These boys

We walk through life together. Chatting, dreaming, laughing. I watch these boys struggle with their obvious transition into manhood. They are doing better than they know. They are upfront, honest, innocent, yet learning discernment through those raw life lessons that scratch and bruise. They desire to be real men, tender, strong, valiant. Their example is a good man. A man who struggles with the same things and who desires to live life with honestly and lots of fun. Their Papa Bear has trained them well.......


LOOK! On the horizon!!! Can it be?!



YES!!!! Super heroes to the rescue!



May they never quit dreaming and laughing!!!

Family

Headed different directions the next few days......I look forward to being back together again.

How sweet to already miss the beloved ones whom you haven't even left yet! =) As we get ready for trips, being scattered, to curl up on a couch, snuggle and hear, "I miss you already." It's true. We miss each other already. We will check in often and pray for the events carrying various ones away from the home. But to know that we are loved.....we all feel the same. We miss each other.

I am abundantly blessed............

More February Snow

Inside, I care for my Valentine's Day azalea watching the snowy light dance on it's tender petals.



Outside, flakes of white drift silently down to our part of the world.



Boys play in snow and a group of kids meet at the city park for a massive snowball fight. Oh the delights of youth! I am taking pictures, participating by observing, but my kid-like heart wants to get in the mix. The snow is perfect powder. Ripe for snowballs. A contest begins. Who can make the largest snowball? I see so much more happening......youthful minds begin to create, experience, grow.....work together. Before long, four large frozen masses emerge and laughing young adults struggle to push and roll. More join in. Heaving. Working. Play becomes work and no one seemed to mind. They just jumped in and helped. Coming together. In fun. In work. In life. In joy.



Faithful dog, who guards our home. Seems happy to run in snow. Resting in the trail he walks on daily security checks.

The pattern of the days delightfully altered by a white blanket.

February's Walk

Winter's beauty.....



Frozen fog clinging to trees....



The setting sun of a full day, glowing bright in love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No fresh inspiration for the day.
No earth shattering insight to ponder.
No great "next thing" to grasp, understand.
No breakthrough I've been anticipating.
No new delicious morsels to nurish the soul.

Just the filling words of life I love. Read again and again. Dear friends of old. Comforting. Healing. Loving. Seeming new as I read them with anticipation, knowing what the next words are. Familiar becoming fresh. Reminders of who He is, of His love. Gratitude. Always gratitude in the remembering.

After the Storm Thursday

After the tornadic storm Thursday (no damage to us), so many birds came to the feeder! At one time, there were 3 cardinals at the feeder. (You can see three in this picture.) I've never seen that before. They normally chase each other away. Along with the male cardinals, a female cardinal, red breasted house finches, sparrows and gold finches were in mass. We stood at the window and watched until the next round of storms come raging through. Our weather radio was the background music for most of the day. =)

It's just that.........

I've been here. Home. In my man's arms.....in his heart....and staying close. Reflecting on the beauty of a marriage I could never have imagined. I'm in awe of His goodness. That divine love that brought us together and created a family fills my heart with overwhelming thankfulness. We walk together. Following Him.....together.



I've been here. Seeing. Weeds that grow close to a dumpster dance in the evening sun. Feathery. Fine. Fragile. Fascinating.



I've been here. Resting. Walking in the reminder that nothing I am going through is too big for Him or too insignificant. The place I run to....the cross. The life given because of it and in light of it. The beauty of sacrifice for a greater good. The purity of purpose. The deep love it embodies. Hope out of crushing. Power from weakness.

And so, I haven't been here.........

Where have you been finding yourself lately?..............

Let's Getaway

It's that time of year. I start thinking about vacation....where, when, how long. I'm ready! I know it's mainly because it's getting toward the end of the school year and we are having to dig deeper to get it all done. Some probably call it spring fever....I've called it that myself. But the bottom line is......I am just ready for a bit of a break. =) This is where the rubber meets the road. Pressing in. Doing what we need to do even when we want to be blogging or playing in the spring sun, and taking pictures of the emerging bluebonnets. It's not Texas summer-hot yet and we want to be outside. This is when we start dreaming about a bit of a get away and some rest and play. I'm ready. I wanna play with my 3 guys in the ocean of life and splash the happiness of family with them! I love my guys......life is good.

Thank you Lord for my family, for the times that we need to press in and do the mundane with excellence, and the opportunity to walk this life with 3 amazing men~Jules

Picture says it all.....

That's the way I feel about this week.......I'm spent. Can't seem to get in a groove. It's like this when my hubbie is gone. I just miss him. Started the week off with a sick boy and although he's better, this week has just been goofy......that's all. It's pretty much done. I won't get anything else house and school wise done. What to do with this weekend? Take a step back. Look at the overall picture of our school and schedule, then refocus. Of course, I'll be praying about all that is in front of me. Most of all, I'm looking forward to seeing my hubbie Sunday afternoon at KAIROS closing ceremony.

That's all~nuff said.

Game Face

It's Monday and I find myself putting on my "game face" for the week. It will be a short week since my hubbie and I will be headed to St Louis for a homeschool conference we've been invited to. I'm excited to go! Yet, I find myself relying on my strength to dig in a get so much done. I'm afraid I've missed so many moments of WONDER because I "game face" many days. It's a mask really. I gear up and and getter done....that's what life's supposed to be about, right? I'm beginning to wonder.

My hubbie returned from a KAIROS weekend last night. I drove to the maximum security prison to attend the closing ceremony and to spring my man! =) I listened to men share their hearts about the weekend. I heard their stories and I heard my own story many times. It would've been me behind those bars if I had chosen differently. We all would've been wearing white and eating oatmeal masquerading as meatloaf. I'm grateful for weekends like that one where guys have an opportunity to be held by the strong arms of my hubbie and given the chance to sob the hurts away. I love my hubbie's heart and how he loves these forgotten ones. They truly are the "least of these" in our society. These men know what a game face is and how to use it. They have to live behind it to survive. It's a prison within a prison. But, for a few days they can lay it down and get real, if they choose to. Many chose to.

My game face is my prison, too. It masks my insecurities and failures. It reminds me that I'm the only one who can do this thing called life. It appears to be safety and refuge, but it's actually razor wire and guard towers.

I look at my Saviour's life and I don't see a game face. I see compassion, deep emotion, and love. I see a man openly weep in grief and the fire of righteous rebuke in his eyes.....real, deep emotion. I see strong arms gathering up scurrying children and bringing them to His knee. I see real. I see simple love. The life changing kind. I'm not so sure I see that in my life......but, oh, do I want it!

Well, I'm deciding to pull the game face off and lay my self-reliance down today......probably have to do that many times today since my mask is such a great fit and the clothing of self-reliance tailor made for this body! =) I'm ok with that. I'm one of those scurrying children my sweet Saviour will be herding today and I'm ready for the rest of His lap......

Lord, may this day be laced with little joys and praise to You, the mask remover of my soul.
~Jules