Living Fully & Letting Go of Expectations

       I recently escaped real life for a 5-day trip away from the soybeans, corn & cows to the land of red clay, REAL sweet tea & sweltering hot sun. We packed our car to the roof with 3 adults, 1 infant & enough baby stuff for a 2-week trip out of the country. We headed away from the plains, through the Smoky Mountains and toward the deep south... Sumter, South Carolina.

Moving Mountains

I take too many pictures. I can't seem to help it. And, the bad thing is, I am pathetic about deleting photos on my devices. The last phone I had held over 1,300 pictures on it when I traded it in for the next. But, I happen to be one of those people who's deeply moved by looking an an image & thinking back about what was happening at that moment in the picture, what was happening in my life at that time, and what was I thinking about as I took the picture. For me, a picture truly does speak 1,000 words!

The picture here is no different. My heart & mind is full just looking at this picture. It was taken when this sweet baby was six days old. That's right SIX DAYS OLD!

HOPE, Rainy Days 10-19-13

It's October here in "Hoosier Land" or, as I call it, StuckInIndiana. And, the weather today is cool & rainy. I've been battling a sore throat, body aches & a bad cough for the past few days. I'm determined to nip that in the bud! There's no time to be sick in my world right now. We have a sweet little 9-month old angel & her mommy living with us now. Life is FULL :) Thankfully, I'm blessed with a great LOML (aka spouse) who's been willing to help out a little more than usual with meals at night. That's allowed me to get some much needed rest at the end of the past few days.

The night brought cooler temp's and a light rain. That didn't discourage some of our household members! Our sweet daughter is totally loving motherhood & had the day planned already for her little girl. They were up early, all excited for the day regardless of the weather. And, as I posted on Facebook this morning...

Q: What does a girl do on a rainy Saturday?

A: She puts on a frilly skirt & glittery boots

and heads to the Children's Museum with a few dear friends!

Sometimes when we encounter life's rainy days, it's the perfect time to dress up in glitter and ruffles to face the day head on. Sometimes when we encounter life's rainy days, it's the perfect time to stay in fleece jammies while reading & writing and leisurely catching up on a few things around the house. Instead of letting a rainy day dictate what you do, choose what you do to suit what you need! I've learned that life lesson through the rainy days of my life! Some days I head right out into the rain. Other days, I nestle into the warmth & comfort of my home, resting up for another day.

As a little child, I memorized the verse, 

“Honor the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8

The New Living Translation reads, “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” And, their commentary notes read, 

“The Sabbath was a day set aside for rest and worship. God commanded a Sabbath because human beings need to spend unhurried time in worship and rest each week. To observe a regular time of rest and worship in our fast-paced world demonstrates how important God is to us, and it gives us the extra benefit of refreshing our spirits. Don’t neglect God’s provision.” 

This cool, rainy Saturday, I am enjoying SABBATH!

Linking October 2013 with The Nesting Place

 for the 31-day Challenge