tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46487720396471157452024-03-13T07:14:21.682-04:00Breathless ExpectationCathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.comBlogger434125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-2207575641840936682013-11-03T13:19:00.002-05:002013-11-03T13:19:53.047-05:00Hey Beautiful, Peek-a-Boo!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">let us keep smiling at the camera...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">xoxo</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/SPFsa6FLvlg" width="560"></iframe></div>
Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-20996245518967136852013-03-22T08:19:00.002-04:002013-03-22T08:19:14.104-04:00skin love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pft2LLNSjUY/UUxJN9n2YsI/AAAAAAAABFY/OE5cy_PxzEQ/s1600/tataharper13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pft2LLNSjUY/UUxJN9n2YsI/AAAAAAAABFY/OE5cy_PxzEQ/s640/tataharper13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">photo: <a href="http://www.roostblog.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">roost</span></a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">it's funny that just when i've been mulling treating my body better</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{maturing will do that to you}</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i run across a blog post at one of my <a href="http://www.roostblog.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">favorite blogs</span></a> about natural, good-for-you skincare (and she has a gracious tata harper giveaway right now!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">tata harper's skincare line looks amazing</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">reviews from real women are consistently high</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and i've been researching other good-for-you lines, too</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"everything in moderation", yes</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">but if something good-for-me works-for-me</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">yes! i'll dump the chemicals</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{and some of what i've read about skincare/cosmetics is quite unsettling}</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">so, do tell</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">what do you use for skincare?</span></div>
Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-48679960044136994772013-02-15T09:58:00.004-05:002013-02-15T09:58:32.827-05:00the letting in of God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JcFrsYHLiu4/UR5EuH9sniI/AAAAAAAABFI/mhXIrDcuArU/s1600/acb700e145e9eaf78f920ea111e887a0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JcFrsYHLiu4/UR5EuH9sniI/AAAAAAAABFI/mhXIrDcuArU/s400/acb700e145e9eaf78f920ea111e887a0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">it would seem to me that the season upon us</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">LENT</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">could be compared to the word </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">BREEZE</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">for it is the season {for believers in messiah}</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">for <i>fasting</i> or <i>penitence</i> in preparation for easter</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to me, it is an opening of a window</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a "letting in" of God</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to clean the house of my soul</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">with the spirit of His presence</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">{you know He's a gentleman and doesn't like to barge in without invitation}</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i cherish a fresh breeze</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">but often, in my lazy state, i choose to leave my windows closed</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">drapes drawn</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the dust of my habits and hangups finding comfortable homes in the corners of my sealed heart...keeping Him at arm's length</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the road to easter, however, beckons me to "come"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i silence the noise of my life</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">is that the soft whisper of my Savior outside my window?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>follow me, my beloved</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">how embarrassed i am that i hesitate to open my window</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He stands</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">waiting</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">{He never tires of the waiting...that patience never ceases to amaze me}</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i slowly lift the sash...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">{He <i>still</i> loves me. He <i>always</i> loves me.}</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">smell </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">violets.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>-m. twain</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">*photo: pinterest</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-6947856327569918302013-02-11T08:45:00.002-05:002013-02-11T08:48:37.158-05:00hello!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4wTvi3IQU-s/URhObulTIFI/AAAAAAAABEk/JnI48x7pzyA/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4wTvi3IQU-s/URhObulTIFI/AAAAAAAABEk/JnI48x7pzyA/s400/Untitled.png" width="326" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">SO</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the other day i put on a nasal strip as a bandaid (by mistake) so i'm not really sure i should be in charge of a blog, but i'm back</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{for this day, at least}</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">social media and i have been wrestling, that's for sure</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i don't mind <b>pinning</b> to a virtual bulletin board - no harm, no foul </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>instagram</b> following feels creepy-stalkerish to me</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>facebook</b>...well, there are so many rules set by my teenagers and rules shared by my college students that i log in there with shaking hands - petrified i might "like" something or someone via a pinky spasm</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and while i love decorating with birds, i really don't live an exciting enough life to <b>tweet</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and you do know there's a whole new wave of depression hitting people, right? because we are comparing our "b roll" life to everyone else's highlight reel</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">who wants to invite that little cloud to the party?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and then there's <i>breathless...</i></span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">my little baby blog that i started when my "irl" (in real life) friends didn't know what blogs were</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">so here i sit thinking "if <i>breathless</i> is a house, here's what i want it to look like"</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--d_83Sc3_fQ/URjt63u5g_I/AAAAAAAABE4/sOMvQEzi-kk/s1600/27fbbdd1459f553afb252e46b43f654f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--d_83Sc3_fQ/URjt63u5g_I/AAAAAAAABE4/sOMvQEzi-kk/s640/27fbbdd1459f553afb252e46b43f654f.jpg" width="514" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and since breathless is me {in virtual form}</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i want to look like this house irl, too</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">refreshing </span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">inviting</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">simple</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">light </span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">natural </span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">comfortable</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">peaceful </span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">firmly founded </span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">so i'm back for now</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">opening doors and windows...keeping house</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">because it's always more fun with company!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>you bring sunshine through my windows wondering where i've been</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">xoxo</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">{photos: google image; pinterest}</span></div>
Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-59379169178151921032012-07-29T16:46:00.003-04:002012-07-29T16:46:12.407-04:00gone and back<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/7671286526/" title="IMG_0200 by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0200" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8423/7671286526_6407afa729_z.jpg" width="478" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">there and gone already...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we spent the good part of july with wonderful friends in the alaskan bush</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">love that top photo with the shadow of our little plane on the tundra</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">took all photos with my iPhone...left my rebel at home (!) since we have to travel very light on these trips</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/7671284674/" title="IMG_0233 by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0233" height="478" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8161/7671284674_73fd282d86_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and this one makes my heart swell everytime...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">my men (and a young friend watching) walking the long path to the plane</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we were leaving the first village and heading to the second</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we've gone to this first village the last 3 years...meeting up with another family (native alaskans) to provide Bible School and basketball programming</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">it was our church's 10th year in the second village...elders got up during to church to sing us some of the first hymns they learned in English when they were children. gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. what an HONOR. Jesus was so right...it's all about building relationships and trust with people...whether it's next door or far away.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">what beautiful friendships God has given us!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> In other news, Shannon over at <a href="http://vintagerestyled.blogspot.com/2012/07/magnificent-home.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Vintage Restyled</span></a> featured our home on her blog! I can't tell you how blessed I was by her invitation to share. Thanks, Shannon!</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/7163505359/" title="IMG_0463 by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0463" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7241/7163505359_2faf21643c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">now home, we're all taking our antibiotics to get over respiratory junk</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{we did go from 103 degrees to 40 overnight}</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">doing laundry...playing with the dogs...catching up with the neighbors</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">grateful for it all</span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-52173721406289696432012-07-04T11:48:00.003-04:002012-07-04T11:48:23.670-04:00western union<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/7500939556/" title="LAUREN-BUSH-WEDDING-VOGUE by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="LAUREN-BUSH-WEDDING-VOGUE" height="425" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7254/7500939556_454e4e0e35_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">so americana</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the <a href="http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/western-union-lauren-bush-and-david-laurens-wedding/#1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">union</span></a> last fall of lauren bush (granddaughter & niece of presidents bush)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and david lauren (son of ralph lauren) </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/7500775380/" title="1211-VO-WELL19-03_142016633205 by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="1211-VO-WELL19-03_142016633205" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8154/7500775380_1186c55561_z.jpg" width="601" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i know i'm late to the ball</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">not sure how i missed such a beautiful event</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">these photos just sing "america" though</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and like many americans who help others...lauren is also the mind behind <a href="http://www.feedprojects.com/history"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">feed</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{a line i've loved since seeing it at PB long ago-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">you can buy <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/clarins-feed-set-nordstrom-exclusive-44-value/3167305?origin=keywordsearch&fashionColor=&resultback=0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">this</span></a> at nordstrom right now}</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and even though this post is about a union...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">it <i>is</i> independence day here in the land of spacious skies</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and amber waves of grain</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>happy independence day, america!</i></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/7500776258/" title="Lauren-Bush-Wedding-Dress-Pictures by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="Lauren-Bush-Wedding-Dress-Pictures" height="504" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8149/7500776258_e20befb51f_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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*all photos google image</div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-26285886079013172552012-06-17T22:07:00.000-04:002012-06-17T22:07:42.148-04:00summer lovin'<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/7390383296/" title="blackandwhite by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="blackandwhite" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7390383296_9e9d766e39_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">this has to be my new all-time favorite picture of me and my little chickadees</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and something about black and white just speaks to me...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">do you know what i mean?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">but then i look at the living, popping color </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and love that, too</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">mostly i'm happy for cameras which capture life</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">hold it by it's squirming, moving-at-warp-speed tail</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and before releasing</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">give you a souvenir of sorts</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a remembrance</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>CLICK</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">it's a beautiful sound</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/7390860004/" title="IMG_0707 by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0707" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/7390860004_d7a02c27b6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-81367341297735559982012-06-07T12:57:00.002-04:002012-06-07T12:57:38.868-04:00of paint and dogs<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/7163505359/" title="IMG_0463 by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0463" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7241/7163505359_2faf21643c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">well, hello there!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i've been away so long that uploading pictures stumped me for a moment</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">last day of school 'round these parts today and we've been studying, project-ing, and winding down</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">college girl is home and none of us can fathom her freshman year is over</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">spring baseball has ended and summer ball has begun</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">as for me, i've been doing the usual mom stuff plus painting furniture and doing some work through my decorating business {ROOST}</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the secretary above used to be a blue-green color with a fruit basket painted on the front</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i sure am loving <a href="http://www.anniesloanunfolded.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">annie sloan chalk paint</span></a>...</span></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/7348711044/" title="IMG_0491 by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0491" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7348711044_dcdf660bc6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and speaking of loving...although i am not necessarily a dog lover</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i am beginning to fall for this little girly named missy</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the neighbor i had been helping for the past few years passed away and we inherited many things including little miss</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i tried to give her away (she was never house trained!) but the nurse who agreed to adopt her (with my neighbor's blessing) had a husband who returned missy less than 24 hours later...(yes, she was that bad)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">well, lo and behold...missy is learning quickly, beginning to get along with our dog, and winning us over left and right </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{i'll do another post sometime about all the smart tricks she knows}</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/7163502643/" title="IMG_0576 by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0576" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8001/7163502643_f1826eec9b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">life is good....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">health, family, friends, and sunshine</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">furry surprises that end up being little joybearers</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and a clean (and newly painted!) kitchen table</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">doesn't get much better than this</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">xoxo</span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-31500540790811694322012-05-15T08:18:00.001-04:002012-05-15T08:18:53.732-04:00ready to smile?<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eEWVwgDnuzE?fs=1" width="459"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">last night we closed our spring baseball chapter</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">our high school sophomore made us proud</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">his playing...his maturity...his level head...his perspective</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">he traveled to georgia with his teammates over spring break</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and we heard they sang along to the radio <i>a lot</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i can picture them acting like these harvard boys</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i'm so glad God made boys!</span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-85696556501996157572012-04-25T08:53:00.000-04:002012-04-25T08:53:02.386-04:00ubuntu<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/7112512455/" title="578465_393850257316337_100000740996878_1276863_1284583147_n by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="578465_393850257316337_100000740996878_1276863_1284583147_n" height="219" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/7112512455_7a1ae49ab3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we tend to be an individualistic culture (me)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">clearly, these african kids live in a collectivistic culture (us)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">beauty full</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="caption" data-ft="{"tn":"L"}"></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>An anthropologist proposed a game to African tribe kids. He put a basket full of<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"> fruit near a tree and told them that whoever got there first won the sweet fruits. When he told them to run they all took each others hands and ran together, then sat together enjoying their treats. When he asked them why they had run like that as one could have had all the fruits for himself they said: UBUNTU, how can one of us be happy if all the other ones are sad?<br /><br />UBUNTU in the Xhosa culture means: "I am because we are"</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">by irlan gampamole</span></span></div>
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</div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-74254196390479438962012-04-08T09:08:00.000-04:002012-04-08T09:08:47.953-04:00risen<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/7056638713/" title="lamb by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="lamb" height="640" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5115/7056638713_a51ace475f_z.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: sharon moses</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">happy easter</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">xoxo</div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-78220532194686655982012-03-21T09:38:00.000-04:002012-03-21T09:38:38.549-04:00The Story of Keep Calm and Carry On<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FrHkKXFRbCI?fs=1" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i have loved <i>keep calm</i> since i first saw it years ago</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the phrase really does fit LIFE so well, doesn't it?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">so happy to have found the story details behind the comforting words</span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-59050992987059176602012-03-15T16:40:00.000-04:002012-03-15T16:40:52.941-04:00hey there<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6985475087/" title="baby-napping by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="baby-napping" height="290" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7063/6985475087_94590f044b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">google image</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">me.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{life}</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and you?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{grin}</span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-45713665327413762062012-03-06T21:40:00.000-05:002012-03-06T21:40:12.438-05:00friend<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6960587905/" title="uppas-shop-fire by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="uppas-shop-fire" height="478" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7042/6960587905_b70f4ddc4a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">photo: m smith</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b5d67;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I was invited to his workshop when we lived in his village for 6 weeks.<span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span>One of my first friends during a very lonely time.<span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span>We laughed and chatted in the workshop.<span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span>I remember like it was yesterday, the twinkle in his eyes…his upraised eyebrows and deep laughs at my zany-ness.<span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span>Refreshment for my weary, isolated soul.<span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span>Oh, did we laugh!<span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A small, simple structure with a wood stove. <span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span>Sitting on a little hill thirty feet from a winding river. But as we met in that workshop, Your gracious hand lovingly knit hearts together and transformed a plain wooden shack into a sacred place.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Memories flood my heart as I write about my friend this morning, and a song begins playing in my mind…<em style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Holy ground, we’re standing on holy ground.<span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span>For the Lord is present and where He is is holy. </em>The workshop wasn’t holy in and of itself.<span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span>It was holy because when I went there to visit my friend, You were always there, too.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">[Isn’t it funny that the God who created us with a need for people </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">always gives us the people we need?]<span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">That lonely summer in a small fishing village, I was longing for a girl friend and lo’ and behold, You sent me a male ivory carver with grandchildren running around.<span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span>And You grew our friendship not over tea in a warm kitchen somewhere (the expected and hoped for), but in a simple shed (the unexpected and perfect spot).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Love born in an ordinary, unadorned place. But that’s how You do things, isn’t it? You make me smile.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Thank you for giving me one of the very best friends I’ll ever have.<span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> I love You. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Thank you, Lord for the workshop, and for the man who spent many hours creating beautiful ivory carvings within it’s walls.<span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span>My heart overflows with gratefulness this morning knowing that fire only destroyed the building and not the man who made the building so special to me.</span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">*i originally wrote this in 2008 and posted it on my first blog</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">my friend has since built a new workshop</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">and each summer when i round the curve and see his house</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">my heart beats a little faster...part of me is home when i am with john</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">{friends made in the lonely places and spaces always feel like home}</span></span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-19122268013600898992012-02-28T07:00:00.003-05:002012-02-28T07:00:01.837-05:00back in the day<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/j_fG6DUSeOM?fs=1" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i sat in the bookstore totally delighted by this adorable cookbook</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the cover called my name</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i mean, i just know i'd love to hang out with griff and cheryl</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">heck, i'd love to work in their awesome bakery in savannah if it weren't such a long commute</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i sadly put the $25 book back on its perch knowing i would go home and order it from my favorite perch for much less</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{by the way, i love supporting my local bookstore --even if it is a chain--but their prices are often double amazon's...and amazon usually ships free. come on, barnes and noble!}</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">anywhoo, i am waiting patiently for my little cookbook to arrive</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and then i'll have to figure out which meals will be replaced by cupcakes and s'more pie and nanna pudding and hummingbird cake....</span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-15461123735195414212012-02-27T08:31:00.000-05:002012-02-27T08:31:09.005-05:00up, up...<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6788836822/" title="hangingaround1 by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="hangingaround1" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7206/6788836822_8e10caf488.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and away!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we'll fly right through monday...tuesday...wednesday and then</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">M A R C H</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{that glorious, wonderful, spring-is-here-even-if-it-snows month}</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">just the thought of floating into March this week has me singing a happy tune</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">back off, winter</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i see colorful balloons on the horizon!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">*picture from <a href="http://lowcommitmentprojects.com/2012/01/09/hanging-around/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">here</span></a></span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-83671646520525538862012-02-21T16:37:00.004-05:002012-02-21T16:43:01.153-05:00l e n t (take 7)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6918182461/" title="7-book-cover by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="7-book-cover" height="464" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7055/6918182461_e53ef22dd8.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">this lent, i'm embarking on a pretty long <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">journey</span> using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/7-Experimental-Mutiny-Against-Excess/dp/1433672960/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329858034&sr=8-1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">this book</span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a dear blogging friend invited me to join her and, at last count, there are 5 of us ("the council") who will help each other out along this sure to be (at times) uphill-with-the-wind-in-our-face-and-the-rocks-crumbling-beneith-us path</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">some of us will deviate from the author's journey</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{and that's a good thing...no cookie cutter approach here}</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">this weekend i cleaned and organized (we're starting with possessions) like we were moving to africa for the rest of our lives (well, maybe to canada). i'll deliver over 200 books (dear Lord) to a friend who reads a lot and sends a lot of books to her pen pal prisoners (i've got the coolest friends). our wedding china (i never liked) went across the street to my friend who told me "i was just telling my sister 'i don't have any good china'. material, old bedspreads went to a crafting neighbor.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i think this will be it for blogging about it. i want to do this for the right reasons. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">me and God. i have way more then i need and continually add to the piles.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">7, here i come. i think that's jesus ahead waving and grinning to beat the band.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">his laughter puts a spring in my step as i run to meet him</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">*</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>So, what's the payoff to living a deeply reduced life? It's the discovery of a greatly increased God -- a call toward Christ-like simplicity and generosity that transcends a social experiment to become a radically better existence. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">-j hatmaker</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H6Fv_w5183g?fs=1" width="480"></iframe></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-28799400205816389182012-02-14T16:37:00.002-05:002012-02-14T16:38:11.870-05:00rustic church<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6864733041/" title="5D2011122234964974984995005015-L by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="5D2011122234964974984995005015-L" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6864733041_8464841391_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">perhaps it is because i am aging (the whole <i>from dust to dust </i>thing) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">or maybe because i'm basically a t-shirt and jeans kinda girl</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">maybe it's because i love LIGHT (always have) and open spaces</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">or maybe it's because my childhood roots grew down deep into the soil of a country riverbed</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">but i have always preferred worshipping God in the simple places</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6864732867/" title="Holy-Family-Shrine-in-Gretna-Nebraska-8 by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="Holy-Family-Shrine-in-Gretna-Nebraska-8" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/6864732867_0a45b2142f_z.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the calm organic & earthy vs the flashy crystal & marble</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the kind of church where i think to myself "jesus would <i>love</i> this place"</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorimckenzie/4323190356/" title="The Art of Doing Nothing by Learning Junkie - recovering from surgery, on Flickr"><img alt="The Art of Doing Nothing" height="404" src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4032/4323190356_78f22dae77.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">image: flikr, learning junkie</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">which is why i loved attending a wedding last fall in a barn-turned church with the pulpit made of a big old oak tree stump {we raced by those benches because we were late}</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and why i will always remember christmas eve 25 years ago in the temporary barn-like building (we sat on hay bales with candles providing the light) before the towering new structure was completed</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6864733109/" title="4667b6a8-7c12-4014-9142-3f5d819ae48a by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="4667b6a8-7c12-4014-9142-3f5d819ae48a" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/6864733109_dc9d038e05.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and why i loved <a href="http://www.holyfamilyshrineproject.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">this church</span></a> in gretna, nebraska with a man-made ravine running down the sides of the center aisle</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">isn't it stunning? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and i think, the more i get to know jesus, the more i realize christianity can be stunning in its simplicity</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i mean, sure, there are some hard things...heady things</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">but the basics of our faith? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">love God, love others, jesus saves, encourage each other</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">live simply so others may simply live (i'm working on this one...thanks, <a href="http://ladydunbar.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">mrs. dunbar</span></a>)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">is stop-me-in-my-tracks stunning in its simplicity</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i'm thankful for barn churches and haybales and glass churches on the prairie</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">these places where i half expect to turn a corner and see jesus in the flesh</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">{google images}</span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-61114414414970064212012-02-09T09:18:00.000-05:002012-02-09T09:18:54.088-05:00tim<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6846396519/" title="224546731390403834_f6p9yMPH_b by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="224546731390403834_f6p9yMPH_b" height="288" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6846396519_c35e41b197.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we received bad news yesterday about a friend recently made</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a selfless, loving, gentle, handsome, kind person</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">an unexpected gift...a beautiful friend!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">G O N E</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">without warning</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and i wonder as i sit here sipping coffee</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and reading happy blogs</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and checking joyful facebook status messages</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and catching glimpses of happy tweets</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">if, in a moment of weakness (and we all have those),</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">that he believed the lie that</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">every.one.else.is.happy.all.the.time</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">as i suit up to face the day i am reminded...again</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i must ( i must!) move gently through this world speaking encouragement</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">freely sharing my smile to every soul who crosses my path</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">judging less, loving more</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">LOVING MORE</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{that's it, isn't it?}</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">because everyone...<i>every one</i>...is fighting some kind of battle</span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-86367490813230833712012-02-07T16:26:00.000-05:002012-02-07T16:26:38.522-05:00me-n-him<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6837618441/" title="JesusandMary by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="JesusandMary" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6837618441_549b59c61e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>photo: the passion of the christ</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"so how do i love someone i should love...someone who needs God?...when the person is just so <i>un</i>lovable?"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"you keep your eyes on jesus and love <i>him</i>. let jesus worry about the rest."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and now that i think of this song...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i might have added "he makes beautiful things out of the dust of our hearts"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">me-n-him. him-n-me.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">that's all he asks of me</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">because anything else, <i>every</i>thing else</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">flows from there</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and beauty is made</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">*</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> </b></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Gloucester MT Extra Condensed';"><b>Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. Luke 10:27</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 20pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <!--EndFragment--></span>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-2990526895610425802012-02-01T14:08:00.000-05:002012-02-01T14:08:04.739-05:00reflection<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6802569455/" title="IMG_0243 by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0243" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6802569455_3bbf233331_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">this year has been a year of physical change for me</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">so much so that when i just ran up the stairs i didn't recognize myself in that mirror</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the other day my good pal, christine (hi C!) said </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">you're a totally different looking person then when we first met</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">way back in summer, i wrote about <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkt0Q6p33fo"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">protecting this house</span></a></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and it's been a good cycle...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">cleaning this house on the inside (healthy foods, exercise)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and decorating this house (darker hair, longer hair!, new glasses)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">my new house feels stronger...and looks a little more lady-like</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(well, not today because i'm cleaning)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">who knew protecting my "house" could cause such a physical chain reaction?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{but i <i>am</i> kinda disappointed the woman in the mirror wasn't someone here to help me clean...}</span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-85597663578327952812012-01-22T22:21:00.003-05:002012-01-22T22:24:50.462-05:00hello!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/4930724832/" title="IMG_6235 by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6235" height="640" src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4073/4930724832_e4046603c2_z.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">thought i'd share some odds and ends since no legitimate post has made it from my brain to the computer in the past few weeks</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{yes, i'm still here...just quiet}</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>A weird thing i do...</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the winter I often take 2 long showers a day. One to get myself ready for the day (morning) and one to warm my cold bones (evening). I know what all the experts say about drying out my skin and wreaking havoc on my hair, but I don't care. In the winter, a hot shower is the only thing that can make me warm. Sometimes i sleep with a winter cap on because i get so cold (and my side of the bed is under a window).</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Right now I am listening to</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">David Carnes. Album is titled "Journey: a praise offering". Listed as "new age" on iTunes.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Today at church I</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hugged all my girlfriends I only see once a week. Read the book of James. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Best thing i've eaten this week was a</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Piece of Flat Apple Pie I made (Pioneer Woman Cooks). It was my dinner.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Biggest laugh of the week</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The scene in <i>Modern Family</i> where Clare and Phil engage in a mock debate in the living room.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>No way! moment </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The boyfriend watch i bought today IS an indiglo (it lights up at the touch of a button which i really wanted but couldn't find). I found out it "lit up" while setting it. It really is the little things that bring me joy.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Looking forward to</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Visiting our daughter at college on Saturday.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Enjoying</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My new class (I teach part-time at the university near us).</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Reading</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>The Hunger Games</i> & <i>The Hiding Place</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>(2 different books)</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Just Finished</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A neighborhood Bible study (I host in our home) called <i>Mercy Triumphs</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Currently Helping</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A dying neighbor who is declining in health</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Wishing</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I lived somewhere else until April</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Recently seen in</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A new coat from Boden, new watch from Target, new BIG eyeglasses</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Loving</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">my fleece sheets</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Last thing that made me chuckle</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Our youngest son calling me (with my new glasses) <i>Velma</i> (from Scooby Doo)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Dreading</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Getting ready for bed. The washing of the face, brushing and flossing of the teeth, the vitamin-taking. Sometimes I just want to fall into bed.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Jumping for Joy</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That my hairdresser texted today saying she had a cancellation on the day and time I needed. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Whoop-whoop!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Missing</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My Mom. I think I will always, always miss my Mom.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Book on Reserve at the Library</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>The Many Cries Your Body Makes for Water</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(I have kidney stones and I hate drinking water)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Happy</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am maintaining my weight. Proud I've kept a pesky 22 pounds off.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Lucky</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To have met some amazing women through blogging. Too many to list and link, but you know who you are.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Still crazy about</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My husband.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Trying to</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Quit loving "stuff" so much. Clothes, shoes, home accessories...oh, how i love it all!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Learning from</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://vineyardcolumbus.org/">Rich Nathan</a>, <a href="http://www.truthforlife.org/about/about-alistair-begg/">Alistair Begg</a>, <a href="http://www.jamesmacdonald.com/">James McDonald</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wanting to</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Be more like Jesus</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Grateful for</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A sturdy roof over my head, pretty clothes on my back, a new furnace to warm me, healthy food in my belly, people who love me.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">XOXO</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cathy</span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-87264668769825266902012-01-11T14:06:00.000-05:002012-01-11T14:06:30.615-05:00one meal<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6680002463/" title="IMG_0231 by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0231" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6680002463_f72a3987bd_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i just finished cooking a meal for my dear friend who is being stretched to the limit</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">such a simple thing, really, fixing a meal for a friend</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{but i know, from being on the receiving end, it IS a huge gift}</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the past few years i've thought if every person simply helped the people standing in front of them, the world would be a better place</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i guess, based on the ancient letter below, my thinking isn't original</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">one meal, one phone call, one conversation, one carpool, one smile...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">chicken divan, help the world?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Theophan & I think so</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #343434; font-family: "Handwriting - Dakota"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">I would guess that among your friends are progressive thinkers, or that you have joined a society having such people in it, and they have scattered your good sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such people usually rave in this manner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #343434; font-family: "Handwriting - Dakota"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Phrases such as “the good of mankind” and “the good of the people” are always on their tongues….the progressives have in mind all mankind or at least all of its people lumped together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #343434; font-family: "Handwriting - Dakota"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The fact is, however, that “mankind” or “the people” does not exist as a person for whom you could do something right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It consists of individual persons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By doing something for one<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>person, we are doing it within the general mass of humanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #343434; font-family: "Handwriting - Dakota"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">If each one of us did what was possible to do for whoever was standing right in front of our eyes, instead of goggling at the community of mankind, then all people, in aggregate, would at each moment be doing that which is needed by those in need, and by satisfying their needs, would establish the welfare of all mankind.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #343434; font-family: "Handwriting - Dakota"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Theophan the Recluse, Orthodox saint (1815-1894), in a letter to a young woman who had expressed confusion about her purpose in lif</span><span style="color: #343434; font-family: "American Typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">e.</span></div></span>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-80738112338060256932012-01-03T15:10:00.000-05:002012-01-03T15:10:37.167-05:00new year, new posture<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6629658789/" title="worship by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="worship" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6629658789_fdabb8399a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: google image</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and.the.greatest.of.these.is.love</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">first.corinthians.13:13</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">2012: i want to love jesus more</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6629815095/" title="12915__caviezel_l by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="12915__caviezel_l" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6629815095_1a897fe9b6.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">google image</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>don't think that because i'm not visible our relationship has to be less real. it will be different, but perhaps even more real...my purpose from the beginning was to live in you and you in me</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">-the shack, william p young</span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648772039647115745.post-64464525035862640622012-01-01T08:59:00.000-05:002012-01-01T08:59:57.610-05:00book #47<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/breathless-expectation/6612267683/" title="89931323778533338_CkKrsOhy_c by SDBCAB, on Flickr"><img alt="89931323778533338_CkKrsOhy_c" height="554" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6612267683_f9d8494720_z.jpg" width="554" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">photo: flikr via pinterest</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">feels like i just opened a brand new box of fresh colored pencils...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ready to create whatever my heart desires</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a new year is kinda like that</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the mental sketching of the <i>want-tos</i> and the <i>dreams</i> and the <i>letting-gos </i>of whatever fractures our pencils</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">i sit...fresh pencil on paper, ready to make those first letters</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but it comes...a whisper</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>you</b> are the pencil. i hold you in my hand. <b>together</b> we write.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">relief. excitment. comfort wash over me.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">c h a p t e r 1, 2 0 1 2</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">happy.new.year</span></div>Cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892631643521903689noreply@blogger.com2