JULY JUBULATION

I love my wall with all my flags.  I have more walls like this in other rooms.

 I LOVE JULY and FLAGS and the sense of patriotism that begins the month.
Can you tell I love every form of the flag?

 There is more than what you see here. As I daily look at my various walls of 'flags' I remind myself that freedom is not really free.


There is a price to be paid.
 Too many have died for my freedom to worship as I choose.
My heart hurts to know that many more will die . . . perhaps me, if it becomes impossible to worship God as a Christian.  I am thankful that God's provision is so abundant in my life.

See the blue umbrella? A patriotic snapshot.

#2351-2353:: I give thanks for today's Lingering: in the garden, writing notes for the newsletter, writing reflections on scripture, sending and responding to emails and wandering about with hubby.

#2354-2356:: RAIN finally came. The flowers are now happy.  It's also nice to have temps well below the 90 we had most of the day.  I don't mind it. I did my work on the back porch and loved the steamy heat.

#2357-2359:: Our little town got hit again, with wind but no one was hurt and no floods.  Trees down, roofs cracked open, fields full of debris

Independence is a gift which has
been paid for by many brave warriors.

but all fixable.  Beautiful drive to Pocopson area for a pastoral visit.  I felt I was at Churchill Downs when we passed one of the horse farms.

#2360-2362:: Early morning heavy rains that finally brought cool air.  A wet beginning to our Independence Day celebration but it should be nice later in the day.  A Happy 4th is expected.

#2363-2365:: More celebrations; a fine day for a walk in the neighborhood; All I see is Red, White and Blue - flowers, flags, arrangements in gardens.  Independence is indeed a gift to celebrate.

The garden is my place to Linger-Longer when I can.

#2366-2368:: Fields of corn and oats and potatoes glisten in the early morning sun; A very easy ride
to church takes us only 40 minutes today! Sermon was thought provoking: Jesus will help us carry our pails of cement - worry, stress, unforgiveness, depression, daily burdens.

#2369-2371:: A new day after a festive weekend brings more sun and lots of heat.  I love it.  Day lilies are blooooooming.  Garden is amazing but I am off to the dentist today.

#2372-2374:: Pieces of paper flutter about as I try to discern minute details - love how the brain is ticking away trying to absorb it all.  HUGE storm swept through this area in less than an hour and then left us with resilient blooms that keep on keeping on.  MD check-up has me looking good and going to three more doctors to see if this machine is still in top shape.

#2375-2377:: Cool breeze on my early morning garden rounds.  All is in tact and beautiful.  Birds chirp sweetly as I linger on the porch at breakfast.
Huge meeting tonight so trying to breathe deep.

Basil and Sweet Potato in pots with branches of
Russian Sage and Tarragon in the vase.
A sweet aroma for the soul.

#2378-2380:: Breathe deep the cool, moist air, and fill my lungs with summer!  The Way is our path to eternal life.  I love the fact that Jesus is leading us if we choose to follow; Picture day - it's time my little camera captured a few new shots.  Off to another meeting that will challenge all of us to keep moving forward: Phil. 3:13-14 ... forgetting what lies behind and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

#2381-2383:: Organize, regroup, shuffle papers, linger on the back porch as I write.  A smokey haze fills the valley as clouds accumulate over the fields.  Everything is growing and blooming and renders such amazement.  A tiny seed grows into a half dozen ears of corn.  God is good!

Photos are hard to take from a moving car.
Three brave boys walking home from church on a busy road.

#2384-2386:: Open roads, open fields, a quilt of vegetation pops with squares of gold, deep green and dots of color.  Amish in buggies, cars trying to pass, more Amish walking home from services as we drive.  Last night's rain makes for a glorious Sunday.

#2387-2389:: A great time of morning ministry as I encourage others; lunch with hubby; hazy mist makes cornfields seem like a quiet place of rest.

#2390-2392:: Up at the crack of early to drain a bit of our life blood, an annual check-up requirement; quick breakfast with hubby finds

God's creation, the spider, is amazingly scientific
in its laborious creating of its web.

us munching on God's word as well as oatmeal; A women's gathering fills us with food for both body and soul.

#2393-2395:: Farms team with alfalfa, corn and harvested fields that lay fallow; perfect temperatures invite me to play but work comes first; late in the day there is still time to pull weeds, visit my favorite spider web, prune and beautify the garden for three hours.

#2396-2398::  Early wake up sounds of bang, bang, scrape, scrape on the roof as potential leaks are fixed; we are 'dry' for future rain storms.  Study, read, write, linger on the back porch with the Lord.  Nice!

Texture and blending of color cannot be more magnificent than the real thing.
This is why I so love summer.

#2399-2401:: Blood tests are quick and easy as we crunch appointments between meetings; Noodles: a great place to grab a salad after a long day; time to linger on the back porch and write - love it.

#2402-2404:: A Finch flits past day lilies and rests on our evergreen tree; Japanese beetles chew my roses but more buds persist in blooming while I catch dozens of these pesky bugs; read, review, recite as I prepare for tomorrow.  God's Word is digesting in my soul and swelling into my entire being.

#2405-2407:: Sweet summer brings cool air and a renewed energy in the day. We worship together, rejoicing in the Lord, even if most are at the "shore" today.  A perfect day to nip at day lilies and sit in the garden.  Instead I choose to linger on the back porch and read a riveting book - a very rare moment.

#2408-2410::  I finished the book before noon and enjoyed every moment of the read as I am educated in the 'politics of the day.'  I give thanks and praise to my Lord that He is ultimately in charge of the happenings of the world, and of my soul.  My responsibility is to vote according to God's precepts, not according to the wave of humanity - which is a good thing.

#2411-2413:: I am on a roll and enjoy reading an e-book: Killing Jesus, a fabulous chronology of the history of His day.  Lingering on the back porch immersed in story is good for my soul. A walk in the garden in the evening enables me to exhale after digesting the entire book in one sitting, including footnotes.

#2414-2016:: Tourists are on all the roads as I wind my way through Amish farms on the way to church.  Predicted rain is nowhere in sight as the hot sun shimmers on fields of corn, cabbage, alfalfa and all sorts of 'growing' things.  A fun stop at a country village tourist trap after work: I seek out the tinsmith for more electrical covers that make our home so 'country.'  Nice.

#2017-2019:: Begin work at 7am via computer, after my early morning routine on this delightful crispy day.  Laundry between e-projects gives me a sense of accomplishment as I fold and stack the loads.  Cloudy-cool, a great day to run a couple errands and, of course, pick at my beautiful garden.

#2020-2022:: Early morning writing to prepare for Sunday seems to roll off my heart into words for others to hear.  Crispy stroll in the garden to grab Japanese beatles from my rose bushes.  Another visit to the doctor brings more tests but all is looking good so far.

A wonderful way to spend a July day.
 One can plant flowers in anything.

#2023-2025:: Early trip for a routine scan and then off to the art fair: my idea of an outdoor museum which is a delight to the eye.  Perfect day to enjoy a Gelato while I saunter through an acre of art.   I feel great satisfaction from plucking Japanese beatles from my roses and flicking them into soapy water.

#2026-2028:: This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad.  Great celebration and wonderful conversation at coffee hour. Home, sweet home for a huge salad with salmon in mid-afternoon. Yum!

I love my garden.

#2029-2031:: Lightening and winds that would blow away anything not tied down pushed rain almost into our house but we felt quite safe last night; clean-up was easy and everything smells fresh-new.  A cool breeze is drying out our soggy garden and birds are flitting about in joy.

#2032-2034:: Scans and more blood don't seem so bad with all these high tech procedures; a lovely lunch with hubby; a walk in the garden revives my soul.

#2035-2037:: A morning meeting at our house means a little more 'tidy' than usual with some delicious treats; A lovely time of community and learning; Gorgeous and cool again!

#2038-2040:: Early-out-the-door to visit with one who is unable to attend church; Affirming meeting and shared encouragement. We purchase just-picked fruit and vegetables from our favorite farmer.  Fun!  A FABULOUS end to an unusually wet and cool JULY that made my garden GROW!