The Murmur of the Water

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“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” – J. Lubbock

Resting is hard when you’re an adult.  Working at your job, cleaning, cooking, child-rearing….you get the idea.  But oh, the blessedness of rest when it comes.  You see the clouds and the sky, as if for the first time in weeks.  You take deep breaths, loving the way the air feels in your lungs.  You feel your feet sinking down into the sand, or the green green grass.  You sense that God is right there with you, saying, “Peace, my sweet child; just rest now.”  And you are thankful and recharged.  Take a few moments (or longer if you can manage) to just rest and enjoy breathing and living for a little while today.  Blessings, Lisa

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.’ ”  – Jeremiah 6:16

Wide Open Space

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Ever wanted to be free?  Free from guilt, free from past pain, free from the feeling that you’re not good enough, free to just be in some wide open space?  There is a way…..

“We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open his door to us.  We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand – out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory.” – Romans 5:2 The Message

“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” – Jesus, John 8:36 NIV

He forgives, he loves you, he lets you start over.  And that’s true freedom.  Blessings on your day, Lisa

Know It By Heart

When I was little and I would memorize a new song for my piano recital or learn the Gettysburg Address for 4th grade, I would say “I know it by heart.”  Now, knowing something “by heart” means something entirely different….it’s being able to recall something, deep inside, remembering the smells and sounds and touch of something as if it was yesterday.  It’s remembering by heart the feeling of riding my bike, without a helmet, fast down Mt. Run Lane road, the wind ripping through my hair. bike2 It’s feeling by heart the soft stuffed elephant that my then-boyfriend and now-husband gave me at the lockers, his first gift to me.   It’s hearing by heart the sound of my  baby’s first cry as he made his way into the world.  It’s smelling by heart the warm, breezy, salty air as I stepped out of the car at the ocean. bike3

It’s sensing by heart the excitement of Christmas morning as my sister and I ran downstairs, my parents’ happy faces beaming.

So many things I have learned “by heart.”  And I am thankful for each precious one.  Have a blessed weekend.  Slainte, Lisa