Mornings

I love mornings...

I so do.

I am off school for the rest of the week, and the kiddos too.

4 whole days of not having not having to run out the door early.

And the happiest thing about that is, getting to savor my most favorite time of the day.

In my favorite morning time spot.

Soaking in scriptures and coffee,

and reviving my weary soul.

"On the day I called, you answered me, my strength of soul you increased."

Psalm 138:3

I so love the way mornings offer promise.

A brand new day, a clean slate.

Sparkling like the morning sun off leaves.

When I make the time to face Him,

I can be like this tree.

Reflecting the light.

Mornings make even Blue's path, drenched in the night's rain,

a sparkling path.

All is green and fresh and bright.

The skies seem bluer and clearer.

And I begin to realize, it's not just because it's morning that all seems clearer.

Could it be instead, that I, like the grass and the trees and the path,

were dry -  needing a good soaking?

That I too needed to clear the clouds and feed this soul?

That when I fill first with Him, in the morning, everyday could be like this?!

The Changing Seasons of Life

Oh the seasons of life.

Some are such happy ones.

Some, you had no idea how sweet they were until you look back.

Some you are happy they are over, never to return.

And some, they are... the ones you just have to get through -

 Not bad, just not what you want.

Life the past few months have been a rush. 

A blur of busy activity, rushing from one event to another.

Like these pink lovelies.

For weeks we noticed the buds as we rushed by, in and out of the house.

And finally, blooms.  Lots and lots of them.

I do so enjoy them while they are here.

Filling vases here and there.

And they are already gone... until next Spring...

And this busy season of life? It too will pass.

This time of school and shuffling, and forgetting what needs to be done,

of rushing this one up and to school, and this one too, and dishes and cooking,

and grocery shopping and laundry. Of college and studying and homework and tests.

Of little ones with fever and sickness, of doctor appointments,

and of me - getting wisdom teeth pulled, at my age.

Of not having time for even an overdue phone call or sharing of hearts over coffee.

This season too shall pass.

And one day, a new will come.

It will spring up possibly without notice.

Like this little tree, growing in a shady corner of the backyard.

Some seasons have been just how I wanted them. 

All in order and under my control...

Time to linger, time for friendships, time for a spic and span house,

and planned out cooked meals.

Time when it felt easy to encounter God.

To see and hear from Him.

To be in a wonderful bible study with dear friends.  Curled up on couches.

For long quiet times while little ones slept or napped or played nearby.

But what to make of this blurring time?

 It doesn't feel nice and orderly or under any control.

And then I wonder why think it should?

I know that at anytime, I can look up...

In between the rushing of life events, all the need-to-do's,

He is there...  A prayer away. 

And only He will give me the strength to endure - all the seasons of life.

On a Lunch Break

What does one do on a rare break between one errand and another must do?

One with not quite enough time to go home,

but too much time to arrive early for the next thing of the day?

I choose a quiet spot, near a boat dock, on a cold windy day.

Warming in the sun and sheltered by my car.

And a view of a bayou.

But the view I really want to look to?

Oh, I need to look into the Word.

To spend some time hearing and learning from God.

In my bible and a great bible study.

Over a peanut butter and apple jelly sandwich and a Diet Dr Pepper...

A delightful way to spend one's lunch break  :)

I want to be the (wo)man in Jeremiah 17...

"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."

Jeremiah 17:7-8



I Come to the Table

"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and feeding you with manna,

which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."

Deut. 8:3

I get the bigger ones off to school.

Get myself ready, check emails, study a bit of pharmacology.

Get the little one up and bring him to school.

Stop off at the store, pick up ingredients for this evenings dinner.

Get home, put groceries away, start dishwasher and washing machine.

Feed dogs and take little one out for a bit.

All morning I feel the pull.  I feel the hunger.  I know just what I need.

So I come.  Hungry and empty.

I light a candle.

I set the table.  A feast for my soul.  Nourishment like no other.

"Men ate angels' food;  He sent them food to the full."

Ps. 78:25

I dig in, because I have tasted and know that only God can fill and change and grow and strengthen.  

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

Matt 4:4

We may try to fill ourselves with all sorts of "good things", but eventually that emptiness comes back.  And just as the Israelites had to gather manna every morning, we too have to come often - to His table.  To eat of of what only He can give.

"You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,  And did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, And gave them water for their thirst."

Neh. 9:20

And when I am fed and full, I pray that the overflow is used by Him.

That He gives me what I can give away.

I recently discovered a great app (ESVBible) or website -  www.esvbible.org . 

 You can read the bible, take notes, highlight,

and the coolest part to me is that you can click "listen" and it will read it to you.

How Differerent Would We Live If We Kept Eternity In Our View....?

Today I found a gray/white/silver hair.  It was hard to tell as I just promptly pulled it out...

And instantly, I felt that feeling that thousands have felt before... - how did I get to this age?  So quickly?  I still feel so young!

And with those feelings, came the once again washing realization that this is life.  This is living - right now...  And it is brief.

I have been sad for days, over different things.  Emotions taking over all sense...  With the choice to end one path, and many paths laid out before me...  I feel like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz.  I want someone to point me in the right direction - I fear that on my own, I may just spin around and point... and take the wrong way.

And with those feelings come others.  "Who am I now?",  "What is my role?"  , "What to work for now?" 

And suddenly, with the sparkle of a silver that shouldn't yet be there - I was slapped out of my downward spiral.  (Thankfully, because it was so not fun!)

Again I am reminded of the breath I am breathing.  Those I love around me.  My feet firmly on this ground.  Beauty for the seeing.  It's all here - right now.  And if I would stop wallowing long enough, and for good, I could give this all to God.  I could stop the spinning, dry up the tears, place all of this in His hands, and live each day how I know to live.  The rest will work out.  With or without me knowing quite how. 

And meanwhile, there is eternity in view!  How will I love Him?  How will I trust Him?  How will I show His love to others?  Will I live for Him, or will He be in the background of my life?  Will I believe His truth or all that the world says is true?  Will I work to slap the rest of us out of the belief that today is not forever?  That we need God in our hearts and in our lives... that He is the silver lining in this life?

Oh that I would not be so earthly minded

 And that I would not miss the here and now

 The wonder that is this life.

Oh that I would give all things to God,

to trust Him,

to open my hands to what He has.

To not waste these moments of this brief life.

My Quiet Time Basket

In an effort to curb the stacks of books from end tables and even my kitchen table

I looked for a pretty basket -

a quiet time basket.

I gathered up all the essentials.

All those items for time alone with God.

A bible study I recently bought.

(Love when I am in a study that has me flipping back and forth all over my bible!)

A wonderful book I have been reading - a great book for new believers, and wisdom when helping those new in the faith.

 Also for those who need a bit of fresh inspiration in their not so new walk of faith.

My prayer journal



A great bible study I want to do next...

My "when I am studying" bible, and my "when I am reading only" bible

In this journal, I write out paragraphs from books I am reading, and don't want to forget,

or meaningful quotes,

or lists of books I want to read,

things I want to go back to.

This, my attempt to be more organized...

Not working - but I did write it all out...

If only I would remember to go back and read it occasionally!



My gratitude journal - is actually left open on my kitchen table. 

Daily counting blessings of life.

And my set of scriptures - for when I need to cling to a verse...

And a bookmark Joshua brought home from school.

The perfect quiet time spot...

What's in your quiet time stack/pile/basket?

Recent Reads

Oh Glorious Books....

I can't say enough.  If I could read for a living - I would do it. 

  It's what I would rather do above most other things in life.

I so love it.

This week I have finished 3 books! 

In the past month, I have read these:

And I highly recommend them all!

I love Ann Voskamp - everything she writes!

Simply beautiful...

This is written by such a sweet and wise woman - it was really good.

This - I would only recommend if you are going into nursing! lol

This book is over 500 pages - I read nearly nonstop this week - finished in just over 2 days.

It was SO good.  I read the first book in this series last summer - Her Mother's Hope.

All about generations of women - in a single family.

I didn't know what to do with myself when I finished this one...

Funny how a book does that - feels like you have known these characters your whole life,

but actually - it's their whole life - as you read from beginning to end.

So, I jumped quickly into this one:

A book I have wanted to read for years now, but never got to it.

I loved it!

A true story of a country preacher - who is called by God to go to New York City

to show God's love to the hurting teenagers there, most of which were gang members.

The book is filled with miracles that strengthened my faith.

(In theology, I didn't quite see eye to eye on the very last chapter- but an amazing story!)

Finished that one in 2 days, and have moved onto this one yesterday:

Just because I loved that author, Sally Clarkson, I decided to read this one -

one of her books I have read the most about.

Next week, a book I have been waiting for comes out.

I am sure I will read this with a pen in hand!

Must underline the good ones :)

LOVE David Platt:

His first book - Radical, changed me.  It opened my eyes to so many things,

and confirmed many things I already felt to be true.

I can't wait to dive in!

There Are Giants in The Land

They are there.

And I see every one of them.

Yet I am sure, there are others I just haven't seen yet.
But they are there - as I have been told.

I mean really. 

What am I doing? -

I ask myself as I sit in my car.

Waiting to go meet with my advisor for a mandatory meeting at nursing school.

I don't belong here.

Nothing feels familiar.

Or even good.

I'm not smart enough.

I don't do well with stress.

Think of the hours....

The next 2 years of my life....

I don't even know what I am doing???

I feel sick as I sit here. 

Wanting to instead return home.

To life as I knew it.

Just being a mom and a wife.

Having to make only the decisions of what to do in a day...

Whatever I wanted to do...

Really - how did I get here? 

Where my days are now spent studying???

Having to know every single minute part of the human body...

How strange it all seems.

When these feelings and thoughts overwhelm me,

I admit I wallow in them a bit.

I pout and think of why I don't want to go on.

How it's too hard for me...

I am like the people of Israel, who heard the bad report - who raised their voices and wept aloud.

(and I have heard...too many bad reports!)

Then, I remember...

"The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.

If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land,

a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.

Only do not rebel against the Lord.  And do not be afraid of the people

of the land... Do not be afraid of them."

Numbers 14:7-9

I have to remember that God has carried me here,

for a purpose.

I know it and must trust it.

Though the miles are long,

the gas is high,

the traffic is bad,

the buildings are high,

strange people walking by,

the work is hard....

"But because my servant...has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly,

I will bring (her) into the land (she) went to."

Numbers 14:24

He has lead me here, and I must not look at all the many giants -

I must look to Him and trust in Him alone.