Out my Window: Beautiful summer morning, my hanging baskets are still blooming beautifully, hummingbirds are still zipping around, someone is mowing in the distance, the neighbor’s pool is trickling
Enjoying: long walks, beautiful sunsets, jazz music, farm market bouquet, fresh berries, baseball
Listening to/Watching: Still haven’t finished Lord of the Rings. I have been in podcast mode. Holy Post is part of the weekly playlist. This week was very enlightening and helpful. https://www.holypost.com/holy-post-podcast/episode/3954c22b/episode-414-religious-power-vs-religious-liberty-with-david-french. The whole episode is the interview this time. I highly recommend it. I am looking forward to following The Dispatch. I have been listening to Annie F. Downs’ summer series on the topic of Enneagrams at That Sounds Fun, http://www.anniefdowns.com/podcast/ . I just finished listening to the twos. I am also back into jazz. This week was Miles Davis and John Coltrane on Spotify as I made meals.
Reading: I am almost done with Beth Moore’s Chasing Vines: Finding your way to an immensely fruitful life. She has some really good thoughts and encouragement, but overall it is just okay. I guess I wanted more. I forget that certain people I prefer their skill set in different places. I greatly appreciate her studies, especially her older ones. Lisa Bevere I appreciate as a speaker, others I appreciate more as a blogger. I know this, but I am always trying to gain a deeper understanding of abiding, so I jumped in.
I signed up for two book launches. Susie Larsen has a devotional coming out September 1, https://www.susielarson.com/online-store/prevail-365-days-of-enduring-strength-from-gods-word I appreciate her morning and evening blessings that she shares on her facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/deeperlifeinchrist/ I am looking forward to getting an advance look at this devotional. I also applied to be on Adam Weber’s book launch team for his new book, Love Has a Name: Learning to Love the Different, the Difficult, and Everyone Else. https://www.amazon.com/Love-Has-Name-Different-Difficult/dp/1601429479 I am amazed at how many books were written earlier, and are so perfect for the season of the world we are in. This one is due out August 25.
Rambling Thoughts: Mental illness… my heart goes out to Kanye West and family. I remember those days when the manic side would rear its head in our home. The more mellow ones could be fun, but more than anything as a kid they could get embarrassing and confusing. There was no label or medicine being taken or avoided in those days by my person. I am thankful for how Kanye’s family and friends seem to be loving him and trying to help him. I have watched so many people walk away from their loved one with mental illness because it is hard. It is hard to remember that their actions aren’t personal. It is not a character flaw. Their brain needs help. Thankfully culture at large is starting to talk about mental illness in a more helpful way, but the person who stops taking their meds just wants to feel like themselves. Th amount of healthy choices to get things balanced, I am sure, is exhausting at times, and sometimes when people try to help it is hard for that person to see it as that. I am thankful that all the manic seasons I lived through with my loved one were not on the larger world platform. I cannot imagine how embarrassing and hard to understand for Kanye and his family. I pray that he will get the help he needs and choose to be healthy. I am thankful for all we know now about the brain and ways to help. I pray that he will choose to be healthy and that those who have the know how will be able to help him get his levels right so he can find a new normal that works well for him.
Fitness and Mental Health: July Goals: working on core and abs/stretching 5xs a week. I found a few youtube channel to help with this. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh2w-xqEwSz96sbn2afbOVQ and a pilates sculpting challenge. https://www.ericaziel.com/ Trying to walk/schlogg daily with a few longer walks thrown in there. Mental Health: Exercise is key and continuing to look for beauty. I enjoy sharing it on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/inkblotlife.com_peggy/ I enjoy that space and enjoy following people who speak truth and add beauty into our world at the same time.
Home: Mostly keeping up with the basics, and finished round two of weeding the bigger garden. I don’t know if it is a sign of maturity, or a sign of where life is these days but I almost found pleasure in it.
Giving Thanks: my home, provisions, small group studies, good food, friends who pray, beautiful flowers, vegetables and flowers growing in my gardens, fresh berries, walks and schlogs, watching people step up to love and serve a friend in need, time with a young friend, farmers market, baseball season being back, protection for my older in such a crazy city, my younger making music and using some of his gifts for the Church, laughter, rain
Inkblot Life 