Sunday Sentiments

 

Ryan and I just arrived home yesterday after a couple of days away with my family. We hit the ground running when we came home, trying to get all the house chores caught up and things prepared for the week to come, so I haven't sorted through any of my pictures yet. I'll get to them...I promise.

The weekend was about celebrations. My dad and one of my sisters both have milestone birthdays this year, and my parents will celebrate their 68th anniversary next weekend. So the weekend was full of all the things you might expect: parties and cake and pictures and time together.

But for me, the weekend was also about worship, and I was grateful for it. 

My sisters and I had a little bit of a pre-celebration, and part of that included a boat ride. (My sister owns a pontoon, so her husband treated us to a lake cruise.) You know how I love the lake, and it's been years since we've gone. After Ryan's mom died, our annual family trips to the lake ceased. We miss the water. We miss the boat rides. I miss how close I feel to the Lord when that water is lapping the side of the boat.

I tried to be aware of conversations and paying attention to the family time I was supposed to be part of, but my mind was a hundred miles away as I stared across the water and soaked in the joy of being back out there in my most favorite place. 

I took a few pictures to remind myself later of how much I loved it. It was pure joy, and I could have spent hours more out there.

Then on Saturday night, most of the family went to a concert together (a first for us!) and that whole night was one piece of worship after another.

We went to see the Collingsworth family, and I enjoyed every single moment. 

They sang some of my favorite old hymns and they sang new songs (some I knew, and some I didn't). They shared pieces of their stories, and even though I knew some of those stories from following them on social media, I still got caught up in the wonder of how God has worked in their lives.

It was a really beautiful and special night that I'm still pondering in my heart.

Friday night, Ryan and I went for a walk around town (we were in Shipshewana) with Lori and Jeff, and God painted THE most beautiful sunset for us to enjoy. I tried not to lose sight of it as we made our way around town. 

There was so much more to the weekend, but I am especially grateful today for these things. They will always be dear to me.