Butterflies- God's object lesson in my backyard

Rach, I thought of you when we took these photos and wanted to share. Rob took the zebra swallowtail's pictures yesterday in our sunflower patch. SOOOO beautiful. You can even see where something has taken a chomp on him, but yet he's still here to grace our yard with his beauty.

After Rob came home from a bike ride the other day, this pretty butterfly came for a rest on his bike handles. I loved the beautiful blues in his wings.

Of all God's creatures, this is probably my favorite. I love their grace & beauty. I love how they love flowers. I love watching them unfurl their proboscis to drink and how gracefully they flutter their wings. Most of all I love their life cycle. It is so symbolic of what God does to us if we allow Him. We are in a growth process, from an egg to larvae to growing caterpillar (some of us prettier or uglier to the natural eyes than others- but God sees the beauty we will become, the beauty inside us even when others or ourselves don't). And then there's that whole metamorphosis process. A hard time of change & growth that produces something new & different than the creature that was. A bit of the old creature is retained, yet it is more beautiful than anything before and this creature brings beauty, grace, joy, and pleasure to others.

There have been some chrysalis moments in the past few months for me. Hard months with lessons to be learned, changing to be done in my heart & mind, growth and changing in who I am as a person. I hope I emerge from this time some kind of beautiful creation that pleases my heavenly Father, that brings love, joy and peace to those I am around, and that I become a more beautiful (not on the outward) person for the process.

I'm lovin' it! :)

I don't put too many photos of my cards on here because I have a blog for the card making business, and because I am nowhere nearly as good as Rachael who visits here sometimes! But I LOVED these and wanted to share them. They turned out really nice. The best thing about them was that I got this stamp & the little paper clips at Dollar Tree! Pretty cool! I haven't made myself any cards yet- just for others and to sell, but I think I might have to make some more of these. :)

thankful for TODAY

I don't usually take life for granted. My daddy died when I was 11- that was a hard way to learn that life is not a sure thing. I have seen my own children's lives be in question, been to enough funerals, and watched my momma struggle with the big C to know that life is fragile and precious and not to be taken lightly. But yesterday, I was once again reminded that we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Reminded that I should always be thankful for each day I am given.

Yesterday I watched the 12 year old son of a fellow teacher be buried. He was killed by gunfire Monday night as he hung out and played basketball with his friends right in front of his home. Last night I was sitting in my kitchen making some cards as a sort of self-prescribed "therapy," and I was just about to finish when I heard a gunshot from the road behind us. There was a shootout between two men right there on the other side of the field that separates our home from Groometown Road. With the school's field and playground between us and the scene of the shooting Rob & I were a bit concerned about our family's safety so we were up late trying to find out what was going on.

This happened around the time we normally go pick up kids from work and Robert had just gotten home from work right before this happened. We could have been there. Thank God Robert got off a bit early and Barbara worked a bit late tonight, or we might have. It is a busy road, I'm surprised no one else was hurt or caught in the crossfire. Thank God no one else was hurt!!!!

God, thank You for keeping us safe from the violence that happened just behind our home, that no one else was hurt on this busy road, that my kids were in safe places. I don't understand why Nesrine's son was killed or why a lot of bad things happen in this world. Why do kids have to die and people who commit such evil things on this earth get to live? Why do some families get torn apart and others get to go on with their happy lives? I am angry about it God. It's not fair God. It stinks God. But I know I need to trust in You no matter what happens.

Thank You for letting me question things, even question You without feeling Your wrath.

Thank You for understanding that my mind wants to understand and sometimes gets frustrated like a little kid because I want all the answers right now, and I don't always get to have my way.

Thank You for Your love and for being born to the parents I was born to.

Thank You for today. Let me make You proud of today.

Where can I go from Your spirit?

Today I sat in a place I would never have pictured myself. It was a difficult day, but I am honored to be able to be present to show my love and support for a fellow teacher and mom. I know there is nothing I can do to ease her pain or burden, but I know that I am obligated from love to be there to love her, pray for her, and walk beside her in anyway I can.

Today, my daughter & I went to a mosque to attend the funeral services for the twelve year old son of a teacher at our school. He was killed in a shooting incident in front of his home Monday night. His name was Ali, and he would have been in the eighth grade this year. My heart is broken for this family and especially for his mom.

As a Christ-follower, I wanted to not in any way offend the family and friends of my coworker. I have tried to love my colleague and show respect to her always. I have not hidden who I am as she has not from me. In fact, she & I have supported each other & prayed for each other for a couple years now. Today, I wanted to be a good representative of God. So Barbara and I put on long sleeves and covered our heads with scarves and baked in the heat along with many others to show our love to our friend.

And though I was in the house of Allah, the place of worship of another god, I felt the presence of the GOD, the maker of the universe. I felt the love of the ONE who died for every man. I was reminded of this verse, Psalm 139: 7-8- Where can I go from Your spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there. If I make my bed in the depths of Sheol (Hell), you are there.

God, please be with this family and this dear mom. Please, Father, comfort them like no one else can, lift their hearts from the blackness, hurt, and despair. Help them to find the strength to walk through the days, weeks, months, and years to come. Fill their hearts with love and a peace that none other can give.

prayer request

Please pray for a teacher at my school and her family. Her son was killed last night; he was only 12 years old.