:: Morning Sun ::

:: Flannel sheets ::

:: Crocheted rose blanket ::

Today ...

{List in no particular order}

*... waking up to sunshine filling my bedroom
*... wonderful fellowship and learning time at church
*... grilling after church with the family
*... time with niece and nephew {heart, heart, heart}
*... hot enough outside to turn the air-conditioning on inside, making it just chilly enough for me to wear a light sweater
*... hot tea in said air-conditioning
*... iced water in favorite glass
*... playing outside with beloved nice and nephew
*... puppies outside
*... wearing new shirts
*... wearing flower necklace
*... watching Greta walk around in my high heels
*... seeing Josiah's face light up when he smiles
*... babies falling asleep in Mommy's arms
*... tiny girl's painted toenails
*... Greta coloring with Gramma


{{What was your day today?}}

Thoughts

Up earlier than usual ... puppies don't sleep well after 7. Up the stairs to fill a cup with coffee and take the puppies outside.  The liquid sends white, wisps of steam swirling, they can be seen clearly against the dark blue cup.  Early morning sun just peeking down the street as I step out into the morning cool.  Puppies on the grass.  Morning dew on the grass tickles my bare feet.  Puppies don't like the cool wetness and come to sit and snuggle on my feet. I watch, sipping coffee, thinking of my reading from the night before ...

"God does not willingly bring affliction or grief to us.  He does not delight in causing us to experience pain or heartache.  He always has a purpose for the grief He brings or allows to come into our lives.  Most often we do not know what that purpose is, but it is enough to know that His infinite wisdom and perfect love have determined that the particular sorrow is best for us.  God never wastes pain.  He always uses it to accomplish His purpose.  And His purpose is for His glory and our good.

 Trusting God in the midst of our pain and heartache means that we accept it from Him.  There is a vast difference between acceptance and either resignation or submission.  We can resign ourselves to a difficult situation, simply because we see no other alternative.  Many people do that all the time.  Or we can submit to the sovereignty of God in our circumstances with a certain amount of reluctance.  But to truly accept our pain and heartache has the connotation of willingness. An attitude of acceptance says that we trust God, that He loves us, and knows what is best for us.

Acceptance does not mean that we do not pray for [those things dear to our heart] ... {For an end to the seeming endless singleness} ... We should indeed pray for those things, but we should pray in a trusting way.  We should realize that, though God can do all things, for infinitely wise and loving reasons, He may not do that which we pray that He will do.  How do we know how long to pray?  As long as we can pray trustingly, with an attitude of acceptance of His will, we should pray as long as the desire remains."

~ Jerry Bridges, Trusting God (Chapter 6, Point 5)

{Rainy}

New favorite hairstyle

So, I fell in love with this hairstyle and wished I could learn to do it.  And then I found this tutorial video and to say I was excited would be an understatement.

Of course I had to try it. {Wink}

I realize that it really looks nothing like what it was supposed to, but I was happy with it.

...~...

Here I sit, the worn, loved kitchen table is a happy place.  Hot tea.  Favorite mug.  Agave Nectar. {Heart} Hair up, twisted and messy bun.  Favorite jeans, one of my many favorite long-sleeved shirts.  Outside the air is cool, the crickets chirp.  I love the cooler time of year when layer upon layer isn't necessary but long sleeves are. Pants replace shorts and capris. And a cup of hot tea is always a good idea.

Days have been flying by, it seems.  Busy, busy. But, the little things are starting to get noticed by yours truly again. A blessing from God? A joy, certainly.

Below?  The little things ...

I bought a new camera, so of course I had to try it out in the dark.

These little feet in my shoes!

This makes me want to have a cabin by a lake.

This little man.

Surprising, (really surprising,) my beloved Father for his birthday.

Because when you eat corn you must have leverage (the hand on the plate) and push as much corn into your mouth as you can.

Lil Brotha Man stopping by work, just to help fold laundry.

{Sigh}

{Heart}

Because this makes me happy ...

Who knew a bag from India and a hair clip sitting in the sunshine could make me so happy?!

Oh, yes I did!

So, we recently had a mini "vacation".  It was actually just a weekend to Wyoming for my Grandma's 80th birthday party but I didn't have to work, so I count it as a vacation. Aaaaanyway, for those long-time readers of my blog, you know I like coffee ... just a leetle ... or ... maybe ... a lot. Okay, actually I just love coffee. So, to make sure I wasn't without the liquid love of my life for even one morning, I did what any other crazy big coffee lover would do.

Taking the time

Sun peaks in and out of clouds in a mostly blue sky. A gentle breeze adds to the slight chill of a cooler summer day. Pants take the place of capris and a long-sleeved t-shirt where once was a sleeveless.  It's a wonderful, almost chilly day.

I went back to work today after a long weekend. Camera in hand I started out my weekend with a cheerful outlook and excitement that I didn't have to go to work for 3 whole days (well, 4, but I don't work on Sundays anyway, so it wasn't really a "day off" for me). I guess working 6 days a week maybe gets to you after a while, love your job or not.  Thankfully I do love my job, I am happy to be back working.  But I was so thankful for a little break.

This weekend was the first time, in a while, that I have actually taken pictures of anything really.  But it was a time to rediscover the "little things" in life. (Pictures will hopefully come later.)
 

Right now, sitting outside in the previously mentioned breeze. Listening to this song. (The one and only song that is currently on my playlist for this blog.)

A mug of hot Camomile tea, sweetened with Agave nectar. ::~

Going to read Emma, by Jane Austen.  I am totally loving this book!

My parent's camera (which I have adopted as my own) rests near by, in case of a moment of inspiration.

That long-sleeved shirt I told you about? Yeah, it makes me so very happy.

{Heart} Mama talking on the phone. {Heart} I just love my Mama's voice and the sweet, gentle way in which she speaks and forms her words.

Leah sitting near me, reading a book.  Wearing a sweater, capris, socks and ... wait for it ... flip-flops. {Smile} Yeah.

Keeping my feet warm from the breeze are my new, $3.00 shoes.  They also make me very happy.

And speaking of happy.  This pictures just fills my heart with happiness and joy! (This picture is from the weekend, not this evening, but it just melts my heart!)

What it is ...

*sigh* So, here I am ... Finally ... The last time I actually blogged with pictures was November! When I actually said anything worth reading at all ... over a year.  Do you ever have times in life when you wonder, "Where is my life? The one I used to love? The one where I enjoyed my everyday, day to day life?"  The one when life is "slow" enough to smell the roses?  Maybe it's that I'm getting older, maybe it's that life gets busier, or maybe it's that I need to take time and find out what really matters in a day. I miss the days when I would get home from work and be able to help Mom in the garden.  I miss the days when I would make the noon meal.  I miss the days when I was home. I miss days when I took time to notice the small things in life.  I miss days that sound like this.

Birds chirp, Mama's fountain gurgles and bubbles, a short time ago Mom and Caleb sat talking in the lawn chairs next to me, their quiet, gentle hum of conversation enormously comforting. Sitting outside, in the shade, in the loveseat rocker I wonder how this year has passed this far without me knowing.

Maybe It's a state of mind, maybe it's making oneself prioritize, maybe it's finding out what really matters? Whatever it is, I plan on finding out.  And I also plan on trying to be here more ... I miss my bloggie peeps!

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