Dear Ole' Summer

In summer, the song sings itself. ~William Carlos Williams

pictures by Jeremy except for last one taken by Becky Miner

A Garment to Put On

When a wave rakes against the heart.
And sadness threatens to steal a season,
I wake early

and ask my soul

Why so downcast? Put your hope in God.
The Psalms
and David
visit with me
and there
I am reminded
God is God. I am not.

In the overflow,
I rise, and assemble
and His truth is spoken
*put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.*

My hope is in you God.
I put my arm in one sleeve: thankfulness
and then the other: faith

and I declare that He is good and that He is for me. And believe it.

• He binds up the brokenhearted
• 8 blessings
• Needs provided for
• Friends to walk life's journey with
• Breaking Free with Beth Moore's teaching. I know, broken record, but it's true.
• a yard to explore, a creek to dip in, birdsong, butterflies
• warm coffee
• clotheslines
• older women who shine the light for Jesus, husbands, children, home, others
• husband's adventures

Isaiah 61:3 To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

*pictures by Becky Miner

What Gifts from the Hands

Hannah painted this for me. I did have to beg just a bit :) because she is the artsy one. Oh, I just love it!

And here are matching dresses my mama whipped up for Sunday beauty. Aren't they nice?
Sorry for the distance. I was rushing to gather them all together, Bella fell and scraped her knee, and my little dreamers were off and about playing something. But they kept them on all day.

Wednesday. That's my favorite day this week!

So Much Pretty

If you squint you can see the pink and white lily



My pictures today don't do justice to my lovely lily tree. I had so many hopes for a lush garden this summer. But this busy season of life, and lily, pea, bean, lettuce eating deer kinda worked against me. But there are spots of lushness. Spots where I look and smile, and well, that's what I was hoping for.

Peeking through the raspberry flowers and green at the lily

The top of the lush hickory tree that blows ever so perfectly in the breeze

I just like it

peachy lilies

gray clouds moving in and blowing tree tops

I haven't given up my dreams, but for now, there's so much to enjoy!

Days that Fly but Hold Music

A moment of quiet after a busy first half of the day, I sat in my chair, reading through a book with a voice of an older woman.

She relayed how in her 40's, she had her fourth child after difficulties, and those experiences had initiated a change in her to appreciate and notice the fingerprints of God in the life she was living. As her fourth child named Joy :), would live and notice things as typically a young child does, Sally Clarkson said:

"Time seemed to stop at moments like these, because the eyes of my heart were opened to the joy of innocence. The blessing of this precious child, and the painful reality that she would likely be my last, fashioned in my soul a fresh sensitivity, an ability to see beauty that had been there all along but often had remained unnoticed."

"When I intentionally asked God to open my eyes to his provision of joy, I began to notice even small everyday occurrences as a gift, such as the sunrise or sunset."

I put the book down to let this thought rest a bit. I heard music and squealing coming from my downstairs family room.

And I saw dancing.

And I'm yet again reminded these small moments

teach me, a woman almost 40

that my heart needs to learn to dance. The name of the book?

Dancing with My Father.

I don't make these things up.

"You can't sit around and wait for the storm to be over. You've got to learn how to dance in the rain." ~ Anonymous

To Draw or Not to Draw

Some playtime with cousins this afternoon, and we pull out the paper and crayons to make little books.
Who knows if an artist or writer is in the bunch? They all express. So they all are.

And look, admire, share colors.

Well, maybe not this one yet. She still eats the crayons.

And the one who wins, was me. :)

Keeping myself in the love of God

Hannah took this picture at a friend's home. So beautiful.

A revolution of Love in the heart. We need it. I need it.

I think it's what it means "to be." Keeping myself in the Love of God.

"But the Son, leaving the bosom of the Father, in which from eternity He had reposed, and which in the "fullness of time" He relinquished, has descended to our world to correct our apprehensions and to dislodge our doubts, to calm our fears, and to reassure our hopes with the certainty of the wondrous fact, that God is still mindful of man, and takes delight in man; that no revolt or alienation, no enmity or ingratitude, has turned away His heart from man; that He loves him still, and that loving, He "so loved him that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Thus did He come, His Father's representative, to declare Him to man. And as He wrought His brilliant miracles of stupendous power–thus attesting the fact of His Godhead; and as He pronounced His discourses of infinite wisdom–thus unlocking the treasures of His grace; and as He traveled all laden with our sins to the cross–thus unsealing the fountain of His compassion, He could say to all who challenged the Divinity of His mission, or who asked at His hands a vision of the Father, "He that has seen me has seen the Father,"–"I and my Father are one." ~Octavius Winslow

1 John 4:16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

• He teaches me
• and when I stumble and fall, His mercies and grace greet the new day to remind me to try again, and that there is no condemnation in Him
• He can be in the hearts of many, at the same time, comforting each with the knowledge that they are like a lily among the thorns in His heart
• that even He had no where to lay His head, but we are home in Him
• His Word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path

In Everything Give Thanks

The heat of the day was settling into busiest pace, noisy thoughts, noisy little people, little sleep. You know the drill.
Sweet whispers to be led beside still waters called to me.
and I reflected, and knew it was good.
Stillness is a matter of the heart.
and so is gratefulness.
with these bring joy.
:) and I write to remind myself:

:: Children. Children who remind me daily what living and loving are all about.
:: Vacation Bible School. An opportunity to point to their Father who knows all their names.
:: Hannah's summer list. Making summer living intentional.

:: Freedom. To believe, to have convictions, to serve, to build.

:: The gift of family and friends to make memories with.

:: Summer's flowers.

:: Picnics, creeks, red white and blue, watermelon.

:: gardens, wildlife

:: A husband and Daddy who is such an example to me. He takes the little ones and teens everywhere with him, enjoying living with them as he swims, works, reads, fishes, plays tennis, basketball, makes pancakes, makes bonfires, roasts marshmallows.

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all cicumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.