not a local

1) I tried to come up with a clever title since Vacation seemed boring, but my attempt at un-boring is mediocre.
2) The title I did come up with should come at no shock to you; dresses are my life these days. I love them.

Moving on: I got home last night from my first grown-up vacation ever. Naturally, I decided to vacate to the place where I once lived and worked. And it was nothing short of glorious. After traveling day one, running around day two, and shooting an engagement session day three, I didn’t make the effort to pick my camera up the rest of the week. All I have for you is this:

And I took it this morning. In Delaware. I share it with you now because I missed this little mug while I was gone.

Besides for drinking out of Tracy’s mugs, you may wonder what I did with my time (after the first few days of craziness). I slept. I read. I slept a bit more and read a little bit more after that. I went shopping and bought a dress. Then I helped out at my church’s vacation Bible school. Then I sweated profusely. I sat on the lake, I cruised the lake, I read next to the lake. Did I mention I slept?

When I wasn’t sleeping or reading I was spending time with dear, dear friends. Most of my trips up there recently have been a whirlwind of catchupcatchupcatchup/howmanytimescanIrepeatthisbeforeIgoinsane. This time around, I had seven days to spend time with people and reconnect with my old community; I played games (and won, mind you), I made new friends and I laughed. I laughed a lot.

Words cannot express how good this time was for me; on top of all the necessary resting and laughing, I prayed. I surrendered. I reconnected with Jesus. If there were one theme to sum up my vacation, it would lie in the words of one of my favorite hymns:

1. ’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know “Thus saith the Lord!”

2. O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
Just in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

3. Yes ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

4. I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Refrain: Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

(Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus, Public Domain)