Dear August,
You were here and now you are gone! You showed up thirty-one days ago and now you are bidding us “adieu”. You showed us your summer beauty and left us with beautiful memories. We are so glad you spent this time with us.
Love,
A Summer Friend
P.S. Thank you for leaving me with these lessons and memories.
You call yourself a summer month but as time went on you allowed Fall weather and cool temperatures to take over the days and nights
You taught a group of women who gathered in a lake house in Tennessee that community is marked by quiet, one on one conversations, new friendships and embracing all in the spirit of brave faith and love
You showed this momma how her heart can expand to hold new love as both sons got engaged and two new daughters are being added to the family
[Tweet “God grows us through experiences when we join in communion with Him.”]
You gave me opportunities to take walks in different parks and gardens and showed me that beauty is everywhere
You remind me over and over that rest is okay and it does not mean that I am not productive
You walked bravely with me as the school year started for all my teacher friends and I watched from the sidelines as I am learning what it means to be retired
But mostly you show me that life is important because I have God and with Him I always know I am valued, loved and cherished.
Each August experience was highlighted by the opportunity to be in communion with God. Knowing I am loved immeasurably by God enables me to grow deeper in my relationship with Him.
In grace and peace,
Mary
Linking with:
What a full month you had! August did feel different this year for reasons I am aware of (like the weather) but also for reasons I haven’t quite understood yet. August is always a month of transition in our neck of the woods because of back to school.
Thank you for this beautiful reflection.
August has been a big month for transitions for me as well. I have a feeling our weather was very similar and as for back to school, this is the first year in 30 years that I did not make that big transition. It leaves me feeling a little out of sorts. Thank you for sharing in my look back at August. Hope your week is blessed!
Beautiful reflections Mary.
Always good to look back with Thanksgiving.
Enjoy your New Month.
God Bless
Thank you Ifeoma! I am blessed that God is willing to work with me and teach me through my everyday ordinary. Praying you enjoy your new month too!
It’s fun hanging out with Emily at the end of the month, isn’t it? Hope this has been a fun experience for you …
Looking back can be a very good thing.
Monday hugs!
I love hanging out with Emily but especially love giving myself the time to reflect on the past month and then write about it. So good to see you there! Nice to know you are getting “out and about”! Have a wonderful week friend! BTW-summer has come back with a vengeance here! 🙁
What a beautiful garden photo!
I’m learning with you that rest is okay. I think it’s going to take me a few more months …
Congrats to your sons!
Thank you! So good to have you here. I am not good at rest but sometimes God gives us lots of opportunities to practice. I am excited about both of my sons getting engaged. 2016 is going to be amazing.
Hi Mary, I loved reading your post. (I linked up with Emily for the first time.) Love the experience of looking back at the month and gleaning lessons learned.
Yes, I love your statement that resting does not mean you’re unproductive. We drive ourselves so…
We both linked up for the first time today. I loved writing my post and thinking of the past month. It’s a great way to reflect on our blessings. Thank you for joining me here for my month in review. Hugs to you!
This looks like such a lovely August. Congratulations on your sons becoming engaged and your retirement.
Thank you for being here. It was a lovely August that disappeared all too quickly. September is now staring at us in the face. Hope your week is blessed.
Sounds like a beautiful August. Congratulations again on both of your sons’ engagements.
Thank you Barbie! I always love having you here and your encouragement means more than you know. Praying your week is blessed.
“…with Him I always know I am valued, loved and cherished.” Amen, friend. And congrats to both your boys. Oh so exciting. While being a mom to adult children comes with it’s own challenges I must say it has been my favorite time of being their mom. I just love watching them become young men and to see God moving in their lives knowing with confidence that He is drawing them closer to Him. 🙂
Many blessings to you, Mary.
xoxo
I love how you describe watching your sons become young men and seeing how God moves in their lives all the while drawing them closer. It is a beautiful thing to watch. I also love being the mom of adult children. We just always have so much fun together. Hope your week is blessed. Love and hugs!
I love this look back on your month. It’s a great practice to review what you did and saw and learned over the last month. And I love that you share it with us so that we can learn too! Happy Monday, friend. xoxo
I found that looking back over the month was perfect in how I then look to the future. I hope to continue doing this every month because why not??? Happy Monday to you too!
August did fly by didn’t it? I think it was a great month though! Here’s to new beginnings for everyone! I love reading your posts mom!
Thank you son! You just made my day! Praying for all of us as we begin the new things that God is gifting us with. Love you!
That is just the sweetest thing! 🙂 Congrats to Nick and Daniel and their sweet gals!
I think so too! When it rains, it pours in my life! Love you!
I didn’t think about how this marks a new threshold you are passing over, Mary–one that is not marked by being in front of a classroom, but being taught at the feet of Jesus. I think it would be a bittersweet moment for you, friend. I hope that you are enjoying that rest because I think you will need all the energy you gather in these warm and even fall-like August days and beyond. God’s got big plans for you: I have no doubt!
It has been a very bittersweet moment and learning to wrap my brain around something new, whatever that is, can be hard when you leave behind something you loved doing. Knowing I am not supposed to be in front of a classroom is not the hard part, but not knowing what that next thing is leaves me unsettled. I love having you here because you always know the right thing to say. Thank you for cheering me on!
Hi Mary – beautiful post! Congrats on the engagements! What exciting news. Your retirement will be including a great deal of wedding planning. 🙂
Can’t begin to count the number of times you came to mind last week. Praying you are doing okay and making sweet plans for your next step.
Hoping we can meet for coffee soon. Miss you!
Love,
Karen
Your words were exactly what I needed to read this evening. Thank you for reassuring me with your kind words. Life will be full of plans for weddings and who knows what else. I would love to see you soon! Hoping the beginning of the school year has gone well so far.
Mary, I am with you wondering where August went. Summer is my favorite season and it makes me a bit sad it’s coming to a close. Your post is beautiful, and your words show what’s in your God-loving, God-honoring heart. I think of you often as you are transitioning into retirement. Praying God blesses you in this season! Much love to you.
I love having you stop by Julie, but even more that you are praying for me. Life is full of transitions and I am learning that as soon as I think I have gone through the biggest one, the next one comes along and it is even bigger. It just shows me over and over how magnificent our God is in everything. I have been praying for you to as you are also in a transition. Blessings upon your week!
Beautiful post, Mary — I love how you express your thoughts! Congratulations to your sons on their engagement and to all of your family for this wonderful time of growth through love.
Thank you Patti! Lots of new beginnings are happening at the same time in my life. It’s a lot for me to learn and understand but God is so generous with His love and making sure that we are always taken care of. Have a blessed week!
Mary,
Praying for you as you enter this fall school season in a new phase of your life. You have worked hard and have earned some “down” time to just Be in God’s presence. You seem to be off to a good start. Thinking of you and enjoyed this rear-view mirror look at August!
Blessings,
Bev xx
You are so sweet to stop by and encourage me. You always brighten my day. I am in a holding pattern but looking to God to reveal what’s next and trying to be patient in the process. Praying that your week is blessed.
Loved this post, Mary. Communion with God—YES!!! So many of my experiences this month were that for me too. I can hardly believe August is bidding us goodbye.
I keep asking myself where did August go? When I was teaching I would really get anxious when August would fly by. I still feel that way because it signals the end of summer for me and I love summer. Praying your Sunday is blessed.