Trekking with Me

O ne of the many blessings of living here, and even one of the blessings of winter (winter means the snakes are hiding deep, and I can SEE clearly through the woods) is that I live on the edge of a "100 acre wood" area.  I don't really know if it is exactly  100 acres, but it is a beautiful untouched wooded area that makes me feel like I am stepping over into a deep dark forest, miles away from civilization... and let Sasha romp and run crazy.  There really isn't anything as pleasing to my heart than to escape into God's gloriously beautiful creation for a walk, hike, trek... you know what I mean.  So, though I quite literally live in a "hood".... in about 20 steps I can step over into a magical 100 acre wood!   These are a few snapshots I took with my camera phone this morning... I think it is pretty cool how my camera caught the sunbeams... Sasha loves loves loves our 100 acre wood... I found a new road this morning... I  love these ...

I have come to a new understanding why being still is imperative to hearing from the LORD.   Enter Jake and Owen and their momma, Faith, and Eric, the dad.  I have the blessing of caring for Jake and Owen a few hours every week.  Jake is a special needs little guy, with autism and Owen is too much for words: how these little guys have captured my heart.   Faith with Jake :-) *Melts my heart* Over the past few months I have grown to admire and respect Faith and Eric both in their beautiful marriage and in their parenting.  Faith and Eric exemplify to me some very rare and very noteworthy parenting skills.  A few weeks ago as I observed Faith correcting one of the boys, I noted how gentle, yet firmly and quietly she disciplined her little boy;  I also noted how quickly he yielded - and he is only two!   Afterwards I commented upon her actions with O; she shared with me she had learned whispering from her gentle husband, Eric.  She said i...

I don't feel worthy to write this; yet I want to, am compelled to. Today is Emily Kiersten Rund's Birthday - she is spending it with Jesus, dancing before His Glorious Throne. I was not one of her closest friends, I can't share lots and lots of memories but I was one who watched her - and the mysterious joy and fun she shared, inspired... created.  I was simply a mentor of sorts, a boss during the summers and a friend during the rest of the time.  I wish I could have known her more... A few things I did share with her were some priceless conversations over a few home cooked meals, coffee, camp runs and the Florida sunshine on the lake at camp.  Our conversations were deep, full of questions and desire for God, wrestling over life and the things we don't really understand but want to know... I felt I shared her searching Spirit... her longing for Life, hunger for more of what God intended life to be... for clarity... for God Himself. One thing I saw in her was h...

Been up in Genesis this month.  I am always blessed to re-read the stories found in this book of the Bible - the foundations of our Faith.  This time through God has put new lenses, fresh receptors and Heaven's version of Pixy dust over the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob... and Joseph. My heart is racing even now as I just finished reading through chapters 48.  Joseph as just brought his sons to his father, Jacob, to bless them before he dies. I am so overwhelmed as I see the fresh humanness of these faith founders - they did not know they were God's first few boulders of the Nation of Israel, ultimately the seed of Promise was coming through them. How Jacob's words resonated with my own words in times of disappointment and spiritual blindness, lending to hopelessness, when he is faced with the demand that his beloved Benjamin was required to return to Egypt when they would need provisions again, "everything is against me."  When in only a breath, he woul...

I have been having some odd notions lately... odd desires to try something new (like trying a new sport/exercise), cook something different... odd dreams have been happening too. This idea hit me Sunday when I was trying to listen to the sermon.  It may have been the hunger building in my tummy as I had a hasty Sunday morning only downing a cup of coffee before I dashed out the door.  Or it may have been on account of watching too many $40-a-Day with Rachael Ray recently... bad show for me to watch as it only gets my travel itch irritated. Anyhow... though I have never made them, my brain started churning up images of crepes.  Go figure? Rachael Ray said they were simple and easy... hmmmm; my imagination had my pan heated in my mind before the benediction was said: amen.  Let's Get Home and Get some cookin' on! RR was right, they are simple and easy - AND unlike my report with pancakes they turned out beautiful the first try, and the second, and third...!! He...

God is so stinkin' cool. Okay, see previous post - my second memory verse for 2011.  If you are trekkin' with me, you will notice the first verse was a huge one - with a big focus on God's Favor.  Now, please, don't think I am preachin' health and wealth gospel - but I am Proclaiming HIS FAVOR over me (and YOU) as His creation, His Redeemed One, His Daughter....  He is the One who heals, forgives, restores, blesses, choses, empowers... sets us FREE... see Luke 4:18-19 for specifics.  Yeah, He is still in that business. Amen.  And... You and I are apart of all that... So... in choosing my second verse, James 1:17 - I was not trying to connect the dots and say, He is going to give me everything I ever wanted!! Nope.  (Though HE DID bless me with a new beautiful nephew on the fourteenth, and I am so overwhelmed with Joy over Micah Troy!) It was just a verse that sparkled when I read it, something stirred up in my heart and I knew... this is my next verse! ...

Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning.   James 1:17

( FYI: "Life of Riley" is a saying that means  An easy and pleasant life! - in this case, extremely exaggerated! ) We've been together nearly 10 years.   Mom, we need to talk. Yeah? Mom, I need a name, like a serious name. What's wrong with Baby Kitty... or "Pud" or "Goose Brain"? Mom... Mom... Really? Now that is a good spot... right there. Mom, you are distracting me. A real name would be good for my self identity, Mom. Oh... yeah, that's the spot...oh please don't stop... Yes, yes... under the chin... oh yes... Mom... I... think... "Riley" would fit me real nice... yes.....

You've seen this before... remember, back in the summer time? Here is what it looked like then:  Remember Waterford in the Fall ?  This would be Waterford in the Winter!!! Can you see ANY resemblances???  Reminds me of that picture game in the Highlights magazine... find the differences.... or in this case, the similarities! Practicing taking photos... not so bad, huh? This would be the Ice  part of the Snow Day #2 Marvelous color... . His Handiwork is breathtaking to behold!! A neighbors Christmas decor added some spice to this lonely lantern My friend's street... can you see my little furkid companion? The house behind  this tree is one of my favorite in the neighborhood; i love the silhouette of the tree... And this is another benefit of a Snow Day in South Carolina :-) That would be my feet in some cozy slippers.... these are not even my favorite slippers but these have a rubber sole in case I get motivated to crunch ...

This is what welcomed me this morning... !! Sasha was pretty psyched about this white stuff too!! Utterly.... beautiful... i love it. My little tree in the backyard... Some color... cool! Go ahead... just come out of that tree Squirrel!! I like this view...  Baby Kitty was not too happy about this snow stuff... she was hunting for a warm spot. Sasha and I went for a romp... we had a book to deliver, a good excuse to venture out! So pretty dressed in Snow :-) Kitty found her place.... Sasha just wanted to go on another jaunt! :-) I thought it was time for some hot chocolate....

I had a really great day today. It started with a chilly walk on my favorite trail this morning; it's been a while since I have done that ... my mind meandered as I walked along, drinking in the beauty of the morning. Leaves floated down like a scene made in Heaven... sometimes I wish I could capture such beauty in a photo, but I am not that good plus I left my camera at home. I am thankful my heart is in a restful place these days. He is the Keeper of my heart and He knows the way in which it has traveled. He has poured His loving balm over it when it has not been so peaceful or restful. I am so thankful He works in ALL things good. Many things we will not understand until we have heaven's soil on our shoes. I can trust His Heart when I can't trace His Hand. Yet, I am SO thankful when He gives us glimpses of understanding to the twists and turns of our hearts and the journey we walk. This Song is precious... this particular day could have been hard for some good reasons...

Some bitter coldness is rolling our way outside and I am feeling like a true Florida gal... while NYC is powdering up with the white stuff, and somewhere out in no-man's-land it is well below freezing... I sit here in SC watching the thermometer still teetering on 50 degrees, shivering and in gridlock under my blankie. It being Friday, I figure it was a good time to share some confessions of the soul - I hear it is good for you. 1.  I don't make my bed everyday. 2.  I talk to myself and often say things in a third person comedian type of way and laugh out loud at my own diatribe... 3.  I am a self-diagnosed A.D.D or A.D.H.D. - I get distracted easily.... what was I doing? 4.  I have not been a total "no sugar" gal since New years day...though the scale scared me half to death a few nights ago and I have done MUCH better since!! 5.  I like my outfits to match somehow... like everything ... I may be the only one who knows that fact in my day, and ...

My heart and mind and Spirit  have been stirred in the last week on account of my memory verse this first half of January.  How do I expect, see, believe... God's Favor is on me?  He is giving me a Faith Booster Shot! It started back in December as I was reading and re-reading Luke 1-2 every day or so.  The whole passage sparkled  with life to me.  I was so blessed, as it is a passage we become so familiar with as we grow up - if you celebrate Christmas in any American fashion, you cannot escape the Nativity story; seeing it with freshness is truly a testimony of God's Word being Living and Active!   One part of the narrative hit me a few days around Christmas day:    “Glory to God in the highest heaven,      and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14 The Angels were announcing the GOOD NEWS.... giving Glory to God and proclaiming to the shepherds  and all mankind... HIS FAVOR RESTS...

Happy New Year!! Hooray for New Beginnings! I hope you are enjoying your first morning of 2011!  The Lord has blessed me this morning with a quiet, foggy morning, the house all to myself - quiet, still except for a few critters who wanted to be fed earlier than I wanted to rouse - and time in my favorite quiet time spot - my cozy orange chair, covered with a few flannel throes and a good hot cup of coffee as I enjoy the Word and time in prayer.  A good slow start... (plus, my house is on the cleaner side of things as I spend some time taking care of these earthly belonging - it makes my heart happy to wake to clean clear floors and empty laundry baskets). I welcomed the New year with my two furkids... I actually fell asleep before 10 - I must have been really tired because I slept deep but then was roused by the firecrackers going off around the neighborhood - I flipped on the tv just as the countdown started: it was exactly 11:59:45... I hugged Sasha, who desperately want...