Friday, September 08, 2017

Friday's Fave Five #446


Welcome to Friday's Fave Five.  I'm so thankful you are here.  Please join in as we purposefully develop hearts of gratitude by looking for the blessings of the last week whether it was a good week or a harder week.  

Surprise weekend visit by my son.  He was actually down for a friend's birthday but he neglected to tell me so it was a surprise.  It was nice to see him again though we'd just seen him a few weeks before.  I'll take all the visits I can get from my adult kids.

Watching my family play together.  It's been so hot again lately that on the Saturday my boy was down we packed up the lawn chairs, water bottles, frisbees, baseball and gloves, and of course a book for me, and headed to the lake.  It was so nice to just sit and watch the family playing catch together and enjoy God's gift of beautiful nature.

The first batch of  homemade spaghetti sauce from that crazy tomato harvest that's starting to come in.  This one was mushroom with a bit of a kick.  There is something so satisfying taking an afternoon and just making something slowly and totally from scratch and have it simmering a few hours and making the house smell so delicious.  Yum!



Beautiful gift from a leaving dayhome family.  I mentioned last Friday it was gonna be a tough day as I was losing a darling of a little girl to grade 1 who had been in my dayhome since she was one years old.  When her parents picked me up they had a beautiful gift basket of lovely and delicious things that they had hand picked with stuff they thought I would enjoy.  But the blessing wasn't so much the things that made up the gift but the heart behind it and the message they wrote in the card.  Both mom and dad came to say goodbye and leave the gift.  It was very emotional, happy and sad all mixing and bunching together.

Precious picture sent to me of aforementioned little darling of her first day of school.  She held a little sign that is so popular right now with the grade, her age, her school, etc.  Down in the corner was "What I want to be when I grow up"  and her precious answer was "a dayhome lady".  Oh how my heart melted.  How grateful I was that God had brought her and family into my life for the time I had.  And how happy it made me to know I must have done something right to make her love her time at my home.


This has been such a difficult week for so many.  So many people are hurting, afraid and displaced having lost everything they had.   From the flooding in Houston to Hurricane Irma decimating islands to the horrendous fires in Montana, Washington, and British Columbia.  My beloved Glacier National Park has dangerous fires burning all over and has evacuation orders and even my happy place, Wateron National Park in Alberta, is under voluntary evacuation with possible evacuation order within an hour of issue hanging over it.  It breaks my heart to think these gorgeous places are burning up.  I pray for all the firefighters, first responders, rescue workers and ordinary citizens stepping up and helping wherever they can.  I pray for the people affected physically, emotionally, financially by the disasters.  I also pray for the town of Clovis, New Mexico where they had a horrible shooting tragedy.  I just don't even have words but I lift you up daily before the throne of God.  I pray in the midst of what you are going through you see glimpses of miracles and love and hope.  I pray you see Jesus in action through the helping hands and compassion of neighbors, strangers, fellow human beings.  




"God will give us peace in trouble.
 When there is a storm without, He will make peace within. 
The world can create trouble in peace, but God can create peace in trouble."
Thomas Watson










8 comments:

Wendy said...

How sweet that your former charge wants to emulate you. You definitely are doing a good job with the kids. Lovely to have a surprise visit and family time too. Sometimes there seems no rhyme or reason to some of the world disasters and there seem to be a lot right now. But stopping to think on a Friday makes me aware of how fortunate I am. Keep up the good work.

Faith said...

Yes it is such a difficult time in our country. I am very concerned for several families we know in the south so am definitely prayers ng for all. we also think it is a sign of the end.....the Bible is so clear about some of the physical changes our world is going to see. But we have that assurance if we are Christ followers that the Peace which passes our own human comprehension will prevail!! so glad you posted that quote!!
How special that you impacted the little girl and her family in a big way by providing daycare for her all of her developing early years. Congrats to you!!

YUMMY to the sauce...i love comkng home and smelling things in my slow cooker.

And yay for lake days...the best!!

Barbara H. said...

How fun to have a visit from your son. It's fun to see the adult kids playing together like old times. What a thoughtful gift from your dayhome family. I imagine it's hard on both you and them to lose someone that has been such a big part of their lives. That's so sweet that she wants to be a dayhome lady, too - you must have been a wonderful example.

Susan said...

Thanks, Susanne, for your prayers during this tragic time for so many. I especially like this prayer of yours, "I pray you see Jesus in action through the helping hands and compassion of neighbors, strangers, fellow human beings."

It is satisfying to make something from scratch. I bet your kitchen did smell amazing!

I love seeing my kiddos as often as possible, too. And having your son visit as a surprise was extra fun.

What a lovely tribute to the love and guidance you've given to "your" first grader.

Have a great week.

ellen b said...

Happy and sad always seem to go hand in hand in our world. Happy for your son's visit and the fun the family had and the thoughtful gift from your little one's parents as she heads off to 1st grade. So much sorrow in our world right now.

Ann said...

I did not know until yesterday that Glacier is burning. My husband and I had a wonderful visit there for our 10th wedding anniversary some 20 years ago. Such a beautiful, beautiful place. We went to Waterton Lakes also and stayed at the Prince of Wales Hotel. I am so sorry to hear of all that is happening there.

Willow said...

Oh how sweet for that family to acknowledge how you have been there for their daughter all those years. And now she wants to be a day home lady!! Cute!

I'd take a surprise visit home from one of my adult kids any time!

I've been watching and reading the news constantly because I have family and friends in Oregon. I grew up there and hiked those water falls along the Columbia River Gorge. Praying for everyone!

Sandy @ Jesus and Dark Chocolate said...

Love that you are praying for so many others who have been affected by the numerous tragedies and difficulties right now. When life falls apart prayers is what we have to cling to. Great to catch up on your blog again!!!