February- a month of beauty

I am grateful for grace found, felt in February.

This month, in spite of unaccountably warm weather and sun, has still been challenging for me. I feel like I need a refresher course to enliven my homeschool. February, when all the pencils go missing, the books are all topsy turvey, the freshness of the new school year is behind us- but there is still so much stretching ahead.  When decisions and courses and schedules and plans for next year need to be made and considered, while still pressing though the every day duties. When I realize I have slid away from some important priorities, and I need to relight the fire and return to their blaze. I need to take time to reconsider. I need to take time to reorder. I need to take a little time for a refresher.

We have spent more time outside in these unseasonably spring like days and that has been so good. Very good. I surrendered to the unlikely spring after feeling very confused and waylaid by the irregular weather. These days are good reminders for me to live one day at a time. I found myself checking ten day weather forecasts. Something I rarely ever do! Will it get cold again? How cold?

I had a hard day Friday. It was like a blanket of gloom was lying heavy on my mind and heart. There was no good reason for this. I think it was merely chemical, something my body was going through… and I couldn’t seem to throw the heavy off. I am grateful to say that I woke up feeling entirely different today- the next day. The heaviness gone. And, O! I am so glad.

In the midst of my gloom and struggle, I forced myself to take pictures (not pictured here the steaming tea pot I tried to capture ever so ineffectively, a little arrangement of owls, our piano) while feeling so very weighed down with so much. I downloaded pictures I have taken since my last February beauty post. I choose to light the candle of beauty against the heavy pall of my own difficulty.

I know that my heart is transformed when I take small steps- when I make even just a bit of an effort.

I sat outside with my small children while they cavorted and chortled and ran full-out through the lawn. This also helped.

And that is also what this little two post blog series has been about for me:

transforming my heart, transforming February.

Years ago, now, the Lord used Endless Gifts to transform my heart and mind; therefore, my life. And I am still counting…

And finding beauty in February is just another extension of this means of grace.

Thank You, Lord.

Choosing to think on:

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is ^[e]lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, ^[f]dwell on these things. ⁹ The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.  Philippians 4: 8-9 NASB

Bird Sky

Maryland Gold

Just winging through her day

Cardinal Love and February Beauty

Abi’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Steaming Tea

Light filtered through hearts

Sunset streaking

The day I looked over and found their sweet friends tucked in

Valentine Make-Up Party

Valentine Fig Bar Celebration

A Walk after Illness

A Box of Happy

 

 

A Poem for February; A Poem for Love-George Herbert Love (III)

I can’t remember if I shared this before on this blog. We are celebrating God’s Love and this is the poem selection that was supposed to grace our Table.  Valentine’s Day celebrated better late than never! Note: I never cared to celebrate Valentine’s Day for years and years…finding it a holiday that can wreak emotional havoc. However, I have discovered that it is a perfect ministry opportunity to pour out love and grace upon my family. So, now I celebrate wholeheartedly for the Lord and for the grace He has poured out in my life.

Love (III)

George Herbert, 1593 – 1633

Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,

Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack

From my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning

If I lacked anything.

“A guest,” I answered, “worthy to be here”:

Love said, “You shall be he.”

“I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,

I cannot look on thee.”

Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,

“Who made the eyes but I?”

“Truth, Lord; but I have marred them; let my shame

Go where it doth deserve.”

“And know you not,” says Love, “who bore the blame?

My dear, then I will serve.”

“You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my meat.”

So I did sit and eat.

February: A Month of Beauty

images captured but not in chronological order

A little arrangment: resin bluebird! remnants of an absolutely delish birthday cake in the background

A brief February Snow

Those clouds…they were actually heavy brooding blue and floating with purpose across the sky

February afternoon sky the day of snow

new letters for the mantle

Pippin Love

and Cuteness

Revisiting this old favorite

with my own little ducklings

His darling brown patch

A clean section of the table is a thing of beauty to me

Birthday Roses

Beauty in so many senses: sight, smell, touch. Velvet beauty. I press my face to them almost every time I walk by.

2.6.17- that February sky- stretched cross cloud; sky blue and almost balmy