon be over and they would hold to those moments.  Psalm 90:12 (NIV) says "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Today, lets be intentional.  Let's hug one more time, call just because, "be" in the moment, and reach out again.

May your seconds feel like minutes and your minutes like hours...so when that time is gone, you can hold on to that moment.....and know you spent it well.

When your dreams for others feel as elusive as the promise of Spring.

This past weekend we had a blizzard...yes, a full on record breaking blizzard with over a foot of snow dumped in one day. Yet, the calendar says it's spring. My heart is anxiously waiting...

I have hopes to for my little ones, dreams for their future, hopes for their character. Sometimes, those dreams can feel as elusive as my hope for spring. But I must remember that good things start small. If someday I hope for them to wash the dishes along side me, today I must submit to water spilled on the floor, dirty dishes "washed" and placed still dirty in the drain rack, and a constant begging for more water, more soap, and the other scrub brush while she stands next to me to "help".   I wait....

The snow covers my dreams of spring, and makes me anxious for how planting will happen next month. I wait....

But I must remember to look for the 'spring' moments mixed in with the waiting. Though her "But I don't want to!" and her pushing her brother show me her rebellious nature, her "I'm sorry, mama. Please forgive me for not listening to you" shows me her heart softening. She may kick, scream, or protest when she doesn't get her way, but she is one of the first to show compassion when you are sick, to pray for Jesus to heal you, and to pray for the sirens we hear. Spring is coming.

"While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22 ESV   It is promised. We won't be stuck in an endless winter.

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 NIV

Whatever your elusive dream is for your child, friend, or loved one, trust that God is working. The spring blizzard may come and all may be buried under 13 inches of snow, but spring will come. The best things start small. As you wait, pray and patiently do your part to model and instruct, God is working to bring forth His new work.  He has blooms and blossoms planned out that we cannot dream of on our own. And one day, the snow will melt away and we'll see the fruit of our prayers, investment......and waiting.

Spring will come. 

How to be the Spring for someone's Winter

Spring...that elusive, teasing, bi-polar season that likes to pop in and out for weeks until it finally decides to stay. I get so hopeful waiting for the ONE day this week the sun will shine, but then sad again as I read of the chance for snow. When those few days come where the sun finally breaks through, the kids and I hurry outside to catch the sun's rays, if only for 15 minutes, to last us through the cloudy days to follow.

Spring reminds us that winter is not forever. The season of barrenness and waiting is not our future, but will eventually be in the past. Hope beckons us forward with promises of warmth, and sun rays to brighten the dark corners of our weary souls. 

For the last nearly month and a half, I have been so sick that I've felt the 'winter of the soul'.  Yes, it's been winter outside, because winter here in the north lasts.....FOREVER (with some repeat appearances made as it fights it out with spring).  But it's also been a soul winter as I have felt like a prisoner in my house, unable to leave till late in the afternoon, and always afraid that my stomach contents would make a guest appearance in public.

In this season, I have been immensely grateful for dear friends who have brought moments of 'spring' to my soul.  Never underestimate the power of your words, texts, visits, etc in the life of another. It may be the moment that they look forward to all day.  It may be the word that drives the storm clouds away and gives strength for the day's tasks.

Getting a text message that said, "Hey, how are you? Thinking of you and praying for you today", felt like a warm sun ray just passed through the clouds.  Getting visits was my motivation to get something done, and also helped the days not drag on.  And getting a surprise bouquet of flowers reminded me that I was not alone in this rough season.

Often people just need you to 'be' the spring. When some of my friends offered to pick up my kids so I could rest, I responded with "I don't need someone to watch them, I need someone to 'be' with me and remind me this won't last forever and that I will make it through."  When our hope runs low, we need others to share their hope with us.

Let me encourage you to 'be' the spring for someone's winter season of the soul.  The power of your words, visits, and presence will be like the daffodil stems peeking up through the dirt.  They give hope that this cold season will not last forever, but someday in the (I hope near) future the sun's warm rays will be given free reign.  And when your 'spring season of the soul' comes, (be it next month when it should be warmer or in 28 weeks for me), may it cause you to rejoice with even greater gratitude because of how long the winter was.

And may it remind you to in turn....
                      Be the spring for someone else.

Hello Mornings: a book review

For years I've risen (though not always early) to start my day with time in the Bible. It was a simple habit, based on a simple need....to have the right focus for the day. I also knew that life's craziness would probably happen, and if I didn't get it done then, I probably wouldn't get it done. It was also simple because I was only responsible for me. That was it. Barring unforseen circumstances, my mornings went as I planned them. That's not how it is currently.....

Currently we creep out of bed at 6:30 trying to make as little noise as possible so we can extend the quiet as long as we can.  When I get downstairs, I rush to let the dog out so her frantic "Help, I've been in my kennel all night! Let me out!" noises don't become high pitched shrieks and wake the sleeping littles. Should we hear the toddler's voice begin the initial calls, instantly my husband and I lock eyes and one of us says in a voice like we just woke the sleeping dragon..."she's up". Lately it's been 7 or 7:15, so our quiet time is short and sacred.

I've enjoyed listening to Kat Lee's podcasts 'Inspired to Action' and 'Hello Mornings' and was excited.....no...ecstatic when I saw her book, Hello Mornings, was out to review. My expectations were met in this book!  I've drawn stars by key points, folded down corners to mark favorite sections, quoted on Facebook, and shared a couple Instagram snapshots of the pages.

Kat Lee's platform, which she shares on her website, podcasts, Facebook community and now her book, is for women to start their day intentionally.  Her three minute morning routine (which you can expand on in time) focused on soul care, time management, and your health.  Starting simple eliminates most of the excuses we give for not spending time with God, nor being mindful of our time and health. In three minutes, you can read and pray Psalm 143:8, read your calendar/pray over your day, and drink some water. In time, you can expand the Bible time to include your own devotional plan, expand the planning time to include writing out and prioritizing items on your to-do list, and expand the health time to include a short workout or walk.

Kat focuses on developing a solid habit or ritual that part of who you are. In each season of life, it will grow and shrink due to the demands on your time, but it will always be there. Some of the points she covers include the importance of planning, setting up your personal space, developing accountability, establishing a habit, and the blessings that follow when you commit your first moments and your day to God.

This is more of a heart book, dealing with our personal excuses for avoiding this habit and calling us forward to see that more is possible. Honestly, I'm not sure what that looks like in this season. For me, it currently involves writing out my daily intentions the night before because my day starts off running, dealing with two hungry littles and a cooped up dog.  I would love to have a slow morning to sit and savor the Word, make a plan, and exercise, but I can't convince myself to get up at 5 yet. :-) Especially not as long as at least one of the kiddos is up in the night.  But Kat's book is grace filled, just calling us to do what we can in our season. If nothing else, we have three minutes in the shower  or the work commute to pray, plan, and think of something to care for yourself (fill your water bottle, plan a healthy supper, stretch, walk the long route to the office, etc).


I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the blogger review program with Booklook Bloggers. However, this book was on my dream wish list and all of the opinions are mine.

Long Days of Small Things: a book review

Motherhood......such a perplexing adventure that makes you feel like you are accomplishing nothing while you are actually cultivating future world leaders.  Often I've felt like I came up empty handed before the throne as my friends would talk of helping a widow rake leaves, spending time fasting, participating in children's outreaches, or other active spiritual disciplines that don't seem to fit my baby in the arms, feeding a little one, chasing a toddler stage that I'm in where most of any service time would have been spent making sure my kiddos didn't mess up the actual work others were doing.

It's easy to feel discouraged, wondering if what you do matters and if your hidden (I was going to say, 'quiet', but things aren't really 'quiet' here) activities matter as much as all the formal spiritual disciplines. Devotional times?  Mine have been spent simultaneously feeding a baby or keeping an early rising toddler happy.  Prayer times? Mine are over dishes, or brief moments when I sit.   Solitude?  That's a funny question. :-)

In her book, Long Days of Small Things: Motherhood as a Spiritual Discipline, Catherine McNiel writes of how she learned to recognize God's molding and shaping of her through motherhood.  How pouring out her life for needy little souls was actually the refining fire of God developing the fruits of the Spirit within her. The perseverance and patience required of a parent are constantly more than what one naturally has.

You are endlessly brought to the end of yourself, as God relentlessly works out your selfishness to create His own character. 

While I couldn't connect with some of her use of symbolism or all of her liturgical background, I felt encouraged by her main theme.  Motherhood isn't a side season until I can get back to the more important ways of serving Jesus or the more spiritual ways of developing His character within me, it is the main tool that God is using in me now.  My offerings given with the noise of a hungry baby and the screams of a toddler meltdown can be placed alongside the more public acts of service before His throne.

As with the widow's mite, He doesn't care about the size. He simply cares about our heart and if we are giving him our all.

Now excuse, I hear the baby crying again.........

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Publishing for review purposes, but the thoughts recorded are my own.

Seeing Past the Present

Being a mom of two little ones is exhausting and I give much applause to those ahead of me on this journey with more kids than I do. Someone asked me recently how I do it.  How do I survive the tantrums, the simultaneous crying, the constant requests for 'mo num num' (more food) and fits that follow if requests are denied?

I'll be the first to tell you that I don't have super strength.  There's a 24 pack of Cherry Coke sitting on my dryer reserved for weary kid days.  When my husband sees one out, he knows what kind of day it's been.  He'll come home, look me in the eyes and say, "Yep, you're done.".  There are days where the only goal for the day is keep the children alive, cause not much else will get done.  When I just want to cry cause I'm tired, but I don't want to go to bed because  I want to enjoy this quiet moment with the man I married (but hardly see as we are each assigned a kid each night) and have an adult conversation.  Plus, I know that I'll need to wake up and go through the regular morning 'emergency room'  routine again of everyone being so hungry they just can't function.

How do I do it?

Well, clearly Jesus has to be at the top of the list.  He probably actually invented everything on my list of coping strategies right?  I mean.....he did make cherries.....for Cherry Coke, right?

But,seriously, one of the main things He's helped me realize is I can't fixate on the present.   If I stay fixed on the present I'll just see cracker crumbs, toddler emotions, little hands getting in the way, and lots of messes.

But that's not forever.   

I remember when she was just learning to walk.  Now she uses her miniature broom to  'help' me sweep.  One day, she will sweep a house of her own.  I remember when she could only say "kitty'.  Now she uses all the words in her vocabulary (plus a lot I don't understand) to try to communicate her wants and convince us of her plans.  One day, she will influence the world through her written and spoken language. I remember when her little hands were just learning to grab things.  Now she can fetch needed items and clean up her toys. One day, her hands will rescue others, grow food, write books, serve her neighbor, etc.

The present can be overwhelming at times. Especially if you don't see much fruit from your labor that day.  But the present is temporary and passes quickly.

I'm thankful the Lord sees my finished product and doesn't give up on my present condition. 

Philippians 1:6(NIV)

6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Since I know I'm still in process, it gives me more grace to give to my little ones in process.   Just as I 'tag along' with Jesus to learn from his example, they follow me around (and never leave me alone for a moment) because they are learning from mine.  

Lord, please help me see past the present.  Help me to see your story for their lives and your goals for them. Please help me give them the grace you pour on me as you continue the 'good work' you've begun in me.

Because, today her little hands are trying to press all the buttons on this computer while I type, but one day she will send her own message to the world. 

From the worm's perspective....

From his perspective, he was accomplishing his goal. He was a real "earth mover", ground shaker, go getter.  From his perspective, he was changing his world.   Things moved when he came.  Pathways were carved, and new environments created.  Plants around him flourished, and he was created with a special role in God's creation.  

From my perspective?   He was just an earthworm, struggling to pull a plant seed into the dirt.  He was one of many earthworms I've come across in my gardening adventures.  And he treasured an annoying little weed that didn't belong in my garden.  He was so tiny you wouldn't have seen him unless you were weeding in his turf.

It was all about perspective.   Mine was vastly different than his.  The only reason he stood out to me from the many other earthworms that day, was his intense focus on his job.  He desperately wanted that bit of plant to come into the dirt.  He moved it so intently back and forth. When you look close enough, you can see two parts of the worm, perhaps his head and tail working together?

Often from my perspective, someone else's goal seems meaningless.  They are one of many.  There are many plant parts out there, why does this one matter?  And to someone else, I am probably the same as that earthworm....intently focused on moving my plant seed back and forth.  A plant seed that probably annoys some people. :-)

But to the Lord? He sees all the earthworms (both the real ones and us too!) :-).  He understands each perspective, each value, and each goal.  He doesn't ridicule the intense focus on my spot in the garden, rather he encourages new growth and perseverance.

Lord, help me to value others as you do. To see from their eyes the things they value and treasure.  Thank you for seeing me as part of your creation.  You are the Master Gardener overseeing my little spot in your garden.  Help me to show the same diligence to each task (even if it's small) as the earthworm showed to that weed.