His love will wipe away all our tears...

 Over the years since I began this blog, I've had friends send me photos of hearts they discover in their worlds.  I always love it when I see these reminders of God's love in our daily lives.  I especially love that others see them, too... and it's that much more special when they share them with me.

One of my friends has several daughters, and they love to send me photos of the hearts they discover.   The photo below is one the girls sent me awhile ago.   Unfortunately, on my cell phone's tiny screen, I couldn't tell what it actually was and had to ask...

only to discover it was... 

a roll of toilet paper!!!!

 They couldn't wait to send it to me, and it definitely made me smile!!  God uses the strangest things to speak to us, if we have eyes to see! 

...And the Lord GOD 

will wipe tears away from all faces... 

~Isaiah 25:8

love on the trail...

On Saturday, a friend and I went on a hike in the southern California coastal hills.  It was a beautiful sunny day with a brilliant blue sky.  The guidebook promised us a hike on "cool shady trails."  Well, we left the guidebook in the car and took instead one of the "suggested hikes" typed on a hand-out in the ranger's station.  The directions turned out to be quite confusing, not at all helpful, and we ended up not knowing where we were most of the time.  We decided to just hike along the trail as best we could figure it.  Needless to say, we never did find those cool shady trails...but we did find miles of hot unshaded sunny trails!!

To make a long story short, we ended up hiking for about 2 1/2 hours in the hills... mostly going uphill.  Very uphill.  Very, very uphill!  Oh, we had a good time...enjoying the flora-- the blue of sky (and ocean when we could see it again), green of bushes, bright bluish purple of giant thistle flowers, and yellow and orange of monkey flowers dotting the trail side-- and being cooled a bit by the ocean breezes.  We whined a bit when each hill that we thought was the final one was discovered to be NOT the final one...hiding a bigger one behind it!  We sweated, hiked, chatted, groaned, and laughed our way to the top of the ridge.  

At the base of one big hill, when we stopped a moment or two for a breather, I looked down at the trail and saw this:

I had to laugh, for these hearts tend to show up in the oddest places.  And each one reminds me of the Creator Who made them, and, I believe put them there just for me to discover and enjoy!  I laughed and told my friend I was sure God was reminding us that He was on the trail with us... and I think He was enjoying our hike!

It's nice to be reminded, especially when trudging along the difficult parts of life's trails, that you are loved-- by friends, by loved ones, by our amazing Father in heaven.

ttmms... (things that make me smile)...

Most people who have known me more than just a few days probably have discovered that I can be pretty easily entertained and amused.  I get a kick out of small things (not like midgets and such!) and enjoy finding quirky bits in life.  I'm an avid reader-of-license plates and actually have a list of fun ones I've seen.  I love strangely colored or shaped fruit or veges or just things that look out-of-the-ordinary.  I have the carcasses of several brightly-colored bugs in a box on my dresser.   I see faces on cars, either front end or back.  

All these things make me smile and give me joy.

I think it's a good thing to be able to find fun and to take pleasure in the small things in life.  I mean, isn't that what our lives are really made up of-- an occasional big thing here and there strung together with many many small things in between?  I know I don't wait to wait around for a big thing to enjoy when I can delight in so many other little things along the way.

And that is what this blog is really about-- experiencing the daily life stuff and looking and listening for God's hand and voice in it all.  And seeing what delights He has put here for us to enjoy if we will allow ourselves to be easily entertained.

In light of all of that, I present to you today one of the many Things That Make Me Smile...  

I have recently discovered ...the happiest cars on earth:

Tell me that doesn't make you smile!! : )

I am grateful for smiling cars...

A joyful heart is good medicine...

~Proverbs 17:22a

gotta love those sweet potatoes....

As you know, I so enjoy finding bits of love scattered about.  Recently I was having dinner with friends-- ham, green beans, and sweet potatoes.  When I mashed my potato, this is what it looked like:

 

I didn't do it on purpose but, of course, I couldn't help but see and appreciate the shape!   A good dinner with dear friends....

served up with love.  

For this I am grateful...

the joy spread by the kids in our lives...

Though I don't have kids of my own, I love the kids and grandkids of my friends. They bring such joy into my life, and I am grateful for them.

This New Year's Eve, my friends had two of their grandkids with them for a few days. I, always in for a good time, was invited to their house for New Year's Eve and a sleep-over. (I think I was probably the "out" so they didn't HAVE to stay up till midnight with the boys!)

The day and evening were full of fun, food, games, and just enjoying each other's company. While cooking dinner, I was handed a pen and an envelope by the 8yr old, and inside the envelope was the following note:

Translation (in case you can't quite get it):

Dear Shree:

[short for Shri-ri, a name they all call me due to boy #3 saying my name that way for a short time]

How are you doing?

(blank box for answer)

and what and when are you going to play with us?

(two blank boxes for answers)

And [till] what time will we stay up?

(blank box for answer)

I responded to the questions with the following:

excellent

after dinner and dishes

games? (uno?) later, a movie?

To which he responded with a note on the back of the original card, stuffed in the envelope again:

The above note was preceded with shouts of delight in response to the "stay up till" answer!

...for these kids in my life, I am grateful!! Thanks, God, for the amazing ways You bless us with others in our lives!

"...their children will be a blessing." ~Psalm 37:26b

2011... day 2....

(butter on my cornbread)

He gives food to every creature.

His love endures forever.

~Psalm 126:35

2011... day 1...

(strawberry in New Year's Day breakfast cereal)

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
~Psalm 107:1