Come Away And Rest

I have so many things I want to share with you but the week has gone by so fast that I haven’t been able to sit down and write as my heart longed to do.  Soon I want to share the wonderful surprise gift that recently arrived in my mailbox from a dear blog friend – a just-because-she-thought-I-needed-a-pick-me-up gift.  And I want to show you the wonderful things another dear blog friend gave me before she moved to another state.  And there is a recent visit to a spectacular lilac garden not far from my home, filled with flowers and a lovely old Victorian home!

Life has taken so many twists and turns – as it does for all of us.  It seems the weeks are so busy - they go by so quickly  and before we know it another week has come and gone.  On and on it goes.  Often my heart longs to go away and rest – to slow down, change the pace a bit.  That’s exactly what I’m going to do this weekend.  I am leaving this afternoon for our church Ladies’ Retreat!  During the past two years I’ve shared about our retreats here and here. 
  
For several years we've gone to the beach. . .

This year we’re going to the woods!

I’m taking my camera – and I plan to wander through the woods and along the river during my ‘free’ time.  I'll try to capture the beauty in that quiet place.

Retreat:  an act or process of withdrawing, especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable. 

That’s exactly what I’m going to do this weekend – withdraw from the difficult, dangerous and disagreeable!  I’ll be back soon – rested, relaxed and ready to tell you all about my time away.   And ready to go again – for awhile!

Praise

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,

the name of the LORD is to be praised. Psalm 113:3

From Generation To Generation

A week ago today I took my dear, little mother to a nearby community to meet her new great granddaughter.  At first Miss Hannah was not real impressed that we had arrived – she was eating and did not want to be disturbed!   Once her little tummy was full she was much more sociable.  Then she met her great grandmother who left no one guessing that she was thrilled to finally meet this child for whom she has prayed so much  through the last months.

It was love at first sight – a bond began that will continue to grow stronger every time these two dear ones are together.  A few precious words of love and wisdom were spoken by my dear mother and I’m sure Miss Hannah understood everything her ‘Nana’ shared from her heart.  Everything spoken and unspoken!

The moments together were quickly captured before our sweet little girl grew tired and needed to sleep.

‘Oh, Grandma, is that you behind that camera!  I’m so glad to see you again.  Where have you been?  I’ve missed you!  Do you like my outfit?  I wore it just for you!  Did you say we girls are going out for lunch?  Don’t you remember that I just had my lunch?’

A few minutes more to visit and then a tour of Hannah’s new room and the home where our daughter and her family recently moved to and then. . .a BIG surprise.  A happy surprise.  Hannah’s daddy came home from work early.  He was able to join us for lunch and it was such a special treat to have him with us.  While we talked and enjoyed our time together a special little someone was snuggled in her seat.  Sleeping peacefully!

We had a great time together – it was a day we won’t forget.  Time together with dear ones we love!  We will do it again – and again – and again.

Two days ago I was rushing around preparing for a very busy day.  In the next room I heard my cell phone signal that a text message had arrived.  Imagine my surprise – and joy – when I found that it was from my precious Miss Hannah!  My, she’s smart – texting already?  Here is what she sent me (I added the caption on the photo – I don't think she has learned how to do that yet!):

‘Good morning, Grandma!’

My message back to Hannah:  ‘You just made my day!’

  Every good and perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17

Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with this precious grandchild.  She is truly a perfect gift from your heart to mine!

The Longing Of My Soul

As the deer longs for streams of water,

so I long for you, O God.

I thirst for God, the living God.

When can I go and stand before him?

 

Psalm 42:1-2 (New Living Translation)

From The Heart Of A Father

Do you see the yellow tulips in the corner of this photo?  They have a story to tell.  Yes, they have something to do with my new grandbaby, as you might have suspected.  But they really have more to do with my wonderful sweetheart and his love for his daughter.  The story begins more than twelve years ago and I'd love to share it with you.

When our daughter was in labor with her first child - our oldest granddaughter - things went very slow and she became exhausted.  The long day turned into night and the longer we waited for progress to be made and baby to arrive the more exhausted and discouraged she became.  My sweetheart had been in the room with us for the early hours of the day but when things began to 'labor' on and progress he exited to the waiting room directly across the hallway from our daughter's hospital room.  He spent long hours, with many frequent updates from me, doing word puzzles and reading a good book.  As midnight approached and it was obvious that our daughter had a l-o-n-g ways to go before delivery my sweetheart knocked on the door and told me he was going to the store.  The store?  At this hour?  He reminded me that a local supermarket just down the hill from the hospital was open twenty-four hours a day.  He said he wanted a snack and would be back soon.  It seemed he wasn't gone long before he knocked on the door once again.  When I opened the door there he stood with a big grin on his face, a pot of the most gorgeous yellow tulips you can imagine and a small gift bag in his hand.  'What are you doing'? I asked.  He replied, 'I brought her something to cheer her up!'  As he entered the room and placed the pot of yellow tulips on the counter across from our daughter's bed I saw the first smile I had seen on her face for many hours.  It lifted her spirits and meant more than words can tell that her dad had done something so special because he cared and wanted to do something to help.  And what about the gift bag?  When she opened it, nestled gently in tissue paper was a single jar of strained baby peaches!  Something special for the baby.  There in the middle of the night, in the middle of her labor, my sweetheart touched the heart of his 'little girl' in a way no one else could have done.  It was a father-daughter moment that didn't go unnoticed.

What about the tulips in the photo?  You may have guessed it already!  A week ago this evening my sweetheart drove to the hospital where our daughter was again experiencing long, difficult labor.  He had worked all day and yet his heart had been there with us and as soon as he could he headed our way.  He called to tell me his location and I knew approximately the time he should arrive.  As time passed and he hadn't come yet I decided to step out of our daughter's hospital room and call him to see why he was delayed.  No need to call him.  As I stepped out of the room I looked down the hall toward the nurse's station and there, rounding the corner, was my sweetheart with a big smile on his face.  And yellow tulips in his arms and a tiny gift bag in his hands!  I knew immediately what had caused the delay - once again the heart of a father longed to touch the heart of his daughter with love.  And encouragement.  And maybe a smile!  And I knew what was in the little gift bag.  You guessed it - a single jar of strained baby peaches.  When our daughter saw the little bag she knew immediately what was inside.  Later that night my sweetheart told me the peaches were just a token gift for Baby Hannah until the day she is old enough to sit and enjoy peach pie (his favorite) with him!

There have been yellow tulips along the way - a gift from our oldest granddaughter to her mother on one of her birthdays - and there will most likely be more jars of strained peaches before our dear little Hannah grows up - but they will never be so sweet as the gift from a father's heart to his daughter. At just the right moment!

Precious Thoughts

O Lord, you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

You see me when I travel

and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

 

You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, Lord.

You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

 

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to understand!

I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

If I go up to heaven, you are there;

if I go down to the grave, you are there.

If I ride the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

Even there your hand will guide me,

and your strength will support me.

I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night—

But even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

To you the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are the same to you.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.

They cannot be numbered!

I can’t even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

you are still with me!

 

Psalm 139: 1-18 (New Living Translation)

Photo from allposters.com

Photographer: Joel Sartore

Grandma’s Brag Book

I promised to share photos of our new granddaughter as soon as I could figure out why they wouldn’t transfer from the camera to my computer. Problem is fixed, so here they are.
May I present to you Miss Hannah Grace!

Wondering about all the fuss just minutes after she came into the world.

With her mommy and daddy. . .

Meeting her grandma and grandpa. . .

Showing her cute little feet. . .

Getting dressed for the first time. . .

‘Smiling’ for grandma. . .

Spending time with the nice nurse. . .

Hanging out with Daddy and Grandpa. . .

Spending time with Mommy the next day. . .

Wondering what happened to her warm clothes. . .

Feeling good that her daddy found them. . .

Meeting Aunt K. and three cousins, Mr. R., Mr. G. and Mr. H. . .

Spending time with Uncle J. and the boys. . .

And a few minutes with Mr. R.

Thank you for your comments and emails – they are each very special to me. This is the little girl we prayed for and your prayers joined ours as we asked for a safe and healthy delivery. God heard and answered our prayers - she is definitely a treasured gift from God to our hearts.