Hello, Spring...

Hello, planting...

and scratching...

and dusty turnrows...

and budding trees, pretty fields...

and growth!

Hello, beautiful tulips...

...and lovely dogwoods...

...and a new pier!

Hello, lovely sunsets...

Celebrating the beauty of spring with a heart of gratitude...

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, 

coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, 

who does not change like shifting shadows." 

James 1:17

Great will be their peace...

I chose a memory verse this time that just called out to my mother-heart. Even though my children are grown, college graduates, married and pretty independent, I'm still so...attached. 

I'm not complaining...I think that's good, but it's a new and interesting thing to try to navigate the waters of mothering when they're adults. Jesse and I say all the time that our kids are our favorite people, and it's true. I'm beyond thankful that we not only love our adult kids -- we genuinely like them. And respect them. And even admire them. And (glory be!) they both chose spouses we absolutely LOVE. 

And here they are -- making their way in the world, which involves decisions and change and growth...sometimes disappointment or fear, hope and joy. I can't jump in and fix everything, smooth every path (could I ever?) and the verse I chose is a reminder that it's not about me anyway.

"All your children will be taught by the Lord, 

and great will be their peace."

Isaiah 54:13 NIV

The Lord is their teacher -- their greatest and best teacher. Seeing my children follow the Lord is one of the most profound joys of my life. Knowing they are being taught by His Word and His Spirit gives this mama joy and peace. 

And the thought of my children enjoying not only peace, but great peace? The kind of peace that sustains, despite circumstances? Lord, make it so!

(Side note: Commentaries and the Amplified version of the verse suggest that it is referring also to "spiritual" children -- which I'm blessed to have. Yes, I'm referring to YOU, sweet Sunday School girls present and past, Cross Campers and others I've loved! This prayer extends and covers you also!)

(Another side note: I may possibly be motivated to choose a memory verse with my children as the subject because I'm in the midst of an extreme bit of nostalgia as we convert old home movies into a digital format. I mean, wasn't this just yesterday?

Sheesh.)

May we all be taught by the Lord. And know great peace.

Easter mantel...just for fun

I had an hour or so to kill this morning before running some farm errands and I decided to make my mantel a little more "springy" and Easter-ish with things I have at the house. After my Valentine's mantel:

I put together something simple:

I pick up random plates at places like TJ Maxx, Pier One and Target because I think they're pretty to decorate with. I got the blue artichoke candleholder at TJ Maxx for around $6 and love it! The white ceramic candleholders were $3 each at our local Dollar General. (I'm kind of mad I didn't get more of them!) The photograph of the two boys on an oak-lined dirt road is a longtime family favorite; a print of a photo taken by a college friend's dad in the 1950s or early 1960s. Jesse and I always loved it and she was gracious enough to let us make a print of it over 25 years ago. It's almost always hanging over our mantel. And, of course, the books are some of the vintage ones I gathered up for Michael and Maranda's wedding. I knew I wanted to use some of the books for my Easter mantel, and I generally love the aged, funky look they have, but I decided I wanted something more colorful and fresh for spring. So I got some recycled scrapbook paper (also leftover from Michael and Maranda's wedding reception) and "covered" a few of the books...

Before:

(Don't you just love it? But it seemed a little too dull for spring.)

After:

The eggs I got several years ago at Paul Michael -- they are lightweight plastic and apparently indestructible because they have been used for juggling, dodge ball and just about anything else you can imagine unruly boys doing with a centerpiece! The crystal bowl was a wedding gift. I decided the tarnished silver base gave it, uh, patina. Yeah, that's it -- patina!

I put some more eggs under a cloche (also a wedding gift -- part of a cheese board, I think. Those were very popular wedding gifts 29 years ago. I got several!) on top of a few more books. The primitive bunnies are the most recent purchase...I think I got them two years ago at Pier One. I love them!

So, I thought I was done...

But when I was putting up the plates, I rediscovered this sweet bird plate (also a Pier One purchase, probably 5-6 years ago):

I couldn't resist adding it, so I stuck the other Dollar General candlestick on the other side and called it "done." 

I doubt it follows the "rules" -- I think you're supposed to have odd numbers, so if the book stack counts as "one" then I've got five things per side, but that makes for an even 10. Hmmm. Maybe the framed print makes 11? Who cares? I'm all about the happy factor more than the design factor. And from my perch:

It's all happy! (That's an egg garland I didn't use on the ottoman. I may find a place for it still!) Happy spring!

As surely as rains in early spring...

"Oh, that we might know the Lord!

    Let us press on to know him.

He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn

    or the coming of rains in early spring."

-- Hosea 6:3 NLT

Something about this verse (Scripture memory for March 1) captured me. Maybe it's the mention of spring rains as we approach another season of planting and growing, but I think it's more about the encouragement to "know the Lord; to press on to know Him."

The Amplified Bible records the first part of the verse this way:

"Yes, let us know 

(recognize, be acquainted with, and understand) Him; 

let us be zealous to know the Lord 

[to appreciate, give heed to, and cherish Him]."

Matthew Henry's commentary on the verse says, "When God designs mercy for a people he gives them a heart to know him." 

What a beautiful picture of our relational God-- God knows us (and still loves us) and wants us to know Him. 

Jeremiah 24:7 reads:  

^"I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. 

They will be my people, and I will be their God, 

for they will return to me with all their heart."

 ^{So, even the ability to know Him at all is a gift given by Him. There's also the call to "press on" to know Him. Henry says: "}We must value and esteem the knowledge of God as the best knowledge, we must cry after it, and dig for it."  And when our desire to know Him doesn't stir us as it should, or as it once did, we call out to Him to renew that very desire. 

It's all about Him.

The second part of the verse is the promise -- His response is sure...as timely and certain as the dawn; as refreshing and nourishing as the spring rain. Despite a wet, soggy winter, I find myself "dry" at times...in need of a soaking, refreshing reminder of His presence. As the spring rains replenish the land to make it fruitful, knowing God, soaking in His presence, His Word, His Spirit, will increase our fruitfulness. Lord, rain on us that we may bear much fruit...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Words...

I had a hard time deciding which verse I wanted to memorize this go 'round. I have been highlighting and saving several that I've run across over the past few weeks, but nothing had that "just-this-minute" quality until I ran across this one:

"May the words of my mouth 

and the meditation of my heart 

be pleasing to you, O Lord, 

my rock and my redeemer."

Psalm 19:14 NLT

Words. 
Of my mouth. 
Oh, these are many, my friends. 
Many. 

I've always been a talker. My earliest report cards always contained statements like this: "Leslie is a very good student. She is talkative, however." However.

And I've always been quick to speak -- too quick, at times. I don't know why some of us are just more naturally inclined to wordiness, but a burning desire to communicate has driven my career choice (journalism); my ministry bent (teaching); and has been the source of good (encouragement, occasional flashes of eloquence) and bad (hasty words, harsh words spoken too quickly, never-to-be-retrieved). 

So, yes, pleasing God in this area is definitely a matter of prayer -- but not only the words of my mouth, but the meditation of my heart. I'm a stewer. A re-player of conversations. A bundle of "what-ifs" and "shoulda-coulda-wouldas." So often, the late night meditations of my heart are consumed with these, or other worries, rather than, say for example, "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, anything excellent or praiseworthy..." (Phil. 4:8) 
Think on these things. (I'll try.)

The New Living Translation asks that these be "pleasing to you, O Lord..." Several other translations say "acceptable."  I think the connotation is that the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts are offerings placed before God. The prayer is that they would be acceptable, pleasing...a fragrant offering. Make it so, Lord!

So...what are you memorizing?

hello. also, i love you.

This is a "just for fun" post. I decided to pull together a few things from around the house to make a kind of "Valentine-ish" mantel, then decided to share it! Nothing fancy, just something to make me happy (and anyone else who wanders in our home!)
Here it is...

I used the lettered "LOVE" mugs from Anthropologie that we got for Michael and Maranda's wedding. (I poked some roses in the O mug that were leftover from the Chamber banquet last week.) The mugs were probably $6 each? They are propped on vintage books, also collected for M&M's wedding, mostly thrifted from the wonderful "Blessings All Around" shop in Gilbert (Shelli Tabor is such a delightful person -- if you live in the area, you should go there!)

I had some red ribbon, which I used some school glue to attach to some votives I already had, and tied another snippet of ribbon around some pillar candles from my candle stash. I also pulled a print from the wall in Jess' bedroom upstairs (not expecting overnight guests in the next few days, so I thought I'd bring it downstairs to enjoy!) 

It's from an Etsy shop -- theinksociety. I'm such a fan of "word" art. I probably overuse it in my home, but I love it! So, there you have it -- simple, sweet and it makes me happy!

And, here's another glimpse from my favorite perch in the living room.

Happy  Valentine's Day!

Many-sided grace...

Time for another verse -- this one actually completes a little three-verse passage I'm working on. Here are the first two verses (typing from memory -- let's see how I do)...

"Above all else, love each other deeply, 

because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Cheerfully share your home 

with those who need a meal or a place to stay."

1 Peter 4:8-9 (8 in NIV, 9 in NLT)

The next verse is what attracted me to the passage in the first place because it contained a "key" word for me...my word for the year...grace.

"As each has received a gift, 

use it to serve one another, 

as good stewards of God's varied grace."

1 Peter 4:10 ESV 

(Is it weird that I'm memorizing a three-verse passage in three different translations? Don't answer that.)

I love how the Amplified version describes God's grace as "many-sided"... As I contemplate grace...unmerited, undeserved favor...I'm struck with wonder that I'm a recipient of God's grace - that we all are. And while I say I'm thankful, I'm also struck by how often I expect others to "earn" my favor; to deserve it. In I Peter 4:10, we are told to be "good stewards of God's varied grace," and we do that by serving others with the gifts, the grace gifts, we've been given. 

We are blessed. 

We can bless. 

We receive grace and we can extend grace. 

Grace is not given to us so we can grasp it. We are called to become gracious, to allow the grace we've received flow through our lives to bless others.

If you're interested in participating in the Siesta Scripture Memory Team hosted by Beth Moore, find out details here. And post your Feb. 1 scripture here.   

Let's be a blessing. And extend some grace.