Hurray! I Get Shots Today!

Today was the big day...

The final kindergarten doctor appointment for my children.
Stephen was so excited. HE was going to be a big boy.

We talked through the whole thing in advance; the measuring, the sight test, the hearing test, the "peeing in a cup", an of course the shots.

"hooray! I get shots today!" He declared excitedly. He marched around the house and told all his brothers.
As we sat in the doctors office, he was still excited. He asked me if they hurt. I said, yes. They hurt like a sharp pinch. I said you can say, "Ouch!" if you need to. He said OK.

Well, as you may have guessed, he was not pleased with the reality of the shots. They hurt more than he was prepared for. He said ouch for the first and yet by the second he started to cry and didn't even try to be brave f or the last one.

After he was all done he said, "Mommy you said it would hurt a little bit, but they really hurt a lot!"

We are never quite prepared for pain and suffering are we?
We may even dance around and look pain right in the face, but the truth is pain hurts. It disarms us.
Stephen was thankful I was there to hug him through it. As mom, I knew the immunizations were for his good, and yet it is always hard for me not to cry along.

I think life dishes us "not-so-fun" moments. I may think I am  tough enough to handle whatever life throws my way, but the truth is pain levels me. It is especially effective when the pain is not mine, but my children's...
I am so thankful the Lord knows exactly how the current suffering works together for my good.

Shots hurt. Life can hurt. But God is always good...

First Light

I love the quiet of the morning.
My favorite thing to do is to go for a walk, somewhere where it feels like I am all alone. That place without traffic and the hum that goes along with it.
That place where the loudest sound is the song of the songbird..

You know that time time of day where the world is lit yet the suns rays are not yet seen? That's the time.
It's here that it happens.
My favorite moment...
The sun peeks out from where ever its been hiding.
The rays of light spread through the trees.
The light seems to hand pick where to highlight. It's like watching a Thomas Kincaid painting come to life.

It's here among the songbird's song and the silent rays of the morning light that I hear the Lord most clearly.

I am usually too tired when I start walking... so in quiet wonder my feet move forward one step at a time.
I yawn, I stretch, I listen.

This past weekend, I enjoyed three spectacular morning walks.

I think first light is a spectacular time of day. The world seems to lazily sleep through this magical time (As I do most days). But with out fail, every time I am ready to greet it, it greets me back.

I am so glad I didn't miss it this day!
Walking in the early morning light is  not the only place to experience "first light".

As I walk through today I will look for more:
That moment my little guy learns to read or tie his shoe, or master something challenging like whistling. You know that moment when their whole face lights up and they excitedly declare, "I did it!"
The light reflects off their eyes... I don't want to miss it.

Or when my husband of 20 years saunters into the room where I am busy doing something. He stops me, cups my face in his hands and  looks me straight in the eyes and whispers, "I love you...: and then walks away...

First light moments are everywhere...

First Cozy of the Day

After my amazing walk through the mist and exploring nature I slowly head back to my sleeping family.

My heart is swelling with love and I am at total rest. I have spent the last hour walking and listening to my Lord and I am overflowing with love.
I find a quiet place to sit with a hot cup of coffee and my notepad so I can capture the essence of what I have just experience, when out stumbles my little Stephen.
With sleepy eyes and that adorable face he snuggles next to me on the swing. He realizes he is a bit chilly so he darts off and is back in an instant with a large stuffed lamb to help keep him warm.
We snuggle and talk about how beautiful the day is already.
He speaks in quiet whispers and as we cozy I get countless hugs and kisses...
Again my heart is full.

My mind of course wanders and contemplates this moment.

You see within minutes of rising my Stephen turns into a tornado, ready to conquer life single handed-ly.
Except for these quiet moments in the morning where all there is to do but snuggle and whisper, he never stops his quest for domination.

Its in these quiet moments that I capture or miss his heart for the day.
If I stop and spend that time with him he is calmer and more at peace during the day.
He feels loved and listens more attentively to me during the hustle and bustle of his life.

I think these morning cozies are the most vitally important. They set Stephen and I up for a more peaceful and joyful day each time.

I think this is what the Lord looks for from me each morning. He is waiting patiently for me on the "swing" as I sleepily stumble into the new day. If its cold, He smiles while I wrap myself in the arms of the Lamb.
He snuggles my souls as He whispers to my hear how much He loves me. He knows that if He is able to snuggle me in the early light, that I will walk more confidently at noon.

I am thankful that He waits for me with open arms each day. He knows that soon enough I will be racing around trying to accomplish that never ending "to-do" list. He must feel so loved when I come to greet him each day, like I felt that moment in the sun on the swing with Stephen.

I look for the opportunities to sit quietly with Him. For me, they are in the early light of day... Where that first cozy awaits.

The Mist

So I head out the door quickly and quietly to walk the dog. We stroll down to the edge of the little lake that rests at the end of the street.
The water is gloriously still first thing in the morning. I can hear the geese hidden in the reeds, and although I do not see them this trip, I am confident there must be at least a few older ducklings.

What is most striking about this lake in the early morning is the mist that slowly rises off the face of the water.
It catches me off guard every time. If only I could capture it on film...

I often see and hear creation praising the creator. The Lord gave me a heart to feel and eyes to see and I do feel and see...
If I sleep too long I miss it, so I tend to jump out of bed when I am near this natural wonder.


I sat in awe once again at the rising mist. As I walk quietly through the morning air I pray and sing quiet songs of Praise and worship. In the mist I can see a picture of my own heart rising to the ear of the One who knows every hair on my head.

The mist comforts me and calms my soul...

Walking with God

I think of Enoch often. I love to walk with the Lord, Enoch loved to walk with God.
For me, there is something magical about an early morning walk with the Lord.
It's quiet. It's calm. I am not awake enough to be full of myself yet, so I am more apt to listen.

I spent the Memorial weekend celebrating our son's birthday near Yosemite.
My father in laws house sits nestled amongst trees and bushes so even though there are homes right next door, you do not see them.

We brought our dog Buck with us to visit and of course that means early morning walks.  There are no fences surrounding the property, so I take advantage of the "need for a walk" and sneak out while my family sleeps.

I learned a lot about myself and the Lord this past weekend. I know I've learned these lessons before, but they were sweeter to me this trip.
I am confident that these are the thought I will share with you this week.

I did not have the ability to write and post out here, but I have quite a few thoughts I wrote down the "old fashioned way..."

Come walk with me...