Addiction to Blueberries

I have an addiction to blueberries. which i guess if I have to be addicted to something blueberries are not a bad thing! I love living somewhere where fruit like blueberries and raspberries grow just down the road and can be picked right off the tree. I may start a garden. I don't like to garden but maybe the passion will grow on me. This morning I went blueberry picking for the 2nd time and took Patrick with me. I'm trying to fuel his love for fruit trees, so maybe when were old we can be farmers. First time, I brought home 3.5lbs of blueberries this time. 6.6lbs...yes, I 've got blueberries out my ears but I'm so excited about making blueberry cobler, muffins, granola bars, dried blueberries...and just eating them by the handfuls.

Another thing I've been doing lately is canvas painting. I'm not much of an artist but I like to do it and just see what comes out. Here are a few that I have done.










Not a whole lot really going on in my life that someone might label "adventurous or thrilling" but I am learning to just enjoy my time and the little things that make my heart smile.

Sunrise

I am in a Botany class this summer. We are learning a lot about plants, soils, ecosystems, and stuff that, frankly I am not at all too interested in. But if I have taken one thing away from this class- its the reminder that I serve a magnificent, sovereign, and gracious God. Did you know that if the sun ceased to rise, anything that has life would be no more? Something about photosynthesis...energy...carbon dioxide, food chain...GONE- all of it! According to my understanding of the science world...this earth and all that is in it depends on the sun to survive.

Psalm 50:1- The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.
Psalm 74:16-The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.

God could decide to put a stop the glorious sunrise and before long, nothing would have life...yet in His love for the world, the sun rises. For God so loved the world...a wicked, unrighteous world...and each day the sun rises and He gives life to those that don't deserve it. This seems like a pretty basic and simple truth, but it draws me to His feet.

AND BOTANY IS OVER TOMORROW! PRAISE JESUS!

Humbled and Changing

Hi friends, old and new! I've been out awhile on the blogging. I really needed to reevaluate some things in my life, so I took a little break. I've revamped by blog a bit and really want to use this as a place of encouragement, not because I am anything special or have great words on my own, only because God can use anything He wants to challenge and strengthen us, even if its just through what other believers are walking through.

We have officially been in Tyler a year! It feels so much more like home than I ever thought it could. It's amazing how much the Lord changes us in "transition" seasons.
Over the past year, the Lord has been teaching me what grace truly is. In all honesty, grace was never something I truly understood and am continually asking the Lord to teach me more about. I don't know about anyone else, but I know that as a human, I have the tendency to try to perform or work for my salvation. Many times its covered up with good things for Jesus, and I may not necessarily describe it that way or literally think in those terms, but the way I live my life has often been evidence of that. My service to the Lord has many times been attached with a desire for acceptance and favor from man or a way of gaining His blessing, none of which do much in the way of giving Him all the glory.

I am so grateful for the transforming power of Jesus. He is so faithful and good to change our hearts. Realizing that nothing inside of me is good and that even what I consider my "GOOD", is filthy rags to Him(Is. 64:6)- I am humbled. I am at the mercy of a good, loving, and righteous God, who forgives and has saved me, and not because of anything I have or can be (Eph.2:8, Rom. 8:16). He saves, He transforms, and He gets all the Glory! I'm growing more in love with my Savior.

Be encouraged and blessed today! love and hugs