Perry the Peacock

I miss my garage. And my driveway. And access to my vehicle. It's only been a few days and I'm whining, I know. It will be great...eventually. By the time we get it done, I will REALLY appreciate it...almost as much as Jon!
Tabbi and I took the boys to the zoo on Sunday. The weather was completely perfect. It wasn't very crowded. We saw some of the animals we didn't see when we went last time. It was a great day. It think it seemed especially good just because I needed it. There have been so many sad and hard things this summer that it was time for fun. The most memorable moment may have been Tru's outburst while chasing a peacock..."Curse you, Perry the peacock!!!" Hysterical!!

Thought for the day

"When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love." Galatians 5:4-6 The Message
And I love this list of the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23. In NASB it reads "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness. faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." In The Message it reads..."He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard--things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely."

Hope

"Chuck" came back last night, and tonight I got to see the new "NCIS" and "Parenthood". Such fun!! Really have to get to bed earlier, though. Skipped swimming this morning...just could NOT get up.

Thought for the day

Thinking a lot about hope these last few days. As humans we have a great need for hope. We NEED to believe that the good is coming. And, truth is, we have legitimate cause to have hope. We belong to the creator and sustainer of the universe, and He loves us with a love that is so much greater than any we can imagine. He is on our side. How's that for hope???

Full Week

Okay, three funerals in one week is a little over the top. We did have the chance to be with Jon's family who we hadn't seen in a long time, and that was wonderful. We also got a chance to celebrate some lives that have been lived in the light of God's grace, and it was good.

In better news, our builder is planning on starting demo work on our concrete tomorrow. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate.

Wishing you all a great week...I'm going to try to stay in touch better...

The Need to be Thankful

We are planning on traveling to Jennifer's funeral next week. My feelings are a mixture of sadness and excitement. It will be so good to see everyone, but such a sad time. Tabbi is planning on riding with us...almost like old times. I'm sure we'll need to be aware of all the possible pit stops along the way :)


Thought for the day

We have so many friends who are going through such hard things right now...Dan's family, Marcus and Crissy, Erika, and all the Lukes. All we can do for them is pray. It reminds me that I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. And so do you. There is a quote in one of my devotionals that I like..."If your cup is sweet, drink it with grace." Don't look for trouble; don't worry about what if; don't flaunt your blessings. Receive what the Lord gives you thankfully, humbly, and with a hand that holds all things loosely. All we have is His; it is simply put into our hands for a little while to be used for His glory. It is His to do with as He sees best. Lord, have Your way, do Your will, and rule and reign in all things.

Jennifer

It seems I was just starting to get to know her. I knew Jennifer when she was a child, but never got to spend much time with her. She became a woman, a wife, and a mother while I was busy with my own family. Thanks to facebook, I was getting the opportunity to connect with her in little ways again...a note, some pictures, fun news about the family. I wish I'd made a greater effort. She was a bright, energetic woman with a wonderful smile. And though our lives were not intersecting much at all, I will miss knowing that she is there raising her twin girls and enjoying her life. She will be missed by so many... We will offer comfort and a listening ear to her family, but that won't fill the emptiness. Only Jesus. Lord, hold them close and make Yourself known to them in ways that touch them deeply and profoundly. Hold us all...that You may receive the glory in every situation.