Will There Be an Asterisk?

 I Kings 11:1

"But king Solomon loved many strange women, ..."

I read this verse in my devotions last week.

I wondered ... "What would someone add to the description of my life?"

"What draws me away from the Lord?"

"But Sandra was distracted by her home."

"But Sandra shortened her Bible time regularly."

"But Sandra was lifted up in pride."

"But Sandra ..."

Solomon started well.

Remember his request for wisdom instead of wealth and fame?

Unfortunately, it ended with a "But king Solomon ..."

Unfortunately, we often have to add asterisks to Christian ministries or ministers these days.

I went to this college (*before this date or event).

This music source is good (*if you get the music before this date).

I went to this church (*before it loosened its standards).

I don't want a "But Sandra ..."

I don't want an asterisk.

I want to stay the course.

I want to be faithful.

Breathe

 For two weeks, our schedules have been changed.

While we have tried to keep Bible time and exercise on schedule,

the sleep schedule and time for relaxation has changed.

Two weeks ago, hubby had some training in MN.

Since he flew and had a coworker with him,

I did not go this time.

So I spent much of the week in Indiana with friends and family.

Then last week,

we had nightly VBS from 5:30-8:15.

Because we are about an hour from church, it was more like 4:30 to 9:15/9:30.

Because hubby and I were like ships passing as he came home for the night and I left,

we decided that it was a good week for him to visit some of the northernmost stores 

and just get a hotel for a few nights.

But this week,

oh, it feels good to breathe.

I did not have to rush through the weekly cleaning today.

God sent a gentle rain this morning so that I did not have to water the lawn or garden.

We enjoyed a leisurely dinner.

We are enjoying a quiet evening in with a candle burning and quiet music and an iced coffee.

The week is free for some extra cleaning projects and maybe some extra baking.

There truly is no place like home.

When the Need You Can Fill is Your Passion

 On this late "Thankful Thursday" edition,

I am thankful for the opportunity to teach this week.

I was given the opportunity to teach little people this week for VBS.

While VBS is not always my favorite setting to teach,

God has given the 5-7 year-olds remarkable calmness during the Bible story

and has given me the opportunity to connect with some of the church youth.

Service in church and life sometimes involves just being willing and filling in where you can,

but sometimes, it is serving in a ministry that you love.

And this is what the guest room looks like as I collect items each day for class.

Visuals, review games, visualized songs, good seat prizes.

48 Years

It is Thankful Thursday

and I can't help but be thankful for another year.

Monday was #48.

It was a typical morning - Mondays are always cleaning days.

 But hubby took me out to Mission BBQ for dinner.

It is fairly new in our area and the meal was good (though a little pricey).

The added expense was willingly paid because all proceeds support military and public servants.

After dinner, hubby took me to Lowes - 

we bought plants and then promptly put them in the ground before the rain came on Tuesday.

We didn't have room for birthday cake - but it is waiting in the freezer when we are ready.

48 is a bit hard to say,

but despite the extra creaks and changes that come with age,

I can be thankful.

I am thankful for my health.

I am thankful for a husband who works hard and loves me even harder.

I am thankful for the effort he puts into staying close to God and into encouraging others as well.

I am thankful for God's provision of a home even when the economy is "not so great."

I am thankful for friends near and far who are a testimony of where God has walked beside us through many jobs, states, and homes.

I am thankful for a new church and ministry here.

I am thankful for God's grace for the unknown in the year ahead.

The Best Job on Earth

 I have been blessed in marriage.

From the beginning, nearly 21 years ago,

hubby has been in full support of my being at home.

I love taking care of my home.

I love researching food and exercise and health.

I love being available for ministry opportunities.

Much has been going on around home with Spring.

There have been plants and plants and more plants.

There has been grass patching until we can overseed this fall.

There have been rock garden and perennial garden work.

There has been lawn fertilizing at least twice this spring.

There has been budgeting to pay for it all.

But the progress has been much fun

and the new learning has been enjoyable.

I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Greeting guests with a little color on the hanging plants.

And we added some creeping phlox to the rock bed.

While blooming it was quite beautiful.

We also snuck in some lavender which will smell so good in the afternoon sun.

Our new garage door ...

insulated, reinforced with struts for the severe winds, and windows so it won't be so dreary when working out or using as a second dining/living room.

There is some life in the perennial bed.

And you can see the green stripes in the lawn where we reseeded and the peat moss added a little extra fertilizer.

An extra pot of lavender - a tribute to the Pacific Northwest.

I Never Finished

 I realized a few weeks ago that I never really finished the new home tour.

I had been a little stuck in a few rooms

or was waiting to finish something.

So I will continue the tour with the master bedroom.

I had been stuck on the curtains because I just had one color.

Then I was happier with two colors with one pulled back.

There are curtain lights behind the curtains to add just a bit of light as we chit chat at night.

There is the repainted dresser.

And yes, we are already using a fan, because it is too early to start the air conditioning.

It is fairly simple,

but I think we have landed on the finished product.

(unless I put a chair in the corner for reading)

Remember

 As the beginning of April rolled around,

a blog post also rolled around in my mind,

but it never made it into the blogosphere.

At the beginning of April, 

we celebrated an anniversary -

the anniversary of our move.

What a year it has been!

There has been a new location.

There has been a new job position in a new location.

There has been a new church.

There has been the purchase of our first home

and ensuing payments and lessons about home ownership.

There has been injury.

There has been healing.

There has been the resuming of old ministries

and the finding of new ministry.

We have been studying Deuteronomy 5 and 6 at church.

They are chapters on remembering, reviewing, and teaching about the past,

Hubby and I have rehearsed so many blessings - 

God is faithful.

Though we have no children to rehearse the blessing with,

we will share with anyone who will listen.

Change is exciting and hard.

But if God is leading,

if God is in the change,

if you will leave self and rely on Him,

He will show Himself faithful.

And just to set the record straight,

He is faithful even when we are not,

though the outcome may not be what we are looking for.

A New and Different Challenge

I had returned to the Couch 2 5K program when I was feeling the need to get my stamina back after my time in a cast.

It was going well.

I spent as long as I wanted on each "week" of the plan and I was progressing.

And then a new opportunity came along.

It was another running training program.

This one came with even more variety and with an app that did the timing for me.

I had looked at it many times, but could not justify the price.

BUT!

They had a brief promo.

If I could run or walk 26 miles in the length of my enrollment,

they would give me the cost of my program back.

I can walk 26 miles in a week - 

surely I could do it in 6 months!

So I enrolled,

and I am enjoying the new program and challenge.

And yes, 

I have earned my program cost back!

I am thankful for the opportunity and for the promotion that allowed me to try the app for free.

By the way, the app is Joggo.

New Life

 With bare root plants and trees, 

there is always a waiting and a wondering.

Will they survive the transplant?

Will they come out of dormancy?

Will they bear fruit?

I have been watching all of my little plants looking for life,

but especially the fruit trees and bushes.

What a joy when the first leaves appeared!

What a joy to see the new life!

The columnar apple tree even has the start of an apple blossom!

And then I thought,

about the desire for proof of life in my Christian walk.

Do others look at me and wonder if I will bare fruit?

Do they wonder if there will be a sign of life?

I hope not.

But just as I eagerly look for signs of life on my little plants,

I should be seeking to bring forth fruit.

The right soil is there if I am abiding in Christ.

The right food is there if I am reading His Word.

Those that be planted in the house of the Lord 

shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Psalm 92:13

The Happy Accident

 It appears that last week was the approved week to ship plants to Bowling Green, KY.

I am only waiting on some phlox that are supposed to arrive this coming Friday.

So last week, I spent working on the perennial bed.

I had a great time in a beautiful week digging, turning, planning, planting.

I even had the company of a crew working on the neighboring house one day.

Then we had a brief storm on Friday night.

As hubby and I watched the water running through the garden like a river and pooling in random spots,

we knew that if we didn't make a change,

the little plants would die.

So Saturday, he built me a dry creek - 

a sort of canal for the water to collect in.

I replanted and think that most, if not all, of the plants now have a chance.

What a blessing that we could fill the bottom with construction debris behind the house.

We could dispose of unwanted clay behind the house.

And our little garden has quite a bit of character ...

a happy accident.

a ready source of drainage rocks 

our pile of sod and clay

We spent the rest of the day learning more about "lawn farming."

Hubby aerated a small portion,

I removed some thatch,

and we patched some bare spots.

We just enjoyed a beautiful day together appreciating the blessing of our little home and its small piece of land.