My Home Sweet Home: Decorated with Family, Faith, and Photoshop

Decorated with Family, Faith, and Photoshop

An Easter Sunday Hymn: Thus Far the Lord Has Led Me On

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Christmas Cactus

On this Easter Sunday morning I’m thinking about Hope with a capital h, Hope you can hang your hat on and cling to in the dark. Take a moment to soak in the lyrics from this beautiful hymn written by Isaac Watts in 1707.

I can only imagine how many hearts they’ve comforted over the years.

Happy Easter—He is risen!

Thus Far the Lord Has Led Me On

Thus far the Lord hath led me on,
Thus far His power prolongs my days,
And every evening shall make known
Some fresh memorial of His grace.

Much of my time has run to waste,
And I, perhaps, am near my home;
But He forgives my follies past,
And gives me strength for days to come.

In vain the sons of earth or hell
Tell me a thousand frightful things
My God in safety makes me dwell
Beneath the shadow of His wings.

I lay my body down to sleep;
Peace is the pillow for my head;
While well appointed angels keep
Their watchful stations round my bed.

Words for Parents of Teens today at (in)courage

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Words for Parents of Teens @ (in)courage

In November, my two teen daughters and I attended Girls of Grace, an event put on by speakers and musicians who have a heart for teen girls. I’ve worn the title of mommy, mama, mom — it differs depending on the child who speaks it and the mood they’re in — for twenty-seven years, and as much as my girls needed a good word spoken, I needed support and encouragement in this work of motherhood, too.

We’ve raised newborns, toddlers, terrible two-year-olds, preschoolers, school-aged kids, and pre-teens in our family — and those were challenging years (aren’t they all?) — but I’ll take the physical demands of a colicky newborn, sleep deprivation, and childproofing a house/houseproofing a child over the emotionally demanding work of parenting a teen.

Some children demand more attention than others, but they all need it. The saying, “Still waters run deep,” is true; don’t neglect the ones that don’t seem to need you as much. And although there are times when one requires more of your energy, my mother always reminded me I can’t devote all my time to one child.

During the afternoon breakout session at Girls of Grace, the moms met separately with the ladies from the group Point of Grace, who hosted the conference, and Trudy Cathy White, daughter of Truett Cathy. They shared wisdom from their own experiences and conversations they’d had with a group of at-risk teen girls.

Here’s what those girls shared:

Please join me today at (in)courage for the rest of this post from my archives!

April’s Desktop Calendar!

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April 2019 desktop calendar

Instead of delivering a late March calendar, I decided on an early one for April!

I got a membership this year to Gibbs Gardens, specifically with desktop calendars in mind, but this one came from a small potted plant my son gave me. I wanted to capture it while it was still alive and well. Sad but true! I wish plants could speak to me; I’m just not good at figuring out what they need.

I had a lot of fun with my new camera and my macro lens on this photo (camera info available on my Camera page). The flowers themselves are actually very small, as you can see in this image with a different lens:

Kalanchoe

Things are blooming here in Georgia and the pollen count is high. The daffodils are past their prime as well as many of the cherry blossoms; now I’m watching for the dogwoods and their lovely blooms.

This is the first spring for our son, his wife, and baby in their new house. They’re discovering all that pops up in their yard, like the hostas just starting to peek through the dirt. We picked up several rose bushes from them this weekend that needed a new home, and my husband and daughters dug up some old, sad looking bushes in our yard that they’ll replace.

What treasures appear in your yard or neighborhood each spring? 

Download your April desktop calendar!

Enjoy!

To Train Up a Child today at (in)courage

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In the years between the momentous day a tiny, helpless infant enters your world and the emotional day when your child — now a young man or young woman — strikes off on their own, it’s not only the child who will grow and transform, but the mother too. Some stages of parenthood are more physical, like the sleep-deprivation of new motherhood or chasing toddlers, and some are more emotional, like dealing with hormonal teenagers or high school graduations.

Five of our eight children have grown up and moved out, and I can tell you, it doesn’t get any easier. I dread graduation years; everything within me pushes back against the thought of them. We’re in year two of a six-year period when our four youngest children will all graduate, and although this is an off year, I’m already bracing myself for spring of 2020.

Seeing other parents embrace their children’s graduations — even get excited about them — tells me my reaction isn’t necessarily the norm. Why do I feel this way? Part of it is an end-of-an-era feeling: when you’ve mothered a child so long, it’s hard to step back and accept they don’t need you in the same ways they did before. But really I think it’s more than that.

It’s a fear I didn’t prepare my child to capably handle life on their own, to continue their education or get the job they want, and to firmly stand for what’s right no matter (or in spite of) what the world says.

Please join me today at (in)courage for the rest of the post. This one is for you, moms!