the gift... {D}

We do not remember the days, we remember the moments...

The next generation...

The latest edition, baby Noah Grace and great gramma...

Our sweet baby girl, Emily Jean and great grandpa...

Dog pile...Summer...Childhood...Memories...

We spent yesterday at my mom and dad's house for a BBQ. I went over early and was able to enjoy a couple of hours with just my parents and oh, how I enjoy that time. Nothing important needs to be said, it's just the time together, just being with them, that does my heart good. Their home is like that, not just to me but to everyone in the family. There is rarely a day through the week, that one of us is not there to eat dinner and watch a little TV or take a quick nap.

This book was a gift of love to them. It represents what they mean, what they provide for our family. It represents their legacy of love to us. It is what I want to provide for my children and grandchildren. It is part of what they will leave with us, in our hearts.

My scripture reading today was John 14. "...I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Sprit, who leads into all truth...When the Father sends the Advocate as my represnetative- that is, the Holy Spirit- he will teach you everthing and will remind you of everthing I have told you. I am leaving you with a gift -peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give, is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." John 14:16-17, 25

I can't think of any greater gift than that of peace of mind and heart. It is what we are all searching for -- safety, security, peace, comfort... What the scripture is saying is that we have all that in the form of the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, our Counselor, our Comforter. He resides within us, he cannot be taken away. He can however be crowded out, confined to a little corner deep within us, when we allow the outside world to take over what he was sent to do. When we allow our bank account to replace him for our security, when we allow our alarm systems to replace him for our safety, when we allow whatever we do in excess to replace him for our comfort. Not that these are all bad things, we are called on to be good stewards of our finances, to watch over the safety and security of our families, but these are worldly forms of peace of mind and each is not fool proof.

True peace of mind comes from resting on God's promises. In knowing him as our Protector, Provider, Sovereign Lord, our Faithful Companion. The Holy Spirit within us is there to remind us of why Jesus came, of what he has already done for us and of what he promises to do for us in the future. This is the true gift. "So don't be troubled or afraid."

Embrace the gift,

Patty

The paper is from Basic Grey-June Bug line, the cardstock book was from Michael's dollar bin, Stamps are Unity, the doo dads are from my stash.