Windy days....

If you like the wind, you'll understand this post. If not, well, you're out of luck. But, I digress....

Today I went for a walk and it's very, very windy out today. The sun is sort of shining behind lots of puffy and fluffy clouds. You know, the kind that look like cotton balls. The sky behind the clouds is a mixture of pure blue and light gray, as a storm system is on it's way ready to dump buckets of rain on us tomorrow.

I happen to love the wind. Especially on days like today. I like to close my eyes, outstretch my arms and such peace envelopes me. I don't get to experience windy days often, so I reveled in it today. The wind, although invisible, whips around me and washes away so many things. It washes away doubt, fear, pain, troubles of all kind and leaves me feeling so refreshed.

I believe the wind when I experience it like that is the Holy Spirit and He speaks to me in ways others just cannot understand. I am grateful for these times as I feel momentary peace. Just like my loved ones in Heaven must feel all the time. What a relief and what a load off of me when I realize that one day I will get to feel the relief of all my troubles for eternity, not just momentarily.

The wind also reminds me of my innermost feelings that I want to release and am never quite sure how or where or why. The wind today was gusty and quite fierce at times. Just like my screams on the inside, and my anger and frustration and my pain. Oh, how I wish I could use the force behind the wind to get out the force of my inner feelings. And in walking in the wind, I get to do just that, let it all fall out and let the wind carry it far, far away. Remember, the wind is the Holy Spirit, so He is very capable of taking all I need Him to take from me. The heavy load of my hardest days. The amputation of loved ones lost. He can heal it all, my friends.

So, today, thank you God for the wind. Thank you for my encounter with you. May it carry me through today, still one day at a time.

peace and love,
toni

Happy Fall Y'all!

Well, fall is really starting to kick in around our house. Here are some pictures to keep us all in the mood - considering it's 85 degrees today! Good grief Charlie Brown.....great pumpkin anyone?

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!

Well, well, well.....I guess I'm officially 34 years old! Not too long ago, that seemed ancient to me. But, here I am and don't really feel any differently than I did at 33 yesterday. In fact, when I woke up this morning, I told Jay, "Oh no, I forgot to enjoy being 33 last night!" Funny, huh?

Jay and I went to Tea at Seven Springs and had full parlor tea today. It was so yummy! We had delicious finger sandwiches, scones, desserts and hot and iced tea. It was a fun date in the middle of the day while the kids where in school. Thank you to so many of you that mailed me a birthday card. This is the most I've gotten in a very long time. These last three days I've had so much fun going to the mailbox in anticipation of what would be in there. In fact, I got 4 cards in one day yesterday!

Amber and Emma gave me candy corn (a weakness of mine at this time of year) and two funny musical cards and Jay gave me a new pair of pajamas - woo hoo! Grammy and Amy will be coming over this weekend and we'll have dinner and a yummy cake that Grammy is making. I can't wait to sink my teeth into it. Early on Saturday we are going to Ellijay to get apples, apple cider, fried apple pies, etc. and then we are off to a real pumpkin patch farm. The girls are really excited and I'm looking forward to some fun family time.

I'll post more birthday photos later, but below are two of the cutest ones ever! One morning this week, I went in to wake up the kids for school and this is how sweet and angelic they look right before I woke them up. Notice how Amber is sleeping on her teddy bear "Whitey". How sweet! The other one is me having a cupcake with the girls today.

peace and love,
toni