Springtime at Our Country Estate! (And a short discourse on freckles)

Hello! For those of you who live nearish us, isn't the weather glorious? The past few days have been hot and humid, but this morning, it seems as if all Heaven broke loose and beauty was showered down upon us! :) There is a rougish breeze that wrecks havoc in your hair but makes you smile just the same, the woods and field over the way is painted in wonderous shades of green, the air is laden with the smells of sweet-grass and jessamine, and the countryside in general has a "Kentish" appearance, complete with blossoming trees. I am once again revelling in flowers to my hearts content (I only feel half-alive without flowers somewhere about) and wearing them nearly everyday. Dad always laughs at me because I always end up wearing pollen all over my nose, from smelling all the blossoms I pick! :) The mimosa grove is carpeted with white violets, and I am just glad to be alive today! I hope to take a very long walk with Matthew today, if he consents! I wish I had a camera that could do the beauty justice, but I don't so you shall have to be content with a word picture! :) Now, least I bore you to death with my raptures... ;)
Sarah will on here soon, posting about her misadventures with the goats. I am about to go out and help Mama plant our garden. I feel like being out o' doors today, and so I must fly! No time to be stooping over a keyboard on the computer! :) I will go outside, hang up a great big basketfull of laundry, and then go barefoot. By the end of the day I'll probably be enveloped in the fresh outside smell, the roses will be bright in my cheeks, and I'll be freckled as a leopard. I only get freckles on my nose, and they blotch. :( Maybe I should try lemon juice? ;) I'm not worried about it though. Who can care about freckles when there is a world of God's brilliant creation to rejoice with? Woe is my complexion, but happy am I! :)
-Rachel

When I Consider The Heavens

I am often overwhelmed when I think of the blessing we have, in being made in the image of God. The Lord created so many amazing things, and yet only we are made in His image. Isn't that wonderful? The reason that thought came into my head, is because I was thinking of what a joy it is to be able to sing. I thought about the birds. They can sing alright! They can sing better than I, and yet, they can't enjoy it in the same way I can! A bird could not experience the same feeling that I do when I sing the last verse of "In Christ Alone":

"No guilt in life,

No fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me!

From life's first cry,

To final death

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell,

No scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand,

Till He returns, or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand."

Birds sing, because that is nearly the only noise they can make. I sing, because it gives me pleasure, and it is a way I can praise my Creator. And you know what? I think Jesus smiles when he sees me enjoying those sorts of things. I mean, singing is not necessary. He could just have easily left out whatever part of me it is that can sing. Smelling and tasting is not necessary. But He wanted me to be able to eat and enjoy His wonderful fruits and vegetables. Even seeing colors is not strictly necessary. I mean, couldn't God have just made the sky gray. And the trees black. And me a faded shade of brown. And the grass charcoal? But our Lord and Master is so awesome and tender and considerate, that He decided to paint the sky a glorious blue, and the grass an emerald green, and me several different colors! :) And God didn't stop there! He invented iridescent feathers on birds, so that everything would coordinate nicely! :) Bluebirds aren't really blue you know, but who can resist smiling when you see one swoop down like a shred of sky onto the lawn? I can't.

I guess this is sort of a strange post, with me digressing on rather small things, but....I do feel that it is dreadfully important to not take these small things for granted. I know, that one of my biggest fears would be to go blind. So I make up for that by absorbing and praising God for each and every shred of color I see! ;) But really, even though it sounds terribly trivial and trite, I see the wisdom in that old saying "take time to smell the roses". Or at least, to recognize the beauty of the dew on the grass, or the way the buttercup petals look like fans mined out of gold! -Rach