Indian summer!

I think we've been having what they call "Indian summer". Although it's September on the calender, the weather is warm and sunny. For this I am very thankful because my little heart (and my toes) have been dreading the coming of winter. I enjoy the changing of seasons but I wish summer lasted longer and winter ended sooner. Anyway...Praise the Lord for summer as long as it lasts!!

Sandals to work once more!

This tree across the street from my office seems determined to have a jump on the competition and change colors before the others.

good

I'm taking a little break from all the photo posting to share something that has been sitting in my heart the last couple days.
I've been reading through Psalm 119 one verse per day and it has been turning me upside down. Yesterday I read verse 68:

"You are good and do good; Teach me Your statutes."

The first part of that is what really hit my heart. David is declaring this of the Lord, that He is good and does good. This is such a strong comfort because no matter what happens, God is good and He does good. Even though things are so hard sometimes, even though they hurt so much, even when they make no earthly, humanly conceivable sense, I know that if they are submitted to God, it will be good. We might not see the good now, we might not see it until we are with Him in Eternity but He promises that he will work all things together for good for those who are being conformed to the likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:28-29). Because He is good.
In the Hebrew this word is: יָטַב or yä·tav'. It has many shades of meaning as most ancient Hebrew words do. One of them is "to be well placed". No place is "more good" (excuse my English grammar) than where our heavenly father places us.
It reminds me of a scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, when the Pevensies are first hearing about Aslan. "Is He safe?" asks Lucy. The beavers laugh and tell her, "He isn't safe, but He is good." And it's so true...sometimes surrendering everything to God isn't the safest thing to do...but it is the best (or most good).
This word can also mean "to be well with". Like one of my favorite Hymns that says "What ever my lot, you have taught me to say it is well, it is well with my soul."

I am so thankful I serve a good God...that does good.

Kissing Summer Goodbye...The Bridge

So here are pictures of the reason we went Up North for Labor Day Weekend...walking The Mackinaw Bridge!

The day was a little chilly...we did our best to stay warm!

TOMS on the bridge

Don't look down!!

We made it!

That almost concludes the first weekend...yes there are still a few more :)

Kissing Summer Goodbye...Camp Store Installment

Here are more pictures as I promised from the end of summer vacation part 1. Aloha State Park has a little camp store with ice cream, fresh donuts, firewood, and all the things campers need. The lighting was great so I took a few pictures...

The anticipation of ice cream at the camp store is killing them...hence the lack of smiles

I decided to take pictures in the mean time

Gas and Firewood...

They might have been FRESH but it didn't help their flavor

Abigail enjoying her ice cream

Next time I'll post pictures of the reason we went up north on Labor Day Weekend...

Kissing Summer Goodbye...Part 1

I'm afraid I have already done a poor job of posting more often on my blog. The day after I posted my little resolution, my family went on vacation for Labor Day Weekend. I was only home for a couple days to work full time before leaving for the next weekend as well.

I can't think of a better way to say goodbye to summer than spending it in beautiful northern Michigan.

Here are some pictures from the camping portion of our trip:

The Sweetest part of camping!

Scotty thoroughly enjoying his S'more

What is a camping trip without a lake?

Regrettably it was far to cold for a swim...so we climbed on rocks instead.

Jacob relaxing with his book

More pictures to come tomorrow...I didn't want to make this massive by putting them all up at once.

Happy September First!!

Today is September First already!! So crazy!
Apparently September is Better Breakfast month. In light of that, and the fact that we had banana's that were attracting fruit flies, I made Banana Strudel Muffins this morning.

In an effort to use my blog more I have decided to use it as a photo journal of the little things in life that I am thankful for. God has been teaching me so much about contentment and being thankful in this season so this is a way for me to be accountable and share it!

Happy September!!

...blessed are those who mourn...

This was something the Lord just dropped into my heart tonight. I have encountered a couple people this week that are walking through a season of mourning. All unconnected and in very different places in life but all are walking through the valley of the shadow.

Tonight it was like the Lord said "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)

As I thought about this, I was reminded of my own experience of the perfect comfort of Jesus in a season of mourning. When we encounter death, whether it be death of a loved one, death of a relationship, or death of a dream, it is in that place of deep pain that the Lord is often closest.

Not to say that sometimes we don't go through seasons where it seems that even He is a million miles away. And there is special grace for those times too.

But when our hearts are weakest, His love is strongest. In Psalms it says that He draws near to the broken heart. When we are in that place where it just hurts, I mean really aches deep in the soul and nothing on earth can make that pain stop, Jesus meets us there and promises comfort. And that is where we find the blessing. The blessing is being near to Jesus, leaning on His strong love, not going alone.

Above all, the ultimate comfort will come when Jesus wipes away every tear from our eyes, when He makes all things new, when He sets all things right (Revelation 21:4-8). Until that day, I pray that those I encountered this week, and you if you are in that place, would know the sweet comfort Jesus gives.