Remember, Return, Behold....

We are loving the 60's all this week. Just about perfect weather! Marshmallow and Hotdog roasts over open fires and the smell of the wood smoke in the air just shouts of falls arrival. We have finally embraced the fall-like weather after a dry and long summer of heat.

Fall is another one of my favorite times of year. This year I ordered multiple trees. Hopefully they will arrive prior to our leaving next week for our Thanksgiving plans, but such is life. They will live. I hope. =)
I went with fruit trees. The type that usually do really well around our area. Apple, Pears, Peaches, a grape vine, and a Kiwi. How fun! I think there was a cherry tree as well, but we'll see. My short term memory is on a leash this morning...

I sat last week and last evening with a family in the hospital ICU waiting room. Their loved one is passing. So young. So needless. Letting go is never easy. I grieve for them. With them. My heart aches to watch the light from their eyes dim that much more as a part of them comes face to face with the realities of death. Sin. Suffering. This side of Eden. I was reminded that it was me there also...just two years ago now. Not in quite the same way, but facing the same things. Struggle. Heartache. Disappointment.

As I cried myself to sleep last night I realized that as I fought day after day thru cancer, I had high hopes that at some point when "all this passed" that I could just throw it over my shoulder as if I was done. Hoping that all the bad would go and the good would stay. It didn't and left me disappointed, but even more Thankful this year.

Joining in a study on Marriage last evening at chruch, I was caught off guard each time we read scripture with the words like "remember", "return", "behold". All three doing something of action. Sometimes forced. My daily reading was no different. Over and over, I kept looking for the one thing I thought the scriptures were saying, encouraging, telling them to look at. And then I closed my eyes and I started to remember.

That was it. The word REMEMBER. For me. For them. Perhaps for you. REMEMBER. RETURN. BEHOLD.

As I put up my Christmas tree, I stopped. Cade was at school. Aaron at work. I paused as I took a deep breath and I remembered the exact place I put my tree two years ago. What I wore, what I was listening to, and the smell. Kind of smothered out Cinnamon. Glitter. Dust. Memories. Thoughts. The fragile ornaments. The manger. And it happened again....REMEMBER...sort of like a whisper this time, but clear. RETURN. BEHOLD.

My tree is full of butterflies. Many of you so graciously gave to me and mine a butterfly memory and we have turned our 9ft wonder into a garden of beauty with the winged reminders. Memories returning. Preparing to celebrate His glory as we behold another year of His birthday.

Again this morning I paused. Looking outside over the fields. I smelled our stinky goat Captain Patrick and smiled. Who in the world would have thought? Goats? Me??? Things sure have changed here on Walton's Mountain! (LOL @ R)

Thanksgiving is around the corner. Food, family, visiting, traveling, laughter, music, shopping. Oh the fun to be had! Yes, as early as I have my tree up, I have NOT forgotten Thanksgiving. Regardless if it becomes a forgotten holiday, in our household it will be celebrated as a prelude to Christmas. Perfect for our hearts preparation for worship. Thankfulness seems to always preceed a miracle. Not always what we expect. But heaven reaching our hearts as only He can.

This year my tethered memory is Thankful. Recalling every blessing I wanted to leave you with a few:

My family.
Time.
Healing.
Beauty.
Friends.
And most of all, Emmanuel- God with us. Always. Unchanging. Unshakable.

As I REMEMBER, RETURN and BEHOLD, My heart overflows....