"Oh look everyone!!......

The sumac is turning red!!"

I love the first splash of color.....

It's exciting to see the beginnings of a new season!!

And I love fall....:) (Shh...don't say anything, but I say that about every season!)

Summer isn't over, but the color in all the dry and brown is refreshing. Isn't God wonderful like that?

Children's Books for Grownups

You know, there is a lot grown up people can learn from children's books. Me, I love books. I especially love to re-read books. Even children's books. There are a few I go back to over and over again- they are favorites, plus they have a huge message.

All of these have very important life lessons. (Ok, the one about the strawberry is just fun, and I love it and I'm going to use it to teach my little ones adjectives!) But the other four have more of a message that can influence our way of thinking as adults. The main focus is perspective- how we look at life.

Have you ever read this book? It's by Marjorie Priceman.

It's really cute....it's about a little girl who is going to bake an apple pie, but the market is closed! Well, she certainly could just wait till the little market man get's back from fishing, but she has another option....she could just get her wheat from Italy, eggs from France, Cinnamon from Sri Lanka, milk from England, sugar from Jamaica, and apples from Vermont. So, she does!! And she's haunted me ever since....

The art work is very lovely- I'm not really very savvy on art stuff but, I like it! It's so neat and interesting to study! And the flow of the story is easy, and the whole thought behind it brilliant. But that's not the point.

The point that always gets me is that we can see the world everywhere we go. We don't have to go far away; it's neat, it's nice, it's an adventure when we do, but the real adventure is whatever we make it to be. It's about seizing those moments, make them teachable, whether it be to yourself or your children! Don't make life for yourself ho hum, be smart, be clever and see the beauty and sense of humor wherever you go.

So this book makes me think about how I'm seeing the world, if I'm actually seeing it or if I'm just kinda going along. You know, wishing I could see more, or complaining of my view when all I have to do is just live my life and SEE the world.

A brief thought...

This evening during our ladies class one of our elders wives was saying the closing prayer and in it she said something that really caught my attention.

Paraphrased it was: "God takes imperfect people and uses them to do His will. God takes imperfect people and provides the chance for them to grasp on to the way of seeking perfection in Him."

Think of the example of Alexander the Great. He was the last and ultimate conquerer and destroyer of Tyre and Sidon. Alexander falls under the first- God takes imperfect people to carry out his will.

Then there is the example of Rahab, she was an imperfect woman who chose to change and believe in God. There is a beautiful end to the story of Rahab; she chose to follow God, she married an Israelite and was part of the linage of our saviour, Jesus Christ.

We are all imperfect people. (Romans 3:23- For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.) Are we choosing to grasp the opportunity of seeking perfection in Christ? How strongly are we committed to that? What are we willing to do?

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls: and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it." Matt. 13:45-46