Out my Window: Since last week the first half still involved the ocean… sigh… then it involved lots of highway between Myrtle Beach, SC and Troy, NY. Now it involves rain and lots of Spring greens.
Enjoying: Was definitely enjoying morning time on the shore with God. Enjoyed getting some extra time with all four of us together before the new part of my oldest son’s journey starts.
Listening to: With lots of driving (we had to get two vehicles fully loaded up north) came lots of listening. Much random music playlists, many Poddybreaks from Tim Hawkins. https://timhawkins.net/pages/poddy-break (again this is for those who enjoy random goofiness and banter from a comedian and friends.)
I downloaded a few Beth Moore’s Living Beyond Yourself. I definitely appreciate the workbook much better and the old audios. There was some good but too much extra talk. I do recommend the actual study. I am thinking of revisiting it. I went through it many years ago. It is about the fruit of the Spirit.
I also listened to some of Jill Briscoe’s talks… whatever was on my MP3 player. So many nuggets of truth and wisdom that encourage me and challenge me. I really appreciate her way of communicating God’s word.
I also listened to some Alister Begg (I apparently enjoy strong accented speakers) https://www.truthforlife.org/broadcasts/2018/09/05/be-careful-how-you-hear-part-1-of-2/ His sermons are always worth listening to. He is very straight forward in his sharing of the Word.
Reading: Not much progress in reading. Heading back to regular rhythm, but I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I was surprised how many new pieces I was able to glean from it that related to this season of my life.
When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity – in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern.
The only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what was in nostalgia, nor forward to what it might be in dread or anticipation, but living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now. Relationships must be like islands, one must accept them for what they are here and now, within their limits – islands, surrounded and interrupted by the sea, and continually visited and abandoned by the tides.
Returning Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear to the library. I will have to try again later. Still carrying around Let’s All Be Brave: Living Life with Everything You Have by Annie F. Downs.
I also have two books I need to review for Revell Books The Intimate Connection:Secrets of Lifelong Romance by Kevin Lehman and Powerful Prayers for Your Son by Rob and Joanna Teigen. Reviews coming in the next few weeks.
Pondering: I have been thinking about the Jewish idea of night and then day for the structure of time instead of the western idea of day and then night. Wondering if the concept changes the way we look at life. If night comes first, there is a prepping for the new day, and then rest before entering the day, whereas having day and then entering evening becomes a doing the day and crashing in the evening mentality. I am wondering what the Jewish attitude is towards nights and days… what does evening fully look like? days? Is there more of a restful prepared attitude towards life or not? Just thinking.
Learning: To be still and wait. To let things play out a bit on their own. To slow down and be okay with not getting something figured out right now or yesterday. Still practicing being quick to listen and slow to speak… to really listen and hear what is being said instead of just waiting for my turn to speak.
Home: Putting life back together from travels. So thankful for gifts of flowers from my son and from a sweet young lady. Burning a new candle from another dear friend. So many reminders around my home of precious people in my life and the privilege I have to do life with them.
Fitness and Mental Health: At the beach I continued to walk and schlog along, then we drove a lot over the last bunch of days so exercise was carrying boxes from to and from vehicles and 4 push ups a day. Still holding on to this “Atomic Habit”. Adding another 2 this week. Mental Health was listening to my podcasts/sermons and choosing quiet.
Giving Thanks: For time away before this next big transition of moving my son to his new home and career. For an opportunity to be able to help our son move. For my youngest’s help with taking apart all the furniture he had assembled two years ago. For my husband’s super power with packing tetris. He fit a mattress, box spring, futon and many other pieces of furniture, and boxes in a mini van. It was amazing. For safety as we drove two vehicles from SC to upper NY. For friends who prayed and friends who were kind and generous. For the car carrier that someone loaned us, and that we happened to have a roof rack on our van. For so many provisions. For whoever it was that cleaned up my gardens a bit and planted hostas. For friends who took pictures of my flowers that were blooming while I was gone, such a gift. https://inkblotlife.com/2019/05/14/practicing-resurrection-day-23/
Disclaimer: the Amazon links do link to my personal account and give me a small incentive for sharing from their page. The rest of the links are purely because I enjoy them and thought you might too.
Inkblot Life 