Really. Challenging. Week.  But I've made it to Friday and am home enjoying what I'd hope to keep a very simple life and home.  Nothing like explaining and helping my children through real life drama. I expect a call from Jerry Springer any moment, but I promise not to answer the phone. At the end of the day, I feel like justice wins.  It's not always like that, but I will take it when it's offered.
 
And on a completely different note..

In the ordinary, I am taking a class on parables offered by a gentle teacher.  This week we studied the weeds and the wheat.  It's probably been there all the time for others, but some meaning went deep inside me as we pondered. 

1.  The wheat, God's people, could not withstand to be near the weeds being uprooted and destroyed in the days before harvest.  Somehow, this might destroy the good in us.  Could we bear to see evil ripped away without it hurting us to see it happen?  Wouldn't we question the goodness of the One who made us if we had to watch full on justice?   In His great gentleness, He allows both good and evil to come to harvest and does the sorting in the end. 

2. Sometimes evil and good look so very similar.  IOver time, this similarity will be one day be undone with the bearing of fruit.

3.   This parable shows us suffering is best gone through rather than avoided.

Pooh Bear announced Thursday that she'd removed the all the contents from under her bed, in her closet, and in drawers and had put them in the middle of her floor for me to sort.  I've always helped my children dejunkify a few times a year, but this was the first time a child initiated.  I thanked her and told her I'd get to it when the time was right. Inwardly, I calculated hours of service to the project.  She mentioned, "Mom, there is no room to walk in my room.  Won't you do it now?"
My reply, "Not tonight, Love.  Going to my class.  I'll get to it soon."  Yesterday was the day to get down to it.  I spent six solid hours weeding clothes, hair bows, headbands, jewelery, stuffed animals, barbies, art projects and supplies, books, littlest pet shops, doll clothes, and keepsakes.  I came up with three full trash bags and two rubbermaid containers of give-aways.  She was left with only one rubbermaid box of special toys and some prized stuffed animals given to her as presents.  I'm so proud of how she lets go of things so easily.

Thankfully, it's never been a battle with any of my children.  When they were too little to be willing to part with things, I did cleaning while they were away.  Only once did I make a terrible mistake.  I got rid of a truck that looked like a dinosaur (only to my son, Wise One)- and he loved dinosaurs more than life.  A few years ago, Wise One gave his entire dinosaur collection, kit and kaboodle, to a dear little boys who was astonished at such a great blessing.

I'm proud of my givers.  I think it will serve them well the rest of their lives.
 

I warned that these posts would not be in form....but I must write

Patches, the one-eyed cat, passed away yesterday.  For a few weeks he's looked like he was wasting away, and God, in His Great Mercy, let Patches go from any suffering.  Buck found him barely breathing and asked  anyone who wanted said goodbyes though  Peace and Wise One were hiking Mt. LeConte with friends and did not have this chance.  Patches is buried under a new raised garden bed in the back yard.  We wanted even Patches' death to mean new life. 

After the boys returned from their three day hike, we celebrated Derby Day with old friends at Svetlana and Baryshinkov's home.  Applause to Calvin.  Again.

After the party, I found my car had been a victim of a hit-and-run.  Things get broken.  Things get fixed.


 
This morning at church I could not stop tears when a dear old friend, whom I consider a living and breathing saint, text read scripture.  Before he read he spoke.

"I know commentary is frowned upon during this  part of the liturgy.  But, folks, you really want to listen to this.  It's so good.  You're going to love it."

He proceeded to proclaim from The Revelation as if it were now and today.  The thing which touched me so deeply was that when I read this particular scripture about the Coming of Christ and the elders falling at His Precious Feet in my own studies, I'd always pictured this man in my imagination being of the elders bowing at the throne.  It was a moment of Heaven touching Earth for me personally.

Planted tomatoes, peppers, marigolds, snap dragons, basil, oregano and a white crepe myrtle from Stanley's this afternoon in the raised beds.  Gotta plant bean, squash, and zinnia seeds soon.

And a happy elopement and honeymoon to my sister and her new husband.  Best wishes.