SEPTEMBER SWOONS

I can't help myself.  This is so ME!
As I glance through the whimsical art of
Mary Engelbreit, I see myself (without the
arm cast) skating through life with disregard
for various bumps and bruises I encounter.
I roller-skated into my 40s!

SEPTEMBER already?
The days return to that sense of August
 ---- hot and soggy yet without a speck of rain.

Perhaps it's a reminder that I can allow summer to cling to me just a little longer.

 I tend to 'linger longer' with anything I love and I     SOOOOO    L O V E   summer!

#4079-4081:: Wheeeee!  I love to twirl and spin and feel the air as I fly by on skates but I'm a bit older now and find this to be too dangerous.
Yet, I can still swirl and skate though life with that same joy in my heart.
Hubby and I look forward to training at the youth center so we are 'qualified' to help.
They even have an indoor skateboard area . . . where we can watch and vicariously enjoy that sense of conquering the world.
HAPPY SEPTEMBER!

#4082-4084:: Whiz, whirl, spin goes my head as we plow through some time-sensitive items

Butterflies fill the bowl of nectar and flowers.
Another joy of summer, of daisies, of bees!

on our to-do list.  Oh yes, we have lists - or at least hubby does.  I depend on his lists to remember all those pesky details that interfere with lolling around on the back porch.  "Oh my", my mind says.  "Good work", my mouth says to hubby.  "B R E A T H E", my soul says. It's 'chip-away' day  - a time to do all those things get get in the way of living, in my opinion, but very important to enable us to live a blessed life.  I'm glad I exercised my body today.  Now it's time to let my soul drink in some tranquil time in my favorite place . . . THE PORCH . . . even if it feels like 90 degrees, it's still my favorite place when I am not in the garden.

#4085-4087:: Yesterday swells into today.  Too

little time and too much to explore.  Yesterday's visit to a homebound friend and husband was such a joy.  We could have talked all night but hubby and I were slated for volunteer training at The Point, a fabulous youth center for at-risk kids.  We learned loads and felt so 'called' to this ministry.  Home late but filled with excitement.

I need to capture more amish barns filled with
tobacco.  They are so amazing!

#4088-4090::  I feel the slight breeze as my body cooks in the heat of our little porch.  Words fly from my brain to the paper with ease.  Why did God choose that persevering woman of Tyre to explode the gospel of Jesus Christ into the gentile world?  Why did God decide to send Jesus to such a wealthy, sophisticated city to bring new life to a woman and her child?  God's plan is so far beyond my little, tiny world.  I pray that I can 'color outside the lines' and see beyond here and now.  Some day I will have that ahaaaa moment and God will send me out of this tiny orbit into a wild spilling-over of the gospel message where I least expect it.  I can't wait!  Oh JOY!

I love my little porch: simple, small, just right.

#4091-4093:: Regroup, rest, read scripture, reflect on yesterday's initiation of another fine woman into a group that finds ways to support women when they return to school at whatever age.  A delightful time was had by all as we were introduced to another woman full of life and pressing into adventures we share together at our monthly meetings.  Although all the women attend some church, we discuss possibilities beyond the imagination to add to our 'bucket list.'  Nice.

#4094-4096:: Numbers, figures, lists, accounts, bottom lines . . . all part of the Finance meeting.  Great group who can see numbers and know where we are financially (I just attend to learn).  Our little church is in great shape so far.  We've worked hard and we are seeing results.  What a great feeling!  Oh JOY!

#4097-4099:: Back to the drawing board.  I thought I was done with those tests but I'm called back for more.  I'm totally at peace and glad that they want to see more of my aging flesh.  I'm good to go

for six more months, which is a nice feeling.  I think the body has been pushing so hard all week to remain focused and calm and at peace that I fell into bed at 7pm!!!  Twelve hours later I wake naturally, ready for a wonderful day!

This incredible home with too many rooms to count and we spent
the entire four hours chatting in the kitchen -the best!

#4100-4102:: Up and at em, says my brain.  Slowly I climb onto the glider on this Saturday morning to raise my cardio to new heights.  I've been so faithful but I truly feel refreshed today.  I pace myself, spend some time in quiet meditation and then 'fly' over to a friend's house to a leisurely morning of coffee, fabulous breakfast and chat.  It's been nearly two years since I experienced her incredible victorian decor and fabulous food.  We usually meet elsewhere.  Food for the soul and body was a fabulous treat.  AMEN!

I love my little basket on the front door with the
totally faded flag and a heart that says
 "Welcome" in Norwegian.

#4103-4105:: Sunday morning sunrise is definitely darker this week.  A red sun creeps up slowly as we drive our hour to church.  Tobacco piled in long rows of little tents or hanging in open barns to dry off tells me we are getting close to that time where I begin to cocoon.  Today is still SUMMER with warming air by mid-day and open Amish buggies filling back roads.  A visit to dear ones who cannot get to church but are finally back in their home after both became ill.  Even the caregiver joined us for holy communion.  As was written in slower times, "a wonderful time was had by all."

#4106-4108:: I'm told to cease from labor on this 'Labor Day.'  Yet, it's my only day to write and feel a sense of freedom and accomplishment as I tackle tasks that have been on my 'list' for months.  My little porch, so serene, with a tiny bit of breeze soothing my brow . . . I'm becoming a bit dramatic here.  I love the quiet, restful, zero-obligation day just for hubby and me to do what we please.  The garden calls.  I must

mingle with the bumble bees, butterflies and rose bushes. Love it!

#4109-4111:: Lazy sleep-in today so scurried through workout and moved quiet time a few hours.  Out the door in sultry heat to be refreshed with a cut and shampoo . . . ahhhhh . . .  refreshing.  Time to linger with the Lord  I grieve for the refugees as they have only the clothes on their backs.  We pray for their safety and donate to World Vision and others who are giving food, clothing and, as much as possible, shelter.  We are so blessed.  Freedom is never free: the willingness to lose everything to be safe is true freedom but so very difficult for most of us in the U.S. to comprehend.

Our little meadow gets flooded with heavy rains.
Ducks come from everywhere to enjoy this new pond
until it is absorbed into the earth 24 hours later.

#4112-4114:: I listen to the water-dots hitting the window, the swoosh of rain-waves, the gurgle of thirsty lawn drinking in new strength.  I enjoy the moment, watch ducks find new pond water,  listen to the force of RAIN.  Oh to stay home, curl up in bed and read for hours.  Work beckons.  We'll slosh through rain-lakes to a meeting tonight and enjoy the moment.  Thanks, Lord for this wonderful rain.

#4115-4117:: Fresh air, cool skies, a perfect day in the garden.  Soggy soil, easy weeding, clean up dead daylily stems, NICE.  I sit on my porch and listen to the bugs and watch blooms sprouting after their deep drink.  What a glorious day!  Now I can concentrate on words to give away on Sunday.

#4118-4120:: The meadow fills up again as I slog through road-puddles to a meeting.  God's blessing
falls on parched earth and life pierces through straw-like grass, cleared fields and my garden.  Fresh air. YUM. As much as I don't want summer to leave it is so nice to smell soggy, cool air.  A slow-down day is so needed to prepare for a long day tomorrow.

#4121-4123:: "Who do you say that I am?"says Jesus to his disciples.  It makes me think, "Who am I in Christ?"  Is Jesus shining through me?  Am I walking according to God's purpose for me as I grow in Christ?  It's so daily.  I can only trust, keep seeking and continue to walk according to His purpose for me each day.  A long day but fulfilling as we prepare for our time at the youth center tomorrow.

#4124-4126:: Cool, crisp wind sweeps across my little porch. Too cold to sit out this morning but I open the door to clear out the musty air in the house.  Like a perfectly synchronized clock, the weather changes to Fall.  We'll have 'indian summer' days soon but for now hubby is skipping happily and seems like the energizer bunny.  Good for him!  We prepare for our night at the youth center.  Look at a penny.  Which side seems more important?  What words are worth far more than this little piece of metal is worth?  We all should keep a penny in our pockets to remind us, "In God we trust."

My Aunt at her 100th birthday.
No hearing aids, glasses or cane.
She stood for 20 min telling her story
and sat for 10 each half-hour.

#4127-4129:: Chop, snip, pull, dig. Out comes overflowing mounds of herbs and spearmint.  Time to trim a bit for fall.  My Russian Sage is still going strong so bumble bees keep buzzing about.  A special day, this Sept. 15th.  My Aunt Helen turns 103 years old! She is as perky as ever on the phone but too far away for me to attend her parties.  Yes, parties.  This afternoon is tea and tonight is dinner for 12.  She is as active and social as ever.  What a fabulous example for me to live up to.  GO FOR IT AUNTIE HELEN!

My aunt Helen at 103.
She is frustrated because she uses a walker!
No glasses, no hearing aids and spends
hours on the computer with her
genealogy. 

#4130-4132:: Early up for a meeting nearly two hours away.  We decide to explore the area and find CFA, a school for boys with scholarships for almost all who enter.  God brought us to this school so we
could see the possibilities of linking it with at-risk kids we minister to at the Youth Center.  What an awesome idea! Prepare the at-risk boys for the possibility of a free education through high school that will give them opportunities for the rest of their lives! We are SO EXCITED!  It's like catching fish in a bucket.  Now to sell the idea to the youth center.

#4133-4135:: The thermometer pops up 12 degrees in just two hours.  That's why I so love Fall.  Cool, crisp mornings with soft, warm afternoons make for lovely days outside.  I can't ask for more as I linger on my little back porch with books spread out and my computer working hard.  Love it!

#4136-4138:: Meadow weeds turn gold, rose bushes pop with color, fresh air filled the house.  What more can I ask of our Creator of such beauty and refreshment?
 I write words: We are always children to God.  So many words are too hard to embrace so we go and play silly games.
That's what the disciples did when they were told by Jesus that he would soon die but raise from the dead in three days.
It was too hard to digest so they played, "which one is better than the other."
God's grace will always embrace us 'children' who skip around his tough words and say, "I'll try to understand another day."

#4139-4141:: Scrub, squeek, sparkle as windows get washed.  Nice weather provides ample time to clean up and make ready for the long months of winter.  I choose not to think about that.  The precious present is blessing us daily.  I can't ask for more.  God is good!
#4142-4144:: Serve a child and we serve Jesus and not just Jesus but our Father in heaven.  The child is the easiest disciple of Jesus to teach.  Children's hearts are open and eager to be loved and to love

back with their whole heart.  We each are to train up not only our own children but that child that may not have the opportunities we have to grow in Christ and develop spiritually.  Find a child and first pray.  Ask the Lord if this is the one you are to mentor.  It makes all the difference to that child to have an 'extra' mother or father who really cares.

#4145-4147:: Suddenly it's Fall! Cool remains and dry continues.  What glory I see about me.  What God-beauty in all of nature.  I feel so blessed.  Head spins as I create new ways to 'train up a child' as we begin our church curriculum.  FUN!

#4148-4150:: Ride, drive, scan God's beauty as we travel north to visit an ailing aunt.  Family in the

living room, endless conversation, smiles, hugs, prayers, affirmations, encouragement, laughter, great stories.  Aunt Adeline is on the mend at 91.  She moves slower now but she is still as funny as she ever was. A wonderful visit was had by all.

#4151-4153:: Drive through mountains, up and down, around and around, though forests and small towns we end up at a tiny town called Jim Thorpe, named after the Decathlete even though he never lived there.  A perfect place for hiking and biking.  A delightful B&B and walking through tight streets filled with centuries old homes was a delight to the eye.  A quiet time.  Nice.

#4154-4156:: A stop in Bethlehem to visit the oldest bookstore in the world! Moravians came to this town and it still blooms with their signature.  Lehigh University was a delight as we walked the campus . . .  up hill.  Our aging bodies got quite a workout but what a delight.  God is present in the bones of this old town.  A delight to the spirit.  We felt blessed.  Home sweet home after a few days

away.

#4157-4159:: Catch up on work in between long moments embracing the visit of Pope Francis.  It's amazing how those who tend to tear down the theocracy were glued to the Pope's words.  Supreme Court Judges, Congress and so many who have pressed their godless views into laws seemed to honor this humble man of God.  "Pray for me" were the words of Pope Francis at each venue.  YES!  We should all pray for one another as we pray for theocracy to guide us in this secular world.

#4160-4162::  The city of brotherly love embraces Pope Francis as he speaks to mostly hispanic immigrants.  So glad to have a good translator on EWTN to help us understand profound words. A cool, cloudy day is perfect for this outside speech.  I gather more words for tomorrow as I listen hard.
"Defend God's gift of the dignity of life at all stages."  AMEN!

#4163-4165:: Sunday seemed like summer as the fog lifted.  Just as Pope Francis spoke of working together at each venue, so Moses needed to discipline the Hebrew people to work together and stop their complaining and return to the worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob instead of false idols.  It seems we are back where the Hebrew people were with little focus on God.  Pope Francis

exhorted us to return to total focus on God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

#4166-4168:: Hubby and I are maintaining good health by visiting the doctor.  I wonder why we need to visit so many specialists just to make sure we are healthy.  We feel blessed that we are able to have health checkups.  Fall is embracing us nicely as we enjoy a full day of catching up on errands.

#4169-4171:: Swirl, spin, compute, complete, search, tap . . . as I complete endless paperwork but catch up nicely.
 I    B R E A T H E    deep at the end of the day feeling a sense of accomplishment.  Tomorrow I can rest my soul and drink in the presence of the Lord as I take more time to meditate on God's Word.

#4172-4174:: A wild end to the month with gushing, pushing, crushing rain that worked hard to enter our house though weak points.  Our little screened porch was battered but, after clean-up, all is well.  A calm, wet, gray day follows but a beautiful day to clean up the yard. God is so good!