Looking for His kinda rain?

We are,
over in these here parts.
His rain brings
mercy
grace
shalom
goodness
righteousness
and mostly
LOVE.
More of Him.
That's for sure.
So we keep looking up.
Waiting for more.
Join us?

Do you get lost...

In these baby blues?

In this heart of gold?

In His intricate hand that weaves so much beauty?

I do.
I surely do.
Every day.

Deep Thoughts from Mitford's Father Tim...

Isn't it amazing when reading a simple fiction book, for the sole purpose of being lightly feathered off to a quiet, pleasant place, and you come across some deep and abiding truth of Him?
I truly love it when that happens...
"Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow, the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations, and say continually; "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart has trusted in Him and I am helped. He is not only with me but in me and I in him.""
-St. Francis de Sales
Father Tim of Jan Karon's Mitford series also shared in a most poignant way of his fears relating to his relationship with his own father, which I thought most fitting in the middle of this FearLess series we are going through at church (SFC FearLess sermon series linkage...)
"But, thought Father Tim, hadn't he, too, lived in a prison of his own for years on end, alternating fearing and despising and secretly rebuking his father? As a believer, his freedom in Christ had been severly handicapped for wont of letting go of the old bondage; of the old Adamic bitterness he'd unwittingly nurtured." -Father Tim, A New Song
Are there any fear driven prisons, created by you or others, that you need the shackles broken off of, to fly free as a bird from, right now?
Is your FREEDOM in Christ being handicapped from hanging onto old bondage, being nurtured by you?
Seek Him to see.
Your soul needs it.
Jesus went to the cross to give it
He wants you to live it.

Are you choosing JOY today?

I'm working on it. 
Joy despite the pain, the hurt, the sadness, the battle...whatever is fighting to steal the JOY He wants you to receive and has in abundance for you.
These choices are never easy though, are they?
It seems like it takes work to choose it.
I don't remember Him ever saying any of it would be easy though.
This life.
But I do know the choice is so worth it.
For the good of your soul.

"...for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

-Nehemiah 8:10

Choose HIS joy today as your strength.

Gitzen Girl always talked a lot about that JOY choice on her blog. (just went home to Jesus, after 3 yrs of homebound chronic illness)

"Joy: the unwavering trust that God knows what He’s doing and has blessed me with the opportunity to be a part of it… not despite what’s happening in my life but because of it. When everything earthly feels heavy He gives me an internal lightness that can’t be touched.
That's what it feels like and means to me. Take a minute today to think about what joy is for you and then take it one step further. Take a moment to leave yourself a note... on your nightstand, on your bathroom mirror, by your computer... leave yourself a reminder to stop, take a deep breath and consciously choose joy today.
Trust me, it's worth your time."

(photo credit: Gitzen Girl's blog)

Got a few more moments to soak in some more thoughts on that choice of joy??

More of Gitzen Girl's thoughts on choosing joy (homebound from chronic illness for over 3 years)...

http://gitzengirl.blogspot.com/2008/11/define-joy.html

More thoughts by Ann Voskamp, on choosing joy...
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/09/when-longing-to-choose-joy/

More of Life Lately...

a FREE memory box from Paper Coterie.
DUDES, you have GOT to check them out.
Quality of products = no-others-comparable. Pricing = incredibly affordable.
Freebies = cherry on top!

Tomato firstfruits, hooray!

Irwin Garden Fresh Homemade Pizza!

Chicken Run Fun!

Enjoying Cousin Adam's fabulous pepper-coring creation! 

Sold at a Bed, Bath & Beyond near you!

Dehydrating garden herbs for an Irwin Herb creation! 

Coming to a kitchen near you soon!

Turning Thirty-Three! Thirties ARE the new Twenties, right?! I'm feelin' it already!

Shooting the girl and her "girls"...

A surprise birthday grown-ups-only trip to Enchanted Forest!

You'd have thought from the looks we got there, that it was illegal to be there without our child or something! ha!

A fabulous ultra-restorative getaway at a pastoral retreat center,

with a 4 mile hike and 10 waterfalls on boot!

As papa says most often at our house...Life is Good folks, Life is Good.

So is God, who makes it Good, for that matter! ;)

Life of Late...

learning deep hearty lessons about the REST of God available to us...

rejoicing over our first 2 Irwin Funny Farm free range chicken eggs...

family church camping with friends both old and new...


















feeding, chasing, kicking at to scare off attacks and playing rowdy with crazy Irwin chicks...

being SO richly blessed by gracious gifts from dear dear friends (we'll leave their reward treasures in heaven and let them remain nameless)...

surviving (quite well) our 2nd visit to the dentist...

birthday-call-skype'ing with mi Tica Familia in Costa Rica...

having crazy naked playdates...

enjoying new creations in the kitchen from our Bountiful Baskets weekly produce goods...

making super-instant-grow-a-friends Boggs Fam Extraordinaire!...

playing with lighting on the camera to determine if it's time to use techno savings on an upgrade...

stepping up into the 3's & 4's...

installing garage sale super-finds...

being sobered by the Traveling Wall of Veterans...

acting crazy with the neighbors...

family reunion'ing with Dutch visitors...

painting pretty piggies...

pedal boating often...

daily life'ing it...

celebrating Aunt Kitty's big 3-0!

need I say more...

What makes my heart sing in the wee late hours of this dark eve?!

The most beautiful, freshly discovered, hay covered, warm & squishy inside, first born ever, golden ticket, 

joy and pride producing

first fruits, free-range Irwin Funny Farm chicken egg, 

you ever did see.

Your literal labors have paid off girls.

We've done our job and now you've done yours.

Welcome home, to urban farmstead sustainable living, Irwin family, welcome home.

"...and bring your father and your families back to me.
I will give you the best of the land of Egypt
and you can enjoy the fat of the land."
-Genesis 45:18

Do you ever just stare at them in wonder?

I did that today. Stared at you in wonder.
I was lying by you, sweet sleepy thing, just staring at your deep breathing chest, your wholly peaceful face, your settled soul, fully at rest, all nooked up, under my arm, and I first I was in awe...that God gave you to me, gifted me your life in my womb, then brought your fullness into my arms.
And now almost 3 years later, you're still here, your fullness, still in my arms.
And it made me want to rest like that, all nooked up, under my Father's arm.
Finding deep breaths, sweet rest, soul settling and constant peace too.
I love you so my sweet, wild, joy-filled, crazy-when-you're-awake child.
I love our moments together, when you don't even know I'm watching, taking you all in.
I'll never stop.
-mama