June Newsletter
Scripture of the Month:
“Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise him enough?” Psalm 106:2, NLT
Quote of the Month:
“All the good stuff happens in the middle, don’t you think?” Jacquelyn Mitchard, The Breakdown Lane
I’m not sure about you, but the middle part of anything can be the toughest for me [with the exception of Double Stuff Oreos or Krispy Kreme filling, of course!]. As a writer, I’m all about the beginnings and the endings. I love the opening sentence of a book or an article; coming up with a punchy ending is one of my favorite things. Sometimes the middle can be sloggy, iffy. If the book is poorly written, the middle sags. If you think about, sometimes, we get to feeling that way about life too. We wax nostalgic about childhood freedoms; we anticipate the future – as grandiose as heaven, as near as a new kitchen floor, as dreamed of as that dream vacation. There are days when nearly everything coming up seems better than whatever it is we’re doing right now. But we might be wrong. Ignoring the middle part, which makes up most of our lives, causes us to miss the joy of this moment. What are you doing right now? Reading this newsletter and then getting into a new book? Getting ready to tuck in your sweet ones or cuddle up and watch a movie? Take a walk with your friend or your spouse? Is something baking in the oven? Are you reveling in some rare relaxed time alone? Did God share something precious with you from His Word today? Look outside. Has God flung the heavens full of sky jewelry just for you tonight? Is the moon dancing? The rain bathing everything with misty soft focus effect? Is the sun bouncing off the dew on the grass? Do you hear the laughter of neighborhood children, smell the fresh mown grass or the damp echo of sidewalk chalk and rain on concrete? There’s nothing like it. This day, this moment, will never come again. Chase your “middles” girls! Celebrate them, and let me know how it goes.
Fun Facts
“Sugar may have an effect on kids with established hyperactivity, but it WON’T make a nonhyperactive child hyperactive.” Richard Surwit, Ph.D., Professor, Duke University
Whew! If your kids [or you] swallow your gum, it won’t stay in your intestines for seven years, it pretty much moves through your digestive tract at the same rate as everything else. Mitchell Shub, M.D., Gastroenterologist – Phoenix Children’s Hospital
What’s on our Table [actually, in the fridge!]
Summer Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
1 large jar marshmallow cream
8 oz. package cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
3 T. powdered sugar
Beat all ingredients until smooth. Serve with fresh fruit for dipping!
From Our House to Yours
I’m finishing the newsletter before I get ready to go to Greg’s Doctor appointment for news of his current kidney function level. Please pray with me for news of a firm date for the transplant. I deliberately chose this month’s scripture before we went, because I am truly trying to work on trusting. On worshipping while I’m waiting, rather than celebrating after the fact. After all, being thrilled after you already have everything you want isn’t very impressive. Our oldest, Eden, is filling up her summer with work at three different jobs and shopping enough that she looks cute while doing said jobs. My mother assures me that I too was more interested in clothes than savings at that age. Emmy is on a mission trip to inner city Houston, working VBS and helping out at a homeless shelter there. We were so proud of the work she did getting accepted to go and then helping to raise funds. Now we’re just down to missing her and taking giant steps of faith every day.
Ellie has to take PE and Health for the month of June so she’ll have room in her Jr. High fall schedule for band. I love listening to her play that flute! Thus, sweet Elexa is my home buddy alone for the first time since she began Kindergarten. I’m begging her to stay eight years old, but since I did the same with her 3 sisters and it didn’t work, I’m not holding my breath. Life is hard, but sweet. God is good, even while we wait. Thank you for all your prayers for my spring speaking engagements. I will only be speaking once this summer, in deference to a more relaxed pace. Fall will be here before we know it. Lemonade or sweet tea glasses bottoms up girls! Drink deep of summer.
Hugs & chocolate,
Cindy