JWalking: The Blog

W hen you hear 'proverbs', you might be thinking 'wise thoughts.' And, you'd be right! Solomon--who was son of David and a king of Israel--asked God for understanding and received his request. He then wrote down thoughts that are worthy of the ages into the book of the Bible we now call Proverbs, literally meaning "to be like." Who are we to be like? Ultimately, Jesus Christ. And Solomon's request for understanding is one that we might offer up to God as well, in our seeking to be like our Lord. For the next three months, I will be facilitating a Bible study over at my other blog, In-between Time , on Proverbs. We will study the entire book, taking each chapter in small sections, thinking through some thought questions, and otherwise allowing the Spirit to fill us with the wisdom of God, to use as He wills. It's a daily blog, meaning new entries will be posted daily! (And that may further impact the number of posts over here!!) I will provide the...

J ust the other day, Bonita chatted about picking fresh strawberries on her blog and featured the most delicious-looking pie picture. A day or so following, a friend called and asked if I wanted to go pick strawberries. She was surprised to learn that I had never been. Blueberries, yes, I said. But somehow, I had missed the preschool trip to the strawberry patch. That all changed Thursday. Skip the shower, dress to get stained and carry big buckets! We took to the field. Spring in central Virginia has brought some wonderful rains and cool evenings, which are fine for enjoying the beauty of Spring, but not perfect for the launch of the strawberry season. Not enough warmth to bring out the abundance of berries one anticipating the season might expect. "I've never worked harder to pick strawberries," my friend confessed. Me, what did I know. I took in a gorgeous sunny morning and the experience of pulling fruit at least twice as big as the blueberries I'm used to ...

S ome days, it's hard to be a Momma. Your baby was innocently eating and playing when suddenly--poof!--she's not in the nest anymore. Thoughts run rampant. "Where is she? She's not here....where IS she?" "She fell. Oh.... Where?" "Can you see her? Is she OK? I can't see her! She's got to squeak so I can find her!!" Meantime, baby girl has fallen to earth with a wing that just won't work right. But she seems content enough to hop around from patch of dirt to patch of brush--sitting, gazing. Then, a monstrous herd of wild buffalo (a.k.a, children) comes streaming out of the yonder fields with loud voices, baseball bats and toy cars. Swings swing. Balls fly. Cars vroom. "Hey, it's a baby bird!" The kids' dialogue grows louder as they tell each other to stay back. One seems to understand already that an anxious Momma is nearby and may swoop down to harm them if they get too close. "Hey, CJ's Mom....There...

"Y our beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.” --1 Peter 3:3&4 CJ decided to dress (and dress up) RJ2 this morning. It's one of those days that's looking like rain, which would put the girls inside for the day. So, why not have some fun early?! When RJ2 came to the breakfast table, via scooter--of course--she made quite an entrance. "Look at my ponies!!!" she said. CJ was quite pleased. A tri-pony do with multiple layers of clips and colorful bands--woo, girl!! It's funny how, as girls, we latch on to this notion that we need to dress ourselves up. But, we grow into that mode so easily, with dolls to dress and groom, fancy shoes and purses for special occasions, watching mom put on makeup. All that is the stuf...

I 'm having a flashback today. Flashing back to #16...the sweet one! The first time I saw a Sweet 16 corsage was when my Mom made one for one of our neighbors. It was amazing! She tied together multiple light blue satin ribbons to make a big bow. A white carnation posey sat atop the bow. Beneath the flower flowed 16 enormous sugar cubes, each one individually tied with a satin ribbon to look like a present. I couldn't wait for my big day to come....years later! Sure enough, on my 16th, the white florists' box came out of the fridge, and there was my own beautiful powder-blue Sweet 16 corsage! Of course, by the time I turned 16, I was experiencing massive jolts of negative self-esteem and felt a bit embarrassed about wearing this monstrous floral display. I wouldn't be the first girl in my high school to wear a corsage, but I might have been the first to consider hiding it in her locker. Well, that didn't happen. In fact, that morning, I picked my favorite light-blue...

W hat a beautiful day! Almost unfair to have had such beautiful weather for both my birthday and Mother's Day. Enjoyed the day in the garden--planting the new ornamental grasses I received! But, the most captivating part of the day was watching another young family. For the past several years, chickadees have taken over this birdhouse in our yard to bring new chickadees into the world. How fitting on Mother's Day weekend that our latest brood should arrive! By CJ's count, there are at least 3 little beaks sticking out of the hole in the box. The peep-peep-peeping went on all afternoon! Hungry little things.... Mom and Dad had to patiently wait to feed these little ones, as my little ones and the neighbors' were running all over the yard creating a menacing distraction for the parents. But, this season of life is when the chickadees are their most brave--and busy! And not even my little ones could keep these beaks from receiving their tasty morsels...all afternoon. I fe...

T he spots just never phased me. I have always had them...freckles, moles. You can find the Little Dipper on my right arm if you connect the dots! So, there was this spot on my left arm that I had seen. Then, one day, another spot appeared over top of the one that was there. And, over time, that spot got very dark. Friends in the know started to notice. "Maybe you should have that one looked at?" "What?! What for? I'm covered with spots. This one just grew on top of the other one." Then, the spot got a little taller, and a little wrinkly. Again, the friends were singing in harmony, "Maybe you should...." And then my Primary joined in, followed by my OB. The chorus was getting a bit deafening. "OK." My dermatological referral, by eenie-meenie-minee-WOMAN and God's providence, ended up being with a skin cancer surgeon, not a dermatologist. But, she saw me anyway and quickly deduced that my spot-on-a-spot was most likely cancer...and mo...