Photo-a-day Challenge

Week 3 in Review

Day 22 - Sparkly
Christmas lights on our tree. 

Day 21 - On the Door

Our front door wreathe made by the talented Beth Miller.  

Day 20 - I'm listening to...

My daughter, Sera, playing Christmas music on the piano.

Lovely.

Day 19 - 'Tis the season to ...

Celebrate the birth of Jesus

Nativity set in our entryway.

Day 18 - Big

Hoover Dam

Day 17 - tree

My son standing in front of a tree at Gaylord Opryland Resort

in Nashville, Tennessee

Day 16 - Makes you feel merry 

Merry-go-round at Opry Mills mall in Nashville, Tenneessee

Day 15 - Lights

The lights inside Gaylord Opryland Resort

Week 2 in Review

Day 14 - Drink

A homemade iced latte.  This mug belonged to my Grandma.

She had two of them and we would drink hot chocolate from them

when I was little.  

Day 13 - Composition

The church on the Ingall's Homestead in South Dakota

Day 12 - Joy

Stocking hangers that are not hanging on our mantle.

Day 11 - Green

A leaf that Kyle gave me.

Day 10 - R

Royal Crown Cola - I bought this bottle of soda on a family trip to Helen, Ga.

It sits on my dresser now and collects pennies.  For this picture

it is sitting on our mantle.  (Beautifully decorated mantle by Beth Miller.) 

Day 9 - This is the weather today

Very foggy day in Augusta

Day 8 - I shop here

I like shopping at TJMaxx

Week 1 in review

Day 1 - Red

Orthopedic surgery waiting room, Doctors Hospital

Day 2 - Where I Stand

Doctors Hospital

Day 3 - Silver

Bow at Target

Day 4 - In the Cupboard

Inside my pantry

Day 5 - Tiny

Nesting dolls that I bought in Russia

Day 6 - Shadow

Me and my shadow, Kyle 

Day 7 - 6 o'clock

An old Winnie the Pooh book that both Sera and Kyle used in learning to tell time.

Our Life

Educating our children at home is a wonderful thing,

except on the days when it isn't so wonderful.

When it goes well it is the most amazing thing ... ever!

When it doesn't go well, ... on those days I have no idea why we're homeschooling.  

  

Still, I would rather be here with my children as they explore and learn and grow 

than anywhere else on this planet. 

I would just like them to cooperate a little more consistently and 

I would like it if the house didn't wear the clutter of homeschooling quite so much.

A girl can dream.

This morning my prayer group met at the church.

I am blessed to be part of such a fine group of ladies.

When I got home the chimney sweeps were here to clean out our chimneys.

This is the first fire we've had in the fireplace this fall.  Of course, with the

temperature unable to decide if it is going to be warm or cool

it hasn't really mattered.  

The weather outside today is cool and foggy, so it feels nice having a fire going

in the fireplace.  During the winter this becomes a favorite spot

for doing school. 

Kyle found this really big leaf! 

That was fun. 

In school today, Kyle was learning about the bullet train.  He built a model with

a train he got at Dollywood last year. 

While he was working on his train, he was sharing with 

me all kinds of information he learned about physics and other things.  He explained

to me about the air flowing over the train and the reason for the 

tapered ends.  It's at those times I wish I was one of those moms who really

"gets" science and can carry on intelligent conversations with her children about things

like physics.  Don't get me wrong, I understand the basic principal of aerodynamics, but he goes into much greater detail and my brain starts getting fuzzy.  

His train turned out really nice.  But the best part for me was when he wanted to take a picture

of it.  I really like his picture.  

I added another photo to my 30 day photo challenge.

Day 9 challenge:   this is the weather today.

Foggy

One of Kyle's assignments was to draw a cow.

I think it turned out great!  It's very much a Kyle cow.

Sera has stayed busy with French, Algebra and English classes.  I enjoy hearing her converse

in French during her French class.  That is one part of homeschooling that I especially like;

on-line classes for my children.  We have been fortunate to have really great teachers.

In between her classes, Sera spent some time at the piano.  She plays so well; I could listen all day long.  

We really should get her some piano lessons one day.

This has been a good day of school.  Whether good or not so good, this is how we spend our days.  

And when the assignment said "tell a parent or older sibling how to spell Mesopotamia", Kyle 

read the letters to me off the computer screen. 

It didn't occur to him that he was suppose to learn how to spell it.

 I love my life. 

Photo-a-day Challenge

Day 10 - This is the weather today

Very foggy day in Augusta

Day 9 - where I shop

I like shopping at TJMaxx

Week 1 in review

Day 1 - Red

Orthopedic surgery waiting room, Doctors Hospital

Day 2 - Where I Stand

Doctors Hospital

Day 3 - Silver

Bow at Target

Day 4 - In the Cupboard

Inside my pantry

Day 5 - Tiny

Nesting dolls that I bought in Russia

Day 6 - Shadow

Me and my shadow, Kyle 

Day 7 - 6 o'clock

An old Winnie the Pooh book that both Sera and Kyle used in learning to tell time.

Come, Lord Jesus

Once as we waited for a Messiah
Waited with longing to finally see
   all of our hopes fulfilled in His kingdom
We walked in darkness and longed to be free

Come, Messiah
Build Your kingdom
We are waiting for a Savior
Come as promised to deliver
Come and reign upon Your throne

Now we are waiting, our hearts fixed in wonder
Waiting to see our Lord's glorious appearing
All of our hope rests in Jesus our Savior
His kingdom now we can see He's preparing

Come, Lord Jesus
Build Your kingdom
We are watching, we are ready
Come and make us
Pure and holy
Come, Lord Jesus, build Your throne

     Heaven is waiting, saints of old gath'ring
     Mansions are ready to be occupied
     Come, Lord Jesus, Come receive us
     As Your pure and spotless bride!

Come, Lord Jesus
Come, Lord, quickly
We are waiting
We are ready
Come and take us to the Father
Come and take Your children home
Come, Lord Jesus, take us home

words and music by Terha Knittel
copyright 2005

Grateful for the "divine" appointment

The "divine" veterinary appointment.

My husband and I have been happily married for twenty years.  
You might say ours is a match made in heaven.  
And you would be correct.

I love telling people that I married my vet.  
We met one day when I took my cats to the veterinary hospital for annual physicals and vaccinations.  
As a young single girl, living on my own, I had cats that kept me company and I loved them dearly.

This young, (and might I add handsome), veterinarian wore Levis jeans and cowboy boots.  He was incredibly gentle and kind to my cats.  

I was impressed with his demeanor and the professional care he gave to my babies. 
 But I assumed that he was married with a sweet little family.

In an innocent conversation with a dear friend, I shared about my encounter with the young veterinarian.  
My friend's face broke into a huge smile and her beautiful blue eyes twinkled as she told me that this young doctor was not married. 

A few days later I would be calling after hours with a sick cat, 
and meeting the young veterinarian back at the animal hospital.  
He graciously examined my cat, Psalms, treated him and soon I was on my way home.  




Now that I knew he was a young, 
handsome, single veterinarian, 
I looked forward to the next opportunity I would have 
to visit the veterinary hospital.

Little did I know that I would receive a call one evening from the vet 
to check on my kitty.  *wink*

It is so sweet to hear him tell how he sat on the sofa at his house 
that evening watching television.
At the end of every thirty minute sitcom he would tell himself
"I'll call her when the next show is over."
How sweet that it took him all evening to get up the courage to call me. 

That phone call was the first of many to come.
My vet worked with both small and large animals.
On certain evenings and every other weekend he would be "on call" to see animals after hours.

How fortunate for me that he was the vet on call the night my kitty was sick.

Whenever he would get a call from a client about their pet or a farmer about a cow, horse or pig in need,
he would call me on his way and ask if I wanted to ride along.

Why, yes!  I believe I will ride along.  


Thus began a three year friendship/courtship.


I tagged along for small animal emergencies and farm calls.  I watched him pull calves,
 do C-sections on cows,
treat colicky horses
and 
a host of other procedures.

I did not arrive for that initial visit at the veterinary hospital
with any idea of what God had in store.
Certainly, I did not go that day looking for a husband.

In His perfect time and in keeping with His plans and purposes for both my husband and myself, 
God arranged for us to meet.
And my heart is eternally grateful for that very special 
divine veterinary appointment.

Uncle Gene Found the Moon

I really didn't want to go with my mom to her WMU meeting at the church that night.  It sounded so boring and I just wanted to stay home.

There wasn't going to be anyone else at home and my mother hesitated to let me stay there by myself.  I don't know how old I was at the time.  Somewhere between being old enough to think I could stay on my own and young enough to let my imagination run away with me when the dark night set in.

I grew up in a small community surrounded by family and friends ... grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and church family filled our tiny town. 

Church life was very central to my childhood.  It seemed we were in church every time the doors were open. And I loved it.

I was especially drawn to the music.  The hymnal was a treasure trove for me.  When I was old enough to read I would follow along with my parents as we sang the beloved hymns.  Later, although not common knowledge, I studied the hymnal. I found it to be filled with information that was incredibly fascinating to me. 

My mother relented. On one condition.

I was to stay inside the house.

"Do not go outside."

"Stay inside."

"Do you understand?"

"Stay inside."

Thirty minutes later, as I was standing outside 

...

I became concerned that I could not find the moon.

'What was that song we sang? - tomorrow sun may never rise - was I ready to meet Jesus?'

'Or maybe it was that verse from the Bible about the moon?  - turning to blood - is this the end of the world?' 

As song and verse wretched about inside my young mind I became more and more convinced that something was very wrong.

But no one was home.

I had begged to stay home ...

and mom had told me to stay inside.

And I would have stayed inside except the moon was missing.  This might be the end of the world. 

Fretful as any child could be over such catastrophic events, I raced down the sidewalk to my aunt and uncle's house.  Uncle Gene was in his living room, sitting in his comfortable recliner watching the television.  The lights were low and he was probably not far away from his usual early bed time.

I ran up the steps to the front porch and knocked nervously on the door.  Any other time I would have run in without knocking, but it was close to bed time for Uncle Gene and the door was already locked for the night. 

He came to the door, obviously not expecting to see me standing there in distress over the missing moon, and all that entailed.

How could he have known that evening that he would be put upon to extinguish a young girl's fears and comfort her in her time of great anguish?

Through my panic induced tears, I told Uncle Gene my concerns and my terrifying tale of woe. 

And he listened.

Then he took me outside and calmly explained where we should look to see the moon. With great gentleness he handled my hysteria and was able to calm my anxious thoughts.

I'm not quite sure how he did all of this without laughing, but he did. 

And then he walked me home.

If I remember correctly, it was quite some time before my mom let me stay at home by myself after that particular evening. But I was okay with that. 

I am grateful for my childhood. For all the people who invested in my life over the years.  And I'm grateful that Uncle Gene was gracious enough to help me find the moon. 

  

Divine Interior Design

It's the little things ...


that are sometimes the most difficult;

especially when we are talking about attitudes of the heart.

Now thank we all our God

With heart and hands and voices

For some reason, 

and I guess that reason could easily be attributed to a 

selfish nature,

gratitude, thankfulness and appreciation do not come naturally...

even though we may appease our conscience by our rote use of "thank you" and the warm feelings we have toward people who are lovable and do lovely things for us.

I find it very easy to be grateful when a delightful friend tells me how much our friendship means to her and offers to buy me lunch. 

At that moment

and in that situation

I am rockin' the gratitude-o-meter!

Where does my heart turn under normal day to day life? 

If I'm not careful to be intentionally grateful, my heart is prone to  

feelings of entitlement, 

childish offense, 

and selfish agendas.

Being intentional and deliberate about my heart attitudes requires planning, designing and just plain purposeful action.  Not necessarily in our outward actions but in the inward workings of the heart.  

Deep inside where no one but God sees ... 

I wrote a song a few years ago that addressed the hidden regions of the heart.  

You know my heart, O Lord

You know each thought I have

You see the hidden

You see each day I live

You see inside of me

You see what's deep within

You know what's true

You know what's stained by sin

Merciful Father, cleanse me

I give my heart to You

You are pure and holy

Make me more like You

Look in my heart, see inside me

Each hidden part, purify me

There is nothing I can hide from You

Look in my heart

Holy Lord of all, look in my heart

Here is my heart, O Lord

Humbly bowed down to You

Broken and emptied

Longing to be made new

Lord, fill my heart with love

Flood every secret place

All for Your glory

All by Your love and grace

Holy Lord of all

Look in my heart 

As we allow God to work in our hearts and if we are willing to respond to His interior design blueprint, we will see an outward manifestation that more easily expresses grateful attitudes.  

Along with the remodel progress will be a need to haul off the debris.  But let it go!  Say goodbye!  Now is the time to be deliberate and purposeful with training the heart to turn toward being grateful. 

Seeing each day as an opportunity to live a life of thanksgiving... being grateful by design.