Viewing entries tagged
rain
I captured this image this week with my phone one afternoon after a quick rainstorm we had here in Florida. I always love how rainbows remind me of God's grace and presence.
Last week one afternoon I was having a bit of a pity party. I had been fighting a virus for about a week and then I sprained my ankle while out in the rain getting groceries. At almost 6 months pregnant, I just felt defeated and tired. I was having trouble seeing the "rainbows" in my life and was focusing more on all the negative.
And then I listened to a sermon from Matt Chandler. It was from a series entitled Recovering Redemption, How Christ changes everything. Matt said,
" Don't begrudge the difficult days. Don't hate them. God is working in the mess.--He will never lay on you what He will not bare up with you"
It's amazing how much I needed to hear those words at that exact moment. It's easy to believe them when everything is going right, but sometimes in the midst of trials we need the reminder. We need to hear that we have not been forsaken and that there is purpose in every single trial.
I am reminded once again of James 1:2-4
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."
Yes, these times of trials...they are when I am growing the most. Not in the easy days. These days are filled with God seeking moments; bringing me closer to Him. And for that, I find joy. I am grateful for His rainbows all throughout my life, reminding me I am never forsaken.
After days and days of rain.. a few minutes of fresh air did wonders for both of us.
It rained almost every day last week. One morning we were at the table doing school work, when we noticed it was raining again, only this time the sun was still shining. The three of you headed outside and played in the rain until you were drenched. We got off schedule for the day and wet clothes and towels were all over the floors, but it was such a reminder of how wonderful it can be to let go of expectations.
The more I let go of my expectations of myself, of others, and of our time, the more I experience life in an extraordinary way. I am learning to find the beauty in the imperfect, the unplanned, and the mess. I am realizing that sometimes, school can get done later. I am embracing messes made from little helpers in the kitchen, eagerly wanting to help. I am learning to accept that laundry is never all caught up. Relationships, conversations, and memories are worth it. YOU are worth it.
God continues to show me through these experiences that His plan will always be far greater than any plans I have and that I don’t need these expectations of my life. I simply need Him and love.
The rain was falling, the sun came out, you grabbed your rain jacket and out the door you went.
This time of year in Florida means lots of afternoon thunderstorms. Thankfully they are usually over pretty fast and we can get back outside to play.
The summer weather pattern of afternoon thunderstorms has settled in this week. The sunshine usually follows rather quickly. You had so much fun playing in the puddles and getting completely drenched before nap time.
You were all going stir crazy from the rain that has continued for days. It let up for a little bit, so we headed to the lake and played. And then... it returned.
Today we had another rainy morning, but it didn't stop you from having a fun time. We were all excited to see the blue skies return in the afternoon.
This week there have been a lot of things heavy on mama's heart. I realize the valleys of life are always when God draws me closer to Him and I am grateful for that. Today we went out and played in the rain. You ran up and down the road jumping in puddles, laughing and squealing in delight. It felt good. It felt really good.