Home-Grown Decorations

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was pleasantly surprised by some spider lilies that were growing in our back yard this summer.  Yay for good surprises!   I had another good surprise this fall when we returned from nearly six weeks of meetings.  There was a giant bush taking over the back yard close to the fence, and I had trimmed it back this summer.  It had sharp, pointed leaves, and I had to be careful about getting too close, but I shaped it a little and had fun playing gardener.
When we came back in the fall, though, it was covered in bright sprays of red berries – it was some type of holly bush!  I was thrilled with how beautiful it was, and decided to bring some of the boughs in to decorate the house!  There’s nothing like growing your own decorations, right?

The best part was that they last forever – I guess because it is they are a type of evergreen. So a little water in my jar kept things bright and cheery in my kitchen!  I have a new favorite centerpiece!  I also put a few little sprigs in a jar on the window above my kitchen sink – makes me smile while washing the dishes, and that really is a feat.  :)

October Days

We are on the trail again, after several months of being in Mississippi.  It has been an epic trip, with us traveling all the way to Minnesota!  It was a long drive, but we were able to break up the trip with a stop in Missouri, where we saw some college friends.  I always enjoy our infrequent visits with college friends. 

Paul is participating in a men’s retreat this weekend, and I am going to be part of a teen girls’ activity: Cupcake Wars!  I think this weekend will be exciting for all of us! 

The weather here is quite a bit cooler than the weather in MS, and I was delighted to see that we are here in the beginning of the fall color.  We have some fall foliage in MS, but nothing makes brilliant color like the extreme northern temperatures.  The days are cool, and the nights cooler, but the skies are blazing blue, and the contrast of the leaves is breathtaking!

I took the kids outside yesterday to get a few pictures.  That went as well as it ever does, with as many chin shots, closed eyes, open mouths, and weird looks as usual.  I was persistent, though, and ended up with a few good shots.

This was the best of the group shots.  Love the nose wrinkle, Josiah.  Also love that squinty, cheesy face, Abigail.  They are both classic

This is my not-so-little-anymore man.  Love his sweetness.

Little Miss Mischief – I’m afraid she is very much like her mother… :)

Here is the little Pixie-Pie.  What a sweet thing she is!

And the Munchkin Man – he is ornery beyond belief.  Can’t you just see the little boy-ness just oozing out of him?

Just a few pictures of the kids enjoying the farm animals, and the lovely weather. 

Hope you all enjoy your fall weather!

Raking It In

It’s that time of year – when the leaves fall and cover our yards and driveways and sidewalks.  The sound of leaf-blowers can be heard every day in our neighborhood.  Since we only have one tree in our yard, we don’t really bother with getting rid of our leaves, and have not invested in a leaf-blower.
Esther wanted a leaf pile in which to jump, though, and I came out the other afternoon to find her busily raking the yard into a scanty leaf pile.  It was so cute!  I didn’t have the heart to tell her it would be a rough landing, and she was content to wander around the yard gathering up the leaves. 


 
                               You gotta love that look of complete concentration – the tongue sticking out!


Here’s the happy, leaf-raking, apron-wearing pixie princess!

Thoughts to Ponder

It is autumn again – where does the summer go?  The year is drawing to a close as the leaves change their hues.  I always enjoy the fall colors, the crisp air, and the brilliant blue skies typical of Indian Summer.  At the risk of sounding morbid, I will say that fall is a time of death.  As the sap slows in the cooler weather, the leaves lose their life nourishment and begin to die.  That is why we see the trees garbed in their variegated garments.


As I thought on this, I was reminded that dying is a part of living.  Anyone who lives knows that one day he will also die.  For the person who knows Christ as his Savior, death is not just a reality, but a beautiful thing.  Just as the leaves, while beautiful in their verdant summer green, become absolutely breathtaking as their short life comes to a close, the person who knows Christ should not just fade out into eternity, but should become a more beautiful and glorious testimony to God’s glory.

Why is death so beautiful, you may ask?  The process of dying is not one that is easy or fun – I in no way wish to convey that idea.  Death for the Christian is not an end, it is the door through which he must walk to be with God for all eternity.  The Bible says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”   This sounds strange and perhaps even dangerous to those who do not understand, but let me explain my ponderings on this verse.  God created man to be His companion, perfect, free from sin, disease, and death.  When man chose to sin, he destroyed that perfect environment, bringing alienation from God, pain, suffering, and death upon the whole human race.  Through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, man can again have a relationship with God, but it is tainted by his sinful flesh.
Only in death can man once again have a perfect relationship with God, free from pain, sorrow, sin, and suffering.  That state is what God created for us – what He meant for our lives to be.  He loves us, and does not enjoy seeing His children suffer.  No wonder he rejoices in the death of His saints – they are no longer suffering the effects of sin, and are restored to a perfect relationship with Him!

So when I see the leaves turning colors, these are the thoughts that go through my mind.  Yes, I am dying – we all are, bit by bit – but I want to become something glorious in death.  Something that draws others to my Savior Who made my life worth living, and living for Him.  Each day brings me closer to the day when I will cast off this fragile shell and be with Him forever.  What  a day that will be!