Seek and you shall find

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Faith and I went apple picking on Friday, as anticipated. Noah was having attitude issues about the trip, so I left him home to finish his school work. (Don't worry, he's old enough to stay home alone.) I was hoping he would be sad that he missed out on the fun, but I don't think he was, even a little bit.

That's o.k., Faith and I had a great time, eating apples, tromping through the lines of trees -- I ate two apples in the orchard and they were the best apples I ever ate, truly. I was afraid with the recent drought that we would arrive at the orchard and find nasty, little shriveled apples on the trees. Instead we found enormous apples -- some were at least the size of a large grapefruit! Apparently the early rain made the apples large and the recent dry spell only sped the season up a little, so they were really ready to pick, practically falling into our hands.

The sky was blue -- that gorgeous vivid blue that seems, though I know it's not possible, to only grace the October sky. The temperature was a wonderful 61 degrees, and all was good with the world. Those are the kinds of days that keep you going when the going gets rough -- faith that another one will come along soon. As mamas, I think we have to choose to make those days happen or we can get into such a sad place emotionally. We have to choose to rejoice in the beauty of God's world, the miracle of apples on a tree and a cloudless blue sky. We have to choose to (temporarily) ignore the things that bring us down -- moody teens, and lists of things to do. For a brief while on Friday morning I was tempted to throw in the towel -- give into the moody teen and baskets of dirty laundry. But, instead I chose to make it a happy day, and I'm so glad I did. My daughter and I made memories in the orchard (laughing at all those boys running like maniacs around the place and getting scolded for climbing on the picking crates!), and we have lots, and lots, and lots of apples to keep the memories sweet.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Mt 7:7

*The apples in the photo are Suncrisp (yellow) and Melrose (red). Check my food blog later in the week for some apple recipes.
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