Beyond Pearls: September 2014

Monday, September 22, 2014

That she may walk with Christ

Heavenly Father,

In your love you have called us to know you,

led us to trust you, and bound our life with yours.

Surround this child with your love, protect her from evil.

Fill her with the holy spirit and receive her into the family of your church,

that she may walk with us in the way of Christ,

and grow in the knowledge of your love.

Amen.

With unfathomable joy

the Church welcomes you,

dear, sweet

Genevieve Marie-Josephine!

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Daybook for mid-September

Outside My Window:

Autumn is approaching. The summer annuals are beginning to look a little tired and heavy with leggy blooms. The days have grown shorter, temperatures are falling and crickets have begun their seasonal nightly serenade. On my drive back from the Carolinas earlier this week I passed by a roadside stand displaying small pumpkins and mums. Something I would not have expected so early in September. But spying them made me smile.

I am wearing:

Jeans, sleeveless cotton blouse, bare feet.

On Pandora:

Steel Wheels Radio and some George Winston, too.

This old House:

So many plans for the house! First though, I need to do a deep cleaning out of stuff we no longer need (much of it we never really needed to begin with!). I will start in the basement laundry room where we store many odd items - household, outdoor, old clothing, and miscellaneous junk. Planning to begin this project very soon.

From the Kitchen (& Garden):

Lots and lots and lots of tomatoes! Yum!

Lettuce and peppers, too. A few yellow squash and cucumbers. My herbs (other than the mint) are getting leggy and worn. The thyme died off.

And there are wee, baby carrots!

I am Hearing:

Cicadas

I am Reading:

Time for God by Jacques Philippe (The 5th book I've read by him - He is Awesome!)

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather for Book Club. Pleasant, enjoyable read. I like it very much.

I am Hoping and Praying:

For peace in our world. For the end to terrorism on this planet and in the womb. For the conversion of our most vile enemies.

That the many intentions others have asked me to pray for are answered. Especially those who are suffering deeply. That they know they are loved beyond all imagining. That they be still and just let God love them.

For the temporal and spiritual well-being of all my family (including my son-in-law to be!).

I am Grateful:

For my kids. God has given my the greatest privilege of becoming their mother and I am humbled.

Our Father's Promise:

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for the Kingdom of God is yours.

Blessed are you who are now hungry,

for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who are now weeping,

for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you,

and when they exclude and insult you,

and denounce your name as evil

on account of the Son of Man.

Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!

Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.

For their ancestors treated the prophets

in the same way.

But woe to you who are rich,

for you have received your consolation.

But woe to you who are filled now,

for you will be hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now,

for you will grieve and weep.

Woe to you when all speak well of you,

for their ancestors treated the false

prophets in this way.”

Luke 6:20-26

A few Plans:

We have a wedding in April! Enough said.

Words to Ponder:

"Our main task in praying is to love. But in our relationship with God, loving means first of all letting ourselves be loved. This isn't as easy as it might seem. It means we have to believe in love, and often we find it very easy to doubt it. It also means we have to accept the fact that we are poor." - Jacques Philippe, Time for God

A Picture Thought (or two):