Leaning In

This day means a lot to me. First off, kudos to my own Mom who was the most classy, beautiful, strong, nurturing & loving person I ever knew growing up. I loved being a Mom. Loved the challenges, joys and even some sorrows. Loved getting to help shape, mold, love, mentor and grow along with our kids as they became young adults and I became more experienced & seasoned. It was such a privilege to see our kids’ unique personalities, gifts and talents unfold through the years. My heart is full to overflowing and I couldn’t be more proud of these wonderful, kind, amazing, strong, independent, loving people who are now my peers & friends. Love you so much, Jason, Kellie, Matthew & John.

I love tulips & daffodils that burst forth to greet us each Spring. I got to thinking about their perseverance. There they are all winter just waiting until the appointed time. And the weight of the garden dirt packed down on top of them is in itself noteworthy. (Simply as I can describe it, a cubic yard of wet garden soil can weigh 2-3 thousand pounds; those are some odds I’d say……) Why does this intrigue me? My life, your life can at times be weighted down with challenges or odds or just the day to day, right? Like our little bulb friends, there can be obstacles & a lot of waiting. Against insurmountable odds of making their way through the PSI of wet dirt, rocks, bugs, roots, snow & months of their winter season, onward they press & upward they push to reach the top, to appear & bloom just in time to herald the hope of Spring. Let’s keep doing our own pressing on & pushing through to make our way to the surface & do our own blooming, called forth & strengthened by our Creator.

I love the Everlasting-ness of God that speaks loudly but so lovingly & tenderly to me at the beach. The surf is like a stuck-on-“play”, repeated, never-ending, rock solid, unrelenting reminder of His Love for my soul that He is always there. Always moving toward me, always ebbing & flowing, always approaching me, never shy but never too much, never coming with too much force. In my life He is the only thing that is constant & secure & dependable day to day, with so much that changes each day around me. The surf is amazing, no two waves the same, just like no two sunrises or sunsets ever the same, and yet remarkably, stunningly beautiful. Just like no two people the same. The surf brings in treasures with each roll & crash & glide upon the sand. Quietly it just deposits it there. Just as God daily brings me treasures; morsels of beauty, snippets of Truth, bits & pieces that reveal Him to me (so individual, so tailor-made). His surf, His sands, His beach hold such gems that remind me of His Everlasting-ness and highlight His Love.

April 2024.

Springtime in Texas is beautiful. Tons of butterflies, lovely bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush blooming all along the highways that put a smile on my face and feed my soul. Vibrant pink, red and orange rosebushes are in full bloom. Hummingbirds have begun showing up. After the initial burst of colors, then came the black-eyed susans and the pink evening primroses. And all the butterflies!

A quick trip to NY also proved Spring to be beautiful there as well. The Botanical Gardens were boasting of bright daffodil hills and Magnolia forests that caught my eye; not to mention the hundreds of colorful orchids inside the spacious Conservatory for an Orchid Fashion Show. Lots of creative displays and food for the soul.