Reflecting the Sun

Over the weekend, we took our family on the boy's cub scout campout. Relaxing around the campfire after long days of hiking, storytelling and giggling at silly skits, campfire songs, fiddles and guitars, snuggles in the cool night air, and... the moonlight. As the sun set, the full moon rose higher and higher in the sky. A pure white light reflecting off the lake. My husband and I couldn't resist a short stroll down to the water's edge to just admire the loveliness of the evening.

A simple moment. A quiet word. A breath of fresh air. A time to reflect and appreciate. A pulling away from the busyness of life. A constant reminder of God's presence.

So much God has given us to point the way to Him. He loves and cares and shows us each day His presence in our lives. Sunrises, sunsets, moonlight, every aspect of nature. Many times, though, we miss it because we are too busy to slow down and just bask in His presence. We surround ourselves with things and commitments that drag down our lives with nothingness that doesn't last. We demand so much from our time schedules that we leave very little room for just worshipping God in the smallest things. He is worthy of our worship. He is most amazing.

Such simple things like taking a walk along the lake to soak in the moonlight remind me that life is truly lived in the little things.

Taking Time, Making Memories

This past weekend, our family drove up to my grandparent's lake for an anniversary celebration. My upper 80's grandparents have been married for 60 years. That's a LONG time for a marriage to last, especially in our day and age.

Four generations convened at the lake to express our appreciation for their lives of love to each other. Though not all of the family were able to come, my parents and several of my aunts and uncles and cousins were there. We displayed family pictures and reminisced about times long ago. We took our childen around the lake and hiked down the creeks and up the rocky slopes that we had explored as kids. We sat around playing games and chatting. We ate and ate and ate some more. We attended Grandpa and Grandma's traditional church service, and afterward, we celebrated their dedication to each other.

Grandpa and Grandma are so sweet together. I pondered and watched Grandpa assist Grandma out of the vehicle as we arrived at church on Sunday morning. His help, though not as gentle as it used to be, was a small way of expressing his love for her. Petite and frail, Grandma struggled to her feet when the preacher announced their celebration luncheon. Her eyes showed the pride of belonging to her man for such a long time. I was touched by their lifetime of commitment to one another.

I'm pleased that we took the time to honor our ancestors who have been tending their garden for a long time.