If I Could

If I could have tea with you today,

I'd ask if you've been reading anything good lately.

I'm always looking for a good book recommendation.  I just finished book #2 in Richard Paul Evans' Mistletoe series.  They are stirring holiday stories of people overcoming hard, real-life circumstances to find hope again.  Because of the beautiful, yet believable settings and holiday details, I find myself hungry for stuffing, pecan pie, and dinner rolls.  They are cozy books, each with a strong and inspiring moral that gives me food for thought for days afterward.

I'd say, soldier on, dear friend!

We do not often know, during our everyday faithfulness, that what we are doing is eternally paying off.  We must have faith!  We must believe that God is using us, through His mighty grace.  This very thought rescues us from despair.  We follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.  We obey.  We accept His working in our hearts.  We apologize.  We repent.  We listen to His nudges.  We try again.  His grace is so much more than enough.  And, He is working.  Truly, He is working.  We must soldier on, armed with that Truth.  

I'd hug you.  

When no one notices your sacrifices, when no one sees how hard you're working, and when you are just plain tired, I'm thankful that you are in my life.  There's just something about a hug.

I'd inquire if you are enjoying autumn.

Have you been noticing the fiery reds, the luscious yellows, and the leaves flitting through the air?  Pumpkins and cornstalks are everywhere!  I know it's so easy to miss out on embracing the seasons.  When we choose to smile at the days ahead, seeds of joy can blossom into something beautiful in our days.  Trust me, God often does this work in my heart.

Thanks, dear friend!  And, if you ever want to have tea, let me know.  

Pics from our recent anniversary getaway - climbing Conklin's Gully, NY

Sowing

"Whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."

Galatians 6:8 NIV

The million small things I do every day are how I sow.  

I envision myself kneeling in the dirt of a garden that is far from Pinterest-worthy, with the Blossoms around me, hoeing the soil into rows and painstakingly planting seeds.  The knees of my jeans are dirty and I'm a bit weary.  I'm mulling over what's for supper, a phone call I need to remember to make, and where we need to be later.  And I'm trying to be cheerful amidst the questions, "How many more rows?"  "What else are we planting?"  "Can we be done soon?"

But I'm sowing seeds.

The million small things I do in a day resemble this.  Making supper.  Soldiering through math with Blossom4.  Helping Blossom3 tweak her writing assignment.  Listening.  Sharing.   Folding clothes... again.  Answering nicely when I don't feel like it.  

It isn't pretty.  It isn't glamorous.  It's often hard, but I'm sowing the seeds.  

And I'm sowing them to please the Spirit.  

I can't let the little things become little.  

The big vision of sowing those little things to please the Spirit 

is what gives every moment so much meaning.  

Pause and Look Up

What a beautiful day we had last week!  It was a day of rainbows!  

We saw four in one day and I was fairly certain there were at least two more that I missed!  

To me, rainbows are miracles in the midst of ordinary life.  They help me to pause and look up.  I find myself stopping and pondering God's goodness in the middle of a busy day.  

This is your friendly reminder, just like the rainbow, to stop and ponder His goodness.  

Next Level Lessons

There are always more lessons to learn in life.  Always.  

Just when I think that maybe I've got it down "pat," God takes me to the next level.  The intermediate level.  Round two.  Or round five.  Or something.  

He takes me further into the process of growing in wisdom and maturity.  I don't always want those lessons.  Rather, I don't always want to experience those lessons, yet I do want to be what God has called me to be.  

Growing in wisdom can be hard though.

The lessons for me lately have been over Godly priorities.  I love God and I serve Him by loving and serving my family.  Everyone and everything else comes after that.  

Sometimes those priorities come down to really practical decisions.  

Practical decisions to be very present with the Blossoms rather than very present to others.  

Practical decisions to stay home, when I'd rather go.  

Practical decisions to go, when I'd rather stay home.  

Practical decisions to look them in the eyes, when my fleshy self wants to peek at my phone.

Practical decisions to confront an ungodly attitude, when it's just easier in that moment to let it be.  

Practical decisions to stand firm in what I've told a Blossom, when I just feel like giving in.  

This is where I've been feeling challenged lately.  

May His grace aid me in each and every practical decision as I soldier on this week.  

(Pics from our recent anniversary getaway ~ Grimes Glen, NY)

10 Reasons Why I'm Struggling to Embrace Fall

1. I haven't had a spare two minutes to redecorate my mantle.

2. I still want to go swimming.  

3. The Blossoms still want to go swimming.  

4. I have no idea when I will rotate clothes.  

5. I haven't had a break in the schedule since the middle of May.

6. I already drank all my good Chai, and the stuff from Walmart is MEH.

7. I am getting pale already.

8. My jeans are all angry with me.

9. I can no longer walk at 6:15 am because it is too dark outside.

10. My tea now gets cold MUCH quicker.

Hope you laughed, friend!  All joking aside, the apples, pumpkins, and mums are just beautiful.  The fragrance in the air is deliciously nostalgic for me!  The tips of red in the sugar maples are my favorite thing to spot at the end of our road.  

I've learned that I don't have to have all the feels, all the time.  Autumn is here.  I can laugh about everyday life and throw a cinnamon stick in whatever hot cuppa I'm drinking.  I can pick out a new hoodie, even when I gotta peel it off ten minutes later.  

"Yet, I smile at the days ahead."

(quoting the Proverbs 31 virtuous woman)