"WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION"

"Sailing with Spot"

It doesn't seem possible, but today is the last day of my summer vacation! One of the BLESSINGS of being a preschool teacher is having the whole summer off! I've enjoyed being at home with Joe and Salem (our sweet dog) and living life at a more relaxed pace. I've had fun...

* Celebrating my parents' 54th anniversary with all my family :)
* Spending a week at Myrtle Beach with Joe & Ben (Beach, pool, & eating out!)
* Sketching, reading books, & knitting a scarf (my first knitting project!)
* Creating art for children to put in my Etsy shop, PHOLKART*BLESSINGS
* Helping Jesse & Ben as they've settled into Ben's new house
* Visiting Joe's mom at her farm (Mmmm!... fresh veggies & sweet corn!)
* Caring for an adorable baby girl while her mom was working (such a blessing!)
* Watching movies at home & seeing "Harry Potter" with Joe at the theater

... So many GOOD things!! As I head back into the new school year, I know that the Lord has given me the gift of rest & refreshment this summer. And I'm so GRATEFUL knowing He has good plans for the children & for me in the coming school year! :)

"TO HAVE AND TO HOLD..."

This past Memorial Day weekend, my parents celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary! Months before this special day, planning began to gather family and close friends from all over the country. Invitations were sent, a lovely reception hall overlooking the river was rented, centerpieces were designed using photos of my parents' wedding and cheerful red roses, and balloons were hung in big bouquets around the room. My niece even recorded music from 1954, the year my parents were married!

What a wonderful celebration it was! And most special of all to me was hearing from so many guests who came forward to share. One after another, they talked about how they'd been blessed by my parents and their marriage. The Lord had used Mom and Dad over those 55 years to care for so many people! What an amazing thing to hear how lives had been changed and people brought to know Jesus... all because my parents had held firmly to their faith and to each other!


Lord, thank you so much for Mom and Dad. May you use my husband Joe and I in our marriage to honor You all of our days!


The picture above was created by me in celebration of my parents' anniversary. While deliberating on a border to frame the piece, I could think of nothing better than "Rol hearts Joan hearts Rol hearts Joan..." forever! :)

TIDINGS OF COMFORT & JOY!

My husband, Joe, and I have recently received several New Years cards in the mail from friends near and far. They've helped me realize that there are others like me who are still wrapping up Christmas, "UnDecking the Halls", and sweeping up tinsel in mid-January!

As always, these letters have told our friends' many stories... a new baby, a job change, a wedding, a family vacation, graduations, goals achieved, many ordinary moments, and extraordinary milestones. And sometimes the most honest of these letters have also brought news of difficult life changes and personal losses. Truly, for each of us, every new year holds something new...

And so, as I pack up the manger scene and take down the Christmas wreath, I think about how comforting it is to know that, into our everyday lives, Jesus was born. He is our Emmanuel ~ God With Us. He invites us to walk with Him into each new day.


May your New Year be filled with the comfort and joy of walking with Jesus each day!


From my sketchbook ~ Prismacolor pencil & micron pen on graph paper

WATERCOLOR 101

One rainy day last week, Jane (3) was in an artistic mood and asked if she could paint. Her brother George (now almost 2) enthusiastically climbed up into his high chair so he could join in the fun, too! Out came paper, two sets of watercolors, a variety of brushes, and two tiny containers of water. With kids' music playing in the background, we were ready to PAINT!!

Jane immediately set to work, carefully dipping her brush in her green paint and filling the whole sheet of white paper with a lovely shade of emerald. Once the first paper was filled, she gently laid it aside and proceeded to fill her second page with more green.

George, on the other hand, had quite a different approach! Right away, he plunged his little hand into the water, and then coated his fingers with a rainbow of colors. After dabbing them all over his paper, he wiped them on his arms, face, and my arm too, just for good measure. Taking a paint brush in each fist, he pounced them randomly (and with great glee!) in the paint, all over the paper, and then on the tabletop as well. Of course, he had to taste the paint, happily sticking each brush in his mouth over and over, 'til he had a very colorful smile! For George, it was all about the TOTAL painting experience!!


Thank you, Lord, for these two little ones! They teach me so much each day about creativity and joy!!

IN OUR OWN BACKYARD

Beautiful Saturday morning!...

I love being here on the deck! It's cool, shady, breezy, and quiet (as quiet as things get at our home here in town!). So many birds singing! I've been watching a monarch butterfly, who seems content to fly all around our yard. The azaleas are blooming, and the dogwood next door is covered with white blossoms. So very peaceful...

Joe has been transplanting hostas from our neighbors' backyard this morning. Little by little over the past year, he has seeded and watered and planted and weeded and patiently waited to see the fruits of his labors. Our yard is looking lush and green as a result now. I am so grateful for all of his hard work! And now I am understanding better his vision.

I think Joe saw potential out here that I just didn't see. I have to admit, I thought his one-man war against the wild violets that had overtaken our backyard was a little crazy -- they were green, weren't they? Wasn't it futile to fight against them when they were so determined to migrate over from our neighbors' untamed yard? Wasn't Joe just fighting a losing battle?

But I was wrong. And this Spring has proven it. This was a battle worth waging. Joe has taken back the yard from its' overgrown state, and now it is healthy and green... a testimony to Joe's hard work and diligence.

Jesus often used metaphors about gardening in His parables. Weeds. Fertile soil. Rocky soil. Water. Growth. Fruit. Seed planting. Tilling. Persistence. Providence. Hope. Faith. Harvest... There is much to think about here in our own backyard.

Written 4/15/06

NEW BEGINNINGS...

Today is the first day of a brand new year!! It's cool and sunny, with a Carolina-blue sky -- a perfect early-winter day!

As I write this, I am sipping hot tea and enjoying the wonderful view from our back porch. The sky seems so expansive now that the leaves have left their branches! I have a wide view of our funky old neighborhood -- the rooftops, the huge trees, squirrels and winter birds enjoying the sunshine.

Thank you, Lord, for this day of peace and tranquility! Thank you for New Beginnings...

Written 1/01/06