Summer Snippets

We finally feel like it is summer around here and we are loving it!  Baseball and wedding season are over and we are able to spend our days reading, relaxing, swimming, and playing.  I needed some down time and I am so grateful for it.  Photography seems to even be at a standstill (I guess people don't like getting their pics made in 105 degrees) and I am OK with the break! 

In the afternoons, everyone has reading time...Cade is devouring chapter books like candy.

 Eli reads books to Sam...just like his big brother used to do for him.

 I am devouring books, too!  Gosh, I just LOVE "The Help."  I know I am probably the last person ever to read it, but oh my goodness, what a great meaningful story.

 Love having the time to allow God's word to fall freshly...

 In love with my new chair for our sunroom!!!  I got a tip from Anna that I should go check it out at a furniture consignment store...and she was right, it has my name written all over it.  I didn't want to spend much, but after I gave the "All things Domestic" girl a call and asked what it would cost to reupholster a chair, she convinced me that buying this "new" used one would be cheaper than covering the one I have that I don't like.  So, tada!  Love it!  I feel pretty good about the fact that it used to sit in some one's home that got their home written up in a national home/decorator magazine.

 I am spending my days staring at my children and willing them not to grow.  But they aren't obeying.  They are shooting up right in front of my very eyes.  Goodness, this one looks old in this picture!

 I have also been mourning the deaths of BOTH of our zoo elephants.  Mary died in May and Ellen I guess didn't think she could go on without her BFF, so she passed away this week.  For some reason, that has just made me very sad!  Ellen was at our zoo for 57 years!!!

In other news...

Our community group is going thru the book "Radical."  I think I mentioned before that we are going very slowly in order to try and let things soak in and change us a bit.  Or a lot...whatever God wants to do with that!  We have been brainstorming on how to practically "GO" and do something to share God's love with those around us.  We decided to take a meal to Bethlehem House, a local shelter.  After the details were arranged for us to deliver and serve food a particular evening, we walked in the door with our comfy food:  homemade chicken and rice.  We entered the small kitchen to see paper plates full of hot dogs on the table ready to be served.

I almost cried.

Isn't is just like Satan to convince us that we aren't needed or wanted when it comes to going out of our way for the Kingdom.  That way we just might give up.

Come to find out, someone earlier in the day dropped off hot dog supplies and the shelter staff assumed it was the girl from our group, so they got it all ready to go for the people that temporarily reside there. 

God is teaching me to live in truth.  Truth is:  our meal was needed...even if was to be eaten the next day.  Truth:  one look in any resident's eyes tells me that the love of Christ is needed there as well.

But, I had to ward of Satan's lies that screamed that our work was futile and that we aren't making a difference, so we should never attempt that again.

Living in reality...we could be so victorious in warfare if we choose to see what is truth and camp our minds right there.  When Cade comes to me, baffled that a little brother has spoken something mean or silly about him, I am trying to instill in him this: 

me:  "Cade, is what they said true?"

Cade:  "No."

me:  "Then don't let your mind get angry about it, rest in what you know is true and they won't feed off of you for getting upset about it."

Cade:  "oh, you are the smartest, prettiest, wisest Mom I know, please let me do all the laundry for you and bake you a chocolate cake."

{the last line may or may not be a little embellished}

Living in reality...trying to do this regarding my eating and weight, the conversations that run around thru my head, making our a home a peaceful haven, the word of God, choosing reality over fear....the list goes on and on.

It is a hard battle, but God promises me that the truth sets me free every. single. time.

love and hugs.