Friends, fellowship and campfires......(day 2)

Friends, fellowship, roasting marshmallows and campfires.....what a way to warm the body and soul.

Jenny had never seen campfire before or roasted hot dogs or marshmallows over an open fire before. Watching her mesmerized, was so much fun. Seeing life through the eyes of a child.......is amazing.

When a stick little hand found its way into mine, my heart was filled with thankfulness.

Thankfulness for friendship. Thankfulness for love. Thankfulness that brothers and sisters in Christ

make for a beautiful fall evening as we talked, laughed, played and roasted marshmallows and hot dogs together.  

What fun it was.

God gives us friends and family in the body of Christ to help us along the path.

Friends are a gift from God, a little glimpse of His heart.

What a blessing this evening was, and a testament to just how good our God is all the time.

Day 1....photo project

I am going to attempt to do a photo a day that leads me to something my Lord is saying to me.

Today is He leads me beside still waters.....now I did post this on facebook before I got this idea, so it is a repeat, photo.



As I sat by the stream today and listened to the flow, it dawned on me, this water was not truly still. It was moving along at a steady pace. It was not rapid, but it was steady.  It wasn't "still" water, but it stilled my heart and it was peaceful.  Still waters, are not necessarily still under the surface. Life exist under the surface of the water.  And even in a place that the water is completely still, under the surface there is life.

Our hearts are sometimes, still, sometimes trouble and sometimes, just flowing gently with all the things God has placed there. However, no matter what, our hearts are alive.  The key is what are our hearts alive to? Alive to self? Alive to the world? Alive to worry? Alive to Christ?

So I pray, Lord, let my heart not be troubled, but a growing, living thing You use to bring peace and love to others. Let my heart be that gently, flowing stream that feeds peace to others and takes life giving love to others down stream.  I can not do that without You Lord. For only, if my source is in YOU can my heart give off life.  Let me be that witness that speaks of You. You the one, who is the way the truth and the life........for in YOU I find peace and joy and in YOU I can be filled to overflowing so that streams of living water flow out of my heart fed only by you and from you.

Menopause, kids and crazy days

Menopause, that ugly word, the one I did not want to admit was headed my way like a freight train, has arrived.  Hot flashes and insomnia.  How one can be so tired but be unable to sleep, blows my mind.  Furthermore, me, the woman who has always been the one with chill bumps while everyone was fanning, needs a fan and ice packs.  I never pictured myself being that hot, sweaty woman trying to get the house cold enough to sleep.  Being halfway to 50 with 3 kids is interesting to say the least.  I have friends who are grandmas already, LOL.

But I have come up with a plan.  Tonight when insomnia hits I am going to spend time with the one who created me.  I am going to refocus and see it as a blessing.  Time when the house is quiet, the family is sleeping and I can spend time with my Lord.  Menopause, CAN be turned into a blessing.  I will see the silver lining, the glass as half full and all the possibilities.

It takes me back to the many hours I spent when my children were infants. Those night hours, nursing a new born and lack of sleep filled my days. When a middle of the night cry session of a baby, turned into a wonderful praise session.

The kids, well they are being kids and I am learning to adjust to the changes I am seeing in them. As I change, they are changing. So I can be in the mully grubs as my Mama always said, OR, I can embrace change. I can find ways to grow through their changes and my changes and we can grow together.
I see glimpses of the wonderful adults they will be. It may be mixed in among the squabbles and the stalling of homework, but it is there.  I am blessed.  I praise God for my family and all they are becoming.

Today has just been crazy for no reason. I did get some accomplished on my goals.  I am doing my fly lady stuff a little at a time.  I am plugging away at getting organized and my sink has been fly lady clean as of late. (See flylady.com if you want to know more. This is an unsolicited shout out to the fly lady). I have to do what works with my organizationally challenged self.  I am making progress. I am growing.

Watch me take wing and soar because as I wait up on the Lord, I will mount on wings as an eagle......and I will have strength.

Memories....are made of these.......

Tea parties, dress up, best friends, big brother, Daddy, and time on a cloudy afternoon

just to pretend, princess pretend, knights and spots of tea;

and a hero needing to be knighted

even if the hero is a big brother, 

being a hero because he took time out

to have a tea party with his little sisters.

Heroes do not have to be mighty men of valor.

Heroes can be a brother pretending to be a knight in honor of his sister's afternoon tea.

Memories are night time kisses and bed time hugs.

Prayer time and play time

all rolled into one.

Memories are the things life time stories are made of. 

Stories that matter for years to come.

Memories of times gone by

And dreams of the future and all the possibilities.

Because at the very foundation of our memories and household is 

FAITH.

For if we teach them the ways of God and we kneel before the King of Kings With our children

when they are old they will not depart from it.

Prayer is the the glue that holds our memories together with love

and faith, and hope and is a cord that weaves through every part of our lives.

Lord, let our memories be in you and let us remember all the things You have done.

For it is by HIS hand we are blessed to have a treasure trove of love and memories.