Raccoons and Dinosaurs

I never claim to be a scientist or an environmentalist. I do, however, drop my jaw in awe at times in wonder of the God of all science who designed our environment. Take clouds for example. I have taught the names of clouds and studied with my kids the different layers of the atmosphere in which clouds are formed. I know all about the water cycle. In route to vacation destinations, I have flown through both the magnificence and disturbance of clouds. Yet what do I know really? These images that dot my sky come in various shapes, sizes, and colors. Why is that? I know scientifically that they all tell a weather story, but God could have just used any one form to fulfill his purpose in creation.

Have you ever been blown away by a cloudless sky of intense blue? Do you ever wonder why out of that brilliance a single cloud forms, then another, and another until wisps of white fracture the uniformity? Call me crazy, but these clouds just amaze me.

Driving home from a lengthy day trip with my two little ones, I needed to pull out creative things to keep them from endlessly asking, "How much longer?" My 'creative' idea: what do you see in the clouds? My little one finds the most amazing images. On that day, she was not truly interested in my distraction. She, however, looked out the window, decided that there was nothing to be seen, and stated that all she could see was a raccoon being chased by two kids. Seriously? Shortly after that, she did find a dinosaur and a few other creatures. My son joined the search. At one point, the late afternoon sun hid behind a sheet of clouds only to be seen by the rays making its mark on earth in arrows of brightness. He pointed them out and noticed a golden edge surrounding the clouds. Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, heaven was just behind those clouds? I know that is not reality, but I am thankful for the awe factor of God's amazing creation of clouds that draws my attention to Him.

God's Word states that Christ himself will return to earth in a cloud, the same way He went into heaven. How awesome is that? Look at your sky today. What do you see? What is God purposefully doing in your world right now? It may be clear skies or there may be a storm looming. It may be a time of silliness or awe. Whatever the case, know that He is our creator God who made those clouds in our life. Enjoy His beauty, relax in His creativity, and take comfort in his design.

Gratitude

Just a few things on my mind today that make me thankful –

# 139 - 152

• Chick-fi-la dinners
  
• Christian camp that challenges my kids and introduces great friends
  
• Sprinklers on a hot day
  
• Watching my kids play together
  
• Paperwork finished for Cedarville Academy
  
• Summer fun
  
• Garden tomatoes
  
• Passion for ministry
  
• Worship
  
• Time to talk to my sister on the phone
  
• Listening to my little one read
  
• Mocha chip frappes
  
• Pleases and thank you's
  
• Christian friends in the neighborhood for my son to play with
  

Shore to Please

The three Schroll families met again for another fun in the sun filled week in Ocean City, NJ. We have enjoyed this since Angel was a baby. Now with seven cousins, a few of which are teens, our schedule may differ a bit, our nights may be longer, and our food bill is larger. No matter, we filled our week with lots of sun, boogie boarding and body surfing, a sand sculpting contest, yo-yo and hulu hoop contests, water ice, Dairy Queen, go-carts, a day at the water park, miniature golf, face painting, balloon animals, bike rides, amusement rides, fireworks, and kite flying. We managed to make it through the week with no meltdowns by either the kids or the parents. It was truly a fun week.

Gratitude – It’s been a long time

I spent this past week busily painting a bedroom during the day and teaching vacation Bible school during the evening. What little time left vacant quickly filled up with dishes, laundry, and sleep. Writing seems to have gone by the wayside unfortunately. As if our life was not busy enough, it has definitely sped up with excitement and anticipation of great things.

Teaching, especially to kids, warms my heart and challenges me. This week, vacation Bible school gave me yet another opportunity to teach. The theme was the importance of God's Word and how it shows His amazing love for us. How awesome to present those truths to young hearts eager to listen. We also spent a great deal of time looking at our lives and seeing God work all around us. In every detail of the mosaic we call life, God works his plan and design.

For those of you who teach, you will know that learning is a huge part of that process. I taught multiple times each evening that God cares about every detail of our lives, both the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. Right now, my emotions are all over the map. I need to be reminded that God is here all the time and that His Word is true, comforting, surprising, life-changing, and for everyone.

God is working in our home. If you have read for very long, you will know that God has placed a desire in our hearts to foster additional children with the plan to adopt two. As we stand now, we are approved, our home has passed inspection, and we are waiting for our first placement. In the meantime, a few rooms are getting a makeover. This is the fastest our family has ever had any home projects completed J.

Our journey into foster care will come with both heartache and joy. We will be learning as we go and teaching along the way. Our kids are going to be growing in both giving and receiving. My heart grieves for those families whose lives are interrupted by alcohol, drugs, and abuse, but I am grateful to my Lord for giving me the opportunity to somehow in some small way make a difference if only in the life of one child. Thank you, God, for your Word and work in our lives.

#117 - 138

God's unconditional love

God's Word that changes my life

Bible school songs

An auditorium of children singing about God

Air conditioning

Air conditioning repairmen

Safety on the roads for my sweetie and angel

Soccer camps

Iced tea

Purple paint

My mom (and dad) who paint at MY house

My sweetie painting despite the pain in his shoulder

A smooth and incident free state home inspection

Anticipation of the future

Smell of brownies

Skype

Dinners provided at VBS for the workers

Free e-books

Fresh veggies from my daughter's garden

Christian camps

Summer fruit

Pool parties on a hot day

Senses of a Morning Walk

I felt the ever so slight burn in my legs as I lengthened my stride and quickened my pace. I felt my parched throat and wished I had brought along my water bottle.

I felt the uneven sidewalk under my feet and the cool breezes brush my skin.

I saw front lawns brown, brittle, and burned by the summer sun contrasted with those lawns whose owner is blessed with a sprinkler system or lawn service.

I saw the azure brilliance of a cloudless sky and the pale blue subtleness of a robin's eggshell empty on the sidewalk.

I heard the wonder of nature in the cries of the birds, the mysterious crescendos of insects in the trees, and the crickets hiding in the cool morning grass.

I heard the interruption of hedge clippers, hammers, saws, trash trucks, and traffic.

I heard the quickening of my breath the further I walked.

I smelled the occasional stench of the trash truck making its weekly rounds in my neighborhood.

I smelled the otherwise freshness of a new day.

 

I kicked my kids out of the house on this beautiful morning to go run themselves. One had tears in the end. She struggles with running. Despite her own feelings, she did well. Another can't stop running and has gone out a second time. Another brought the jogging stroller out of storage and pushed the little one for a few miles on her run. The day will come soon when they will all be running.

In the meantime, I challenged my little one to watch and listen as her sister pushed. Here is her list of what grabbed her senses.

"I saw and heard smelly trash trucks.

I saw baby pinecones.

I heard a bird moving through the trees.

I wanted to feel a stick, but my sister wouldn't stop."

 

Stop, look, and listen today to what may be some subtle blessings.