Is there anyone else frantically savoring the fragments that remain of sweet summer days? Maybe there’s no such thing as frantically savoring. But I’ve been doing something of the sort…
I used to get peeved at people who roared loud and long about all the glories of summer. I mean, summer also means sweltering heat, and ugly things like ticks and weeds. But I’ve come to appreciate summer. (If the heat stays in moderation.) My mental health needs the warmth and light of sunshine! The coming winter and all its grayness can look a tad intimidating. But as I say goodbye to summer, I’ll anticipate basking in the autumn sunshine and crunching orchard fresh apples before I meditate on the harshness of winter.
Here are some highlights of our Summer:
The first part of June we made a trip to KY for my family’s reunion. Enroute, we stopped at the Ark Encounter. A first for our little family. The first evening at the reunion we had supper at my sister Geneva and Paul Peachey’s back patio.My sister Faith and my mom are on the glider. Otherwise, it’s all neices and in-laws on the picture 🥰 Low country boil supper one night at the reunion We were happy to get our Grain Bin gazebo finished out with a custom made sign and a clock. (Jerald sells grainbin gazebo kits if any one is interested) The children have spent many hours in this cow tank turned pool! Sometimes mom joins them. We enjoyed having my brother Millard and Carolyn Yoder and family stop in the first part of July on their way out to Montana. We had a grilled supper in our grain bin, then finished off with smores. The little ones made good use of the pool. We were blessed with pleasant temperatures in July, so that our church was able to enjoy a hymn singing out in the Halteman’s back pasture one Sunday evening. Kettle corn and other snacks were served afterward. For my birthday we ate at this wonderful place. They have the best food!! This southwest chicken salad was my choice and it is over the board delicious! The owner of The Bread Bowl tore down multiple old barns/houses to build his restaurant. Unique indeed. If you’re going through Hiawatha KS be sure to check it out!
Late July, we were back to Southern Indiana for Jerald’s brother’s wedding. The four wedding pictures are credits of Jamie Lynn Photography.
Roger and Janet Luke and Arlene Rhodes familyThe Rhodes siblings. And yes, in case your curious, Roger has a twin. Rodney is on the other side of their only sister Kaylene The bride’s family- Darrell and Becky Wagler Some Greene Co. Indiana beautyWe celebrated Reece’s 4th birthday July 27The children on top of their makeshift playhouse in the pines Inside the playhouse. I love seeing their creativity come out as they make stews and soups with all manner of greens, pines, mud and sticks. Jerald has experimented with smoking cream cheese a couple times. It is delightful served with a raspberry chipotle sauce and crackers!We were blessed this summer with rain and thunderstorms in abundance. These tube roses are my favorite flowers around the house. Their delicacy and scent fills me with nostalgia of late summer evenings.We celebrated Josie’s 8th birthday on August 22nd. She told me what kind of cake she wants, but wanted me to decorate it when she’s not around “so it’s a surprise“, she said. 🤩 She also had her best friend over for supper and a sleep over. Josie is becoming my right hand laundry girl. When she can’t reach the bottom, little brother comes to the rescue. And for the curious, the silver machine on the right is our Waterwise distiller. We are quite partial to distilled drinking water! This one has served us well for 9 years. These are the days I will miss all too soon.Sunset in our backyard
Intentionally pick yourself a bouquet of summer flowers, sit outside in the gathering dusk and remember the day’s blessings. Just because summer brings bountiful blessings, does not mean the next season won’t. God’s gifts are always abundant, no matter what season we’re in. When we choose to pause and reflect, we will be sure to find the blessings! 🤍
Does your life feel like an overload of disappointments? Are you burdened down with life’s perplexities and responsibilities? Is the tension of strained relationships beating grooves of anxiety in your brain?
We don’t need to look far to see the turmoil in the world around us. But sometimes it goes on inside of us, almost without us realizing, because we are so immune to it. We know God is good, but sometimes it absolutely doesn’t make a stitch of sense to our bumfuzzled little brains. If our hearts don’t fully experience the depths of Jesus’ love, the hardships of life can swiftly overtake our mindset. For most of us, it takes much more effort to see the positive than the negative.
Here is proof that we are bent on negativaty. Recently, someone told me this story: A speaker was telling his audience that he’s going to make 3 statements about the group. He then proceeded to give two positives and one negative about them. After some time, he asked them if they can remember the positive statements he had made. No one did. But when he asked what the negative statement was, they certainly remembered!
I’d like to encourage you to bring your distressed heart to Jesus. Truly believing in His caring heart. For years, I had a head knowledge of Jesus’ care but not a heart knowledge. My heart was hurting from some painful things I had experienced in my childhood. Even though I knew Jesus cared for me, for many years, my heart did not fully grasp His deep love and compassion for my aching heart. It’s a bit hard to explain. If you’ve never experienced this, you may not understand. But if you have, and were made aware of it, you’ll know what I mean.
Through a series of events a some weeks ago, God showed me things about my heart I was unaware of. It was an intense, yet such a beautiful time of connecting in deeper levels with Jesus, as well as my spouse.
One of those nights, I lay awake for a couple hours. This in itself is not unusual for me. But this night, my mind was mulling over the day’s discussions and things I was learning. And God so clearly brought a song to my mind. First, it was just in my subconscious mind, but as I thought about it more and more, I realized the depths of the words. I don’t know when I last heard or sang this song- definitely not for a long time! I couldn’t even recall the remainder of the song. Only the chorus floated through my mind over and over, bringing a peaceful aura to my soul. Here is the chorus:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the Light of His glory and grace.
You may be feeling painful hurts of the past or pressures to perform in the present. Perhaps your heart is grieving the loss of someone precious. Or maybe you carry the silent grief of depression and mental health challenges like I did. Can you read this chorus with a new set of eyes? Jesus carries you and hurts right along with you. He’s wiping those tears that no one else sees. Will you lift your eyes and not only look but gaze in His wonderful face? Not a hurried glance, fearful of meeting an angry face. He loves you with the most compassionate love possible, no matter what your track record is. There is no need to perform to be able to receive His amazing love. ❤️ His face is only beautiful!
Jesus is not scowling at you for your latest misdeeds. He’s not glaring at you for missing your morning Bible reading. His face is full of tender love for you and your heart’s needs. As you fully grasp His beautiful face, the Light of Him will cause all these plaguing earthly trials to grow strangely dim, because He is FULL OF GLORY AND GRACE. And when we catch that glory and grace His heart is made of, we are moved to LOVE this compassionate Savior of ours. Truly loving Him. Not serving Him out of duty.
Here are the verses for Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. This song was written by Helen H. Lemmel in 1922. It was inspired by the life of a missionary, Lilias Trotter, and based off a poem she had written.
Verse 1- O soul are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Saviour, And life more abundant and free!
Verse 2- Thru death into life everlasting He passed and we follow Him there; Over us sin no more hath dominion- For more than conquerors we are!
Verse 3- His word shall not fail you- He promised; Believe Him and all will be well; Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell!
When our hearts experience the depths of Jesus’ compassionionate heart, there is an ocean of His grace and love and power lying all around us. We can live focused lives intent on one aim- Jesus Christ! May your heart’s needs be met today as you look full in His wonderful face! 🤍
of windowsills and breezy hills 