A favorite new poem I had never seen before.

This is my new favorite poem.

I read it to Ellie last night as we were side by side, laying on the couch.

When I first saw it, my breath actually caught in my throat.

In case you can't read the above, here it is in easier to read format:

You are the trip I did not take;

You are the pearls I could not buy;

You are my blue Italian lake;

You are my piece of foreign sky.

You are my Honolulu moon;

You are the book I did not write;

You are my heart's unuttered tune;

You are a candle in my night.

You are the flower beneath the snow;

In my dark sky a bit of blue,

Answering Disappointment's blow

With "I am happy! I have you!"

The author? Anne Campbell.

I love it.

It reminds me of my children each time I read it.

And how I should treasure them as "the book I did not write".

God is the Author of their story, I am merely a steward entrusted with their care.

And a look in their eyes, faces smiling, full of trust and unwavering love, makes me certain of my calling as a Mom.

God has anointed me for this before any song grew in my thoughts, or fell from my lips.

Fall Is Here

I can tell Fall has arrived.

I have that expectant and nostalgic feeling.

I wish we had snow in South Louisiana.

Alas, there is none to be had this time of year.

However, compensations for this greatly abound.

For example, we still have dragonflies for a couple more weeks.

Here's the latest specimen:

Like it? We found it in the driveway yesterday.

I want to shadowbox it.

Another upside to the not-quite-cold-enough-to-wear-a-jacket-yet weather those in colder climates aren't experiencing is, well, not having to wear a jacket yet. Although it's appropriate to celebrate this fact when sitting in the bleachers watching a football game, I must say, I can't wait to put on a cardigan. I love cardigans. Really. Okay, I've already worn one a few times.

And hats. Especially these.

But, it's just not cold enough yet. Except for the middle one, which could be worn any time at all. In any situation.

According to Drummer Boy's calculations, the time for dressing for Fall is now.

He came into the living room this morning still in his nightclothes, but ready to embrace a blustery day.

How great is this?

I get to look at this beautiful, wondering, curious, amazing little boy every single day.

I am so blessed.

Some Fun Stuff

I wanted to give you something funny.

Most of these came from twentytwowords.com. I don't endorse everything on their site, but these were pretty good.

Darth Vader camping

A life lesson

Mitch Hedberg wisdom

Finally, a candidate to believe in

A pun you can wear

Explaining politics

Getting Ahead

This morning, I was giving Drummer Boy his spelling test.

He had just finished telling me all the words on the list.

"See, Mom?" he said proudly. "I know them already. I'm not going to forget. They're up there in my noggin."

I gathered the study materials and began to read out the words to him.

"No, Mom, I wrote those already," he pronounced, firing off at light speed the words he had written down in the 25 seconds it had taken me to start the test.

As you can see, all the words were correct. But the format lacked any form at all.

I made him do it over, and this time, numbered and dated with his name.

(And he had to wait for me to give him the words.)

You know where this is going, right?

If I had just let him do it the way he wanted, it wouldn't have been acceptable as evidence of our homeschool method of testing--to any official from the Department of Education. It was just a bunch of words jumbled together.

God reminded me this morning that when I get ahead of Him, even if I know the plan, the words to say, the song to sing, the person needing help, if it's not according to His pattern, His format, it's not done right.

No one else will be able to look at what I'm doing and "get" what it's about. All the right words and actions will be there, but if it's not done in an orderly fashion, waiting on God for the next step, it will not last beyond me. It will die with me, because I'm the only one who understands it.

Then the LORD answered me and said:
“ Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry."

(Habakkuk 2:2-3)