The heaviness of life can sometimes feel like you are being crushed. We were reading about the water strider in science this week. The author of the book was pointing out the delicate balance this insect has with the water he lands on. His delicate body possesses just the right amount of weight to stay afloat on the water, without sinking below. The tension is RIGHT and NECESSARY between him and the water. Without tension from below, he would sink and would be unable to find his daily food. With extra tension from above, he would sink. Isn’t that so with life? We can feel the pressure being put on us from above by guilt, sadness, loneliness, sickness, and fear. Yet, please don’t forget that Jesus is holding us up so that we don’t sink below it all. He is our delicate balance. Oh, how I need to remember that truth when tensions are pressing from above. There is hope for those of us who feel like we are drowning.
“He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
He drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
He rescued me because He delighted in me.”
Psalm 18:16-19
He’s got us.
This week, as I shared here, the kids and I have been surrounding ourselves with things that bring joy and healing. I’d love to share some of our moments this month, some usual and some special:
1. I love having this old door on which to spread around our planting supplies.
2. Our lemons are growing furiously. Lemonade was calling our name! Plus, the weather has been in the 80s and 90s so it was a welcome gift.
3. Becky and Jesse, our local SD photographer friends, came to do a fun photo shoot in our kitchen with the kids and I. It’s always fun to do something out of the ordinary. Plus, B & J are just good people. ;)
4. Spring is a couple of days away but our yard is blooming! Here are some of the succulents in Faith’s old fairy garden.
5. I love goofy kid smiles. You will find zero perfectly staged Olan Mills portraits on my walls.
6. Finally got to plant some seeds. We are 2 months late for CA, but thrilled to have some started. Here’s hoping we can keep the MANY kinds of critters out this year!
7. Laundry can be pretty if you find a cozy spot and chase some golden light. I like to throw a little Ray on as well because his music always takes me back to slow summer days.
8. I had my last bite of cheese a weeks ago so I made it pretty and soaked every last bite in. I remember telling a friend a few years ago that I would never be able to live without bread and cheese. Now, here I am, without either, and I haven’t collapsed into a complete tearful mess…yet.
9. I’ve attempted so many new “pinterest-y” projects to make some learning more exciting and my children don’t seem to be interested in my efforts yet. The project pictured is learning tally marks with popsicle sticks. It’s supposed to help those more tactile oriented kiddos, which is how my youngest learns best. The sticks kept moving too much, which Dean found frustrating. I’ve shed some tears of discouragement but I will keep trying!
10. Another lovely friend, Kristin Guy of DinexDesign, came to visit and let me play around with a box of mysterious props for her “You got served” styling challenge. So fun to play with some new things! She has remained a sweet friend after we met at an Alt Summit conference a few years ago. You can see my pictures on Kristin’s site here soon!
11. Seconds before I snapped this picture, I was watching a little hummingbird hover over those flowers. There is so much beauty to be found.
