Hello, friends!✨
Well…it’s not the first day of autumn, but now that it’s September, I’m letting myself pretend it’s autumn. It has taken discipline, but now my inner Winnie-the-Pooh is going to fully enjoy the chilly, hot chocolate-y mornings.
But August was a lovely month…
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8
Things worth remembering…
- weather cool enough to open windows
- FaceTiming with my brothers
- overcooking a sweet potato in the microwave
- playing “Blessed Be Your Name” with my little sisters
- flowers and a thoughtful note on my front steps after a long week
- sunrise walks
- a celebratory anniversary dinner
- young adult Bible studies
- spending a couple of weeks with a dear friend
- seeing Beauty Even Here in print for the first time
- building a castle (a small one, uninhabitable) with a cousin
- walking to the post office
- meeting my brother’s new puppy (a.k.a. falling in love)
- watching The Fellowship of the Ring for the very first time
- reading more consistently
- timely sermons
- conversations with friends
- Beauty Even Here releasing (!!!)
- a pumpkin white mocha😍(I broke my “no fall things until September vow” just for release day)
- driving with my grandma
We all long for Eden and are constantly glimpsing it: our whole nature is soaked with the sense of exile.
J.R.R. Tolkien
What I’ve been reading…
Little Men – Louisa May Alcott
“That’s why we made them for you,” cried Tommy, standing on his head as the most appropriate way of expressing his emotions.
I’m so glad one of my sisters recommended this book to me…it is such a joy!! Louisa May Alcott’s writing style is one of my favorites, and this is just such a jovial yet heartfelt story. It’s also really sweet to see the characters from Little Women as more mature adults. I’m savoring every minute of it.
Fantastic Mr. Fox – Roald Dahl
Well, that was an hour or so of my life that I won’t get back…
It was an amusing light read. Even if the story itself wasn’t great, Roald Dahl has such a funny way of putting things.
The Pursuit of God – A.W. Tozer
…now begins the glorious pursuit, the heart’s happy exploration of the infinite riches of the Godhead.
This is my third time through this book, and what a delight it is! I’ve written down so many quotes from it in my journal over the years.
Unblemished – Sara Ella
This entire time I’ve been closing myself off from love, but it’s been the solution all along. I’ve built walls at every turn. No more.
Oof. YA isn’t my genre, but I was fascinated by the concept of this story (a slight Beauty and the Beast retelling) and had some audiobook hours to use. I didn’t go into it knowing it was a TRILOGY, and now the epilogue might twist my arm into braving the rest of the teenage angst and listening to the rest of the audiobooks. (Love triangles exasperate me, though, so we’ll see what happens, hehe.)
A Christmas Memory – Truman Capote
The mill owner’s wife persists. “A dollar, my foot! Fifty cents. That’s my last offer. Goodness, woman, you can get another one.” In answer, my friend gently reflects: “I doubt it. There’s never two of anything.”
My grandma lent me an illustrated version of this short story, and goodness sakes…don’t read it if you don’t want an emotional ending! It’s beautiful, though…a skillfully written recollection (I realized halfway through that it’s autobiographical!) of a bittersweet childhood Christmas with all of the feels.
Don’t you know that your Father in heaven
from “lilies and sparrows” by Jess Ray
knows just what you’re needing?
seek Him first and everything else
that you need will be given
don’t you see, He loves you much more
than the lilies and sparrows
come and rest
don’t waste a day being scared of tomorrow.
From the journal…
My times are in Your hand, and it is a strong, wise, loving one. ❤
Lord, thank You that these trials do not need to define me the way Satan wants them to. He wants to use them to harden my heart, sharpen my tongue, weaken my mind and resolve. When I walk through them with You, You will use them to soften my hard edges, tune my ear to Your voice, sharpen my eye for Your heart and Your goodness. What a gift, Father…may I be faithful to steward it well.
God formed us for His pleasure, and so formed us that we, as well as He, can, in divine communion, enjoy the sweet and mysterious mingling of kindred personalities. He meant us to see Him and live with Him and draw our life from His smile.
A.W. Tozer
❤ Laurel
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Laurel Luehmann 