The house is quiet once again. I love the late hours more than I should, but it is so refreshing to my spirit to unwind in the quiet sounds of night time. To all of you early morning risers… I admire you, and hope to be more like you one day, but I do love the moonlight. :)

August in NC is unusually mild this year, much to our enjoyment. What a pleasant surprise to have relatively cooler days and nights than usual! Gardens and produce fields are fairly bursting with their abundance of fruits and vegetables. It’s incredible how much food I have processed for almost no price, from apples in my neighbor’s back yard to blueberries and strawberries from Dad’s awesome patch (thank-you, Dad, for all your hard work in the gardens and your generosity with the outcome!), to corn and melons in our own garden, tomatoes from the local produce farm, etc. We are blessed beyond words. Last week, I spent the day with two friends, making veggie soup. We had a virtual blast filling a tub with gallons and gallons of all sorts of vegetables and meat and broth. We squealed with delight when the last of 60 quarts were filled and when we divided the cost after all our garden and pantry donations, it came to about 4 dollars each! What an incredible blessing that soup will be this winter. It is a joy to be physically able to do all this, too. I hope I will never again take my health for granted.

Thank-you, God.

Yesterday was a somber time of reliving memories of when our dear brother friend Isaac drowned in Honduras 5 months ago. We ask ourselves, what have we learned? Has Isaac’s life and death done in our hearts what God intended? Have we responded in a way that our own hearts are more conditioned for life and death?

As I pondered, I realized that we cannot even see all that God has done in our hearts through this tragedy. But my own personal response is overwhelming gratitude for Isaac’s life… the things he taught me while he was here. Some of you will understand… but I just want to mention a few things that I’m deeply grateful for.

Thank-you, Isaac…

For teaching me so much about the value of genuine honesty,
For showing us what true friendship is; for examplifyng compassion and care at its best,
For teaching me so much about true intercession and faith, inspired by eternal love,
For your quiet, gentle voice,
For the way you loved little children, and showed us how to yearn to be like them,
For your artwork and photography, sweet treasures to our aching hearts,
For forgiving,
For searching,
For living your life with purpose,
For seeking your purpose,
For finding your life in Him,
For making a difference,
And for leaving us with a vibrant hope of eternity.

I love to think of you now… completely at rest in your spirit, no more worries, safe with God Himself. I love to imagine you stepping from this life into LIFE eternal, with wonder and delight in your Heaven-filled eyes. I love to think of your faith becoming sight at last. Isaac, I hope God lets you see the reality of how much we love you, and how grateful we are for who you were here with us. You changed my life for eternity.

I miss you…

I am thankful, too, for all the sweet friendships shared with those of us left waiting our turns. So many friends have grown dearer than ever as we are bonded closely in this journey of deep grief. Then there are some precious new ones that I cannot imagine life without today. Thank-you, God!