Sandscapes And Turtles And Shell-tered Life Lessons! Go figure! I mean, go-pher-gure?

So, I am watering a bit today.  Everything is quenched including me.  No rain on the outside, but some on the inside, right?   Anyway, I call our yard “sandscape”, instead of landscape.  Because it is so, so dry.  So, who do you think I spot? Our other family member.  She’s been living here on our grounds and in our ground, and under our house and shed for over 18 years.  She makes daily treks across to the woods and back and has babies in our front yard every year.  She blends in well, but can be hard…on the surface.  PIMP LOL.  Sound familiar?  Like any other family members?  Ourselves, sometimes?  Anyway, she is huge and she is used to us, but she still seems to be in her shell.  I know, right?   She lives a shell-tered life.   But when she moves out into the world?  She dares to take that shell-tered life with her and share it.  Brings joy to kids and families that drive by and see her.  And, she always comes home.  She is faithful.  Sounds like another lesson.   Oh, and I call her Foxy Boxy…but she is not a Box turtle.  What is she?   She is a Gopher Turtle.  Why did I call her that?  Well, it’s because the first couple years, everyone would stop by the road and try to capture her in a box.  I had some wildlife people out to check her out last year.  She can’t be moved out of her habitat, like our scrub jays.  But, we certainly are not going to pay a fortune to have her moved.  Besides?  She’s part of the landscape…err…, I mean, sandscape.  Well, I think I shall take her advice today. Move slow, wear a shield, live in my shell-tered life today and hide out.  But, when I do go out into the world?  Take my shell-ter with me and my shell-tered world and share it.   No fear.  Bring joy to others.  Last thought?  Some of my whacky Tracy humor.  Sorry, it’s all I got.  Well, I’m not one to stick my head in the sand?  But she sticks her whole body in it…and seems to be doing great.  Go-phergure.   Oh, and up at the beginning of the slow story?  I spoke of it raining on the inside.  You know what I mean.  Best thing to do is go out and water someone else’s life with your time…you’ll find the rain on the inside that once felt like a heavy downpour?  Has turned into a gentle refreshing.  From sadness to joy.  Raining on the inside can be refreshing…where we seek God.  Raining on the outside can be refreshing…where we see God.  There is a wonderful song by Amy Grant called “Raining On The Inside”.  Awesome.  Check it out.  Speaking of songs…hoping to have a new one up soon.  Oh, and click on the photos for the...umm...the bigger picture?  Yes, the Gopher turtles look cool up close.  So, get up close.  Click. And, not just the photos.  Get up close with others and click!  Take it home.   Remember?  I'm talking about home as in anywhere our heart is, also.  And, keep watering…  I’m going to.  Go-pher-gure!  Trace