Sign Post Saturday #4 (again on Sunday- OY!)

Good. Ness. What a week! I feel like we went from one thing to another with nary a break or breath and yet when I actually look back, there were times of rest and enjoyment. We even took Thursday as a sabbath/ family day for the first time in a couple weeks:

*We enjoyed four family dinners together this week. The other days included a Wednesday church dinner, a Daddy and Lindsay at a youth activity night, and a great big house full of people extended family dinner.
*We also did a full week of school, and it was full! 5-7 subjects every day.
*I finished three of the four books I hoped to read.
*Exercised 4 times and did yoga twice.
*No sketching but I did draw and paint two 7ft flats for the stage at church.
*Watched 3 movies myself and most of Holiday Inn with the girls (they watched it all, I missed a few parts)
*Worship team practice and worship team this week
*Mostly stayed on top of house work
*Raised over $300 towards my mission trip
*Completed my January home school paper work for Baldwin county
*Had a house FULL of wonderful friends and loved ones all weekend long

I don't know that I want or even need to add anything more to this other than what ought to be my first priority: BIBLE STUDY. I am seriously doing simply deplorably in that department and there is no excuse. I am going to spend all of February working on the disciplines that I have started here...some weeks more successfully than others, but I am not unhappy with what has been accomplished so far. Disciplines that I am working on this week:

*Getting reasonable sleep/ getting up early
*Bible/ prayer time
*House tasks/ organizational notebook/ menu plan
*Consistent home school/ short and long term plan/ continues early start
*Exercise/ yoga
*Intentional time management: family time/ efficient computer time/ leisure time/ sabbath
* Personal pursuits: reading (5 books), sketching, blogging (nablopomo), picture taking, yarn stuffs
*Financial discipline: spending no unnecessary money/ raising money for Az

Thursday Thirteen - January Review

Thirteen things that happened in January worth remembering:

*New Year's Day with the Lathers

*Late Christmas at my Mom's. We had to postpone due to a stomach bug in Tn, but when we got there we had a great time with my family, and the girls got to see and play in snow, snow, snow!!

*KINDLE

*first homemade ice cream in the ice cream maker from the uncles

*One very amazing, heartmending night in Florida (Thank you again, Trish!)

*PF Chang's with Glen and Maeta in Miami (those fried green beans are TO DIE FOR!)

*The Irish pub--quite possibly the best meal of my entire life

*The fantabulously fun wedding of Lesley and Paul - what a celebration!

*Two kid free days and nights in Miami!

*Pool time (and delicious hot tub time) at Resort Pop-Pop and Dah

*Snuggling Mikey

*100 Days of School Completed!!!

*10 (or more?) baptisms at Northridge and consistently over 700. We had to bring in more seats!!!

* And one to grow on - a great weekend with heart friends Nancy, Janet, Chase, Connor, Ryan, Aaron, Laurie and Zac to round up the month

Mangled up in Tangled up Knots

 Do you remember that line  from The Grinch?
 Lately I am of two minds. There is the mind that is enjoying some of the foundation of order that is being laid, that finds peace making tic marks after each finished task. This is the mind that looks only at the last thing tic'd off and the very next thing or two coming up, only that and nothing more. The other mind looks at the whole list, and all the things not on the list and all the things that may end up on the list tomorrow, and all the things that are part of the DAILY list so that every time you tic them off they simply reappear a little further down the line. That mind is a little more unsettled than the first mind. It looks around and all it sees is that life is a big mess of tangled up knots--everyone, everywhere, messy, confused and hard.

Perhaps that is simply the state of things when you are involved in something that is so much bigger than yourself, so much bigger than you even imagined for yourself and so much more important than anything you should ever really be allowed to have a hand in. Because really, me? Part of building the kingdom of God? How does any part of that concept make any sense whatsoever?

Perhaps that is why God is telling me that it's okay to make my little lists and use them to keep focused on the little things that I am able to do on my own power, because it frees Him to do what He does with me in the great big,  hugely amazing, miraculously wonderful, creative, imaginative beautiful wonders that come so easily to Him. If I consciously attempted even the first bit of that mangled up, tangled up knots truly would be the result.


If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
 Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.   


Matthew 6:30-34

Sign Post Saturday #3 (on Sunday-but I am not changing the title so get over it.)

 I spent some time tonight looking over last week's goals, and I have to say that all in all, I am pretty pleased.  Last week was an absolute aberration with an complete immersion into reality after a month off from, well, pretty  much everything. There were times I felt stressed, frustrated and overwhelmed, but in the midst of it, I stayed fairly focused on my goals..accomplishing well over 3/4 of what I had set (and to be honest, I knew when I made that list that it was pretty hopeful). I still feel rather overwhelmed just at this new kind of life in general, but at least getting what I can control handled helps me deal with the surprise things -- anyway, I could launch into a whole other blog about that, but I won't.

What went well this week:
menu planning
exercise
intentional family time
blogging
home organization

What could have gone better:
wasted computer time
school organization (at least we STARTED school; I'm not unhappy with that part)
personal time (sketching, reading, other endeavors)
Spiritual growth (reading, studying, journaling)

The plan: A lot more of the same


Exercise 4x/ Yoga 3x
Family meals/ meal plans/ Funday Sunday/ intentional family activities
Home Organization notebook/ plan
Education plan ON PAPER (because just having it in my head isn't enough)
Personal Pursuits - blogging (4x/wk) sketch (3x/wk) reading (finish 4 books/ 3 already in progress)

I also plan to spend no money this week but to make do with what we have here--and we have plenty.
Spiritual growth - Bible reading plan, prayer journaling

Lost and Found

   I'm having a moment as I putter about and start to think about my goals for the next week, and the next month (good grief! It's time to start thinking about next month already!). I have these moments every once in awhile and they go they like this: "How in the heck did I end up here?"

I think the trip to Florida is what did it. We traveled to the place that was home, but certainly doesn't feel like home any more, and then we came back to the place that is home, and I walked in and put my bags down and thought "I'm home! (but how in the world did I get here?)"

Thoughts like these aren't unhappy thoughts, merely pondering thinkerly thoughts. I know I've said it at least a hundred times, but I just can't seem to figure out why God uses me the way He does, to do the things He does with the people He does. No sooner do I order and organize than He steps in and shakes it all up, rummages up my comfort area, gives me a gentle hug (or a holy pimp slap) and tells me it is what is best for me.

I'd argue, but He's always right.
I'd ask for a road map, but I'd refuse to follow it.
I'd beg for mercy, but I've already got it.

And so I think, and I ponder. I relearn and reorder and readjust and pray that at least some portion of this life I manage to handle correctly. I work hard and wait for heaven. I try my best to live and love each day as much as I am able, and I lean into the promise that He who began a great work in me is faithful to complete it. God knows He is the only one who can.

Thursday Thirteen: Kindle Lovin'

  I don't know that I have ever encountered such a bibliophilic hornet's nest as I did when I asked for (and received) the Kindle as a Christmas gift. Believe me, it was not an easy decision to come to. I agonized. I am a bit of a techno-ho, but I do loves me the old fashioned feel of a good book. I do not, however, love trying to find a home for more books in my home, packing boxes of books, dusting books and other assorted book-work that comes with being a bibliophile. After two weeks of owning my beloved Kindle all I can say is, it's a match made in heaven (and no, I am not giving up real honest to goodness books with pages and covers so let's not even make that argument, mmm-kay?)

1.) 1,500 books weigh less than a pound and fit in my purse with room to spare.
2.) Books can be highlighted and notes made on the text in my Kindle
3.) I can shop for books any time I want. There's a shop button right on my lovely Kindle
4.) Traveling with my kindle--bliss. No fuss, no extra weight, no worry about running out of reading material.
5.) With it's trusty -rusty cover, it holds just like a book
6) It has a Bible on it (Kindle does not come with a Bible, I bought the NIV for $5)
7) It holds a charge for a week...more if you turn off the wireless (which doesn't have to be on to access book files)
8) It is not backlit like a computer screen - black text on flat white screen= no headahes or eyestrain (the text font is adjustable, you can't read in the dark without a reading light)
9) I can read multiple books at once and never lose my place.
10) I can "browse" by downloading samples of books (available on every title I have seen)
11) FREEEEEEE BOOOOOOOOOOKKKKSSS
12) I can email PDF documents to my Kindle (it has it's own email address) and read them on it.
13) It makes me really really really cool

There you have it. I do, indeed, really, really love my Kindle. I think we are going to have years of happiness together.

Sign Post Saturday #2 (on Tuesday this week)

   What a fantabulous weekend we had! I have never hugged so many people in so short a period of time. I have never felt so completely overwhelmed with love, but I think much of that is a post for another day. However, with the end of this final world tour and hooray, I declare the holiday season officially OVER and not a moment to soon. I needs me some real life, regular schedules and non-artery hardening food. This week will begin the first steps of many intentional major changes through the year, including but not limited to:

*exercise - at least 3 times this week (tues-sat) / yoga - 2x
*blogging ( I met my goal for this last week) - 3X more this week
*healthy menu plan and grocery list (not completed last week)
* ONE sketch (goal not met last week)
*Sunday Funday #2
*start school - develop a plan for the next 6 weeks
*start an organizational notebook
*more productive computer time/ less wasting time
*set up a family google calendar
*finish a project that's on the needles

I don't know that all of these will be finished in their entirety this week, but now I have something to look towards to help me stay focused. All of these in some way or another meet my More or Less statements.
Happy New Year to me! For real this time!

Close to My Heart

No this isn't a book review, though I do love Eric Carle books. But I have been thinking about this book today, and how I feel a lot like the hermit crab in this book. He starts out as he appears on the cover there, just a plain, ordinary hermit crab, really not much to distinguish him from any of the other millions of hermit crabs that crawl the ocean's floor. As it happens, Mr Crab sees something one day that catches his eye. He goes closer for a look and then, realizing it is too beautiful to leave behind, he takes a piece and attaches it to his shell. It isn't long before his eye is caught again, and soon he has another little shell ornament. And so he goes, throughout the book picking up small pieces of the things he encounters that are too beautiful to just pass by and taking them along with him, as part of him.

  I am quite like hermit crab except instead of collecting things, I collect people; and as I have no shell, I add them to my heart. It has been a day of great reflection and much prayer. The loss of a friend, the danger of others, the anticipation and anxiety of returning to a place of great joys, and one enormous sorrow, the excitement of so many new and amazing things on the horizon. It amazes me sometimes that hearts do not burst from the fullness of the loads they carry, for surely joy weighs as much as sorrow on the scales, hopefully more, truth be told. Days like today were given to examine the beautiful treasures with which we have been entrusted and to pray with words too deep for meaning gratitude for the grace of their presence:

for the missionary in Haiti who cries Jezi! Mesi! with her people

for the mother who begs prayers for another mother's sick child as poison disguised as medicine drips into the body of her own little girl

for the pastor who makes himself sick with the work that never ends

for the air force wife who willingly sends her heart into harm's way

for the home school mom in Texas, in Georgia, in Louisiana, in Michigan, in Florida, in Kansas, in Virginia...

for those who were left without a proper goodbye

for those that welcomed a woman broken in heart and spirit and loved her to wholeness

for the unexpectedly single mom trying to make a new way in a life unimagined

for the one who welcomes the child not grown under her heart, but in it

for you

For unlike the hermit crab, I do not place my treasures on a hard shell of protection, but on the soft and tender flesh of my heart. Some treasures have fallen away and left wounds, but many, most, protect me in a way that I could never accomplish alone. Beautiful treasures I am honored to carry.

One More Blog

I know, I KNOW I said everything on one blog but I lied just a little bit. I did start another blog that is for recipe organization for me because I can organize it by tags just the way my brain thinks. There probably won't be textual comment except for notes I make on recipes, but I probably will link there more as I do more with menu planning. Either way, here's the link

Pescatarian Pleasures

Reading Report #1

I was going to join the Sunday Salon for my reading blogs, but unfortunately that forum is closed to new bloggers for now. Still, I see no reason to let the keep me from trying to keep track of my reading so I'll just make my own thing up and roll along with it myself.

To begin with, I'm not sure why it matters to me to keep track of reading from year to year, not that I have ever done it successfully. But I always plan to and wish I had and regret I didn't do better when the year is over. I'm not terribly good at keeping up with book reviews either, nor, truthfully, do I enjoy writing them, so I think once a week is going to work for me.

I also don't seem to have much luck with challenges (in case you don't know it, there is a whole sub-culture of book bloggers who run reading challenges on..well....just about any subject you can find) I eyed a few and I may end up joining some but for now I think maybe it's best for me to just read what appeals (but with intention),and as I prove myself maybe stick in the extras.

I do have a few basic goals that I would like to meet this year:

*75 books read
*30 books passed on to someone else who will love them
*fewer than 10 paper pages books purchased this year
*be part of a book club
*(re)read some classics
*read at least 10 non-fiction

And here's where I start to make unrealistic lists and expectations so we'll stop at that.

I did receive a Kindle for Christmas from my mom. I am VERY excited to really use it and I do think it's definitely going to help with my incessant need to collect books. And it fills way fewer boxes when it's time to pick up and move.

I do indeed realize how ubergeeky it is to be this obsessed with books, but rather than fight it, I may as well feed it. It looks to be a great year of reading ahead!

Sign Post Saturday #1

My hunky has recently urged me to join him in reading a book by Andy Stanley called The Principle of the Path. I would like to say I am enjoying it, and I guess I am, except for the fact that it is utterly convicting in some pretty uncomfortable ways. Ultimately what I have walked away with so far, is that if I am going to get anywhere this year with all of things I intend to do, I am going to need to measure, evaluate, adjust, relearn and refocus pretty much everything and on a weekly basis. As Stanley says:

...Intentions are of little consequence. Direction is everything. Direction determines destination which is why we cannot afford to lead disconnected lives. When we discover those subtle and not-so-subtle discrepancies between intent and lifestyle we should stop and pay attention."

So here it is, my plan (goal?) to reevaluate each week whether I am still on the path that will lead me to the destination  I intended at the beginning of this year. Last week I posted many things that I want More or Less of. Those things aren't going to happen without constant reevaluation, at least until they become habitual.

I will also say that I am now more than ready to resume the routine of normal life, but that isn't something that will be possible for almost another two weeks. A wedding in Miami has us traveling again in just a few days (and if you don't think the thought of packing again doesn't very nearly bring me to tears you'd be wrong.). I'm actually quite certain that we are going to have a marvelous time visiting family and old friends, so that will be the one and only time I mention the terror of packing here. However, even without a set routine, there are some things I can implement to begin down the path I want to take this year and into the years to come. Here are a few ways I will get started:

1) I will not let the prospect of packing and prepping make me a cranky wretch. We will start back to school (albeit abbreviatedly), and I won't stress that nothing is perfect...because nothing ever is.

2) I will prepare a 2 week menu plan/ shopping list to implement when we return

3) This week will be our first Sunday Funday. Starting this week Hunky will be working all day on Sunday so the girls and I are going to make it ice cream and a movie day, when the weather warms up we may add other fun things as well. The chicks received a homemade ice cream maker from the uncles for Christmas. It is going to make our Sundays SOOOOO fun!

4) Start blogging the Sunday Salon which will keep track of my reading.

5) sketch at least twice, blog at least four times.

I think five goals is enough to start any pre-vacation game plan. Here's to the new year, new things, a new life and brand new mercies everyday - golly, do I ever need them!

More or Less for 2010

Do you ever have days where time and busyness seem to work against each other? Today was one of those days for me. Routine has gone out the window (and will continue to be out the window for almost another two weeks), and while that doesn't seem to chafe nearly as much as it would have a year ago (see me growing?), it does mean that some days everything catches up with me at once.
However, as I worked on the endless mundane small tasks that make up my exhilarating existence (to be read tongue in cheek because I wouldn't for one second trade this life for any other and that is the truth) I did consider some things that I want for this new year. My sweet, wonderful soul-sistah Leann shared her theme "More or Less" last week. I am not stealing her theme, but I really, really liked how she broke her goals for the year down into those two categories, and I decided to steal it because why recreate brilliance when someone has already laid it out for you? She keeps the theme, but I will use it to spring board.

Less

*grumbling

*wasted time

*debt

*choosing to dwell on things that aren't a priority

*bitterness

*clutter

*careless parenting

*procrastination

*stress

*missed opportunities

More

*prayer

*focus - on reading, parenting, goals and plans, family time

*discipline - in study, spending, menu planning, exercise

*health - better eating choices and more exercise

*laughter- with my kids, with my hunky, with my friends

*creativity - writing, drawing, painting, photography

*relationships- deepening what there, working to not let distance rob me of closeness, reaching out to those who need it, finding accountability

*growth - spiritually and mentally

*intentional parenting

*freedom - to do what I want when I want to, to be available for others when they need it, to be myself without fear of repercussion, to love whom I choose, to spoil those whom I love.

Getting a picture of what I want will help me set reasonable goals to attain them. I may not work on every item, every day or even every week, but each piece will work together to build foundations for healthier habits and an overall happier me.

I am also checking out this site that Leann shared in her post as well. Good tips and hints and as always, I can adapt them to meet my needs instead of trying to change myself to fit that mold. Happy New Year to us all! May we all end 2010 with the same thrill we entered it!

Sketch #1 2010

The Delightful Year

        Delight yourself in the LORD

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him and he will do this:

           He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,

the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

                                        Psalms 37:4-6

For some time now, God has communicated with me using yearly themes. Towards the end of each year, He begins speaking an idea, a filter or a lens over the year to come. I don't actually believe that it changes the events or dictates behavior, it merely helps me focus on how God is trying to grow my Spirit from year to year. This year He is working a little differently. I do have a new focus for 2010, but I will also still be working on last year's theme (which incidentally is where the title of this blog comes from). I believe I have heard that deepening will be a theme that pervades my life for some years to come. This new and uncharted territory that lays before me means that I will daily need to rely on God for everything....that's some serious deepening.

However, it became pretty clear as 2009 drew to a close that God was speaking another word over me for the year to come. At first I thought it must be a mistake or wishful thinking, but God insisted that indeed He was making a gift for me of the next year because the word he spoke over me was: Delight.

• please: give pleasure to or be pleasing to; 
• take delight in; 
• a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction;
• enchant: hold spellbound
• joy: something or someone that provides a source of happiness; 

I think I may have forgotten how to just be delighted in all things. I blame myself as much as any circumstances that may have caused that forgetfulness, but it is time to find my joy again. God has certainly designed us for this place and He intends for us not only to work hard in it, but to delight in it. To roll around in His goodness and allow His tasks to be our joy. I do not think it means that this year will be all cotton candy and lollipop rainbows, but I do believe that for a time I am being given a chance to refill the areas that life has depleted, to tend to the care of my soul, to revel in the wonder that is living and to serve with delight an amazing God. He has already been preparing me. I can hardly wait to see how it all unfolds.


God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.
Even when the way goes through Death Valley I'm not afraid when you walk by my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure.
You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.
Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.
Psalm 23 (The Message)