They put out bird food

Getting AWANA awards

Skating party + games

At Carousel Skate Center

Lovely

Our first time

Very cool

 

Map puzzle

Glory

 

Your 7 Days?

Sometimes I’ll click articles linked on social media and not read them right away. Or I’ll see comments or quotes and move on, but think about them through the next several days.

 

One such quote was about the racial reconciliation topic. It said, “Before we talk about reconciliation, we need to talk about justice.”

I’ve been thinking about that. On a much, much smaller level, it’s the same in relationships. Two people are not going to be reconciled until there is at least an apology given. After forgiveness, restoration of the relationship can then happen.

 

But on this macro topic it is so complicated. What does justice look like for something as old as our nation itself? Since we cannot change the past, what does justice moving forward look like? I’m honestly asking. Since I don’t have any sort of call to action, it is difficult to articulate.

I will keep reading what I come across and search out, trying to keep an open mind about what justice would look like. In the meantime, I just read this article from the Washington Post about what it looks like to become an adult for those who don’t have supportive parents or whose parents might be in jail or who have to decide between getting away from drug use in an overcrowded living space or going to school. It put some details to stories I’ve watched over the past several years.

I don’t want this topic to be just an interesting side note in my comfortable life. It is affecting our nation. While it seems to have been brought to the surface with this presidential election, that is not the only reason to address it. When sitcoms and advertising and the publishing industry and Hollywood and news channels all have a particular (white, middle to upper class) bias, we have to make sure to put ourselves directly in the pathway of anyone not represented in that bias.

 

We can all only be the better for it.

“For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

 

I was determined to punish you when your ancestors angered me, and I did not change my mind, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. But now I am determined to bless Jerusalem and the people of Judah. So don’t be afraid.

But this is what you must do:

 

Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the Lord.”

Here is another message that came to me from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

 

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

 

The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah.

 

So love truth and peace.”

Once again God is reminding His people how to live justly among themselves.

 

The time of discipline is over. Now He is determined to bless – to devise blessing.

 

His desired response from them?

 

To not devise evil toward each other.

I love that about God’s character. When He is plotting, devising, scheming it is always, only for our good. It will bring about growth in our character, depth of intimacy in our relationships, and the kind of joy no one can take away.

 

What if we treated each other that way? If we who are His children only devised for one another what is for each other’s best?

 

I think the world would take notice.

Not only is Jehovah-Sabaoth devising good for His children, those days of fasting and mourning they have been asking about are to be replaced with festivals of joy.

 

Has He done this for you? Turned your mourning into dancing? Traded sackcloth for a garment of praise?

 

This has nothing to do with our situation. It has everything to do with whether we are surrendered to Him. And He is determined to bless.

 

Therefore let’s love truth (faithfulness) and peace (shalom).

 

For when we live this way, it is well.

Can you believe it’s May? Me neither.

 

Do you have teachers in your life? Make sure to thank them for Teacher Appreciation Week. They are heroes.

Enjoy Tree Top’s Mother’s Day sale all weekend. 25% off hanging baskets, geraniums, and more.

Moms get in free this weekend to Botanica. Live music and lunch at Mother’s Day Cafe sweeten the deal.

And check out an extensive list of Mother’s Day Freebies and Deals at Wichita on the Cheap.

Do you have a graduate in your family? Tiny Prints is offering 40% off Graduation cards until May 10th with the code AFFGRAD40FS at check out. Plus, every grad card order can receive a free set of address labels with the code ADDRESS1. {Tiny Prints is an affiliate link so, at no extra charge to you, buying through here supports this site. Thanks!}

Storytime at Watermark on Saturday will include a visit from Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie. Come from 10:30 to 11:00.

This weekend, don’t miss the Wichita Art Museum’s Art & Book Fair. Entertainment, regional and national artist booths (including our friend displaying his art), and a stroll through the beautiful new Art Garden.

 

Speaking of our friend’s art, he has a Kickstarter Campaign going for a book he’s illustrating. See it here.

 

Tonight, May 5th, is Ladies Night at both Johnson’s Garden locations. Enjoy food, drink, live music and 20% off storewide.

 

Don’t miss Jill Cohn in concert at Mead’s Corner coffee house Saturday night, May 7th.

 

It’s about that time…

Old Town Farmer’s Market is open!

Don’t miss Herb Day with the Extension Office at Kansas Grown Farmer’s Market.

And Green Acres West is beginning their Locals Night this evening, May 5th.

Love this time of year.

 

Library:

You should come to Comic Book Day this Saturday at Central. The discussion will be over Batman: The Animated Series. Plus free comic books for attendees!

Register for today’s 4:00 Microsoft Excel class at Angelou.

And register here for an E-Mail Basics course at Central on Saturday.

At Alford on Tuesday at 1:00 you can enjoy a Tech Demo about Social Media. Register here.

For Senior Wednesday on the 11th, enjoy Library Trivia Bowl at Central from 1:30-2:30.

Also next Wednesday it’s time for the monthly Adult Coloring event at Westlink from 6:30-7:30.

 

Have a great weekend!

Not open yet

“Do we have tape? I’m making a drive in for Daddy.”

On a walk

Blooms

Free throws at Dad’s school carnival

Admiring how others landscape spring glory

 

Your 7 Days?

This is my first time to link up to Emily’s blog about what I’ve learned in April.

 

(I’m still fairly new to Emily, but have been following her on Twitter, listened to her hope*writers podcast, and am enjoying her content and perspective.)

 

So here’s what the past month has taught me:

I learned how to convert a Word document to a PDF file. I feel like a techie pro.

When Bookaholic has a $3 fill-a-bag sale, you should go. And you might find treasures like these:

Our neighbors are very generous. We don’t join every school fundraiser, but threw in for Jump Rope for Heart. Almost everyone on our block supported the boys.

 

Thanks to a friend, I now know the Wichita Art Museum’s cafe, The Muse, is delightful. They have the best chocolate for their mocha lattes. However, since their espresso machine was broken, they gave us a bowl of this chocolate and real whip cream to add to a regular drip coffee. Divine.

Stone churches are tucked in so many corners of our city. And all are stunning.

Pinterest has a lovely assortment of vintage pins, including this exact set of Crazy 8’s our family had growing up.

The Boxcar Children is a movie. (Thanks to a poster spied at Alford.)

 

If you are out of gift bags, you can use a map calendar to decorate a paper sack.

My husband’s annual school carnival is delightful – as are all the hard-working teachers, staff, and parents.

 

How to publish a novel on Amazon for Kindle (via Amy Lynn Andrews).

 

{If you don’t mind a shameless plug, you can buy it here!}

 

What did you learn in April?

I have some news.

 

I spent the last year and a half with an idea for a novel in my head, and a tiny percentage of that time actually writing the novel. Because of encouragement, prayer, and plain ole frustration about just wanting to do it already, it is finished.

 

Ack.

Something I don’t dive too deeply into on this space is a ministry I share with 3 delightful friends to love women in the sex industry. The stories of our friends in a strip club, combined with other friends’, are adapted and sprinkled throughout this novel.

 

In other words, if has a lot of adult content.

But I hope you don’t miss the forest for the (somewhat shocking) trees. These narratives are based on real women my friends and I love. I invite you into a glimpse of their lives. Not for shock value or morbid curiosity.

 

But because this industry is real and often filters into much, much more evil like human trafficking. We all need to be aware, and we who know Jesus need to know how to love.

 

Not before those involved have cleaned up their act, but as they are.

 

Just like our Savior did.

In addition, this is one more step of obedience in taking writing as a serious job. So the ebook novel is priced at $8.99. Will you buy it? Will you Facebook and Tweet about it? Will you tell people in your real life about it?

 

I would be so grateful.

Thank you for reading, for caring, for allowing one more voice on the internet to share.

 

I pray you are blessed 100-fold.

 

So much sincerity,

Jamie

 

---

Some details:

You don’t need to own a Kindle to purchase this book. You can download the Kindle Reading App for any electronic device here.

 

If you positively don’t do ebooks, I understand. Leave me a comment if you want a paper copy. There are sites that allow self-published authors to print on demand, from one book to 1,000.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

 

Be strong and finish the task!

 

Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building. Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals.

No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other.

 

“But now I will not treat the remnant of my people as I treated them before,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the heavens will release the dew. Once more I will cause the remnant in Judah and Israel to inherit these blessings.”

“Among the other nations, Judah and Israel became symbols of a cursed nation.

 

But no longer!

Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid.

 

Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!”

 

Zechariah 8:9-13 NLT

There’s just something to be said about how often God reminded the people to Be Strong and Work. To keep going. To remember the past, allow it to strengthen their resolve, and work toward a better future.

 

We all need reminded of that. Maybe moving forward on tasks is not your struggle. But for you to be strong and work looks like engaging a difficult relationship. Or slowing down to listen to your soul. Or praying instead of fixing.

Whatever our struggle tends toward, the good news is verse 13:

 

Before, because of disobedience, God’s people were a symbol of curse among the nations.

 

But now?

 

“Now I will resuce you.” In the Hebrew, it means to save, avenge, defend, give victory.

 

And why?

 

So you can be a source of blessing (liberal and generous) to the nations.

The word for nations literally means a Gentile. A non-Jew. Those who are not God’s people.

 

The purpose of Him giving us victory as we are obedient to be strong and work is liberal generosity to those who don’t yet know Him.

 

His heart for the world He has created is one reason we can love Him.

 

His dying for that world is why we should worship.

You need to go see Tarzan with CYT. The performance is quality – like, phenomenal make up and costumes and performance quality. Like, don’t need to have kids in the show to enjoy it quality. Grab your tickets online or at the door – begins tonight through Saturday.

It’s Final Friday time, this month corresponding with Wichita’s Art Day of Giving. This is an online campaign designed to support area nonprofits related to the arts. At the Spice Merchant, for example, you can come support Asian Culinary and Cultural Arts with the Wichita Asian Association.

Also of Final Friday note, Reverie will be displaying art by Darren Jones, including a limited edition tee.

Saturday April 30th is national Independent Bookstore Day. Watermark will be celebrating with a Princess storytime, exclusive merchandise, and cake in their cafe to celebrate Quatro Publishing’s 40th Anniversary.

 

Also Saturday is OK Kids Day at Watson Park. This amazing, free family event includes kayaking, archery, and fishing. T-shirts, hot dogs, prizes, and the Grand Opening of the new Train.

 

If you are gardening this year, keep Plant a Row for the Hungry in mind. The Kansas Food Bank will pick up your produce at participating, convenient garden centers. “One pound at a time…one row at a time. Together we make a difference.”

If you need extra help paying for your prescription medications, the Sedgwick County Extention Office may be able to help. Call 316-660-0100 for information or to apply.

Did you know April is National Poetry Month? The month is almost over, but there is always time to read poetry. Alford Branch Library currently has a delightful display of children’s poetry books.

Also at Alford, come this Saturday the 30th to celebrate El Dia de los Ninos. Enjoy a bilingual storytime, crafts and games to enjoy cultures and books.

And if you’d like to learn more about iOS, register here to bring your iPad or iPhone to Rockwell tonight, Thursday the 28th.

 

Have a great weekend!

Funky and Fun Little Free Library

Our boy in Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock.

Taking off

Our family hit up the Wichita Gem & Mineral Society show again this year.

They loved it

Panning for gold

Newly Planted

We joined the succulent plant crowd

Evening light

Driveway picnic with my husband

Glory

 

Your 7 Days?