Goodbye September...

I bid you farewell. You were warm and sunny and lovely...

...but I'll shed no tears at your departure.

Photos: (Click to enlarge) a late September dawn and dusk on Pollywog Creek.

It's not all green...

With a small window of quiet time this morning in the relatively cool of the day, I wandered along the pond and creek ...
Before the Gavinator arrived ...



What a delightful day we had, too. While I worked on a few projects that needed to be completed today, Gavin played on the windowsill in my study with animal models that once belonged to his daddy. I have no idea how or why I saved them, but I'm sure glad that I did. In fact, I could kick myself for not keeping more of the boys' toys. What was I thinking?
Let this be a lesson to the moms with children still at home. You WILL be a grandmother some day, God willing. When your children outgrow their best toys, don't give them all away.

Thursdays...

Thursdays are one of my favorite days of the week.

It's the day I get to visit my dear friend Joyce and help her with a few things that she can't safely do alone. I get to hear her wonderful stories and we laugh and we pray and sometimes I take her out for appointments here and there. She tells me she prays for me every night, and I am humbled. It's the day we get to share a meal with dear, dear friends and study and pray and leave for home filled-up and stirred-up.

Thursdays are favorites, but Fridays are, too, especially today. Can you guess who's coming to play? May you see your children's children! Psalms 128:6a Photos: After-the-rain collage: cardinal, bench swing cut-out, a small south Florida glimpse of fall; milkweed at dusk; Gavin (who else!)

Late summer...

...and it's still mostly green and hot and humid on Pollywog Creek. But I'm not complaining. Honest.

However, I wasn't at all thrilled with the lightening that exploded as it struck a pine tree very close to the house yesterday...when the sun was shining and it wasn't stormy or even raining. I'm not complaining because we were all inside the house when we very easily could have been outside by that pine tree.

Totally changing the subject....

For several years I've kept a fortune cookie message clipped to a little stand by my computer.

I give absolutely no credence to the messages in fortune cookies, but this one resonated with me in ways I am sure were not intented.

Do not display your treasures or people will become envious.

Of course. If my treasures are my worldly possessions, then the display of those treasures would indeed be unwise.

But what if I don't store up treasures where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal?

John Piper says this:

"...treasuring Christ is the goal of the good news that we spread—that Christ died and rose again to remove our sin and God’s wrath so that justified people might enjoy Christ as their treasure forever—"

What if I display that my treasure is Christ?

Weekends...

Since Emily returned from Rwanda, our feet have barely touched the ground, especially the weekends.

First it was Women of Faith (we love you Patsy and Marilyn) and Mandissa and Steven Curtis Chapman in Orlando, then Jessi and the boys moved back to Florida, then Kristin, Emily and I went to the Hillsong United Conference in Miami, then Casey, Jessi and the boys stayed with us before they could move over to the east coast, then Emily went to Night of Joy and her cousin Coral's "baby shower" and MJ's Saturday night church in Winter Haven with all of us, and Kristin and Gavin and I went to Disney on Ice.......

So when Emily said, "I can't wait 'til Saturday!" a few days ago, I almost started to cry. I've loved every moment of every weekend and every activity and especially being with those I love, but I was very much looking forward to a Saturday at home.

"What's happening Saturday?" I tried to remain calm.

"The game!"

What a relief! Thank you, CBS!!!