Yard not-so-work

I've been "away" all week long.  Away to our garden.  It called to me to get it ready for a garden tour that it has been invited to participate in tomorrow night.  I answered the call to weed, water, transplant,  mulch, dig, plant, weed some more, and between all of the weeding stand back and appreciate the colors and the humble-ness of our little part of the planet.  I love being in the yard.  It is therapeutic for me.  I have had much to think about and pray about and mull over in the past week, and my plants have been the perfect companion for my conversations.  Not once did they tell me I was silly, or too wordy, or too angry or too sad (or wrong!).  Nope - they just listened.  I don't know that I've gotten anything completely figured out, but the yard looks amazing!  It's been so much fun getting ready to have company out in the garden.  The kids and Patrick have helped in so many ways with the preparation.  It has really been a family affair - I sure couldn't have done it by myself.  So tonight we are all going to bed with a few more mosquito bites and a lot more love in our hearts for time spent together and for all of our garden "friends".

song

Yesterday at church we sang an old favorite hymn of mine.  "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand".  As I sang the words full of truth,  a modernized yet so familiar version, I felt hugged by my Father.  The familiarity of this song brought comfort to my emotion filled heart.  I almost didn't make it to sing praises to the Lord.  My selfishness wanted me to stay home.  I'm so glad that I didn't.  I would have missed such a blessing.   Not far from me, lifting up their voices in praise, were two friends of mine who are widows.  One young and recent, one older and not so recent.  My dear friend who buried her mother in April stood just pews away from these.  I know of others who were singing that have left doctors appointments with awful news; some who have relationships with loved ones that are less than ideal.  For all of us who had the courage and the faith to proclaim in song 

"My faith is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.  

I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus' name."

                                                                      I pray that God will be found as our very solid rock.

"All other ground is sinking sand."

Book review

I am happy to share with you a book that I just finished called "Shades of Morning, by Marlo Schalesky.
This was a book that I had the pleasure of receiving in the mail, on request that I read it and then blog my review.  What a treat for me, I say!!

This book was outstanding in it's character formation and it's story line.  I identified with the main character, Marnie, and the ways that she was afraid to allow others into her world because of past hurt.  When she is confronted with the situation of having to care for her nephew, Marnie's choices are to do it with a close heart, or an open one.  As the story unfolds, her transition to openness and the love of other's is truly beautiful.  Marlo has written a story that many readers will treasure in their hearts as they interact with the ones that they love in their life.  The easy ones to love, and the hard ones to love.  I was uplifted and encouraged to read about a woman who is unprepared for the task in front of her, and yet by faith she takes each step as it comes to her.  She allows Taylor and Emmit into her world and gets to see big-picture miracles happen.  These miracles change Marnie's mind about God, herself and the gift of love.

Thank you for letting me share with you my thoughts on this wonderful book.  To find more out about Marlo Schalesky, please visit her blog at www. marloschalesky.blogspot.com

May you only read HAPPY things!!!