This and that and a thought to share for a Monday <3
I feel summer is just slipping away from us.
The Back to School displays are not helping.
We got a text this morning reminding us in 8 days we will embark on our end of summer get-away and that means when we return it is basically O.V.E.R. as we launch into the start of another season.
So today I am sharing some randoms from the weekend and then a devotional thought gleaned from the worship time at church yesterday…
Random #1
We spent a fair amount of time at the ball park this summer and yet we are trying to make as many of the “makeup games” as we can because it’s time with family we will never get back.
So the other night I delayed returning home and stayed for Emmett’s last game and was treated to watching Joel and a little friend finding a frog.
While I am not big on reptiles (*hours later and I realize frogs are probably amphibians not reptiles…but still…not my thing….)
I did feel sorry for this little guy…
as children squealed and tried to hold him and finally either the Lord took him like He did Enoch or the little guy made his escape when they were running to get more grass for his bucket home.
Peace be with you Freddy Frog…I hope you made it home <3
Random #2
We missed the window for strawberry picking with this crew so I thank God Rachel was on top of blueberry season and we made it out to a farm on Saturday morning.
It was anything but relaxing because…
we do everything loud, proud and crazy…but it’s how we roll and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
I could have held branches for this little hand all day…
watching her grasp a berry and pull it off was like scaling the side of Everest for my heart.
And yes…blueberry picking is not for the faint of heart…
because Joely Bear keeps Johnson & Johnson in business.
We loved the people at http://braffetberryfarm.com and threatened to take this guy with us to keep on retainer for any brother wars that might ensue….
Random #3
Russ and Zach went golfing with some friends while we were picking blueberries and then they met up with us at the farmer’s market
and if there was anything sweeter than watching those four pick blueberries, it was watching my Achille’s Heal mooch the last cinnamon roll away from his Papi.
I have a strong suspicion if my sweet mother-in-law could see Joel she might recognize someone from her own early mom days….just sayin….
Random #5
I have been to the pool twice this week with these yahoos.
I want to remind all the moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles and babysitters out there, including myself.
It is hot and we are all wearing a little thin with late nights and early mornings and lack of structure that summer brings…and we all may have just gotten a wee bit short-tempered and crabby.
So yes…your sunglass will be water splashed and your car will be like an infernal hell when you try to get into it…you will once again run a load of swim suits, towels and ball pants…but this, too, will pass…all too quickly.
Embrace and enjoy it and treasure it <3
and finally….
One of the songs we sang yesterday had this line repeated “love has triumphed over death.”
We have sung this song many times and I wish I could think of the name of the song…but I can’t and I am not going to google right now…but it hit me in a fresh way yesterday morning.
Because I had my eyes closed and so my brain was working out lyrics on its own and I realized that mentally I would use opposites for a line like this.
Love…has triumphed over …. death
Because in a battle it is typically a “this versus that” and the this is usually the opposite of that
And opposites would be ….
Love has triumphed over hate….
or….
Life has triumphed over death.
But that’s not what the author of this particular song wrote.
He or she chose love as the opposite of death.
We think in terms of “good” versus “evil”
In an argument or a conflict we look for the “good guy” and we use our measuring stick for what we consider to be a goodness…and we cheer on that one that represents our idea of goodness to defeat what represents our idea of evil.
But these words…Love has triumphed over death…
these remind me that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.
These words remind me that my sin meant eternal death.
Period.
End of story.
But God’s love through the death of Jesus Christ, gave me Life sentence.
A never-ending story.
His love triumphed over my death.
Over all death.
His love triumphed over what was doomed to destruction and His love mocks the decay that we see all around us.
He lives.
We live because He loves us.
Praise Him <3