Grateful!

Grateful.  Do we really know what that word means?  Are we really grateful?  This has been moving through my mind as I hear different people talk.  As I lay my head down at night and ponder, "Janette, are you grateful or just full of complaints?"   We get use to our style of life and start to take it as normal, forgetting who even gives us breath.  A conversation I had with someone, which has become a very familiar conversation, left me with thoughts, "they don't even understand how grateful they should be."  Those thoughts also convict me.

Christmas season is wrapped in a bow of Gratefulness, if we allow it. Without using too many words I want to show a picture that put GRATEFULNESS at the top of my priority.

Last year I handed out red envelopes to all my children for this Christmas.  Inside the envelope had an invitation to celebrate Christmas in our home town of Austin.  The last time we all visited the city and relatives together was over a decade ago. Since then, there have been marriages and grandsons.  My mother-in-law had celebrated Christmas with us, traveling four hours, even as late as age 98.  Since then she has stopped traveling and resides in a Senior Citizen housing.  In June she celebrated 101 years on this earth.  When I gave out the cards, so we all could plan, and for some of us, save money, I said a prayer.  "Dear Lord, if it be your will, will you allow Deanie to be alive when we all go to Austin in December of 2016!"

GRATEFUL - as I walked into the room, knowing we all would be in one place to celebrate with my mother-in -law, I embraced that word fully.  I don't know that my kids, nor my grandsons, could understand the true meaning of that word at that moment. I do know my husband could!  I saw it in his face.

So here is my picture of Gratefulness.  Ages 101 to age 1, all gathered together.  My husband's mother - age 101, his only sibling, sister and her husband, and all of our family!

My heart grew bigger as I saw my grandson embrace his Great Grandmother.  Little children just know how to love and his love poured out on her.

As if my heart wasn't full enough.  We all went to enjoy places that held life time memories for my husband and I, as we shared our memory lane.  I am sure my husband and I embraced the GRATEFULNESS more than they could embrace.  Our budget doesn't allow us to travel much, so even getting to stay in a hotel is a big deal.  We also don't fly out of the country, so even a road trip thrills us.  We were grateful!!!  Little happenings, such as seeing my grandsons at the hotel breakfast, was worth more than my heart could express.


Before leaving from town we stopped by my mother-in-law's place once more. Here we meet the newest of our extended family.  Her Great, Great Grandson.  Yes, that is seven boys in a row.  He sat on her lap,  She talked about how precious he was.

She too...................knows the word -------------------- GRATEFUL

Christmas came with boxes and bows, but the gift I will cherish the most from this Christmas can't be bought at a store. No amount of money could buy what was deposited in my heart.

I  know your Christmas was full like ours.  May your New Year hold all the blessings that comes with a Grateful heart.

Good by 2016!!!

Old is Always New Again

This Christmas season started off with a bang....a BIG BANG.  The week after Thanksgiving was so stacked with appointments and events I wasn't sure my body would survived.  Well, it did!

I am on the Decor and Environment group at the church.  What is that you ask?  Basically it is getting the church or room ready for an event.  We come in to decorate and set up and take down. For December that meant we were to decorate the entry, halls and class rooms for Christmas.  The head designer does a great job and I am honored to come along side and just help, along with other women.

This is just a few of us who helped behind the scenes get the church ready for Christmas.  We laughed about my lumberjack shirt!

 I think this is the link so you can hear him!
https://goo.gl/photos/KK9hLKfPPsn8X6pU6

 Benjamin had his Christmas concert at the University of North Texas on Tuesday night.  He is the only boy in this Jr High Orchestra.  He is also only in 5th grade.  He did an awesome job. He is in the back corner to the left next to a teacher.

Stress relief was given in this over-scheduled week by going to keep my grandsons.  We made cinnamon ornaments for the tree.  I had also made 2 dozens for Ben's class at school, which I helped decorate his room with on Wednesday, before keeping my grands.  Just playing with my grandsons makes all the tiredness go away, and even some of the body aches.

The youngest grandsons is now walking/running and giggling.  These ages are so much fun.

In between all of this Benjamin and I found our Christmas tree.  It is the smallest we have ever had, but we are enjoying it.  This meant time to pull out all the decorations.  Each year this a trip down memory lane for me.  This usually means laughter and some tears.  It always means thankfulness to a God who hasn't forsaken us.  All the old, because new again, as I decorate our house.

Then the reminder that all of the stockings started 36 years ago and we keep adding the blessings of more reindeer.  I started the reindeer stockings at age 19, a young bride.  Now days everyone seems to marry so much older, so I guess I just got a jump on the journey of marriage and family.

Benjamin and I decided to use our artificial tree for the grandsons' tree.  Their ornaments will cover this tree.  I also grabbed some of their parent's ornaments and put on their tree...Winnie the Pooh, Toy Story and Dr Seuss.  I am hoping they enjoy their tree when the see it.  I know Benjamin and I are already enjoying it.

I finished up the week with another visit to the second set of three grandsons.  Of course, we needed to make something also, so I grabbed the paint.  We took their pumpkin and made it into a snowman.  David was so excited he hugged the pumpkin!

The week came to an end.  Memories were made, obligations completed, even lunch with a friend and the calendar turns another page in December.  This week is slower.  I am going to cherish the time to set at the feet of my Savior.  May you also have time to spend hearing His voice and worshiping the one who the season is all about.

The Turkeys Came!

  My son made me this turkey this year, to go with my huge pumpkin from last year.

When you have six grandchildren under the age of 5, five of those under the age of 3, you can plan all you want, but they dictate the events of the day.   Well, lets say, even their parents dictate!

My Joshua, he is the one who encourages me like my Benjamin, brought it all about.  Don't we all need those who openingly voice their love for what you are doing or encourage you on when you want to just set down and say "NO!"?  Well my Benjamin wins that prize first and Joshua comes in second.  Weeks before Thanksgiving Joshua looked up at me and said, "Grand Mommy, how much longer before I come to your house for Thanksgiving?"  To be honest, I wasn't in the mood, I really had too much on my mental plate to desire kicking into gear for a large group for Thanksgiving.  Let me just tell you one thing!!!   That little boy's question put gas on my very little flame and made it explode.  My mind started going 90 to nothing, what could we do this year that would be memorable?

Then there is my Benjamin.  I had decided to dye my hair just a day before our adventure to celebrate all the November birthdays, our gift to the four of them.  I have posted before how much I hate worrying about my hair. I hate to schedule and have it cut, I never know what to do and I hate deciding if I should let it go totally grey or not.  I hate to dye it and leave it for a year, to giving into the dying. Which I gave into and bought a box, after 30 minutes in the grocery store trying to see which color to use....of course, I picked wrong.   So for all the Thanksgiving events, I would look like "witchy poo" in dark, almost black, hair!   Benjamin came to my mental rescue telling me it didn't look bad, it looked good!  So, my two little men keep their mother/grandmother motivated.

(three of the grandsons, Benjamin and daughter-in-law)

Our week of Thanksgiving started with taking the new 3 year olds to see animals at a drive through ranch.  Now, if you don't know by now!, this Texas girl loves her outdoors.  I have even slept on my own trampoline in order to view the star!  So I experienced my own slice of heaven, with three of my children, one daughter-in-law and four grandsons. This really is an experience we will repeat again and again.  God's creators at our finger tips!

I planned out every detail for our Thanksgiving gathering.  You all know the routine, you clean your house...so they can get it dirty, you cook and keep thinking is that enough? You plan things to do...you pray and pray! This year I moved my dining room tables into our den and den into the dining room so we all could be in the same room. They all arrived and everyone has their own agenda.   You know...different time schedules, different desires for play, want to set in different places, different food and different ways to do everything!  What joy! We are all so different and the more noise and dishes means we are alive!!!

This year I prayed before our meal, among the moving, crying, eating, because they were starving, among the events of human life!  Not something we have done before, but what God had placed on my heart.  Bill normally leads our prayer.  Each mother at the table prayed over her family and we lit a candle.

Our turkeys ran everywhere.   When they all left..which was the afternoon, naps needed to be given for those little boys, I crashed!!!   A good crash, but still crashed.  We are a family...we have many bumps and bruises and will continue to add more.  Nothing will go perfect, things will be spilled, people will be late, someone will offend someone, not on purpose, but it will happen.  But in the end...everyone returns to their own homes, the kids are exhausted and memories are made!

It is called ------------------------------ FAMILY!!!!

I pray you all experienced the same. The grace of God on all our messes and the joy of knowing He is writing our stories.  Prayers spoken among the noise of life, and a God who hears and promises His Word will not come back void, makes all gatherings special.

Blessings as we all end November to enter the season of Advent.

I  want to blog on what happened on Saturday.  The story of two very different women standing face to face, with one very important thing in common.  Stay tune!

Season of Thankfulness

I have to admit, I am just staying away from the News and other accounts of events in our nation, instead I want to focus on being Thankful.   When I started blogging I was part of  many who did thankfulness post during November.  November this year has already been historic and I have been swept up in the business of this time of year.  Before the month ends, I want to be still and thankful.


November for our family doesn't only mean Thanksgiving, it means celebration of life.  There are four birthdays in November.

Birthdays - Sarah Jane and Maverick (age 3)  Picture at Pumpkin Patch, our yearly visit.

Our daughter-in -law celebrates her birthday first.  She entered our world our son's senior year of high school.  They met again, after earlier meetings years before, at the home school prom.  From that night on they were never separate.  She came from a female dominated world into our male dominated world.   Almost fifteen years later, eleven years of marriage and three boys, I can say it has been a joy to see this young lady go from a teenager to the wife and mom she is today.

David age 3 - big brother to the twins, Elliott and Thomas, or as he calls them "THE BOYS!"

Our second round of joy is our grandsons born two days apart.  David born first to our only daughter and her husband in their first year of marriage.  Maverick born next to our son and his wife, after years of infertility.  They turn 3 this week and this Grand mommy's heart is overflowing.

I was trying to find a good picture of MY FIRST BORN, and realized this is why I don't have any...he will never let me get a good one!!!  I will remind him of this when his boys are being silly in family photos.  My FIRST Born..............and no, I am not old enough to have a son age 33!!  LOL

Not to be left out.  Our first born will celebrate his birthday on Monday, just like he did 33 years ago, entering our life on a Monday.  First born....that about says it all.  He was our first full term, here on earth child, after two miscarriages.  As all mother's know, you are forever changed.  Children (biological or adopted) change you and your world and being thankful doesn't say it all.  He is a wonderful son, husband and Dad of three of my grandsons.  He built a business beyond anything his mother could have imagined and still amazes me with his accomplishments.  Right now I am having the complete joy of working with him on some of his jobs. I get to do the fun part....pick out decor for homes.

Before our family fills in our sheets of the many blessings from this year, we celebrate the lives of these four.  The decorations are up....my heart overflows as I recall God's faithfulness.  In the middle of all the events on social media and TV, I recall the one who holds it all in His hands.  In the middle of  employment uncertainty in the new year, I recall He has never left us.  In the middle of those who protest by not standing for our anthem, I bow to a God whose shoulders our government sets, and thank Him for our Nation.

May you all be blessed this Thanksgiving as you also recall the wonder of this past year, both the joys and the tears, knowing that God still reigns.

Enemy Roars Only

Last week was a week to end all weeks.  The realization of how the enemy attacks and tries...let's say that again..tries to take us out, was swirling in our home.(I Peter 5:8)  There wasn't one area that the enemy didn't attack. His roar was loud and intimidating.  His attempted bites, hurt.  Our spirits and souls were tired.  I couldn't seem to fight for myself, but I fought for others.   My body ached.

2 Corinthians 10:4 - The weapons we fight with aren't the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

You look up and wonder, God are you still there, are you seeing what is happening?

As our family fought this week long, furious spiritual battle, because our battle is not with flesh and blood but the principalities of the air, we looked to the one who fights our battles and has already won the victory.  How we forget that we fight from a place of victory, not defeat.

Ephesians 6:12 - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorizes, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

As I walked with my children along a path near our home, we quoted scripture.   An old song came back to mind, "God put Satan under my feet, under my feet, under my feet. God put Satan under my feet and I will walk all over thee."  As we walked and physically put our feet down, we also walked through the promises of God.  Each step, each scripture, allowed the enemy's voice to grow weaker and weaker.

Isaiah 54:17 - no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, an you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.

You have to chose to love life in the middle of these strong attacks, and yes, we all have them.  You have to chose to get out of bed, which in and of itself is warfare.  You have to chose to look for all the good and let it diminish the bad.  You have to step back out of your self-pity party and breath.

The weekend came, a family with scars, scars that God will heal with His balm. Standing meant we had entered into His victory.  We had events to attend, and our choice was to put on a happy face.  That isn't a mask, it is saying to the enemy, "in spite of all the ATTEMPTS this week, I chose to move forward with a smile.  I chose to allow the Lord to be strong where I am weak."

2 King 6:17 - And Elisha prayed, "Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see."  Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Our first event was the schools largest fund raiser.  I am one of the home room parents this year and had been working on gathering our baskets for the auctions.  There was one basket that made me smile, when it was being assembled.  Yes, it would be bidding for more than it was worth and yes, I could go down the street and buy what I wanted for less, but that wasn't the point. The point was fund raising for the school. The point was, one of the attacks was financial and I needed to give back instead of walk in fear. The last point was, it has become my motto with my grands and I needed to be reminded that, although bloody from battle, there is joy in the adventure!

So I put my number down for the bidding.  I WON!!!

  Life is an Adventure!!  Hills, valleys, good choices, bad choices, pain, joy, hugs, battles, words that lift and words that tear down....an adventure, called life.

Benjamin finished up his baseball season.  His whole family have attended at least one game this season. The nephews peering through the dug-out at their Uncle!  Life ..precious.

We ended the weekend with the opening of a new Drive Thru Movie. YES, we went retro.  We went with another family who is fighting their own battles.  The kids enjoyed the retro way of viewing a movie. I enjoyed being under the stars.  I enjoyed the breeze, I enjoyed the laughter of kids, the parents sharing their by-gone-days of Drive-Thru, I enjoyed being still and knowing that God is still on the throne.

My prayer for you this week is that whatever battle you are fighting, you will remember the army that is standing behind you. I prayer your eyes will be opened!!  May we walk in the victory of a battle already won!

King of the World

Challenges

Our family has some challenges

I have some challenges

Our Nation has challenges

With each challenge we either turn to the truth or walk away in unbelief.

This song has been touching my heart recently.  I sing the words to my spirit and soul.

As we look at the challenges before us, may we remember

He Has Always Been the King of the World!!!

King of the World

I tried to fit you in the walls inside my mind
I try to keep you safely inbetween the lines
I try to put you in the box that I've designed
I try to pull you down so we are eye to eye

When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world?
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the king of the world
How could I make you so small
When you're the one who holds it all
When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world

Just a whisper of your voice can tame the seas
So who am I to try to take the lead
Still I run ahead and think I'm strong enough
When you're the one who made me from the dust

When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world?
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the king of the world
How could I make you so small
When you're the one who holds it all
When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world

Ohhhh, you set it all in motion
Every single moment
You brought it all to me
And you're holding on to me

When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world?
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the king of the world
How could I make you so small
When you're the one who holds it all
When did I forget you've always been the king of the world
You will always be the king of the world

Humble Pie

Humble Pie - the type of pie we usually don't want a piece of, yet life always serves it up on many types of plates.

I am not a fiction reader, although I am trying to learn to read more for just pure entertainment.  The Hawk and the Dove is one of my all time favorite fiction novels.  Within this trilogy set in a Monastery, the Monk walks through a season of eating humble pie.  Delivering the most powerful illustration of humble pie, my father, who doesn't read fiction, commented on the power of this chapter. I recall this chapter every time I experience the same.

As a mother of six children and 55 years here on earth, I have had plenty servings of humble pie.  As  a parent, I learned early in my parenting that if I ever wanted to impress anyone with my children's behavior, that almost guaranteed I would be dished up a hearty serving of humble pie.  What was ironic is this humble pie would usually be served on a plate meant for desiring to witness for Christ.  One wise friend counseled me one day, after something with one of my small children's actions, "Janette, if you are going to take credit for your child's failures, you will take credit for their successes!"   She desired for me to learn early that it was God who was at work in my children's lives for His glory.  Her advice stayed with me for decades and came back to land again last week.

I received an email from the director of Benjamin's school.  The email just said, "I am giving  your SON an award tomorrow.  If you can make it to the assembly that would be nice."  That was weird, it wasn't the end of the grading period when awards were given.

I arrived for the morning assembly. I noticed there weren't any other parents.  One of the faculty members came to ask me to come inside the gym. I came in set down, and wondered, "what is going on?"   The director started out explaining a new award for this year.  Each teacher would nominate a student who encouraged them to come to work each day.  She would begin this year with the student she nominated.  She went on to explain about this student.  I was listening, not realizing, she was talking about my son.  After a few words, she said, "Ben Wright".  To my shock and Benjamin's he was who she selected out of the whole student body.

Humble Pie - the good tasting one, yet the one that leaves you speechless.   As her words continued I stood to take pictures.  I forced back the tears, as I called out to God, "what are you doing?"  The gentle whisper in my spirit was, "it is for MY GLORY, don't touch it!"  How humbling is that?  It wasn't for me to look good in front of staff or other parents or anything to say, "look I have done well parenting my son!"  It was more the, in spite of all your weaknesses, He will still work all things for his good.

Later that day, while still being dazed by the morning events I was served up a very heavy dose of Humble Pie.  The humble pie that leaves you weak, faint, sick at your stomach kind.  The one that if you don't handle it right there will be a huge price to pay.  This humble pie was eaten with "I am in control" spoken from the Lord.  If He could use Benjamin for His glory, then He would also use this humble pie also.

One humble pie is framed and the reminder hangs for us to see.  The other humble pie is in the process of being walked out with God's grace.  As my head hit the pillow that night the advice from my wise friend rang through my head again, "Janette, if you take credit for their failures, you will take credit for their success."

Heritage Left Behind

I can almost hear the voices of both of my grandmothers, and how they would have responded to the comments spoken in front of a wooden church pew.  I must say, I couldn't believe my reaction at first, but the truth that rolled off my unrestrained lips reminded me of my own heritage.

Most of our churches are built for comfort now.  You can choice which service you would attend since many of our churches have multiple services starting on Saturday night through Sunday.  If you have an event you want to attend or a game you want to watch, you just change the service you attend that weekend.  The length of the services is down to an art, to keep the attention of all in attendance.  Your A/C and heater, are managed to make you comfortable, as well as, child care up through elementary school.  The days of "hard wooden pews' have been replaced by more relaxing cushioned chairs.

I am not saying I am in disagreement with all the changes, but sometimes it makes me wonder, would we still attend, if all the comforts were removed?

Our women were having a ladies breakfast and worship time at our church.  I am part of a small group of women who serve by decorating for different events. I am one that follows the leaders with a working hand....move items,..put up and take down.  This event the designer wanted a place for women to gather, enjoy breakfast and maybe take a picture or two.   Her vision was expressed and I came along side her with items I had collected from my home. This would include a wooden pew, chandelier,  vintage songbooks and Bibles.  The songbooks were my grandmother's she used for "singings".

The younger adults were enjoying seeing the pew, then the comments came.  "Oh, I remember those and I am soooooooooooooo glad we no longer use them!"  "Those were so uncomfortable."  "The first time I got in trouble at church had to do with......................."

Without checking my words through my brain I stopped in my tracks.  "Well, then you have something to be thankful for!  You were raised in the church!  If you set on wooden pews, then thank God for your Christian heritage!"

Needless to say, they just looked at me like I had dropped down from Mars.  They hadn't thought of that, they were just expressing how much they liked church the way it conducts services now compared to their childhood memories.  The point they missed was, they have a spiritual past. Someone dressed them, drove them, and attended the single service on Sunday, weekly, so they could hear the Gospel.  Back in the day, there wasn't children's church, which meant they heard the Word from the Pastor.

I slowly walked away, glanced at the books sitting on display and thanked God for my Christian heritage.  There was my husband and mine Bible's from our youth.  The songbooks that my Grandmother had written her name across and used to sing from, the pew, though not from a church I knew, still represented where I would set.

I am still passing the Christian Heritage baton to my own children and now my grandsons.  It will not be a wooden pew, or songbooks, but I pray that I will leave something behind. I pray that instead of them only seeing  discomfort or entertainment, they embrace the truth of going to church -               The Gospel. My grandmother might just say, "give me that old time religion."  My grandmothers both were faithful to God and family until their death.  Maybe those old wooden pews were better than we thought.

Who Decided That?

The past few months my heart has told me over and over again to come back to blogging.

It isn't that I feel my words are needed by others, or even read, it is for me.  It seems that blogging is like a balm to my soul.  Our souls need to be refreshed, as the world continues to drain them.  Typing out my thoughts, my joys, my struggles and dreams, reminds me that life is good!

God's Word is the daily balm to our souls and spirit.  I rest and soak in His word before taking on my day.  I also believe there are other means God uses to refresh our soul.  A visit to a play, a piece of art, a smile and kiss from a grandchild, can sooth the bumps of this life.

So, today I came back to look at my neglected blog.  I should know, all things neglected need a lot of repair. It is better to continue to maintain, then to have to do a huge overhaul.

Well somehow, or some technology, decided to rearrange my blog.  On the sidebar where I had social icons there were flashing  " not nice" ads.  One I wouldn't want anyone to see.  I then took all the social icons off my side bar.  If you were exposed to them, I apology.

As I scrolled down, all the blogs I cherish and their newest post were gone!!!  They have been taken...whatever new update or whatever!!!, had removed them.

As soon as I get my other business done I hope to return and figure all this out once again.

Lesson to self....neglect is never a good thing.  Not for my body, my mind, my spirit nor my blog!

Hope to see you soon................with a new outlook and cleaned up blog!

Have Your Read Your Blog?

google picture

Recently a friend from my past contacted me.  She knew my husband when they were youth and our paths crossed when I only had two of my six children.  We share a love for the Lord and desire to see others encouraged in this journey of life. This similar hearts tie has kept us connected, even though we live miles apart.

She had been reading my blog!!   Well, not my recent post, which seem to be few and far between, she was reading..........................OLD POST!!  Those old post that show up on your blog side board, and usually are so old that they are only counted under a month and year.

She must have been determined, because she went way --------- back.  She requested my permission to reprint for her online magazine.

I don't know how she found it, but she did.  It is featured this month in A Bundle of Thyme, under the encouragement section of the magazine.
http://www.thymemag.com/

http://www.thymemag.com/sept-2016---real-stories-prince-and-frog - This is my piece.


All of this promoted me to go back and read some of my old post.  As tears rolled down my cheeks, or I laughed-out-loud, I realized that recording my journey in life was for ME!  I needed to be reminded of God's hand on my life, through the struggles and the victories.  I needed to be reminded that He had walked me through.........that.........and ............that..........and...........that.   Post after post over the years shouted, "He hasn't left you."

As I watch our family go around a very familiar tree, as the saying goes, a repeated struggle, I was encouraged.

So today I ask you, "Have You READ Your Blog lately?"   You might see that the Lord has some encouragement for you in your own words.  I think this is one of the best benefits to blogging.  Maybe it is time to check out those Old blog post to see some fresh words for you today. I know I have benefited time and again from all of your post!

Balance!

We made it through the first week of school.  Earlier bedtimes, earlier rising,  breakfast, packed lunches, school papers, home work and baseball practice.  I think I should have automatically lost 10 pounds, but instead I think I gained weight.  I am realizing I am more of an emotional eater, which isn't good for the waist line.

In the midst of the new "norm" of this time of year, and the calendar still filling up, I want balance.  This comes in different forms for different people.   A well organized home, charts on the walls and scheduled routines, for some energizes them, for others, it is a rope around their neck.  We have both styles in our home.  As the home manager, I seem to have to fall between the two or we all go nuts.

Throw in some spontaneous fun, a trip to the lake and I am go to go.  So my balance this first week meant baking "Back to school cookies" for Ben and the grands.  Joshua is being home schooled this year.  Saturday morning I went, "by my self" to the lake to be still and balance my soul and spirit.

 Balance comes back into focus.  I usually find documenting all of these events through my phone camera is a must.  I share on Instagram/FB, it reminds me that nothing is as bad as it seems, when I flip through the treasured photos I snapped. Yes, my phone is used more as camera than it ever is as a phone.

I also had to "grab these moments" in this first week of school.   Three grandsons came for the evening and had dinner with us.  The oldest "Joshua" loves to have candle light and for me to dress the table.  Dress the table we did, with Veggie Tale place mats, napkins and candles.  My heart settled down into the treasure of a day that was booked from beginning to end.

First day of school finished with Dr Seuss movies and brotherly love.

My other balance to missing Benjamin, working on a new job, while trying to learn a CAD program at age 55, came when I was called to help my daughter.

It was truly a throw back to the Andy Griffith Show.  My daughter now lives in a small, rural community. One with only a couple of traffic lights.  Cow pastures surround this little city where you hear the train pass through the downtown blowing its horn.

As I came to help I turned the corner to her street.  To my wonder, coming toward me, was my three grandsons in their battery operated police car!  As they realized it was me, they started to bail out of the car.  This was a block or more from their home.  We piled them into my car when my daughter realized the battery on kid's car was dead...it now needed rescued.  After returning everyone home, the boys and I enjoyed the simple things in life.  TRUCKS. CONSTRUCTION TRUCKS.  As if a movie was playing before their eyes, we spent the morning watching dirt trucks do their job.  One driver hooked his horn for the boys,

Balance...........that place where responsibility doesn't suck all the life out of you.

That place that reminds you what is important and what will be remembered.

That place where you feel  yourself breath and enjoy!

Well! It Didn't!!!

It is over
                                 It is done
                                        It will never be here again!!!

Summer 2016

My heart's cry for the summer was "don't fence me in!"  As school started yesterday the fall calendar became full.  Baseball practice, violin lessons and orchestra, church events and everyday obligations now highlight my desk calendar.  It really does make me want simpler days.  You feel the excited business all around you. Even the pastor addressed it in his sermon, wanting us to all make sure our priorities are in the right place.  Sometimes I wonder how God sees it? 

Now Summer 2016 is now gone and we must conform!

I am not a list writing person, nor a huge planner.  I look to the grander things in life and shoot my arrow in that direction.  I enjoy seizing the moment, more than over planning it and having the planning drag on and on, just sucking the life out of the event.  All that is to say...I Love SUMMER!

It is a time that society allows us to relax and not schedule, if both are not in our nature.  I didn't put charts up on the wall with all the things Ben had to accomplish everyday, even if the guilt crept in.  Instead, we lived the moments.  Summer was fun.  I must recap, because if I don't  then I am not giving the credit to the one who rejoices over us with singing.

My hidden heart's cry all last school year was a desire to go to the beach.

The Lord provided.

My second was to fill our summer with "adventures".  My two...two-year-old grands can now say "adventure".  I must get shirts that cry out - Grand Mommy's Adventures.

So off we went for  adventures.  This meant movies - yes, little ones, food and movies.  We went to a movie grill where they could all set by tables and eat food...in the dark...I still don't know why this is good.  I still never know what I am putting into my mouth  or even what it looks like!

Swimming and splash pads!!!

Yes, with my daughter's help I took all five grands to the splash pad. The movies were just with Grand Mommy and Uncle Ben.

I got to read this summer!  I soaked in my second reading of  The Road to Blessings by Penelope Wilcock.  To be honest the truths in the second reading were so strong I think I will go back through it again this fall. Summer allowed me time to just reflect, to inhale, to listen to the soft voice of God.  Life is just toooooooooooooooooo noisy with all it's demands and drama.

I also was able to design for a client.. I had a kitchen job that allowed me to pour energy into the creative part of me.  We totally removed the old kitchen and started from scratch. This energizes me. I am praying the Lord will open up more doors for me to do what He created me to do.  All Good gifts come from Him.

 Our last summer "adventure" a Vintage Train Ride!

So as I pencil in more "we have to be at or do" on our calendar, I longingly look forward to next summer, but between then and now, I am going to watch for every "Adventure" life has to offer.