lovely produce....
VBS....
Kayla and her family were here:)....
...we went to see the alligators!
...my favorite photo from a big family gathering in Tulsa; sweet times...
"Father's Day 2009"
so very special for Sonja to come for a visit....
"We have this moment to hold in our hands, And to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand;Yesterday’s gone, And tomorrow may never come, But we have this moment today." (Gaither)
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"Moments of Insight"
~ wondering about the disturbing lack of appropriate shame i'm observing...there seems to be an alarming tendency to self-defend & cloak problems vs. living honestly. (i'm thinking that this lack is at the root of many problems...not a cheery or new idea, but one thing i'm thinking on...)
~ realizing the harm done when we build walls of self-protection, when we operate from a lack of confidence....A little of that is healthy & sometimes the cause lies outside of ourselves; but doubting others (ourselves?) can cause misunderstandings...
~ knowing grace; believing the best truth about those we love....choosing to let down those self-protective walls and experience the surprise of acceptance...
~ thinking a lot about the "identity badges" we wear & cling to so fiercely. (thought i was a little "above" this pitfall...admitting: not so much!)
~ trusting that the possibility for redemptive change really DOES always exist (sometimes i doubt that...)
Finding these words to be encouraging:
"How can someone ever trust in the existence of an unconditional divine love when most, if not all, of what he or she has experienced is the opposite of love?~They are not condemned to be victims! There remains within them, hidden as it may be, the possibility to choose love.~By choosing love they become witnesses not only to human resiliency but also to the divine love that transcends all human loves. Those who choose, even on a small scale, to love in the midst of hatred and fear are the people who offer true hope to our world." (Henri Nouwen)
