bits of sunshine

summertime

blossoms (on our trees and in my food)

flowers (in pots by our front door and in the gardens in front of our house)

painting (almost done with the whole exterior of the house) 

fishing (isaac, and isaac with ben, and me reading and taking pictures while the guys fish)

july 4 (one of the very best days ever)

bike rides (any day that i can fit what i need for work in a backpack)

sunshine (many, many days of clear sky and hot, dry days)

fires (on the district, for ben to work, for me to dispatch)

brilliant bouquets (equal sheer happiness)

driving (any of the four of us, sometimes together, sometimes just one of us. also, maddie and isaac drove seven hours to spend some days with my mom and dad. and i have driven to jordan many times to spend some hours with ben)  

laughter (sometimes at each other, always with each other)

videos (the 25 for 25 challenge - stretching this out over many, many days . . . and also beginning to talk through the verses that i have underlined in my bible to share with my kids and some friends)

volleyball (maddie played in a volleyball tournament - probably her last - though i didn't know it that day)

football (isaac went to almost every practice and lift session in preparation for season)

swimming and paddleboarding (as often as we could out at spotted eagle)

and, for posterity, masks (because COVID)

 

 

 

sometimes mondays

sometimes mondays look like all of the coffee and converse tennis shoes and a bag full of to-dos and claiming five minutes to write five things

what if all words are sacred

yesterday morning, i was thinking about words

what if all my words are a prayer
either a blessing or a curse
what if all words are sacred 

will i invite blessing?
will i dole out a curse?

what if all my words are a prayer
what if all words are sacred

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

bless (verb): to bestow good of any kind upon someone; to ask God to look favorably on

curse (verb): to wish or invoke evil, calamity, injury, or destruction upon someone

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

what if everything i write and share on social media is sacred?
either a blessing or a curse?
will i offer love and truth?
do i like the altar i have created?
am i proud of the witness i bear? 

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

ephesians 4:25-32 and also 5:8-9 and also philippians 4:4-9 are some of the best gauges for what to post on the interwebs - rejoicing, being reasonable, not being anxious, being thankful, caring for hearts and minds, focusing on the honorable, true, lovely, praiseworthy, excellent, and peaceful.  writing and sharing words that are full of grace and truth, not words that are bitter or slanderous or full of wrath and malice.  being kind to one another, tenderhearted, and forgiving.  channeling anger to be productive.  and walking in the light - for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.  

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

every word is sacred

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

wildfire

today, ben told me there was a fire just south of town.  i walked outside to smoke in the air

and i texted ben, "it smells like the world is on fire"

he texted back, "it kind of is"

"how many acres are burning?" i asked

"200, 500, 80, and 20 going on now"

i got in the truck, and headed toward the fire closest to town  

the thermometer for the outside temp on the truck read 104 F

and this is what i found, 12 miles south of town

 

i was quite a ways from the fire - but close enough to sometimes see flames, to smell the smoke, to see the helicopters dipping from the river and dropping water on the fire, to see the LAT drop retardant, to see the SEATs making passes, to see engines and buggies headed in.  

this fire was caught at 2500 acres today, even with pretty high winds and the very hot, dry air.

and i will continue to be amazed by fire and the people who fight it . . . i wish you could have been standing on the pavement by me when the helicopter flew right over my head to land and refuel, standing on the  pavement in the hot, dry wind, smelling the smoke, watching as probably a hundred people worked to catch this fire.  it is an amazing thing to be close to.