www.sandraevertson.com
10 years ago
Posted by
Victoria
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It has been a very long time since I had a puppy, 15 years to be exact. Growing up we had lots of dogs but they were already grown by the time we acquired them, they stayed outside, and I was a child so other than feeding them and loving them, I had no responsibility for them. When Jason and I got married we had a miniature schnauzer that I had "rescued" from a friend of mine's neighbor. He was already a year old and was very smart He was quiet and nervous, but potty trained and neutered so we really didn't have a lot of work to do. After several months of marriage I was feeling maternal and we had not been blessed with a bun in the oven, so I began pleading my case for a puppy, not a dog, I wanted a puppy. Jason soon caved and we went to pick up my first bundle of joy, a miniature pinscher, whom we named Grace. She was six weeks old when we brought her home, she weighed only a few ounces and fit in the palm of my hand but soon we discovered that she could produce a lot of terror in that tiny body. Never having a puppy before I was completely unprepared for her shredding, peeing, pooping, eating, whining, howling, shredding, destructive, (did I mention shredding?) ways. Jason and I both worked full time. We lived in a small apartment and Grace wrecked it in just under a month. We had to rip out carpet, replace tile, fix cabinets, paint doors. We tried crate training to no avail, she would pee and poop in the crate and then wear it all day until we returned, and she didn't even care! She ate a million things she shouldn't... towels, wipes, medicine bottles, clothes, shoes. We made multiple trips to the emergency vet in those early months. Jason and I argued about getting rid of her. He thought she should go, but then she would be good for a short time and I would convince him to let her stay. I would joke that her name, Grace, was fitting since it took all the Grace I could muster not to kill her. Jazz, our sweet schnauzer would look at us like we were crazy and treated her like she had the plague. I swore that I would never, not ever, get another puppy, ever again.
15 years later and life has changed tremendously in our home. Grace, our little terror, is now a great-grandma. She can't hear, her eyesight is failing a little, she has arthritis and she spends most of her days lying in the sun spot on the carpet and cuddling in your lap under a blanket. She still has her moments of craziness, but the memory of those wild puppy days has faded.
This is where it gets bad, the faded puppy memories, because just like you forget the pain and sleepless nights of babyhood with your children and begin to long for more even after you swore at 2am that that baby was going to be an only child, you forget those wild puppy days of 15 years ago. I forgot about the constant chewing, I forgot about the howling nights, I forgot about the potty traing, and the teething, and the hyper- high energy, and when I walked up to the Walmart door and saw the sweet white puppy with the black spots and the sad eyes I forgot that promise I made all those years ago and all I saw was my little girls pleading face and all I thought about was how much I loved having a big yard dog to follow me around and grow up with me when I was a child and how my girls haven't really gotten to experience that with grumpy Grandma Grace... and I caved. I didn't cave right away, oh no, I said no and we left and came home, but then I called Jason, expecting him to be the strong one and confirm my doubts, but he didn't, he just said "well go get it if you want." That's the problem with him, he always gives in to me and it is not always good, but love is blind and off we went to get the puppy.
I now remember vividly the chaos that puppies cause, but it is too late, because he looks at us with his sweet eyes and he whines for us to come play and I remember why, through all the craziness, teething, chewing, digging, and howling, we kept Grace all those years ago. love. simple, God made little things like puppies and children so cute and innocent to show us how to love unconditionally. Just like God loves us when we create chaos in our lives, just like he loves us when we are being frustrating, hard headed and whiny. God created things around us to demonstrate what love is supposed to look like. I see it in my children, who wear me down and wear me out, but no matter how many times they cause trouble, I still love them and I see it in this new puppy, who is crazy and untrained and frustrating, but no matter what, we will love him and take care of him, because God loves me even when I act crazy! All I can hope for now is that it takes another 15 years before I forget about these crazy times because I am getting to old to handle any more puppies.
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
15 years later and life has changed tremendously in our home. Grace, our little terror, is now a great-grandma. She can't hear, her eyesight is failing a little, she has arthritis and she spends most of her days lying in the sun spot on the carpet and cuddling in your lap under a blanket. She still has her moments of craziness, but the memory of those wild puppy days has faded.
This is where it gets bad, the faded puppy memories, because just like you forget the pain and sleepless nights of babyhood with your children and begin to long for more even after you swore at 2am that that baby was going to be an only child, you forget those wild puppy days of 15 years ago. I forgot about the constant chewing, I forgot about the howling nights, I forgot about the potty traing, and the teething, and the hyper- high energy, and when I walked up to the Walmart door and saw the sweet white puppy with the black spots and the sad eyes I forgot that promise I made all those years ago and all I saw was my little girls pleading face and all I thought about was how much I loved having a big yard dog to follow me around and grow up with me when I was a child and how my girls haven't really gotten to experience that with grumpy Grandma Grace... and I caved. I didn't cave right away, oh no, I said no and we left and came home, but then I called Jason, expecting him to be the strong one and confirm my doubts, but he didn't, he just said "well go get it if you want." That's the problem with him, he always gives in to me and it is not always good, but love is blind and off we went to get the puppy.
I now remember vividly the chaos that puppies cause, but it is too late, because he looks at us with his sweet eyes and he whines for us to come play and I remember why, through all the craziness, teething, chewing, digging, and howling, we kept Grace all those years ago. love. simple, God made little things like puppies and children so cute and innocent to show us how to love unconditionally. Just like God loves us when we create chaos in our lives, just like he loves us when we are being frustrating, hard headed and whiny. God created things around us to demonstrate what love is supposed to look like. I see it in my children, who wear me down and wear me out, but no matter how many times they cause trouble, I still love them and I see it in this new puppy, who is crazy and untrained and frustrating, but no matter what, we will love him and take care of him, because God loves me even when I act crazy! All I can hope for now is that it takes another 15 years before I forget about these crazy times because I am getting to old to handle any more puppies.
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
Posted by
Victoria
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You are so sheltered. Your children seem sheltered. You can't shelter them from everything. Homeschooled children must be awfully sheltered. I don't want my kids to be that sheltered. He wouldn't have rebelled if he hadn't been so sheltered growing up. Sheltered...
I hear phrases like this all the time. Is being sheltered a bad thing? The other day I was talking to a stranger at the park while our children played and she was talking about a TV show that I hadn't even heard of and I told her we didn't really watch TV much and she started talking about sheltering children and that she didn't believe sheltering them from the world was a good thing. She believed in showing them reality. She went on to say that shletered kids turned out to be more rebellious than "worldy street wise ones" in her opinion. She wasn't neccessarily implying that by not letting my children watch popular TV that I was going to have trouble later, and she didn't even say directly to me that I was sheltering them, but when I was driving home later I was thinking about what she had said and wondering to myself " Are my children too sheltered?"
I guess you could say I grew up sheltered although I didn't really think much about it. I went to private school for several years, I grew up actively participating in Church, I didn't watch TV ( mostly because we only had 3 channels and an antenna) When I was 14 I left the safety of a small private middle school and ventured into the uncharted territory of a huge public high school, this was when it hit me for the first time that I might have been a little sheltered. I had never heard a cuss word, never seen anyone my age smoking or drinking, I had never heard anyone openly talking about a lot of the things highschoolers talk about, I had never listened to rock music and didn't know much about pop culture. Friends joked that I was "Sheltered"... but was that a bad thing? I didn't think so then and I don't think so now. I did rebel a little, I hung out with people I shouldn't have sometimes, I listened to music my parents hated, I dated guys that had rebellious streaks ( and married one who definitely wasn't sheltered and completely agrees with me on sheltering ours) I caught up pretty quickly on what I had been missing but it wasn't really that great and it didn't really make me wish I had seen or heard or done it sooner. Rebelliousness comes from a lot of different factors and I don't believe that sheltered children are always the most rebellious. Eventually we all get our introduction to the ways of the world no matter how protective our parents have been. The Bible has lots of verses that talk about God being our shelter, He wants to shelter us from evil, from harm, from the bad things of the world. God calls us to not be like the world. He doesn't want us to be subjected to everything under the sun. He wants us to be sheltered and He wants to be the one who is our shelter.
So yes, my children are sheltered. They don't get to watch movies that are rated over their age, they don't watch ICarly and Hannah Montana, they don't know a single Justin Beiber song or who Lady Gaga is, they don't hear foul language at home, they listen to Christian and children's music, and yet the world still finds it's way in through school, through kids on the playground, through the news media, and through life, but it is in small doses that we deal with and handle one at a time. They know what a broken home is, they know what alchohol can do to you, they know that there are poor, lost people in the world who need help and love, they know there are evil people who do bad things and they know what it means to pray for those people. They also know that God has trusted their Dad and I to be their shelter here on Earth but that He is the ultimate shelter. They have their whole lives to be exposed to all the junk of the world. I just want them to enjoy the comfort of the shelter that I can provide for as long as they can.
Psalm 61:3-4 For you have been my shelter, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
I hear phrases like this all the time. Is being sheltered a bad thing? The other day I was talking to a stranger at the park while our children played and she was talking about a TV show that I hadn't even heard of and I told her we didn't really watch TV much and she started talking about sheltering children and that she didn't believe sheltering them from the world was a good thing. She believed in showing them reality. She went on to say that shletered kids turned out to be more rebellious than "worldy street wise ones" in her opinion. She wasn't neccessarily implying that by not letting my children watch popular TV that I was going to have trouble later, and she didn't even say directly to me that I was sheltering them, but when I was driving home later I was thinking about what she had said and wondering to myself " Are my children too sheltered?"
I guess you could say I grew up sheltered although I didn't really think much about it. I went to private school for several years, I grew up actively participating in Church, I didn't watch TV ( mostly because we only had 3 channels and an antenna) When I was 14 I left the safety of a small private middle school and ventured into the uncharted territory of a huge public high school, this was when it hit me for the first time that I might have been a little sheltered. I had never heard a cuss word, never seen anyone my age smoking or drinking, I had never heard anyone openly talking about a lot of the things highschoolers talk about, I had never listened to rock music and didn't know much about pop culture. Friends joked that I was "Sheltered"... but was that a bad thing? I didn't think so then and I don't think so now. I did rebel a little, I hung out with people I shouldn't have sometimes, I listened to music my parents hated, I dated guys that had rebellious streaks ( and married one who definitely wasn't sheltered and completely agrees with me on sheltering ours) I caught up pretty quickly on what I had been missing but it wasn't really that great and it didn't really make me wish I had seen or heard or done it sooner. Rebelliousness comes from a lot of different factors and I don't believe that sheltered children are always the most rebellious. Eventually we all get our introduction to the ways of the world no matter how protective our parents have been. The Bible has lots of verses that talk about God being our shelter, He wants to shelter us from evil, from harm, from the bad things of the world. God calls us to not be like the world. He doesn't want us to be subjected to everything under the sun. He wants us to be sheltered and He wants to be the one who is our shelter.
So yes, my children are sheltered. They don't get to watch movies that are rated over their age, they don't watch ICarly and Hannah Montana, they don't know a single Justin Beiber song or who Lady Gaga is, they don't hear foul language at home, they listen to Christian and children's music, and yet the world still finds it's way in through school, through kids on the playground, through the news media, and through life, but it is in small doses that we deal with and handle one at a time. They know what a broken home is, they know what alchohol can do to you, they know that there are poor, lost people in the world who need help and love, they know there are evil people who do bad things and they know what it means to pray for those people. They also know that God has trusted their Dad and I to be their shelter here on Earth but that He is the ultimate shelter. They have their whole lives to be exposed to all the junk of the world. I just want them to enjoy the comfort of the shelter that I can provide for as long as they can.
Psalm 61:3-4 For you have been my shelter, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Posted by
Victoria
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I take so many things for granted in my life. I often get blinded by the little irritations in my day and forget to look for the bigger blessings. I spend a lot of time praying that God would fill me with the Holy Spirit and help me have more patience, but that is a wasted prayer. When I came to salvation in Christ I received the Holy Spirit. That same powerful Spirit that rose Christ from the grave, that same spirit that empowered the disciples to action is already in me. I don't have to ask God every day to fill me with it, it is already there. I just have to tap into it and actually USE it. Part of using the fruit of the Spirit known as patience for me today was thinking of the things I should be grateful for instead of griping about them and getting impatient.
Standing in Walmart ( which is already irritating enough) buying groceries today I found myself getting frustrated because they were out of a few of the things I needed, but then I found myself thinking about how blessed I am to have the luxury of going into a store and getting all of my needs without worry. I thought about a friend of mine, who after visiting family in Cuba, told us all about how toilet paper is rationed (yes, you only get so much a month) and how things we take for granted like cereal and shampoo are luxuries there. They can't just walk into a store and see aisles and aisles of foods. We are so blessed to have so many choices available to us. I found my patience in that moment as I thanked God for allowing me to live in a country of plenty.
Sitting in Subway eating lunch with Lydia I was listening to a man fussing at his wife. He was very rude and loud and she was very embarrassed and apologetic. I was getting angry that he was acting so rude in front of everyone in there and especially because I had Lydia with me. I kept hurrying Lydia up so we could leave and was getting impatient with her for staring and eating so slowly. We finally left and we were walking out the door and I began to think about how lucky I am to have a good husband. I have been so blessed to have husband who gives up so much for us. He works hard to provide for our needs without complaint. He never shops for himself or asks for anything. He drives old beat up cars and buys me the new ones. He will give his last five dollars to help someone in need or buy his children ice cream on a hot day. He never complains about taking care of our girls. He puts them to bed every night, he packs lunches, ties shoes, changed diapers, and "babysits" so I can go to craft nights and church activities, and Girls nights out without ever saying a word. He helps me clean the house and does almost all our laundry. He never complains if I don't get things done and tells me I look great even when I have my hair pulled up and sweatpants on. He thanks me for dinner when I cook it and says he loves me daily. I found myself praying silently for that woman and thanking God for the man he placed in my life. I could never ask for a better Father for my girls or a better husband for me. May I never take that blessing for granted.
Standing in line at the checkout counter I was getting ill at the couple in front of me. She was in a motorized cart and he was helping her get her stuff out and on the counter. Lydia began to fuss, time was ticking to go get Emma, and I began to wish that she would just hurry up and if she wasn't fighting with the motorized cart and waiting on him to get everything then maybe they would be able to move a little quicker. Lydia looked up at me and made a comment about the poor lady in front of us whose legs didn't work ( because she was on the cart instead of walking) and I took a deep breath and realized she was right. I should not be complaining about her when I was standing there all healthy and happy. I don't know what her health issues may be. I should be grateful that I am able to walk and run instead of irritated that she is moving too slow. I have been blessed in my life with good health. I have never had surgery, I have never had pain, I have never had anything worse than a stomach bug or a head ache. God has blessed me with health up until now and I have never had to suffer with illness or disease. I do thank God for my health daily but I don't show gratefulness when I get impatient with those who aren't blessed in that area. Thank you God for using my little one to show me the blessing of health you have given me in my life.
I think God is showing me that the patience and kindness and gentleness that I seek is already within me thanks to His power and His spirit. I am the most grateful for the salvation through Christ which allowed me to be filled with the Spirit who gives me that power...now all I have to do is use it!
"And now you have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago" Eph. 1:13 "For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." 2 Cor. 3:17-18
Standing in Walmart ( which is already irritating enough) buying groceries today I found myself getting frustrated because they were out of a few of the things I needed, but then I found myself thinking about how blessed I am to have the luxury of going into a store and getting all of my needs without worry. I thought about a friend of mine, who after visiting family in Cuba, told us all about how toilet paper is rationed (yes, you only get so much a month) and how things we take for granted like cereal and shampoo are luxuries there. They can't just walk into a store and see aisles and aisles of foods. We are so blessed to have so many choices available to us. I found my patience in that moment as I thanked God for allowing me to live in a country of plenty.
Sitting in Subway eating lunch with Lydia I was listening to a man fussing at his wife. He was very rude and loud and she was very embarrassed and apologetic. I was getting angry that he was acting so rude in front of everyone in there and especially because I had Lydia with me. I kept hurrying Lydia up so we could leave and was getting impatient with her for staring and eating so slowly. We finally left and we were walking out the door and I began to think about how lucky I am to have a good husband. I have been so blessed to have husband who gives up so much for us. He works hard to provide for our needs without complaint. He never shops for himself or asks for anything. He drives old beat up cars and buys me the new ones. He will give his last five dollars to help someone in need or buy his children ice cream on a hot day. He never complains about taking care of our girls. He puts them to bed every night, he packs lunches, ties shoes, changed diapers, and "babysits" so I can go to craft nights and church activities, and Girls nights out without ever saying a word. He helps me clean the house and does almost all our laundry. He never complains if I don't get things done and tells me I look great even when I have my hair pulled up and sweatpants on. He thanks me for dinner when I cook it and says he loves me daily. I found myself praying silently for that woman and thanking God for the man he placed in my life. I could never ask for a better Father for my girls or a better husband for me. May I never take that blessing for granted.
Standing in line at the checkout counter I was getting ill at the couple in front of me. She was in a motorized cart and he was helping her get her stuff out and on the counter. Lydia began to fuss, time was ticking to go get Emma, and I began to wish that she would just hurry up and if she wasn't fighting with the motorized cart and waiting on him to get everything then maybe they would be able to move a little quicker. Lydia looked up at me and made a comment about the poor lady in front of us whose legs didn't work ( because she was on the cart instead of walking) and I took a deep breath and realized she was right. I should not be complaining about her when I was standing there all healthy and happy. I don't know what her health issues may be. I should be grateful that I am able to walk and run instead of irritated that she is moving too slow. I have been blessed in my life with good health. I have never had surgery, I have never had pain, I have never had anything worse than a stomach bug or a head ache. God has blessed me with health up until now and I have never had to suffer with illness or disease. I do thank God for my health daily but I don't show gratefulness when I get impatient with those who aren't blessed in that area. Thank you God for using my little one to show me the blessing of health you have given me in my life.
I think God is showing me that the patience and kindness and gentleness that I seek is already within me thanks to His power and His spirit. I am the most grateful for the salvation through Christ which allowed me to be filled with the Spirit who gives me that power...now all I have to do is use it!
"And now you have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago" Eph. 1:13 "For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." 2 Cor. 3:17-18
Posted by
Victoria
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I love the New Year because it is a time to reflect, let go and start over. I cannot believe another year has come and gone. The old saying time waits for no man becomes more and more clear to me the older I get as I struggle to keep up. Looking back and thinking about what 2011 was like for us has been bittersweet, while my family had a pretty good year overall, I can think of countless others who have struggled and experienced pain and loss this past year. It has been sad for me to read the statuses on Facebook lately and see how many people are fighting illness, struggling through job loss and economic hardships, and facing the new year without a loved one. I feel very blessed that God has allowed us to be healthy and happy this past year but I also know that we are only one breath away from being where so many others are. I pray God's grace and mercy over us this year and I know He has a plan even when we don't understand.
I don't make resolutions because I don't like to set myself up for failure and disappointment, but I do like to set goals because they help me keep my focus and give me something to strive for. This year I have three goals I would like to work on.
The first one is a personal goal and that is to be a better steward of my time. God gives me the same amount of time as everyone else in the world and I need to start using mine for more productive things. I think about people in poorer countries who have to get up, take care of children ( a whole lot more than I have), wash clothes by hand, cook food from scratch, take care of cleaning, milking cows and taking care of animals, do errands, sew their own clothes, tend gardens, etc., etc., etc. I have to basically get up and take my girls to school, get some cleaning done with all my modern appliances doing most of the work and I complain that I can't get it all done. I think that has something to do with how much time I waste playing on the computer, reading, playing with the girls, talking on the phone, running useless errands, eating out- wow life sure is hard..haha. Praying that God will give me the motivation to plan my time better and stick to my plan.
My second goal is for Jason and I and it is quality time for us and our family. Before we moved Jason and I used to have date nights without children about once a month and Jason would take each of the girls on a date every other month, but now that family isn't close and work schedules are different we are lucky to have a date night once every six months and the girls haven't had a date with Daddy in a long time. I want dates! My goal is to plan better and more often. I also want to see our extended family more often. Jason and I have not been very good at traveling to visit anyone. I want the girls to see their families more. There is something I have been praying about concerning extended family and I am hoping that God will provide answers in some form to those prayers this year. I am trying to talk more openly with Jason about them and I pray God gives me the right words to say to open up the communication between us regarding this issue and that we will seek God's will together on what he would have us to do.
The third and final goal is for Emma, Lydia and I and that one is that I will be a more Godly example to them, commit to pray diligently for them now and for their futures, and that God will give Jason and I the wisdom to lead them closer to Him and salvation. I pray that God will show us the path He has for them and help us to lead them on that path of purpose for their lives. I want to show them through my words and actions what a woman of faith looks and acts like. I want them to see me pray more, read my Bible more, and as Beth Moore once said I want to fill them so full of Christ that they will miss Him and not know what to do with themselves if they don't follow Him throughout their lives.
May God bless you this year as you seek out your own goals and resolutions and I pray that He will guide you to meet and exceed whatever expectations you put on yourself. Here's to a New Beginning and a happy and prosperous 2012!
"No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Philippians 3:13-14
I don't make resolutions because I don't like to set myself up for failure and disappointment, but I do like to set goals because they help me keep my focus and give me something to strive for. This year I have three goals I would like to work on.
The first one is a personal goal and that is to be a better steward of my time. God gives me the same amount of time as everyone else in the world and I need to start using mine for more productive things. I think about people in poorer countries who have to get up, take care of children ( a whole lot more than I have), wash clothes by hand, cook food from scratch, take care of cleaning, milking cows and taking care of animals, do errands, sew their own clothes, tend gardens, etc., etc., etc. I have to basically get up and take my girls to school, get some cleaning done with all my modern appliances doing most of the work and I complain that I can't get it all done. I think that has something to do with how much time I waste playing on the computer, reading, playing with the girls, talking on the phone, running useless errands, eating out- wow life sure is hard..haha. Praying that God will give me the motivation to plan my time better and stick to my plan.
My second goal is for Jason and I and it is quality time for us and our family. Before we moved Jason and I used to have date nights without children about once a month and Jason would take each of the girls on a date every other month, but now that family isn't close and work schedules are different we are lucky to have a date night once every six months and the girls haven't had a date with Daddy in a long time. I want dates! My goal is to plan better and more often. I also want to see our extended family more often. Jason and I have not been very good at traveling to visit anyone. I want the girls to see their families more. There is something I have been praying about concerning extended family and I am hoping that God will provide answers in some form to those prayers this year. I am trying to talk more openly with Jason about them and I pray God gives me the right words to say to open up the communication between us regarding this issue and that we will seek God's will together on what he would have us to do.
The third and final goal is for Emma, Lydia and I and that one is that I will be a more Godly example to them, commit to pray diligently for them now and for their futures, and that God will give Jason and I the wisdom to lead them closer to Him and salvation. I pray that God will show us the path He has for them and help us to lead them on that path of purpose for their lives. I want to show them through my words and actions what a woman of faith looks and acts like. I want them to see me pray more, read my Bible more, and as Beth Moore once said I want to fill them so full of Christ that they will miss Him and not know what to do with themselves if they don't follow Him throughout their lives.
May God bless you this year as you seek out your own goals and resolutions and I pray that He will guide you to meet and exceed whatever expectations you put on yourself. Here's to a New Beginning and a happy and prosperous 2012!
"No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Philippians 3:13-14
Posted by
Victoria
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I have always loved Autumn. It is by far my favorite time of the year. I don't know why but there is just something about brisk breezes, cold mornings under the covers, and the beautiful colors of creation that make my heart smile. I never would have thought that the smells of Fall could also be part of the reason I love it so much until this last week. Jason had been outside early that morning and it was cold so he had on his jacket and when he came in the house I caught a faint whiff of smoke on him from the firewood burning in the houses around us and the smell of the fresh cold air as it rushed in the door and instantly I had a memory of standing in his driveway as a teenager wrapped up in his coat and kissing him goodbye before heading home after a date. I didn't tell him because I knew he would laugh at me and he already thinks I am crazy but it really happened just that quick. I began to think about the Fall and the smells and the memories and I think I know why I love Fall so much. My best memories are always accociated with Fall.
Jason and I fell in love in the Fall. We met in the Summer but we fell in love in the Fall. That memory I had when he walked past me that day reminded me of that love I had for him then and the love I still have for him 20 years later. Those times standing outside in his yard under the stars, wrapped up in his coat with the faint smell of smoke and wishing I could stay there forever. I still love to wrap up in his coat and be close to him when he has been outside on a crisp Fall day but he would think I was crazy if I told him it was the smell of him covered in fresh air and smoke that made me like it so much.
The smell of the Lavender lotion that I use when the weather begins to dry out in the Fall reminds me of my babies. Lydia was born in October and I would wash her in Lavender baby wash and rub Emma in Lavender lotion and baby powder. Every time I put on that lotion I think of them all wrapped up in their little blankets tucked up in my arms after a bath and rocking them to sleep.
The smell of cinnamon and spice reminds me of my Mother making cider in the crockpot for us to drink after playing outside in the cold. I still make that cider and I don't really like to drink it anymore but I love to smell it cooking in my house because it reminds me of a Mother's love.
The smell of burning leaves (and yes out in the country people still do that) reminds me of my Dad raking outside all day and burning leaves. I always loved to stand out there and jump in the leaves and make trails through them to ride my bike on while my Dad laughed and tried his best to rake them back into piles.
The smell of Cotton Candy always reminds me of the Dixie Classic Fair. We went every year when I was growing up and it was a big deal in my family. We even went on the night before my wedding ( which also took place in the Fall) and it brings back wonderful memories of laughter and fun with my family and friends. I hope my daughters have wonderful memories of the fair when they grow up as well. I still have to get cotton candy everytime we go just so I can smell it and remember tose happy childhood times.
I could go on and on about all of the smells of Fall that make me think happy thoughts but hopefully you are thinking of your own happy smell memories now.
After I had been thinking of all of this I was doing devotions and I was reading this verse
"The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God's holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out." Revelation 8:4 and the commentary was talking about how the incense in the tabernacle of God burned and filled it with the sweet smell and how that represented our prayers and how our prayers when lifted to God are like a sweet fragrant perfume to Him and it made me wonder if God remembers sweet things about us when he smells our prayers and if it makes His heart smile :)
"May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. "Psalm 141:2
Jason and I fell in love in the Fall. We met in the Summer but we fell in love in the Fall. That memory I had when he walked past me that day reminded me of that love I had for him then and the love I still have for him 20 years later. Those times standing outside in his yard under the stars, wrapped up in his coat with the faint smell of smoke and wishing I could stay there forever. I still love to wrap up in his coat and be close to him when he has been outside on a crisp Fall day but he would think I was crazy if I told him it was the smell of him covered in fresh air and smoke that made me like it so much.
The smell of the Lavender lotion that I use when the weather begins to dry out in the Fall reminds me of my babies. Lydia was born in October and I would wash her in Lavender baby wash and rub Emma in Lavender lotion and baby powder. Every time I put on that lotion I think of them all wrapped up in their little blankets tucked up in my arms after a bath and rocking them to sleep.
The smell of cinnamon and spice reminds me of my Mother making cider in the crockpot for us to drink after playing outside in the cold. I still make that cider and I don't really like to drink it anymore but I love to smell it cooking in my house because it reminds me of a Mother's love.
The smell of burning leaves (and yes out in the country people still do that) reminds me of my Dad raking outside all day and burning leaves. I always loved to stand out there and jump in the leaves and make trails through them to ride my bike on while my Dad laughed and tried his best to rake them back into piles.
The smell of Cotton Candy always reminds me of the Dixie Classic Fair. We went every year when I was growing up and it was a big deal in my family. We even went on the night before my wedding ( which also took place in the Fall) and it brings back wonderful memories of laughter and fun with my family and friends. I hope my daughters have wonderful memories of the fair when they grow up as well. I still have to get cotton candy everytime we go just so I can smell it and remember tose happy childhood times.
I could go on and on about all of the smells of Fall that make me think happy thoughts but hopefully you are thinking of your own happy smell memories now.
After I had been thinking of all of this I was doing devotions and I was reading this verse
"The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God's holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out." Revelation 8:4 and the commentary was talking about how the incense in the tabernacle of God burned and filled it with the sweet smell and how that represented our prayers and how our prayers when lifted to God are like a sweet fragrant perfume to Him and it made me wonder if God remembers sweet things about us when he smells our prayers and if it makes His heart smile :)
"May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. "Psalm 141:2
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Victoria
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This is my "pick-me-up" song for this week. I sometimes need reminded that God always holds me close and no matter what life throws at me or what I am going through He will keep me safe and secure. I also need to let God know how much I love Him each and everyday.
Posted by
Victoria
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I groaned and grumped when the alarm went off this morning. I can't believe two months have passed since I have heard that sound echoing in my head. It helped a little that the sun was up. It helped a little that my daughter was so excited to be going back to school that she jumped up quickly to get ready. It did not help that my little one is like her Mother in the morning and doesn't like to get up before she is ready. I sat at the breakfast table and thought about how quickly this Summer has passed by and how quickly my little girls are growing. I watched as Emma packed her own bookbag and tied her own shoes and realized that time is so short. The Bible says we are like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes and if you really want to see that principal in action just have a child. Time seems to speed up when you have something to compare it to. I don't feel myself aging that fast and I don't look that much different from one year to the next but one look at my children and I can see the rapid effects of time. I learn to cherish this time more and more everyday. I used to say things like " I just wish she was big enough to get out of the infant carrier.." or " If she was just a little bigger she would be able to..." Now I realize that those times come and go so fast I don't even see it happen. Clothes become small in just a few months. Shoes are outgrown in a season. Baby teeth are being replaced by grown-up ones. Freckles are breaking out and faces are thinning down. I am so thankful that God has allowed me to be here to see each new step and each new milestone. I am glad that even when I get frustrated and want them to do things quickly and act more grown-up God slows me down and helps me see all the great things about this stage at this time. I am thankful for my older one who is independent and who can walk into a new situation without hesitation and I am thankful for my little one who still wants to sit on my lap and suck her thumb. I love it when my girls are still too small to do something because it allows me to still be Mommy and be needed and help them, but I also love it when they are too big to do something they used to do because it reminds me that my job is to help them grow and learn and that time is precious and I need to enjoy every minute of it.
