None of my portraits of Michelle have ever been given her stamp of approval. So why start now? (Maybe she won’t see this post.) Tonight I am grateful for Michelle’s selfless nature that draws our family together and blesses many along her path. Her selflessness has been a great tutor for me over the years. I give thanks for all of the goodness that is part of her being, all of the goodness that she shares so freely with others. 

More and more I am learning to appreciate God’s beautiful art work, scattered across the earth. I love the beautiful scene is this photo. It breaks the traditional photographic rule of not having the horizon in the middle of an image. But in this case the abberation from the rule seems to work well with the beautiful reflection showing off a colorful symmetry between the upper and lower parts of the image.

I am grateful for Michelle’s desires to be self-sufficient. It is a life-long journey of learning, experimenting, and filtering out the best processes. She recently taught a class on making strawberry jam. It was a very simple but delicious recipe that was easy to replicate. Yes, you can buy it in the store but there is something special about making it yourself, not to mention the great taste of homemade food items. 

At times, decisions in life seem very complicated. So many options to choose from and so many roads to travel. Yet when the smoke clears, when we really step back and take our personal agenda out of the equation, often the decisions seem more simple and clear. This requires a humble heart and the ability to do what God wants, not what we want. He knows what we most need. Why do we sometimes feel like we have to be in charge? I am grateful for His patient and quiet guidance. 

Michelle has often commented on her gratitude for having sons that enjoy being together. They are good friends and enjoy playing and hanging out together. Their friendship seems to transcend any differences in age, one of those barriers that might inhibit friendships in the expected stratification of our society. I too am grateful for the bonds of brotherhood and friendship that draw our sons together.