Yet Another Birthday

It's been birthday time at our house the last couple of weeks. It started with my oldest son, then my grand daughter and last weekend we celebrated my youngest son's, he is now twenty four.

The plan was for him to come back home over the holiday weekend to take another car load of stuff back to his place. We had friends visiting that weekend as well, add my other son and his family and you got a party.

Obviously I am a little late posting this, but, Happy Birthday to our youngest son, the Musician. We enjoyed having him home for a couple of weeks this summer and are happy that he will be living just a couple of hours away. Time for brothers to bond again, (they have already been to a football game together) and maybe more opportunities to see each other.

He is a man with many interests, there was rockets for awhile ( he built a rocket out of styrofoam cups that was as tall as our house, and yes he launched it) biking and of course music. As a graduate student he will be part of a wind quintet.  Maybe there will be a road trip or two to see him play. I could get used to that

More on Waiting

As I have mentioned before I am reading a terrific book called "Broken Down House...Living Productively in a World Gone Bad" by Paul David Tripp. I am about four more pages further than I was the last time I posted about it. I have been using it, as part of my devotions, there is so much of it I want to meditate on. I am still on the chapter about learning to wait, that should tell you something about my life. This section spoke volumes to me and is something I am really trying to look at honestly.

"Has your waiting produced in you a faith that is stronger or weaker? Has the manner of your waiting drawn you closer to God or further away? Has your approach to waiting helped remind you of all the blessings you have been showered with? Or has it tempted you to continually rehearse your list of unmet needs? Has your waiting served to teach you truths about yourself? Or has it made you more blind about yourself and angry about your circumstances? Has the way you wait enabled you to reach out and minister to others better, or has it simply drawn you deeper into the claustrophobic drama of your own waiting?

In each case, it's your choice. Take hold of the grace that God makes available. All of these outcomes are contingent on whether you chose God or self, fruitfulness or futility, his powerful grace or your feeble will. Always remember God is never separate from your wait"

Teach me your way, oh Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you O Lord my God with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave  Psalm 86:11-13

Up For The Challenge

Last spring my husband bought me Photoshop Elements, it was a Mother's Day gift.  I excitedly installed it started watching some of the tutorials, then life started happening, then summer came, the outdoors held much more interest, so I never got back into learning how to use it.

After the family photos I decided it was time to start watching the tutorials again and learn how to use the software.  I have watched some of the same tutorials over and over again, trying to figure out how to navigate through this software...wasn't having much success. Brain just wasn't retaining, decided I needed something I could look at while I had Photoshop open.

I ordered a manual... wouldn't you think a manual would mean brightly colored pictures with step by step instructions? Well my manual arrived today and it's more like a textbook. This is gonna take some time, my not quite young brain doesn't operate like it used to but I am up for the challenge.

Came across a good word that might be an encouragement to some of you out there, I know it was for me

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.  Isaiah 46:4  Pretty good promise, don't you think?

Summers End

Today marks the end of summer for many. I am always a little sad when summer is over, have always been that way. When the children were home the end of summer meant school was about to begin and schedules were a little tighter. Since our nest is now empty, this time of year doesn't effect our schedules anymore, but it does mean the garden is changing, and while we have a few more weeks, I know we will be soon be spending more time indoors than outside.

When the hurricane blew through last week we had to prepare our yard. That meant the umbrellas went down, the hanging baskets, patio furniture, yard art...all of it had to be put away. You may think it's silly but I wasn't ready to see everything go. I enjoy hammock time, eating dinners on the patio and sitting watching the hummingbirds dance from feeder to feeder. I just wasn't ready to say goodbye to summer.

Thanks to my husband I didn't have to, he put every bit of that stuff back up, it still looks like summer here, at least for the time being.

Our holiday weekend was probably like most of yours. We had friends visiting, a needed project completed with their help. A picnic with our care group and yet another birthday celebration...more on that in a future post.

It was also a time my husband and I spent reflecting, something we will probably be doing a lot the next couple of weeks. I don't think it's a bad thing, we need to take time to remember what God has done in our life, to speak of his care and mercies, to remind each other of how needs were meet. That's one of the ways we can encourage each other as we walk this life together. If your not in the habit of doing this, might I suggest it. Recounting God's mercies and care is a great way to get an attitude change.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching  Hebrews 10:23-25

Happy Birthday Miss B

It's birthday time again, actually I'm a little late for this one. My oldest grand daughter just had a birthday, her party was last week. There was some concern that the hurricaine would cancel it but we never lost power so the party was on.

Since there has been nothing but guys in this home, it has been a real treat having another little lady to share some girl time with.

Our girl time has included making cookies and cupcakes, setting up tea parties, gardening and making flower arrangements. We even went to the ballet once, it was a performance of the Nutcracker, a  treat for me, I had never been. Sons never interested in the ballet, we did get to see a Monster Truck Show though.

She is the big sister to three other siblings. She loves to read, and is looking forward to school starting again. She helps me cook dinner when they come over and she knows just what the baby needs when she fusses. I told her she is in training for future baby sitting in a few more years. She also loves board games and tries to get one in whenever she comes to visit. Monopoly is her favorite game.

Birthday celebrations are so much fun, this was a big one, she was ten. Going in the fifth grade, turning out to be quite the lady. Thanking the Lord for this little blessing and wishing her a happy birthday she sure is a delight.