The House

      My love and I have been in the process of buying a house these past few weeks. We are extremely excited about the prospects of workshop space and a laundry room. As we have worked through this process, I've begun to realize what  big deal buying a home can be. With the type of loan we were able to get the bank requires that the house we purchase be in pretty good condition. They require that the roof be good and the paint un-chipped. That the electrical sockets be up to code and so on.
       So, this summer we began our search for a home... and we found one. It's adorable and it has a 3 car garage and pole barn so we were both sold. However, the bank took a look at it and came up with a list of "problems". Issues that would have to be resolved before we could close. And so we struck a deal with the home owners and this past weekend, they allowed us to come in and work. We patched shingles, put up drywall, installed a bathroom vent and added more insulation. All this in the hopes that maybe now the bank will give us the green light and we can start calling this place our own.
       In all this, a thought occurred to me. The bank says that in order for us to buy this place, it has to meet a certain level of "goodness". And in order for the bank to approve we had to make adjustments to it, clean it up, patch it up, make it presentable. I realize that this is the exact opposite of  what the One who loves our hearts does when He calls our names. It says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,  for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." As believers, God dwells in us. And when we first came to Him, He didn't look at us and give us a list of repairs. A list of things that were wrong in us and that needed to be taken care of us before He would call us His and dwell in our hearts. Instead, He bought us with His blood, as is.  And the great thing is that He knows just what to do to start tackling that long list of repairs that we all have. He provides the TLC that all of our lives need. 

"Why do you give up on yourself, when God will never ever give up on you?"
 ~Nkosinathi Mehlomakulu
    

Summer Nights

        Last night the moon was out and almost full. The air held just enough chill to make it nice and the bullfrogs and crickets were singing their songs. I climbed the latter up to the roof and sat there for a few minutes. Loving the sound of the country at night. There is something magical, peaceful and wonderful about a summer night. For some reason it is a time of day when I more readily feel at peace. Maybe it's the quiet of it, the coolness, the moon... Whatever it is, I love it, I'm reminded of the peace and love of the One who created the stars. So, enjoy your summer nights and be reminded.


"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls." ~Mother Teresa

Abide

The other day I was reading in the book of John and this is what it said,
           John 15:9 "As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you. Abide in My love."
It says to Abide in His love. Abide means to remain or stay. That means we need to stay put in His love. Sadly, it's all to easy to get itchy feet and start wandering. There are many reasons that we sometimes fail to abide in His love.  All to often however,  we may just forget . But it is so important that we remain in God's love for us, that we Abide.
          In Ephesians 5:17-19 it says,  " ...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
          I love the wording this passage uses, "rooted and grounded" Roots mean that you aren't going anywhere. We need to be rooted, we need to Abide. The One who created life, loves us so very much and He wants us to know that. To be confident in it.  Happy Monday.

"To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that love is the reason for my existence, for God is love."~Thomas A. Kempis

Don't Forget

The other day I was reading the book of Jeremiah in the Bible and this verse popped out at me.
                     Jeremiah 13:25b  "Because you have forgotten Me and trusted in lies."
This verse is taken from a passage where the LORD is getting after the people for not walking in the right way.  Now, I know this is out of context of the passage, but these words popped out at me because,  all to often, I get so caught up in worries that my vision of who God truly is becomes clouded. I forget His goodness, love and, mercy. Also, when I allow worries in, I begin to trust and believe that what I'm worried about is really the truth and it is at that point that I begin trusting in the lies.
      Now this is clearly not a good state to allow myself to slip into. The One who gives life, He loves me...He love you. He is love. He is truth. He is grace. He is mercy. Don't forget.

Three Years and Forever

       Today is my love's and my 3rd anniversary. Three years ago, we were standing on a hill on a hot, Saturday, afternoon making some very important promises to each other. They went something like this:

       Bea, Somebody once told me that I should marry my best friend because that is the relationship you have to work the hardest to keep strong. So, in this beginning of forever, I promise to be your best friend. I promise to be the shoulder to cry on and the hand to hold on sunny walks through the park. I promise to be the arms of protection and the man of God that you need by your side. And, I'm not sure that it will ever be enough time, but I promise to love you forever.

       Luke, today is the beginning of forever for you and I. And as we begin on this adventure, I promise to love you through it all. I promise to be with you through all the ups and downs of life. I want to see the stars with you and walk the miles with you. Someone once said that, “A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.” Luke, I promise that I will always try and be that friend to you. I love you.

     I have been truly blessed by the One who created this life. He put Luke by my side and continues to walk with us. And those words that my love promised me on that day three years ago, he has kept them. He's been there for me through a lot and he has my heart.

 "Loving someone and having them love you back is the most precious thing in the world."
~Nicholas Sparks

"A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you." ~Elbert Hubbard

Three Years and Forever

       Today is my love's and my 3rd anniversary. Three years ago, we were standing on a hill on a hot, Saturday, afternoon making some very important promises to each other. They went something like this:

       Bea, Somebody once told me that I should marry my best friend because that is the relationship you have to work the hardest to keep strong. So, in this beginning of forever, I promise to be your best friend. I promise to be the shoulder to cry on and the hand to hold on sunny walks through the park. I promise to be the arms of protection and the man of God that you need by your side. And, I'm not sure that it will ever be enough time, but I promise to love you forever.

       Luke, today is the beginning of forever for you and I. And as we begin on this adventure, I promise to love you through it all. I promise to be with you through all the ups and downs of life. I want to see the stars with you and walk the miles with you. Someone once said that, “A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.” Luke, I promise that I will always try and be that friend to you. I love you.

     I have been truly blessed by the One who created this life. He put Luke by my side and continues to walk with us. And those words that my love promised me on that day three years ago, he has kept them. He's been there for me through a lot and he has my heart.

 "Loving someone and having them love you back is the most precious thing in the world."
~Nicholas Sparks

"A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you." ~Elbert Hubbard

The Adventures of Summer

     August is here again. That hot, sticky, month of county fairs, bluegrass festivals and blooming gardens.  This summer has been full of so many wonderful things. Little adventures of everyday life.       Earlier in July, a friend gave us some garden fresh strawberries. So, I got to play farmer's wife and freeze several containers of delicious summery goodness. My extended family decided to have Christmas in July once again this year, that was fun. There were only 4 members missing.
      My sweet husband got me a sewing machine for my birthday and I have had fun creating with it. Saturday afternoons spent with friends. Evenings spent at the annual Itasca Family Bluegrass Festival where good music, happy thoughts and memories abound.  My love and I will be celebrating 3 years together coming up this week. 3 years down, forever to go. Isn't life wonderful!
     My garden is starting to bloom and that makes me smile. I noticed the other day that even though the sunflowers haven't bloomed yet, they still move to follow the sun. Adventures!  Happy Saturday.

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” ~Henry James

The Garden

         I was thinking the other about how our lives are like gardens. A garden in which we have the opportunity to plant and cultivate just about anything we want. I love it when I get joy, peace, wonder and excitement growing in my garden. When these start to grow the colors and smells are amazing, and life feels good. But, I do believe that I need to work at my gardening skills because all to often I fail to take care of the weeds. The weeds can be different from garden to garden. Some may have weeds of discontentment and others may have weeds of bitterness or anger or sadness etc. I however struggle with the weed or worry.
         This weed is something that has sprouted in my garden since I was a little girl and more often than not I have cultivated it rather than rooting it out. The thing about weeds is that they can be sneaky. When they first begin to push through the soil it is often hard to tell if what you are seeing is a weed or one of the seeds you planted. And so, you sometimes just leave it alone instead of pulling it up right away. That's the first mistake. Weeds are going to happen, it's a part of being human, but we as gardeners need to vigilantly tend our gardens. When weeds start sprouting we need to pull them right away, or they just might get out of hand.
       I know in my own garden if I catch the weed of worry when it's still just a sprout I can pull it and stay on top of keeping my garden flourishing. However, I really need to work on identifying those nasty little sprouts right away. Because, more often than not I look at the weed and go, "Oh this must surely be a good plant. I have to water it and tend it and take care of it because it is right." And so I do and then I get this giant nasty weed that starts to suffocate my joy sprouts and it takes over the peace plants and all of a sudden my garden is a jungle of worry and I feel overpowered.
    And you know what, it is a lot harder to keep my garden nice once I've let it get out of control like that. Weeds that have been cultivated grow big and their roots grow deep and it will be harder to pull them out than if you had done it when they were just sprouts, but they can be pulled out. 
     The best part is, I know the Master Gardener. He knows just what the joy plants look like and what the weeds of worry look like.  When I consult Him He will come to my garden and give me a hand. He Shows me what to look out for and how to take care of the plants. He waters my joy and peace plants and He gives me a hand at pulling out the weeds. He knows exactly what to look for and helps me to notice the difference between a good plant and a weed.
       So remember, the Master Gardener, the One who loves your heart is there for you. Have a lovely day and happy gardening.



“When people will not weed their own minds, they are apt to be overrun by nettles.”
 ~Horace Walpole

Sunny Saturday

     Today I ordered new pictures and hung them. Planted sunflowers, daisies, and pansies while barefoot. Soaking up sunshine sure does feel good. Baked delicious treats for my dear friends wedding shower and got ridiculously excited about a new vacuum cleaner. Happy Saturday.

"Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows." -Hellen Keller

Remembering

     I love being an elementary school teacher and the other day, I had the opportunity to take my class on a field trip to the Williams' farm. As I drove up the lane I thought about the first time I ever made that drive. It was before I knew that I would move to this wonderful town, before I was a teacher, it was the day I met my husband. It's crazy to think about, because that day, almost 4 years ago, I would never have guessed that I would be making this trip now, With a new name and a classroom of kids in tow. As I make this trip I wonder what I will think in 4 more years or 10 or 20. What changes await in the future? What adventures?
    

 “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.”
~Heraclitus

The I.T. Guy Part 2

     So, as I wrote last time, my work computer was having difficulties. Any way, as it turned out the poor old desktop computer I had been using was simply too old to be updated. So, the next solution was to drag out my dusty old laptop and start getting my files moved over. And so, I began the process, happy to find out that the laptop actually runs a lot faster than the old desktop. Then, the world of technology threw me another curve ball. I couldn't get the printer to hook up to the computer and suddenly my happy progress was halted. So once again, my wonderful dad has been spending many phone calls and texts with me trying to get it all figured out. I try to tell him what I see on the screen in my very un-techy way and then he begins to search and advice and talk me through the steps I need to take. We were stilling having problems and that's when the really cool tech savvy stuff started to happen. Dad tells me over the phone to click here and select that and then suddenly from 300 miles away my Dad has complete control of my computer. I sit back and watch as the mouse moves across the screen, seemingly on its own, but knowing that it's just my dad working his magic. Now the printing problem is not fixed yet, but he's still working on it.
      Did you know that our Heavenly Father wants to help you with your problems? I can't physically see my dad right now because he lives way across the state, but he's still there for me. And so it is with our Heavenly Father. No, we can't see him and sometimes you may feel as though He isn't there but all you have to do is call him. I could have tried to work through my computer problems all by myself and never once told my daddy that I was having problems. I could have done this, but I wouldn't have gotten very far. In our lives we are going to come up against "computer problems" these problems may be seen in sin, loss, hurt and  million other technical glitches. Sadly, we all to often attempt to fix these problems on our own or sadder yet simply give up on them and attempt to work around our "printing problem." But our Heavenly Father is just waiting for that call, "Dad, I need help...It's the dumb printer again. What should I do?" And you know what, He will take time from His day to talk you through the steps, to give you pointers on things to try and tell you what buttons to push and which ones to avoid.
      Now as I mentioned above, my dad has this really cool program which lets him access my computer from miles away. But you know what I had to do before he could take the controls? I had to give him a password from my laptop. He couldn't access my computer without my permission. Our Heavenly Father, the One who gave you life, who loves you and knows yours joys and your pains want to help you. He knows the solutions to all your "computer problems" but you have to give him the password. Open your heart and let Him take control . Because then you can sit back and watch Him do His thing and you can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the One who wrote the program knows how to fix the glitches that are operator errors.


"Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely. ... He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken."
~Dieter F. Uchtdorf 
     

The I.T. Guy

       My Dad is pretty great. You see, my computer at work was having issues. Something about an out of date program that no longer had available updates and is thus at risk of computer viruses etc. etc. Anyway...Some people might experience this problem and have to spend time on the phone with some unknown IT person and have a whole lot of run around and hoopla. Not me, nope. You know why? Because my Dad just happens to be one of those smart, tech-y, people who fixes others computer problems for a living. So, I text him and he says "Call me." And so I do. After talking with me and running over options and the specifics he simply tells me, "Bring it home over Easter, I'll fix it for you." So there you have it, my Dad is AWESOME.
       But let's look at this one step further. We have a Heavenly Father who is there for us. He loves you so very much. And you know what He did. He died so that He could fix the biggest problem His children have--sin. Our imperfections, our faults, our mistakes, they have the power to be the end of us. But our Heavenly Father took care of that by allowing His son to die in our place. Just bring it to Him and He's there ready to take the problem off our hands.

" Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face." -Ronald Reagan

Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/problems.html#ycsGekXjV8Hdfi2Y.99Within the

Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/problems.html#ycsGekXjV8Hdfi2Y.99

   

Thank you

To the parents of my love,
     I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for raising a son who is truly wonderful. Thank you for teaching him about God and helping him to have a firm foundation. For I have been truly blessed to be married to a man who is so rock solid in his faith. He has been there for me in many ups and downs.
     Thank you for teaching him respect and love. I am one of those lucky girls who has a husband who opens doors for me and warms up my car on bitterly cold days.
     Thank you for teaching him about hard work. Because I am blessed to have a husband who provides and does a great job at it.
     Thank you so much for all that you did in raising him, you did a spectacular job. I love him a lot.