Pure Joy

Pure Joy

I had been trying to get a picture of Elle in her band costume.  Thanks to her band director, I got a great shot.  Don't you just love pictures of your children smiling so widely that it makes their eyes sparkle?   The show is called Maestro and Elle is a member of the color guard.  I think the crazy wig is fabulous.  

Calling evil good?

I am studying the book of Isaiah in the old testament of the Bible.  It is quite challenging to me on many levels.  It is difficult to keep up with  the kings and countries at the time of Isaiah.   I have had to brush up on  the relationships between the peoples of many different geographical regions to understand who is whose enemy or ally. 

Chapter 5 of Isaiah starts out with a song of the vineyard in which he details the loving care a vineyard owner gave to his vineyard that did not produce any fruit.  He  then leads into six areas of sin of which the people are guilty.  Isaiah does not name each sin individually like the was reading from a list of laws.  Instead, he gives great flourishing detail to the sins of the people.  The sin of calling evil good and good evil from verse 20 has caused me to think.  People  have a way of making sin more easily acceptable.  A little white lie is not really a lie we tell ourselves because we didn't want to hurt feelings.  Stealing has been be called borrowing. Politicians have often called their sins mistakes rather than own up to the sin.  Reading this chapter has caused me  to identify areas of my life where I have made my sin something justifiable.   It seems that it is as easy to day to call good evil and evil good today as it was in Isaiah's time. 

I am continually amazed at the power of studying the Bible.  It continues to speak to me as it has to people throughout time.  Isaiah's message is as relevant today to me as it was to the people to whom he spoke so many years ago. 

Athens Botanical Gardens

Last week Pops and I ran off to the State Botanical Gardens in Athens.  I grabbed my camera since I am taking a Fundamentals of Photography class and snapped the photos below.  Pops had never been there and was pleasantly surprised.  We wandered through the gardens before taking off to hike the orange trail which runs by the river.  There were families enjoying Frisbee's and picnics on the grounds of the gardens.  Great place for a cheap date since admission is free.    



Waterfall outside the conservatory



I need to work on the glare on the flower from the flash



Beautiful orchid inside the conservatory.

Pops walking out of the arch of vines

The arch of vines above was by the river.  It felt like we were walking into a land of fairies and leprechauns. 

Summer's End

Here it is October 13 and I guess I have to agree that summer is over. Many of you might say that yes summer is over, it was over back in September over Labor Day weekend. Where have you been you might ask?   For our family, I suppose the summer isn't over until it is too cold to go outside and we can no longer hold outdoor parties, and dinners.  Well, Pops and I have come to agreement that the party season is over even though it is not yet cold.  We have happily hosted 8 parties since March.  I am not complaining.  We love to have friends and family over to our house.  We love that our daughters invite their friends over to watch movies or to play Wii and Mario.    We are taking a break from the party scene.  (Don't worry you know this is just temporary.)

School has started for all the girls now and a routine has started.  The bible study I take began about a month ago and we are going full steam ahead.  Pops has finished his boating season by bringing the boat home.  He has not winterized it yet, still hopeful that he can fine one more outing to wakeboard.  He is gearing up for hunting season, but I don't know how he will fit that in with band competitions and the few weekend trips we have planned.

Oh yes, with the end of party season, comes the end of the season of the broken leg.    The doctor's say that the bone has healed and I have been sent to physical therapy.  I walk with a limp, but I walk.  I am told it will get better.  I pray that it does, because I want to be on the tennis court again.

This has been  summer that we will  never forget.    Of course  the passing of Pop's father, PawPaw makes this a summer of mourning and taking time to be thankful for our many blessings and for family time spent together.  It was a summer of reflection and tender kindness from friends and loved ones.  

Coming soon:   Isaiah--not a book for the timid.