Import

I imported pictures today and was inspired to share these.

A day's worth of tomato pickings in a variety of colors and sizes.  Those are lemon boy, pineapple, yellow pear, roma and black cherry -- yummy!

 I fooled loosely with catching a storm and got this lightening shot.  I think the coolest part is how incredibly dark those clouds are as they roll across the county!

 Aww, my handsome man and two of our fun-lovin' progeny.  They make me swoon.

 This little creeper was creeping across my counter.  He was itty bitty.  He's on a piece of paper here, and I'm zoomed in so much you can see the paper grain.  Now he's outside.

 Speaking of bugs in the house, I woke up one morning and found a butterfly in the kitchen.  Hours later I found this empty chrysalis on a tomato I picked the day before.  Mystery solved!

September

cooler mornings

a quickly filling pantry

golden sunshine

cozy socks

school assignments on the counter

flecks of gold overhead and underfoot

a cup of spiced tea

noisy geese

soft sweaters

a hint of smoke in the air

summer blowing a farewell kiss

Not Afraid

I am not paranoid, anxious, fretful or a worry-wort.  But when I think about something dire happening to my husband, it gets hard to breathe.

So when he was admitted to the local hospital last week, and then ambulanced to a larger one 150 miles away, I would have expected some panic to set in.

But I was not afraid.

When his fever raged, his vision doubled and he vomited every time he moved his head, I would have thought I'd have fallen to pieces.

But I was not afraid.

When the dreaded words "West Nile" and "meningitis" were spoken, I would have expected fear to rope my mind and drag it around like a lassoed calf.

But I was not afraid.

I was concerned.  I prayed with a frequency and fervor unlike any conversation I've had with God before.  But it wasn't a prayer of panic or desperation.  God's hand of calm was on my heart throughout this ordeal, and the words of Psalm 23 were true in a way I've never known before.

"Though my husband walked through the valley of the shadow of death, I feared no evil, for You were with me.  Your rod and your staff comforted me… My cup overflows."

Hundreds of people were praying for Wade's protection and recovery, and God heard and answered those prayers in an amazing way.  Yesterday, less than a week after being released from the hospital, he worked almost a full 8-hour day without becoming over-tired.

But I suspect that someone, maybe some-many, were also praying for me, and God also answered those prayers in an amazing way.

I was not afraid.

Praise God!