Slowing Down

"Earth's crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God:

But only he who sees, takes off his shoes;

The rest sit around it, and pluck blackberries."

- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

A friend of mine got me this great book for my birthday called Not So Fast - Slow-Down Solutions for Frenzied Families by Ann Kroeker. I have only read the first chapter but already know this is something my soul needed to hear. I often feel like I am juggling way to many balls and am unable to keep all of them going up in the air at the same time. We seem to go from one pressing thing to the next with very little time for stopping and enjoying the moment. This is not what I want our family life to be like.

There is a great article about how a world famous violinist, dressed in ordinary clothes, played for people hurrying through the metro in DC. During the 43 minutes that he played, 1,097 people went by, and only 7 stopped to listen!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

I want to be one of the seven that stop and listen - Lord may I stop and look for You and wait for You and listen for You and ENJOY all the beautiful gifts that you have given me.

(This photo is taken by Lizzy - our budding photographer - I could use a few lessons from her about stopping and noticing beauty)

International Fair

The kids went to a home school International Fair this month. They all worked hard on their country and displayed it for everyone to see as well as taste! Here are the highlights...

The New Do...

I got my hair cut and ironed for the first time ever -

it took her an hour and a half!

I don't think that is something I would like to add into my morning routine!

But, it was fun to look like someone else for a couple of days !

Cumberland Falls State Park

We had a great end of the summer last hoorah at Cumberland Falls.

It was quite an impressive waterfall with a huge run off for August.

We stayed in a cottage that reminded me of the cabins my family and I stayed in growing up at the YMCA Camp in Estes Park, CO. I would recommend staying at the lodge, too.

The view from the lodge of the Cumberland River was spectacular! Each evening we would watch the raccoons from the picture window in the dining hall as they came up from under the brush and foraged under the

bird feeders.

I enjoyed watching the Goldfinches flitter around.

I can see why they call them Wild Canaries!

The highlight, though, was our white water rafting trip with Sheltowee Trace Outfitters.

We had an amazing guide who really new the river and maneuvered us safely through some Class III/IV rapids - I was a little nervous after being dumped out in the Gallatin River in MT.

We were able to get out of the boat and float down part of the river on our own.

I think the kids favorite part was jumping off a rock and watching mom and dad jump!

Kansas City Getaway

Summer is passing me by with the blink of an eye...June is gone and now we are over halfway into July...In June, Stu and I enjoyed getting away to Kansas City for my 20 year High School reunion - Shawnee Mission East Hail to Thee, Lancers we will always be... I did not realize how nervous I was until we pulled up at Johnny's in Corinth and I felt like I was going to be sick. All the old high school insecurities came rushing back to me and if it wasn't for Stu I don't think I would have gotten out of the car. It was not as bad as I thought it would be, and I was amazed at how easy it was to pick up where we left off with some friends that I had not seen since the 10 year reunion or longer.

Stu and I also celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary while we were in KC. It was fun to feel newly married again, able to sleep when we wanted to or eat when we wanted to. We need to get away more often. I think a cruise would be nice! Here is a picture of us at the horse fountain on the plaza where Stu asked me to marry him, it sure seemed like yesterday!

Hello to Summer!

It is the last day in May so I feel compelled to write something...my brain is too tired to be profound, but I feel a big relief to be done with schooling and look forward to a relaxed summer - sleeping in, staying up late, camping, catching fire flies, evening walks, hiking, cookouts, flowers, butterflies... 

"And just then they got a glimpse of the first butterfly.  Now everybody knows that if the first butterfly you see is yellow, then it will be a happy summer.  If it is white, then the summer will be calm. (We won't even mention black and brown butterflies - they are much too sad.)" - From the Magician's Hat by Tove Jansson.

Field of Poppies

Yeah! It feels so good to complete something!  

My first attempt and it was so therapeutic! 

Hope you enjoy it!

Beauty in Barrenness

I was amazed to see these bright colors and even some green trees along river banks amidst this dusty, barren desert of Tucson.  It reminded me of a verse from Jeremiah 17: 7-8, "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes;  its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."  May we daily send out our roots to the stream of living water found only in Christ.

Lessons from Job

I think it is about time for a new post.  I made it through my ear surgery while grappling with God's Providence in bible study that week.  All those questions that give you a head ache - Why does God allow evil?  Where did evil come from? How much does God control and how much do we control?  If God controls all things, then do our choices matter?... The verse that God kept repeating to me during the course of my own struggles is Romans 8:28 that in everything He works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.  He has active, purposeful control in everything that happens in my life . "from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth - He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. (Psalm 33:14-15)"  

All events are fully caused by God yet we also are fully responsible for our choices and actions. So how are we to respond to difficult things? I looked at Job's responses to suffering:

"The Lord gave and the Lord as taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised... Shall we accept good from God , and not trouble?...

In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind...To God belong wisdom and power, counsel and understanding are His.  What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.  If He holds back the waters, there is drought; if He lets them loose, they devastate the land... 

Though He slay me, yet I will hope in Him... 

Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God;  on behalf of a man He pleads with God as a man pleads for His friend...

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth... But if I go to the east, he is not there;  if I got the west, I do not find Him.  When He is at work in the night, I do not see Him; When He turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of Him, But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold…

I am unworthy – how can I reply to you?  I put my hand over my mouth…

I know you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted…My ears have heard you but now my eyes have seen you." (Job)  

My prayer is that I can see God through the trials of my life and not blame Him but worship Him that He is more than I can understand or imagine and that I can trust him because He is good and wise, even when I do not see why.

How Great is Our God

I have been meaning to write about this for a few weeks.  I am in a bible study group studying Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem.  We had just finished studying the those attributes that we do not share - His all-powerfulness, His eternity, His unchangeableness.  What really spoke to my heart was how God is so vast and powerful and beyond my complete comprehension that He who created the stars knows them each by name and that He knows the number of hairs on my head and cares about the day to day details of my life, like a loving Father.   

At the same time I was reading Hadassah by Tommy Tenney that seemed to sum it up what I was feeling while studying these amazing parts of God's character.  When Mordecai asked a high priest "What was it really like to enter the Holy Place, the dwelling of the Almighty?"  His response was, "It's not just what you think, you know. Everyone thinks it is all fear and trembling.  And some days it was.  Especially in my early years.   But I will tell you the truth. The memory that keeps my heart strong and my head clear is the thought of days when my heart was pure before Him.  When I had spent time reading the Sacred Texts, preparing myself beforehand, and sung His praises, asked for forgiveness of my sins, I would enter the temple and suddenly be engulfed in His presence...My whole being would throb with the awareness of His person.  I thought I could feel His heart.  And at such times I was glad everyone else kept their distance, because often I would dance and laugh and weep and sing and shout all at the same time because my chest felt like it would truly, truly burst if I did not.  

Have you ever seen a young child greet a beloved father after a long absence?  The little arms pumping , the little legs churning, the leap into his arms, the tears in the father's eyes.  I felt like that.  A child so overcome with joy at His return that all I wanted to do in this world was to leap as high into His bosom as I could.  

And I could feel His tears too. That's the wonder of it, can't you see?  I could feel His Spirit being fed , His heart gladdened, His pain, yes, His Pain... God's pain because of sin and evil and heartbreak was vast and endless and searing .  I can still feel its weight upon my soul... I always believed that the catalyst for these times of blissful closeness to Him was that I had focused my attention on Him, not myself... What caused His joy was seeing my rapture at His presence and the communion that it sparked."

Hiding Place

Monday, I went to the dermatologist to get a sore on my ear looked at.  She took a biopsy and thinks that it is skin cancer.  I will know what type in about 7 to 10 days.  As I wait, the what ifs keep swirling around in my mind and fear rises up.  I am thankful that when I feel afraid I have someone to run to - the Lord. "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." (Ps 32:7-8)  Also, that He promises to instruct me and teach me in the way that I should go and will counsel me and watch over me. I can rest in Him knowing that He already knows the beginning and end of the story and is fully trustworthy - I just have to keep reminding myself that! 

In the Garden

I went to an amazing funeral this week of a close family friend.  Her life was a testimony of God's love and grace.  The first song we sang was In the Garden and I could just picture her there walking with Jesus - here are the words to this beautiful hymn:

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

Words: Charles Austin Miles (1912)

Semper Floren

I am amazed at all the metaphors in God's creation, particularly when looking at the life cycle of a flower.

It starts as a tiny seed and with the right conditions (warmth, water and air) it will wake up and start growing into a beautiful, unique plant that blooms and bears fruit.

God planted a seed of faith in my heart and brought people along to nourish me and help me grow and become the unique flower that He designed me to be.

My hope is that I can express what God is showing me in a way that will help you blossom and grow into the beautiful flower He created you to be!

My Life Verse

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.

They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.

Psalms 92:12-15