Not long ago, I found myself on a small gravel pathway with my then three-year-old nephew. We had a little bit of time to burn, and in an effort to occupy his attention, I suggested we inspect the gravel at our feet to see what we could find. I picked up a tiny pebble and exclaimed, “Look at this treasure!” It didn’t take long before, one by one, he was picking up his own pebbles. “Look at THIS treasure!” he would say, as he marveled at each tiny stone. Some he’d toss away, but every now and then, he’d hand me one he wanted to keep. As we made our way to the end of the path, I realized I was holding his first tiny rock collection in my hand, made up of all the gravel “treasures” he was adamant about keeping. And he was so excited to show the rest of the family what he’d found.

I wonder if you’ve ever spent time collecting anything like that? Probably not random pieces of gravel, but maybe leaves on a hiking trail, seashells on a shoreline, or flowers from a garden? When we collect these sorts of things, we take time to notice what catches our eye, what stands out, and what we’d like to keep and carry with us. We consider what might be worth learning from and holding onto. In short, we discern what might be worth adding to the collection.

In Scripture, God’s people often engaged in the practice of collecting, too. When God was noticeably at work in their lives and circumstances, they would gather stones together and use those stones to build an altar, giving thanks for God’s help and provision. Then, once the temple was built and a permanent altar was in place, there were times God’s people erected what they called an ebenezer. Similar to the altars, these ebenezer stones marked and pointed to the presence of God, serving as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to them in that particular place.

Inspired by this practice, I’d like to invite you to receive The Re{collection}, a brief letter I send toward the end of each month. In each letter, I look back and recall the previous month, collecting my own metaphorical stones of remembrance as I retrace my steps. And each month, I’d love to share what I’ve collected with you.

What stands out? What did I learn? What did I experience? What did I enjoy? These are the kinds of questions I ask as I put each Re{collection} together. And at the end of each letter, I also include links to the month’s remind{h}er podcast episodes, in case that’s helpful.

While I’m thrilled to share with you, I’d also love for you to join me along the way! I love hearing about the moments, memories, and experiences you collect as you reflect on your month, too. You can always hit ‘reply’ on each email, and your message will go straight to my inbox.

Above all, my hope is that this monthly practice serves as a reminder, helping us better notice and remember God-at-work as we become more aware of God’s presence and faithfulness in our lives. As with everything I offer, I hope The Re{collection} serves you well.