Ring it Out

This journey of recovery can be messy business.

Step 4: "We made a searching and fearless inventory of ourselves."
"Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord." -Lamentations 3:40

As I take note of past hurts, harmful habits, and selfish hang-ups, I just keep digging up dirt. Skating through life pacified and numbed by my own pride and denial was much simpler ... in the short term. In an effort to surrender my life to the Lord for long-term, deep cleaning, I must continue to look for things about which to be brutally honest.

I feel like I'm constantly dealing with nasty mop water.

Recipe Rut

In the past several days, half a dozen women have mentioned to me that they are in a menu rut.

"Me too!  Me too!"

Perhaps you are trying to stick more closely to a budget, or as one lady put it, "If I make spaghetti one more time, I think I'll just die."

Last week I tried some new recipes, but they found less than enthusiastic review from my family. Either I'm boring and fix quesadillas and taco soup every other day, or I try new things and despite the energy and time, few folks are thrilled. I'm tired of coming up with the menu and falling short.

So this week, I canvased the 7 oldest members of my family. They each chose a main dish, two vegetables (or a vegetable and a salad), and an optional fruit. Here's what they came up with.

Joy Dare 09.23.12

Giving thanks to God in community for His gifts ...



a gift fixed
the interest rate on our mortgage:)

a gift folded
the picture Mari colored, tucked into my purse as a surprise

a gift freckled
me. I have lots of places on my body "where the sun don't shine", but the rest is really freckled!

3 gifts in conversation 
"I'm willing to climb all over these folks just to get to talk to you!" -  MC, after braving the MHS football bleachers.

"Dad just drove up with a huge tractor! I mean this thing is part tractor, part bulldozer!!" - MariAlice marvelling at Papaw's bush-hog.

"You're awesome. You're kid's awesome. There's a light at the end of this tunnel ... and I promise it's not a train." - My personal cheerleader, KB:)

No Style

This makes me laugh.

May you find opportunity to worship God in Spirit and in Truth:)

 

 

Key to Success

"zog O d[rsl om yjr ypsmhird pg ,rm smf ph smhr;d. niy jsbr mpy ;pbr. zo s, s mpodr hpmh pt s v;smhomh vu,ns;/z"

That is 1 Corinthians 13:1

I promise.

I carefully focused on the words straight from Scripture and typed it using precisely the correct fingering. I typed every single letter in the correct order. I even typed it at a quick, productive pace.

The one and only problem ...

Lessons from the Loo

 
(From the archives: originally posted in 2008. Revisited for CR.)

Last night we were in some friends' home, when Mari needed to use the facilities. I followed her down the hallway and into their bathroom. Around another corner was a small alcove which housed the toilet.

As I helped her up, I noticed something surprising for a bath motif. Just beside the toilet, in the corner, stood a tall, bright torch lamp. "A lamp in a potty?" I was mesmerized by the notion.

I glanced down at the tile. Spotless. I scanned the baseboards. Pristine. Two primary thoughts were competing for attention in my mind.

 #1 Wow! There's no question that this bathroom is clean.

Joy Dare 9.10.12

Giving thanks to God in community for His gifts ...



3 gifts summer
bright red tomatoes, sliced and sprinkled with pepper
fresh sweet watermelon, consumed in drippy-sticky slurps
longer, less productive days:)

3 gifts cut
stuff from magazines to glue on construction paper
snowflakes from coffee filters
play dough snakes with a blunt plastic knife

Weird Wild Schtuff

When life gets weird, I stop blogging.

For the past two weeks, I've had a diminished household. Which is weird.

First, Ardyn went to nanny for my sister-in-law for a couple weeks.
Then, the boys started public high school complete with football practice before and after school.
THEN, Ashlin traveled to my mom's to help her pack and keep her company on the long road-trip to relocate.

As a result, I've had two little girls in my home for the majority of each day. Only two little girls.

It has been good. Almost too good.

Do you know that two children are collectively far less chaotic than six?

Staggering mathematical estimations! Less food. Fewer dishes. Less laundry. Fewer arguments. Less traffic. Fewer shoes over which to trip.