The Two In The Middle

Little man catches a glimpse of his mama outside walking the property and snapping shots. I hear the door slam, birds fly away and foot steps of a ten year old boy running to catch up with me.......I haven't really had a moment alone to capture life like this in a while.......

It always amazes me what you can catch in the lens of a camera.....

 At first I have to be honest I was a little bothered by little man's interruption, but when I looked into those baby grays I knew I better change my heart.

Have you ever got so caught up in something or someone else that you totally overlooked what was screaming to be heard right in front of you? Yep,  that's been me lately......

And sometimes my life seems to be trace paper thin and I'm wondering how much more transparent I can be? All I know is how to be real....I don't know any other way.

 Little man seems to be always teaching me lessons.....Ones that I'm too stubborn to learn. I am often the reason for the middle child syndrome. one boy and one girl caught smack dab in the middle of 6 kids.....

 And sometimes I get so caught up in the first ones to leave and the last ones to go that I miss the ones right in the middle.......

And before I know it I will have missed it.......missed all those moments I could of had.

And there they are growing and stretching, hearts towards the Son. I just hope they know how much they are loved.......How much I love them.....No more and no less than the two in the beginning and the two bringing up the caboose at the end.

Little man reminds me that I will all too soon have those moments to snap shots alone.......And really, some of the best shots in life are when you are interrupted and taken down a different road you were never planning on going in the first place...Let alone walking the path with company.....

 By the way it was little man that led me down this path....I would of never captured these shots if he hadn't  interrupted me when he did.

Will You Listen?

Marked with 60 year old crayons, tied up with string and made from paper that's just as old, is a hand made recipie book. It still has flour on it from all those years ago. It seems to have with stood the test of time.

Made by this little boy. She calls him Richard. I call him daddy. It sits in my kitchen, writing all faded. I can't seem to make out the words in most of the recipes. But I keep it any way.......I guess as a reminder that a long time ago he was just a boy and she, she was a very young Mama. He was her first of seven. And the days and the stories grow old together. I never tire of hearing them. Life on the farm. It was hard and they were poor, but they had each other. My Daddy, if you give him an ear he'll give you the afternoon full of adventures, trials and things that he still questions....... why?

When your baking a cake it's always wise to follow the recipe. So that nothing gets left out. When living life there is a recipe book........the Bible And when that one ingredient gets left out the end results could be devastating. Literally life threatening.


He tugs at my ear, and asks won't you read/spend time with me? I wrote it just for you, I breathed life into it and I put my all in it. I poured out my heart. It's in there, the words on how to live this life to the fullest. I left nothing out. If your struggling, I can help. If your heartbroken, read my love letter. If your empty, come get filled up. If your full of praise come sing the psalms to me.

I hear Him calling "Please won't you just come sit with me a while? You really do make me smile. I'll take you on some amazing adventures. Action packed and full of mystery. Full of Romance and trials.....But most of all, it's full of Triumphs! It's where you will find grace for the days all done wrong...Love for the moments you feel alone......Instruction and good council when you need advise."

"I made a way. I cleared a path that you can take. One that leads you straight to me. Just give me some of your precious time and I will give you the most precious thing of all........LIFE beyond this side of heaven. Where death has no sting and brokenness has no stronghold......."

I truly do love you. My love? It has always withstood the test of time and it's strong enough to make you whole again. Strong enough to carry you through every hard hitting moment that blows your way. I promise!
Love,
God

These are the very words I hear in my head constantly, because He has written words of love and etched them deep with in my heart.

When God speaks to your heart, will you listen?

God's Hope Chest

January 7th and every one has already made their News Years resolutions....and me? I have yet to claim one. I have yet to scratch anything down on paper. I have yet to make them known....They are kind of tricky, kind of misleading....Easy to let go of when you feel yourself slipping. Easy to put them off til another Monday, because starting all over in the middle of the week just won't do.

Resolutions are like promises, easily broken...Hard to hold onto....Hard to keep. Hard to swallow when you find yourself losing what you never really had claim to. What you never really meant to finish any way. Because really, it all just sounds good until you get to the end of the year and there is nothing to show for the promises made to yourself.........

Resolutions can be selfish all about me and what I need to do to become better. Better physically, Better mentally, Better Mama, Better friend, Better wife.....It's not all about what I need to promise....It's not a list of goals on a piece of paper......It's not getting myself under control...It's not getting myself disciplined......No matter how hard I try I will never be better going it alone.......You can't be where God wants you to be unless you allow God where He needs to be....In Control!

It's about giving up before I even get started. Giving in and letting go of all the promises to become better.....Letting go of control over my own life and handing it over to the one who created my life. Because in all honesty He knows me better than I will ever know myself.....Every hair on my head is accounted for......Every tear, every giggle, every heartache, every secret...Every little detail about my life is tucked away in God's hope chest.....You know the kind that your Grandparents keep at the end of their bed. And it's filled with all the things that made up each and every moment of their life. It's all there to tell a story. It's all there to hold onto. And if you ever wanted to look back at your life you look in that hope chest because they were there in the beginning of your life here on this side of heaven. They know your story better than anyone.

That's how it is with God's Hope Chest, only His is much, much bigger! And His began on the other side of heaven before your story even began on earth.

You see I give up trying to accomplish goals on my own. I give up making resolutions.....My God knows me all to well. He knows I would just misplace the piece of paper they were written on. He knows I would just keep starting next Monday. 

I've been on this road of change and it's starting on the inside....Oh you can't tell from the outside at least not yet.......Spending time with God makes you see what's broken.....Makes you realize you were never really in control at all. I was just spinning my wheels making things sound just fine....Words have a way of covering up what's really wrong. They can be a hiding place from all the weight of this world and as much as I love to write it's not where I need to be hiding......But you know it's so very true when the Bible tells you, Christ can lift your burdens......You wanna know how? You spend more time with Him than computers, TV's and gadgets. You get lost in His words and disregard your own. You put down your phone and all the things that take you away from the One who has His Big ole Hope Chest filled with all of the things that make Him smile about you and you let Him take every broken, hurt, over burdened thought, detail and stronghold and let Him have control. Just give up......Let Go......And Let God. And when you do you will notice a change from with in. You will begin to heal from the inside out.....Your once carefully thought out goals will soon become His goals for your life.....His plan is so much better than yours or mine ever could be! Because His yolk is easy and His burden is light.

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:30