The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Hot and humid. Too hot to be outside gardening anymore. Although I did yesterday morning…just straightening and pruning…and of course watering!! Can’t wait for the rainy season to fill up that rain barrel.

A simple pleasure:

My quiet time in the morning. I relish it. I must confess that I let Miss Sam sleep extra because I’m not finished enjoying my “simple pleasure”. Shhhh….don’t squeal on me.

I am thankful:

That I have the opportunity to develop and teach the new Abnormal Psychology class that is being offered Spring 2011.

Did you know that as of May 25th our community college will now be a four year school?????  Our name will be Central Florida College. Go Patriots!!!

From the kitchen:

Not doing so well there. Ho Hum.

From the learning rooms:

Miss Sam is almost finished with World History….her favorite subject. Nope – she doesn’t get a summer vacation. Are you kidding????? Every day is a vacation for her!!!!

I am reading:

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. I am really enjoying it. Funny because I have had her other book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan on my bookshelf for about a year or two (every since Heidi from God’s Grace in Practice recommended it) and haven’t read it yet.

On My Mind:

This particular post that I just read over at Heidi’s place. It really struck a chord with me as last night in my Developmental Psychology class we were discussing gene linked and chromosomal abnormalities.

Please…please….take a few moments to click over and read it:

Mother’s Lie by Lisa Borgman

Creative Projects:

• Still working on the family history.
• Working on FINALLY putting my lectures into book form and having them spiral bound so that I am not always carrying a crap load of papers with me looking like the stereotypical harried professor.
• Still designing/exploring what to do with several areas in the backyard for when the cool weather (snicker) returns.

Hearth and Home:

• Still waiting for those gas masks folks so I can tackle Miss Sam’s room!!!
• FINALLY washed the kitchen floor – the bane of my existence.

I laugh:

Because I believe I’m perfect.

Inspirational Thought I’m  Sharing:

A few things have happened on the professional front recently that really had me take a look at some areas that I wrestle with….and funny thing….Oswald Chambers JUST HAPPENED to be talking about those things in last week’s devotionals…go figure…God’s Thumbprints….they are all over the place!!!

God loved me not because I was lovable, but because it was His nature to do so. Now He commands me to show the same love to others by saying, “…love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). He is saying, “I will bring a number of people around you whom you cannot respect, but you must exhibit My love to them, just as I have exhibited it to you.”

The right thing to do with godly habits is to immerse them in the life of the Lord until they become such a spontaneous expression of our lives that we are no longer aware of them. Our spiritual life continually causes us to focus our attention inwardly for the determined purpose of self-examination, because each of us has some qualities we have not yet added to our lives….There is a quality that is still lacking you. Identify your shortcoming and then look for opportunities to work into your life that missing quality.

Conscience is that ability within me that attaches itself to the highest standard I know, and then continually reminds me of what that standard demands that I do. It is the eye of the soul which looks out either toward God or toward what we regard as the highest standard. This explains why conscience is different in different people. If I am in the habit of continually holding God’s standard in front of me, my conscience will always direct me to God’s perfect law and indicate what I should do. The question is will I obey?

Not only did God put his Thumbprints on my Oswald Chamber readings…I was also at Psalm 145 in my daily reading of Psalms. It provides an excellent guide to God’s standards:

The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made

The Lord is faithful to all his promises.

The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

I pray continually that I will not stumble too much as I put God’s standards in front of me and strive to be more like Him:

patient; gracious; compassionate; slow to anger; rich in love; good to all; faithful to my promises; loving; just; forgiving

He want your lifestyle to leave a trail of his Spirit’s aroma of grace and peace and salvation. Erin Keeley Marshall

Some picture thoughts  I am sharing:

So how does my garden grow????

Well the squash got squashed by the rabbits once I transplanted it from a container into the ground (sigh).

The peppers (both red and yellow) are still growing but have not had any flowers on them as of yet.

But my tomatoes….my oh my. The container ones aren’t producing too much (I was more successful with the ones last year). Here is what is on the the vine with the container plant:

Now my Topsy Turvy tomato plant is doing awesome!!!  Several people stated that it was a “wash” for them and didn’t produce. Well I am glad that I gave it a try anyway!!! Here is what my Topsy Turvy tomato plant is producing:

As they say in Farmville – Yee-Haw.

I think I am going to try the Strawberry Topsy Turvy next!!!