Meier Boys Birthdays

A Special Celebration in the Meier Household.

Jack turned three.

Charlie turned one.

 A morning of heavy rain

 moved the party celebration 

from the back yard

 to the front yard in Canton. Michigan.

in May 18, 2019.

 It was a DINO ROAR themed party.

Always good when there is water play

 and sand play at a party.

Jack was doing just fine trying out his cake-

until they was a loud ROAR

 close by that scared him.

Always time to get a snuggle
 with Grandma.

There is so much to give thanks
 for on birthdays.
Good health, grace and growing.
Laughter and stories.

Grandparents and cousins and 
siblings.
Loving caregivers and friends.
Oh, give thanks 
to the Lord for He is good.
Happy Birthday Meier boys!

Ascension Day

Ascension Day 2019

May 30, 2019

Luke 24: 44-52

This post is a day late-

 the electricity went out for 14 hours yesterday into today

 with a major storm that came through Northern Virginia.

So just now finishing this up.

This day might have just slipped by on your calendar.

Many churches that used to hold worship

 on this day now observe it 

on the previous or next Sunday.

The resource from the Visual Faith Ministry 

website helped me to stop a moment 

and reflect on the Ascension.

In what could have been a very sorrowful day-

 of losing the presence of Jesus- 

became a day filled with joy and praise.

There was something his disciples 

were beginning to understand about His presence.

Jesus was with them-

 even when his physical presence was not.

They left Bethany 

"and they worshiped him 

and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

and were continually in the temple blessing God."

How much of my day do I spend in worship

 and blessing God?

Such an outright challenge to priorities.

So fitting that on this rather unobtrusive day

 on the calendar-

that a few moments are spent reading

 this section of Scripture.

I love the section right before the Ascension 

when Jesus "opened their minds to understand Scripture."

Lord, 

this is my prayer -

open my mind.

Take me further, 

push the boundaries,

take me higher.

By the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Supplies:

Visual Church Year printable
childrens-bulletin-luke-2445-53019-ascension
Water colors

Colored pencils

Junk mail cutouts

Worship into the Week- Overcomer

Worship into the Week-

May 26, 2019

John 16:33

Sometimes when I reflect on this verse

 the only words of response that I have is-

Thank YOU!

Take heart-

take heart-

find ways to secure and 

bring courage to my heart.

Because the overcomer has done just that- 

overcome the world.

For me- for eternity.

As gift.

 No matter what may 

befall my days and weeks

and years- 

no matter what tribulation comes,

and it will,

I whisper 

Thank You

 to the overcomer.

Supplies:

Visual Church Year Resource
childrens-bulletin-john-1624-52619

Colored pencils

 Junk mail words

Scrapbook paper

Easter 6

 Well, it is Easter 6- 

still officially the Easter SEASON.

Sometimes it takes me awhile 

to collect photos from afar for celebrations.

Then time to edit and compile.

But since this blog gets published

 and printed at the end of each year---

 there is still time for the STORY.

Here is the Virginia crew 

together for Easter 19.

Time to check out Easter baskets 

and find a few eggs in the yard.

Enjoying a meal together

 is always a special treat.

The girls, their spouses and all 6 grandsons.

What a wonderful Easter blessing. 

BIL Buds and sisters.

Corralling littles - even for a bit.

Easter prep time-- oh what fun.

Giving thanks for this day of-

He is Risen.

Each and EVERY DAY.

We are very blessed

with such grace.

Worship into the Week-Perfect Love

Worship into the Week
A New Commandment
John 13: 31-35
Time for a new thing- 
a new commandment.
Why not Now?
This perfect relationship between 
Father and Son has been glorified.
You will have to figure things
 out without me says Jesus.
You can't come where I am going.
Jesus tells them that 
he has shown them how to love.
Not just talked about it-shown them.
"I have loved you, you are also to love one another.
 By this all people will know 
that you are my disciples,
 if you have love for one another."
Sort of like being put on notice-
 the whole world is watching
 how you love each other.
And in that they will see, or not see, Jesus.
Pretty simple, just very hard to live out.
Help us, Lord.

Supplies:
Worship into the Week Printables
childrens-bulletin-john-1331-51919
 Magazine cutouts
Gel pens
Colored pencils
Recycled card front

Gardening with a ROAR!

 So we are learning a few new

 things about gardening.

Gardening with grands that is.

Gardening with grandsons. 

They have introduced a degree

 of experimental ROAR to our endeavors.

Last summer I began the process

 of turning some of the container gardens

 into usable play space for toddlers.

Took some containers that had perennials

 planted and added a few more.

Added some "structural" things 

for hideouts and vantage points for look outs.

This year we planted lettuce in one 

of the gardens on Easter Sunday.

It is coming along nicely.

Then added some moveable "plastic succulents"

from Michaels than can be moved around

 as needed by the little gardeners.

Papa has also taken on vegetable gardening

 with his helper.

A just turned three year old plants one row of seeds

 and then is off to run and play.

They planted radishes on Sunday late afternoon

 and on Tuesday by 10 am they were through the soil

 and parading in a green row.

Unbelievable!

 even the guarding dinosaurs are amazed.

We plan to make a growth chart 

and measure the changes.

 So some other things around

 in the garden right now-

Top left clockwise-
oenothera- evening primrose, centaurea,

 campanula and late azaleas. 

Top left and clockwise-cranesbill, honeysuckle,
 spirea and baptisia.

 Top left and clockwise- Spiderwort, Oriental lilies, 

 catmint and the last of the peonies.

Some containers planted and gathered 

and just hanging around.
Loving begonias this year!

Always something to water 

around here in the summer.

And they say 95 degrees 

and humid again by next week.

Guess we will just how fast the garden grows!

Worship into the Week-To Be Known

Worship into the Week-

I Am the Good Shepherd

John 10:1-18

Psalm 23

The Shepherd who cares for HIs sheep.

We the sheep who listen for His voice

The Shepherd who welcomes the children.

We the sheep live protected in His hands.

Because His goodness and unfailing

kindness shall be with me

 all the days of my life.
Because I am known by my Shepherd.

Supplies:

Worship into the week resources
childrens-bulletin-john-1029-51219

Colored Pencils

Junk mail

Worship bulletin cover

Assorted found ephemera

Enduring Word Bible- Whoever Believes

Enduring Word Bible- #47

I am the Resurrection and the Life

John 11:17-44

Bethany near Jerusalem 

and the drama of the death of Lazarus.

A personal friend of Jesus.

A bit of misunderstanding 

by the disciples thinking that Lazarus

 was sick and asleep.

  Then Jesus tells them that he had died.

They had been hanging out across the Jordan,

 because the Jews wanted to arrest Jesus.

Time to head to Bethany.

Jesus reminds Mary and Martha- 

that no matter what- 

"I am the resurrection and the life. 

Whoever believes in me, though he die,

 yet he shall he live, 

and everyone who lives 

and believes in me shall never die."
Jesus was talking about more than earthly life- 
He was giving them eternal perspectives. 

Sometimes words need a visual picture.

Jesus was setting the stage.

We see in this story the deep feelings

 that Jesus had for his friend.

Jesus wept.

They roll away the stone.

Lazarus had been dead for three days.

Jesus raises him from the dead- 

in order that others may believe

 that the Father had sent him.

Lazarus comes out of the tomb-

 still wrapped in linen strips.

This was not going to make life

 any easier for Jesus.

The Jews were going

 to take notice of this event.

This Easter season- 

I keep coming back to this story.

Wondering about the part two here.

What do you say to others 

when you come back alive?

Take a first breath of aliveness-again.

What do you do the next day?

Lord, help me not to take for granted-

aliveness breaths.

For I am here for a purpose-

to pour grace and love into the world-

 because of the ONE who rose from

the grave as the conqueror over death.

Let my days be filled with 

Lazarus breath-reminders

 of His goodness.  Amen.

Supplies:

Enduring Word Bible

Colored pencils

Micron pens

Washi tape

The Lost Oenothera

So...  I don't know where the Oenothera went.

About a 7 year hiatus.

And now they are back.

I never replanted them.

They just showed up.

The Showy Evening 

Pink Primrose-Siskiyou       

 Here and there.

Randomly mixed in willy nilly.

But, that is a bit how 

I garden anyway-- willy nilly.

So I will welcome them in the lysimachia.

And hovering by the Oriental lilies.

And I won't ask if they are 

just visiting or staying around.

Enduring Word Bible-Sufficient

Enduring Word Bible - #46

2 Corinthians 12:9
Paul's Visions and His Thorn

We don't know what the thorn was for Paul.
He states that it was significant enough
 to keep him from becoming conceited
because of the greatness of the revelations.
It is hard to understand just what a messenger
 of Satan could be for Paul.
"a thorn was given me in the flesh"
Paul pleaded three times with the Lord to 
remove, take it away.
But the Lord said to Paul-
"My grace is sufficient for you,
 for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Paul saw this as a way to 
give credence to the power of Christ.
He pledges contentment with weaknesses, insults,
 hardships, persecution, and calamities.
"For when I am weak, then I am strong."

So many days it seems that I am so weak.
Even with the strength of Christ, 
I still feel weak.
But, then I am reminded that anything
 of strength and goodness is not of me-
 it surely must be Christ.

Lord, may I remember that in all ways
and at all times that my power
 is made perfect in weakness
 because of Christ.

Supplies:
Enduring Word Bible
Washi Tape
Colored pencils
Fine-point Sharpie pen

Here and About- Galesburg, Illinois

The important thing to remember 

when traveling about from state to state--

with an intended place for adventure-

write it down.

Somehow I had the name Geneseo in mind.

As we drove through this small Illinois berg-

 I realized my mistake.

So- on to the next G town.

Galesburg.

Well, it was getting late -

so this is where we got a room

 for the night and decided to rest up 

and explore a bit in the morning.

Our meal at the local redone Packing House- 

was good and in an interesting venue.
The Packinghouse Dining Co

There were some places that fit the bill-

like the A Word- Antique.

The Junk Drawer 

was well organized and fun to poke around.

Found a vintage Star Wars item 

on the 50% off shelf that will go in

 the Christmas stash for a grandson.
The Junk Drawer

Loved these signs made from license plates-

Saylor's Sign.

Now I have the contact person

 to make these for all of the young boys.

In travels around I have found -

Hey Jack! and Charleston.

  That took care of one family. 

Now for the rest of them!!!

A newer spot but right next door

 was the Attic Antique Shop-

also clean and organized.
Attic Antique Shop

All of that made us thirsty- 

 so on to the Beanhive

 for a good cappuccino.
BeanhiveCoffeehouse

Oh---- to not be gluten-free.
 I tried to explain Instagram
 to a couple of shop owners---
the free marketing part- you know.
Not sure that is gonna happen.

As we drove out of town,

 I finally remembered the name of the town

 I was hunting for-

Galena.

So guess that is NEXT TRIP.

 Adding the photo of the cards 

so I have them when I can't find the cards.

Oh- this memory stuff is no joke!
So if you are in the Illinois area and need a G town-
Galesburg isn't all bad.

Mothering Grace

                                                                                                               (non-relative- but now "family")
I have collected old photos 

of women for a long time.

Discarded, dusty and forlorn 

stashed in boxes in antique stores.

I am always intrigued by the story possibilities 

and wondering about the stories lost over time.

The mothers and the daughters-

love shared and lives entwined.
The stories....

The gift of days spent mothering 

in the face of challenges. 

 Filtering through the heartaches

 with outstretched hands

 to the days of more golden rays.

Loving the littles gathered

 as weeks bring them closer to bigs.

The exploration of a a world yet without words

 but only a point of the finger.

Moving to unceasing conversations 

and questions.

Oh, mothering is so full of grace.

Apologies for harsh words

 and lost tempers.

For moments when a bit of respite

 seems almost selfish.

When one more "tuck-in"

sends you near the edge.

These little copycats

are watching so closely.

 As we laugh and pray

 and sing together.

For all the joy that rocks this generation, 

 and explores the readiness of the next,

there is awe and wonder.

May the Lord grant you

grace beyond measure little mommas,

in days of ease and days of stress.

My blessing is watching the unfolding of 

a story that is part mine and part yours.

For the Lord is good and faithful.

And as the story is lived in your little families,

 may you remember:

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,

 forgiving one another,

 as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32

Love, 

mom

And today we remember all 

those who have lost mommas,

wanted to be mommas,

 lost little ones, or live with 

significant challenges

for mothering.

May His abundant grace abound in your lives.