see and know {it is good}...

as i lay on the beach today, enjoying what will be the first of many warm and sunny summer days ahead, a dear friend of mine was traveling through oregon with her sweet boys and hubby, on their way to WA.  she posted this photo...

it's SNOWING in oregon! 

and i was reminded about just how very awesome is our God...


I will put in the desert
the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress together,
so that people may see and know,
may consider and understand,
that the hand of the LORD has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
isaiah 41:19-21

my Lord God is near...

See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it.  Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."  What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way our Lord God is near us whenever we pray to him?  And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?  Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live.  Teach them to your children and to their children after them.  Deuteronomy 4:5-9

and then...

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul.  Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they may accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.  1Peter 2:9-12

**********
i read the deuteronomy passage twice this morning, in two totally different place/contexts {God obviously had something He wanted me to hear and see and learn this morning}.  so here are my thoughts...

* God is the same today as he was yesterday.  His word in Deuteronomy is his word in 1Peter is his word alive and working in me right now, today.
* I must live as a part of his nation, his people every day, because my decisions affect not only me but show others who he is.  I am responsible for others knowing that my God is an awesome God.
* I must guard my heart and soul and dwell in his word every moment of every day.  I can not forget.

I've been weary.  God is my strength, and He alone sustains me.  His word truly is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path....

morning run {getting moving in the a.m.}...

i'm not a morning person.  i usually run in the late afternoon or early evening, right after school.  it seems like my body responds better when it's been allowed to wake up.  funny how that works.

for the past two days, however, i have run in the morning, around 7:30.  i actually have found that after a brisk minute of walking, i'm able to start shuffling my feet and the run feels good!  the morning air has been easier on my lungs and my legs have gotten into that runner's groove that i hear about but never seem to experience.

i'm finding too that early morning gives me time to worship as i run and then study in the quiet of my house with my java before the mad rush hits {ie, three children and a dog}.

thursday i may try the bridge in the a.m....

summer is upon us...

summer is here, at least in the sense of the encroaching heat and freedom from school and work. maybe not officially on the calendar, but definitely in our minds.

summer means maybe (don't hold me to it) i'll blog more often. it also means that i am extremely busy, but with things i choose to be busy with. like palmetto bible camp. and our 12 day youth mission trip. and a bahamas cruise. and books to read and study. and plenty of beach days.

at least i'll have something to blog about...

{photo taken with holga in bahamas, 2009)

love me some andrew peterson...

especially when all i want to do is go somewhere far away...this song reminds me that adventure lies right in my own backyard...

{but i still want to travel the world, too} :o)

stuff you probably already know {but just in case}...

ok, a few things...

1. i love to travel. i {love} to cruise. went xc in an rv for 30 days with our kids in 2007 and it was the best thing we've ever done. 22 states and 5 national parks.
2. would love to live in rome or nyc. or tahiti. have only lived in one other city besides charleston, sc.
3. krispy kreme doughnuts are hard to resist.
4. i like to talk. i'm not a good listener. {sorry}
5. adore the color pink and clothing with ruffles.
6. have three children. one hubs. teach four year olds.
7. summer can't come soon enough. i like flipflops, sundresses, and sand between my toes.
8. i coupon like a crazy woman, usually saving up to 60% off our groceries each week.
9. i'm told often that i look a lot younger than i am.
10. my hubs was my first and only date. we've been married 20 years.
that's me..:o)

happy hearts day {love someone today}...

the word love appears in the Bible over 500 times...

love is an action verb...

we are told that the two greatest commandments are to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind" and to "love your neighbor as yourself"...Matthew 2:37-39

"God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us"...Romans 5:8

hope your {hearts} day was a happy one!