The sky is the limit

#149-162

So very excited to go with a group of awesome senior girls to the beach. To know them as children and see them as young women is a thing of awesome beauty.

Their futures ahead with the sky as their limit!

To hear their laughter, to play games into the night, to get a peek at the little girl that still slips out, to watch them hold hands, make dinner together and even work through differences, I am spilling over full.

Through pouring rain, a quick glance at the sun, brave confident raccoons, and a tiny little yurt that was exploding at the seams with overstuffed duffle bags and backpacks

 we made memories.

Each young woman with a story and a dream.

What privledge I held to watch and listen.

What joy I look forward to tonight, as I run and

DIVE INTO MY OWN STILL WARM BED.

:-)

Puddle jumping and rain boots

I love her spirit of adventure

Words defy definiton

Best Friends

Yurt view.

A few step to this. Beverly Beach

Her story of endurance and strength amazes me

Dicecapades arrrrgh

LOVE

Oh the thundering power that brings such peace

Girls that have my heart

Entertaining myself with the local seaweed. Can you guess?

My fav! The sky is the limit girls!

As the wind whips peaks on the waves tips, the white thunders down into a foamy quiet lather. With a pitch as though you are breathing.

On the shore, your waters stretche as far as one can see, to the horizon. Changing color with the light and the color of the sky, from green to blue to gray. At twilight, you and the sky seem to meet up as one. Oh what mysteries you hold!

Seagulls circle and call out. Nostrils fill with saltwater in the air, a scent like no other.
Standing alone with the vastness of Your deep mysteries surrounding,
I feel Your arms engulfed about. Safe, protected, secure and in Awe!

A mother's love

 

• Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
• Link back here and invite others to join in.
• Most importantly: leave a comment for the person who linked up before you – encouraging them in their writing!

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on:

Today's word:

First impressions...Am I relevant in my home and if so how?
RELEVANT

• Real
• Engaged
• Listens
• Empathetic
• Volition
• Absolute
• Near
• Transparent

This can only begin to express the exercise of purposeful and intentional nurturing to the little ones born to our wombs or to our arms from another. There is not better position to hold in the world, no office nor seat!
Thank you Lord!

STOP!

Princess for a day

1,000 Word Thursday

Doesn't every girl desire to be a princess at one time or another?

I've thrown my lot in with Him.

Wednesday's Word

When I saw the above photo, after the awwwww, I could immediately relate!

“I can do it…” “I’ll get through this...”

I’ve made statements like that many times. If I didn’t say it out loud, I have thought it and acted accordingly. Sometimes, I’m able to get through on my own strength and other times I completely fail, with total awareness that my strength was no match for what I was facing.

David shares that “the Lord” was his strength and his shield. He also depended on his own strength and shields, succeeding and failing over the course of his life.

I L O V E his story, testimony and humanity.

As a successful military commander and King, I’m sure that he knew very well the limits of a man’s strength and his shield.

Would he have entered the battlefield weak, without a shield, just depending on the Lord for strength and shielding?

 I doubt it.

David learned what part he played and what part the Lord plays. 
He learned to engage in the battle with the Lord. 

• Is there a better outcome if we do depend on the Lord’s strength and shielding? YES.
• Are we able to do super-human feats whenever we want? NO
• Are we protected from every possible attack? NO.

The disciples suffered by fleshly standards. They too would have said,

“The Lord was their strength and shield.”

When we say the Lord is our strength and shield,
we are calling Him into our life’s experiences. 

Walking with Him is far better than any possible outcome we achieve without Him.

Additional encouragement here!

Go for it!

Tuesday's Quotes

 

 

Whispers of I love you.

It's just shy of a year since I began my "Giving Thanks" journey with Ann and her loyal champions of GRATITUDE. As I look back on that very first post I clearly remember wondering if I would be able to sustain the ritual.

This journey, as Ann states, has not only opened the eyes of my heart but kept me more attuned to the ways in which

He whispers...

I LOVE YOU!

This last week I set out to just capture images with my cell phone where I had a 'pause of thanksgiving'.

The hightlights of my week are as follows:

#139-148

• Children that still love to play dress up.
• Taking my sweet Betty for a day out on the town
• Rushing to get that gallon of milk only to see the most beautiful leaf EVER!
• Laughter piping from my (teen) kids as they rifled through the dress up box.
• Confident, Spirit inspired prayer melodically pouring from my dear husband over our baby (18yo) girl
• The crunch of leaves as I lazily meandered through a farm pondering the stories that old barn could tell
• Pincurling sweet Bettys hair
• Buying PUMPKINS
• Watching a classic B&W movie with my hubby
• Hanging out with a bosom buddy sister friend and hearing her adventures

Almost stepped over. In a parking lot lying perfectly. I
stopped and gave thanks!

Ok so I borrowed this from last year but it's so pretty I can't help
myself.

Taking my sweet mum in law to an estate sale. She
shopped I walked around.

Mother in Law still searching for treasures while I walk
about enjoying His creation

SPIRIT WEEK

Would you still be my friend if I looked
like this, day.

Twin day

Sophmore Gold day. Sisters
gold lame pants and fun old sweater.

Sweet Betty

Just beyond the Bend

 

 I love how the Gypsy Mama's released a following to just write in 5 minutes flat. Unscripted, unedited, fresh raw words tapping into the screen.

• Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
• Link back here and invite others to join in.
• Most importantly: leave a comment for the person who linked up before you – encouraging them in their writing!

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on:

Today's word

BEYOND:

Just beyond the bend, Just beyond the turn, just beyond my reach, THEN I will learn?

Just in the distance, Just one more lap Just a little longer....it's only a trap!

One more pound loss, one more dollar earned, one more load of laudry, AGAIN I will be spurned

One more friend, maybe a husband, or a new car, maybe a child or two I'm sure it will take me far.

Just beyond the bend, Just beyond the turn, just beyond my reach how my stomach churns.

Lord help me look here help me look now

help me to stop and to my knees bow

You've given so much...........

(Times up maybe someone can finish it for me?? I would love it! Maybe there is much more to add?)


STOP:


MY HERE AND NOW!

http://emylyn.blogspot.com/

Breathless

1,000 Word Thursday

 

EMYLYN

Vanilla Rooibos

A friend questioned

(over nice steaming hot SB Vanilla Roobois tea),

at a local coffee house...

How can you tend to filling everyone’s cup if your pitcher is empty?

 



Oh I’ve heard such analogies before but I love how when your heart is ready, God speaks volumes to it through simple words in a coffee house.

I’ve always been a high achiever. It’s called survival where I come from. 
I AM FROM

I could either swim with the tides of addiction, dysfunction, abuse, anger, loneliness and rejection or fight.

At first I did not realize that the God of the universe was my strength and the light to my path or that His protective hand was cupped around me.

But in the years to come it became very apparent and He became the very breath to which I breathe.

Fast forward to marriage, children, ministry and career.

• The driving need to parent the way I was not parented,
• To be the ideal wife and having no idea how,
• Minister to the hurting. A ministering like I never experienced before Him who knows my inward parts.
• Provide for my family as I had not been provided for. As well as succeed in a thriving career.

I realized as I poured out words on Monday’s blog… FOR THE DRY AND WEARY

that guilt has been whispering in my ear and I WAS LISTENING! Wanting to do do do, pursue pursue pursue, succeed, perform.........

~~~~

Being still is not my strong suit.

Waiting is not my fortitude.

PATIENCE IS NOT INHERENT!

~~~~



However God is!!

The last two years have been ALL about being still, waiting, patience and listening.

For much of it I have viewed as being a lesson. 
With “coffee house insight” my eyes opened, renewed to a new perspective.

Could He be filling my pitcher afresh?

I'm still in process. I will need to approach this in blogs to come but I do know that EVERY experience in life needs to be experienced to it's fullness. Even pain and discomfort...holding hands with it on bended knee.

Not being fearful because He does not give us a spirit of fear.

But with expectation knowing that He has our best interest at heart.

Though I may be still
God is at work.
Doing a new work in me as I allow.

I am 'ministering' to my family currently. Faithful husband, Awesome teens and two lovely inlaws He has entrusted me with.

Enjoying a slower pace with tea...

I WILL wait and He WILL renew my strength; I will mount up with wings like eagles,  I WILL run and not be weary, I WILL walk and not faint.