Week 50

I'm sipping coffee in my new fuzzy socks and it is delightful.

My bible study for this semester rounded up on Thursday. My friend and i dressed as nuns. Praise habit -- habit of praise. Nuns. It was more than incredible. It always fascinates me that HE knows what needs to be spoken, to whom, through whom and when. I mean, HE is God, so it makes sense, it just never fails to amaze me.

Isaiah 61:1 -- "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners."

Isaiah 58:11-12 -- "The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."



School is wrapping up and the town is feeling more and more vacant by the day. It's kind of nice actually...just quieter than what i'm used to?
I want to go skiing. Re-e-e-a-a-lly badly. Will you take me? I'll let you borrow my fuzzy socks....! Kthanks.

~Me

It's The End of The World as We Know it And I Feel Fine

Looking back on this week i probably could have used one of these . On multiple occasions too.

So, i haven't had the best of weeks, but it happens. Life happens. We can't foresee what will come of most any circumstances or situations, but we can hope for the best. We can hope for that which we do not yet have but so desperately want. We can hope with the realization that we may or may not receive whatever it is we wish to have. But what would life be without hope? Most likely drear and well... lifeless. Hope takes us places.

My sister had to remind me the other day when i was moping, not eating, etc... basically throwing myself an all-out pity party, that those actions were wrong. She semi-quoted me, in fact, on one of the bible study lessons i had taught awhile back. She said that 'it's wrong to throw yourself a pity party because God wants us to rejoice and mourn together, even if we feel like hiding in a cave.' It's true. Hard to hear repeated back to me, but true nonetheless. Even though i may feel like hiding in a cave until i am gray and wrinkled, i can't and i won't. 1) it would be smelly, 2) it would get lonely, 3) i like trees. SO! I think i have eaten my fill of ice cream for the week...well, maybe. But for the sake of my sanity and for that little flame of hope of better things to come, i will press on. This sounds like some kind of battle cry. I'm so poetic like that. . . ?

Someone should inform the woodpecker on our house that he is not welcome. He should also be notified not to ruin our freshly painted abode. Possibly having an LOTR marathon this weekend. Which may also include more ice cream eating...and yea, i still think i need that ice cream cozy.

~ME

For The Love of Thursdays

So, as most all of the world knows, as it has been declared by so many already, today was the first official day of Fall. It equaled for me waking up at 7:14 am, having to leave to go to class at 7:30 am, being grateful for curly hair, not making it out the door till 7:40 am, sitting through classes, discovering my gas tank was almost empty, emergency refill, lunch with mom and twin #1, wonderful talks, library visits, work, bugging G.C. to no end, and this crazy long sentence. That was my first autumn day. Tomorrow is Thursday (or today, depending on how late i stay up writing this). Thursday won't be appreciated by many. It's not the first day of autumn and it's the day that keeps us and Friday separated. But it is still another day. Another day that we didn't have yesterday. Another day where we can figure out how to make curly hair and emergency gas refills something we praise HIM for instead of gripe over. Another day where we don't just consider HIM or act in a way that tries to fill the gaps with HIM, but where we make every moment about HIM. Another day where we can practice giving and demonstrating love rather than consuming and seeking it.

My bible study group and i are reading through Praise Habit... the name speaks for itself. So, i find myself wondering why it's so easy, almost automatic, to wake up at 7:14 am and say "crap, i'm late. this day is gonna suck" rather than "thank YOU for this lovely day." --Although, i wouldn't be that verbal or conscious to utter something in such length that early, but you get the idea.-- When did we substitute praise for grumbling? I can only imagine how often we do this and don't even think twice about it. It's natural. Like breathing. So maybe we should die. To ourselves. Then we maybe could see what true praise looks like. It doesn't involve anything we've done or said or accomplished. No. Praise exists when we are looking at HIM and no one else. Praise happens when we have fixed our attention on the Author of the day and not the minor or major situations that arise throughout the day. So die and don't look back. Praise and don't hold back. Appreciate 'Thursday' for more than one of it's many lovely qualities.