Sunday Delight

We must choose

HoPe

over fear.

-unknown

Sunday Delight

Last night I saw this verse in a book I am reading. The guest preacher also spoke on it this morning at church. I'm going to try to memorize it this week. Here we go...

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Colossians 3:12-14

Sunday Delight

Sunday Delight

"You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever."

Psalm 30:11-12

Sunday Delight

Prefer the given.

Sounds easy enough, right?

I am reading a book called "Momumental; Adventures in the Messy Art of Raising a Family." In her book the author Jennifer Grant mentioned that one of her college professors introduced the idea to "prefer the given."

She writes, "Coined by British author Charles Williams, the phrase means choosing to appreciate what we have instead of being dissatisfied with the grace and other gifts God gives us.

In other words, if winter is a northerner's lot in life for half the year, what's the point in wishing it were otherwise?"

For some reason this really struck me today. I definitely try to stick to this philosphy, but sometimes the hustle and bustle of every day life gets in the way. It is easy to forget how blessed we are, especially if we fall into the pit of comparrison. Lets face it- sometimes the grass does look greener on the other side. But looks can be so deceiving.

I am so thankful for the life, though not always easy by any means, that God has chosen to give me. As I go through this week, I will be working to prefer the given.

Happy Sunday!

Sunday Delight {on a Tuesday}

Last Friday, the Ruple family lost an amazing woman, mother, grandmother, and friend. Although I didn't get to spend a ton of time with MeMaw, she always made me feel like a part of her family. I am so thankful for the family she raised, the family that is now my own.

We spent the weekend with them celebrating MeMaw's life and we had a truly wonderful time. That is almost weird to type- but it is true.

Bryson had a great time with Uncle Clay and Uncle Joe, and of course with Granny and Grandpa. Spending time with his cousins was just the icing on the cake. The way the Ruple family handled the passing of MeMaw is a true testament to the woman she was. MeMaw also got to meet our baby Caroline on the day she would have been six months old. What a treat to meet her great grandmother on this special day! While we grieve the grandmother that was lost, we look forward to the day when we will all be together again. I am so grateful to be a part of this family.



Sunday Delight

Conversation in the truck on the way home from church:

Me: "Ooh, Bryson! Did you color this picture?"

B: "Uh huh. It's the ark."

Me: "Do you know what was in the ark?"

B: "An elephant."

Me: "And what else?"

B: "A Noah."

Haha!

Love that kid so much...

Happy Sunday!



Sunday Delight

"Hope" is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul-

And sings the tune without words

And never stops- at all.

-Emily Dickinson

Sunday Delight

Sunday is definitely my favorite day of the week. It means church, family, friends, and relaxing at home. Today it meant singing in church with my boy, a church picnic, visiting with a sweet family, discovering baby watermelons in the garden, and a slip-and-slide.

I'm going to try to start having a "Sunday Delight" post every Sunday. Each week I will post one picture of something that makes me happy. God has done so much for us and I want to make sure that I'm documenting at least a few of these blessings along the way...

My picture this week is one of my favorites of all time. When my Grandma Shirley passed away I ended up with her Bible. I love that Bible so much. It has all of her hand-written notes in the margins, as well as a complete record of every birth, baptism, marriage, and death in our family since 1948 when she received it. It shows how much her faith really meant to her {and I can't help but wonder what story my Bible will tell after I'm gone??}.

I have had Grandma's Bible for four years now. Not long ago I was flipping through the pages when I came across this picture. It is weird that I never noticed it before. It is the one and only picture that was tucked away in the pages of the book she treasured so dearly.

When I was little we went to the beach every year, and every year as far back as I can remember my grandma came with us. Each morning she would wake me up before anyone else and we would go for a long walk. We would talk and laugh and look for treasures on the uncombed beach- just me and her. It was my one of my very favorite things about our trips. I will always be thankful for those early mornings with that sweet lady I loved so much. I miss her more than words can express, but I know that she is probably walking on the beaches in Heaven with my sweet Caroline at this very moment. Thankful for my Grandma's faith and for mine; and for the certainty I have in knowing that I will be with two of my favorite girls again one day.

Happy Sunday!