The Start of a New Year

The weather here has been gray and rainy.
All three of us are sick.
The house is a wreck.

In spite of all this the new year looks good.

God is in control.

I am content to rest in that.

Happy New Year!

Celebrating 30 years

So, if you were going to celebrate 30 years of marriage what would you do? A big party? A special romantic dinner? A weekend getaway? Something memorable, right? That's what we thought, too. Finances are an issue though, so we planned a low budget day trip to a nearby historical town planning on a simple lunch and perhaps a stroll on the beach on the way home in the evening. Sounds so romantic and downright fun, huh? Yeah, we thought so too.

So this morning Beloved goes out to clean my car for the trip- a WONDERFUL gift!- and while I'm working on getting ready I hear a continuous mewing sound. Coming from UNDER the bathroom. Huh.

A little background. You may recall that I wrote about our cat population in this post:
http://mrsmomsblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/family-expansion.html

Well, Papa Tux's biology lesson was about oh, eight weeks ago. Our Mama Kitty has been having a hormonal week and giving 4 month old Socks a hard time about everything. Which was really rough since Skeered disappeared about a week or so ago and poor Socks has been lost without her playmate. (I'm skimming right over this part because I can't handle the sad when I think about what must have happened to Skeered. Sniff. Sigh. Moving on.)
Anyway, Mama has been a real pill toward Socks. Until yesterday morning when she suddenly decides that she not only LIKES Socks, but she is going to be all motherly toward her. Even to the point of trying to haul her around by the scruff of the neck AND allowing her to nurse- something that has been taboo since, oh, about seven weeks ago. Mama also looked much slimmer and cried a lot. So, we figured that she must have lost the kittens, was having postpartum blues and substituting the older kitten for the lost babies. Pretty smart kitty psychology, huh? Yeah, we thought so too.

A little more background. The cats have been spending a lot of time under the house. This is possible here in the south where we have mobile homes that sit up on blocks four feet high to keep them out of the flood zone. Now, we do have aluminum skirting around the bottom but cats are very good about digging right under that. The sandy soil here makes it less labor intensive. Plus, we have one panel that was damaged in a big storm and is the perfect size for a feline doorway under the house. The problem is that the kittens don't just go under and sleep. No, they seemed to think that the pipes and insulation and duct work all made a PERFECT playground. So, we would hear various clunking and thumping sounds under our feet. A little disconcerting. So Beloved decided that it would be best to close up the openings. Unfortunately he made this decision AFTER Mama Kitty had decided this would make the perfect nursery.

So, Mama Kitty has her baby. Beloved blocks off access to the nursery. Mama acts weird. The stupid humans think she's hormonal and go to bed. The next morning the baby starts screaming for it's breakfast.

I went out and told Beloved about the crying baby under the house and my Hero opens up the panel and crawls under the house to rescue the baby kitty. Who was up INSIDE the insulation. We restored the baby to its mama but mama keeps acting weird. She wants the baby but she doesn't. It looks like she's rejecting it. And the baby is obviously traumatized by the whole ordeal as well as hungry so it keeps crying. Nonstop.

At this point there is no way that Beloved and I can go away from home and think about anything other than our crazy feline family members. So we scrap the trip. And spend the rest of the day monitoring Mama and Baby in the makeshift quarantine nursery that we have created in a back storage room in an outbuilding. Big Fun.

Finally, Mama looks like she's going to accept the baby and feed her but she does. not. like. being closed in. At. All. By the end of the day we're convinced the she will take care of the baby so we let them back outside. Mama is still acting a little weird but we chalk that up to hormones. Again, brilliant psychology.

After dinner DD4 went out to check on the little family and discovered Socks had climbed Beloved's ladder so she decided to get a photo. While she was outside she visited with Mama and the baby and began to hear an echo to the baby's cry. Mama had moved the baby underneath the back porch steps right next to the house. Right next to the insulation that held the OTHER baby. So, for the second time today, Beloved took his heroic self and crawled BACK under the house (this time in the dark) and rescued the second baby kitten.

It only took three days and three not so bright humans to separate and reunited one Mama Kitty and her two babies. If only we spoke Cat.

So, this is how we celebrate 30 years of marital bliss around here. Life is NEVER dull. Here's to 30 more!

Celebrating in Song

This is the song our ladies group sang this morning. It was awesome. Now, we only had six ladies in our group today but they can surely sing! DD4 played the part of David Phelps in the second verse and then switched to Sandy Patty mode for the final chorus (translated: she hit all those through the roof notes, including a few that aren't in the video!) The final harmonies were absolutely beautiful! Enjoy this Gaither Homecoming version. It's almost as good as ours! ;D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6L0do1lkVE

Adjusting Focus

Something I ate yesterday is not pleased with me, so I adjusted my plans for the day to accommodate the situation and came to my computer for a bit of encouragement. (And, because I can sit here and not feel like the whole day is being wasted because I don't have the energy to move around.)
Yesterday and today, Nancy Leigh DeMoss at Revive Our Hearts broadcast excerpts of a talk given by a young Canadian woman named Rachel Barkey. Rachel was a breast cancer survivor who has recently found that the cancer has returned with a vengeance. This time there is no cure.
Her courage and candor are truly inspiring. Makes my tiny trial seem insignificant by comparison.

You can watch or listen to her complete talk here:
http://deathisnotdying.com/


Or read or listen to the excerpts here:

PART ONE:
http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=10243

PART TWO:
http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=10245



I promise it will be worth your time.

One Day Vacation

DD4 and I took a "vacation day" on Friday and ran away for an adventure. Our plan was to go to Rainbow Springs, float around on the water, relax the afternoon away, possibly with a book (if we stopped talking long enough) and have a picnic lunch. It was a great plan.

You do know what happens to great plans, right?

The floats weren't allowed. The water was too cold to get more than our feet wet. The only shady spot we could find for our chairs was on an incline that was steeper than it looked so the chairs kept tipping, slipping, sliding and finally collapsing. DD4's sinuses decided not to cooperate with her so her energy was taken up with breathing and trying to clear her head. We forgot to bring the books.

So, when we hit somewhere around Plan Q we changed out of our swimsuits into comfy clothes and walking shoes. She took an antihistimine and we found a beautiful spot on a park bench and ate our lunch. Then we took the camera and hit the walking trails. Only to discover that I had removed the card that stores the pictures and we only had enough memory for about 6 shots. It was just enough to get this one, though.

Pretty much a perfect day.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Sometimes a little attention goes a long way. Yesterday I snapped some photos of my poor neglected plants who were dying of thirst. I gave them all some Miracle Grow and then we had a rainstorm last night. Today I went out after church and took some more photos.

24 hours and a little water later and here are the before and afters.













































I was wondering how many other areas of my life this principle might also apply. What have I allowed to "dry out" in my life?


Relationships?
Ministry?
Skills?


I think I'm going to take a little time this week to do some inventory and see what looks a little droopy, yellow or crunchy.
A little watering might be in order.

Sin of Omission

If you know me or have read this post you know that I do not have a green thumb. In fact I have had very little long term success with plants. This is probably why Beloved has been eyeing me a bit strangely since February when I bought perfectly good seed packets and brought them home. And it has been nothing short of a miracle that the seeds have gone from this (in March):

To this (in May):

We have all been amazed.

Now I must say that like all new projects this one drew my attention quite regularly in the beginning. It was fun, it was novel and it was unbelievable! I actually harvested one squash and two servings of green beans as well as some herbs. Seriously amazing. Then, as happens with all of my projects, the rest of my life began to encroach upon my gardening time. It was ok for a while. We had rain almost every day and the bugs hadn’t all found the plants yet. Also being in pots there were very few weeds to contend with. I could check in every few days and it was fine.
Fast forward to this past week.

I have been busy taking care of other life necessities. We have had no rain. The temperatures have been in the nineties. All the rain we had the week before has brought out all the weeds in town. The bugs are hungry.

When I walked out to the garden this afternoon this is what I found:

This photo is deceptively green. The problem is that most of that green is grass or weeds. And all that green growth in the square pot? Yeah. Clover. Great crop, just not what I was going for. And that spindly thing in the tomato cage at the center back of the picture? That really is a tomato plant. A sad, shriveled two dollar tomato plant. (the one plant I bought instead of starting from seed)

However, on the bright side, I am growing a great crop of plastic spoons.

Gardening tips of the week:

Plants are picky about having water.

Every day, not just when you remember that they exist.

Weeds are bad whether they are in the pots or on the ground all around the pots.

Leaves are not supposed to be yellow, limp or crunchy.

They also should not have holes in them.

Family Expansion

We have a couple of new additions to the family.

Meet Socks (front) and Skeered (back).

They were between six and eight weeks when this was taken.

Their mother adopted my husband last year and makes sure that he has a reason to get up in the morning and come home in the evening. You know, because he has to feed and pet the cat. She is CERTAIN that this is his purpose in life. She truly is the most affectionate cat I have ever seen. When we go out the back door, she comes running to meet us and fusses if we don't take the time to pet her sufficiently.

The kittens have been a joy and delight. We laugh as we watch them discover the world around them. They are about three months old now and exploring more and more each day. Socks has learned how to catch frogs. The other day she had one and brought it over to the one patch of concrete in the yard. I thought she was going to have a snack. Oh, no. She had captured a toy. And the smart little thing brought it to the one place in the yard where she could keep a close eye on it!

The other day we started to go outside and found this on the back steps:

From left to right: Skeered, Mama, Socks, Tux (aka Papa)

Tux actually belongs to a neighbor and probably has another name as well. He "visits" with Mama Kitty when the "mood" strikes. He was good enough to give the kittens some biology lessons last week. Funny, we haven't seen him since. Of course, once she visits the local Neuter Commuter he may not visit at all. Bummer.

Kickin' Writer's Block

Everything I think of to write either sounds stupid or sanctimonious. You have all been sooo encouraging. I WANT to write, the words just get all muddled up in my brain. Well, unless I'm up to my elbows in something else like cooking or driving or just about to fall asleep. THEN I can think of things to write. Brilliant things. Funny things. Inspiring things. But when I sit down at my computer, nothing. It is at this point that all becomes blank. Or stupid. Or sanctimonious. Now, please don't think I'm trolling for encouraging comments here. I'm not. I'm just being honest and trying to explain yet another LONG absence from my poor neglected blog.


So, here I am trying to break through.


This is where reading other blogs brings inspiration. I was reading a post by Carmen from Mom to the Screaming Masses that showed a photo of her blogging area and thought, "I can do that". So here it is:

First, the process. Take a photo. Take two. Review of photo shows VERY MESSY desk. Clean up desk. Take another photo. Take two. Download photo from camera to computer. Download a bunch while you're at it (cause I haven't done that in a while either). Save photos. Begin to write post. Attempt to upload image. Realize it is saved in wrong format. Go back to photo program and save in more friendly format. Go back to blog and attempt to upload photo again. Look at desk and realize I have photographed sensitive personal information that I would prefer NOT to broadcast into cyberspace. Quickly stop upload. Go back to photo program and remove personal stuff. Return to blog and attempt upload for the third time. Continue writing blog content. Accidentally delete photo. Attempt upload a fourth time. Write about the process.

See, that was easy.

Now, about the (now clean) desk. (OK, I confess, I just moved the clutter out of camera range but this part looks great, don'tcha think?) Anyway, this is command central. This is where I conduct all manner of desk stuff that makes Beloved ask things like, "What do you DO all day?" It could be because when he sees me at my desk in the evenings I'm either reading blogs or playing games but I really do actual work stuff here. Not that I get paid for it very often but it's work nevertheless.

And apparently, I REALLY like sticky notes.

In Search Of Peace

DD4 went shopping this week and found the cutest dress. Prefect color, adorable style and it was so… her. Until she put it on. It just didn’t fit. No matter how long she stared in the mirror or shifted, tugged and adjusted, it still didn’t fit.

That’s the story of my job. Or I should say the job that wasn’t. I REALLY wanted to take that job. But it didn’t fit, no matter how much I tried to tell myself that I could make it work. If only I had listened to the Lord. Or consulted Him first. It’s taken me two months to post this because I hate to admit all this.

I went looking for a job out of fear instead of faith. And, since I have free will, the Lord let me do my thing. So I got a job. A really good job. But in getting what I wanted (or thought I needed) I lost my peace. From the day I got the job my spirit was troubled and I could not get settled. I tried to tell myself that it was just new job jitters or maybe it was the enemy trying to steal my victory. (Yeah, that’s it; it must be all the devil’s fault.) But it wasn’t. It was mine.

When I FINALLY listened to the Lord and gave up the job, a peace flooded my heart. I have committed myself to seek God FIRST, BEFORE I go looking for anything else to do. Right now, the best use of my limited physical resources is to continue putting our house in order so that it will be more accessible to potential buyers.

I have plenty of work and no lack of peace. Everything else I will take day by day and trust God to provide in His way and in His time.

I got a JOB!

My mind is still trying to wrap itself around this. You wouldn't think it would be so hard since I actually, you know, APPLIED for a job (or few). The part that keeps getting me is that they HIRED me!

AFTER, I locked my keys in my car at the interview site and had to go back inside and ask for help.
And AFTER I was THIRTY MINUTES LATE for the call back interview because I got LOST!


I actually worked for this same company over 30 years ago! My first interviewer figured out the math on that one pretty quick, seems he was BORN the SAME year that I worked for the company! Amazing!

So, I'm going to be a hostess for a major restaurant chain. Let me just say that their commercials always make me hungry! I've been working on getting my uniform pieces together - not exactly my style but PJ's weren't on the list of acceptable options, so...

And, I got my hair cut. I think Beloved had more angst about that part than I did. It wasn't a direct requirement of the job but it seemed like the best way to deal with a few job-related hair issues. The best part is that my hair is ALL my natural color now. Not exactly ONE color, mind you, but all natural nevertheless.

Anyway, I'm pretty excited about it all. At least when I'm not asking myself what in the WORLD was I thinking!? Basically, I'm in that place that is scary and exciting all at the same time. That place of totally depending on the Lord because I am in WAY over my head!

It's a good place.

2009 Catch Up

It's amazing how quickly days and weeks slip by. I have found that catching up takes twice as long as keeping up and reading blogs others have written is MUCH easier than writing my own. I know that you are all shocked by these revelations. Here is a quick catch up of the last TWO MONTHS!

Christmas was great!
The program at church was one of the best ever and an amazing blessing.

Christmas day was a nice QUIET, restful day which we needed.

Our family gathering on the 28th was so wonderful- we got to see 4 out of 5 kids and 7 out of 8 grandkids. And, oh yes, a lot of other, very special friends and family members, too! (Love you all!) A red letter day, indeed!

This was the spread of food that fed our group of approx 40.

New Year's Eve, which I had been looking forward to for weeks was not so great. I managed to have a major hormone meltdown at the last minute so even though our special service at church was wonderful, I had a hard time enjoying it. I passed my camera off to my friend JC and she got some great shots of our church family enjoying the food and fellowship. Thanks, JC! You're a doll!

I did manage to snap this photo of our dance team in action.

We had some REALLY cold weather (for FL) and our daughter caught this evidence on film, er, pixels:
OK, it was from the faucet dripping all night but still- this is ICE people! Outside. In FL.

On Valentine's morning, I heard Beloved rustling what sounded like papers at the kitchen table behind me before he headed out to work at the church. He came to my chair and kissed me goodbye as usual. I finished my Bible study and went to the kitchen for breakfast and found this.

He had gone out that morning and picked them! Not an easy task in our wild, woodsy yard. I LOVE the addition of the yellow vine! I'm so glad he keeps coming home every night. For almost 30 years.

This is what he was headed out to work on:

Our church steeple decided that after over 20 years it had completed its task. Beloved and some other dear men from our church have been working to fabricate a replacement. Beloved's task was to cover the base with siding to protect it from the elements (which apparently contributed to the demise of the original) and of course, to make it look pretty. I think he did a beautiful job! Anyway, he was headed out to help install this masterpiece on the roof of the church. I was so pleased that none of the men involved exited the roof in an accelerated or hastily assisted manner.

There's more but it will have to keep for another day. I have blogs to read.

There is Life After the Flu!

The beast has been vanquished! At least mostly. The last half of the week has definitely been better than the first.

I woke up Thurs morning with this overwhelming desire to clean my house.
Noooo, the fever had not escalated. I was actually feeling MUCH better. I washed dishes and clothes and tidied like a mad woman. DD4 kept telling me not to over do because even though I didn't feel tired it would come back to bite me on Friday if I wasn't careful. She was speaking from the experience of paying on Thurs for her own bit of energy on Wed. Fortunately she was only partly right.

Friday was a bit of a slowed down day but not a major setback. I managed to go into town to pay a bill and pick up a few groceries and ... that was it. Done for the day. But at least I got a little done before I collapsed.

Today I managed to make it to the program rehearsal at church. It was easy for me since all I do is sit and listen. Seriously, I am the official listener. I have the best job in the church! And because the program is tomorrow, this served as our sound check so we only have one song to go over at 8:45 tomorrow morning. Sweet!

The rest of the day was a serious do-nothing day. Well, except for the usual hack and blow and sound like a frog stuff, but, hey, it's still better than the laryngitis I've had all week. Anyway, the flu is on its way out of town and not a moment too soon, either.

Many thanks to all those who have been praying for us. God is answering. I just LOVE when He does that!

The Warmed Over Mack Truck Cat

Run over by a Mack truck
Death warmed over
Something the cat dragged in

These are all expressions that my grandmother would use when describing how she felt when ill. You can pick any one of them or, shoot, go ahead and pick two, and you would have a pretty good idea of what the flu is doing to me.
These are the highlights of my week.

SUNDAY
Woke up with a sore throat and took my usual arsenal to combat viruses. The same stuff that NORMALLY would have kicked any germs to the curb and allowed me to continue my life. Two hours later I was worse instead of better and proceeded to spend the better part of the day sacked out sawing Z's.

MONDAY
Took a pain inventory and found that the list of what didn't hurt was shorter than what did: my fingernails, toenails and one small spot in the center of my right eyebrow. (Now, I can exaggerate with the best of them, I am a Southern girl after all, but this time, I wish.) Pushed fluids, expanded my arsenal and moved very little- except to the couch, my new bed. Beloved has work for the rest of the month- PRAISE THE LORD!!- so I REALLY don't want him to get this. (That sounds rather mercenary, huh? Not what I meant- I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy or his mean ole dog and especially not on Beloved!)

TUESDAY
Headline news for the day:
HIDDEN JEWEL TAKES A BATH AND WASHES DIRTY HAIR!
Yes, folks, you heard it here first! A feat of amazing skill and derring-do! One not to be repeated in the immediate future I assure you since it took almost all day to accomplish and the rest of the day to recuperate from.

WEDNESDAY
Ahh! Today has a list of accomplishments.
1) I got dressed. OK, it was after noon and only lasted about 2 hours, but still.
2) During that amazing window of opportunity I went to the bank- a half hour round trip.
3) When I returned home I collapsed in Beloved's recliner (where I had moved to at four this morning in an attempt to staunch the painful coughing) and managed to get a little nap.
Only problem is, I'm not used to sleeping sitting up or even reclining. so every time I would fall asleep my jaw would drop open and wake me up. Sheesh.


Lest you think that I'm just on a major whine here, let me tell you a little of what God has been doing.

Beloved has NOT gotten sick, even though he has been most attentive to his ickly, sickly wife and daughter. Oh, YES, DD4 came down with the SAME thing on Saturday. She keeps telling everyone that I taught her to share. Humph. I MEANT chocolate, silly.

Anyway, given that she had a day's head start and is almost 30 years younger, her recovery time has been swifter and some of her symptoms have been a little lighter. She has been a dear in ministering to her old mom, nagging, I mean reminding me to drink and take my supplements. She's also had more energy so she's been on Germ Patrol wiping out the enemy from wherever she thinks it may be lurking.

A dear friend went to the store for us on Monday and picked up some essential sick food, a cute card, and lovely flowers. Then she sent supper on Tuesday night. What a dear heart! She does have competition though. Two other friends contacted us and offered to make a store run. Even though their schedules were jam packed and one of them was recovering from illness as well. A third friend, whom we shall call the Grape Juice Bunny, left a jug of juice by our front door. And my precious medical friend took time out of her very busy schedule to answer my questions and offer advice that could speed up our healing.

Above all I have been covered in prayer by our precious friends and church family, many of whom are fighting similar bugs themselves.

So, in spite of feeling like a warmed over, dragged in cat that has been run over by a Mack truck, I am also feeling immensely loved and cared for.
Only God could do that.

Music Memories and a Red Velvet Hug

Today was a busy, blessed day. We had a special Thanksgiving service at our church today. The children sang, our Ladies Worship Team sang and I sang. And the roof did not fall in. Amazing.

I sang a song with the Worship Team called "How Great Is Our God". After I sat down I thought how much my voice has changed over the years. When I was in chorus in school I sang either 1st or 2nd soprano, depending on where the director needed more voices for a particular song. Today I sang on the alto side. Not truly alto, more like melody an octave lower with a few harmony notes thrown in for good measure. Kind of "also".
That thought reminded me of my dad. His standard joke was that he sang "solo"- "so low" you couldn't hear him. He was a funny guy but he was right about his singing ability. He couldn't carry a tune in a bucket with the lid nailed shut. It didn't stop him from singing, though. He just made up his own tunes. And his own words. Different every time. He was a funny guy.

After the service we had a potluck fellowship dinner. Lots of food, a chance to visit with friends, some old & some new. And dessert, where God reminded me that He knows me personally and cares about the small things in our lives.
I posted yesterday that it was my mom's birthday. What I didn't mention was that I considered making one of her favorite cakes for thanksgiving but decided not to due to time constraints this week. (the "how many people do you think you are?" consideration) Mom had two favorite cake flavors- carrot and red velvet. Since carrot is also my favorite we usually have it for my birthday, so I thought about making a red velvet cake in honor of her birthday. When I went to the dessert table today, there was a beautiful red velvet cake. What a delicious reminder of God's love & care even in the small things. It felt like a warm hug.

How great is our God.

Food and Memories

Whole Wheat Bread
Cranberry Salad
Sour Cream Cornbread
Tuna Pie
Chocolate Butterscotch Cookies
1 load of laundry
2 dishwasher loads of dishes

This is what I did today.
I would post a picture of my feet but they have gone into hiding.

It was a good day, though. I love it when I feel like I have actually accomplished something at the end of the day. I also love how cooking gives me "thinking time". Today I thought about my mother. She would have been 77 today.

What was really nice is that today, her birthday, wasn't a sad day. I didn't cry or really "miss" her. I just thought about her, and reflected on our relationship. It would be lovely if we had had the kind of relationship that brought warm, fuzzy memories, but we didn't. We loved each other but we didn't really understand each other. Due to several factors, misunderstanding being one, we didn't get along exceptionally well. I didn't grow up enough to truly appreciate her until long after she was gone. Unfortunately, youth was not an available excuse, (I was in my 30's, married with children) I was simply immature (and selfish) when it came to relationships. Not that I am really good at them now, just improved. My children have taught me a lot.
But today was not even about looking back with regret. It was just about simple memories drifting through my mind- mostly about food. As I looked through my favorite recipe book I noted several of her recipes, handed down one at a time, usually through a phone call that started with, "Mom, how do you make... ". There were some things that she never got the hang of cooking well- steaks were an endangered species in her kitchen (I gave up in them years ago- I hated spending all that money to end up with unchewable blackened beef jerky). But nobody could hold a candle to her fried chicken (except maybe Grandma) and her banana pudding (even Grandma).
I know enough today to be grateful for my mom, for the things that that she taught me and the things that she passed on to me. This Thanksgiving we'll be gathering with my siblings and their families and I'll make potato salad to contribute to the feast. Just like Mom taught me.

Which Way Do I Go?

I have been wrestling with some decisions over the last couple of weeks that have come to a head the last few days.

Some decisions are pretty easy- to eat or not to eat? Eating almost always wins and without a lot of angst-filled thought. Some are harder- to get out of bed or to go back to sleep? This one could use a pro/con list but usually the 'get out of bed' comes out the winner... at least eventually.

It is the really hard decisions- you know, the ones that could change the course of your life- that leave me slightly dazed. While I'm constantly praying for God's will and direction in my life, sometimes (often during decision making prayers) He becomes curiously silent. And so I wait.

I'm not a fan of waiting.


Waiting on direction from the Lord is a lot like a plane circling the airport in a holding pattern. You may be moving but you aren't going anywhere. You aren't where you started out but you aren't where you are going either. And being anything but patient and pleasant is simply a waste of time and energy.

I've found that the problem is usually not so much that God isn't ready to talk but that I'm not ready to listen. And usually I'm not ready to listen because I really only want to hear one answer. And that usually isn't the one that He has for me. So even if He tries to speak to me and clearly says "The answer is blue", my mind tries to rearrange (twist?) the answer so that I reply, "Green, right, the answer is green".

No wonder God is silent.

Pickin Em Up and Puttin Em Down

I walked again this morning and can now in good conscience post this photo of me walking. It's one thing to take a photo of what I would look like walking and quite another to actually do it. Just ask my feet!

Provoked to Good Works

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Hebrews 10:24

I've been thinking about this verse a lot since our pastor read it on Wed night. And I've been provoked a lot this week, too. To good works. I love it when I get to watch the Word in action- in my own life! A beautiful and much rarer thing than I would like.

Provocation 1- This Blog

I love to read blogs but I have been rather negligent in posting to my own. I have several blogs that I follow and have found it a bit disappointing when I visit and it's the same post that I read yesterday- and the day before- and the week before- and the month before... you get the idea. Anyway, it occurred to me that that is exactly what my friends and family have been experiencing when they have visited my blog for the last months. So, I have been provoked to the good work of posting to my blog at least weekly and more often if at all possible.

Provocation 2- Walking

It has been brought ot my attention (again) that my health issues have a better chance of being resolved in a favorable manner if I will simply exercise on a REGULAR basis. So, I have actually donned my tennies and walked three- count them- THREE times this week. Twice outside and once inside to a walking tape. In this I have definitely been provoked but it is a good thing.

Provocation 3- Work

I interviewed for a job this week. The reviews on how it went are mixed. Right now I am in a waiting mode since the final decision won't be made for a week or two. In the process of the interview a number of questions were asked that have made me analyze my experience in the workforce and the things that I really enjoyed doing. I also was challenged to consider some skills that are not up to snuff. In the spirit of that provocation I am working on improving my typing skills. Whether I get this job or not the time saved in typing proficiency will be a blessing to me personally in the work that I do for our family and church.

Sometimes being provoked is a blessing. This week has been full of blessings for which I am most grateful.

Sole Journey- The Beginning

A while back I came across a photo blog/journal that really caught my eye. It was a young woman's chronicle of her weight loss journey. Every week she would post a photo of her progress in achieving a new body. I admired her courage, even when she began to regain the weight. (a concept that I could TOTALLY identify with!) Anyway, I tooled around and found other photo journals and thought, cool, maybe I should do something like this on my blog. Well, of course not the weight loss thing- get real! But maybe the photo journal thing. So, I started taking photos of different parts of my day- from a slightly different perspective. Now, I'm not likely to post daily (big surprise there) and maybe not even weekly (no small surprise there) but perhaps periodically.

So here is the beginning of my periodic photo journal of my life. A chance for you to follow in my footsteps, so to speak.

This is how I start my day- with prayer, Bible study and a green drink (affectionately known as Sludge or Swamp Water). Welcome to my world.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:

and he delighteth in his way.

Psalm 37:23