Wait for the Lord;

Be strong, and let your heart take courage;

Yes, wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

This season that lingers attempts to entomb my hopes and dreams, planted long ago. Waiting. Still waiting. Sometimes suffocating here in the darkness I long for a ray, a glimpse that He still cares...that He has not forgotten this one. Living in hope-wait for new purpose, meaning. Longing for direction.

So on my knees, with tools in hand, I plant seeds of hope in your hollow today, watering, trusting that new life will spring forth, resurrecting, awakening new in your life-garden today. In this I discover that I am not alone... While we wait for the Lord; being strong, letting our hearts take courage; Yes, waiting for the Lord.

Forgiveness

...The more I know, the less I understand

All the things I thought I knew, Im learning again

I've been tryin to get down

To the heart of the matter

But my will gets weak

And my thoughts seem to scatter

But I think its about forgiveness

Forgiveness...

These times are so uncertain

There's a yearning undefined

And people filled with rage

We all need a little tenderness

How can love survive in such a graceless age?

The trust and self-assurance that lead to happiness

They're the very things - we kill...

All the things I thought Id figured out

I have to learn again

Ive been trying to get down

To the heart of the matter

But everything changes

And my friends seem to scatter

But I think its about forgiveness

Forgiveness...

There are people in your life who've come and gone

They let you down you know they hurt your pride

You better put it all behind you baby; life goes on

You keep carryin that anger; it'll eat you up inside,

I've been trying to get down

To the heart of the matter

But my will gets weak

And my thought seem to scatter

But I think its about forgiveness

Forgiveness

portion of lyrics from Heart of the Matter

by Don Henley of THE EAGLES

The Heart of the Matter

There we sat on the patio of a restaurant on this mild, late summer evening, just the two of us, me and my husband enjoying a meal together. As we finished, I noticed a familiar person out of the corner of my eye approaching our table. I awkwardly greeted her. It had been a while since we had last spoken and admittedly it was a little odd this sudden, unexpected face to face encounter. She politely asked if she could talk to me about something. I offered her a chair.

She said, I have come to say I am sorry.

I reached for her hand...that same hand that I held when we were both children. Playing countless hours together on the fertile farm land of our ancestors.

Through her tears, she humbly asked me to forgive her and apologized for something that had happened over two years ago. She did not try to explain or excuse her actions, she simply asked me to forgive her.

My response? I came out of my chair, embraced her and I accepted her apology.

Instantly, there was releif. The invisible, but very real fortress between us came tumbling down.

With just three simple words.

Springs of tears and fountains of forgiveness watered our faces and our souls.

Hearts grown hard suddenly softened, ready for new growth to take root.

These two. Daughters of the land. His daughters.Getting down to the heart of the matter.

Forgiveness.

On my knees

Here I am again on my knees, weeding this same flowerbed. In no time at all this unwanted and unsightly growth has taken over, choking, crowding the gardenias planted years ago.

Now with piles of wilting and withering growth littering the sidewalk, I stop to catch my breath, straightening my stiff back. In this moment, with a hint of Fall in the air, I think of how I need this. This weeding in my heart. Throwing out. Casting away of my worries. Flinging. Disposing. Tossing.

How to do this? How to keep these weeds of worry out? How to nurture the wanted growth and fling away the choking?

Maybe it really does simply start on my knees.

Grace covering

Malli wearing my old-fashioned bonnet

Over forty years ago my grandfather gave me a red checked gingham bonnet. Although it was 1969 and not exactly a popular fashion statement for that day, I loved it. I wore it when no one was watching and secretly pretended I lived in a different century, like Laura Ingles.

The bonnet has covered not only my head, but my daughter's head when she was just a toddler while playing at the beach. Still with an aroma of salt air, I placed it on another head today.

While playing in the front yard, with a hint of Fall in the air , it covered my grandaughter today.

Like the grace from the Father.

Amazing grace covers.

Flowing down.

A covering of His grace in a rich garment of righteousness woven by the precious blood of Christ.

Grace covering.

Giving thanks again...

520. celebrating Savannah-Jane's Calculus Test results-95!

521. napping next to Malli

522. encouraging notes

523. getting teeth cleaned

Peace

Malli, perfectly peaceful

Thou wilt keep her in perfect peace,

whose mind is stayed on thee:

because she trusteth in thee."

Isaiah 26:3

I watched my grandaughter as she slept today. After hours of play and busy-ness she finally surrendered to sleep.

I have had many restless nights, tossing turning, wrestling, fighting with sleep. Usually this insomnia stems from things that are troubling me.

The lack of perfect peace.

When I think of Him, my mind stayed on thee, trusting,having Him in my thoughts, meditating on His love, His mercy, His grace, and His provision...

then He will give me that perfect peace.