Tears

I wonder when crying became a strength of men and a weakness of women?

First Day of Summer Break

I wake up this morning with a desire to have a life-giving break. How to accomplish this?

Some thoughts. . .

1. READ
2. Plan for next year
3. Move forward with my daughter's plans for an English garden
4. Paint areas of our home which still scream, "Two older ladies lived here and loved Early American 1970's decorating!"
5. House train our 14 week old Maltie Poo.
6. Continue to pursue new friendships
7. Inspire the children to use this time well and not squander it
8. Figure out what to do with a creaky 30 year old horse.

The use of our time is important. We are so easily pressured to just be busy. There is no satisfaction in living a busy life. There is true satisfaction in purposeful living, giving to those around us, and taking dominion of what God has given to us.

On the Nightstand for March

1. Good Taste, Bad Taste, and Christian Taste--not sure I care to finish it
2. Little Men by Louisa May Alcott--because I never have and my daughter loved it
3. 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen Covey
4. Tabletalk magazine--love it!
5. Frankenstein by Shelley--surprised by this one! Also, reading because I never have.
6. A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille--Highly recommend it. I've read it, re-read it, and I'm at it again!
7. Bible--attempting to read through the Bible (again)

I sure wish I could read more, but life must be lived! I do wonder how heaven could be heaven without reading and studying. ;)

The Wonder of Animals and Heaven

What a sad day! Today we took our faithful Golden to our vet and she did not return home with us. Just last week we learned she had bone cancer. By this weekend it was obvious that she was not doing well at all.

Less than six years ago we bought her while in France as a way to help the children feel more at home in a foreign place. Little did we know that the adults would fall for her, as well. We all agreed that faithful was the word that best described her. The only time I ever saw her react negatively to a human person was last week when the vet touched the place on her spine affected by the cancer.


I am amazed at the level of my sadness. I look to her Creator as the Author of all good things and the One who understands all things. I thank Him for giving us the joy of pets! It is truly amazing that these balls of fur can bring us happiness and become such a real part of our lives. What a wonderful God He is to create dogs for our pleasure!


Tonight the children and I read Randy Alcorn's thoughts on dogs and heaven. The poem by John Piper, included in his response, was poignant to me.

And as I knelt beside the brook
To drink eternal life, I took

A glance across the golden grass,
And saw my dog, old Blackie, fast
As she could come.
She leaped the stream—
Almost—and what a happy gleam
Was in her eye.
I knelt to drink
And knew that I was on the brink
Of endless joy.
And everywhere I turned
I saw a wonder there.

Heaven will truly be full of wonder. Will Maggie be
there? I have no idea. But I know that God will re-create all that
we see now! I praise him that all of creation will be made new. But
wouldn't it be nice to see those soft, brown eyes again?

I WONDER!

The Little Voices in My Head

The little voices in my head can steal my joy! By this I don't simpy mean "the power of positive thinking." Joy! This is something we are given as "fruit" of God's Holy Spirit. So what could steal it? Unbelief.

Have you ever heard this little refrain? "More, more. . .not enough, not enough." Thanks to Rev. John P. Sartelle who wrote in the January issue of Tabletalk magazine I see more clearly how my lack of faith in the gospel of grace steals the joy of walking with Jesus.

"Lord, I believe. Help now my unbelief!" Mark 9:24

Walk in faith and joy! Only then will the beauty that we see around us have meaning. Only then can we give all praise to the One who makes our breathing possible, our eyes to see those we love, and a mind to enjoy beautiful poetry.

Praise to the Lord

At the end of the sermon this morning on Genesis 1:1,2 on the importance of Genesis, we sang this hymn! God is so good to us to have made us, placed us on this earth in all its beauty, and given us salvation for today and eternity!

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.


Praise to the Lord, who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed
thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

Why this title?

My husband asked if I would consider starting a blog. This seemed like a odd request from a busy man to a wife who is easily distracted. But he saw value in it.

The title of this blog comes from my reading of The Christian Imagination by G. K. Chesterton. It is the opening line of the preface of his book. This quote follows:

"For Chesteron was a man who believed passionately that we need to imagine
and to wonder; that we need surprise and adventure; that we need laughter and
play; and that we truly need art, poetry, drama, and songs."

That is the aim of this blog. As I seek to live a life of imagination, wonder, adventure, laughter, play, art, poetry, drama and song, I hope something will inspire you and cause you to

WONDER!