Psalm 51:10-12
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to
sustain me.

Today's Joy: An Afternoon Spent with God.
I got a little bogged down today, Reader, in balancing the budget & taking care of life's daily to-do's. Began to feel that vague panicky sensation that comes with worrying about things out of one's control.

Then, all at once, I felt a soft, inner voice beckoning me to spend some quality time with God on this chilly Saturday. So I lit a lovely candle, curled up on the bed and opened my bible. Psalm 51 (which I'd never read) was the first thing I saw. Isn't it funny how He just seems to know what we need to hear in a given moment? Sometimes, the best expressions of love are the ones that simply give us the encouragement to keep moving forward. One gentle word, one offer of help, one gesture of kindness at a time.

Today's Joy: Avid Readership.
It's official, Reader. My lovely little blog is beginning to garner a following. I realized this tonight, while having dinner at my dear friend K's house. We haven't gotten together in a while and were enjoying a leisurely chat in the kitchen while he made dinner.

At three points in the conversation, when I alluded to some funny thing that happened this week, he laughed and said, "I know!"
And I said, "What do you mean? How do you know that?"
Then he laughed again and said, "I read your blog."

Ah, yes. That thing I look forward to writing each evening. The place where I record my joy for the enjoyment of others. He receives it via email whenever I post. Hmm. My blog stole my punchline! What a strange sensation.

At this point, I realized I better start coming up with new material when I go out with friends, lest all my face-to-face interactions become blog re-runs. (Help! I'm redundant!) Still, I can't stop giggling about it. Thank you, all my dear Readers, for your kind attention & warm feedback. What a blessing it is to be a part of your lives and have you as a part of mine. I look forward to sharing joy with you for a long time to come! (And if I retell a few stories along the way, just humor me.) ;-)

Today's Joy: New Arrivals to the Family Farm.
Got a call from Uncle the other day announcing that this year's batch of piglets arrived this week. "They all look like hyenas!" he said. Well, Reader, I'm a sucker for a baby anything. So, I grabbed my Olympus & stopped at the farm on my way home from work. Turns out, Uncle was right--they are a bit hyena-like. Five skittish, polka-dotted little pigs that squeal like the dickens if you try to pick them up. But cuter, they couldn't be. I sat with them for a bit until they felt comfortable enough to come over and gnaw on my shoe. Got some cute shots too.

Because we raise our own beef, pork & poultry, my family takes great pride in caring for these animals. They are well looked after and much appreciated. In a world where your pound of hamburger from the store may contain meat from as many as 14 different animals, our meat comes from just one. We know what they eat and how they're cared for and we know the people who process the meat. There's something of the sacred in this kind of stewardship. It feels good to be respectful and not wasteful of these precious creatures God has put in our care.

It's all in the attitude - housework is exercise. Slim your way to a clean home! ~Linda Solegato

Please don't feed the dust bunnies. ~Author Unknown

Today's Joy: Spring Cleaning.
Whew! I've been at it since early this afternoon but--at last--the upstairs of our lovely abode is clean! Reader, I am pooped! I scrubbed the bathroom top to bottom, wiped down the vents, polished all of Great Aunt's antique bedroom furniture (even the headboard!), vacuumed, dusted, reorganized, fluffed the featherbed, washed the linens and packed up the last of the winter clothing.

Have to admit, it feels really good to have everything ready for summer. Now, I'm off to bed. Gonna sleep like a log!

My idea of superwoman is someone who scrubs her own floors. ~Bette Midler

There may be dust in my house but there isn't any on me. ~Author Unknown

Quotes courtesy of The Quote Garden.

Today's Joy: Heeding Your Calling.
Reader, I need your help. For almost 2 years now, God has been nudging me to use my photography skills to help in the community. Specifically, I'm feeling called to take children's & family portraits for families that cannot afford them. I even know what this endeavor is supposed to be called: The Love Likeness Project.

God has put it in my heart to reach out to underprivileged families--especially those with small children. They grow up so quickly and family portraits seem very far out of reach when you're struggling just to put food on the table. I'm blessed with a wonderful gift and it would be so fulfilling to capture those images of childhood & family life while serving others. Since 2008, I've made a few half-hearted attempts to bring this dream to fruition. I've contacted a few churches in search of families who might need photos. I've even tried posting an ad on Craig's List, but received no response.

These last few months, I can feel God urging me a little more insistently to move forward. So, now I'm coming to you. If you have any Chicago-area ministry contacts or helpful suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated. I know of no one else who is doing this. It's all uncharted territory with infinite room for possibilities!

I can't help but feel with the poor economy, so many families out of work and others facing the possible loss of their homes, that it is vital for the rest of us to do whatever we can to help ease the burden on these families. And bring them some joy. Whether it's through a camera lens or countless other small ways, the example we set will teach them about love and God.

Thank you for listening. Suggestions and ideas can be emailed to me at lovelikenessproject@gmail.com. God Bless!

Today's Joy: Having My Coffee in the Kitchen Each Morning with a Lady's Slipper Orchid.
Cappuccino just tastes better when you're in the company of a marvelous orchid, Reader. Each day I come downstairs, looking forward to a steaming mug of Hills Bros. Dark Chocolate and some quality wake-up time. An entire half hour spent sipping hot deliciousness while I contemplate my paphiopedilum starts any day off right.

If you haven't had the pleasure, there's something sophisticated and wonderful about orchids. They're part regal, part funky and all kinds of interesting. It's their distinctive originality that appeals most to me. I find it easier to tackle the inevitable daily problems of life when I'm in the frame of mind to appreciate complex life forms. Besides, how cool is it to grow something that weird-looking?

Today's Joy: Dinner & 'Dancing'.
In my family, Monday nights are sacred. Come 7 o'clock, my gregarious relatives drop whatever they're doing and turn the TV to Channel 7 (ABC). That's when Dancing With The Stars comes on. For that hour, the rest of the world melts away as we oooh and ahhh and critique form. We pronounce costumes breathtaking or in poor taste and weigh in on frames, lines and who was out of sync. We cheer on our favorite couples and predict who will get the boot on the next Results Show.

Half the fun is listening to each other's take on this season's odd assortment of celebrities. Pamela Anderson as a brunette: Yay! Chad Ochocinco giving Cheryl a hard time: Boo! If we aren't all together, someone calls or texts back and forth between dances. Did you see that? What is she wearing?? Oh, yeah--he needs to go!

Tonight's installment saw us all gathered at Aunt's house, where I made pork tenderloin & cranberry pistachio stuffing. We ate heartily in between waltzes and Argentine Tangoes, all a bit baffled by Judge Len Goodman's commentary, as well as his unfortunate choice of shirt & tie: lime green & orange! For that single hour, we were the ones on the dance floor, wrapped in sequins and ostrich feathers, doing the cha-cha with Maksim Chmerkovskiy and crossing our fingers we won't be in the bottom two. I'm telling you, Reader, it's the most fun you can have without strapping on your dance shoes!

Today's Joy: Quality Time at the Flea Market.
Reader, my favorite thing to do with Mom is hit the monthly flea market. There's nothing quite like bonding over a bargain. We went early this morning and made a beeline for the plant vendors. They had the most beautiful begonias, ranunculus and clematis! I had to snap a few shots to share (see below)! Today's finds included fab hanging baskets of geraniums for $12, wee pots of gerbera daisies (my favorite summer flower) for $2.50 and a Duchess English bone china cup & saucer set featuring Cattleya Orchids for $5.

If you haven't been to a flea market, you gotta do it--they're a hoot! For those in the IL area, check out the Kane County Flea Market in St. Charles. It's a long-standing area tradition. If you happen to get there this June, check out the hippy-ish guy under the livestock pavilion. He has the best deal on 800-1200 thread count sheets--2 for $25. He's also got groovy scarves: 3 for $10 (and they're labeled exactly that). Sweet-talk him & he might strum you a tune on his acoustic guitar...

Photos: Pink Flower; Yellow Ranunculus Bud; Clematis; Begonias; Purple Something-or-other; Yellow Ranunculus; Clematis, Kane County Flea Market, May, 2010.