Springtime in the South

Spring is one of my very favorite times of the year! (Along with summer, fall and winter, of course.) I am sharing one of my very favorite poems about spring, by Henry Van Dyke, as well as some pictures I've taken during springtime here in North Carolina.                  Enjoy! 

Now in the oak the sap of life is welling,

Tho' to the bough the rusty leafage clings;

Now on the elm the misty buds are swelling,

See how the pine-wood grows alive with wings;

Blue-jays fluttering, yodeling and crying,

Meadow-larks sailing low above the faded grass,

Red-birds whistling clear, silent robins flying, 

Who has waked the birds up? What has come to pass?

Last year's cotton-plants, desolately bowing,
Tremble in the March-wind, ragged and forlorn;
Red are the hill-sides of the early ploughing,
Gray are the lowlands, waiting for the corn.
Earth seems asleep still, but she's only feigning;
Deep in her bosom thrills a sweet unrest.
Look where the jasmine lavishly is raining

 Jove's golden shower into Danae's breast!

Now on the plum the snowy bloom is sifted,

Now on the peach the glory of the rose,
Over the hills a tender haze is drifted,
Full to the brim the yellow river flows.
Dark cypress boughs with vivid jewels glisten,
Greener than emeralds shining in the sun.
Who has wrought the magic? Listen, sweetheart, listen!
The mocking-bird is singing Spring has begun.    

(Aren't these just lovely?)

                                                   
Hark, in his song no tremor of misgiving!
All of his heart he pours into his lay,--
"Love, love, love, and pure delight of living:
Winter is forgotten: here's a happy day!"
Fair in your face I read the flowery presage,
Snowy on your brow and rosy on your mouth:
Sweet in your voice I hear the season's message,--
Love, love, love, and Spring in the South!


-Henry Van Dyke-

Enjoy springtime. And bask in the glory of Palm Sunday this weekend.


TTFN!  (ta-ta-for-now) 

Springy Breakage

 Ahh. There's just something about the blooming tulips, green grass, hint of green in the foliage, and puffy white clouds contrasting the robin's egg blue sky that announces the arrival of spring in such a way that also commands a spring break immediately following. :) 

So, of course, I gladly obliged mother nature's bidding, and thoroughly enjoyed a rather splendid break last week. 


I began by indulging my crafty-side by making a wreath for the front of the house. 

Supplies:

grape vine wreath (Michael's, $4.99)

stem flowers

berry vine

wire

hot glue gun

wire cutters

Voila! One of the easiest crafts I've done recently,

and very frugal. (less than $11 total, much 

more affordable than the $50 at other stores)

Our family had a brilliant time with mom's family for a few days in Tennessee. Beautiful weather, fun activities, and lots of laughs decorated our mini vacation. Fun was had by all. :D 

We play mini golf (I sorely lost to a younger cousin...)

My cousin, Tiffany, and I. At just 3 weeks apart, we've been
close since childhood. We had a blast together! 

We enjoyed time outside by the camper, just 'catching' up. 

AND...Last (but certainly not least...)

We had an old fashioned photo taken! 

(I know, high-collar dresses aren't exactly

at the height of fashion, but it was all they had

that wasn't well...immodest, to say the least)

We had far too much fun, and laughed hilariously! 

The infamous "WHAT?! You took that already?" photo.
I'm modeling the 'deer-in-the-head-lights-look quite well.
Ha. Ha. Ha. 

The 'smile nicely' pose, which is a bit better than the first.
We had a marvelous time!

And so, though far too short, time with family was enjoyed, as well as the interruption of the daily grind. :)
Happy April! (tomorrow.)

Entertain Me: Now.

Don't faint! (you may be shocked as this is my second post in two days...). I've been mulling over a few things lately, and thought I would share. :)

How often do we use the word 'entertainment,' or 'entertain?' It would take several hands (and feet) to count the number of times each day I hear students discuss various forms of entertainment at school.  
What comes to your mind at the mention of 'entertainment?' 

A good book?

Romantic movie?

Comedy?

Shopping?

If I were to ask 10 people about their respective opinions on entertainment, I would most likely receive 10 different answers. What would yours be? Should entertainment literally 'entertain' in the sense of keeping your attention, or sitting on the edge of your seat for the next scene, help you un-wind after a stressful day at work, keep the kids occupied while you have some time with your friends/spouse/or get things done? 

The dictionary definition for 'entertainment' is: "the action of providing or being provided with amusement or enjoyment." That would have been my answer, too...that is, until several years ago. A more accurate (Biblical) definition for 'entertainment' is something like this: "that which refreshes, rejuvenates, and provides relaxation and inspiration." (You will most likely not find that in Webster's.) 

If we were to use the word 'entertainment' to describe only the activities that, after doing them, leave you completely refreshed (emotionally, physically, spiritually), reinvigorated, rejuvenated, relaxed, and inspired, would it leave out most of the things you consider entertaining? I realize, of course, riding a four-wheeler is not spiritually invigorating :) (along with other activities of the like), but do you see my point? I enjoy fun activities just as much as you do. Truly. And, I'm no Biblical scholar. However, I've been taking 'inventory' of my entertainment recently, and I've re-discovered a few things. 

1. I enjoy good movies. The Sound of Music. Mary Poppins. Horton Hears a Who. Ratatouille. Finding Nemo. Pride and Prejudice. Fireproof. Courageous. etc. I'm not immune to enjoying a good story. 

I love action, drama, comedy, romance, film music, and helping the good guys win! I find it very enjoyable.

But, how refreshed do you feel after watching a film with innumerable misuses of God's name, inappropriate scenes, innuendo, BUT "the story line is great!?" I used to 'not' notice a lot of those things, but I realized I would rather err on the side of caution and be considered an old 'fogie' than to

risk my relationship with Jesus for the sake of an hour and half film. 

Another thought: what you take in through your eyes and ears often will translate into words, actions, or attitudes. Wondering where your kids are picking up on 'that' kind of attitude, language, etc.? Check what kind of stuff pops up on your internet you-tube history, iTunes, or Netflix subscription. (Take it from this teacher: you'd be surprised how fast kids pick up on negative attitudes, language, ideas, etc. portrayed in music and movies!) 

When choosing a movie for your family, sometime try something enjoyable, clean, and funny, that won't require you to fast-forward most of it. :) You'll find yourself enjoying it more!

Helpful hint: use www.pluggedin.com to look up movies, music, etc. It's a terrific site by Focus on the Family, and gives great Christian reviews. I use it quite often! 

2. I LOVE music. Fast, slow, mellow, dramatic, old, new, relaxing, etc. There's nothing more relaxing for me than to listen to an Opera while cleaning or reading a good book. Ahh. I know, it's odd. But to me, it IS entertaining! I have over 5,000 songs in my iTunes library. That's a lot of music! However, because I love so many different music genres, I have to remember: "All things in moderation." (I'm not condoning listening to EVERY genre of music in moderation, no worries. :)) 

My point is this: I love the Carpenter's. Tony Bennett. Nat King Cole. Celtic Woman. Classical. Frank Sinatra. Opera. Big Band. Easy Listening. However, when I listen solely to these genres constantly, for ME, it becomes a problem. Not because anything is wrong with 'Mona Lisa' (Goodness, I hope not!), just that when my musical diet is composed of all things secular, it's not healthy for me. I've had to find a balance. Even simple things like listening to secular (non-Christian/Classical) music before church services or devotions is an issue for me. It may not be for you. When I listen to Christian music before church/school/devotions, I find myself much more tuned-in to God speaking to me, and it's much easier for me to concentrate on His voice. 

These are only two aspects of entertainment...I'm sure there are many more. There's nothing wrong with having fun, trust me- I have more that most people. :) I have a blast playing tennis on the Wii, laughing at Mr. Bean falling asleep in church, ice-skating, etc. But here's what it boils down to:

*is your 'entertainment' of choice leaving you exhausted or frustrated?

*do you come away feeling as if you're farther from Christ?

*does it make you question your relationship with Christ?

*do you notice negative changes in language, attitude, by you, or your family?

*do you find yourself saying, 'watching/listening to it doesn't mean I'll do it?' 

God loves you. And me. I believe God loves it when His people are happy, and feel

refreshed! I want my entertainment to please Him...not because of the fact 'if God were in this room,'

but because 'God IS in the room.' 

Pleasing Him: it's what life is all about. 

Spring business...or busy-ness...

This morning when I awoke, I knew there were several things I really should accomplish. 


1. Wear green, listen to lively/fun Irish tunes, and eat great food. It's St. Patrick's Day after all! Hope yours was grand! Made the traditional Irish Soda Bread (best recipe ever, from an Irish cookbook mum bought in Ireland several years ago), and looking forward to enjoying the rest of it at lunch tomorrow with friends. Mmmm. Along with corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, etc. 

2. Iron. *Check. Nothing exciting there.


3. Practice piano. *Check. Beethoven Op. 27/1, I have conquered you (evil laughter). Good feeling. :)


4. Try a new craft I've been wanting to do for a while- make a flower pin. *Check. 
This is the second one I did today; light yellow with a small pearl ornament in the center. Pins either in your hair or on a schnazzy jacket/cardigan, or anything really. Love it, muchly! I see more of these in my future. Very easy to make- no pattern required. Just lots of hot glue. Now, that's MY kind of craft. :)

5. Exercise. *clears throat* If practicing piano counts, I did overtime. If not, well...there's always Monday...


6. Blog. Which, *check,* I am now doing! Ah-hah! There are a few reasons for my intentional sabbatical from blogging, which I will now list FYI (for your information, if you care to know. If not, skip down to next paragraph). 


a. I spend a lot of time on the computer each day, howbeit school related, email, frivolity, research, etc. and blogging was one thing that wasn't really 'necessary.' Neither is pinterest or facebook, but still...


b. Blogging was listed among my new year's goals. However, I am excited to report that the other goals for this year (extensive reading on various subjects, devotions, personal goals, etc.) are going so splendidly, that I've had little or no time to even think of blogging! Many times I've done/seen something and thought, "That would make a really great blog article." That's as far as any of them have gotten. 


c. I'm realizing that it's far too easy to share my thoughts and problems on cyberspace before I talk to the One who actually has the answers: God. I've been doing this for the past few months, and goodness, what a difference. Do I still seek council from people? Of course. But, knowing that God is personally interested in seeing me succeed and prosper helps me to take confidence in confiding in Him before blabbing to others. Do I enjoy facebook, etc.? Yes. The problem lies when ones reliance for rejuvenation, inspiration, and encouragement comes from seeing how many friends can be added in 10 minutes, versus thinking about the C.S. Lewis/Ravi Zacharias devotional thought for the day, or that 'little' matter God is working on in your life. No, I do not think about Chronicles of Narnia all day or sit in a meditative state. :) However, keeping Christ at the forefront of my thoughts, rather than an afterthought or 'emergency plan,' makes life better all around. That's what I've been attempting. God is helping me, and I am grateful. 


So. Here's the paragraph you can skip to if you found the previous comments/thoughts repulsive, weird, strange, or otherwise odd. Which, may be most of you. All 3 of you.


In all seriousness, God has been good. And, I'm finding it extremely rewarding to focus my emotions, efforts, thoughts, words and actions centered around pleasing Him 24/7. I'm even attempting to become less sarcastic. It's a work in progress. :) 


To end these 'returning' ramblings, I thought I would share a few of the books I've been reading and would recommend to you. 


1. The Resolution for Women (centered around the movie "Courageous." Phenomenal movie and book, very convicting for women in any stage of life, and very practical. Awesome read.)


2. "Hook, Line, and Sinker." New novella by one of my favorite authors, Susan May Warren. Short book, cute theme, great message, neatly portrayed. You should read it for fun.


3. "The Grand Weaver." A new book I received for my birthday by another favorite Christian apologist/author, Ravi Zacharias. An amazing book about how God weaves the events and circumstances of our lives together. God has a plan in everything.


4. "A Year with C.S. Lewis." An incredible -read-once-a-day- devotional from one of the greatest authors of all time- C.S. Lewis. I find myself re-reading the devotional each night before I go to bed. The thoughts shared within the pages are incredibly practical, deep, thought-provoking, and can be convicting. Not for the faint of heart searching for a "Now I lay me down to sleep" devotional. For those who are serious about knowing God, and discovering more about Him. 


My apologies for the many rambles shared...this happens when I return after a long blogging absence. :)


Best wishes for a terrific holiday weekend. 
Until next time...