Umpqua River beauty...

Last week we spent five wonderful days at our youngest daughter's in-law's little cabin on the Umpqua River.

I thought I'd share a few of the many photos I took of this beautiful place.

The mornings were foggy, but by mid-morning the fog would burn off giving way to blue skies and sunshine.

I enjoyed gathering a wildflower bouquet to put on the table on the back deck where we ate our meals.

(photo edited with Kim Klassen's waterfront texture)

(photo edited with Kim Klassen's waterfront texture)

What a wonderfully relaxing time we had!

still following,

songography at "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out"

image-in-ing:Variations

http://www.lifenreflection.com

buckaroo mama

peabea

Grateful and thankful!

Last week, we spent five days at our youngest daughter's in-law's little cabin on the Umpqua River.  It was beautifully relaxing, With no internet I didn't blog so I've two weeks worth of my gratitude postings to post this evening. I hoped to post this morning, but the minute we left the cabin and returned to "normal" life, the neat entries I'd put in my daily planner while I was at the cabin for the upcoming week flew out the window and other things unexpectedly have filled up my days. But, they are good things so there's that!  It seems like months since I've been able to find my groove and get back to any kind of regular writing schedule, which at times has felt frustrating, but at other times I've been able to let it go and just embrace life as it comes, my blessed, full, busy life.

****************

Since 2009 I've been counting my blessings thanks to the prompting of Ann Voskamp.

 I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my journal.

(and capturing some of my blessings via my camera or iPhone)

#9911-#9962

 6-12-17-

-our oldest granddaughter's 14th birthday!

-my sister's 65th birthday

-Jesus, my Burden Bearer

6-13-17-

-my lower back doing better after it went out on Sunday

-God's provision 

-help with a yard project

-my nephew's help with new fence

-the way God takes care of things when I cast my care on Him instead of worrying and fretting

 and trying to fix things things on my own

6-14-17-

-my sweet photographer friend taking our youngest grandson's photos

-a fun afternoon with the two youngest grand girlies

-"Nana, one more hug!" from our middle grand girl

6-15-17-

-pedicures with my oldest granddaughter

-glimpses of some of our grandson's photos

-the way out three daughters support one another and us

-prayer and worship-so good!

6-16-17-

-remembering Mama on what would have been her 92nd birthday

-texting with my siblings about fun memories of Mama

-a fun early Father's Day celebration with our whole family

6-17-17-

-watching our oldest granddaughter at her swim meet

-God's help and guidance

-getting everything done on a full and busy day

6-18-17-

-Father's Day!  Thank You, Father for being my Abba, 

thank you for the things my father did right,

thank you for my husband and the good dad and papa he is

-a great message at church today

-arriving at the little cabin on the Umpqua-thank you,God, for this time away!

-a bald eagle perched on the tree across the river

6-19-17-

-foggy mornings that give way to sun and clear skies

-the bald eagle returned with his mate

-mama duck and her ducklings

-(the cabin is only twenty miles inland from the beach), a drive to the beach where we ate at our favorite restaurant and took a long walk on the beach

-a phone call from our youngest daughter updating us on our youngest grandson's growth

6-20-17-

-geese in a straight line next to each other swimming up the river

-a sweet prayer time sitting by the river

-lots of time to read

-photos of our youngest grandson via text

-photo of out middle grandson carrying his chair on his head

-watching some of our favorite old VHS movies

6-21-17-

-the first day of summer

-birds singing and the sound of the rapids down the river while I sit on the deck sipping coffee

-reading by the river

-yummy dinner

6-22-17-

-a walk on the beach-blue skies but oh so windy!

-summer's first root beer float

-the bald eagle perching and posing for us

6-23-17-

-our youngest daughter, son-in-law and newest grandson having a safe trip to the cabin for a few days-

we got to have lunch with them before heading home

-a safe drive home

-air-conditioning on these hot days

6-24-17-

-a sweet baby shower

-some time with friends

-salad for supper on this over 100 degree day

6-25-17-

-communion-His body broken for me, His blood shed for me

-an encouraging lunch

-fun showing our middle grandson his baby photos and him being so tickled to see himself

still following,

Unite my divided heart...

One of my earliest memories is of a time that I told a deliberate lie to Mama.  She was mopping the dining room floor with one of those old timey string mops and a big metal bucket of soapy water.  In the background of my memory are two young boys that Mama was babysitting, though I have no idea who they were or who they belonged to.  I have no memory of my older siblings being there, so I guess they must have been in school that day.  I also don't remember my youngest brother being around, so perhaps he was down for a nap.  Something happened that interrupted Mama's mopping, and I remember her specifically telling me to stay away from the mop bucket when she left the room.  I disobeyed her and spilled that whole bucket of sudsy water all over the dining room floor.  When Mama came back into the room and asked me what happened, I lied and blamed those little boys for the mess. To this day I can remember the icky feeling that entered my little heart, the sense of guilt and wrongdoing.  You might say that in that moment my heart became divided from Mama's heart.  My sin, my deceit, built an instant wall inside my little heart.  To keep from being found out I would need to keep on lying, which only served to fortify the wall and the division I felt inside.  To come clean and be completely transparent and honest would tear down that wall and I could live in peaceful unity with my Mama once again.

God's heart is for us to live in a state of peaceful unity with Him.  He made a way for that to be possible for each one of us.  He knew we couldn't achieve this through our own self effort or good works.  So, He sent His Son to live the sinless life that is impossible for you and I to live.  His Son then died to take the punishment for our sins, all of our sins, making it possible for us to live in peaceful reconciliation with our holy Father God.  Our part is in the "coming clean" about our sins, in being honest and open with God about all of our struggles and sin, all of our doubts and fears. A hidden heart is a divided heart, a walled up heart.  An open and honest heart is undivided.

(Join me for the rest of this post on Sunday, June 25th, at Woman to Woman Ministries where each Sunday I share a bit of Sunday Soul Food!)

still following,

Also happily linking up with the lovely

Susan B. Mead
and

Sunday Scripture Blessings

Peace and Quiet...

We live in tumultuous times. Once again, this week's news was filled with violence and controversy.   I long for peace and quiet in the midst of this world's chaos.  In Isaiah 32:18 we read that God's people can dwell in peace, safety and quiet.  Perhaps there are some things that we can do to cooperate with God in making this happen.

1) Ask the Prince of Peace to dwell in you and in your home and family.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  Invite Him into every area of your life, home and family.  Give Him permission to show you anything in you, your home and your family that is a peace robber.  There are many things that can steal your peace.  Unforgiveness, offenses, worry, anxiety, overcrowded schedules, chaotic surroundings...I could go on and on.  The good news is that God is willing to show us the things that are keeping us from living in peace if we will ask Him to and then listen to Him.

(Join me for the rest of this post on Sunday, June 18th, at Woman to Woman Ministries where each Sunday I share a bit of Sunday Soul Food!)

still following,

Also happily linking up with the lovely

Susan B. Mead
and

Sunday Scripture Blessings

Friday Faves - Affordable Felt Letterboard

Felt letter boards used in decor can be seen all over Instagram and Pinterest.

They can be used for fun quotes, for leaving your family fun reminders or messages,

or for a favorite scripture or inspirational saying.

The downside is that they are pretty expensive.

Because of that I didn't pursue getting one, but when I happened upon one at Walmart for $9.97,

I couldn't pass it up!

Since I have copper pans and other copper accents in the dining room,

I decided to spray paint the frame of the letter board with copper colored spray paint.

For $9.97 and the price of a can of spray paint, you could personalize your letter board in your own favorite color!

Well, it's almost Friday, friends!

Have a HAPPY, HAPPY Friday

and a safe and BLESSED weekend!

             

Hydrangea and some upcoming summer projects...

As summer draws near, at our new to us house, we are already beginning some big house projects.

(We moved in two years ago this coming September.)

Outside my husband and some friends have been pulling out more old and overgrown shrubs from our flowerbeds, putting up some new fencing, and are getting ready to expand our patio space.

I'm hoping that my hydrangea will bloom more heartily now that it isn't being overcrowded by other shrubs.

Also, happening this summer, our kitchen updates are finally happening.

It's time for our kitchen to come out of 1992 and into 2017!

I've chosen and ordered our new quartz kitchen countertops.

A fun new backsplash will be installed.

Our oak cabinets will be painted white and updated with some fun changes.

I'm excited!

still following,

songography at "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out"

image-in-ing:Variations

http://www.lifenreflection.com

buckaroo mama

peabea

Overflowing with praise...

Last week was a busy and full week filled with blessings and the goodness of the Lord,

all unearned and undeserved.  He's such a good, good Father Who is consistently faithful, steadfast and loving.  On good days, on hard days, on mundane ordinary days, He blesses me, He cares for me.

I am so grateful and He is so worthy of praise.

****************

Since 2009 I've been counting my blessings thanks to the prompting of Ann Voskamp.

 I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my journal.

(and capturing some of my blessings via my camera or iPhone)

#9885-#9910

6-5-17-

-early sunrise

-quiet time for devotions and blogging

-patio plans and estimates from our friend

-God's provision to do updates on our kitchen and expand our patio

6-6-17-

-eight hours of sleep!

-God working things out when I cast my cares onto Him

-dinner with our youngest daughter, her husband, and our newest grand baby

-that sweet baby smell-I love snuggling our grandson!

6-7-17-

-seeing a huge improvement in our middle granddaughter's schoolwork

-her telling me all about the parable of the sower and what it means as we walked to the park

-our middle grandson, age 3, telling me he is now "Nana's big boy" 

since our newest grandson is now "Nana's baby boy"

6-8-17-

-God's help with a long to-do list

-raindrops on peonies

-a break in the rain for my walk

-Thursday dinner with the two oldest grandkids

-our youngest daughter and our newest grandson spending the night

-going on a walk to the church with them

6-9-17-

-a good doctor that our daughter feels comfortable with for our grandson 

-lunch at Chipotle with my girl

-our son-in-law hanging our new woven wood blinds

6-10-17-

-riding to my sister's with my nephew and his family 

-beautiful Oregon

-a fun visit with my sister and her husband

6-11-17-

-the sweet spirit in my sister's church

-a fun birthday surprise for my sister

-safe travels back home to my hubs

still following,