Who defines who you are?

Why is it that what people think matters so much to us? Why do we listen? When someone cloaks their words with honey, yet they stab at the heart. Why? Who are these people that throw these barbs thinking that they are offering helpful insight, but really are tearing through our tender hearts?


The only one who matters, the only one whose thoughts about my performance, my success, my choices who really matters is Jesus. So when those sweet people (unsuspecting I trust, some are) offer their opinions I really need to start responding with a gentle rebuke “thank you for your opinion, I will take it into consideration the next quiet moment I have to analyze my life” – or something to that affect.  Not to be mean, but to remind them that they are not walking in my shoes and they do not know what my life is really like.

Dear friends, does it matter if another thinks your choices wrong? That your children wild? That your house messy? Does it really, honestly, truly matter? Without a minutia of hesitation NO!! No – no – no!!! Can I say it again NO!!!

Life is precious!

Life is precious.  We saw that personally this week.

Robert was working his 12 hour night shift the other night.  He usually heads home about 8am.  So when the light on the answering machine was blinking  that morning I suspected something was up. 

I finally got ahold of him, and he told me he was headed to Dallas and that he would not be home.  They had an accident.

Words you never want to hear. 

They had an accident.  One severe enough for Robert to be heading to Dallas to meet his guy who went by helicopter.

Book Review : Untamed by Lisa Harper

Untamed: How the Wild Side of Jesus Frees Us to Live and Love with Abandon

 

I like to read. I enjoy fiction, spiritual, thriller – honestly there are few categories I do not like. I especially like when a book meets me where I am, and gives me something to chew on. Ms. Harper has done both.

“..the more I contemplate His passionate quest for my own heart – the way He winks at me through brilliant sunrises, provides enough money to pay the bills, and the way he serenades me with crickets at night – the more I’m compelled to run after Him …” p.83

Weekend thoughts

Life is flying by in our  neck of the woods!  We are starting the day with a line in the water, we break for some breakfast before running off again.  I seem to be spending a good deal of time in the kitchen baking, canning, cooking and so on.  The kids We all collapse into bed at the end of the day, worn out!  Life is good.

We have my uncle and aunt in town this week and we made a trip out to Canton to wander around.  It was fun, they did not get too much of our money – so that is good!  Then on the way home we stopped to pick some blueberries!  That was lots of fun!!  I am not sure the kids added too many berries to our buckets, but their tummies were full enough when we left!

Now we have a few jars of Blueberry Jam (made by Peter and me), we also have blueberry Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt in the freezer waiting to be eaten!  You cannot beat fresh picked blueberries!  Oh, did I mention Friday morning we enjoyed blueberry pancakes!  Cannot miss making those with fresh berries in the house!!

We also managed to pick all our beets and I canned about 10 jars, many pickled and some plain.  I learned how to use my pressure cooker/canner this week when I canned 2 quarts of tomatoes also!  I am so excited to use it more and put away lots of veggies from the garden!

We picked our first pumpkins – a bit early since they will not make it to Halloween or even fall – but it was fun to watch them grow as green squash and then finally turn orange!

The kids have been fishing daily – and caught a few.  We are starting to add them to the freezer as the kids get them so that we can have a fish fry in the future!  Looking forward to that!

It sure is hot here, so we play early and hang out inside most of the afternoon.  But, life is good!

Next week the Lewis family will be here to play, fish, camp and have lots of fun!! Cannot wait!