I colored

Coloring was always something I loved doing as a child. I would sit for hours and entertain myself with a coloring book and a box of Crayolas. My daughter loves it as much as I did. There is something therapeutic about taking that crisp, white paper and gradually filling it full of bright hues of your choosing.

This past weekend, while I had dirty dishes in my sink, a flower bed in desperate need of attention and ironing that was not going to do itself... I colored. I sat with my daughter and filled in the sections on the paper with the color she told me matched the number. We talked about what we will do on our beach vacation in a few weeks. We laughed as we sat side by side.



 


A memory was made in a four year old's mind as well as one for her mother.
My heart and mind were at peace when I stopped to cherish this moment with her.

I love this quote, and it is such a shame that I've never seen anyone credited with speaking it into existence. Our lives are always going to be filled with chaos and chores, but we can have peace in the midst of these things. We can have peace with a box of crayons and spending 10 minutes to lift up your heart with the little things that seem so small, but are such a great medicine for the tired soul.




Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. Psalm 119:165

My kind of pace

We recently took a family vacation to Branson, Missouri. While I have nothing against all the country shows and entertainment options, let's just say I'm not the first in line to purchase tickets to any of those things. What I do love the most about Branson is the pace of the town. Traffic around showtime is a nightmare, but no one seems to care. Folks will stop to let you in line and wave as they do so. Casual, calm and peaceful. Just the way I like it. Our lives are too filled with hustle and bustle, so the very last thing I want is more of that while on vacation. We stayed in a condo with walking distance to the river, and one of the best times we spent involved our toes in the cold water while we were throwing rocks. My kids loved it!

A jewel of a trip I found was our visit to Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. The park is owned by Bass Pro Shops which is evident throughout with the rustic touches in decor and layout. There are trout filled streams, cool flowing water and plenty of flora and fauna to fill your time. We enjoyed the tram ride through the park with lots of nice stops along the way for photo opportunities. I would have been happy as a clam to have spent the entire vacation here. It was perfect and peaceful!

Life is not meant to be as complicated as we make it. It was not designed to be that way, and that makes it all the more important that we remember to keep our foundation and focus where it is supposed to be so that we can survive the hustle and know the true peace...

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.