Daybook

Out my Window: Partly sunny and weirdly muggy day, seems almost like a beach morning, hummingbirds zipping between the two feeders, bees buzzing around our flowering bush, the trees are starting to blossom

Enjoying: Opportunities to connect with people a bit more, beautiful weather, accomplishing something, writing more

Listening to/Watching: I finished Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis on Audible. This was such a good listen. The narrator was so fun to listen to with much to ponder about knowledge, love, wisdom, and more. Listened to the Holy Post Podcast, https://www.holypost.com/holy-post-podcast. Got back over to Craig Groeschel’s Leadership Podcast. https://www.craiggroeschel.com/leadershippodcast The interviews with Michael Todd and Michael Hyatt were very good. Both processing leading in general and during this time, but also vision and purpose. My son and I watched various movies this week. The one I appreciated most was Batman Begins. It was an intriguing backstory, dark, but thoughtful. Unfortunately, the rest of the series looks like it is too dark and violent mentally and physically for me, so we enjoyed the first, and then I was done.

Reading:  Kindle library loans are starting to come in. I decided to pass on What Alice Forgot but A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrick Backman was hard to pass up. So far it is a bit stressful since I feel like I know people like Ove, and he is a very grumpy man at this point in the story but an easy, enjoyable read. Still reading Derwin Gray’s The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches about Finding True Happiness based on the beatitudes (June 2).  I will share more as I get further in on my facebook pages and here. https://www.facebook.com/inkblotlife/ Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference compiled by Timothy Keller and John Inazu is still out for the read. I was missing reading from an actual physical book, so I spent more time in it this week. It is very good. This would be a great book to read and discuss with a thoughtful group of people. Such a timely book for this season.
By my bed: Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Ortlund. I continue to savor this book, and am encouraged by its message. I will be sad when this one is done.

Rambling Thoughts: The word forward has been everywhere this week. I had a great phone chat with a friend on moving forward, and then it seemed to keep popping up in various articles and podcasts. Lastly, it was the word prompt for the Fiveminutefriday.com community I participate in. I wrote about it for 5 minutes here https://inkblotlife.com/2020/05/22/forward-fmf-link-up/ but that word is still in the forefront for obvious reasons as the country figures out how to open up and to heal economically, emotionally, relationally, and more from this season. After I thought about the positives of heading forward, and how we need to desire the future that God has for us and not crave the past “normal”, I started thinking of the danger of moving forward too quickly. I am thinking of people I know, and I have been that person before, who want to move on and not do the hard work of dealing with the past, or what is still bubbling up and showing itself to be a problem now. It is significant to take inventory of what was not healthy or helpful, and be willing to allow God to root these things out, or transform them into something healthier. It is also a time to plant and cultivate. If we are not sowing much, or cultivating the good, we will move forward to find that there isn’t much to gather and lean into, or become. We may experience more of a deja vous moment. As much as some of our normal is good and needs to be brought forward, there is still a need to adapt it to this moment in time. I am realizing I need to stay in this space and listen a bit more, and be still more to know God better in this season, but also to know myself better. This is needed in order to know what needs to be left behind, and what needs to go forward with me, and how do I cultivate what is going forward.

Home Life: basics…I got much of my first project done of packing up my son’s last apartment up, and organizing the give away pile.

Fitness and Mental Health: PT exercises for my knee/IT band. Walked quite a bit this week. Still doing pushups, some are modified, but I can feel myself getting stronger. I ditched the planks. It was just too much with the pushups at this moment. I might do that for next month, but I will have to figure out a better pace. I added too much, too quickly. Mental Health getting outside is important. Taking pictures of signs of life and sharing thoughts on Instagram. Feel free to join me there inkblotlife.com_peggy or just add your own #signsoflife. I jumped into to Hope*writers Community on Instagram’s writing challenge. You can check out all the writers at #hopewriterlife. Having structure and focus was helpful in getting me to write more, even if it is in shorter form. Figuring out the next steps. Putting on the twinkle lights and popping popcorn, lighting candles, and flowers on the counter all keep me grounded in what is good beautiful, good, and true.

Giving Thanks: my home, provisions, twinkle lights, Bible Study online, laughter, opportunities to serve again, for family and friends, books that get me thinking, good food, flowers blooming, tree buds swelling, for life and hope, technology to be able to visit other churches and stay in touch with people, traveling mercies for my husband, that he got to see my older son, walks with friends, extended phone call with a kindred, expectations of what God is going to do in the next season of the Body of Christ, people who are taking care of our home’s physical issues, time with little friends in the sun, so many kindnesses and encouragements this week

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