Docky

We have a puppy!

Docky came to join us on May 26^th when he was seven weeks old. We have never had a dog before but have always thought when the right one came along we would consider getting it. A family in our church had some Collie/Beagle cross puppies and offered us one.  

To those of you who know me well, it will come as a surprise that I have volunteered to help with the responsibilities and care of Docky, although one of my younger sisters has main responsibility. I have never been an “animal person”, but I just knew from the start that Docky belonged with us. :)

            More pictures will follow in the near future, but here is one from a few days ago when he fell asleep in my arms:

Spanish Workbooks

I don’t often promote products, but when there is something I find useful, I like to pass the news along to others who might be able to use it. Such is the case with the Spanish workbooks that we recently ordered for my sisters and me to use in a Spanish class that is being taught by a native speaker in our church. We are using the Year Two book of this high school level series, and so far I have found it very instructive in my studies as well as user-friendly. I highly recommend it!

The Other Side of the Fence

“Godliness with contentment is great gain.”

~ I Timothy 6:6

Contentment. This is one of the things that God continued to teach me through our trip to Vermont. I am so thankful for where God has placed me and what He has given to me – and that He gave me opportunities to be reminded of that on this trip! He certainly does know best! The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.

Our Most Precious Resource

The following quotes were shared at our church last Sunday during a message on TIME, which is the most precious resource that God has given us!

The problem with killing time is that you cannot resurrect it.

~ unknown

You cannot kill time without injuring eternity. 

~ adapted from Henry David Thoreau

(To those who aren’t familiar with it, these two quotes play off of the phrase “killing time”, which means to be idle or to do something just because you have time to use up. These quotations make for some interesting thoughts to ponder, but I do not think that a Christian should use or have any need to use this phrase as it is commonly used. We should always be productively engaged, using for God’s Kingdom this precious resource that He has entrusted to us!)

Last Trip Update

Maple Sugaring

The sap did finally flow the day before we left Vermont and my brothers were able to help Grandpa boil a little bit! This sugaring season will be short, but some is better than none (especially given the current price of what Vermonters call “liquid gold”!).

Homeward Bound

After leaving Vermont on the morning of Wednesday, April 2^nd, we headed to PA where we visited with some friends and stayed the night. On Thursday we did some shopping in the area and then drove to Harrisonburg, VA where some of us stayed for the conference. The rest continued home.

Writers’ and Artists’ Conference

This conference was very instructive and I learned a lot of things that I am looking forward to putting into practice when I next get time to write. My favorite part of this leg of the trip was the time we got to spend with another lady from our church and her daughter. We stayed in the same house and rode to and from the conference together. Then on Saturday, April 5^th, we all drove home together.

And that brings me to the end of our trip!

Ah, Home!

I thoroughly enjoyed our almost four week long trip, but I am so glad to be home again! We arrived earlier this afternoon and I’m still adjusting to the beautiful green grass and flowering trees here. The next month looks just about as full as it could get, but I do hope to update you on the last leg of our trip, as well as some general reflections and lessons from our trip. May God bless each of you as you meet with His people tomorrow!