{This blog has moved to Skies of Parchment.}

 

It’s the new name.
The new address, the place this blog is moving to.

The move is something I’ve contemplated for a while.
Several years actually.
But if I moved I wanted it to be a God-thing.
Yep, I think God cares about blogging.

So, I waited.
Until it was the right time.
The right name.

I had a looooooong list of names.
All the ones I first thought of were taken.
Well, I guess I could have added “blogblog” on the end, but who wants to do that?

So I waited some more.

I often write of finding beauty in little places,
simple beauty, not extravagant beauty,
and of simply enjoying the day.

Maybe something like “Oh Happy Day!” I wondered?
But no, it just didn’t fit.

I love happy days,
I try to make my days happy, but…

There are too many days that aren’t happy,
as in top-of-the-world happy.
There is always joy to be found, sometimes with great effort, but mere happiness?

There is too much pain in the world,
in my world,
to have a glib Pollyann-happy-face.
[although there is much to be learn from her, I do think].

One evening I was singing to my restless son before bed.
I love to sing hymns to him, among the sweet nursery songs.
I was thinking of my beloved friend, Ruth, and how she loved the song
“The Love of God” and so I sang it to him.

The song has incredible word pictures, speaking of the vastness of God’s love.
That even if the ocean were ink and the skies of parchment and every man a scribe God’s love could never be fully explained.

And that was it:
Skies of Parchment.

More than simply recording a happy day, or taking pictures of pretty little things,
I blog to record the faithfulness and love of my Lord.

Life isn’t always easy. It’s not always happy.
There is pain.
There is death, and loss, and heartache, in many fronts.

And yet, through it all, God is faithful.
He is good.
He can be trusted.
He never makes mistakes.

Skies of Parchment.
Declaring His faithfulness and love.

I don’t have ”plans” for my new blog.
It will be a lot of the same – posting when I am able to without burning dinner or neglecting laundry for too many days.  
There is no big show or new blingy features or anything like that.
Just a new location.
That’s all.

I invite you to join me over at skiesofparchment.com.

~clarita

p.s. for those who said they wanted to follow the new blog but didn’t know how,
there is a ‘subscribe’ box there which will send new posts to your email address, if you like.

 

 

 

It’s Springtime!

There are few other seasons so looked forward to here in the south,
maybe with the exception of Autumn.

There is such a freshness, a newness, to life.

I love the signs of spring outside and around our little cottage…

// kitchen mantel, with prism reflection //

I love the Holy Week, the Easter celebration…
I’m in awe of all the Jesus Christ has done.
What a precious Savior!
And everything we are and have is not too much to offer Him.
Nothing could be too much, in light of all HE is and what HE has done.

I’m pondering this quote from Randy Alcorn:

“Holiness was once a central component of following Christ.
But for many today, the Christian life is little more
than a celebration of cheap grace and pseudo-liberty,
with a high tolerance for sin.”

And this one, by Kevin DeYoung:

“Worldliness is whatever makes sin look normal
and righteousness look strange.”

I’m reading a book by DeYoung,
with the thought of holiness being not a legalistic endevour,
but a grateful response to a Holy, Precious Savior.
It’s moving…

// a few hours of solo time //

// the little raised bed garden //

There is such a feeling of life in the air,
a feeling of hope.

There is such inspiration, such motivation.
Spring cleaning & Mrs. Meyers may be in full swing one of these days!

Spring also means some changes to this blog.
After much deliberation, The Cottage at 341 South will be moving!

It’s an exciting change, and a bit of sadness too.
I’m not embarrassed of xanga – it was one of THE very first blogging avenues created,
and I have so enjoyed writing here.

But there are some changes that I would like to make that aren’t possible with xanga.

One is that I do not want to be associated with adult content sites, of which xanga is,
and although my personal site has nothing to do with it, I do not want any association.
The new little spot allows nothing of the sort and has a record of cleanness.

Secondly, if I blog a bit anyway, I want the ability to create a space as I desire.
This particular location doesn’t give me much option.

Sooo, there is a move! A new address!

I’m kind of funny about new things.

A new journal takes me a long time to get used to; it feels like I have to make a new friend.
I know, wierd.

New draperies, or new slipcovers for my living area…
Do I like it? Do I not like it?
It takes me a while to know.

And then there are other new things.
To where the newness is welcoming and cozy,
to where the newness isn’t as big a deal as the atmosphere.

That’s what I’m hoping will be with the new blog.
A bit of something new,
a lot of something familiar.
Just a little spot in this vast blog world.

Those who have read this [small, irregular] blog – thank you!

This began as a place for family to keep up with our lives far away,
and it has grown a bit from that.

Those who read and comment – I loved loved meeting new friends, and hope it continues!
It’s not so much the comments themselves, but the feeling of friendship and community that they give that I have loved here.
And I really hope that continues!

Those who read without commenting – that’s so okay, because this is a public spot and you are under no obligation to comment.

But you all have made this such a fun, enjoyable, happy place for me.
To my friends who still blog here ~ don’t worry, I’ll still keep up with you!

So hopefully within the next few weeks the move will be official.
For now, just trying to finish up the painting and decorating at the new place and will post that address.
{yes, i’ve been remodeling too long! }

 

To one and all ~ Happy Springtime!

~ clarita