Rest and Peace...

Our church building program being completed means we could finally take a little vacation.

I could tell the Hubs really, really needed it.

The stress and pressure of the building project, some health issues he's dealing with, and a couple of situations of people in crisis in our church had taken its toll on him, and on me too.

We usually go out of state and get away for a couple of weeks during the summer, but with us being well in to September our usual plans just didn't work out.

So, we took just 5 days off and drove just 80 miles from our home to the sea.

The weather was lovely, the beach cottage we rented was cute and cozy, but, unfortunately, true rest and peace seemed to escape us.

Phone calls, hurting people, the stress followed us there.

By day three, things quieted down and we started to relax, but in the blink of an eye it was day five and time to go home.

More stress waited for us when we got home.

I hit a wall of frustration on Saturday and tossed and turned all night.

Then, I went to church and standing there worshipping I caught a glimpse of the greatness of our God, confidence in His ability to handle it all returned, and I rolled the burdens and stress onto His shoulders, and peace and rest came into my mind and heart.

Now that's something to be thankful for.

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

I’ve taken the Joy Dare.

I’m counting one thousand thanks in one year.

I hunt for thanksgiving using the prompts Ann gives us each month.

If you are interested in joining in, click the link above or at the bottom of this post.

I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal…

#2289-#2309

3 gifts moving-

-ocean waves

-me trying to do my 5K training run in the sand

-walking instead

3 hard eucharisteos-

-on our little mini-vacation, phone calls from home about church stuff, that robbed us of real rest

-my second born daughter, son-in-law and grandkids clear across the country after having them here for a month

-things that try to steal my peace and joy

3 gifts in His Word-

-Proverbs 31:18

-Proverbs 31:25

-Psalm 103:4

a gift scented-

-the smell of the Hubs sautéing sausage and onions to put in an omelette for our breakfast

a gift scrawled-

-some ink and watercolor journaling I'm attempting

a gift started-

-decorating the house for fall, even though we're still having very summerish weather

3 gifts drawn-

-a football player drawn for Papa by our only grandson

-a picture of ocean waves for me by our oldest granddaughter

-various circles and squiggles drawn by our 3 year old granddaughter

3 gifts paired-

-new running shoes

-my 55 year old legs that can still run

-the Hubs and I, (paired for over 36 years)

3 gifts shared-

-our king size bed

-the responsibility and work of our church's children's ministry shared with a great team

-sub sandwiches shared at an after church meeting

Gratefully yours,

Elizabeth

Psalm 69:34

Praising Him, as does all of His creation, this weekend.

Still following,

Elizabeth

Friday's Favs…Large Wooden Cubby

I went to one of my favorite antique malls, Monticello Antiques, for their big Fall Open House last Friday.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw this large wooden cubby with a 15% off sign taped to it.

(I love cubbies! See another one here.)

It can be hung on the wall, but I was pretty sure it would be a perfect match to set atop my antique library table.

I walked away, strolling around and looking at other things, but within minutes I turned around and went back to get it because I was afraid someone else was going to snatch it up!

I set it on top of the library table and it is, indeed, a perfect match!

I have it secured to the wall so it can't tip over, but if I ever want to move it off of the table it can easily be moved and hung elsewhere.

We left for a little mini-vacation before I could "play" with it much, but here it is with a few things hastily displayed.

I'm excited to decorate it up for fall and Christmas!

Now this little lady that I showed you last week has to find a new place to hang out, (she may go live at my daughter's house).

Well, it's almost Friday!

HAPPY, HAPPY Friday

and

have a BLESSED weekend!

Elizabeth

 

A Journey of Forgiveness-part two

{ read part one here }

Daddy and his wife moved into a tall, white dilapidated Victorian house with plum trees growing in the yard. His wife and he adopted and raised her two grandbabies, a little girl and a little boy. In my heart, I felt like my Daddy had not only traded Mama for someone else, he had replaced me and my little brother, who were the two youngest in our family, as well.

Sunday afternoons were supposed to be our visitation time with Daddy. When Daddy came and picked us up and took us to a movie or out to pizza, just him and us, it was a good visit. If we went back to his house so he could putter around there doing chores, I hated it. I didn’t feel welcome there, in Daddy’s house with his new wife and kids. His wife never cooked a meal for us that I can recall. I remember snacking on saltine crackers spread with margarine and grape jelly because I was so hungry. Their house was dirty and disheveled and smelled like urine from their kid’s wet clothes. My Mama was a very good cook, and kept our house nice and clean. I couldn’t figure out why Daddy traded Mama in for someone who didn’t do either one.

On Sunday afternoons I started to develop a habit of telling Mama I didn’t feel good, so then I didn’t have to go to Daddy’s. As I grew older the visits got even less frequent as I got involved in our church youth group that met on Sunday evenings. The Daddy that, as a little girl, I had adored and I were becoming strangers.

The one thing I never stopped doing for my Daddy was praying. Mama had gotten us kids involved in a good church when Daddy left. I knew that Daddy had loved Jesus at one time, but I figured that when he had left us, he had left Jesus too. I didn’t know back then, that Jesus doesn’t let go of people all that easily.

A girl needs her Daddy during the turbulent teen years. Daddy wasn’t there to advise me, guide me or protect me during the turmoil of puberty, to meet the boys I dated, or to comfort me when I got a broken heart. By God’s grace, however, I got through junior high and high school relatively unscathed and graduated third in my class. Just before I left for college the following September, Daddy gave me his one and only piece of fatherly counsel, “If you go off and get yourself pregnant, I’ll kick your behind.” I think the door of my heart slammed shut and padlocked tight with the hurt that those were his parting words to me.

{to be continued…}

Still following,

Elizabeth

Beach Cottage Love...

As I mentioned on Monday, the Hubs and I are on a little mini-vacation by the sea.

We've rented this charming, wee little cottage for 5 days.

Look at this tiny white kitchen!

I love the bead board look cabinets, (I suspect they are from IKEA), and the apron front sink.

The countertops are simple 1x6 boards instead of the traditional butcher block.

The weather has been sunny and mild and is supposed to remain that way for the whole time we are here.

Look at this FABULOUS beach house that is for sale not far from our cottage.

(If there are any millionaires out there, I'd like this for Christmas!)

The little plaque you see by the porch window indicates that this is an historic site.

Heading out now for a walk by the sea!

Still following,

Elizabeth

also linking to Faded Charm for White Wednesday

Miracles...

A year ago I didn't see how it could actually happen.

How were we going to wade through the nearly impossible, and not very church friendly, county red tape and regulations to get the permits to build, much less raise the money to build a church without borrowing money?

Today, we had our first service in our new building.

(Maybe I'll get some photos up of our building next week.)

How did the miracle happen?

One day at a time.

Every obstacle we faced with the county, our church prayed, and God moved it out of the way, one way or another.

The money?

We paid as we went along, and somehow God provided.

He provided through our people giving money, volunteers giving time and their skills to help with the building, and even donations of services by outside companies.

And now, the Hubs and I are rejoicing and resting for a few days in a wee little cottage at the beach, after a very wonderful and wearying year.

Thank you, God, for Your wild, wonderful, faith stretching, miracle!

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

I’ve taken the Joy Dare.

I’m counting one thousand thanks in one year.

I hunt for thanksgiving using the prompts Ann gives us each month.

If you are interested in joining in, click the link above or at the bottom of this post.

I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal…

#2268-#2288

3 gifts yellow-

-pineapple popsicles

-3 year old granddaughter's blonde hair

-youngest granddaughter in her yellow flowered sundress

a gift cool-

-cool mornings

a gift warm-

-warm afternoons

a gift sun-soaked-

-almost 50 days without rain, something to savor and remember as we head into the coming months of Oregon drizzle

3 gifts autumn-

-the first signs of the leaves on the trees turning colors

-new crops of ripe apples

-acorns falling from the oaks

3 gifts growing-

-our four grand babies, ages 9,8, 3 and 9 months…they're all growing too fast!

-our church, our son-in-law's church

-more teachers stepping up to teach in kid's ministry at church

3 gifts given-

-money for the well in Homabenase, Ghana

-an encouraging word

-a phone call

a gift made-

-a yummy cup of hot cocoa made by the Hubs for me

a gift masked-

-tests that become testimonies

a gift marveled-

-moving into our new church building

3 gifts framed-

-photos of my three daughters hanging in the stairwell

-photos of the grandkids hanging in the spare room, (aka the grandkids room)

-ink drawings done by an old friend

Gratefully yours,

Elizabeth

Romans 12:10

I tried to get a photo of the grandkids all decked out in their Washington Huskies gear as a surprise for Papa.

Four kids are just about impossible to get all posing nicely together.

In this photo my grandson decided to steal his sister's hat.

I'm kind of thinking God has an even harder time getting His kids all being nice to one another.

That brotherly love stuff, that in honor preferring others, it's not always easy is it?

And it definitely doesn't come naturally.

The flesh wants others to honor and prefer us doesn't it?

This is another thing that takes God's supernatural help to do.

What if each morning we made that our prayer?

"God, give me Your love for others today.

Help me to honor others and to prefer them above myself."

I think I'll try it!

Still following,

Elizabeth