A Summer Sunset in Salem

We went down to the Salem Willows with some friends a while ago and in between arcade games, I was able to sneak out and catch the sun setting over the harbor... breathtaking! It hit me that this happens every night. Every night there is a gorgeous sunset...and I miss it far too often.

My Weekend Project

...decorating for Vacation Bible School - High Seas Edition! 

 I painted the backdrop for the skit from a canvas drop cloth, spray paint and tempera paint.  Then I used tempera paint and painted ocean, clouds and sea gulls on a bunch of windows in the main lobby.  It was a lot of fun to do and I so wish I could be there to see the kids enjoying it!

Thanks

Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such is a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.
-George Herbert

There is much to be thankful for...

636. the first week of summer camp
637. painting pottery with the boys
638. painting church windows with ocean and clouds
639. summer thunderstorms
640. dinner with Ariel
641. honesty
642. popsicles and saltines
643. small group
644. fun phone calls
645. kind friends and kind offers
646. Brian's birthday date - cruising the Atlantic, breeching whales and ice cream sundays for dinner
647. afternoon naps
648. Brian's guitar/ukulele strumming
649. our baby
650. Successful surgery for Dad, looking like it's the end of this long, hard road.

The Deeps

(a weekly sabbath puritan prayer)

_________________________________________

The Deeps

Lord Jesus, give me a deeper repentance, 

a horror of sin, a dread of its approach. 

Help me chastely to flee it 

and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be Thine alone.

Give me a deeper trust, 

that I may lose myself to find myself in Thee,

 the ground of my rest, the spring of my being.

 Give me a deeper knowledge of Thyself 

as saviour, master, lord, and king. 

Give me deeper power in private prayer,

 more sweetness in Thy Word, more steadfast grip on its truth.

Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action,

 and let me not seek moral virtue apart from Thee.

Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly husbandman, 

that my being may be a tilled field, 

the roots of grace spreading far and wide, 

until Thou alone art seen in me, 

Thy beauty golden like summer harvest, 

Thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.

I have no master but Thee, no law but Thy will, 

no delight but Thyself, no wealth but that Thou givest,

 no good but that Thou blessest, 

no peace but that Thou bestowest. 

I am nothing but that Thou makest me.

 I have nothing but that I receive from Thee.

 I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.

 Quarry me deep, dear Lord, and then fill me to overflowing with living water.

Sea Kettle Studios - Update

Finished!

(Did I tell you that my two students, who are twins, ended up separately picking pictures of the SAME lighthouse to paint!? Such a twin thing to do, right?)

This Moment - The Ultimate Edition!

This Moment:  A moment that I'm pausing to remember and savor...

(Ok, so confession time.  This is a moment from last week but I couldn't post it! 

It was BY FAR the best moment I've had in a loooong while!)

Introducing the Sea Kettle Kid! 


God willing, the baby will be joining us right around Valentines Day....

Joining with SouleMama:

{this moment} - A Friday ritual

Guerilla Photography

So, yesterday when I posted pictures of the wedding I photographed a couple weekends ago, I regretted to inform you of my extreme guerilla photography skills.  The bride's family owns a logging business and of course, a bucket truck.  The mother of the bride thought it would be neat to get a picture of the entire wedding from the bucket.  I didn't really think about the implications until I got there... 

(Did I mention that I am afraid of heights?)

And the results of my bravery and gumption! I guess it was worth it... :)