You will find...

What are you looking for this Christmas season?

 

Peace?

 

Health?

 

Rest?

 

The blessings of family time?

 

C.S. Lewis left timely advice for all of us during this season.

 

Stay tuned for my fifth favorite and discover how to find what you seek.

 

I’m so happy to be posting and linking up with my Friday’s Fave Five friends as we revisit the blessings of the week.

 

My favorites:

 

1. A great semester. You haven’t heard much from me because I’ve been steeped in books, studying my way through my first full semester toward a Ph.D. This semester has deepened my life in so many ways—intellectually, spiritually, relationally. And the carryover into my classroom has been invaluable. I’m so thankful I have the opportunity to undertake this study!

 

2. Family time. Thanksgiving was great, but a couple of our boys weren't with us. At Christmas we plan to have the whole family (minus one granddaughter from India—see #3) under one roof. Just cannot wait for this!

 

3. Anticipation. We are awaiting the unraveling of some red tape that will bring our granddaughter home to Kentucky from India. This waiting is SO hard. As soon as the proper documents come through, my son and his sweet wife will be traveling, and it can’t come soon enough. It has been a long journey and the days near the end seem so much longer. You can read (and see a sweet picture) on my daughter-in-law’s blog here.

 

4. A new year! This one has been great, but we’re looking ahead. Things under our roof have contracted a bit. This was the first Christmas that our card was signed with only two names, as all the boys are out on their own. Things are changing, and it’s with hope and excitement that we look ahead to a new year. Who knows what the Lord will send our way?

 

5. A quote, as promised. How to find what you seek this season?

 

“Look for Christ and you will find Him. And with Him, everything else.” (C.S. Lewis)

 

When He is what we seek, when we find our rest and fulfillment in Him…then, we can rest.

 

Praying Christmas rest for you this week,

The Wonders to Come

Friday  July 25, 2014

The wonders to come—that’s a glorious subject, isn’t it?

More on those wonders, even amidst a rocky path, in my fifth favorite, a quote.

Join me as I recount the blessings of the past week…and a couple of the weeks before that, too.

I’ve been “out of pocket” for quite a while, busy with summer and traveling and family and study. Feeling thankful, I figured Friday’s Fave Five was the best time to jump back in. Each Friday, we share our favorites of the week. Won’t you join in?

My favorites this week:

1. Study—lots of it. My summer began with study, as I attended a summer residency toward my new Ph.D. program. It was inspiring and scary all at the same time. I met some wonderful people, students and professors alike. My introductory class went well, and I’m signed up for more this fall. (Along with teaching  high school, of course.) Right now I’m finishing up an independent study course to complete another program I began a while back. I’ve not lacked for reading and writing this summer. The great thing is, that’s what I love to do.

2. Family time. We’ve been back a couple of weeks, but I haven’t had a chance to post about our family time. I got to see my mom and spend some quality time with our grandson, Aiden. In fact, we got to travel with him and his parents to New York state to see family. (He did not lack for attention the entire vacation, as you can imagine.) We got to see him catch his first fish, and we even got to keep him a whole day by ourselves while Mom and Dad explored the city. We were also blessed to have our youngest and his girlfriend along. A blessing all around.

3. Planning ahead. Yes, I’m already thinking ahead to the holidays, planning to have them ALL together. My son and daughter-in-law are adopting a little girl from India, and the long process is getting shorter. I’m praying we’ll have her home for Christmas. Wouldn’t that be something?

4. Long-time love. My husband and I celebrated our anniversary in June, complete with roses and an evening out, then we took off across several states together, as we’ve done so many times. More times than not, it was with a van full of boys and a dog and, yes, times have changed—but some things don’t. He’s my favorite traveling companion, the one I love to come home to and with. I’m thankful for him, maybe now more than ever.

5. This quote:

“Your future is signed and sealed by grace. The wonders to come will make the hardships of the journey worthwhile.” (Paul David Tripp)

We’ve all walked bumpy roads and smooth ones, and if truth be told, we prefer the easy road. But when you know grace holds your future, it’s easier to hang on. 

And realizing that the wonders to come will give meaning to the rocky path is like seeing the sun over the top of a hill.

Wishing you grace that levels out the road,

In Over My Head

Friday May 16, 2014

Ever been in over your head?

It’s scary and exciting all at the same time…

Stay tuned for more as my fifth favorite, a quote, sheds a little light on that.

I’m linking up with Friday’s Fave Five where we share five blessings from the past week.

My favorites this week:

1. Graduation! Yes, the last Groves boy has graduated from college. What a great combination weekend it was – Graduation and Mother’s Day – and we had ALL the boys together, along with two wonderful daughters-in-law and an awesome grandson. It was just great having them all together. So proud of the youngest as he graduates, works, gets his own place. Just wish we were closer geographically—to all of them!

2. Hospitality. Our third son, Andrew, and his sweet wife hosted all of us. We had 8 adults, a six month old puppy, and a three year old boy packed in, and happy chaos ensued. It was great to see all they’ve done to their first Home Sweet Home. They were truly gracious hosts.

3. Endings and beginnings. Today is the last Friday of the school year for us. Looking forward to having time for other pursuits after that. (More on that in #5.)

4. Summer. More travels to share time with family are ahead, and it’s easy for me to get excited about that. I love to travel and we’ll get to see some family members we only see once a year.

5. This quote:

“If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?” (T.S. Eliot)

This quote made me smile, and it made me think of my new endeavor. I start working on my Ph.D. this summer. I’m reading for the first class, and I am loving it. It’s exciting and a little scary.

And another thing about that quote—if I had said it, I’d modify it a bit. For me, it would read:

“If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how big God is?” (Laura Lee Groves)

I’ve felt a definite pull toward this course of study, and all the preparation I’m doing is confirming that. Anything new is a bit scary, but when you know Who is walking beside you, it is so exciting.

I can’t wait to see what He will do with this new journey.

Wishing you some “over your head” times this week,