These blooms.
They are JOY in my everyday this week.
And?
Fourteen years ago they were the first whisper in my ear…to the tune of “welcome home” when we pulled up to this address with our realtor…in search of a fresh start.
These petals welcomed us up the driveway in May, 2007 to what we hoped would be our new beginning.
I was 26 and Shawn (my husband) was just about to turn 31. We were coming out of a really difficult time and ready to put down our roots…now that we had rooted our marriage in the Lord.
At that time, it was just the two of us and our sweet Lab, Sadee looking for the home we hoped and prayed that we would eventually bring our babies home to.
Praise God.
The babies came.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
James 1:17 NIV
And now when we walk up the driveway, these peonies remain in their steadfast role of the proud welcoming committee…along with the rainbow chalk art from the 3 little babies who are not so much babies anymore.
Can you tell that I love these flowers?
To me, they are not just flowers or pretty landscape.
We had actually used peonies as the main flower in our wedding arrangements in 2005.
To me, they are a symbol of the power of second chances, fresh starts and how far we have come from taking that first step of faith in writing a new chapter in our story.
They hold a very special place in my heart.
And?
When I see them begin to grow their round tightly balled up buds…
I get excited.
Because I know things are about to bust open and…get good.
Want to know another reason why I love this exact flower bush?
We used these same peonies to make bouquets last year, when we decided to re-create our wedding ceremony to celebrate our 15 year anniversary.
Our daughters had never seen me in my wedding dress and this wedding re-enactment was completely their idea from start to finish.
So?
I obliged their requests, squeezed into my wedding gown, hired the amazingly talented Desiree Ortman Photography and we did the thing.
Just us.
Can I tell you something?
This little idea from our 3 daughters that turned into a real thing that we followed through on just for fun?
It was better than our actual wedding day.
The purity.
The simplicity of flowers from our yard.
The JOY of tossing my bouquet of peonies to our 3 daughters and hearing them squeal in delight?
I didn’t want it to end.
You can see more pictures from our 15 year wedding anniversary photo shoot last year and read more about our story here in this blog post.
God is good friends.
So yes.
These blooms?
They have special meaning to me.
They are what you would call…pretty special.
And so, I have delighted in cutting a few fresh stems nearly every day this week.
While we are not making junior bridesmaid bouquets this year…I am joyfully filling every room in the house with these symbolic blooms.
Do you want to know what else I have for us today that is pretty special?
These beautifully illustrated scripture cards by the talented artist, Emily Lex.
You may remember that I am a huge fan of Emily Lex’s Watercolor for Kids virtual art classes.
In fact, many of you gifted your children and grandchildren Emily’s watercolor course as a gift this past Christmas. (Her class makes a wonderful birthday gift to for your little budding artist.)
All three of our daughters (ages 7-12) have enjoyed Emily’s watercolor classes as part of our homeschool curriculum. Simply log in and paint at your convenience and Emily’s step by step painting instructions make it super easy to follow along.
I have even joined in on the fun…turns out it has been a huge stress reliever!
Quite simply, everything Emily produces is delightful and her newly released Truth for Today scripture cards for kids are another source of pure joy this week.
I have always loved her adult version of the Truth for Today scripture cards.
The truth is…
that the Truth is the detail every room in your home needs.
In fact, I have one Truth pictured below in this gold floating frame sitting on my kitchen counter as a soothing reminder of peace when things get a little hot in the kitchen.
Amen?
These newly released Truth for Today scripture cards for kids are the perfect finishing touch of room decor for your children’s bedroom.
(AND make a perfect gift for your favorite graduate about to head out into the great wide open!)
Pop one in a 4X4 frame shown above for your little princess or gently lean one on a shelf as a reminder to your pre-teen.
Friends…there is so much heavy out there that would love to bring us down.
In fact, things don’t even have to get heavy…they can just be mundane.
The truth is the daily grind can sometimes be enough to threaten our joy if were not careful.
In fact, while I was splicing together this IG reel earlier this week I was convicted during the making of it, to see the joy in the mili-seconds of the middle mundane minutes of our everyday.
Filming this little “30 seconds of my day” led me to reminding myself to exchange all of those:
“I have to’s”
into
“I get to’s.”
I am so thankful for these beautiful little 4×4 cards to help keep us on track, and be mindful about where our minds and eyes are going when it’s so easy to get spun up in the hamster wheel of life.
Total aside – have you been into Target this week?
SO many beautiful faux plants by Hilton Carter.
I picked this little artificial guy up (pictured below) by Threshold for just $10. Perfect as a topper for book decor and in this case, accompanied with a Truth for Today for Kids card.
Oh friend, there are so many great uses for these new scripture cards by Emily Lex.
Whether you are eyeing up the adult version or kids version or both (I say go with both) you will be delighted with the quality, joy and most importantly the TRUTH they bring inside every room in your home and to others.
A few more ideas for uses:
- Set on your nightstand
- Tape to your bathroom mirror
- Keep them in your car
- Use as a bookmark
- Tie to a gift as a tag
- Share with a friend
Friend…whether it’s the simplicity of looking at something in the backdrop of your life and seeing it with fresh eyes, as a symbol of faith and a gentle reminder of how far you have come.
Or it is being intentional about what you are fixing your eyes to by ordering a set of your own Truth for Today scripture cards to help you begin to commit God’s truth to your memory…I pray that you feel God’s presence come close.
“The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.”
Nahum 1:7 NLT
Don’t miss that last sentence.
He is close to those who trust in Him.
If you want to feel God come close to you today…tell Him that you trust Him.
Over time, I am willing to bet that your landscape of life will begin to look different.
For me…the flowers in the driveway are no longer the only joy-filled welcoming committee.
God has a way of keeping His promises.
He will build where your faith takes root.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
Father God,
You are my creator, redeemer, healer and savior.
You have showed me such great love and yet I confess that there are days when I still get lost in the muddy and mundane minutes and choose things that do not matter instead of you.
Please forgive me and help me delight in You above all else. Align my heart with yours, help me to see joy in the everyday and help me to continue to build my life around You.
Amen.
Living on a prayer,
Heather
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Exclusive BOGO offer for the Truth for Today Cards for Adults HERE.
Order Truth for Today Cards for Kids HERE.
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Love these inspiring inspiration cards. Thanks so much for sharing.
Can you also share the source of your Oceans lyrics sign in your kitchen?
Hi Vicki! Thank you so much! You would love the Truth for Today cards! They are so much fun to swap out and display! I wish I could send you a link to the Oceans sign…a friend of mine custom made this for me on my request and sadly she no longer is in the farmhouse sign making business. But perhaps you could find someone on Etsy or local to request a custom made sign like I did?
these reminders help my mind when equipment breaks,dogs die and higher temperatures make me to sit on a log…
.
So much love and hugs to you. XO