We were in a park where there were a lot of trees... and a lot of... squirrels :) It was such a pleasure for me to be able to watch them play, eat and bury nuts, and climb the trees :) One little squirrel was working so hard to get in and out of the trash can to eat someone's left over fries... you should have seen it balance itself on the top and eat its fry! lol!! Another little one was so busy burying its nut that it didn't seem to notice me getting closer and closer to have an UP-CLOSE view. It was so cute! It's little paws working so hard to dig, hide the nut, and then pat the earth securely on top :D Amazing, smart little creature :) Then... it turned around, LOOKED ME IN THE EYE... and CAME right up to me!!!! It's little nose twitching and sniffing, looking for a morsel :) I was so surprised they were so used to people! I went to the van to get a grape to offer to my new little friend. Cameron went with me, and we held out the grape... the little squirrel came right up and put its tiny paw on my finger as it snatched the grape with its teeth-- QUICK AS A FLASH!! I was so excited!! How neat was that?? :D It didn't run off, either. It moved about a foot away to eat the grape and then came up to Cameron, sniffed, put its paw on his finger and licked his finger-- and was gone, quicker than we could blink! What fun!! :D That just made my day... and I wanted to write it down, so I can re-read it when I'm feeling low-- and remember the simple joy of a little squirrel! :)
I had the neatest experience yesterday... I *love* wild animals, and I never grow tired of seeing them :) Every time I spot a deer, a rabbit, a bird~ or whatever I happen to notice~ it's like the first time I've ever seen one! My children (now that they're older) laugh at me, because I get all excited and "ooh" and "ahh" as if I've never seen the animals that fill up nature before. But... that's just me :) I *love* them. And the rare occassion of seeing a fox, an owl, or something that isn't an every day occurance-- is *special* :) I had one of those moments yesterday :)
We were in a park where there were a lot of trees... and a lot of... squirrels :) It was such a pleasure for me to be able to watch them play, eat and bury nuts, and climb the trees :) One little squirrel was working so hard to get in and out of the trash can to eat someone's left over fries... you should have seen it balance itself on the top and eat its fry! lol!! Another little one was so busy burying its nut that it didn't seem to notice me getting closer and closer to have an UP-CLOSE view. It was so cute! It's little paws working so hard to dig, hide the nut, and then pat the earth securely on top :D Amazing, smart little creature :) Then... it turned around, LOOKED ME IN THE EYE... and CAME right up to me!!!! It's little nose twitching and sniffing, looking for a morsel :) I was so surprised they were so used to people! I went to the van to get a grape to offer to my new little friend. Cameron went with me, and we held out the grape... the little squirrel came right up and put its tiny paw on my finger as it snatched the grape with its teeth-- QUICK AS A FLASH!! I was so excited!! How neat was that?? :D It didn't run off, either. It moved about a foot away to eat the grape and then came up to Cameron, sniffed, put its paw on his finger and licked his finger-- and was gone, quicker than we could blink! What fun!! :D That just made my day... and I wanted to write it down, so I can re-read it when I'm feeling low-- and remember the simple joy of a little squirrel! :)
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My last post was in October of 2012... and it's already March of 2013!!! WOW!! It seems I'm ALWAYS falling behind! Caught up in life and living, I guess (hee!hee!--aren't we suppose to be? ;) I HAVE been very distracted... going through some very difficult times. BUT there's been some *miracles* and *blessings* and *great hope* :) And I'm still hanging in there! :D I'm refocusing on some things, and looking forward to what lies ahead :) YHWH is so kind :) I'm grateful for His compassions. I'm going to continue working on my *Torah Homeschool* website, and James and I are beginning to work towards the goal of "My Dream" (dropdown tab off my "About Me" page)... how exciting!!! That's something I never thought would become a reality, but -NOW- it just may!! :D I will be blogging our progress... although I'm sure it will be slow. But we have to start somewhere! :D Here's a song for ya... Not to be too personal, I have been greatly distracted for the last few months with some hard emotional circumstances... not many blogs come from a broken heart :( However, I am thankful for the small comforts I find that continually fill my life... like the antics of a *sweet new kitten* as she explores and plays :D (And her sweet little purrr as she cuddles close to me after she's worn herself out :) Comfort I feel at the steadiness of the moon I watch most nights, and the star constellations I observe as they "change" or "move" from season to season . Comfort in the BEAUTIFUL fall weather and colored leaves... a season I am *SO* fond of! Comfort in a *clean house* after scrubbing and dusting ;) Comfort in candles <3 And comfort in the *Peace* and *Rest* of the *Sabbath* So many things that bring comfort to a weary mind and hurt heart. To me, they are gifts. I feel they are from YHWH. I'm thankful to have my life, my health, and my senses to be able to experience them. I hope you, also, find the little comforts that fill *your* life and *THANK YHWH* for them :)
I added a new website to my tabs :) It's a site I've been working on to keep all the things I'm interested in together in one place... easy to find and use :) I hope you will find it as useful as I do :) *Check It Out* and enJOY !! :D
Ssscared?? ME??? NO...not at all...well, not a lot...uh, well...ok--maybe a little!! hee!hee! I just had to share this, because I can't believe *I* actually GOT SCARED!! ME!!! WHAT's wrong with me??? ;D
The other night our youngest son, Cameron, talked his dad into "camping out" with him in our back yard in a little "pup tent". Against his (and MY;) better judgement, they did. Needless to say: BAD idea!! There was NO room for James to stretch or move, and beyond that, the ground was VERY HARD--NOT GOOD for someone with a bad back!!! {WHAT was he thinking????} Well, he DIDN'T make it through the night...or even most of it. He came in a few hours, but Cameron stayed. Cameron was *FINE* sleeping outside in his little tent alone, having himself one fine adventure! :D It was "MOMMY" who didn't want him staying out there the rest of the night alone. So, there was only one thing for me to do: GO OUT THERE WITH MY BOY <3 And so I did :) I slipped quietly outside in the dark {BEAUTIFUL} night...in AWE of the bright glittering stars, the softly glowing moon, and the cool night air that whispered, "fall is on it's way..." :) Wow! It was SO BEAUTIFUL that night...you can't experience those things unless you happen to be awake and outside at "odd hours" of the night :) Anyway, I quickly made my way to the little stand of trees where my little boy "pitched his tent" :) I spoke his name several times, to let him know I was there (not wanting to scare him), but he never responded...so I slowly unzipped the door, and saw his sweet little angel-face sleeping peacefully; moon shining on his beautiful face {how a mother's heart loves!!} . I crawl in the tent, slightly waking him, and we snuggle together in the *LITTLE* tent. {*Memories*} Cameron drifted back off to sleep pretty quickly... I lied there feeling cozy and blessed, basking in the moment, thinking about my little brave boy :) I could hear the wind blowing through the tress...that was ok, it was a pleasant sound. I just pulled the blankets up a little more. The longer I lied there, I began to notice other night sounds...none of which particularly disturbed me. I was pretty much enjoying Cameron's aventure :) I could hear twigs and branches popping and cracking ever so often..."Probably deer," I thought. I could hear bugs and ... I don't know, "What ARE all those noises?"... ;D I looked through the netted top and looked at the stars...so pretty! "WHY can't I go to sleep??"...."I hope those ARE deer...", "Yea, it probably is a deer"...."Didn't James bring me out to hear COYOTES before?"...."COYOTES???"....."Are coyotes afraid of people?"...."Yea, I think I've always heard that they are"...."Yea, I'm pretty sure they are"...."They wouldn't come close to a house or yard anyway, would they?"....."No, I don't think so"...."Nea..."...."What if it was wild dogs instead of coyotes?"...."Are there even such a thing as wild dogs around here?"..."I've never heard of any"...."What was that?....That wasn't something sniffing around out there, was it?"..."That's what it sounded like!"..."Was that something SNIFFING?"..."Sniffing us?"..."Was it sniffing around, sniffing us??"......."Cameron?....Cameron??....Cameron, let's go in!!!" ;D *HAPPY CAMPING!!* September is here! :) Cooler weather is on the way...with the beautiful colors of the turning leaves <3 I look so forward to this time of year. I love the crisp in the air. We will still have pretty warm weather for awhile, but it's on the way "out"...and I love the anticipation of the first cool mornings and the crisp chilly evenings!! Autumn is beautiful, cozy, and *fun* :D I will try to enjoy every moment of it :) It won't be long, and I'll use my oven again, to bake good, warm breakfasts...and soup and chili...and everything baked and spicy and good. Everything that lets you know *Fall Is Here!* :D {I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!! ;) }
** HAPPY FALL, Y'ALL** ;D There has been quite a bit going on in my life that has caused me to think upon my "Mother's Love"...is there anything any greater? Only our Father's love. YHWH called Israel His firstborn son...WHAT LOVE He has shown to His son!! I am SO thankful He gave me an opportunity to share in that love. To feel it's warmth, to sink into it's comfort, to trust it's safety. I have the blessing of taking joy in it's beauty...everyday. All because He is GOOD and MERCIFUL and LOVING. He's COMPASSIONATE and full of GRACE. He is JUST and RIGHT. He is the perfect example of everything He has told us to be...of every attribute He has given us to live by...it is "HIM", and it is GOOD, WISE, and RIGHT--EOUS :)
The greater the LOVE...the greater the PAIN. I HATE [HATE!!!] pain!! :'( I HATE it...but sometimes you can't avoid it. I've thought a lot (at times) about my pain (and we ALL have to endure "pain")...but I don't think I've thought that much about YHWH's pain. He LOVES, the way a father loves. Any parent knows that a PARENT loves DIFFERENTLY than a child. Children LOVE their parents!! YES!! I'm a child, and I've ALWAYS LOVED my parents!! But it's NOT the same way I LOVE my CHILDREN...and children don't understand that...until THEY have CHILDREN. A parent's love is Greater in some ways. It's stronger and deeper. It's a "possessive" and "protective" love. It's an unselfish, giving love. It's a caring, providing love. It's unlike any other love I've ever known...and must be--to continue the life cycle. Children can't love in the same way in return, or they'd never leave...and have families of their own. It is the way it should be, as hard as it becomes at times. But it gets even harder if the children "go astray" or fail to continue to take heed to your (protective) instruction. When YOU want the absolute very BEST for them in all ways and in all things--but they REJECT and REFUSE your way, your safety, your wisdom...your will for them. Israel has been the son that has chosen his own way...and haven't we all? WHAT PAIN FOR THE FATHER!! Is there a remedy for such great pain?? My heart is so very heavy, not only for my own pain...but for the pain of YHWH, my Father. For Israel. For us all. I am *thankful* that YHWH has redemption of all things coming. He will even cleanse the earth... and set all things right. I am glad and I take comfort of heart that "though weeping may endure for the night, joy cometh in the morning!" :D Some day Jerusalem will dance and sing! YHWH has spoken and said He *IS* going to gather His children, I want to be a part of His gathering...a part of HIS joy and delight. The Father will remedy His pain, and the pain of his sweet blessed firstborn son :) Yes, there is hope and joy in YHWH our salvation <3 *And I am SO GLAD* HallaluYAH!!! :D These past few weeks have been a unique experience for me. I have had the oportunity to "speak" to several different ladies, living in several different parts of the country, coming from different "spiritual" backgrounds from my own. I have seen YHWH work in so many different circumstances during different time periods in our lives...bringing us to the same path. We may have a different view from where we each are on the path, and we may have a different understanding of some things--only having our previous experiences to compare things to (which is different for so many different people)...but, YET, we find ourselves on the SAME path...the SAME journey. WHAT an amazing thing!!
These conversations and sharing of stories have caused me to step back a minute and REALLY think about some things...in a DIFFERENT way...from a DIFFERENT perspective. As much as I have TRIED to be objective in my studying, I realize that -in reality- I am probably STILL {VERY!} SUBjective in my views and opinions. As a human brought up ("conditioned") in a certain 'culture' with certain 'spiritual ideas'--how can I NOT still compare things to *my own* perception of those things? I believe we ALL do, whether we realize it or not. And I am beginning to realize just how "deep" those perceptions run!! This has been good for me. It's as though YHWH has put a mirror before me. Do I dare peer in for any length of time, or do I just glance in at it? I think I am doing a little bit of both! :) I want to be one who can see the reflection for what it IS, not for what I WANT it to be. I want to learn to see things from the perspective HE puts before me and not my own. As I've mentioned before: HE sees the tapestry, I only see the threads. :) Shalom, Friends! :) YHWH hears :) He is the Elohiym that hears... this I know, and this has been confirmed to me many times. I am comforted in my Rock, as David was <3 YHWH listens and He hears. He responds to His people. He is kind and merciful and compassionate, and He extends that lovingkindness to me :) I am thankful. I have recently had the opportunity to "meet" someone through a mutal group on-line that we both belong to, and she has been a real "voice" to me in the VERY SHORT time we've been "talking". To listen to the way she thinks and how she relates to YHWH has been a great "blessing" to me. It has brought some things to my attention that I had lost focus of, and it has made me more keenly aware of some special things in my heart that I had not paid very much attention to lately. I'm thankful for this opportunity YHWH has opened up to me :) And, if you ever read this, "Thank You, Elizabeth :)". Tonight as I sat outside to talk to YHWH, the sky was very cloudy and dark... not bright with all the vibrant shiny stars. It "felt" different to gaze up at the black cloudy sky, it felt sad. The sky, actually, LOOKED the way I FELT :( But, although I couldn't SEE the light of the stars, I KNEW {KNOW} they were {ARE} there. It was a comforting thought, because even though I can't "SEE" YHWH's path for us right now-- I KNOW He is here and His light WILL shine again :) I WILL see the path... and until that time, He HEARS <3 Tomorrow (July 30th) will be ONE MONTH since Brenton competed in the "Aspire To Stardom" competition in Clarksville, Tn. He didn't place...but he had *fun* What a neat experience for him :) I apologize for taking so long to give an update. I guess I assume most people who know us keep up with the news from James on facebook :) So... there ya have it! ;) I will try to blog again in the next few days... it's school season, we'll see how that goes! :)
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*A JOYful Thought!**above picture is from Stone Gable http://www.stonegableblog.com/
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