I like to make this little spot on the Web a happy place.  A place where people can come and know that beauty comes in small packages and those packages come by daily delivery.  But I must confess…last week was awful.  Plain awful.  I started a new work project that left me frazzled.  The boys seemed to be walking the line of questionable behavior all week (Most certainly because I was distracted and frustrated, and they were craving my full attention).  But that’s what I love about Sundays.  Each one feels like a brand new start.  I clean myself up for a morning worship service, spend a little time with my God who reminds me through his Word that I’m okay, I’m better than okay!  I’m loved, renewed, and reborn.  Sunday is its own New Years Day!  So put on your party hats and throw some confetti.  I’m going to begin this day with a new attitude and a new resolve to commit to what matters.

Of course, it helps that I had a wonderful Father-Daughter day in the country.  Boy, did my soul need that!  Dad and I took Dad’s “v-bottom” fishing boat on the river from about 11am to 4pm, and then we came home and took a quick three mile bicycle ride.  Five hours on the water positively flew by, but they left plenty of time for conversation.  We try to do a Father-Daughter day each summer, usually right before the start of school.  This year’s outing was delayed a bit, but truly the timing was perfect.  The weather turned dramatically cooler on Friday night after a big storm brought in a cold front, so it felt like autumn.  The sky was cloudy, but sun peaked through to warm us from time to time.  With the cool weather, we had the river to ourselves on a weekend that is usually swarming with boaters, skiers, and Jet Ski riders.  Dad “wet a line” along our journey, and I played with my camera and soaked in the quiet.

Afterward, my little family and my parents went out for pizza.  It was a great one-day vacation.

(And don’t forget to take a look at www.rhythmofthehome.com!)