Beauty of the Summer: Family, Sunsets and Rainbows

Recently my granddaughter and her daughter came from Chicago for a long week-end..we all got together for supper and an evening of visiting...the blessing of all of them takes my breath away..each and everyone of them I love so much..they are so much fun to be around..Thank you Father for each one of their lives...

This week-end we spent an evening with our youngest son at Marion lake and this was the sunset..it was simply breathtaking...never have I seen any so beautiful..God's creation is incredible...

A couple of weeks ago we had a summer storm, knocked out our power for about 28 hrs the night of the storm this was the rainbow, the promise God put in the sky for us that He would never again flood the whole world..you can't really tell it but it was a full rainbow and again it was breathtaking.

We all need to look around at God's creation, His blessing..looking at what He has given us instead of wasting so much time thinking of things that we don't have and wish that we did!!

I can feel His hand

Vacation started for me yesterday at 3:30 pm...I am off until the 10th of Aug. I have looked forward to this for so long. It has been at least 20 years since I have had 2 full weeks off of work. This is wonderful...sometimes I feel like the anticipation is more exciting then that actually time off...not really, but sometimes it can seem that way..the day before shut down is kinda (like one of my sons said) Christmas eve...there is something about it..we had worked very hard at work yesterday to get everything done...we cleaned like crazy, the girls did a great job in putting forth all their effort to get things cleaned up, blinds were washed, ceiling fans cleaned everything wiped down fridge cleaned out,old food thrown away so that when we come back everything will be nice and clean and fresh..

Now those of you that read my blog, know that I am going to turn this into something else, it is about our life..and how when Jesus comes in he wants us to clean out the heart, our mind and our lives...we must get rid of the old garbage, our old way of thinking, our sinful habits, in a nut shell...The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. So when we meet Him someday, and we all will, we will be cleaned, pruned, and shining for Him...

Now having said that, when God calls us to do His will here on earth to follow Him, what are we to give up..the Bible says EVERYTHING...to hand it all over to Him..surrender...ALL..not just part but ALL...it can be so hard...to let go..of familiar, comfort, friends, places, and things if that is what He is asking us to do..
Things that seem so important...we need to release them to Him...
He is moving me right now..I can feel His hand...

Crazy

Sometimes life seems to be just a little bit crazy..I know it really is not, just seems to be at times...we need to sit back and reflect once in awhile what really is important and what is not and don't fret over any of it...life taken one day at a time seems the best to me..but how do we get there...
Saturday I was really tired..we had to work Friday because of missing Wednesday because of the electricity being off and that put me back a day and I think it still has only in reality it hasn't...Saturday for 3 hrs my hubby and I sat on the front porch and drank ice tea...the best time...talked, quiet for awhile, talked again..loved it...should do that more often. Then later on in the evening we went in the back yard started a fire and did smores...ever so good...

Then came back to real life..decisions to be made...in 2 days I am getting ready at work for shut down for 2 weeks...crazy so many things to do...want everything done up that is possible to do up, don't want to leave anything hanging so to speak...

Then we have birthday parties for the grand kiddos..that's always fun, all of us getting together..the whole family..love it...

Wonder sometimes how many decisions we make in a day...sometimes they are made for us and we don't have to decide...I sometimes have trouble making decisions, getting better though the older I get..so there is hope..things that use to seem so important are not quite as important any more...Life is good..we need to embrace each and every day and make the most of it..it is going by WAY to fast...

Darkness

Ephesians 5:8 says: For you were once in the darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. The Bible talks about Hell and how there will be no light and it will be dark as night...

Tueday night we had a storm...straight winds blew 20 utility poles down and our lights went out about 7:45 pm and did not come back on until about 28 hours later. The whole town was out, so let me tell you when night came it was dark...unless you lit a candle or a lantern..we could see nothing in the house...total darkness...I had to think about living that way for eternity..and it puts the fear of the Lord in you..if you really think about it...total darkness forever and ever...but oh how happy we were when our lights came back on...it made such a difference in our home in our life..we could see..where we were going, what we were doing, it was cool again..we loved it and it made us appreciate all the comforts that we have here on earth that we can forget about...that we take for granted...
So is our life w/o Christ...we live in the darkness and when we accept Him as our Savior and Lord and receive His free gift of salvation..the lights come on...His word says "He Is The Light of The World..in Him there is no darkenss"....So let us as believers let our light shine in this darkened world that seems to be getting darker every day....so maybe someone else in the dark may have light.

Continuing the Drama of Change

Another change in our life is about ready to happen..I know that it will all work out.

I have had off all week and it has been crazy..we once again helped one of Everett's cousin clean out the home of one of his 3 uncles that died within 45 days of each other. We spent 2 days there going through material things that he had accumulated in his 94 years of life..things that seemed so important to him I am sure..most of which went to Salvation Army or into a dumpster..it seemed so sad to me and really put things once again into perspective...the things of this world that we think are important..(material things) are not..it is families, relationships, friendships and whether or not we have received Christ as our savior first and foremost...that is the most important...yet at humans we can get all caught up in things that have no value.
That is the human side of us all...accumulation....what can we possess, me right up there...but then I saw 94 years of stuff in 2 days time gone..things worked for, shopped for etc....but that is what we do here...it seems to be the more we have the more successful we look to others and the more satisfied we try to become...when the peace in contentment of the heart comes from above and not of this earth.
This is the lesson from this week that I want to learn...
Had a great week off now back to work on Monday for 2 weeks then we have 2 more weeks off!
Summertime....love it!

Life Changes

As we grow older along with body changes other changes take place too...for me those changes can be hard....or easy..depending on what they are...Everett's retirement was an easy one for me...once I realized we really could live on my income..and really didn't have to change a whole lot that was ok..
The Bible has a lot to say about money..the love of money is the root of all evil.
Not money itself but the love of money..and He does promise to take care of all our needs..I rest in that...

It almost bothers me more when someone I know retires or after living somewhere for all long time all of a sudden moves...far away from family..that happened to my sister just recently..moved to a retirement home far away from family..made me sad for her, I think it bothered me more then it did her..

Just today another one of my friends husband announced his retirement...seems strange, that I am in that generation..where it could be me soon..

Years ago we felt we needed to change churches, that was really hard..but really we need to go where the Lord wants us..maybe not to our liking at first, but if it is of Him He will provide us with the peace and the ability to adjust...

Life is good right now...can't get to settled in though because there is always another change awaiting us just around the corner....

Family Reunions

It seems that summer time in our family tends to bring with it family reunions.
Last Sunday we had the 5 Boese brothers and family reunion with a dinner at my youngest sons home...this week-end is the Giesel reunion with that consisting of all my Mother's side of the family...now my Mother and all of her siblings are gone..so that leaves children their children's children and their children's children on down the line..most of these I have never met...we are going today and tomorrow..I could be a little apprehensive...I am not the type of person that likes to go where I don't know many people..but I am sure when it is all said and done I will have had a good time...my sisters and one brother do not really get together much..it makes me sad but that is just how it is..our own families grow and life just seems to get busy..and I believe that things just change..the older I get..(and that is happening fast since I just again celebrated another birthda for which I am thankful for)..things seem to not be as they once were..some for the better and some not.

But for today I am thankful that I come from a family that still wants to get together and someone has put forth the effort to make that happen...
Happy 4th to everyone as we celebrate our independence here in the land of the brave and so far the home of the free!