Advocate

 Good morning!

It's Friday once again, and it's the last day of September. How is that even possible?! It has certainly been cooler. Not cold yet, but the nights have been in the 50s-60s all week and days have been low 80s for a high. Lovely weather! I've gotten to go walking every day so far this week.

Last Saturday my best friend and I had a great time out at Prairie State Park. It was hot (90s), but we were there before it was so hot and got to enjoy it. I ate bison for the first time. It was good. Came home in the afternoon to find my 5 youngest nieces and nephews here. Then my oldest niece was dropped off and the others picked up. Pickle Puss (she's 16 and maybe a little old for that nickname now) got to hang out and eat supper here before going to watch another volleyball game with some friends.

This week has been good. Busy with all the usual things like writing, and editing, and blog posts, and projects, and life in general. I've spent quite a bit of time on the A Homewood Christmas project, as well as on new KDWC Journals and Trail Trackers. :) (Yes, I did make new coloring pages.) I've gotten some writing in. For some reason this month I have been getting really good writing on Monday and Tuesday and then hardly anything the rest of the week. But at least I'm getting something written, right?

I forgot that I didn't have any story ready for you, so last night I grabbed one of the short sketches I had written last July. You'll have to make do with that this week.

 

 Advocate

    Brooklyn held tightly to the cables holding the giant swing up and caught her breath before lifting her feet and letting it carry her out over the sloping hill and beyond. She was free! Free from the accusation which had haunted her every waking moment and had even crept into her dreams at night. Free from the fear of years in prison. Free from court rooms and lawyers, judges, prosecutors, attorneys and words she didn’t understand.
    She gave herself another push with her feet and breathed deeply as she felt herself flying through the air. To her right the face of the cliff, covered with moss from the spray of the waterfall before her was grim and foreboding.
    “It’s like the accuser in a court room,” she mused. “Grim, stern, unbending. Not even the spray from the waterfall can soften its face though it makes a way for moss to grow.”
    The swing swung back and then out again.
    “Across the gorge is the accused,” she continued her thoughts half aloud. “His head is hanging and he can’t even look the accuser in the face because he knows he’s guilty.” Brooklyn felt a fine mist blow in her face. The sound of the falls made it hard to hear anything, even her own spoken words.
    “We are all guilty, the accused is standing before the accuser, and yet--” A smile crossed her face. “And yet we have an Advocate. The blood of Jesus washes us white and pure. He can face our accuser even when we’ve sinned again and again. He can come to the Judge and say, ‘I have paid the price for their sins. I have covered them in My blood.’ And the accuser can say nothing. He no longer has a case against us.”
    The swing slowed down and Brooklyn looked up. “Thank You, Father,” she whispered, “for being my Advocate, for giving me life instead of death like I deserve. Help me to live the rest of my life with that always in my mind. Help me to point others to the saving forgiveness that You offer; to the safe Advocate that no accuser can shake.”
 

How has your week been?

Have you gotten to walk this week?

Are you writing anything?