Selah

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

t

See I place my words in your mouth!

Today I appoint you over nations

and over kingdoms,

To uproot and to tear down,

to destroy and to demolish,

to build and to plant.

I have many changes happening at the family care center where I work.

I will be getting a new classroom and a new co-teacher

and a new group of toddlers.

I am at once anxious and excited.

I am going to be building a new classroom

and my influence will be more evident.



To build and to plant.

But, new things are hard...

and I am also going to have to demolish and destroy.

And, I am going to have to discern...

what to demolish, what to rebuild, and what to tweak a little bit.

When I first started working at this center,

I thought my co-teacher and I would never have anything in common.

We are different in almost every outward way.

But, as it turned out, we are similar in many inward ways.

We made a really good team.

My new co-teacher and I are very different also.

There will be a learning curve while we figure one another out.

This time I have more experience

and I suspect I may be the one doing more of the leading.


Change can be hard...

but it is also challenging and exciting and uplifting!

a gathering of days

Saturday I did a marathon drive to my sister's in Connecticut.

She needed help moving into her new home.

We filled up two car loads and drove it over to the new house.

Her new house is on a lake and the road follows the water

as it winds along.

It's such a pretty place surrounded by trees.

I helped her set up the kitchen and my niece and I

moved a few things into the dining room.

It still has a long way to go but it looks a bit more put together

and she will be able to find a cup for coffee in the morning. 

She had a sweet little kitchen table that she couldn't use anymore so she gifted it to me!

We had a big soapstone table in there

which we moved to the dining room.

I love the way the kitchen looks now. 

~

I have flowers in every room.

Last week many of my families at work gifted teachers

with beautiful bouquets and they look so beautiful!

~

Sunday,  we all got together for mother's day.

We went to a wonderful garden nursery and walked around

and had a lovely time.

I got to share a little chat over a bowl full of blueberries with my favorite boy!

consider the lily

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lily of the valley

t

Consider the lilies, how they grow:

they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you

even Solomon in all his glory

was not arrayed like one of these.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the kitchen table

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My sister gifted me with a kitchen table

 that she doesn't have room for anymore.

She is making a new start in a new home.

It is perfect in our kitchen and makes the room quite cozy.

We took the bigger table that had been there and put it in the dining room.

I had my coffee there this morning as I read the Boston Pilot.

I live in the middle of a three pronged fork in the road.

My windows look out over a small park, a larger baseball field,

and the "lowlands" parking lot,

which is residential parking for the beach.

Today it's grey and rainy

but our kitchen will have bright morning light

if the sun ever comes back out.

~

My sister has stage 4 colon cancer in her bones.

She's just finished up the first stage of her chemo treatments

and is starting up on stage 2 this week.

Stage 2 is expected to last indefinitely.

We live about 3 hours apart so I don't get to help her as often as I wish.

It's comforting to sit at her table

and say a little morning prayer for

 a new, hope filled start in her new home.

Somehow, even though we are miles and miles apart

we have this little kitchen table connecting us with each other.


I often think of Mary and Elizabeth's friendship

and how Mary traveled to see her while they were both expecting.

Saturday I did a marathon drive to my sister's house

to help her move some things

and help to set up her new kitchen and dining rooms.

I said a prayer in each room for healing and hope

and laughter and happy family times....

and strength.

As women, we have a vital role in how our worlds go 'round.

We organize the kitchen because we know that is where the life is.

And, we set up dining rooms because we know that is where family gathers.


We put a bowl on a shelf, and we say a prayer,

and we put a glass in a cabinet and we say a prayer,

and we lay a cloth on a table and we say a prayer.

We share our hearts without words.

Late last night after I got home my husband and I

sat at the table and had a simple dinner of chicken baked with sauerkraut.

The table is old, and simple...strong and steadfast.

As am I.

We are the superheroes of our families...

finding comfort in an old table, a colourful placemat

and a bunch of scattered prayers.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hallelujah

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

t

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth;

break into song; sing praise.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

grape hyacinth

So Pretty.

Little grape hyacinths.

These were growing in my mum's spring garden.

My mum invited us over for a lobster dinner on Sunday evening.

After dinner my husband helped her hang a bird house on a garden hook.

My daughter, son-in-law and grandson
came over on Saturday.

My grandson and their little dog

made some beautiful music together.

It's teacher appreciation month at work!

I received flowers from many of my families this week!

They are so beautiful and they are all over my house...

vases and vases of flowers.

Teaching toddlers is incredibly rewarding...

filled with hugs and laughter and love..

also, tears and tantrums and poop!

It's nice to be reminded of how much the families appreciate

the work we do with their little sweetie-pies.

After months of searching I think I've finally found a church I can call home!

Wouldn't you know it's the church I went to as a girl...

right back where I started from!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Julian of Norwich

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

All shall be well and all shall be well

and all manner of things shall be well. 

For there is a force of love 

moving through the universe that holds us fast

and will never let us go.

St. Julian of Norwich

~

I will not be overcome.

I know that at times I will be troubled,

I know that at times I will be belabored,

I know that at times I will be disquieted,

But I believe that I will not be overcome.

Amen

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Garden chores

Yesterday afternoon we went over to my mum's house.

She made us a delicious lobster dinner

and I made potato salad to bring with us.

My brother came by while we were eating dessert

and we had a chance to visit with him.

After dinner my brother and Joe helped my mum

with a few garden chores.

strong and steadfast

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

t

I command you: Be strong and steadfast!

Do not fear nor be dismayed, 

for the Lord, your God, 

is with you where ever you go.

Joshua 1:9

~

It seems like things must be getting pretty serious, 

when the Lord, your God, starts commanding.

I read these verses (Joshua 1:1-9) in a bible study the other morning.

I was expecting to read that I am never alone,

that God will always comfort me...

I cannot be more grateful for that...

But, well, things have been particularly difficult as of late.

We continue to get bad news regarding health, job security, children...

and not to sound ungrateful, but I already know that God is beside me

yet the hits keep coming.

~

Three times in verses 1-9 does God say "be strong and steadfast."

The third time He commands it.

The second time (in the NAB) he tells us 

"only be strong and steadfast."

~

God loves to call us to action. 

 I love when He catches me not paying attention,

and he says the same thing over and over, commands it even,

until I snap out of it, and pull myself back together. 

Because as much as I would have loved to roll myself into a ball

and cry on my bed last week, it wasn't an option.

He gave me everything I need to get through whatever it is I need to get through

He says, Be strong and steadfast and I am with you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~