Evening Rays

I wanted to share these photos I snapped this evening with you. I couldn't believe the beauty of the sun's rays as they shone behind the clouds. I found myself watching expectantly through my camera and I was fairly amazed at the beauty of it all. Sometimes the real wonders of creation far surpass even our imaginations.

Hold On

My friend Nita at Red Tin Heart shared this video on her blog and it blessed me by it's beautiful images and words. It's amazing how God wraps Himself around us and gives us the same messages everywhere we go so we'll hear Him. I love you Jesus

(To listen, scroll down and pause my music playlist)

The Shack

I've just finished reading this book. It challenged my perception of God, and increased my trust in Him and in who He is. It really is a beautiful book.

"Reading The Shack during a very difficult transition in my life, this story has blown the door wide open to my soul."

Wynonna Judd

"This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress did for his. It's that good."

Eugene Peterson

Blue Jays and Cardinals

The most beautiful blue jays and cardinals have been keeping me company this summer. They land on the branches of a tree just outside my window. My computer and desk sit facing this window so I'm able to enjoy their company. The tree died a couple of years ago and I just haven't taken it down yet. My son was sad about the tree dying since it was one he could climb in when he was little. Yet, even in the state my dead tree is in, it provides a place for blue jays and 

cardinals to sit and sing and bring color to my day! Isn't that like God? He can take something that we think is dried up, useless, has no life left or hope and fill it with color and beauty and life and song!

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. " Revelation 3:20

There is Hope

Tucked away in a pocket, in a place where I haven't looked for quite some time, is an issue that I want to write about today. In the midst of my joy, of floating through my days as if I haven't a care in the world, I was awakened to the hurt of someone very dear to me. And in listening to her God reminded me that there are so many other women who face the same struggle. Women to whom it's not an issue of the past, healed over by God's grace and restoration, but a living, painful struggle. It's an issue that forces us to make hard decisions, to find courage to ask for help, to think about our safety and the safety of our children.

A lot of us may know someone living with abuse or violence in their home. It can be invisible, just below the surface. Only rarely does it show itself, preferring to stay hidden. It can take many forms. Emotional abuse can be difficult to describe or talk about. The important thing is to find someone to talk to. We can't control the other person, we can only control ourselves, just as we have to take responsibility for ourselves, so the other person is responsible for doing what they have to do to get help and change their destructive behavior. Sometimes the best thing we can do is let the authorities God has put in place, step in and do their job. There needs to be accountability for change to occur.

While searching for wisdom to know how to help my friend, I found a great post written by Mary DeMuth on her Relevant Blog. I also found websites I have added to my list of Important Places. They are Focus Ministries and National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Hope's Door.

You are not alone
"Maybe you have known the fear and despair of living in an abusive relationship; the anxiety of never knowing when something you say or do will trigger the violence. You are afraid to confide in anyone else because he has warned you not to tell anyone what goes on inside the four walls of your home.
You are afraid that even if you did go to your pastor or a counselor, they would not believe you because your husband is a smooth talker who can make you sound like a fool, or he may be a respected leader in the church.
You wish you had wings so you could fly away to a safe place where you would be free from hurt. Take heart--there is help available to you, and there is hope. People care, and most of all, God cares. You are important! You are valuable." Focus Ministries

"Seldom does the abuse just go away; it gets worse. And there is nothing you can do to change your partner's behavior." Hope's Door

Dear Lord,

I pray that you will give us your wisdom, whether we are the one in a violent relationship or the one trying to help. I pray that you will bring comfort and strength to my friend and anyone reading this who is in this situation. Please give the discernment to know when to ask for help and provide a safe person to talk to. Thank you for walking with us through these days. I praise you God for your power to restore and rebuild lives.

(As for my friend, I just held her, cried with her and held her hand. I told her I knew she was strong and I trusted her to make the right decision. My prayers go with her.)

Sunrise

His glory covered the heavens and His praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise, rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.

Habakkuk 3:3-4

family time

family time. . .

painting ceramic pots
a rare time together. . .

Until . . ."Hey Mom! No more pictures!"

Play!

My daughter made me this pancake the first morning I was at home this week!

Blueberry yogurt eyes and a red icing mouth!

A Morning Walk

This morning I took a walk. I didn't take the dog with me this time. It was cooler than it has been with an overcast sky. I could feel an occasional light sprinkle of rain on my face. My legs began to stretch out and use muscles they haven't used for a long time. As my arms began swinging to step up my pace, I began to feel stronger, and more confident. I breathed in deeply and felt free.

I thought about the verse in the bible that talks about not looking back, but keeping our eyes straight ahead. For the first time in a long time I feel that I'm able to do that. To look forward with hope and peace in my heart and the anticipation of wondering what God is going to lead me to.

I know these days are a gift. I even unplugged my alarm clock so when I'm in my room I have no idea what time it is. I can read as long as I want to before I go to sleep and I can sleep as long as I want to before I get up. After setting the alarm for 4:25 AM every workday for two years, it sure is nice. (Actually I do have a job fair tomorrow morning so I guess I'd better set it tonight). I'm enjoying my home so much more. My time with my kids isn't rushed. We're just enjoying being together.

In case this all sounds misleading, I think I'm working harder at finding a job than I ever did at my job. I'm exploring all kinds of ideas and I'm excited to see where God leads. I pray that I will listen carefully and hear Him.

"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye"Psalm 32:8"

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."Isaiah 30:21

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."Proverbs 3:6

He Makes Me Lie Down in Green Pastures

Psalm 23

God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word, you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.

Even when the way goes through Death Valley,
I'm not afraid when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure.
You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.
Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.
I'm back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life.
The Message

The LORD, the Psalmist's Shepherd.
A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
New American Standard

What wonderful words. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. True to His word, He lets me catch my breath and sends me in the right direction.

I praise you God, most holy and merciful, faithful and trustworthy, my provider, my shield, my protector, my all. You have prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies and you revive my drooping head. My cup overflows with blessing. Your beauty and love, your goodness and lovingkindness follow me, chase after me every day of my life. You are my home and will be forever.

Last week when I posted the verses from Psalms about how God is our help, I was seeking strength from God's word for a situation I was facing at work. It seemed the only option was to resign from a job I've been at for almost 8 years. I felt it was the only way to preserve my dignity. As I've shared before, I've been seriously searching for a teaching job for a while now. I'm sure alot of us feel this way at times, but I had felt like a caged bird for a long time, believing that God's purpose for me was far away from where I was spending the majority of my time.

So, being the brave soul that I am, I called work, after I knew everyone had gone home, and left messages for my bosses telling them I was quitting. I had prayed and felt God's peace about my decision. I knew He would provide, believing He had led me to this decision. However. . . after tossing and turning for a few hours, remembering things like insurance, what does the employee handbook say about not giving notice, what would my family's reaction be? Was I being irresponsible?

So, I dragged my tail in after me the next morning, asked if they would accept a two weeks notice from me instead. Yesterday, I was told that they would give me an extra two weeks pay to give me more time to devote to finding a new job and that I could make yesterday my last day. Now, shouldn't I be happy about this turn of events? I feel like the bird who has been dreaming and singing of freedom, staring at the open door in the cage, realizing I really am free. Free to follow my dreams and let God lead me in the right direction. He has given me this time to catch my breath.

Last week, my post was going to be about pride, how sometimes in attempting self preservation we become the one who is proud. Attempting to protect ourselves from those around us who seem haughty and rude, we ourselves become prideful. In setting down my pride, I realized it had become a wall behind which I had been hiding for a long time. Now, it seems, God has provided the only protection I ever needed all along.

This morning instead of chasing after planes, pilots and coffee pots, I'm at home making scrambled eggs and pancakes for my kids, looking out at my green pastures.

Dear Precious Lord,

I lay my days at your feet. I lay the work of my hands and my ambitions and dreams at your feet. May each thought and effort be for you and from you. I know all that I am and have is from you. Your beauty and love, your goodness and lovingkindess, follow me all the days of my life. My home is with you.

Today was like one big hug. We soaked up all of the beauty and colors we could. Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, and Gaguin . . . Their very brush strokes, such brilliant color, sun reflected from Mediterranean villages. . . our favorite. The quietness as rooms full of people gazed in wonder and awe at these works of art. Of course, I was basking in my daughter's company and her beautiful smile. Traveling to the museum and back home again, we talked and laughed. We talked of hopes and dreams ...

It was a day filled with magic.

Treasures

One day when my oldest daughter was 10, I checked her out of school early and we went to see the Monet exhibit at the Kimbell Museum. It was such a special day for us both. Mother- daughter time, strolling along, gazing at these beautiful works of art, the amazing colors...I still have my prints that I bought. She picked out a book with a painting by Monet as the cover.

I've thought of that day over the years and wished we could have had more like it. You know the longing in our hearts that we, as mothers, get sometimes. My wish is coming true!

There is a new Impressionist Exhibit with work by Monet, Van Gogh, and many more wonderful artists. My daughter celebrates her 22nd birthday on Monday so tomorrow we get to relive our special day and create a new one.

After a dusty search through closets and boxes, I found our treasures safely hidden away!

My real treasure is my daughter and time spent with her, my little princess, my butterfly girl, now a beautiful, young woman.

Because You Are My Help

Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 63:6-8

Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll -are they not in your record? Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help.

By this I will know that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise-

Psalm 56:8-10

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

Psalm 54:4

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

Numbers

When I first read the subject for our next Brenda Photo Challenge Numbers, I thought, well, numbers and I have never been best friends, but I'll try and get creative with it because of how much my good friend and hostess for this photo challenge Karen M @ LovedandEngraved loves them. She really does. She gets excited about them! When I started thinking about how numbers are really just symbols and tools that allow us to do so many things in our lives I developed a new respect for them.

I'll bet you know what time it is even though the long hand is pointing to the Great Horned Owl and the short hand is pointing to the Belted Kingfisher. Even birds can be Numbers.

There are even Numbers in the Bible!

I love the Numbers on my Nikon cameras, the f stops and shutter speeds, that allow me to capture beauty on film.

I was going to include my digital camera in this grouping but, well, I started to set it down with these two but then I couldn't take the picture. Seriously. . .

We measure love by numbers. . . more than all the grains of sand on all the beaches, more than all the stars in the sky, more than all the leaves on all the trees. Thank you Karen for choosing Numbers for this Photo Challenge, I think I'm starting to love them too!

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:29-31

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians: 4: 7-9

A Little Order

We make a little order where we are, and the big sweep of history on which we can have no effect doesn't overwhelm us. We do it with colors, with a garden, with the furnishings of a room, or with sound and words. We make a little form and we gain composure.

Robert Frost

(This little quote is sitting in the corner of my Mom's bulletin board in her kitchen and I've been walking by and reading it for about twenty or so years. I finally took the time to write it down so I could remember it.)

Thank You!

Thank you so much to Morning by Morning for passing on this award to me. This is an exciting occasion for me since this is my very first blog award! It really means so much when you find out that your words have reached someone. I can really identify with my new blog friend at Morning by Morning when she said ..." when I got a few comments on the first post . . . I was like “SOMEBODY PINCH ME I must be dreaming?????” I felt the exact same way. Now, it's almost as if we're becoming a family, supporting and encouraging each other. I'm very blessed to receive this award and now I get the privilege of passing it on to Seven Brilliant Blog Ladies whose words have blessed my life!

Morning Coffee Joni was the very first one to leave a comment on my blog. I have met so many wonderful blog friends through her. I always find inspiration and refreshment in her words and pictures.

Loved and Engraved Karen has been a good friend for a long time. It's so much fun to share blogging with her. Her enthusiasm is contagious. I always learn something new about her life and faith through reading her blog.

The Perfect Walk I met Leigh through a common interest in our profile, seeking God. You can see her heart for God so clearly in her words. Her faith shines through in everything she writes.

Red Tin Heart Nita's blog blesses my heart everytime I visit. You can see her strength and courage in her writing. She inspires everyone who visits.

Homesteader's Heart Kim is so full of joy and energy and enthusiasm for life. She has a fun sense of humor and I always enjoy reading about her daily adventures with her family and her faith.

Cottage Days and Journeys Donna's blog is always full of adventures from her travels and her life at home. I met her through the Photo Challenge. She is always an encouragement.

Annie's Blog I love reading about Annie's adventures in New York City and seeing her journey through her photographs there.

The Rules: Put the logo on your blog. Put a link to me (who awarded it to you)(if you want) on your blog also. You need to nominate 7 other bloggers for the award and put links to them also on your blog. Finally, leave a comment for those you've nominated - so they know they've received a special award!

Cats

It all started while we were at my friend's house on the Fourth of July, being entertained by her cat and it's favorite laundry basket. Listening to funny stories of her cats and their adventures reminded me of the affection I shared with my cat (cats) many years ago. The next day, I went to the library looking for something fun and light to read. There on the shelf was a book with the prettiest illustrations of cats on the cover called "The Cats of Moon Cottage". The story takes place in England and it's all about the antics and personalities of the cats belonging to the owners of this cottage. I couldn't put the book down. The next morning an announcement was made at the end of our Sunday School class that someone had 4 kittens to give away. This, of course, I took as a sign directly from heaven.

I knew my next step was to convince myself that my very large dog would accept and get along with a kitten. My kids were not sure at all about it. My daughter very definitely did not want a cat. So. . . I got to thinking. She goes off to college in a year. . . I decided that would probably be the best time to add a new little member to my family anyway.

In the meantime I'm feeling very homesick for a kitten or for the cat she will grow up to be, my new little companion. I got caught the other day. My son has a soft, cuddly Winnie the Pooh we bought at Disney World a few years ago. He noticed it wasn't in his room in it's usual spot. When I admitted I had borrowed it to snuggle and keep me company he thought that was pretty hilarious... haha.

I finished the first book and I'm starting on the second. It's called "More Cat Tales from Moon Cottage" by Marilyn Edwards. The illustrations are by Peter Warner. Reading it makes me feel all cozy like wrapping up in a down comforter or snuggling Winnie the Pooh or looking forward to a new kitten. I told my daughter I might name it after her, but on second thought, Winnie sounds like a good name to me.

P.S. There's even a website where you can see photographs of the actual cottage and the cats in the stories. www.thecatsofmooncottage.co.uk

I heard this song on the radio yesterday and it really captured my heart. I couldn't catch all of the words, so I looked it up online. I had never seen the video for the song before. My heart was pulled in so strongly, I think, because I can identify with the hurting person as well as hoping and praying that I am not one who has looked away. As God has restored me, I wish to be one who sits down and takes the time to care. May God open my eyes to the needs around me.

Mission Statement

Join the Blog Mission Tour hosted by Becoming Me . It was kind of neat to put into words why I began my blog and why I continue to love writing it.

Faith of a Single Mom's mission:

• To share my faith from the perspective of my life's experiences
  
• To encourage other women at whatever place they find themselves on their journey
  
• To throw out a lifeline to someone struggling in life as a single mom
  
• To give praise to my God and my Savior Jesus Christ
  
• To have fun and make new friends

All at the same time!

God has brought me out of brokenness to new life in Him. I know that all that I am and all that I have is because of Christ.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Patriotism

Welcome to the Brenda Photo Challenge ! This has been a lot of fun. Thank you Brenda for beginning this fun, purposeful addition to our blogging. I can't wait to visit everyone. A few of you beat me to the challenge! Please be sure to visit all of our participants and see their beautiful, inspired photos. Great job everybody!!






Flying the American Flag at my home



When we first began flying our flag after moving into our home 10 years ago, we left it up for months because I loved seeing it there. It looks like "home" to me.

Fireworks with friends. . . This was my son's first year to entertain the rest of us by lighting his own fireworks. Even though they were a smaller version Mom was glad when the bucket was empty!

Lots and lots of fun

The joy of sparklers set against a Fourth of July night sky brings back childhood memories of cousins and watermelon and backyard fireworks.

Looking through a store front window at words to remind me

(I couldn't resist a 4th for the 4th)

Karen M over at Loved and Engraved has graciously agreed to be our next hostess for the new Photo Challenge. Be sure to visit her to sign up. I can't wait!