Anxiously Waiting...

Ben has been gone to a men's retreat since Thursday evening. It has been rough on us as it is the longest he's been gone away from home and we have had no contact with him since he left. We received word "through the grapevine" a couple of hours ago that he would be on his way home soon, but so far we have not seen nor heard anything of his return. So we're trying to remain occupied and patient as we await his arrival, but I am getting a bit antsy for him to get here and Em is getting VERY anxious for her daddy to be home.

All in all it has been a good, busy weekend, but I am so ready for him to be back. I've come to a new appreciation in regards to his helpfulness with household and family duties and have realized how truly thankful I am for him in my life. I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder...


UPDATE: He's home! Lots of hugs...daddy/daughter laughter...some pizza...now he's reading bedtime stories in her room. Life is good!

Dandelion

This summer I've really taken note of and gained an appreciation for dandelions. For some (including myself until recently), they are often thought of as a pesky weed that can overtake the lawn. But lately I can't help stopping to look at them and see their real beauty!

The bright yellow ones just seem so cheery (especially when I recall my fondest memories of great big hand-picked bouquets of them from my sweet little daughter)...

But I've been quite attracted to the ones that've gone to seed...they seem so significant and represent so much...

My inner child's thoughts often wander to all the wishes I've made over the years or could make as I gently blow the seeds away and watch them drift through the air... My spiritual nature envisions spreading the seeds of faith and watching the "new life" that results... My motherly instinct can't help but recall and ponder the joy of new life as it comes through a newborn baby...And just like the seeds are blown, land in various locations and then grow and bloom, so too can we bloom where we're planted when the things of this world seem to "blow us away" and leave us in new, unchartered territory.

Additionally, I am learning how beneficial and refreshing it can be to take the time out to notice the little things around us and find the hidden beauty in things that may at first glance seem to be unattractive and undesirable.

What "hidden treasures" have you noticed lately?

Baptism at the Falls

On Sunday, our church congregation took a "field trip" to a park to hold a baptism service in the swimming area near the falls. What a beautiful place...such great evidence of God's wonderous creations!

Here's one of the pics I took of the falls while we were there (with all the afternoon rainstorms we've been having lately the water was really flowing)...

Pieces

A text message and the Holy Spirit

Our ladies group usually meets on Thursday evenings, but last week there were various reasons for unavailability (as there have been quite frequently lately). Usually we just try again the next week.

Well, last week was a bit different...as I sat at work Friday morning I felt like we needed to meet and I couldn't stop thinking that I should contact them and see if they were free that evening or the next. NEVER before have we rescheduled to a different night if we couldn't meet on Thursday. So, it was a bit out of the ordinary but I had missed our time together, felt a strong urge to do so and decided to give it a try.

Before I left my office for home, I sent a quick text message asking if they were available. They were and we ended up meeting at our favorite place for some tea & biscotti (lemonade for the non-tea drinker).

After we gathered, we realized that we had been "summoned". What started out to be "about us" ended up becoming an opportunity to witness to someone in her time of need.

Lately I've been seeking to know what it is the Lord would have me do...when the ladies mentioned that I had received a prompting from the Holy Spirit to get us there that night, I felt encouraged in my quest for a greater purpose.