Can you see the heart that my husband is pointing to in this fence?  Well I sure did….the minute he produced this work of art for my new booth!  Amazing, that man is!

And more than that, he challenges me daily with his wise counsel.  So this week, in the throws of some pretty rough stuff (health issues, work issues, nearly slicing my thumb off at work today), I needed and heeded his wisdom….”Let it settle, Connie.”  I was reminded of I Peter 5:10 which says:  “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.”

Settle me, Lord.

I have just walked away from a sink full  of dirty dishes to write here tonight.  I can count on one hand the times I have left dishes overnight….three times, with tonight being the third.  You see, I hate a mess on the start of a new day.  But tonight, I want to write, then my pillow is calling me so that I can get up at 4:15 in the morning.

Settle me, Lord.  Make me steadfast to do what You have called me to do….be who You have called me to be.

So today….this is where my “calling” led me…

My new booth space!  This is definitely the place I am supposed to be, as evidenced by a gentleman that I met there today.  I’m not sure of his age, but he was walking with a walker, and loved telling stories about his life.  And I loved the gleam in his eye as things such as this brought out a good story…

Pick anything here and a story evolved from his lips and his life…the apron, the syrup bottles, even the apple crates.

We talked about the fence…and where he grew up…and I notice…the fence still bears the outline of the heart…can you see it there in the middle?!?  But it’s the concrete birds perched on top that make me laugh….I can almost hear their song bursting forth.

Don’t miss the birdbath-turned-table behind the fence.  It’s probably my favorite “out of the box” item displayed here this month.

So if you know me at all, you know I only put things in my booth that I love and would want in my own home.  And this painting is one of those items.  Seen first in my son and daughter-in-law’s home, it makes me stop and pause to think of the romance of this young couple….and the servitude of their accompanying companions.  Ah…both spark a light in me.  Which am I?  The servant, or the one being swept off my feet by my One true Love?  I guess it depends on the day, to be honest…

My other son is a lover of giraffes. They, too, make me smile as they bring me remembrance of him. My children are among my greatest gifts…

With my youngest son’s wedding on the horizon, my hunt was fueled to find insulators like the ones used to make this lamp in order to make some beautiful candlelight for his rehearsal dinner tables.  So naturally, this lamp spoke to me, but not just of the one son….the top is a grease funnel!  And my oldest son has dreamed of being an auto mechanic for as long as he could spell the word grease.  So this piece was a must for my space.  If it doesn’t soon find a new home, I am sure it will end up back in mine!

As is my style, everything in my booth space is for sale, and everything evokes some positive sentiment in me.  These swirl mugs seem to invite me to a cup of hot chocolate around our wood stove.  Would they hold your tea, your coffee, your jellybeans?!?

So these flowers out of place (otherwise termed weeds) stopped me as I drove home from my new booth space today.  Literally.  As in –  I stopped my car, stopped traffic, rolled down my window to take this shot.  Why?  Because they were absolutely breathtakingly beautiful swaying in the wind.  And I love a good surprise.

Settle me, Lord.

For a brief moment in time, I was settled.  Happy to take in this view.  Happy to know and remember that  God has a purpose for the weeds in my life.  And even those seemingly uncontrollable weeds can be beautiful to the beholding eye.  I dare you to stop and allow God to settle you in His world of purpose and perfect peace.  You might be surprised, as I was, at the beauty of it all.

Blessings –

~Connie