Out my Window: Winter wonderland
Enjoying: Sarah Clarkson’s nightly chat, stovetop popcorn, flowers from my friend’s garden, laughter
Listening to/Watching: Still watching Sarah Clarkson’s nightly video. I am loving her calming voice, encouraging thoughts, and sharing of a poem and a psalm. On fb her page is SarahEClarkson and IG it is Sarahwanders… Holy Post Podcast and John Branyan’s Podcast, Philippians with NT Wright on Udemy. Listened to more of my Audible book On the Road with Saint Augustine: A Real-World Spirituality for Restless Hearts by James K. A. Smith. It is a very interesting book. I think I would enjoy it more as a read than a listen. I thoroughly enjoyed an interview with Bob Goff on IF Gathering TV https://tv.ifgathering.com/ He is always so encouraging and thought full. Revisiting Seinfeld has been good laughter.
Reading: I finished reading Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire Jen Hatmaker (April 21). It definitely stretched me and gave me much to think about on many levels. I posted my review on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3216414751?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1 Some quotes from the book that I appreciated:
Do the work and show up for your life, because you are the only one who can live it, and the rest of us need you.
I am halfway through my life, beloveds. I am over the nonsense. I am for love. I am for encouragement. I am for grand gestures and over-the-top celebrations. I am for beauty and adventure and creativity. I am for you. I am for women. I am for the big, scandalous love of God for all us absurd humans…
Started re-reading The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis. I am need of story.
By my bed: Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Ortlund. Just started it, but it is solid and very readable. Thankful that my brain is starting to come back.
Pondering/Learning: This past week was my first week without opportunities to serve outside the home. I got some things done, but felt aimless. When it was announced that it was another month until our phase 1 starts here, it felt like too much, but now I am back to seeing glimmers of hope, choosing to take my thoughts captive, and steward this time better. I am continuing to realize how much I need things to look forward to. I like to serve, create, and interact even though I am introverted and need time alone. This time is not like that. It is not based on my needs, but on a necessity of others. The lack of ending date, and the not having certain things to look towards makes this time feel weird. We all need things to look forward to. When I was walking with my friend through her terminal cancer the things I read recommended talking about the future, make plans, dream with your friend. It felt cruel at first since that future was not guaranteed, but mentally we all need a forward plan even as we are choosing to be fully present. There is something in us that needs to look forward and dream and plan for the future. We need hope that there is a future and we need to imagine what it will look like. In this season the future does not feel inviting to dream, and easily slips into what will not be there, and what we may miss out on, but there are things that will be whether the world continues like this or not… there are sunrises and sunsets, time by the lake, campfires and smores, walks at the gorge, phone calls to make, things to dream and wish for. The learning now comes in the holding these tensions of being fully present enjoying today, and dreaming and envisioning tomorrow without slipping into that dark fog.
Home Life: basics…also finished a cupboard that needed a good cleaning, got my closet cleaned out… love having flowers on my counter.
Fitness and Mental Health: PT exercises for my knee/IT band and pilates. Walking a bit outside. Mental Health taking pictures of sign of life and sharing thoughts on Instagram. Feel free to join me there inkblotlife.com_peggy or just add your own #signsoflife.
Giving Thanks: Home, provisions, health, my son and husband working together to keep the church connected technologically, the people that are being intentional in reaching beyond their small world towards others, my other son still able to work and opportunities to connect with him and family through technology, playing games with extended family on Zoom
Inkblot Life 