Winter

Winter

Friday, August 5, 2011

Playing the Glad Game


I was over visiting and one of my lovely friends who has
a lovely blog called Pom Pom's Ponderings and in her side bar
was a button about playing the glad game. It made me remember
how I love the book and the movie of Pollyanna. So I thought tonight
why don't I play the glad game a bit.
One thing I am always glad about is people who are great thinkers who
write down what they think about so I can read their thoughts, like
this one.

We cannot remove the conditions under which our work is to be done, but we can transform them. They are the elements out of which we must build the temples wherein we serve.
Brooke Foss Westcott---

So no matter where you serve, as Elisabeth Elliot said, " It can be a gateway to joy."

One of the many things I am thankful for since I have been blogging, is that I pay
better attention to the changing of the season. Because you know how all of life is now
a blog post? I noticed this morning while I was watering the garden that even though
it is only August, the trees are starting to turn. I noticed that some of the trees have leaves
that are turning yellow. The ground is beginning to be more littered with brown
dried leaves.
Then I thought of this:

I looked outside today and my yard was littered with leaves. I told the kids about it as they looked out the window, and one of them remarked, " that is the best tree, it always mourns for us because school is getting ready to start. As I thought about that, when you live in a place you grew up, as Robert Lewis Stevenson put in his book.

From Child's Garden of Verses
As from the house your mother sees
You playing round the garden trees,
So you may see, if you will look
Through the windows of this book,
Another child, far, far away,
And in another garden, play.
But do not think you can at all,
By knocking on the window, call
That child to hear you. He intent
Is all on his play-business bent.
He does not hear, he will not look,
Nor yet be lured out of this book.
For, long ago, the truth to say,
He has grown up and gone away,
And it is but a child of air
That lingers in the garden there.

So as I stand and stare at the tree, I see all of the children who have clung to its
branches in the days of August, knowing that summer was almost over.

I am so thankful that I have grand children who keep me from forgetting the
the children who have played in this tree, and I know that this tree in my front
yard is a grand ole tree as it has watched 4 generations of children and still
it stands as a soldier waiting for the next ones to climb upon his limbs.

Have a lovely weekend,

~Kim~

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, for His wonderful works to the children of men!

(Psalm. 107:6)

17 comments:

Janettessage.blogspot.com said...

Great post...what a wonderful blessing to be in one place to see four generations climb and enjoy a tree...that is a true treasure

Primitives By The Light of The Moon said...

What a great post and love the tree with it's low branches. Wishing you a wonderful weekend :)

Kessie said...

That poem always gets me choked up. I have a little book of his poems, and I always skip that one. I didn't realize that four generations will have climbed that tree. That's amazing. :-)

Dawn said...

what a beautiful post and thoughts! And i completely agree with the 'serving" quote:))

Sassafras and Winterberry said...

I have always loved his poems. It's not just children who mourn the end of summer...it's us teachers too! Summer to fall continues to be a major season change for me. You build an uncomplicated life around being home in the summer...doing crafts, reading books for pleasure, gardening, and cooking. Then, as the leaves flutter down, you gear up for the coming school year. It's more like New Year's Day for students and teachers---full of beginnings and new energy.
Your posts always get me thinking!!
Hugs,
Courtney

Pom Pom said...

Oh my goodness! I love the quotes and I love the RLS poem. It reminds me of all the views we have as children. We don't necessarily put words on all the delightful sights we see as we grow up, but they seem to make an eternal home in our souls. We greet familiar ebbs and flows as we grow older and wiser. I love your glad heart, Kim.
May the Spirit sing you songs of blessing today.

Gumbo Lily said...

Trees seem to have a magical aura about them that draws children and adults alike. I like tree too. Wonderful post.

Jody

Samantha said...

Great post!

Debbie said...

Such a good post! I love that movie, and I LOVE the "glad game"... Soo much to be glad about. : ) What a great memories over your tree. To see 4 generations enjoy it is truly priceless! Have a wonderful week-end! HUGS

Patrice said...

I enjoyed this. I cannot believe the amount of leaves that are all over the ground. I fear that the dry weather here will rob us of the glorious colors of fall. We had a bit of rain, but it is SO dry out there. I never noticed the weather as much until I married a farmer!

Kim said...

We should all play the glad game everyday. It's easy to forget the glad things somedays.
Well, I'm glad for the change of seasons but it would have been nice to have a summer before fall creeps in. Last week the weather girl on the news called this the summer that wasn't.

Empty Nester said...

The youngest of our lovelies adores the movie, Pollyanna! She still watches it and she's 20.

I love playing the glad game, but need to be reminded to do it more often. Thanks!

Nancy said...

I found your blog by way of Janette and I am so glad I came over....I love your blog. I am your newest member.

I love your post about the four generations playing around and on the same tree.....I grew up in an old house with lots of those kinds of trees and I have so many wonderful memories.....

camp and cottage living said...

Kim
You know if we would just count our blessings, name them one by one. Count our many blessing see what God has done. We would see the good certainly outweighs the bad.
A "pollyanna" sort of nature were you look for the silver lining in life isn't at all bad. Consider it a blessing you have it!
I love RLS too. I use to make my children memorize his childrens poems when they were little. I don't know if they can quote them still, but I sure can!
With so many mobile people (me included),not a lot pf folks can say that 4 generations have played in the same tree. I can just envision the children of bygone eras frolicking around it, can't you?

Dog Trot Farm said...

I just love this post Kim, what a wonderful Poem by Robert Lewis Stevenson. My mother used to say to me (when my sons were small), "don't be in such a hurry to clean their fingerprints of the windows, someday you'll wish they were there". How true, mothers are very wise.

Miss Debbie said...

Beautiful picture of your harvest! I'm glad you are glad. Been thinking about all the history we will leave if we sell our house. It will be bittersweet I know!

Maryann said...

Lovely old tree, what a blessing to see four generation with that tree. So what are you doing with the tomatoes and jalepenos..salsa?