Summer quiet

The coneflowers love our yard.  They do well with the mix of sun and shade.  They add a pop of color against the green foliage. I only have the purple flowers, but there are several other colors.  They quietly lift their faces toward heaven.  The birds and bees enjoy visiting the blossoms.  They continue to bloom and grow even when it is hot and dry.  They spread their beauty each year.  Such a pretty picture of a life lived with Christ...a gentle reminder to daily follow His ways 

and quietly be a colorful picture of God's grace.   

Psalm 73:28 

"But it is good for me to draw near to God:  I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works."

It is good for me to go out and spend time looking up and around at what God has created.  It reminds me of His perfect design and plan for each part of His creation.  How much more does He care for me.  He has plans for those He created in His image...greater than the plans for the flowers, birds, and bees.  There is also greater responsibility on me to point others to the One who created me.

"By grace I am redeemed...

by grace I am restored...

And now I freely walk

Into the arms of Christ, my Lord

… Let praise rise up and overflow

My song resound forever

For grace will see me welcomed home

To walk beside my Savior."

Little by little...foot by foot

We filled the truck bed...so had to stop for now.

The pink foam board boat is going to meet its demise too.  What fun memories of that experiment!

We have some clogged gutters, so Ted came up with a genius plan to stay off the ladder.  He tried it on the lower gutters and it worked!

It just gets heavy.  So he adjusted down to a smaller dimension pvc pipe.  Thankful for a pretty day on Saturday to make a little more progress.  Now...we are getting rain.  I won't complain because it is cooler and everything is so green and pretty!

Next project...mowing...again!   It has been my job the last few weeks and I enjoy the completed task and how nice everything looks.
 

"We just had grilled cheese for dinner."

Candied bacon...a treat to be sure!

Thick cut bacon...makes everything is better!

Ted saw a guy make grilled cheese and he wanted to try it!  We enjoyed it for our Sunday dinner.  Three cheeses...melted garlic butter...yummy bread...and bacon.  Oh the plans to try some different combinations!  Now...when we hear about grilled cheese...we are gonna ask..."Did you use the grill?"

 

Summer petals

Psalm 14:26

"In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence:  and his children shall have a place of refuge."

 

Using up what we have

I am still struggling to the adjustment of grocery shopping and cooking for three.  The healthy meal planner gets excited about trying new things, so I buy the ingredients and a bunch of this or a bag of that...and what is left starts to go bad...and then I turn into a version of the Chopped Chef looking at the ingredients wondering what I could possibly make so I don't have to throw food away...again.

One roll of pie dough in the fridge.  Apples starting to wrinkle in their old age.  And the smell and taste of fall graced our home!

Enough ice cream for two for a complete dessert option.  We run out of the things that we like...and then the creative cook has to get busy again!  There was a comment about no cookies in the house...but I don't have chocolate chips again...but I have cinnamon chips...oatmeal cookies!?  We shall see if that satisfies a sweet tooth.
 

"You don't realize how much you know!"

Last Thursday, Ted and I participated in a podcast for investors.  It was a new experience for me!  We enjoyed our time "telling our story" and interacting with the host.  "You have a unique story!"  Oh...if you only knew!  There wasn't time for twenty-five years of adventures.  As I sat back and thought about it after we signed off, I don't think our host would believe the tales we could tell.  "Well, that made me feel like I don't much when I listened to you go back and forth with Mr. Host!  All those things tumble out of you like...it's amazing.  I love to listen to you...you know so much..." I shared my thoughts with Ted.  "Kari, you don't give yourself enough credit.  You have learned so much through the process...look at what you can do...and by the way...there is a lot I don't know!  But my Dad taught me...and Teddy said it the other day when we were talking some business..."I remember Papa said..."You don't have to know everything, you just need to know where to find it!"  Ted and I said the last few words together...with tears in our eyes.  "We have learned how to teach ourselves...and our children have taken that option as well...everyone has that same option, but few actually use it...good grief...we hold it in our hands all day long!"  I remember when we got our first home computer two years after we were married.  WOW!

I appreciated the pep talk from my husband and Mr. Host's perspective.  I have been feeling overwhelmed by the "business stuff" to learn as I work for a new boss.  I am in uncomfortable territory for me.  Give me anything educational and I know and understand that world and was finally comfortable knowing that I was experienced and good at what I was doing.  Now it is time to grow in new ways...good thing I have someone who can show me the ropes...and if not...he reminds me to go to youtube!

 

"Bless the Lord, He will give me His peace!"

I love spending days at the beach listening to the waves and the seagulls.  It is a restful place to spend time.  To me, it is relaxing!  I find it interesting that the crashing of waves sounds peaceful to me.  The same waves can build in intensity in a storm and cause concern and even destruction.  I see the similarity...now... standing on solid ground in daily life as we spend time waiting on tests, appointments, and results.  There is peace knowing that God is over all and in all, but calm can be overtaken quickly by waves of fear and doubt.  My tried and true way to deal with the waves that threaten to crash the calm is to turn on music to fill the empty spaces of our home...and my mind!  There are times to be still and quiet...but not in the storms of life!  Too much quiet can leave your heart and mind open to satan's stirring up the waters of fear and doubt.  Turn up the music and let it fill your home and heart with truth!  Tears will fall as you listen to the words...and will reset your heart and mind on that which you already know.  Let God remind you of what you know to be true...that He reigns day after day...and He will speak peace to the waves of fear and doubt.

In The Valley (Bless the Lord) 
Verse 1
When the path that I feared
Is the way He has set
And I long to give in and retreat
Still to Jesus I hold
As I face every step
For the Lord He will give me His peace

Chorus
Bless the Lord! He will give me His peace
Bless the Lord! He will give me His peace
And if I should remain in the valley today
Bless the Lord, He will give me His peace

Verse 2
When the road that I tread
Fills my heart with despair
And it seems that my grief has no end
Still to Jesus I hold
Who will walk with me there
And the Lord He will give me His strength

Chorus
Bless the Lord! He will give me his strength
Bless the Lord! He will give me his strength
And if I should remain in the valley today
Bless the Lord, He will give me His strength

Verse 3
On the road that You walked
With the weight of the cross
All my pain and my sorrow You held
So to you I shall hold
You redeem every loss
For my Lord, you have given yourself

Chorus
Bless the Lord! For he gives me Himself
Bless the Lord! For he gives me Himself
And if I should remain in the valley today
Bless the Lord! For He gives me Himself

Playing with watercolor

Last summer while we were on vacation up north, I played with watercolor for the first time...well, besides kindergarten art.  I looked at all the ideas I had saved to try.  I pulled it out again this week.  It has been a soothing activity for my brain and heart.  I have not taken much time to be creative.  There are boxes to sort through from school.  There are probably a few cobwebs and dust bunnies to chase away, but I am finding this profitable for focusing my mind on others as I listen to good music.  I need to be conscious of taking steps to encourage others as I step out of the classroom.  I was smack dab in the middle of opportunities on a daily...hourly basis.  With the change of this year, I need to be intentional.  So I am fulfilling the need to be creative and encouraging by making cards...right now, by playing with my watercolors.  A couple cards were picked up today by our happy mail lady and are making their way to Florida!  Grateful for the artistic gene that I got from my Dad...remembering the times he would sit at the table to draw and color with us when we were little...and then the VBS cardboard characters we helped chalk..and finally the backdrops we painted together for school programs.  I learned so much from watching and helping Dad...and I have had multiple opportunities to use what I learned!  

When I look back...my parents have taught me so many things through the years!  I should try and make a list!  I hope I have shared enough different things with our children.  I know they have learned things from their grandparents...because they have mentioned specific things on occasion...which makes me grateful!

Psalm 91:4

Alisa made a gift for me to share with a friend.  She brought it to me and we took a picture for her collection.  As I looked back at the picture, I thought of the verse in Psalm 91..."He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:  his truth shall be thy shield and buckler."

I am thankful for God's creation that points us back to truth...real or crocheted!
 

Love in action

My sweet daughter put love into action on Tuesday.  I was feeling overwhelmed and she willingly did the grocery shopping for me as I mowed the lawn.  When I came down from taking a shower, there was a basket filled with sweet things just for me!  Yes, she made me cry!  The special "Today is a good day" calendar was turned into a journal of thankfulness and reminders.  So many songs and verses have been shared with me that I want to remember!  My morning coffee has tasted good as I sit and meditate on the goodness of God.  My girl knows her momma!  And what hit my heart...my girl showed love this way because her momma learned from her mom who learned from her mother.  Share your heart, share a kind word, share your time, share a cup of coffee or tea, share snacks, share God's Word, share hugs...

 

Updating the progress

If we do a little at a time, pretty soon it will be all done!

"Ya know, if you turned the boards on their side, you could get a lot more on each load!" he admonished.  I replied, "I'm not your normal idiot...I thought about this...if I do it your way I can't fit through the garage door on my way to the truck.  Plus...it will be way too heavy for me!"  He laughed, "You are right, you are above average..."  And on my way I went!

Yes...I was wearing sandals and it occurred to me that I wasn't being very smart with that choice!

Nails...screws...and rotting wood...OH MY!  And this board...was not even the right kind of wood for this project...it was particle board.  Double OH MY!

After beating the crow bar and yanking and pulling...Ted's arm is not feeling so great these last two days!  He decided to give his arm a rest.  Hopefully, we will finish this up on Saturday with minimal aching and burning.

 

Psalm 16:8, 9, 11

      TRUST

I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

HOPE

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Today, Mom has claimed these verses for her journey.  She shared this with me this morning.  These two words are sustaining her...TRUST and HOPE.  They have ministered to so many people through the years who stood in the valley.  They have walked through trials with our family.  They have never wavered in their confidence in God.  Once again, I am reminded of the faith of my parents and their faithfulness to the One they serve.