happiness is....

With Evelyn Joy...

Happiness...it's a feeling of elation, it's an excellent outlook on life, it's knowing that all is right in your world. Wait...is it really? Here's the thing...sometimes I fell really happy,and sometimes I find myself letting the cares of this world weigh on me. In each and every thing that happens, there is a victory that can be won if we are willing to let God take the reigns, and fight against our sin. It's wrong to backbite. It's wrong to call someone a rhymes-with-witch. It's wrong to be offended and angry and spiteful and vengeful. We know this. Yet...something like a simple phone call can stir up so much in us. What do we do then? Just give in to sin? Just get mad, who cares? No one can see my thoughts, so does it matter?

It matters. When Jesus come back, he will come for those who have oil in their lamps. That oil comes from faithfulness in the hidden, where no one can see but him.

Being faithful in each and ever thing, no matter how small, brings happiness. God blesses us when we are kind, especially when we are very very tempted to be mean.

My daughter Margaret is home from Norway!!! It is SO good to have her here. It's been too long. I told her that I realize that now instead of just the four teenage girls in the house, there will be five again (she's 19)(they are 19, 18, almost 17, 15,14). One more added to the mix of hormones and tempers, but also the laughing and silliness and friendship and fun. :)


Our wild back yard...the yard behind the back yard, looking out from the garden.


It still amazes me when we actually get stuff from the garden.


What? We can just walk out to the side garden and get tomatoes?


The sweet corn, tomatoes, green peppers, and summer squash are all from our gardens.

The morning has gone by too fast, the day is slipping by and I have things to do. Sonja K. has her knee surgery tomorrow. I have tons of laundry to do from being at the camper for the week, lots is already hanging out to dry. Miss Lydia Eleanor was here last night, that baby is almost a year old! The pool didn't turn green when we were gone, and the garden survived. I gained a few vacation pounds, right after I got back to my pre-June vacation weight, just joy.

But we had an excellent time, and now I must go enjoy my day:)