The Smell of Fresh Cut Grass and Sunshine

Absolutely LOVE this time of year! The days are longer, it's warmer in the morning when I leave for work, the air smells fresh and summer is not too far away. It's great. It's also hard to be inside all day long when it's so nice outside. Today I went to the Post Office on my lunch break and truly wanted to just keep driving and enjoy the day. I've always been an outdoor girl - walking, hiking, camping. I actually like mowing lawns. Strange, huh? And I'd love to go camping right about now. The evenings make me want to sit around a campfire.

I'm really excited about Colleen's wedding. I wish that I could be closer to her to help her work on things but I'm enjoying the process anyway. :) It's going to be a fun weekend.

I want to learn something new. I don't really have anything specific in mind right now but I really want to take a class or just try something that I haven't done before.

I'm glad that tomorrow's the last day of March. It's been a long month and I'm ready for a new one.

Safe

You will be safe in His arms, you will be safe in His arms,
The hands that hold the world are holding your heart.
This is the promise He's made, He will be with you always,
When everything is falling apart, you will be safe in His arms.
~Phil Wickham

I can't get this song out of my head. Last week as I left for a brief trip to Maine for a funeral of a very dear uncle, this song came on the radio and I turned it up, sang along and cried. It was so appropriate for the time. And as Mom and Colleen and I were driving to Bangor on Monday morning, it was on again and we turned it up and sang. And I thought about my aunt. The next few weeks and months are going to be the hardest and as people leave and go back to their lives and responsibilities, but her world will never be the same. Oh, it will get better and over time it will hurt a little less. But she will always need to feel the safety of her Heavenly Father's arms.

On my way home, I read pretty much an entire book. The story was of a woman in a supposedly Christian marriage with a husband who others looked at and thought what a good and godly example he was to his family and those around him. But behind closed doors he was a completely different person and she worked so hard for so long to please him in order to avoid the beatings and bruises. She wasn't safe in her own home with the people that she should be able to trust the most. And even though the book was fictional, it could be about the person that lives next door or sits beside you in church.

It's been a couple of months since Haiti was rocked by the biggest earthquake that country has ever experienced. And many people around the world have gone back to their daily living and "moved on". But those that are still there, still picking up the pieces and trying to out their lives back together haven't forgotten. They never will. And they need to know that Christ's arms are there for them. Maybe we are supposed to be those arms to show them Christ.

For a lot of people, life hasn't turned out like they planned. It may be due to choices that they have made. It may be because of the choices others have made. Or it may be neither and God just doesn't really make sense right now. And at times the clouds are so dark and the storm seems so big that it's hard to remember that He's still in control. But that's the great thing about the power of an embrace. Sometimes it comes when you least expect it but need it most. And when you feel yourself weary and falling, those arms are there. They have been all along. And out of the darkness and confusion, you feel God's hug. And you know, deep down, you are safe.

• Safe by Phil Wickham

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The Distance Between, The Tie That Binds

There are times in life when the distance from those that you love feels so great that it physically hurts. When saying. "I love you, I'm here for you, I'm praying for you, and you're in my thoughts" just doesn't feel like it's enough. There are times when you just want to be with them - to hug, to cry, to sit, to listen.

But life doesn't always allow for that. Sometimes the ones we love, the ones that are hurting the most, are not just down the road or even across town. More often than not, the geographical distance is greater than we would like. But the love we have and the bond we share as a family, holds us together. It helps to know that when you are hurting, your family is hurting with you. And when you are crying, you're family is crying as well. And when you want to hug them and hold them close, they feel the exact same way. When life doesn't makes sense and the hurts are too big to carry alone, your family is there to hold your hand and lift your load.

We are all hurting right now, but we have each other. Family, I love you. And though the distance between may be great, the tie that binds is strong.

It's A Beautiful Day...

... in the neighborhood. I woke up to sunshine this morning which was a welcome sight after three days of rain. I love when Spring is in the air and right around the corner.

I'm not very good with plants but I'm attempting to grow some. I have one that I've had for years and has been with my mother up until about five months ago. I was certain that when I came into possession of it, it would die. However, I stuck it in the corner and it is thriving. I have some Forget-Me-Nots that are going so-so and I decided today to try to grow an Avocado tree. Not sure about that one. Sometimes I wish that I could have a garden. There's something really nice about gardens - vegetable, flower, rock. I'd probably do better with a rock garden. :)

Just some random thoughts on this beautiful day.

March So Far

There's a lot of thoughts going through my head. Maybe sometime in the next couple of days I'll get them sorted out and write something deeper.

This past weekend I drove up to Ohio to surprise my sister and meet her fiance. It was a really fun weekend and she was definitely surprised. It was wonderful just to hang out and relax and visit. I miss my family more than I usually know.

Today it was in the 70's. It was wonderful! I can't wait for Spring and Summer to really arrive and stay.

I'm already ready for the weekend. I know that's terrible but it's the truth.