It’s a long 4-day weekend that I am taking, for the 4th of July. Loving summer and opportunities to travel (both kids are away) and because the cat home is surely alright! Freedom is freedom except when you don’t remember to feel and act free.

I’ve been visiting up home and yay we got to the fields for last chance for STRAWBERRY picking (crop was toughest in years to pick – but we got the last hour before the thunderstorms rolled in! but TOTALLY worth it)… Just enough time as the season closes out. Got shelling peas too, not the best season but still some is better than none. Fringe benefit: STRAWBERRIES on cheesecake. STRAWBERRY Rhubarb pie, excellently made crust too… STRAWBERRY anything… Even the end of strawberry season is sweet.

Summer is a season for enjoyment. Don’t let it slip by…  enjoy!!! (our phrase: ‘it’s not snowing, might as well enjoy!’)

It is ‘coincidence’ on this visit that it is 2 years that my Dad’s been gone, but I imagine him up in Heaven doing OK, even playing cards with “the guys” including most of his brothers. As we drove back from the strawberry fields we passed a small cemetery where my mom just simply said: “So many of my classmates are there”… whew… yeah, take the time before the time takes you … Even the end of the season makes the sweetest memories. 

Many of my passed family members and “the guys” from the heyday of my parents first years married, we saw in some 1960’s home movies over these past 2 days. My Dad transferred them to camcorder and vhs, then I had uploaded them online (privately) about 10 years ago as well as placed on DVD. It is just cool to see 1960’s everything, my family was of 50’s styles, 50’s cars and 50’s people who had freedom to be young in the 60’s. Good to see my grandparents in these movies, 30’s stress 40’s determination 50’s relief now in 60’s smiles…. 

Good to see everyone’s freedom to smile and live well (or well enough) by people who struggled previously. Trust me, the freedoms of stability was clearer than the fuzzy focusing of the film. In all, you could see the smiles.

This is 4th of July (and all days) for American appreciation with smiles of freedom brought by HARD WORK. American appreciation of holidays and vacations, traveling and camping and new houses and new children plus memories of old. 

These movies represent my dad’s freedom to capture the moments in time on recordings, freedom to appreciate his family, both blood and relational-relatives. My dad cared to record them and share. My dad worked so hard, it’s good to see what he enjoyed, in family and friends, new house, weddings (and lots of vacation and zoo visits). Of course there are films of us kids too (and lots more vacations and zoos). They didn’t have riches but they did have a rich life!

Above all, our freedom to be free is to have freedom to be who we need to be, want to be, try to be, should be. Freedom to focus on freedom. 

My freedom to focus this weekend was gifted by others who gave up their freedom. I’m in thanksgiving to those whom I don’t know, and in love of appreciation for those I do.

In this quiet time reserved by the Lord for me and Him, (He woke me up to find focus time, then refound me time taking a break from driving), I have to appreciate the Lord’s gifted Freedom to Focus back on Him… I appreciate this set of Proverbs 22, about good names, good people, good focus, like that of my family, plus warnings of folly too (in all of us). 

I finish my writing today in front of a firepit – how randomly nice as I stopped driving to stretch my legs, stopped at the river whitewater base camp. In five minutes of sitting, two young men set up a campfire! Cool … warm… summer savoring… and chatting with people who just wanted to chat… Even the beginning of the summer season makes the sweetest memories. 

All in all, THANK YOU Lord for this moment to appreciate it, all in all.

This summer, please take the time to appreciate TIME. Appreciate the FREEDOM TO FOCUS. 

Amen

Proverbs 22:1-12 – NKJV

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold. The rich and the poor have this in common, The Lord is the maker of them all.

A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished. By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.

Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them.

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, and the rod of his anger will fail.

He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease.

He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, The king will be his friend.

The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the faithless.