An Important Anniversary

Today, October 31, is a very important day to me. Not because it's Halloween, but in spite of it. It's my spiritual birthday...the day I gave my heart to Jesus. I have mulled this over and prayed off and on all day, starting on my walk this morning. I feel like I have to share it.  

It's been on my blog since 2010, but most people probably don't go to that site, even though I provide the link. So I'm editing the testimony I had posted on there (because it's long!) and putting the gist of it here. 

***I was raised in church.  I did all the "churchy" stuff; I went to Sunday school, attended Vacation Bible School every summer, and went to youth camp as a teenager.  I knew exactly how to "do church."  After many years of going through the motions, I convinced myself I was a Christian. I can remember trying really hard to please everyone and do the right stuff so they would all be happy.  I never felt I measured up; and I was right! I was trying to bridge the gap between God and me by being good enough, and that just IS NOT possible.  I was lost.

I won't elaborate on the many years I went on like this, but basically, it went on for years.  I married at the tender age of 18 and had all three of our wonderful kids by the time I was 27. We tried to stay in church, but it was very hard, and I know I was unsaved, which was part of the problem...Because of my upbringing, I knew that our kids needed to be in church. I was drawn there, and I know now it was the Holy Spirit convicting me and drawing me to Christ.  Eventually though, by the time the oldest was a teenager, we had pretty much stopped going. Great timing to drop out of church just about the time the kids reach their teens.

In 1993, I started going with my daughter to a nearby church that she wanted to attend.  My life didn't change immediately, though. Even though I was finally in church, I was still walking in darkness in my heart. I had been depressed for a long time and was very unhappy. I know now that satan had built a stronghold of depression and fear in my heart. I had deluded myself into thinking that I was ok. I justified every sinful and selfish thing I did. I was never "out there;" into drugs or alcohol, but I might have seen my sinfulness if I had been. Instead, I didn't realize I needed saving.  After all, I had been raised in church; I had a Godly heritage.

It all came crashing down on October 31, 1994. On that particular morning, I had come home at daybreak after working all night at Walmart. In those days, department managers reset the counters for the next season after the store closed at 9:00 pm. I had to reset my department for Christmas since it was Halloween.  I tried to sleep after my husband and kids left for work and school, but even with black trash bags over the windows it was hard to sleep. I was so convicted about my life and how I had been living, going through the motions of Christianity but not actually willing to turn control over to God. In short, I was miserable. I slept 3 or 4 hours and finally got up about noon.

I went into the living room and just fell down on the floor. Something broke in me and I just started crying out to God. I had made a complete mess of my life trying to be in charge, and I finally saw my need for a Savior. The Word I had been hearing at the church I had been attending for a year did not return void; it was at work in me all that time.  I saw the truth at last, and I was so ashamed that I had rejected Jesus' sacrifice all those years. So many wasted years! I asked Him to forgive me and I received Jesus as my Savior right then and there. I laid there crying for close to an hour I guess, brokenhearted.  

Here's an excerpt from my journal:

"October 31, 1994:  This was the day that I laid the broken pieces of my life at the feet of Jesus. He was so real to me that day, alone in my house, that I could almost see Him standing in my living room...I asked Him to forgive me and to fill my heart with His love, because I felt no one really loved me. I asked Him to fill my cup, as I lifted it to Him, until it overflowed with His love. I asked for Him to fill me with the Holy Spirit and use me somehow in His work. The results continue to amaze me...God has allowed my pain & hurt, BUT—now I listen to Him. I probably wouldn’t have if I had lived the “perfect life” I had wanted.  He is molding me so He can use me..."

I would love to tell you that everything was rosy and perfect in my life after that, but it wasn't.  I did have the peace of God finally, and by His grace I got through some very dark days in the next few years.  My brother died suddenly in December 1995, my mother died three months after him in February 1996, and in 1997, my marriage ended in spite of best efforts. I can see now that only because I was trusting in Jesus could I have survived those days; His grace truly was--and IS--sufficient for me. 

I have never been the same...thank God! ***

So THAT is why October 31 is so important to me. Not because it's Halloween, but because of the redeeming work that Jesus began in my life on that day.

I wrote another blog about the house I bought in the hometown I moved here from. It's about a special thing that God did for me on the anniversary of my salvation. I almost posted that one, but I felt strongly that the original Halloween posting and the reason I'm even writing today to try and encourage others was the one I needed to post today.

Blessings, friends! 

 

Changing Seasons

I hesitate to say this, but...I do believe it's finally fall! About a week ago, it went from the 70s on the morning walk to the 50s. I'm so happy! I had to walk early to be able to endure it; the temperature was getting to 85 some days. Now, I can walk anytime of the day because it's much cooler. I think our high today was 60.

We've even had some rain for our parched land. Overnight I've gone from walking in short sleeved shirts to wearing long pants and sweatshirts for my daily walk. Plus, I don't have to put my hair up when I'm not getting sweaty. It's wonderful! (I'll post an un-glamourous picture of me walking a couple of days ago for context).

When I wrote last, there were workers moving the art work around at the ASU campus. I thought they were adding new ones, but it appears they have just rearranged them, spreading them out to more areas of the walking trails. Most of them are closer to the trails now, like the one of the catfish, entitled "For the Love of Rivers." It had been too far off the trail before for me to be able to see the title until they moved it. I'll post some pictures of the art.

Also, beginning last week they started putting up the drive through Christmas decorations on the ASU campus! So exciting. The Christmas decorations at ASU are breathtaking. I will be posting pictures when I drive through.

Speaking of Christmas, I will start decorating my house soon. I can't wait! I know it's too early for some of you. I get it; I used to not want to rush the season and fussed about it all the time. I don't know what happened; I have had a change of heart. I respect your right to wait a while, but this is my favorite time of year. I'm rejoicing in the cooler weather and the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. I leave up some of the fall decor as I start decorating for the holidays, but it's mostly Christmas at my house by the time Thanksgiving arrives.

In years past I would post "from the patio" and show the sun's movement from rising in the northeast to the southeast. I haven't done that lately but I got a picture just as the sun topped the trees behind my house. It's moved so much since the last time I posted about it, I believe on the longest day of the year in June. I know it's nerdy of me, but I am fascinated by some aspects of science.

I guess this is getting kind of long, but let me just end this post by saying how joyful this time of year makes me. For the first time in years, I'm feeling better emotionally as well as physically. Slightly shifting my meds and adding in some vitamins has made an amazing difference. I actually had the energy to walk to the end and back of the more level path a few days ago--1.88 miles in all. Now that it's cooler I hope to lengthen my walks, at least on some days. 

Blessings to my friends and family!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again; Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4 NIV

Where Are You Autumn?

Almost immediately after I posted how calm it has been lately and how I love retirement, it got busy. I just spent two weeks of having something I had to do every day. This included some doctor appointments, some volunteer work, and picking up grandkids a few days after school. 

I'm not complaining about any of it; especially picking up the grandkids. I love that I live here now and can do that. There was just a lot that happened within this 2-week period, and I was exhausted by last weekend. 

One of my appointments involved bloodwork for a suspected vitamin deficiency. Turns out I'm deficient in B12 and need injections to supplement my low supply. After the first shot, I'm already feeling better. I was wondering where all my energy had gone, and why I was kind of sad!

I'm still walking daily, except on Sundays. I'm thankful I always wake up with the energy to accomplish this, because I believe it is good for me. This morning, I discovered that the college is moving the walking trail art exhibits around. As I walked, I noticed some were gone but then discovered that they had only been "shuffled," as one of the campus personnel called it. They are rearranging them and adding in some new ones. I'll post some pictures when they are finished.

In other news, it's still feeling like summer here, and I am OVER IT! Fall is my 2nd favorite season (after winter), and it still gets up to 85 degrees some days so it might as well still be summer. It is generally cooler in the mornings, which is good, but it heats up quickly. 

We also need rain very, very badly. I can't remember such a dry fall in recent history. 

Someone needs to find autumn, or at least write a song about it, something similar to the one from The Grinch, only it needs to be "where are you autumn?" LOL! I'm about to become a real grinch if it doesn't become sweater weather soon. 

Sorry for the negativity. I do tend to get cranky when summer drags on too long, though. I am not a fan of hot weather.

Even in the midst of a long, hot dry spell, I am still thankful. God has been good to me, and I'm still convinced HE is the reason I wake up eager to get out to my favorite walking trails every morning. I enjoy my walks so much.

As I continue to pray for rain, I also thank God every day for my good health at the age of 70 (going on 71 in 3 months). I'm so blessed.

I thank Him for my family and friends that He has given me, and I thank Him for enabling me to write this blog. Writing is a passion of mine; it makes me happy. 

I am including some pictures, as usual, from the last couple of weeks. A pretty sunset from a late walk, some of my fall decor, and my refreshed tiny garden, with mums. These things bring me joy. I will try to get them all labeled. 

Be blessed, my friends. 

"On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah." Psalm 62:7,8 NASB

Sunset on a late walk

Some living room decor

front porch

front porch

My tiny garden, refreshed

Close up of mums

 

Calmer and Cooler

Well, September has come and gone, and just like that...it's October. It seems like it flew by. Now that we are in October, we have slightly cooler temperatures. Only slightly. Summer doesn't seem to have received the memo that its time is over, but that's Arkansas for you.

A couple of weekends ago, I went with my church's 55+ group to see David at Sight and Sound in Branson. WOW! What an amazing show that was! I believe it runs through most of the fall. See it if you can, it's incredible.

In September I had coffee on the front porch a few times; since the rain we had in a couple of weeks ago it has been cool enough in the morning to sit out there. I have always felt like I'm in a better attitude for prayer when I'm in nature. I enjoy the breeze, the blue sky, and my little summer flower garden that is "soldiering on." I keep them watered and in return, they keep on blooming. Though lately they are looking a tad tired and weary; especially the petunias. I think this weekend I'm going to get some mums for out there to brighten up the space.

On my only evening walk recently, I almost waited too late. I was walking fast because it was sundown and getting dark fast. I took a picture of the sliver of moon mixed in with the parking lot lights on the college campus. 

Last weekend I spent a little time by the river. While there, I saw the tiniest little frog! He was mesmerized by the lights on the step he was sitting on. My granddaughter moved him to a safer, less bright part of the yard.

Also while hanging out with family, I sat by a fire pit and roasted marshmallows for s'mores. I love sitting by the fire on an autumn evening. I got a picture of the moon as it was about to set over the river.

Other than those events, it's been pretty quiet around here. I live a boring life, at least by some people's standards, I suppose. Most mornings I walk on the trails at the college and come home and sit by my garden with my coffee. In the course of the day I do other things, like write, work on my Bible study homework, and sometimes work on my photo albums. Of course, there are my visits to the library every other week because I still read every day, though not as much as when I first retired.

I'm glad it's calm. I spent so many years rushing here and there and not slowing down much. Retirement is still wonderful. No complaints here.

Actually, though, even though I've retired from my job, I haven't retired as a Christian. I don't really think we are supposed to retire from the great commission or our spiritual gifts. That is why I write my blog; to offer some encouragement and to point people to Jesus. 

So, that's all I have for today. Enjoy autumn, my friends, and be encouraged.

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 NLT

 

Showers of Answered Prayers

I hadn't intended to post again this Monday; I didn't want to give the idea that I was posting weekly and lose my readers if I didn't keep posting on a schedule. I also don't want to bore people, so I don't write just to be writing. When I write, it's because I have something to say and I am excited to say it.

With that said; boy, did I have an exciting Monday morning!

I went to the college to take my walk as usual. It was about 9 am when I got to the campus, which is a little later than I would have liked. I didn't sleep so well when I first went to bed last night, so I slept in a little this morning. 

It was overcast but the radar did not show any rain in the area, so I started my walk. It was a pleasant, cool 72 degrees and I was having such a great morning walk. I decided to walk the shorter, more level path since I was already running a little later than I wanted. I walked until my watch showed I was at the .77 of a mile point and I turned around. 

Just as my watch buzzed and showed that I had walked a mile, I started feeling some raindrops. Realizing suddenly that it was about to rain, I quickened my pace. I still had a 1/2 mile to go! Soon, there were more and more raindrops. I looked for where I could go, but there is no shelter of any kind on that trail. Within 2 minutes or so, it was pouring. It was as if the sky had come unzipped and the rain was all coming down. I was getting drenched but had no choice but to keep walking. 

By the time I got back to my car, I did not have a dry thread on me and my hair was sopping wet. I got in my car, dripping, and went to get my Monday latte in spite of my very wet, squishy shoes. I needed my weekly coffee!

It all turned out fine; Of course I didn't melt (haha!) or get sick from being soaked to the skin. It was quite funny actually. I thanked God for the rain that I had been praying for. I tend to think maybe He smiled, or maybe even laughed and shook His head at me for not being prepared for His answer.

This scenario could have been avoided had I carried an umbrella with me on my walk. I had, after all, been praying for rain. Why didn't I have the faith to be prepared for God to answer my prayer during my walk? A good friend of mine says we should carry an umbrella when we are praying for rain, and she's right. 

Anyway, I thought you would call get a chuckle out of my little ordeal. I've posted some pictures, though not really good ones. It was pouring and I was trying to walk really fast. I'm sure I was very comical sight!

Be blessed, my friends, and find your umbrella! I'm still praying for more rain because we really need it. 

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. Matt. 21.22 NIV

Coffee and Other Things

It occurred to me tonight that I have been retired for four years, as of June 30, and I've lived in my current home in the town where my daughter and family lives for 4 years next week. I got the keys and started moving into my rented condo on Sept. 15, my oldest son's birthday. 

Lots of things have changed in the past 4 years. Some of these are serious, some are funny. I'll list some of them below.

First change I complained about: there was no drive through Starbucks.

This was huge to me at the time. We had a really good one back home, and even though I only budgeted for it a couple times a week, I had it down to a science. I could get through there and still get to work on time, in school traffic. This is kind of a funny one; coffee is, after all, necessary for the sanity! Especially when I was working in a school office and needing to be kind to co-workers, parents, and students when they needed something from me first thing in the morning. Coffee is vital! LOL!

Seriously, though, over the past 4 years I have discovered no shortage of drive-through coffee shops. These days, I only treat myself once a week, on Monday after my morning walk. Plus, I have discovered that iced coffee is quite good when one is sweaty after a brisk walk. I never liked iced coffee before.

This brings me to my next change in the last 4 years: Walking. This isn't something I was missing from home, but it is definitely something I needed to be doing. I've gone from walking about a mile once or twice a week (only when the weather was just right) to walking every day. During summer I was skipping Sunday since I go to church in the morning and it was too hot even just before sunset to walk, but I'm starting to walk Sunday evenings now that it's a little cooler. I walk 1.5 miles minimum every day; on 2 days a week I walk the "through the woods" path which is 1.75 miles. Two things led to this, as I mentioned in an earlier blog: One, I feared I was losing my mobility, which resulted in my kids buying me a really good smart watch to track my walking, and two, I found the BEST walking path system ever.

Finally, the 3rd change. At the end of 2021, I had still not found a doctor and was having to drive back to my doctor back home 3.5 hours away. I have a good doctor here now, plus I discovered something wonderful. The doctors' offices, and even the hospital, where I had an endoscopy about a year ago, are FIVE MINUTES from my house.  There are some really good doctors here, and so close! Back home I was having to drive 20-30 minutes to the far side of the larger city I lived close to, so this is a good change. 

I have to conclude that overall, even though I STILL love and miss my hometown, and my friends and family that are there (and I always will), I am adjusted well here in my new environment. 

I have a good church home here, where I have friends I love. My daughter's house is 10 minutes away instead of 3.5 hours. And I have found that I LOVE walking (who knew?). 

And of course, there's a drive through coffee place just a few blocks from my house. 🤣

I'm blessed! Blessings to my friends!

"I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:13,14 NIV

Find the Joy

Hello September! I'm so happy we finally got to the "ber" months! It's my favorite time of year. I'm encouraged and feeling better now that we are seeing that the end of summer isn't too far off.

Walking in the mornings has been so good the past week with the cool front we are currently enjoying. I realize it's September, though, so summer isn't over in Arkansas but the reprieve from the heat has been welcome.

I'm still tending my "tiny little garden" and it's still looking pretty good. The petunias, bless them, are a challenge because they require constant deadheading to keep them blooming. I may rethink having them in the garden next summer. 

Since I rent, I have all my flowers in pots, so I'll be replacing them with some mums and fall decor pretty soon anyway. I'll rotate the summer pots to my off-season "storage area" (behind the hedge right by the house). I will be sorry to see the vincas go; I received them for Mother's Day and found that they don't have to be deadheaded, and they are very prolific in blooming. They are annuals, though, so I can't keep them for next year.

Listen to me go on and on about flowers! Who knew I would learn to like gardening, even on a mini-garden scale? The thing is, I've found them to be an unexpected source of joy. Something shifted in me this summer, and I found myself arranging the 5 potted plants I managed to fit into a little area by my front door into a pleasing, joyful thing in my life. 

Know when it happened? 

When I stopped lamenting over not owning my own place and therefore unable to plant a real flower garden. That's when it happened. Truth be told, these 5 plants were all I had the headspace for in this season anyway. Five plants, creatively arranged into a part of the landscaping that had room for them. Five plants that don't have to be moved so the mowers can mow and trim weeds.

Five potted flowers. A source of happiness and a reason to smile in a season when it's been tough at times. By the grace of God, though, every morning I wake up, go for a walk, and come back to water my little garden if I didn't the night before and they need it.

I didn't start out with the intention of talking so much about my flowers, and the joy they cause. Somehow, though, it just seems right. Maybe someone reading this needs to find something to make them smile. I hope I've encouraged you to do just that. 

Maybe it's not flowers. Maybe it's the sun trying to peek through the clouds, or a funny face someone put on a tree on the walking path, or simply a calendar that you bought because you needed something pretty in your life. 

Find the joy. It's there. Be blessed, my friends.

Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Psalm 66:1 NIV

Look for the Beauty

When I last wrote, I was missing the rain. If memory serves, I believe it rained the next day after that. Funny how that happens sometimes.

I had a particularly hard week this past week involving a bout with depression. I'll spare you the details as for what triggered it, but it was not a great week. There were some better days, when I was with friends, but mostly I got through by the grace of God. Even the time with friends was by His grace, now that I think about it. 

Also by His grace, He caused me to look at the beauty around me, take note, and take pictures. 

August started off unseasonably cool, which didn't make me mad. One morning on the first week it was 66 degrees when I took my morning walk. That whole week was cooler, and I had great walks. One day it was so cool I was able to walk in the evening, just before sunset, which is when I always used to walk before summer really hit. On a whim I took the west exit out of the college campus instead of the east one, toward my house, and because of this I witnessed a sunset as I stopped to turn onto the highway. 

I took a picture.

The next morning it was so cool I was able to linger in my little garden spot on my "front porch." It felt like a fall morning; I enjoyed it so much. 

I also took a picture of this.

This evening I went out to water my flower garden after the sun went behind the clouds on its way out of sight for the night. I looked up, and there was this beautiful sunset. 

And I took a picture of this, too.

I'm posting that picture of the sun just as it was slipping below the horizon after my evening walk, the picture of my tiny little flower garden, and the sunset I saw this evening.  

These were moments of beauty that I might have missed if I weren't looking up when I was kinda down. 

I'm feeling better, and on the way up again, and I owe it all the grace of God. I choose the think HE caused me to see the beauty He placed in front of me to cheer me up.

"I cried out, 'I am slipping!' but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me new hope and cheer." Psalm 94:18-19 NLT

I Miss the Rain

Well, the blazing hot days of summer are here and they are wearing me down. Long gone are the rainy days I had grown accustomed to. I miss the rain. At least it was a little cooler while it was raining. Now we are stuck with 95 sweltering degrees, smack dab in the middle of summer.

I mentioned I might repost my post about why I love rain, and I've decided today is the day. I'm in a slump and I need cheering up. Tomorrow, I'm taking myself to the movies, but for tonight, I want to read about rain and my theory of why I love it. So, without further ado...the Puddles are Dancing, a post from 2014. 

One small edit that I should have made but will leave it alone in the blog itself. My primary love language is quality time; I just didn't realize it in 2014.

From June 8, 2014--The Puddles are Dancing

I love rain. If you've read my bio, you know that I love rain; it's one of my favorite things. But why? When most hate a rainy day, why do I find it so appealing? I asked myself this question this afternoon, as I sat here watching it rain during a break from the closet cleaning I've been inspired to do this afternoon.

It affects me differently than most everyone that I know. For most, it is sad and gloomy, and drains them of energy. For me, however, it makes me happy, even energized. I don't know why this is, but I have some thoughts on what it possibly could be. First, though, the things I love about rain.

I love the sound of rain. It is soothing to me. I love the melodious drumming of the rain as it drips off the trees, house, and carport. All the other noises have to take a back seat as the rain takes over in the music department for a while. Occasionally, there is even some thunder to add a punch of percussion to the tune.   

I love to watch it rain.  It is calming to me to watch the rain pelt down onto the pavement.  Seeing the rain pour out of the neighbor's gutters is mesmerizing.  Watching the puddles "dance"-- a term coined by my youngest son when he was much younger to indicate that it is, indeed, still raining, when the downpour has become light enough to wonder if it has stopped or not. Are the puddles "dancing?" Then, no, it has not stopped.  

Side note: Apparently, this irritates or annoys him, for when I mention puddles dancing, he still rolls his eyes.  But it stuck with me. And I love that it did.

I love the smell of rain.  There is no better smell than the air after a spring rain.  The air smells and feels like it has been "washed," and the trees and plants look so fresh and clean, even if only for a little while. This makes me happy.

These are some of the things I love about rain. But why?  Without intense psychotherapy, or having it revealed to me by God, I really don't know. I think, though, that it takes me back to a time in my childhood when I felt safe and loved.  

I can clearly remember getting ready for school when I was around eight, with the sound of the pouring rain outside. I was with my mother, and therefore, I was safe in my childish mind. She had to drive me to school when it was raining, and this made me feel loved. I remember being dropped off at my beloved elementary school--the one that I wrote about when they tore it down a few years ago. It was early morning, but because of the rain it looked dark outside from the classroom. This is a good memory to me. Therefore, what most perceive as gloomy is comforting to me.

You see, I don't have a bunch of memories of my mom and dad doing stuff with me when I was little. They both worked all the time it seemed. We were dirt poor, and they both worked long hours in factories to provide for us. In the fifties and sixties, the majority of the moms I knew, other than mine, did not work outside the home. Child-rearing was considered an honored profession in those days. Not that it's not today, but in today's economy, one income is generally not enough anymore.

Too bad that my child mind did not understand that working to provide food and shelter = love. My parents were good, and they loved me, but they never uttered the words to me. Since my primary love language is words of affirmation (even though I didn't know it then), I needed to hear it said but never did.  So, I picked up on the times when they showed me love with my secondary love language, quality time.  

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the happy times when I felt loved and safe were most likely punctuated with.... you guessed it.... rain.

I walked to school except when it rained. On rainy days, my mom drove me. Mom spending time with eight-year-old = love.

I could sit on the porch with my mom and dad, and sometimes my grandma, and watch it rain and feel loved AND safe, because quality time = love.

So, there you have it.  A glimpse into my heart and what makes it happy. I struggled with this one; but I really, really feel like God wanted me to share it. I live to serve Him and do His will, and I'm honored that He lets me write to express what He has shown me.

Do your children a favor; show and tell them you love them in all love languages, at least until they are old enough for you to know what their love language is. Then you can focus on that one or two. Until then, tell them you love them. Hug them. Spend time with them. It will make you both happy, and what may not seem like anything to you may just be their rainy-drive-to-school memory someday.

Now if you'll excuse me...the puddles are still dancing. I think I'll watch awhile.

"Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. By your mighty power you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemies." Psalm 17:7 NLT

Day by Day, Walk this Way

The other day I was a little frustrated because the "organized" me wanted to be able to--"almost"--put it in my planner that I would walk at 7:30 am. I say "almost" because I don't think I would REALLY write in my planner that I will walk exactly at a precise time every day. I am four years retired, though, and still live by my planner. So it's not completely unthinkable that I could start writing it in as a daily thing at a specific time.

I'm not writing it in my planner, ok? It's a habit now, anyway. 

Seems really silly now, but earlier this week, we had rain in the forecast yet again. This is a weird summer; the rain is usually gone by July, not that I'm complaining about the rain, because I'm not! I LOVE rain. (Read my blog post "The Puddles are Dancing" to learn why). However, it was messing with the daily walk I have become accustomed to. Rain in the morning meant I couldn't walk until evening, because the window is before 9am or after 7pm. All times in between those hours are unbearably hot and humid.

So I was praying about it on my way to the campus where the walking paths are. "I can't find one specific time to always have my walk," I complained. "Every day when I get up I have to check the weather to see if I will be walking as soon as I can get dressed and out the door or am I waiting until after 7pm."

"Or if it's good in the morning, but rainy that night, that day I will walk in the morning, but the next day, it might be just before sunset. It's so frustrating! I'm committed to walking daily, but it's a day-to-day process!"

Then in my spirit I heard "Kind of like trusting the Lord for your daily needs?"

Yes. It's exactly like that. I am daily depending on God's grace to be sufficient for that day. It ALWAYS IS, but it doesn't always come in the way I thought or at the exact time I was expecting. That's how it is. He promised to provide my needs, but He didn't give me a typed itinerary of how and what He would provide.

I know it's not for everyone, but I have found a new enjoyment in a daily walk. Somehow, I daily have the desire to go and the stamina to do it. I have actually walked inside Walmart during the spring when it rained just about every day. I feel like joy it brings me and the ability to do this is a gift from God. Otherwise, I would have already quit. I have tried many times before in my 70 years. It never became a habit, I never liked it, and after a few weeks I had quit because it was too hard.

A couple of days ago I reposted something I had posted years ago: 

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1. 

It's still true today. I may wake up, check the weather app, and see that I can walk in the morning; or I may find that I will have to wait until evening. Possibly, I might even be walking at Walmart. It doesn't matter. He will work it out in His way. 

And I will still bless the name of the Lord. ALWAYS. 

Be blessed, my friends! 

The view above in the forest

The blessed shade!

It's all downhill from here!

Summer Stuff and Some Encouragement

A little over a week ago we had the summer solstice on June 21. This was the longest day of the year; now the days are getting shorter in the northern hemisphere where I live. Onward toward fall! I've included a picture of the sun peeking up over the trees in my backyard, taken that Saturday morning about 7:30. That's the farthest northeast it will rise for a good while. 

We've already established that I'm a nerd about these things. On to other things.

The week of June 15th was unbearably hot, getting to the low 90s in the afternoon. I walked mornings when I could, but even then it was in the low 80s. I've included some pictures of the campus, up by the buildings, and the more wooded trail at ASU, which was a little cooler on those days because it was shadier.

Last week we started having more rain again, so at least it cooled off some. I had to walk at Cooper Park several days because they were getting the ASU campus ready for the annual Red, White, and Blue celebration, held on June 28 and 29. I really missed my familiar trails, but it was good to have somewhere else to walk. 

We had a fireworks display Saturday night, and it was magnificent as usual. Pictures don't do it justice, but I will include some. (All the rest of the pictures will be at the end).

I have pretty much finished the front "porch" refresh. I will eventually buy an outdoor rug, and I am considering painting the front door, but for now I'm content with what it is. It's the best I can do right now, considering it's a rental. I like it. I feel like I'm sitting in a little garden when I am having my morning coffee. I especially like the blue wind chimes with the copper bells.

I'll leave you with some encouragement.

I'm still reading the Bible Recap reading plan for the year, and the passage in yesterday's reading is one of my favorites. In 2 Chronicles 20, where 3 surrounding enemy countries were coming against Judah and King Jehoshaphat, the Spirit of the Lord spoke through Jahaziel and told the king and all the people that this battle was not theirs, but God's. He told them to simply stand and watch the way the Lord came to their rescue. 

They watched as all their enemies turned on each other, and their enemies all killed each other. Every one of their enemies was dead, and it took them 3 days to carry the spoils of war back home.

This is really encouraging to me. Not only did God destroy their enemies, He did it knowing that Jehoshaphat would make a wicked alliance in the future that would displease Him. 

It's so hard to get my head around the love of God. He is kind and good to us even when we aren't. We certainly don't deserve how good He is to His children. We can never earn His love. 

Read 2 Chronicles 20 and the following chapter or 2. It's an amazing account.

Blessings to you all! 

"'You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you."

2 Chronicles 20:17 NASB