Mountains and Molehills

Cheez Wiz and I have been talking about the difference between a mountain and a molehill lately.  There is a difference, and we all need to have the right perspective to be able to see it.  Too often I find myself drifting back into that state of consciousness where I do not have the mind of Christ and am walking by sight, my own sight, and not looking unto Jesus.  Then my Lord lovingly and graciously gets my attention again, and I wake up and wonder how long have I been in this dream-like condition trying to get by on my own strength and not doing a very good job of it.

Yesterday after OBT got home, these words strongly came to me 'His presence disperses my sorrows and fears, and bids me rejoice in my Lord."  Wow!  At first I could not remember which hymn these words are from.  Then I remembered "How Lovely the Place".  We are still waiting on the Lord and feeling closer to Him as we feel right now our need for Him.

Larva and Pupa

Last week after opening the front door for the Schwann's man, the children spotted a caterpillar.  We brought him in and by the next morning he had transformed into a chrysalis.  My best guess is that he is a Buckeye which seems appropriate seeing that we live in the Buckeye State.  If he emerges (hopefully in the next week or two), then we should be able to easily identify him.

Then one morning this week while Cheez Wiz and I were outside tending to the animals, CW heard the electric fence popping.  When I took a look, some Queen Anne's lace, wet with dew, was touching the fence and what was on the Queen Anne's lace?  A Swallowtail caterpillar!  I knew that they ate Queen Anne's lace and have looked for them off and on since we moved here (there is an abundance of QAL growing where we live).  This is the first cat I have seen.  We brought it in and fixed up a place for it complete with plenty of leaves and stick.  What more could a caterpillar ask for?

As of today it is in position and looks ready to form a chrysalis anytime now.  I would not be surprised to find one in its place tomorrow morning.  We hope!

Hope Realized

Today has been a day where I happily spent time in the kitchen.  Today is a day where we had no need to go anywhere and could stay home.  A favorite kind of day of mine.  So I took pumpkin, corn, and squash and chopped, baked, and blanched, then cooled and froze our produce blessings. 

Lately we have received some bad news.  It was unexpected, and right now we are taking it one day at a time.  Yet in light of this life does go on.  The world does not stop for bad news.  I think that is a good thing to help my mind not dwell on things that bring me down.  Also the Lord is giving us peace and strength to trust Him as the situation is in many ways out of our control.  We are praying more diligently and praying for the Lord's will - whatever that means. 

This summer I wrote myself a note in big letters and placed it in the kitchen where I would see it every day.  At the top it says R-E-L-A-X and underneath are the words L-E-A-N, R-E-S-T, B-E-L-I-E-V-E, T-R-U-S-T.  They are reminders to myself of how I ought to be living.  I need to be reminded.  How about you?

What We Read - July 2010

The man who walked between the towers by Mordicai Gerstein

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

LMNO peas by Keith Baker

All in a Day by Cynthia Rylant

Noodle Man by April Pulley Sayre

Being a pig is nice by Sally Lloyd-Jones