Moving Shadows

"My life is no longer than the width of my hand. An entire lifetime is just a moment to You; human existence is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth for someone else to spend. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in You." (Psalm 39:5-7 NLT)

I read this verse today on my pastor's blog. What a timely verse. What wise words David wrote all those many years ago. Truth does not change with the ages. Watching my Father in Law wither away shows me the truth in these verses. Human existence really is but a breath. We really are moving shadows, busily rushing about, our work ending in nothing...UNLESS we hope in the Lord. What an amazing thing. I can't help but think, as I have been sitting by Phil's side these last few weeks, that those who are treating him; the nurses, the tech's, the doctors, they see a deterorating, dying body, but God sees his child, his servant. Because Phil put his hope in the Lord so many years ago, giving his life into the Lord's hands to do with as the Lord willed, he is so much more than a dying man. He has created a legacy because of that Hope in the Lord. He has created a heritage of Christ folowers in his own family, children and grandchildren who love the Lord. He has translated Gods word into several languages so that peopel he has never, and will never meet, can know that Hope.

His 'busy rushings' will most definitely not end in nothing. Because his hope was in the Lord, he lived a life that pointed others to Christ with almost everything he did. And very soon, he will be privdliged to hear those words we all so long for..."Well done, good and faithfull servant."

Out in the Country-ish

I wonder if I should change the name of this blog? We no longer live on the Hilltop. We now live in the country...ish. It's a few miles from suburbia, several miles from the city, but not quite the middle of nowhere. We do have neighbors. We're on one street with 1 acre lots, with farm land behind and to the side of us. So...country-ish.

 The thing is, there seems to be quite a bit of wildlife here in the Country-ish. We've seen coyotes and foxes, hawks, and many other species of bird, and lots and lots of bunnies. I do believe this morning, Violet finally managed to catch one. She's been in hot pursuit since she we moved in. I have not asked for more details on this event.

These are all things I can live with. Nice, furry, nature. I don't mind nice, furry nature. It's the other kind of nature, the reptilian, creepy-crawly variety I don't like.

 So far, we've either pulled these creatures out of the pool, the house, or off the back porch.

 A giant toad that hopped off before a photo could be snapped.

 A giant rat that turned out to actually be a baby bunny once he dried off.

2 small snakes

1 giant spider. I have been told these like to hang out in the skimmer baskets and eat the bugs the pool pump so conveniently delivers to them. Consequently, I have not cleaned the skimmer baskets since. That job has fallen to braver, less acrophobic souls in the family.

At last count there were 10 gecko's on the roof of the patio.

 This guy who lives in my hose reel box.

But it was this visitor that gave me the most pause. This was the one visitor that made me think we had made a mistake moving out here to the country-ish. This slimy, revolting thing made me call my husband and tell him that we have to move. Now.

Yes, I do realize how much I love this house, and yes, I do remember how much I wanted more space and yes, I do know how much the kids love it out here, but well...THIS LIVES HERE!!

I walked out to the mailbox, presumably stepping right over this guy who was probably curled up taking his afternoon nap on my door mat. When I came back I stepped up to the porch to enter the side door and this is what I saw. I screamed. Loudly. Then I ran around to the front door...

HE FOLLOWED ME! 

I made my way in the house and watched out the window as this vile, horrid, devil-creature slithered back and forth on my porch from front door to side door, trying to find a way to get inside and kill me. I know, you may think this an overly dramatic exaggeration, but you were not here. This snake had evil in its eyes. 

Dave has convinced me that it is unwise to move at this juncture, but you can be sure, I am very careful outside these days. I don't just wander around the property, frolicking happily. My head is down, watching every step, looking for the creepy-crawly predators. I may be in danger of walking into a tree, but I'm not going to unknowingly step over any more snakes, of that you can be sure!

Darkness In A Can!

My daughter (the blond) and her cousin made this commercial on our last camping trip. Annika had an assignment from her Speech class to simply make a commercial. I think she and her cousin went way above and beyond. It's just the cutest thing! And so creative! Erika is so good at producing movies.

Enjoy!

Zombies? Really?

A few months ago Ev read this book. The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From the Living Dead. It's a spoof type book that she got from a friend of hers. She would occasionally read me excerpts from the book. Pretty creative and funny, though slightly disturbing. For instance, she piped up once, out of the blue saying "Did you know you can eat Zombie meat and not get infected? But you have to make sure you don't have any cuts in your mouth." Yeah.



Yes we believe in quality literature around here. (I'm sure Charlotte Mason is rolling over in her grave right about now.)

Then I found this shirt at an Etsy Site...And yes. I had to buy it. I almost bought some for her two friends too, who also enjoyed the book, but I thought that might be weird. I can't wait for it to get here. She's gonna freak.




And when I was braiding that cute little toddlers hair and putting pink bows in it and strapping on her shiny little Mary Jane's I never dreamed the day would come when I'd be buying zombie books and t-shirts for her. The things we parents do...

Pepper

Wondering where I've been? Well, I've been a little preoccoupied lately. A little busy. Dave and I did something. Something some might call insane, stupid, crazy, idiotic. And many days, I might agree with them.

We did this...



We got Pepper. Pepper the Puppy. We were out at a flea market type place wandering around, killing time, having a nice little date, when we came across this litter of puppies. They were Border Collie/Blue Heeler mix. That's waht Violet is, and Violet is the Best Dog! (That's what we call her. Violet the Best Dog!). We'd talked about getting a new puppy when we got a bigger house and a backyard... and they were so cute...

I honestly don't know how it happened. I'm not usually impulsive and Dave is NEVER impulsive, and somehow, Pepper made it home with us.

This is Annika with Pepper...


This is Ev studying with Pepper...


This is Gunnar with Pepper the day after we brought her home...


This is Bryce watching tv with Pepper and rubbing her belly...


She's really a good dog. She's 3 months now and mostly potty trained. Only one accident in the last 3 days. She sits when you tell her to. She's learning stay. She does not bark her head off in her crate all night anymore...

I'm not gonna lie. Having a puppy is a lot of work. A lot like having a baby... except that you can't lock your baby in a crate at night, on the other side of the house so you can't hear it. Psychiatrists say that is bad for babies, but NOT SO for puppies!



I think she's settling in quite nicely, don't you?

Fleeting Glimpse of Joy

There’s a way to wake up and not to live numb. The way to love life is to imagine losing it.

What an amazing idea. What a terrifying, amazing concept. To open the door, just a crack, just a glimpse, just enough to let in a shaft of light. An idea.

Life alone. Without the ones I love. Without the One I love.

To wake up to silence. Alone-ness. No doors closing. No showers running. No dishes left in the kitchen sink. No iron left on the bathroom counter. No ever dwindling pantry stores. No milk jug with less and less in it every day. No garage door opening at 6 every night. No mud tracked in on dirty boots. No pencils and papers laying around messy living rooms at the end of long days.



No more little things, daily rituals; no more. When I think of these things, when I open up that door of 'what could be' just a crack, I am flooded with gratefulness for what is.

The life I have; the noise, the expense, the hassles, the work, the PEOPLE; it is not just what brings me joy. It IS joy. They all are my joy.

When you wake to losing someone, you win love.

When you realize that what you have, you will lose — you win real eyes. You win grateful joy. ~ Ann Voskamp

When I stop to consider this moment, this time in my life, these people that I share it with; it's all temporary. We will all stand before our Creator alone. It is in this realization that true, pure, unadulterated thankfulness lives.

Joy Dare: Days 13-14

Joy Dare by Ann Voskamp


3 sounds you hear
1. My boys and their dad laughing and working together. It makes my heart happy that my husband and 17 and 20 year old boys are friends and that they are strong of mind and body and can work together.



2. My daughter giggling in the back room with her friend that slept over last night. Praise the Lord for good friends for my children.



3. The sound of the coffee pot on a cold morning.




3 ways you glimpsed the startling grace of God

1. I have a pool! I have wanted a pool for such a long time. I can’t wait to jump into it! (when it warms up a bit!)



2. We’re going here this summer. To the white sandy beaches. I can’t wait to see the sunset over the ocean.



3. One of these men is my father in law and the other is my sister-in-law’s father. Both men spent their lives serving the Lord. Both men could have chosen to use their extreme intelligence to increase their own coffers, but instead chose to work for the Lord as Bible Translators, increasing His kingdom. Examples of what it looks like to be a great man of the Lord are all around me and my family. I am blessed.

For These I Am Grateful. Joy Dare: Day 12

A warm, happy place on a cold, winter's night.

Violet, who really is the best dog ever.

And a fireplace...that will eventually be fixed and able to handle real flame.

Joy Dare: Days 9-11

Day 9 - A gift in your hand, A gift you walked by, a gift you sat with.

In my hand? My iPhone. Don’t laugh. It seems somehow irreverent to be so thankful for an iPhone, but seriously, how cool is today’s technology? I read a funny quote yesterday, something like ‘One day, I will tell my grandchildren I am older than the internet and blow their minds’. It’s TRUE! What on earth did we do before there was the Great and Mighty Google?

A gift I walked by? Every day in my new home, I walk by my laundry room. Did you catch that? A laundry ROOM! It’s not a closet off the hallway. It’s its own ROOM! Never in the history of forever has anyone been more grateful for a laundry room, I don’t think. My daughter even made me a sign for my new laundry room and I put a little M&M tin next to it to catch all the loose change.




A gift I sat with? This one is easy. My father in law. Yesterday I took lunch to my in laws. No real reason, just because. My MIL was having a hard day, so I took them some soup and some flowers to brighten up her day. And for a few minutes while my mother in law was out, I chatted with my FIL.

He is quite ill, living with the after-effects of 25 years of brain cancer and the damage the cancer itself and the treatment has caused. He can barely hear you or be heard himself, so those few minutes of quiet I spent with him were sweet. We had a rare moment of communication.

When my first son was born, 20 years ago we gave him the middle name of his grandfather, assuming that this would be the only grandchild he would ever meet. The doctors had not given him long to live. That was 20 years, 10 grandchildren and one great grandchild ago. Every day with my FIL simply being present on this earth, is a gift.



Day 10

A gift that’s sour, A gift that’s sweet, a gift that’s just right.

Sour? Humm. That’s a hard one for me. I don’t like sour. Literally or metaphorically, but I guess without the sour in juxtaposition to the sweet, we would not appreciate how wonderful the sweet really is.

Sweet? Hello? Chocolate! I cannot imagine a life without chocolate.

Just right?
This. This family God gave me. I would have chosen differently, probably. I wanted more children, but God said ‘No. This is just right.' And it is. Just right.



Day 11

Three yellow things that strike you as fresh mercy.

I LOVE yellow!

When we moved into this house I knew I wanted yellow somewhere. Yellow is happy, yellow is bright, yellow is cheery. You can’t be sad in a yellow room. Yellow will not allow sadness. I painted our dining room yellow. It was purple when we bought the house.



This room makes me happy.

We've had a few dreary days here so I picked up some yellow tulips the other day to bring a little cheer to the house. Tulips are my favorite flower and yellow tulips are like sunshine in a vase!



And, of course, the best yellow of all…

Joy Dare; Day 8

A light that caught you, a reflection that surprised you, a shadow that fell lovely.







The sunrise, new every morning. The reflection of the trees in the still, morning, pool. The shadows falling over the sun-golden field. Gods Beauty. It felt like He did it just for me on this morning.

Lamentations 3: 22-23

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.