tim

we received bad news yesterday about a friend recently made

a selfless, loving, gentle, handsome, kind person

an unexpected gift...a beautiful friend!

G O N E

without warning

and i wonder as i sit here sipping coffee

and reading happy blogs

and checking joyful facebook status messages

and catching glimpses of happy tweets

if, in a moment of weakness (and we all have those),

that he believed the lie that

every.one.else.is.happy.all.the.time

as i suit up to face the day i am reminded...again

i must ( i must!) move gently through this world speaking encouragement

freely sharing my smile to every soul who crosses my path

judging less, loving more

LOVING MORE

{that's it, isn't it?}

because everyone...every one...is fighting some kind of battle

me-n-him

photo: the passion of the christ

"so how do i love someone i should love...someone who needs God?...when the person is just so unlovable?"

"you keep your eyes on jesus and love him. let jesus worry about the rest."

and now that i think of this song...

i might have added "he makes beautiful things out of the dust of our hearts"

me-n-him. him-n-me.

that's all he asks of me

because anything else, everything else

flows from there

and beauty is made

*

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

reflection

this year has been a year of physical change for me

so much so that when i just ran up the stairs i didn't recognize myself in that mirror

the other day my good pal, christine (hi C!) said 

you're a totally different looking person then when we first met

way back in summer, i wrote about protecting this house

and it's been a good cycle...

cleaning this house on the inside (healthy foods, exercise)

and decorating this house (darker hair, longer hair!, new glasses)

my new house feels stronger...and looks a little more lady-like

(well, not today because i'm cleaning)

who knew protecting my "house" could cause such a physical chain reaction?

{but i am kinda disappointed the woman in the mirror wasn't someone here to help me clean...}

hello!

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

{yes, i'm still here...just quiet}

A weird thing i do...

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).

Right now I am listening to

David Carnes.  Album is titled "Journey: a praise offering".  Listed as "new age" on iTunes.

Today at church I

Hugged all my girlfriends I only see once a week.  Read the book of James. 

Best thing i've eaten this week was a

Piece of Flat Apple Pie I made (Pioneer Woman Cooks).  It was my dinner.

Biggest laugh of the week

The scene in Modern Family where Clare and Phil engage in a mock debate in the living room.

No way! moment 

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.

Looking forward to

Visiting our daughter at college on Saturday.

Enjoying

My new class (I teach part-time at the university near us).

Reading

The Hunger Games & The Hiding Place

(2 different books)

Just Finished

A neighborhood Bible study (I host in our home) called Mercy Triumphs

Currently Helping

A dying neighbor who is declining in health

Wishing

I lived somewhere else until April

Recently seen in

A new coat from Boden, new watch from Target, new BIG eyeglasses

Loving

my fleece sheets

Last thing that made me chuckle

Our youngest son calling me (with my new glasses) Velma (from Scooby Doo)

Dreading

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.

Jumping for Joy

That my hairdresser texted today saying she had a cancellation on the day and time I needed.  

Whoop-whoop!

Missing

My Mom.  I think I will always, always miss my Mom.

Book on Reserve at the Library

The Many Cries Your Body Makes for Water

(I have kidney stones and I hate drinking water)

Happy

I am maintaining my weight.  Proud I've kept a pesky 22 pounds off.

Lucky

To have met some amazing women through blogging.  Too many to list and link, but you know who you are.

Still crazy about

My husband.

Trying to

Quit loving "stuff" so much.  Clothes, shoes, home accessories...oh, how i love it all!

Learning from

Rich Nathan, Alistair Begg, James McDonald

Wanting to

Be more like Jesus

Grateful for

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.

XOXO

Cathy

one meal

i just finished cooking a meal for my dear friend who is being stretched to the limit

such a simple thing, really, fixing a meal for a friend

{but i know, from being on the receiving end, it IS a huge gift}

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

i guess, based on the ancient letter below, my thinking isn't original

one meal, one phone call, one conversation, one carpool, one smile...

chicken divan, help the world?

Theophan & I think so

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.  Such people usually rave in this manner. 

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. 

The fact is, however, that “mankind” or “the people” does not exist as a person for whom you could do something right now.  It consists of individual persons.  By doing something for one  person, we are doing it within the general mass of humanity. 

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.

Theophan the Recluse, Orthodox saint (1815-1894), in a letter to a young woman who had expressed confusion about her purpose in life.

new year, new posture

photo: google image

and.the.greatest.of.these.is.love

first.corinthians.13:13 


2012: i want to love jesus more

google image

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
-the shack, william p young

book #47

photo: flikr via pinterest

feels like i just opened a brand new box of fresh colored pencils...

ready to create whatever my heart desires

a new year is kinda like that

the mental sketching of the want-tos and the dreams and the letting-gos of whatever fractures our pencils

i sit...fresh pencil on paper, ready to make those first letters

but it comes...a whisper

you are the pencil. i hold you in my hand. together we write.

relief. excitment. comfort wash over me.

c h a p t e r  1,  2 0 1 2

happy.new.year