Hi everyone! Just checking in!
I realize that summer passed me by without celebrating some of my usual traditions. There was no pool time. A trip to see the Cincinnati Reds, cookouts, or a vacation made the list but I didn’t get to check them off. I managed to enjoy the annual descent of fireflies at dusk, walking at my favorite parks and some full moon action, but overall this summer looked and felt very different.The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer became hectic, chaotic and overwhelming most days.
Moving has a way of disrupting your normal and it shifts certainty to uncertainty causing you to hold on tight to the last bits of familiar. I saw pieces of my life time after time as I packed boxes and bins full of memories. Time tried to stand still as I recalled the smiles and stories held in photo albums and yearbooks, but deadlines brought the whimsical memories to a halt.
I met my deadlines and moved. I saw my life pulling away in a moving truck and tried to create a mental image of my next stop. The landscape looked fuzzy but promising. You can now find me with a good friend who willingly opened up her house for me to live in. Don’t worry – I have a new place to go to but it is not ready yet.
I spent too much time fighting the fact that my new place would not be ready on time. My days started and ended with worry and I even tried bargaining with God to change the date my new house would be finished. It’s funny how God always wins but that is because He knows best. God continues to teach me how incredible it is to enjoy this forced time of rest. My days don’t contain agendas, boxes to pack or unpack but instead God gave me a gift I didn’t know I needed.
God continues to impress these words on my heart:
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
My biggest takeaway from this summer is the importance of allowing God to do what He does best. Simply trusting Him would have saved me some sleepless nights. Knowing He is good and faithful all the time would still lead me to this time of rest, but the path getting here would have been so much easier.
[Tweet “Come read how God forced a time of rest so I could learn stillness.”]
Take time! Believe God is in control. Give thanks for all He is doing and will continue to do in your life.
Enjoy these snapshots of my summer. I pray you take some time to enjoy the remnants of summer as we transition into Fall. Today’s post is me checking in to let you know I miss all of you and pray for you often. Let me know how you are doing!
Love,
I am spending a lot more time on Instagram. Come find me there with more of my photos.Â
I hope you’ll be all settled in no time. Moving can really get crazy. But I’m excited to move again. This time in my own home!
Wish you a lovely September!
Thank you Lux! Best of luck to you too! Moving is very exciting.
How did it go? 🙂
Love your summer pictures Mary. I didn’t move and this summer was crazy, hectic, but we did get a vacation in after years of not doing them only because the adult kids talked us into doing it.
Hope you are enjoying your new home.
Love that you stopped by Debbie! I have seen some beautiful photos from you too on Facebook. I pray you experience a time of slowing down as the summer draws to a close.
Mary,
As always love your photography!! Amazing how God often has to force us into times of rest. He certainly had to do that with me this summer, but I relish the time spent in His Word because I wasn’t hurried….I couldn’t go anywhere. Praying your place will be ready soon, but just walk in God’s timing.
Blessings,
Bev xx
Than you Bev! You had a huge summer slow down yourself that was not what you planned. I pray God has blessed you in the time of relying more on Him. I love that you made time to stop by. You are a blessing to me.
Beautiful photos, Mary! Praying that God blesses the move and you transition quickly. Blessings!
Thanks Joanne! I have used this time to take more walks and discover some new places. It has been a wonderful gift. Hope you had a wonderful summer!
So much THIS: “Moving has a way of disrupting your normal and it shifts certainty to uncertainty causing you to hold on tight to the last bits of familiar.” We’ve missed you too!
Awww! It’s weird not writing regularly but I have no brain power to even try to form words let alone sentences. I know you understand since you just moved.
“Be still and know that I am God….” Those words have been whispering in my spirit this week, and I’m reminded of God’s faithfulness. It is such a comfort knowing that we only need to yield to His will and He is sure to carry us from one degree of grace to the next, as long as we keep our trust in Him. It’s so nice to “see” you again online. Be blessed, my sister in Christ.
Thank you for your sweet words of affirmation. It sounds easy that God has it all figured out but the truth is that He does. I appreciate you being here and leaving such a nice comment.
It’s good to hear from you, Mary. Thanks for the update and for sharing your pictures. I’m glad you’re benefitting from your time of rest, even if it’s not what you had planned. I also need to keep learning to trust God and that he really does know best!
Thank you for stopping by Lesley. I love seeing you here and know that God always has our best interests in His heart. Blessings!
Awww, Mary. So good to see you! God does have ways of bringing us to the places where He wants us so we can learn the lessons that will conform us into the image of Jesus. I’m sorry for the stress you endured, but I’m glad you are learning (probably again!) the benefits of rest during times of uncertainty. Loved your pictures!!
I have always known the benefits of rest but have not always chosen to embrace it in my own life. I love how God gave me tis time to once again learn from Him what is most important.
Hello, sweet friend! I’m so thankful that God gifted you this time of rest! What a blessing! You’ve been in my thoughts and prayers, too 🙂 We are ready for some cooler weather here in south TX, but it will be several more weeks for us! Looking forward to enjoying your weekly posts again soon! Blessings!
Rest, whether it is forced or freely chosen, is a beautiful time of refreshment. We forget that our bodies were made to pause and empty themselves of stress. I have been praying for Texas since Harvey swept through and have been checking in daily with my brother. I’m glad you all did not receive the worst of the storm but know there is so much devastation in Houston.
“Take time! Believe God is in control. Give thanks for all He is doing and will continue to do in your life.” Yes! Thanks for checking in! And sharing some of your summer moments. I’m glad too, that we got to share some of our summer through instagram too!
I needed to reread my own words again today. The construction on my new place is delayed yet again so I need God’s truth that He is control to wash over me. I also know that a grateful heart gets me so much farther than wallowing in frustration. Love seeing your beautiful pictures on Instagram. You have such an eye for capturing God’s beauty.
Mary, it’s go good to see you again, and I hope everything has gone well with the move.
You have been and are in my prayers!
Thanks for sharing and love your pics!
Thank you for stopping by Paula!
It’s always good to see you here! Blessings and prayers!