A Joyful Place Called Home

Archive for the ‘God’ Category

After our move, inactivity (and reproducing laundry piles) just about kept me depressed from Dec to April. I am an active girl, I usually have my activity brushes in about 12 pots of color at a time: homeschooling, church, praise team, studies, volunteering with children, working with young teens and adults….well you get the picture. After moving there was a sudden lull that lasted for months. Yes I went to newcomers meetings, to church, to this and to that….but the more I tried, the less I fit. God seemed to be saying “no” to whatever I prayed about doing. When I cried for friends He would quietly say “I am all you need, come closer” When I would sqeal that I couldn’t stand the walls of the house ANY longer He said “Learn to be content in all things” Pretty humbling and pretty frustrating for the girl who likes to make a plan and do it. It was a time of rest, of restructuring, of preparing apparently and I tried to be obedient to the direction. By April, though, it was flat not fun anymore. I can so see now, in June, when the whole world around me is spinning on two axis that He had that planned slow time in place for a reason. I would need to be fresh to face all that this summer has brought. There are still a lot of days when I simply wish He’d ask to see my datebook and we could get on the same page… (nah….I’m not still struggling with that “who’s in charge thing….not me…..why would you think that????? lol)

Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Why is it I don’t do luncheons more often? (it could be my fear of the health department closing down my teenager used kitchen) You know you convince yourself a hundred different ways to Friday why you shouldn’t…..or can’t….or how much trouble it would be……you’re just sure you’re not going to get it done but ultimately you do, you enjoy the journey of the preparations…..and have such a good time visiting with your friend(s)…

Today’s final menu was:

Chicken salad with grapes, almonds and celery on Croissants
Marinated cucumber bits with onion
Triple mac and cheese
and for dessert: Blueberry lemon muffins with fruit and whipped creme
(the lemon bars totally didn’t turn out, so a quick change of plans)

Isn’t it always so good to learn and share with a new friend. I know we probably wore cute youth director’s ears off, but we’re so glad she came! God is good and we’re glad He sent her to our house today.
Living the life I imagined I wanted mine to be….that’s my goal this year….taking time to grow into something lovely…..the kind of person I wanted to be when I grew up…..well, as my mother Anne said, “If you’re ever going to be her…….you might as well start practicing today. “

So we did.

Miss Madison and I had the house tamed in an hour and a half….the aroma of homemade muffins filled the air after a false start with the lemon bars….we won’t go into that disaster, but it didn’t take long to have everything done….with time to spare. We began our luncheon affair at 11:30 and two hours later, I think a good time was had by all……we grew a little closer to our youth director at church and began a new journey together…..of friendship.

Hydrangeas remind me of my wedding day, and many childhood days where they were brought in for the table at my Grandmother Geddie’s home. Large blue hydrangeas surrounded her Dossie Mae, the weekend summer cottage and pink ones were in her back yard on Clifton Street. They were always full and happy plants and ripe for granddaughters to bring inside without being fussed at for cutting flowers. When Dh and I married, my flowers came from my mother’s Sunday School class yards….they are Southern gardeners and I was given literally five gallon buckets of roses, lillies and hydrangeas as well as white lace flowers to decorate the historic home we were married in. A dear friend and I made bouquets, put them in centerpieces and enjoyed the morning of the wedding making the beautiful home full of fragrance.

For two years I have tried to grow hydrangeas in Arkansas. We first bought them from a nursery and on sale….they did beautifully right up until the neighbor’s dog decided he loved the taste of them……ate the whole plant and pulled out the roots.

The second round didn’t go much better. The spring floods in Arkansas came and the roots simply couldn’t handle the water.

When we moved to Alabama, I so hoped we could find some bushes to buy. We went to several of the plant stores and they had none. My yard is small and planted by someone else so imagine my excitement when I found not one but three thriving plants on the side of the house this week. They had been cut back and ground level for the winter….but in this week’s sun they had grown to be 2 feet already! …and those stems up from the ground turned into pink and white roses….my favorite! One of the gifts of this house has been its previous owner was a perennial and rose lover. These last few weeks have taken us from an empty yard, full of emptiness to one rich with many kinds of blooms….

I kinda feel like that right now…..that this winter I was empty of God’s richness…. I realized I was dormant. I wasn’t digging in the Word and allowing His light to warm me and to help me grow. The last few weeks as I have spent more time in the Word….I feel He is growing me too……and hopefully in a way that will bloom lovely to be shared with others. I am definately having to weed the garden of discontent as it comes forth in my day. I am learning to take out those thoughts and actions that hinder peace, joy, and contentment. (do you know how hard lazy is to dig out of my garden?) The weeds are sometimes very tough, I have to dig down to find their root…..they grow back easily if I don’t get every piece of that root uncovered.

All of us have so much within us that God is just waiting to bring forth……these spiritual gifts are not planted in us to stay but to grow and give away to others…..

It’s a beautiful day in Alabama….one in which it is easy to think of the blessings I receive daily….so for this moment I will see what I can do to bloom where I am planted, which at the moment is a messy house much in need of attention by that trusted one house servant of mine……where is that lazy girl? (oops she’s still on the computer writing to you)

Roses shared from our yard in Arkansas
for my stepmother’s bouquet
for her wedding to my father.