Weddings...

The theme for this weekend is weddings.

Saturday I went to a wedding open house. Laura's daughter Marcey married 3 weeks ago on a cruise ship in Florida. The garden reception was lovely, relaxed, informal with plenty of time to visit, look at photos and albums and wish the happy couple well as they begin their new life together in St Petersburg, Florida.  A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon!

The theme continues as I wistfully think of another friend who is getting married today on a beach in Florida. She had reached a place in her life where she never expected to marry. Life is filled with the unexpected! I'm so happy for Heather and can't wait to see pictures!

My own wedding memories stir. Today would have been our 29th wedding anniversary. I am choosing to remember all the goodness and know we are forever connected in spirit.

And....we are in the middle of planning my daughters wedding. My aim is to enjoy the journey, not get stressed and pray for a beautiful beginning to a long and happy marriage. It's all good, even when the plans change. Joy, all joy!

So, today, as I think of weddings past, present and future I remember these words from our wedding...

Where you go, I will go.
Where you lodge, I will lodge.
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
~~from the Book of Ruth

In loving memory

I lament the life of an outdoor cat. Feral cats are a sad situation. I have tamed cats, intending to give them a home only to find out they are too sick to keep. If they are not ill then they risk dying from hit and run drivers. This was the case with my brother's cat. He called it Scaredy Cat. It was hit by a car on Sunday.
My heart aches for the sad lives of feral cats.

Community of Believers

People tell me they don't need to go to church. They tell me they pray, believe in God, and try to be a good person. And this is enough for them.   In my life, I know this for sure: when I skip church I feel disconnected from the source of my strength, peace and faith and feel more than a little worn down by the world around me. I cannot sustain my faith alone.   If I didn't go to church I would have missed seeing the dark haired, smiling girl who seems to come out of nowhere at the exact moment I'm reaching for the top shelf at the grocery store. I think she's a cashier….and my own personal top shelf reacher.   At church, she sat behind me. We shook hands, wishing each other peace then we both smiled in recognition. She nodded and said "Superstore! I knew you looked familiar!"   Her smile is like sunshine, pure sunshine.   If I didn't go to church I would have missed seeing my favourite barista from Starbucks playing guitar and leading the choir along with his 2 brothers. He just happened to be filling in that Sunday for Josh. He is the one who will win you over by reaching out the drive thru window to shake your hand, introducing himself and inquiring how your day was going.   At church, we caught each others gaze and I walked over to meet him after mass. We shook hands, wishing each other peace then we both smiled in recognition. He nodded and said "Soy Latte!" He knew I looked familiar.   He makes a very caring cup of coffee and sings with joy.   In a city of 200,000 people, I am part of a community of believers. I see them on Sunday.

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Explore. Dream. Discover.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ~ Mark Twain

Reading Links

Did you know there are penguins in South Africa? (scroll down on that post to see the cutest penguin) I have neglected some of my favorite blogs and as usual there is lots happening. I feel kind of lazy when I read what others are doing. So I shall challenge myself. And do a little more. Here is just a few of the blogs I like....there's more in the "followers" file on the sidebar, and more links down below. Kristiapplesauce. Feeding Kids. Gluten Free in Georgia and Florida Biscuit Nathan Bradford Literary Agent Just a few a the blogs I enjoy reading. There's a dozen more but I'm going to step away from the keyboard now and live my life. It's the long weekend!!! Happy Labour Day Weekend!

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