The Colors Between Black and White

pajama days are a must

The black and white is that I'm sick. The grey is only knowing the symptoms and having no known cause.

The black and white is that I'm mostly housebound. The grey is in how much my immune system can withstand a crowd or an outing.

The black and white is what we've discovered for healing so far. The grey is in all the little things like foods, environment, and lifestyle that we now test to see effect. 

The black and white is that I'm exhausted. The grey is in sporadic energy bursts.

Oh, but the colors. These are what make the hard days worth journeying. God's love warms me and reminds me how full of color this season is. All the colorful wrapping I get to tear off His everyday gifts for me. The iridescent small wonders that surprise. The rich vibrant little joys that greet me. Even in the chaos.

The unplanned schedules.

The forced rest.

The slowing down.

The 'at my own pace'.

All these are gifting me with discovering creative ways to live life fully as best as I can. No comparing.

  

I would never have discovered photography, writing, new ways of cooking, or new foods. 

I would've never realized how much I love and thrive in solitude. 

A day out and about...just the 3 of us

The peace I unwrap in these slow days. 

Trusting God in new ways.
The encouragers that speak into my heart. 

Comfortable silence...never would've thought I'd like it! Even crave it.

Time for reflection and devotions.

The friends I've made online and in my neighborhood ... My favorite playgrounds. 

Books and sitting still.

And really noticing, being in the moment.

Nothing is perfect here in our home. We have more challenges than we'd  like. But, love for each other is being strengthened. Being challenged to live out of my inner-man calm.

Can I ask that you keep praying for my health and well-being? I'll definitely be praying for you all as well. I praise God for your friendship here. So thankful for you all.

May I encourage you to see the colors in your season? Let the hues and shades fill your days with gratitude and love.

Even while I write this, Shadow is next to me as always.

It's Time

No matter what spend time in His presence and His Word

His compassion in my weakness ~

Embracing my fragility. Wow. That one absolutely floored me. I poured out to Jesus about needing His strength to let Him take me through the long journey of healing. Actually, I was way too upset and groaning about why it was taking so long *sheepish grin*. The next day, my Jesus Calling devotional spoke life words on it all. 

Life words for what’s ahead ~

It read on with words that reached way down inside me and warmed me to tears. Words like weak, weary, rest, snugly. Then I reached the part about being ‘gifted with fragility’ as a ‘sacred treasure’ that’s “delicate and yet glowing with brilliant light”. It encouraged me not to ‘disguise or deny my weakness’. It said embracing my fragility allowed God to bless me richly through it.

Be True to You

He reminded me about His constant tugs in the past to listen and obey in what was coming. Now, it’s time. Time to write differently in words and timing. Time to live differently as I embrace life changes.

Trust and Obey ~

There will be times when words are pouring on to the page and other times when it may be few. Sometimes with just photos. To welcome the times of writing and times of complete silence. 

I’m a planner. How is this even going to work? Well, I get it now. These months of time off have helped tremendously. I’ll write when He asks and be silent when He asks. No schedule. Just obedience and trust. Remembering the words and photos I’ll share really are His to begin with. Gifts to me and you. Gifts to share.

Best pillow ever. Both of us healing.

New Normal ~

So much has changed in the past few months. Taking time off. My health challenges, healing that requires more rest than I’m used to. The kids moving in and all the adjustments that come with it. My life coach, Holley Gerth, calls it the new normal. I like that. She’s been helping me work through my dreams, my everyday challenges, and shown me I am more than I think. Jesus is why. 

After talking with Holley, I've decided to begin sharing more on what we're coaching through in future posts :-)

I can’t wait to take you along on my new normal and all of our ups and downs. I’m completely afraid, but ready to be as transparent about my daily challenges in health and lifestyle as God leads me to share with you.

Okay, I'm crazy and freaked out scared. Yet, I know it’s all good. New normal in family, everydayness, writing and photography...wow! Yikes!

Fun Stuff  in Living Life now~ 

I've been taking more photography classes online. Love it! I've also become a Certified 

Biblical Life Coach. Holley has helped me so much in the past 10 months, I wanted to pass it on through my photos and writing. We initially started out with me writing a book and it led to all we've been working through. 

David took off a week to let me recover

Prayer Request ~

Can I ask you to keep me in prayer for listening and obedience? And to pray for all the new normal in my life and that of my family too? To see Him in it all. Thank You so much.

My Prayer ~ Jesus, I’m afraid. It’s kinda freaky to step into all this new. It’s shaken me up. It’s good and hard. Parts of my heart just don’t want to move forward. Other parts of me can’t wait to get going. And fragility, whoa. I need you. I really, really need to know you are with me. For the ones reading these words, I pray you help them to trust and obey in what’s ahead too. Bless them with people in their lives to encourage and keep accountable. Amen.

Soul Refreshment:

Isaiah 42:3-4 ~ 

He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt
   and he won't disregard the small and insignificant,
   but he'll steadily and firmly set things right.

He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped 

   until he's finished his work—to set things right on earth.

From Shadow's pool day. Living life on the "well" days

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As always, if you've silently popped in, thanks for being here and sharing in my every day.

Where I'm hanging out ~ 

Join us on Instagram (@jeri_taira) and Flickr as I'm active there for photography classes & everydayness. If you don't have instagram you can visit my page on Ink361, David's IG page is here.

They both want his bagel

Waking up to this

Out front at days end

Linking up with Bonnie today

Thoughts for the Weekend ~ {June}

Soul Refreshment: Psalm 118:23-25 ~ 

This is God's work!

We rub our eyes and hardly believe it!

This is the very day God acted --

Let's celebrate and be festive!

Salvation now, God, Salvation now!

Oh yes, God -- a free and full life

Heading in to the weekend I'm becoming more excited. Why? Because it's already June! Summer's here and that means the outdoor activities can begin. The dry weather gifts me with my favorite activity - hiking. Our younger son will be and on a music tour. Our older son will be finding his fitting as a new dad and husband along with a new job. 


What's your favorite summer time activity? Maybe you have more than one. 
How fun! 
Is it indoor, outdoor, or do you have a mix of both? 
Even more fun!
Has any new things sprung up that take you into summer adventures?

I'll be away from our blog home for June and will be joyfully back in July.
Our Summer arrives sort of pre-planned for us. A work trip, our 16th anniversary, and Father's Day with two families on separate weekends. I'm really looking forward to these. 
For myself, I have 2 classes and 2 reading groups that already began and will end with the Summer. No worries, they've already started and I've been able to get plenty of quiet time with God, down time for me, and rest too.
 If you're taking time off this Summer for vacations, family, long weekends...I pray you are refreshed, filled, and make lasting memories of all the crazy, chaos and fun.I also pray that you find rest and rejuvenation.
See you all in July! Happy Summer all and God Bless you and yours.
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Anticipation Part II ~ Change of Plans

Saturday morning was off to a great start. A slow flow kind of start. Though I've changed my lifestyle, fatigue and exhaustion are my thorns. I inhaled the sweet quiet. Ah...healing fragrance to my healing soul. 

The thorns in my side remind me to keep my plans flexible. They give ample warning before it takes me over full force. The quiet stillness with my God, our God, slows me physically, spiritually, and mentally.

My habit being broken is one of running over the day's tasks/activities and setting it in stone. A wonder I've discovered is how doing so brings stress and anxiety. A joy I've unwrapped is keeping God's heart for me at the forefront of my plans. The gifted wonder and joy of letting it roll of my shoulders breathes life into me and showers me with grace.

Full disclosure: I'm a woman who forgets to tap into that wonder and joy from time-to-time. Heck, from moment-to-moment even. I thank God even for these times. I see my weakness and it's an opportunity to run to Him again and again. To run to community.

So I'm completely excited to share that our plans for the weekend did not go as planned. But, the fun I anticipated did happen. We were gifted with the morning and unexpectedly gifted with all of this and them too... My heart is full.

Instead I played with my little man..

Listened to her share about her dreams & watched him learn new things...

Made memories with my best friends

Laughed until it hurt

Lord, I pray that in plans altered or failed we begin to see opportunities to let Your plans prevail in small and big ways. Amen.

Soul Refreshment:
Isaiah 53:8 ~ "I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work."


Isaiah 55: 12 ~ "So you'll go out in joy, you'll be led into a whole and complete life."


Repeat Soul Refreshment: I see these life words differently since Saturday
Proverbs 19:21 ~ We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, 
   but God's purpose prevails.


Isaiah 65:18 ~ Look ahead with joy. 
   Anticipate what I'm creating:
I'll create Jerusalem as sheer joy, 
   create my people as pure delight.


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If you've quietly slipped in to slip out - thank you more than you know. So glad to have you here.

"Reactions" buttons have been added above the comments. These keep you anonymous. Cool right?! Another fun and creative way to take part here.

For the Weekend ~ Guest Post by David

I remember growing up and hearing Dad jokingly say about Mom on Mother's Day... "She's not my mother."  So, like the good son that I am, I carried on that tradition while at the same time believing the "truth" behind the joke.  

I didn't really see the need for me to honor Jeri during this time; thinking that it's an intimate time reserved for a son/daughter to honor their mother.  But God worked on my heart (after 40 years and 40 months or so, lol) and showed me that a Mother, most importantly, Jeri, should be recognized and appreciated for their unceasing caring and nurturing ... each and every day!  

I love my Mom for all she's done and continues to do for me; 

I love Jeri for her love for our sons; 

Mele for loving our grandchild.  

God's Word promises us His perfect, omnipresent, omniscient, agape love.  It enfolds us in so many ways.  Yet never is it so evident than with a mother's love for their child.  In the way they sacrifice and serve their child in delivering a love so strong yet so soft, it is evident that they are truly God's chosen vessel.

Thank you Sweetie for allowing God to love our sons (and sooooo many others) thru you.

With You in Mind:

Happy Mother's Day to all of you ... even if you're not my mother.  =0)

Soul Refreshment:

Isaiah 54:8 ~ It's with lasting love that I'm tenderly caring for you.

Deuteronomy 32:10 ~ He found him out in the wilderness, 

      in an empty, windswept wasteland. 
   He threw his arms around him, lavished attention on him, 
      guarding him as the apple of his eye. 
   
He was like an eagle hovering over its nest, 
      overshadowing its young, 
   Then spreading its wings, lifting them into the air,
      teaching them to fly. 

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If you've quietly slipped in to slip out - thank you more than you know. So glad to have you here.

"Reactions" buttons have been added above the comments. These keep you anonymous. Cool right?! Another fun and creative way to take part here.

Real Life Friendships ~ (in)RL

Friendships that replenish.

Relationships that refresh.

People who make you smile a smile that lasts long after they've gone home.

The ones who make you laugh so hard your stomach hurts...and then you can't help, but keep laughing.

Actually by the time this happens, you are probably snorting...ha ha ha.

These kind of friendships renew you in the moments you spend together. Even if not very often. 

These kind of friendships carry you through until you're together again.

You share everything ugly and hard and find comfort. 

You celebrate the big and small over a cup of your fave beverage...together.

Here is where you can be brave and share your new ideas or dreams. Your God-dreams. 

Here, with these friends, you can be imperfect and messy, and live your real story without worry.

And then, the time comes to welcome new ones into this safe place. We let ourselves be vulnerable. Sometimes it builds lasting relationships. Other times, it was just for a short season. There are even times when it's not the right fit.

The amazing thing about you is you welcomed them in to begin with.

I've found lasting, replenishing relationships in family and friends alike. The ones closest to my heart are few. I'm just that way...one-to-one. But they fuel me up better than an extra shot in my soy latte.

More pictures of our family's (in)RL experience over at facebook. Come on over and take a peek.

With You in Mind:

You've found them too! They make you smile when you think of them. Your heart fills when their faces cross your mind.

Linger there often with Jesus. 

Voice your thanks to Him for His gift of them. 

Know that He too, calls you friend. (John 15:15)

Maybe, you might send them an email, letter, or card. Then again, a phone call might be what you're thinking of. Oh, I see. You say it's time to get together with them. Even better.

Your visits thoroughly replenish me. 

You being here today you've filled my heart. 

What you say and don't say here are all precious words. 

Thank you more than you know.

Soul Refreshment:


Proverbs 17:17 ~ 
Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.


Proverbs 18:24 ~
Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.


Proverbs 25:13 ~
Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing!


Proverbs 27:9 ~
Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.


Visit here to see what others are sharing about their (in)RL weekend.

A Reason to Celebrate ~ Encouragement

{Pause} - Each day linger in the joys, wonders -- blessings. Let it wash over you to calm the chaos, heal the bitterness, and settle the unrest. Then, and only then, can you see clearer, breathe deeper, and find rest. 

{His Comfort} - Do it as often as the challenges and issues resurface. It will become a beautiful process of healing and rebuilding in you, your life. 

Soul Refreshment: Psalm 71:14 & 20-21

But as for me, I will always have hope;

I will praise you more and more...

Though You have made me see troubles,

many and bitter

You will restore my life again;

from the depths of the earth

You will again bring me up.

You will increase my honor

and comfort me once again.

May you set aside time to sit and remember the many little joys and wonders that God has gifted you through others.

And if you like, we'd be so glad if you shared them here in the comments so we can praise in celebration with you.

Even share the challenges and issues so we can pray for you.

And if you've quietly slipped in to slip out, know that you are automatically in are prayers and praises.

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And the giveaway winner is...Sarah! Congratulations!

(winner picked by random generator)

Thank You to everyone who participated here and privately.

Sarah· 2 days ago

It's definitely hard to say what is amazing about one's self, at least for me it is. I don't like attention being brought to me, so when people tell me I'm good at something, I usually don't know how to respond. So, what's amazing about me? I'd have to say the love and selflessness I have for my kids! I'm a SAHM of six kids and I homeschool as well. I never imagined that my life would be like this, but now, I wouldn't have it any other way. And I can only do it by the grace of God!!