Scripture of the Month: “And hope does not disappoint us…” Romans 5:5

Quote of the Month: “Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.” George Iles

 

 

Fifteen Minutes of Rain

     “Do you hear that?” I shoved my elbow into my husband’s side so that I could catch him before he drifted completely off to sleep. “Isn’t that thunder?!”

     He propped himself up on one elbow, glaring only slightly at the interruption. “It must be – look at that lightening.”

     “Let’s open the curtains back up.  I want to see!” He smiled indulgently, sleepily, catching some of my excitement.

     Smaller thunder echoed in the hallway as first we heard the girls’ running feet just before they came pouring in. “Is it going to rain?”

     They piled onto our bed and we huddled there listening, praying for the heavens to open up – for the welcome sound of rain. Our ears strained and our backs edged forward as though our eagerness could help it hurry.

     One more bed rattling swipe of thunder and lightning split the skies and then we heard it. Plops followed by torrents. A stream of water slid down the window sill. The porch swing creaked in the wind and a ball made its way out of the bucket on the porch by our window. Trees bowed their branches, limbs clacking against the roof.

     And for fifteen glorious minutes, it rained. After nearly 6 weeks of triple-digit temperatures and no rain, it had finally rained. It seemed we had nearly forgotten the sound of rain, the earthy scent of rain on concrete, the rainbows made in puddles. Right then, the biggest blessing seemed the sound of rain.

     Our entire city was tired of being hot. Hot and dry was worse. Even at ten o’clock at night, the temperature hovered around 100 degrees, so we missed our evening walks and we groused. Tempers were short; sleep was illusive.

     The less hardy flowers in the front bed turned up their browning petals in surrender. Grass crunched. The puppy laid around on the hardwood floors, panting and trying to stay cool.

     The rain didn’t stay. The ground sucked the water up like a child with a straw, slurping the last of a chocolate malt at a soda fountain counter.  Cracks reappeared in the dirt almost instantly. Yet somehow, we felt refreshed. Fifteen minutes of rain was enough to rekindle hope.

     And I wondered, who in our world is that parched and cracked and thirsty? To whom could you and I be the equivalent of fifteen minutes of rain? A quick stop at their house to leave a Mason jar of wildflowers. A card in the mailbox at just the right time. A phone call for checking in. A pie. A plate of cookies. A hug. An affirmation of how precious they are to you. An encouragement not to give up, to hold on because the rain is surely on its way.

      Be that rain this month to as many people as you can, and then please, share your stories! I want to read loads of comments as we encourage each other.

Fast Facts:

+A recent study found that folks who go to church regularly AND see their friends there every week were most likely to rate their life satisfaction at that illusive ‘10!’ [Good Housekeeping, August, 2011] “So don’t forsake the habit of meeting together as some are in the habit of doing…” Hebrews 10:25

+ I knew there was something to our ritual of turning on what our girls like to call the “cozy lamps” around dinner time each evening: Dim light helps the production of melatonin [the “sleepy” hormone] start up to 90 minutes sooner than bright light, fostering relaxation and sleepiness. Perhaps more importantly, researchers believe that higher melatonin levels may reduce your risk of insomnia and Type 2 diabetes! [Family Circle, August, 2011, 130]

+Be smart about school bedtimes. Children ages 5-12 need 10 to 11 hours of sleep every night; most teens require 9 hours.  [Good Housekeeping, August, 2011, 119]

+The CDC recommends that children get at LEAST an hour of physical activity DAILY! [GH, 8/11,119] Make a family walk or bike ride part of your evening routine.

    From Our House to Yours

      Riding home from the girls’ annual back to school check-ups, one was pouting because she been required to get a booster shot. I hadn’t remembered, so I hadn’t prepared her in advance.

     “But El,” one of her sisters comforted, “don’t forget you can pick out flowers!”

     “Oh yeah,” Emmy chimed in, “I love that tradition!” She turned to me. “Hey mom, write that one down for me – we have so many neat ones and I don’t want to forget.”

     Snap. The shutter on my heart camera clicked and I captured this moment too, stored away for the stormy moments that come with greater frequency as my girls grow.

     The Back to School season is full of little traditions, some even from my childhood. Every August my dad would pour over the sale circulars in the St. Louis Post Dispatch and off we went. Target for the best deals on spiral notebooks and loose-leaf paper. Grandpa Pigeon’s for pencils, ink pens and composition notebooks. Kmart for binders and pencil pouches and school boxes. Walgreen’s for calculators, protractors and tab dividers. How we laughed that the gas money we spent surely canceled out any savings!

     But it is one of our family’s favorite memories now. My girls treasure choosing a new lunch box and backpack every other year. Having their picture taken with all of their school supplies laid out and labeled in crisp black Sharpie. Getting a First Day of School outfit. Marking their heights next to smaller handprints on the wall after their check-ups. First morning breakfasts, pictures on the porch steps with school gear and unbearably perfect outfits, riding to school and my prayers for them as I lay my hands on them and ask God for protection, for discernment.

     They will roll their eyes as they read their lunchbox notes, but secretly enjoy them. When our oldest was a Senior and didn’t think she needed notes, I wrote them on bananas with a Sharpie. She gave up and enjoyed them anyway. Sometimes my girls have asked me to write a lunchbox note for friends who don’t get any.

     And I will count the hours until I get to make the rounds for pick-up, treasuring each little detail and drinking in their faces and stories. Because I will blink and there will be a several inch gap between lines on the wall and another year will be over.

      Eden begins her 3^rd year of college. Emmy will be a sophomore with a newly acquired driver’s permit. Ellie is in her last year of Junior High and Elexa will enter middle school as a decade old 5^th grader.

      Greg and I celebrated our 16^th wedding anniversary and the 1 year anniversary of his successful kidney transplant.  He spent the week of our anniversary this year at the Body Farm in Tennessee, fulfilling a lifetime goal. July 29^th is more unforgettable than ever!

     Joplin continues a slow healing process as clean-up progresses and rebuilding occurs. Our church planned a lovely “Beauty for Ashes” prayer & praise service in the midst of rubble on a parking lot on Rangeline Road on August 7^th. 286 precious people attended, including several who had lost not only their homes, but their ENTIRE families on the night of May 22^nd. It was a tearful blessing, lifting our hands and voices in praise and petition to a gracious heavenly Father.

     While this has been a most unusual summer, I have been trying to not to dwell on past seasons that I miss soooo very much, but instead to enjoy each one for what it is.

     I pray that you have one of the sweetest seasons ever as summer fades into the glorious colors of autumn!

     Huge blessings,

     Cindy

Upcoming Speaking Schedule

New London, Iowa – Crooked Creek Camp – August 26-27 – The Chocolate Side of Life; Hot Chocolate for Couples; Chocolate Comfort

Branson, Missouri & Silver Dollar City – September 10-11 – Hot Chocolate for First Responder Couples – Honeysuckle Conference Center – Saturday; singing at the First Responder Memorial Service in Echo Hollow 10:00 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11 [see www.responderlife for details; there are FREE tickets for all First Responders and their families!]

Maranatha Bible Camp Area Women’s Retreat – Everton, MO – September 16-17 “Prepare” – 2 Main Sessions & Hot Chocolate for Couples workshop

Galena, Kansas – Tennessee Prairie Friends Church – Fall Women’s Retreat – September 23-24 – Rediscovering Joy as a Woman; as a Wife & Mother; as a Child of God

On Our Table

Cynthia’s Tea [from the Mitford Novels]

1 family size tea bag, boiled & steeped for several minutes

1 can frozen lemonade

2 t. almond flavoring

1 ¾ c. sugar

Pour all in gallon pitcher. Add cold water until full.

 

**CONTEST:  One of my newsletter subscribers REALLY wanted a recipe contest! So, submit your favorite end-of-summer recipe. 2 winners will receive a cookbook.

Back to school is a great time to subscribe [it’s free!] to the Heritage Builders blogs on spiritual legacies for our children. There are blogs for moms of teen girls; moms of gradeschool girls; moms of teen boys; moms of gradeschool girls; dads of teen & gradeschool girls and dads of teen & gradeschool boys.  I write the blogs for moms of GIRLS, for some reason! www.heritagebuilders.com