... with gratitude in my heart to God ...

21. park days

22. friendships in family

23. peaceful doctor visits and healthy teeth

24. soft fur and lazy ways

25. sewing projects that turn out okay and possibly please a little one
26. three people in constant motion coming together, full of energy, happy day

27. hubby's return from cali

28. healing up

29. unexpected neighbor knocks and invites from aunts

30. emptying laundry baskets

truly, deeply

i love this man.

i mean, i really. love. this. man.

so many years later he can still toss a look that sends electricity through my scalp, fingertips, and toes, weaken my knees, send my heart into a flurry.

he's my anchor.

truly i am blessed to be loved and to love deeply like this.

thank you, Father, for allowing me these days filled with glimpses of Your love in the man beside me.

give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever

11. the most important men in my life

12. the ingenuity of a six-year-old determined to gut a pumpkin without actually touching the slimy goop

13. consistent outdoor accessories of a two-year-old...rain boots and a bicycle helmet

14. neighborhood kids spilling out of our backyard in a game of hide-and-seek

15. my little one's beaming smile, through wild wisps of hair, after waking from a nap

16. the strength and comfort of his close hugs

17. the best granola

18. sleepy baby, mavis, & henry...cherished doll-babies in this house

19. cool mornings and sunny, warm afternoons..."california weather"

20. little girls choosing instrumental music for their "shows"

and be thankful

Here begins a heart of thanks, seeing the beauty and blessings of every day.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

1. s l o w i n g down purposefully

2. overhearing hubby's creative, funny bath time songs for giggling girls

3. baking bread on a cool, rainy autumn morning


4. crunching pea gravel under bicycle tires and three pairs of legs working to propel while another pair rests nestled into bike seat behind her strong daddy

5. finishing up good reads on night stand

6. bathing in warm sunlight on a perfect fall day at the park


7. muddy knees and toothy grin


8. new friends in bible study -- who challenge, support, question, encourage ....

9. family game nights - even if we don't get to the game

10. enjoying others' wisdom, talent, heart, vibrancy, creativity, ideas

Branching Out

there is something about that persimmon tree.

it stands solidly, yet gnarled, dwarfed under the towering pine spires in the terracotta soil of louisiana. amid warm fall hues of deepening green, umber brown, deep red and rust, the vivid orange fleshiness of the persimmons catch the eye as floating autumn orbs bobbing within arms reach.

awkward, really, this tree.

lush branches adorned with needles and cones sway majestically overhead, all around, rustling their praises heavenward. yet with stripped fragile arms reaching wider than seems necessary from its lone black trunk, an offering is made. naked of adornment, this tree bears fruit. much fruit.

in this i find hope.

Lord,
i, stripped and fragile, desire to reach wide and open. unadorned, offering to You.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
John 15:4

To Trust

day's regret as dark as the blackness outside this kitchen window pulls like the strengthening tide yet my mind disengages, wandering to another day, early morning, warmed by golden hues washed across soft tans and evolving blues. emerging sun hidden behind cloud captivates. cool, salty gusts from the sea whip my hair in all directions igniting freedom to let all that binds, go.


that morning.
passionately grabbing the hand of eager preschooler, we steal away from breakfast preparations, sleeping toddler, and understanding husband to experience the beauty up close. feet race over soft sand dunes, leap through thick rows of washed-up seaweed, and still in the wet, packed sand suctioning our toes beyond visibility.

daughter runs ahead splashing through shallow pools left by the tide, sending seagulls flapping into the air excitedly. heart beating wildly amidst breathtaking beauty of sun rising, waves crashing, the glory of creation...i am overcome and lift watery eyes to the heavens mouthing prayers of thanksgiving and praise, intimacy with Creator of All.

my gaze falls towards shells lining the surf and catches on a lone seagull standing in a maze of seaweed. in mind's eye, a gentle knowing pulls aside one curtain on this seascape stage unveiling mystery and deeper beauty through simplicity. seagull standing so still, patience, awaiting morning provision from our Creator's Hand. awaiting a morsel of sustenance to feast on from the vast sea spread before us both, the gull trusts.
watching and waiting in expectancy.


to trust as this seagull trusts, to patiently watch and wait expectantly for provision from the Father's Hand..to be so vulnerable yet assured..without control or evidence.
mind spins around this notion too wild and haphazard to fully embrace. taking a few steps closer to the surf, i scan the shallow depths hoping to witness the fulfillment of this gull's need, the washing ashore of plentiful, sustaining fish. nothing happens, seagull continues to watch and wait. glancing back at daughter romping about with bursts of neighing deep in the imaginings of wild horses, my eyes take in a panoramic shot down the coastline unveiling a most surprising, profound sight: seagulls lining the surf as far as these eyes could see.


a sight so precious to behold, an honor bestowed to this blessed observer.
yes, they all wait eagerly.
when clutching hand of Loving Father unfurls fingers, gently displaying today's provision, these gulls will be ready to partake of the bounty: watching and waiting in anticipation.

weeks have passed yet i keep coming back to that morning. a fresh lesson for the start of each new day.

teach me to seek You, watch for You, wait for You, and trust in You expectantly.

Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.

Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always. 1 Chronicles 16: 9-11

in the beginning

"Momma, where does water come from?" questioning eyes of golden-haired daughter of five drink in the vastness of the sea before her.
hasty to answer, my mouth flies open ready to spill of knowledge concerning evaporation, water vapor, precipitation...mind's eye precisely recalling water cycle charts from former teaching days. yet, something catches my tongue, stops progression down that thought path.

although true, that almost-answer, i sense this to be a bigger moment of inquiry.
where does it originate, this water rolling before us?

inhaling deeply of the salted air, my eyes lift to the sky as understanding begins to fill me with a growing amazement. "From the mouth of God!" I shout over the fizzing splashes. "He spoke, His words created water, and here it is," a joyful laugh escapes us both, pondering the power of our mighty Creator exhibited through the thoughtful utterances of His mouth.

Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity.

The seas have lifted up, O LORD,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.

Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the LORD on high is mighty.

Psalm 93:2-4

(more lessons from the sea to come...)