It’s the middle of June already.? I set a few goals for the summer and am getting them going.? The garden is planted and we’ve already been eating lettuce, parsley and chives!? Soon, our wild black raspberries will be ready to pick, and some green beans are growing but not ready yet.?? Another goal is to paint the master bedroom.? When we moved into this home over 16 years ago, we saw the dark brown paneling? in the master bedroom and thought, that too, must go…someday.? With the youngest now 15, and our 30th anniversary coming up, I decided this was the year to paint the paneling.

I painted on 2 coats of primer.? That took a bit longer than I thought, but then I only needed to paint one coat of the Couscous color (a soft shade of yellow).? So, the room has a totally new atmosphere and is so much brighter.? I might have 2 of my daughters redecorate using things in the house in the next couple of weeks.? They might need to purchase new curtain rods, though.

Sorting through clothes has been part of the painting project.? I have 4 days before a charity comes to pick up the goods I’m getting ready…5 boxes full and counting.? I did take 2 boxes to a local consignment shop to see if they’d buy anything.? They didn’t, but oh well.? I did try!? We can still get a tax write off for the donations, though.

God is growing me ALOT right now.? It’s painful at times, to grow.? Sometimes it feels like I’m being squished by His big thumb.? But I know deep down in my heart that His ways are not my ways.? His ways are much better, because they are His plan.? He is the awesome Creator.

“…above all keepings; we must keep our hearts with more care and diligence than we keep anything else. We must keep our eyes (Job 31;1), keep our tongues (Ps. 34:13), keep our feet (Eccl. 5:1), but, above all, keep our hearts. A good reason given for this care, because out of it are the issues of life. Out of a heart well kept will flow living issues, good products, to the glory of God and the edification of others. Or, in general, all the actions of the life flow from the heart, and therefore keeping that is making the tree good and healing the springs. Our lives will be regular or irregular, comfortable or uncomfortable, according as our hearts are kept or neglected.”