SEPTEMBER MONTAGE

I have wondered if I show you these beautiful snippets from my life, you might think my life is easy going, calm and perpetually peaceful. It has made me stop to consider if I should share them at all.
I don't want to be another voice trying to convince you that I have it all together, that my house is styled perfectly and always clean, that my kids never fight, that I never yell, that the laundry is all kept up while we all play together in the soft golden sun.
The truth is, these pictures are some of the shining moments, when I could see clearly that I was being handed a beautiful gift, full of grace, and I reached out to accept it with heartfelt thanks. There were more than just this handful of moments, when I could really see and feel the gift, but there were also a whole lot more that found me struggling.
I wrestle through most days, unaware of most of the shining moments all around me.  I believe in a God who loves deeper than I can imagine, but I'm still learning how to see for his fingerprints in the ups and downs of my everyday.
Sometimes making a montage helps me to see and remember. So, here are a few of the gifts I could see in September:
  • chasing the light together in the evenings (I had been so worried that summer was over, but we discovered it was still lingering)
  • my middle boy joyfully learning to read
  • little boys with fishing poles
  • so many days full of warm sunshine
  • walks through the woods
  • flower crowns from our small backyard garden
  • morning jumps on the bed, finished with tickle fights
  • river wading
  • brotherhood
Carry on and look for the light, my friends. xo