Everyday Extraordinary

Intro…don’t skip this

It’s no hidden secret that mountains and oceans relax me. They bring me back to the reality of how small I am in the grand scheme of things, yet how surreal it is to be passionately loved by such a big God. When it came time to begin compiling the writing for this book, I retreated to the coastal town of Ocean Isle, North Carolina. The quiet beauty of this sleepy setting was the motivation behind my sojourn. There are very few cars seen here and fewer people roaming up and down the streets. Restaurants with only three tables occupied and shops where you are the only other person besides the clerk are the norm at this beach during the winter months.

I promised to start the process of writing my second book immediately after releasing my first book, My Saturday Morning Posts in 2019. I have continued to write my weekly post (@my_saturday_morning-posts, facebook.com/MySaturdayMorningPosts), but compiling thoughts into a book is a completely different breed of animal. There is a finesse required when putting thoughts in book form, and to do this, I needed to isolate myself from distractions, concerns, lists and agendas. I set out on this adventure with my dear friend Michelle, who also helped in the compilation and editing of my first book. We worked for four solid days - wrote, ate, walked on the beach, slept, repeated. As I sat on the back deck each morning wearing my fuzzy socks, sipping coffee and watching the elements do their thing, I remembered who was in control and that nothing that happens in this life is a coincidence.

Part of editing my book is reading…and then rereading all my thoughts, stories and conclusions about lessons learned from life experiences. This book is about seeing God in all the everyday circumstances of life, not just the major milestones or turning points. After all, we are called to make small choices every day that determine our path. One day, Michelle and I made a choice to use our afternoon break to check out a local treasure a few miles down the beach. It’s called the “Kindred Spirit Mailbox.” A gentleman and his girlfriend decided to put this mailbox on a little stretch of Sunset Beach called Bird Island. They wanted this to be a place for people to come and share their private thoughts. Journals, notepads and pens are left inside for those wanting to contribute, but benches are also there for those who just want to sit and read. It’s a 1.5

mile walk from the closest parking area to a deserted beach nestled between two sand

dunes. We made the cold, windy pilgrimage to this spot and found what is only a glimpse of this treasure. Because this mailbox of shared thoughts has been here for 45-plus years, the journals are constantly being replenished. The sweet soul who erected this gift passed away in 2020 at the age of 94, but those who call themselves “the keepers of the mailbox” continue to keep it full of journals for those who come to visit. A collection of these journals and letters are housed at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Michelle pulled a journal out and handed it to me. The cover read, “The journey is the adventure.” I took pen in hand and was immediately drawn to participate in this community with those I had never met. I read about anniversaries, loss of loved ones, secret pain and unbridled emotions. The whole experience was another illustration of what God has said over and over in His word - we need connection to our Creator and to His creation (each other). We are made for fellowship with Him, but we are also designed to need each other and glorify Him in this kinship. Even in my attempts to isolate myself from distractions, I found personal connection to my God and others at a mailbox on an isolated beach.

These everyday extraordinary moments in life inspire me to know my God more. I don’t want to miss them, and if my words help others see God in the journey…the process was worth the effort.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparable great power for us who believe.

Ephesians 1:17-19a

As you read the words on these pages, may the eyes of your heart be enlightened. May you see God in your everyday extraordinary moments.