Living Water

We live near the Yellowstone River, the last free-flowing river in the lower 48 states. There are no dams to stem its flow, and it is the main source of drinking water for communities like ours, as well as recreational activities.

                        

It is not unusual for rivers, streams and creeks to overflow in the spring, when winter snows melt and spring rains fall in abundance. I have been seeing the news reports of flooding in Nashville, TN and other places. Not only can this flooding destroy or damage homes, businesses and farmland, but it also is not drinkable, full of mud and debris, and drinking it may cause disease and suffering. My heart and prayers go out to those who may have been displaced because of flooding, or, sadly, lost loved ones.

Perhaps you remember a time when you thirsted for water, or maybe you know someone whose life is flooded by water that does not satisfy. The good news is that there is One who gives us Living Water, the gift of God, eternal life.

                                                

                                                                  (photo if Yellowstone Falls, Yellowstone Park)

                                    

Jesus spoke of Himself as Living Water several times in the Word, as in John 7:37:

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me,

as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

Jesus spoke of this "living water" as the Holy Spirit, but He also spoke of it as the gift of God of eternal life, in John 4:13: 

"...whoever drinks this water I give him will never thirst.

Indeed, the water I give him will become in him

a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

God promises this eternal life with Him for all who ask. In Revelation 22:17, we are promised:

Whoever is thirsty, let him come, and whoever wishes,

 let him take the free gift of the water of life.

Are you thirsty for something more in life, or do you know someone who is? Do  you know someone going through a "flood" in their life but cannot find any relief? Jesus is ready to give the kind of living water that will never dry up and will always provide relief, comfort, and especially eternal life. All we have to do is ask and it is ours, free and refreshing.

Rev. 21:6

"I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.

To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost

from the spring of the water of life."

                         

Mosaic Monday ~ Minneapolis House Tour

 On my last visit to Minneapolis, my daughter, grandson and I took a walk along Lake Harriet. These are a few of the beautiful homes in the area.

Please join Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

A~Tisket, A~Tasket...

(photo by KILEY CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD)

Happy May Day!

I have fond memories of May Days past, especially as a mother and a teacher. I mostly remember when, as a young girl, our daughter Erin made a little holder for a few flowers from our yard and hung them on our neighbor's door, rang the doorbell and ran for home. I watched from the kitchen window as my friend Julie chased Erin and caught her up in a hug with plenty of giggles included.

(photo: Skip to My Lou)

I found this little tidbit from Old Fashioned Living , about how Louisa May Alcott wrote about May Day baskets  in "Jack and Jill" (Chapter 18):

"The job now in hand was May baskets, for it was the custom of the children to hang them on the doors of their friends the night before May-day; and the girls had agreed to supply baskets if the boys would hunt for flowers, much the harder task of the two. Jill had more leisure as well as taste and skill than the other girls, so she amused herself with making a goodly store of pretty baskets of all shapes, sizes, and colors, quite confident that they would be filled, though not a flower had shown its head except a few hardy dandelions, and here and there a small cluster of saxifrage."

(photo: Old Fashioned Living)

A-tisket, A-tasket

A-tisket, a-tasket,

A green and yellow basket.
I wrote a letter to my love,

But on the way I dropped it.

I dropped it, I dropped it,

And, on the way I dropped it.

A little boy picked it up,

And put it in his pocket.

(photo: mmoratta)

Bedtime Stories & Kisses

Our oldest grandchild, Jack, is 6 years old and in Kindergarten, and he has always loved to have stories read to him at bedtime. On my recent visit, I was thrilled to hear him read to me. He chose a favorite book - Green Eggs and Ham - and I am sharing a few photos I took while he read.

The Tiger is named Tigey, a good and faithful friend.

Jack uses many good reading hints to sound out words.

 I noticed this as a former Kindergarten teacher and proud Nana.

I love this cute little wave he so kindly gave me as I listened.

Jack and I have a little bedtime game we play that started long ago. He is a very deep sleeper, and so ever since he was a baby, I have gone into his room when he is sound asleep and planted a big kiss somewhere on his face, depending on which way he is facing. As he got older, I told him one day that I do this, (along with praying over him - such a blessing for me !) and he teasingly said he always knows when I kiss him when he is sleeping. So I challenged him to guess where I kissed him, and the game began. Every morning when I visit, he tries to guess where my kiss landed, and sometimes he comes quite close!

Soon, they will be living nearby, and our time with them will not be divided by many days and hundreds of miles. The day may come when he will not want his Nana kissing him in his sleep, but then, he IS a deep sleeper, so who knows??

I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living,

My grandchild you'll be.

(song I sing to each of our grandchildren, from the children's book, I'll Love You for Ever" by Robert Munsch - I use their names in place of grandchild)

Word-Filled Wednesday ~ Philippians 4:13

(photo: dreamstime.com)

As I have mentioned on previous posts, I recently flew to MN to help our daughter and her family pack to move back to MT. While there, God gave me incredible energy and strength to help with packing, cleaning, painting and chasing our grandsons. I prayed for this before I left, because ordinarily, I have many days when I do not possess energy and strength; in fact, most of my days I deal with physical pain. A year ago, I was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation and Syringomyelia, the former being a congenital deformity that results in the crowding of the brainstem and the cerebellum, and the latter being a large cyst that formed in my spinal cord. You can't see it, but I certainly feel it, and even after having had surgery in August of 2009, I continue to have the symptoms caused by nerve damage. (If you want to read more about this, go to this post.)

I share this because I have such huge praise for the Lord for giving me the ability to do what I needed to do in order to help them get ready for this move. As we worked, my daughter kept reminding me to not overdo, and I was able to honestly tell her that God had given me His strength to help out. There were a few times I needed to rest or went to bed early because I was worn out, but He was faithful to provide for me anew every day.

But God wasn't done - on the flight home, I sat next to a woman who shared with me that her adult daughter also has CM, and we talked the entire flight about how her daughter and I cope with this chronic condition! I do not believe in coincidences; no, He orchestrates the details of our lives to bring us closer to Him, be it through a stranger who, out of all the people on that plane, shared about something I know so much about, to answering my prayer to be a help to our daughter and her family, to bringing me home safely. How do I feel now? The symptoms are very apparent, but I am so much closer to Him. He is Metsuda, my fortress.

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Please join Susan for Word-Filled Wednesday at Forever His.

Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!

I spent 12 days in Minneapolis helping Erin and her family pack and clean for their move back to MT, and one morning, Erin, Eli and I took the morning off and went to our favorite children's bookstore "Wild Rumpus". I thought I'd share a few snapshots of our time there.

From the outside, it is obvious that this is a fun place; just look at that door!

The playful color and the fact that it is two doors;

one for little readers and one for big readers (grownups),

tells us we are in for a good time!

Once inside, your senses are awakened BIG TIME!

There are hundreds of books, cards, and games.

This photo shows several colorful bookbags hanging on a clothesline.

But the real fun begins as you come across the store residents!

This is the kitty that has to be the sweetest, most patient cat in the world!

There is Mo the Dove (and apparently a friend or sibling)...

...and yes, this is a live chicken sitting as if on her throne,

(and I know what you are thinking, but, no, I have never seen any droppings)...

...and then, near the counter, there is Harry, the resident tarantula!

There were a few more critters tucked in here and there that I did not get a picture of, as well as a hole in the floor that was covered with plexiglass so that we could peek at what lives below. I didn't see anything this time, but I think they were gerbils.

We paid for our purchases and then it was time to go...

...our last visit to Wild Rumpus for a while...

(Eli wears his boots rain or shine!)

...with happy memories and a book in tow.

Mosaic Monday - Happy Birthday, Maya!

Our sweet little granddaughter Maya turned 2 today! Maya is the daughter of our daughter Sara and her husband Mark, and they live just a few miles from us. We celebrated her birthday at our house with a lunch she asked for, cheesy noodles (macaroni and cheese), peas and grilled chicken, with blueberries for dessert. After her nap, she blew out the candles on her birthday cake and opened presents. Here are a couple of mosaics of Maya's big day!

Sara baked the cake, and the snake is from Cousin Eli!

Maya tried out her new tricycle and the swingset slide even though it was a chilly, breezy day, and you can tell by her good-bye photo in the car that she had a wonderful birthday !

Come join the fun with Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Mondays!

P.S. I hope to get caught up with visiting blogs now that I am home from Minnesota. Our MN family moves back to MT in 2 weeks!!