Thinking of Mother...

and the blessing of her love...

Of her heart, of her tireless efforts

and passionate pursuit...

Of showing us God's heart

And teaching us his way

And making us his.

Our thoughts are on our mother,

and our hearts press prayers toward heaven.

Dear God, in all things, let your will be done.

-Emma and Johanna

Just Because

Because I have been neglecting you, dear friends... and because a picture is worth a thousand words.

Perhaps, when my world has stopped spinning,

Round, and round, and round,

I shall take a moment,

And tell you more.

Twilight

There is a certain magic in twilight

In the hour just before the dark of night 

Lays its hands firmly over the earth,

In the smoky dusk of the falling day,

In the remembrances of what lies behind us

In preparing for what stands ahead.

It takes a certain strength to live this life,

To push aside the hands that scramble to bar our way,

To release the moisture that wells inside our eyes,

To let our hearts go.

Twilight is the place for that,

Just before the darkness falls,

Just before the candle we hold before us

Is snuffed out...

And we are left with our hands held out

To grasp the arms of God

The sunlight, warm against our backs...

The darkness, its whisper against our faces like a gift.

Because we know, that there 

In the darkness,

In the very depths of our solitude,

In the midnight of our fears,

We will find Him.

And we will love Him

More than we ever have before.

To All of Texas

Dear Texans,

Tomorrow is day beyond importance.  Tomorrow, those of us who are old enough, will leave our homes, and enter our polling places, and press down our vote for the future of our state.

The race for governor in the state of Texas has been a unique one, moving from mediocre to exhilarating in the space of a few months.  A David has risen up from out of nowhere, a David to fight two Goliaths.

It isn't often that I voice my political views, but, dear friends, if you are a Texan, and you are a registered voter, stand up, raise your head, and take a stand for freedom.  Please, vote for Debra Medina.

Some may have never heard of her.  Some may have heard too much, due to the recent hype over her interview with Glenn Beck.  For both, please, look again.  Dig a little deeper.  

Debra is a registered nurse who home-schooled her children and is hugely involved in her church and her community.  She understands what it means to be a citizen of Texas.  She will fight for our rights.  She uphold the truth of the constitution, and bring the government of Texas back to what it was meant to be.

Governor Perry has mentioned repeatedly, during the campaign, that Texas is doing better than any other state in the Union, proudly, trying to prove his ability to continue as our Governor.  Debra Medina's response laid the situation out beneath the light.

"No one is proud to be standing 

on the high end of a sinking ship."

So please, before you make your decision, before you are swayed by friends and media, look for yourself. Listen for yourself, and give Texas a chance at freedom.

Click here to view Debra during the Texas Gubernatorial Debate.

In all sincerity,

Emma

Magic

This, in Texas, constitutes magic.

A glorious display

Beyond one's breadth of understanding...

Laid to bring a smile

To those who have never

tasted such wonder.

Ebb and Flow

Home is a place...

Where the ebb and flow of life pushes past me

Characterized by the exuberance of children

Rounded by the joy of their existence.

"Never throw your lasso around someone's neck, or legs",

Matthew says,

"unless they're a bad-guy.

And I don't think God

Would make there be a bad-guy,

Anyway."

Pay attention when those voices speak,

Small, and simple as they are.

Pay attention to the wind,

running its fingers through your hair,

Pressing its mobile hands against your face.

Listen to the whispers of the changing world.

Wrap yourself in His creation,

and remind yourself of Him.

Rambellwood in Winter

Ice... crowded three inches thick across our pond..

The chill of the air filtering through the floor of our house...

Where the children stare, wide-eyed, at this foreign scene.

We all congregate about the stove,

Resting on a Sunday afternoon.