Peace In the Midst

Odds and ends are what you will be getting. When it has been a week since my last post you can be sure that it has been busy. Extraordinarily busy. A few highlights...

Tuesday found me and a few others at a choice auction in Massena. I had seen the listing in last week's paper and had been announcing it regularly as one of the most promising auctions I had seen in the North Country. I was not disappointed. Hubby had given the nod to do some major purchasing, so that is just what I did. My son-in-law said I wore my "eager beaver" heart on my sleeve a little too much (having the number 1 assigned to you, for instance...) But in spite of the fact that the auctioneer knew my number by heart within 10 minutes of the opening bid, I came away with some great deals. In all, I came home with two cherry drop leaf tables, 6 cherry Windsor chairs, 4 solid ash bow back chairs, two painted junker chairs (the kind you put on your porch), and two upholstered wing chairs -- a gentleman's and a lady's. Oh, I also picked up 11 crystal goblets for those holiday tablesettings. All for super prices. Great fun!

The family received a long hand-written letter from a certain young lady in Germany that we love and miss. Familiar handwriting is SO special and dear! Nothing beats the old-fashioned sort of communique when you are far from home. Just holding the letter brings on a wave of sentimentality, knowing it was there with her just a short time ago. Definitely special.

Christian Fellowship Academy (CFA) hosts a homeschool support program on several Fridays each semester. Today was the start up of the fall session. For my own kids it meant locating proper uniforms and packing lunches, gathering instruments and gym clothes, and heading out the door for adventure. For me it meant teaching choirs and all that it entails: choosing songs, coordinating music with a daughter who is teaching a younger group, making oodles of copies, and practicing the tricky parts before presenting the material. But it is so much more. I absolutely love working with the kids. I mean that I love it. And on top of how great they all are, they sounded terrific, too! This will be a wonderful choir -- a real joy to direct and watch perform.

The fall promises to be a bit of a whirlwind when I view the schedule. What I thought would be a relatively simple calendar has somehow become filled to almost overflowing, all with things that Rick and I feel certain are from His hand. That means that He will enable. It also means keeping my eyes on Him and not my calendar or surroundings. I tend to forget that. I look instead at the days crowding together and demands pressing in. "Look up, Dar. Your peace is in Him. Your strength is found when you look up." Oh, yeah. If I lose my focus, someone, please, remind me. He is my peace, always and forever.

Isn't He so very good?