Where I come from, my family had the most snow of anyone in the near vicinity. Where I live now with my husband, we have the least snow of anyone in the vicinity. I went from sledding off the roof to wondering what happened to winter. I had forgotten what it was like not to have my daily list often include shoveling once, if not three or six times. (Okay, so that was an extreme - a heavily snowy thanksgiving where we got feet upon feet of snow that day and didn't see the end of the massive snowbanks until June, I'm dead serious.) Honestly, I looked at it all as an adventure and often wandered out to take pictures - wading through thigh deep snow and stooping down to look into the first story windows.

Here's a couple pictures, in case you want proof :


Yes, that's my family's house... somewhere under there



Catching a view from the roof. The dog just climbed the snowbank and joined them



Dog. Boy. Roof.


Today, my husband and I shoveled our driveway for the first time, and it's February! Since we only have one shovel, and he's a manly man, even though I'm not a girly girl, I 'let' him shovel and I gave him moral support and took pictures of our little winter wonderland. It wasn't nearly as wintery as I am used to, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

Here are some of the results:


Landscape




Hangin' on and waiting for spring, just like me




Frail but hearty beauty


When I'm cooped up inside, I often find my sense of God's awesomeness fading. But as soon as I step outside, take a fresh breath of air, real air... it all comes whooshing back and I just close my eyes and be. Thank you Lord, for all the reminders of you and your care. Thank you for putting us in a beautiful world that is only a hint of what is to come.



"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork." Psalm 19:1


~ Ashley L.

Aargh! They just erased my whole post! I shall try to re-create it. But, as we all know, it is never the same. My first post was beautiful and deep, this one just is. Oh well, God knows why He let it be erased. Although, If I had listened to His little prompting and saved it in a Word document....

Thunderstorms are rolling in today, a whole line of them according to the weatherman. I'm glad. Today is a thunderstorm day, I need one.




I have always loved thunderstorms, even though when I was little fear mingled with the love, fear that lighting would strike me, or my house, or a tree that would fall on my house, or... or... or...

But somehow thunderstorms just capture my whole being. As it whispers across the sky, the rumble growing closer and closer, a thrill and shiver runs through me. The storm fills my heart and overflows into my veins. The deep rumble across the sky, the flashes of light, the pattering rain, the breeze that somehow seems too full for words as it whispers through the leaves of the trees. Surrounding me in its comfort.





I remember sitting out on our porch swing with Dad when I was maybe 10, talking and gently swinging as we listened to and felt the thunderstorm around us. Yet, that time, somehow the fear I had for them was less, because my Daddy was right there beside me, loving me, protecting me, being there. I could feel his warmth as I sat beside him, the gentle wind of the thunderstorm reaching us even on the porch. Peace washing through me as I just felt my Dad sitting close to me.





It kind of reminds me of my Heavenly Daddy, how He gives me a hug on the inside when I need it most... or just because He loves me. How He is always there. Surrounding me with a comfort that holds power behind it.




Perhaps that is why I love thunderstorms so. The storm surrounding me, comforting me, soothing me, yet so beautifully powerful and whimsical. It adds adventure to life.

My Lord isn't whimsical, but He is certainly unpredictable like the storm. Yet, unlike the storm, He is NEVER destructive. He surrounds me with His comfort, comfort that holds power behind it, just as the storm He created does. And when the thunderstorm is seeming to surround me, soothing and refreshing me, filling me, it feels almost like my Father sent it, ensconcing me in His embrace, His embrace full of loving power, full of the comfort I so desperately need.

 

Something in me longs to climb the tall pine tree by our house and sit up there as the storm lives around me. The rain splashing on my face and tracing its way down it, the thunder rumbling across the sky, the flashes of light that illuminate the world for a moment, the wind catching my hair and tossing it in the wind as I cling to the tree and sway with it.

\

Only the bit of wisdom Mom and Dad helped me gain as I grew up holds me here to the ground. Alas! My whole description was from imagination. Would that it didn't need to be! Many a time have I climbed that tree. I've had some good talks with God up there. There is a freeing sense being up in the tree, concealed by the branches, the bark brushing my skin, alone with God. And if you could add a thunderstorm, such unspeakable sweetness that would be. Perhaps it is a good thing I can't add the thunderstorm. I may float away and cease to be from the wonder of it filling me, overwhelming me.





Yes. Today is a thunderstorm day, and I'm glad my Father knew it and is sending me one.

Thunderstorm... I await thee...

~ Ashley E.

Wow. I have sadly neglected xanga! Life has just been so full and busy! I worked some more on The Penny with Filmweavers: www.filmweavers.com . It's so exciting to have all the shooting done for it, now for the editing!

Mom and I are going to work on marketing my book, Hearts Journey Home some more. I'm so glad Mom enjoys that sort of thing... because I don't really. Hehe.

Jordan (my wonderful older sister) and Drew came to visit for a few days and we got to go to Darien Lake with them... sooo fun! It was really nice to see the, again.

Whew, with so much to catch up on, I don't feel like I can write a creative 'story'post... but maybe I can keep up a little better in future, though it does look like I'm going to be prettty busy.

It's been exciting hearing feedback about my book. Especially from Dad. In his animated enthusiastic way he tells me stories of people he's met and told about the book. His eyes shining and sparkling, his hands gesturing, he tells me how they tell him they like it and can't put it down... or how it's impacted their life. And I stand in awe. How is God doing this through the book I wrote? Yet, my heart leaps in joy, for that is just what I felt He wanted to do through it. Thank you Lord! People have been begging for the next book in the Journeys of the Heart series, so I've started trying to gear up to write the next book, reaquainting myself with the characters and asking God to give me the story and the message for it. I would love if you all would join me in praying! Visit www.trestle2treasure.com on updates on the book and film projects... and to order the book if you'd like one!

Well, I spose that's enough for now. I hope it won't be quite so long before I post again the next time. It'll be a wonder if anyone even reads this anymore!

I'm also on Facebook now... www.facebook.com/sweetfire

Signing the first batch of book orders

Yes, I'm actually posting again!

I want to encourage you all to go out and vote... every vote counts! But before you do, watch Come What May - available FREE online for a limited time. It's a film made by over 40 homeschoolers, and is better quality than many other movies I've seen. It isn't a boring informational video, it's a real movie. You can watch it here: http://www.godtube.com/comewhatmay . After you watch the first segment, scroll down to the one that says 'part 2 - mounting expectations' and after that it will play all the segments in succession.

Life is sacred... do we want a President who doesn't believe that? Senator Obama agrees with killing babies before they are born. Mcain/Palin at least recognize the importance of life. If I can't trust our President with the lives of helpless babies... how can I trust him with my own? If I become 'helpless', would he do away with me too if he had the power? http://pewforum.org/religion08/compare.php?Issue=Abortion

I really, really encourage you to watch Come What May - it's enjoyable... and powerful!

Another short clip you shouldn't miss: http://97.74.65.228/index.php

~ Ashley

SOMETHING

That was for theoriginaldoctorshade.

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Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.

- C. S. Lewis

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"The price we pay when pursuing any art or calling, is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side."

- James Arthur Baldwin

Which, in my case right now, would be a certain rebellion your book has for being edited. Or you have for editing your book.  


I'm alive. And I'll be posting more soon... I hope.

~ Ashley