New hydrangea bush, planted yesterday – still blooming and so am I.

“Revenge, lust, ambition, pride, and self-will are too often exalted as the gods of man’s idolatry; while holiness, peace, contentment, and humility are viewed as unworthy of a serious thought.”  Charles Spurgeon
My eyes survey our little house.  It’s charming simplicity is precisely what we need at this time of life.  In a few months we’ll become 75 and with that comes a stage where life slows down, things are unimportant, and everything that is important takes on new meaning.

With each new touch we add to this place, it becomes more and more ours.  The smallest things, like adding a towel ring, place mats, a bush to dress up the front of the house – all creating a space that defines who we are.

So far, my very outgoing husband, has introduced himself to the entire block.  Yesterday he met a couple of brothers who have inhabited the neighborhood since they were young lads.  One of them told my husband that he remembers old Judge Campbell living in our house many years ago.  Apparently he was a crusty old guy who told them ,”If you set one foot on my property, I’ll cut off your thumbs and put ’em in my soup.”  Funny the things you find out when you talk to folks.

We’ve been big city dwellers for quite a while and now reside in a small town.  My work load is coming to an end and I’m beginning to unwind from the stress and hard work of moving.  This morning we took my car into the mechanic, went to register and early vote and took a stroll along the river.  It wasn’t even 9 AM when we arrived home.

As I sit here writing my blog, I’m actually beginning to relax.  It’s remarkable how much stress we needlessly place on ourselves.  We concentrate often on making ends meet, without enjoying the ends.  We stretch ourselves to the limit and don’t even realize how totally disconnected we’ve become.  Priorities change and the people in your life become more significant.

Today I can see contentment just around the corner – not by anything I’m doing, but by the grace of God who is blessing my life in countless ways.  Today is the first day of the rest of my life and I can’t wait for the journey to unfold.

“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.of my life.”

2nd Corinthians 12:10