Here is a sampling of what it is like to be in my head all the time.
We sent Teddy to preschool this year (two mornings a week, he loves it: his "best friend" is in the same class! It's a small class with very dynamic teachers, so we are SO happy with it). His "main" teacher sends an email out to all the parents at least once a week (every Friday: we get the layout of how the next week will go), sometimes more if she takes a photo of a particularly fun happening. So all the parents are copied on these emails, and that is the only way I know anyone's names (except for the parents of Teddy's "best friend". Obvi). Lately, I have been running into one of those parents with some regularity; maybe four times in the past two weeks. Her first name is rather ambiguously spelled, and I'm not sure if it contains an "s" or a "sh" sound. Because I've never heard anyone say it (plus she ended up "introducing" herself to me via text re: Teddy's birthday party RSVP), and I've never heard HER say her own name to anyone else, this has become supremely awkward (to me). So. Every time I've run into her, I've either resorted to saying "Oh, HEY! It's (your little friend from school's name)'s Mom!" if Teddy is with me. If I'm solo, it's the classic, "Heeeeeyyyy...you! Good to see you! How are you?"
And NOW, that I ran into her TWICE today in two different places, and I was (over)analyzing this conundrum I have with this lovely lady's first name, I realized: Teddy has been in school for twelve weeks. It is just NOT time to be all, "so, I didn't catch your name..." I guess she will be just "(little friend's mom)" or "Heeeeeyyyy...you!"for the foreseeable future. So, I guess...I'm staring down the barrel of probably never addressing this woman by name as long as I live. I hope she doesn't notice. (Another peek into what it's like to be me all the time: I would probably eventually* notice if someone was doing this to me. I know. I'm certifiable. But harmless.)
Maybe for my next blogger trick, I will talk about how I call Teddy's best friend his "best friend" WITH QUOTES, and expound on how what preschoolers say about their "best friend" when their "best friend" is not around is a huge reversal of how they actually TREAT their "best friend" when he is actually present. Tl;dr: Teddy is always talking about "Mah bes' fren', (name)" in private, but seems to go out of his way to antagonize said "bes' fren'" when they are together. It's the weirdest thing.
Whoops. Now what do I have to talk about?!
*It would probably take a couple of years, though. I would hope.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Introspective.
So, I *have* been writing almost every day. But nothing makes it into the post list, and I'm not sure why. Well, I know why ONE didn't make it, and that is because as I was editing it for coherence, I realized that it would make a pretty great Christmas letter, and I didn't want to bore my three readers, who are also getting Christmas cards from me, so I canned it until, well, Christmas.
We've never had a big enough year to warrant a Christmas letter before. With the notable exception of 2008, our years have been largely uneventful, and even in the case of 2008, there is only so long you can go on about your new baby before people want to poke their eyeballs out with some mistletoe. Plus, I doubt very many people would have been all that interested in the birth story (remember that epicness, on the (now defunct) old blog? Yep. That was definitely not for the faint of heart/unsuspecting Christmas-card-recipient!). So, from 2004 until now, any "letter" we would have written to our various far flung favorites may have been a variation on this theme: "We moved again, since renting stinks and the place we were in was too small/noisy/gross/old/falling down. Matt still works at TWB and Erin found another time-passing job, and still no babies, and we had a lot of dinner parties again this year. MERRY CHRISTMAS." Yeah, not a whole lot to work with.
But now that big things are happening, more than one big thing, as in the case of the babytime, we're feeling...restless. As if a part of our lives that we've been pushing and pulling and heaving and shoving has FINALLY dislodged and is rolling forward much faster than we thought it would, and too much else is getting left behind. I think I thought we'd have a stronger faith community around us by now. I think I thought I'd have things more together in being a with-it parent by now (by "with-it", I mean fun and organized and educational as far as Teddy can see, not, like, hip and trendy and put together as far as everyone else can see. Although some level of put-together-ness would not be altogether unwelcome). I think that I thought we'd have found some sort of social niche by now. I guess I also thought I'd grow into this house and make it work somehow, but I feel like I've been at a loss with it for the past four years (seriously, every single room in the house makes me feel helpless, like, "well, what am I supposed to be doing in HERE?!" It's really discombobulating).
Anyway. Enough whining. Today is our eighth wedding anniversary, and I'm cleaning out the freezer for it! Pierogis, TJoe's veggie stir-fry, and Full of Life Flatbread's Cheese and Herb. Who says romance is dead?
I've also been pinning up a storm in preparation for our mini-move and for the holidays. So much to do, so little time...until next time, my lovelies!
We've never had a big enough year to warrant a Christmas letter before. With the notable exception of 2008, our years have been largely uneventful, and even in the case of 2008, there is only so long you can go on about your new baby before people want to poke their eyeballs out with some mistletoe. Plus, I doubt very many people would have been all that interested in the birth story (remember that epicness, on the (now defunct) old blog? Yep. That was definitely not for the faint of heart/unsuspecting Christmas-card-recipient!). So, from 2004 until now, any "letter" we would have written to our various far flung favorites may have been a variation on this theme: "We moved again, since renting stinks and the place we were in was too small/noisy/gross/old/falling down. Matt still works at TWB and Erin found another time-passing job, and still no babies, and we had a lot of dinner parties again this year. MERRY CHRISTMAS." Yeah, not a whole lot to work with.
But now that big things are happening, more than one big thing, as in the case of the babytime, we're feeling...restless. As if a part of our lives that we've been pushing and pulling and heaving and shoving has FINALLY dislodged and is rolling forward much faster than we thought it would, and too much else is getting left behind. I think I thought we'd have a stronger faith community around us by now. I think I thought I'd have things more together in being a with-it parent by now (by "with-it", I mean fun and organized and educational as far as Teddy can see, not, like, hip and trendy and put together as far as everyone else can see. Although some level of put-together-ness would not be altogether unwelcome). I think that I thought we'd have found some sort of social niche by now. I guess I also thought I'd grow into this house and make it work somehow, but I feel like I've been at a loss with it for the past four years (seriously, every single room in the house makes me feel helpless, like, "well, what am I supposed to be doing in HERE?!" It's really discombobulating).
Anyway. Enough whining. Today is our eighth wedding anniversary, and I'm cleaning out the freezer for it! Pierogis, TJoe's veggie stir-fry, and Full of Life Flatbread's Cheese and Herb. Who says romance is dead?
I've also been pinning up a storm in preparation for our mini-move and for the holidays. So much to do, so little time...until next time, my lovelies!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
...whatever falls to my hands...
I don't really know what happened, there. Life, I guess. Been meaning to get back to this, and to do...something about my spiritual life. Hasn't really been happening, but when I woke up this morning to a full blown anxiety attack, I realized I had better stop stressing over the things around me, give it to Jesus, and put my head down and DO. Perhaps stop beating myself up for not having a robust, monastic prayer life; a poem, authored by a fellow mother, found here, resonated deeply with me.
Matthew 27:32-56, Mark 15:21-41, Luke 23:26-49, John 19:17-37
Gearing up for this election day, trying to calm my fears about the outcome, living in a time and space where believers are reviled when the evil one prevails, as if that temporary victory were proof positive of the absurdity of faith, these readings on the Crucifixion all contain the same account of this sort of mockery, of this upholding of Christ's (apparent) weakness as evidence of His lack of Divinity, of His complete and broken humanity. The words of the soldiers and the jeering crowd echo in my head, even as I try to remember that the Death was not the end of the story, that three days brought about the end, or rather the Beginning, for those who held faith. <3
Matthew 27:32-56, Mark 15:21-41, Luke 23:26-49, John 19:17-37
Gearing up for this election day, trying to calm my fears about the outcome, living in a time and space where believers are reviled when the evil one prevails, as if that temporary victory were proof positive of the absurdity of faith, these readings on the Crucifixion all contain the same account of this sort of mockery, of this upholding of Christ's (apparent) weakness as evidence of His lack of Divinity, of His complete and broken humanity. The words of the soldiers and the jeering crowd echo in my head, even as I try to remember that the Death was not the end of the story, that three days brought about the end, or rather the Beginning, for those who held faith. <3
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Joshua 7:1-9:27
"Arise, sanctify the people, and say to them: Be ye sanctified against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel: The anathema is in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thy enemies, till he be destroyed out of thee that is defiled with this wickedness." Joshua 7:13
This brings to mind Matthew 7:5, "Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."
Last weekend I went on a two day retreat to reprioritize my goals and to discover some dreams. The last time I went on this retreat, I made some fascinating discoveries about who I am and what I want to do, and this time was a wonderful opportunity to hone those discoveries and refine my visions. One thing that came up over and over for me over the course of this retreat was that I wanted to encourage others to speak the Truth of the Faith in Love. Of course, such encouragement and teaching is much more appropriate (and humble!) coming from someone who has, herself, mastered that art, or at least attempts it consistently! Today I am remembering that we are each on our journeys, and to meet my challengers where they are at, instead of feeling superior to one who has not been given my knowledge, resenting one who knows more (or better, or more charitably) than I.
This brings to mind Matthew 7:5, "Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."
Last weekend I went on a two day retreat to reprioritize my goals and to discover some dreams. The last time I went on this retreat, I made some fascinating discoveries about who I am and what I want to do, and this time was a wonderful opportunity to hone those discoveries and refine my visions. One thing that came up over and over for me over the course of this retreat was that I wanted to encourage others to speak the Truth of the Faith in Love. Of course, such encouragement and teaching is much more appropriate (and humble!) coming from someone who has, herself, mastered that art, or at least attempts it consistently! Today I am remembering that we are each on our journeys, and to meet my challengers where they are at, instead of feeling superior to one who has not been given my knowledge, resenting one who knows more (or better, or more charitably) than I.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Leviticus 25:22-26:46
"I will give you peace in your coasts: you shall sleep, and there shall be none to make you afraid. I will take away evil beasts and the sword shall not pass through your quarters. You shall pursue your enemies, and they shall fall before you. Five of yours shall pursue a hundred others, and a hundred of you ten thousand: your enemies shall fall before you by the sword." Leviticus 25:6-25:8
Yet another reassurance in the face of this endless religious liberty battle. I've also learned my lesson: seize the earliest chance to do my reading! If I had read these words this morning (instead of now, while Teddy gets ready for bed), I might not have felt so despairing at the vehemence of a woman who's opinion I otherwise resect, as she spouted the propaganda that has been specifically designed to further the attack on the First Amendment. As it was, placing it in the hands of Mary gave me words of charity and calm, instead of my usual knee-jerk snarky condescension. So, score one for the Blessed Mother!
Remembering tonight that no matter how legion the forces against us seem, no matter from how many sides the attacks come, "(my) enemies will fall before (me) by the sword [of Truth spoken in Love]".
Yet another reassurance in the face of this endless religious liberty battle. I've also learned my lesson: seize the earliest chance to do my reading! If I had read these words this morning (instead of now, while Teddy gets ready for bed), I might not have felt so despairing at the vehemence of a woman who's opinion I otherwise resect, as she spouted the propaganda that has been specifically designed to further the attack on the First Amendment. As it was, placing it in the hands of Mary gave me words of charity and calm, instead of my usual knee-jerk snarky condescension. So, score one for the Blessed Mother!
Remembering tonight that no matter how legion the forces against us seem, no matter from how many sides the attacks come, "(my) enemies will fall before (me) by the sword [of Truth spoken in Love]".
Friday, February 24, 2012
Back on the Horse AGAIN
I had been having difficulty finding inspiration in the previous readings, delineating foods for fast, rituals for the Temple, etc. On Fat Tuesday, though, I had a bit of a revelation: all those rules and rituals were probably outdated and irrelevant to me (I am not required to sacrifice a goat for my sins...) but I was, at that very moment, in deep preparation for the fastings and rituals that ARE relevant to me! And that this preparation is itself a meditation and its own form of sacrifice (after all, I was preparing our carnivorous household's pantry for the vegan rigors of the Ruthenian Ash Wednesday Fast...!). Devoting my time and energy to ensuring not the slightest acquiescence to hidden dairy ingredients or the chicken broth sneaking into the chili, was my form of making devotion and worship, in my vocation as wife and mother (and keeper of the pantry!). I never thought I'd feel such a basic kinship to the (rarely mentioned) women of Leviticus. :)
SO. Now that I've grappled with that deep theological quandary, let's move on to today:
Leviticus 23:1-25-23
Chapter 24, verse 15 "And thou shalt speak to the children of Israel: the man that curseth his God, shall bear his sin:" The next verse talks about how the punishment is death by stoning, of course, but applying this to our times and culture is something I can't help doing. As our world turns from God and towards "idols" (money, success, fame, possessions), the decline in community, compassion, support for those in need, in everything that gives us our humanity, that parallels these strengthening attractions is not easy to dismiss as coincidence. Lord, have mercy.
SO. Now that I've grappled with that deep theological quandary, let's move on to today:
Leviticus 23:1-25-23
Chapter 24, verse 15 "And thou shalt speak to the children of Israel: the man that curseth his God, shall bear his sin:" The next verse talks about how the punishment is death by stoning, of course, but applying this to our times and culture is something I can't help doing. As our world turns from God and towards "idols" (money, success, fame, possessions), the decline in community, compassion, support for those in need, in everything that gives us our humanity, that parallels these strengthening attractions is not easy to dismiss as coincidence. Lord, have mercy.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Exodus 32:1-34:35
"He answered: I will shew thee all good, and I will proclaim in the name of the Lord before thee: and I will have mercy on whom I will, and I will be merciful to whom it shall please me." - Exodus 33:19
"He" in the above is God, for the record. As assurances go, this seems to be a mixed bag. Being shown all good and having the name of the Lord proclaimed in me? Yes, please. The part about "mercy on whom I will" makes one sit up, take notice and be on one's best behavior, I shouldn't wonder. It certainly makes me mindful of times when maybe I wouldn't have been so deserving of mercy...times when, as I wrote in an earlier post, I took the easier way of "non-confrontation" (more like "non-defensive of good and truth when it would be unpopular"...), or when I may have not been a good witness to His love and compassion. Or, worst of all, when I have "lukewarm"...Revelation 3:16
This has much self-reflection for me today.
"He" in the above is God, for the record. As assurances go, this seems to be a mixed bag. Being shown all good and having the name of the Lord proclaimed in me? Yes, please. The part about "mercy on whom I will" makes one sit up, take notice and be on one's best behavior, I shouldn't wonder. It certainly makes me mindful of times when maybe I wouldn't have been so deserving of mercy...times when, as I wrote in an earlier post, I took the easier way of "non-confrontation" (more like "non-defensive of good and truth when it would be unpopular"...), or when I may have not been a good witness to His love and compassion. Or, worst of all, when I have "lukewarm"...Revelation 3:16
This has much self-reflection for me today.
Yesterday's Post. Again
I'm trying to streamline this process...the blogger app on the iPad doesn't let me hyperlink, and I can't comfortably type at the family computer, so this is a hodge-podge of iPad typing, computer editing, emailing various documents back and forth from me to me in order to transfer them to Google Docs (and various computers)...I'll catch up! (It probably doesn't help that I write these out in a moleskine journal first of ALL...!)
Here we go!
Here we go!
"Speak to the children of Israel and thou shalt say to them: 'see that thou keep my Sabbath: because it is a sign between me and thee in thy generations: that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctify you.'" Exodus 30:13
I was very young when I read the Little House on the Prairie series, and, being something of a tomboy, the activity and outdoor play depicted in Farmer Boy appealed to me a bit more than the sewing and baking (and churning!) described in the books featuring Laura and Mary. One aspect of the life of a Farmer Boy that did NOT at ALL appeal to me, though, was the description of the family observance of the Sabbath. Looooong church sessions, wherein the children had to keep absolutely still (child psychologists the world over cringe in horror), loooong silent meals eating cold food, as cooking, being considered "work", is not allowed. Loooooong hours sitting listening to Father read from the Bible (and I'm guessing not even the exciting parts with battles and Almighty smiting...), or a book of sermons, also staying silent and still...if not for the entertaining incident involving a sneaky sled run and a stray pig, I would probably have skipped that chapter altogether on my re-readings! Reflecting on the above passage in conjunction with the Farmer Boy Sabbath, I started to feel a bit guilty, that maybe we aren't being God-centric enough in our Sabbath. So I took myself to Google to review a few different takes on Sabbath observance. There is a certain blog I read regularly, written by a stay at home Orthodox Jewish wife, living in Israel. Her Sabbath also does not allow cooking or baking, but she spends her entire week preparing delicious treats and dishes for her family to enjoy while they take the Sabbath day to pray, worship, rest, disconnect from the world (literally: no phones or internet) and reconnect with each other. We ourselves don't really have a set "routine" for our Sunday. There is always Mass in the mornings, and the afternoons are spent playing with Teddy, either at home, the park or the beach, reading the (weeks worth of!) newspapers that have piled up, watching the occasional TV show or movie via the internet (we are always taking suggestions!) while Teddy naps, and often taking the time to cook a rather elaborate meal together.
What I read here heartened me. We are on the right track, it seems, although there is always more room for Jesus, no matter what.
"Our first priority is to worship God publicly by participating at holy Mass. Since the days of the Apostles, the Church community has gathered together on Sunday to attend Mass. The <Code of Canon Law> logically mandates, "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass" (No. 1247). This obligation makes perfect sense. Following St. Thomas Aquinas' thought, we have a moral obligation to give visible, public and regular worship to the God who created all things, including ourselves; who has blessed us in many ways; and who saved us from sin. Just as we attend to our material and physical concerns—such as getting proper sleep, food, exercise and hygiene—we must attend to the well-being of our souls through prayer and public worship...
...The second priority of the Sabbath is to take time for personal rest and for those that we love. In our fast-paced world, sometimes Sunday becomes "catch-up" day—of running to the store, doing laundry and the like. Granted, sometimes we have no choice in the matter. However, we should restructure our lives and strive to accomplish those tasks during the rest of the week. Then we can take good leisurely time for ourselves. All of us need time to read, think, meditate and talk with God in the quiet of our hearts."
I was very young when I read the Little House on the Prairie series, and, being something of a tomboy, the activity and outdoor play depicted in Farmer Boy appealed to me a bit more than the sewing and baking (and churning!) described in the books featuring Laura and Mary. One aspect of the life of a Farmer Boy that did NOT at ALL appeal to me, though, was the description of the family observance of the Sabbath. Looooong church sessions, wherein the children had to keep absolutely still (child psychologists the world over cringe in horror), loooong silent meals eating cold food, as cooking, being considered "work", is not allowed. Loooooong hours sitting listening to Father read from the Bible (and I'm guessing not even the exciting parts with battles and Almighty smiting...), or a book of sermons, also staying silent and still...if not for the entertaining incident involving a sneaky sled run and a stray pig, I would probably have skipped that chapter altogether on my re-readings! Reflecting on the above passage in conjunction with the Farmer Boy Sabbath, I started to feel a bit guilty, that maybe we aren't being God-centric enough in our Sabbath. So I took myself to Google to review a few different takes on Sabbath observance. There is a certain blog I read regularly, written by a stay at home Orthodox Jewish wife, living in Israel. Her Sabbath also does not allow cooking or baking, but she spends her entire week preparing delicious treats and dishes for her family to enjoy while they take the Sabbath day to pray, worship, rest, disconnect from the world (literally: no phones or internet) and reconnect with each other. We ourselves don't really have a set "routine" for our Sunday. There is always Mass in the mornings, and the afternoons are spent playing with Teddy, either at home, the park or the beach, reading the (weeks worth of!) newspapers that have piled up, watching the occasional TV show or movie via the internet (we are always taking suggestions!) while Teddy naps, and often taking the time to cook a rather elaborate meal together.
What I read here heartened me. We are on the right track, it seems, although there is always more room for Jesus, no matter what.
"Our first priority is to worship God publicly by participating at holy Mass. Since the days of the Apostles, the Church community has gathered together on Sunday to attend Mass. The <Code of Canon Law> logically mandates, "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass" (No. 1247). This obligation makes perfect sense. Following St. Thomas Aquinas' thought, we have a moral obligation to give visible, public and regular worship to the God who created all things, including ourselves; who has blessed us in many ways; and who saved us from sin. Just as we attend to our material and physical concerns—such as getting proper sleep, food, exercise and hygiene—we must attend to the well-being of our souls through prayer and public worship...
...The second priority of the Sabbath is to take time for personal rest and for those that we love. In our fast-paced world, sometimes Sunday becomes "catch-up" day—of running to the store, doing laundry and the like. Granted, sometimes we have no choice in the matter. However, we should restructure our lives and strive to accomplish those tasks during the rest of the week. Then we can take good leisurely time for ourselves. All of us need time to read, think, meditate and talk with God in the quiet of our hearts."
Friday, February 10, 2012
Three days Late.
In an effort to get back here (and maybe back away from Facebook a little), I've started doing some scripture reading with a friend. The idea was to read every day, and post thoughts and reflections...every day. This is day three. Yeah. I've read every reading so far (well, not today's yet, but I will...and even update this post when I do!), but obviously this is my first post about it. To make up for my laxness, I will briefly review my thoughts on the last two readings.
The first day's reading was from Exodus, 22:16-24:18. Lots of rules and guidelines for living in there, but it was about halfway through that I was drawn to this: "Thou shalt not follow the multitude to do evil: neither shalt thou yield in judgement, to the opinion of the most part, to stray from the Truth." Exodus 23:2
This is so especially relevant in these times, at this moment. The attack on Christian conscience by the President and by the HHS Department, the recent bullying of the Susan G Komen Foundation by Planned Parenthood (over a paltry few hundreds of thousands of dollars), the cultural war that is being waged on the family...it can be so easy to just sit back and ignore what is happening...it is certainly easier than sticking ones neck out and speaking up in defense of religious freedom, against the travesty of abortion, for the integrity of the family. I spent the rest of Wednesday thinking about and praying for fortitude.
Day two: Exodus 25:1-28:43 Matt left on business yesterday, and I was despairing of ever getting our home in some semblance of order. Teddy's room was still a disaster from where we just dumped all the Christmas loot "to sort later", but instead of "later" happening, it just turned into a dumping ground for any and everything we didn't feel like doing "now", like folding laundry, unpacking suitcases from weekend trips, bringing the donation boxes to Goodwill...poor Teddy. He didn't use his room much anyway, but one evening he went in there and declared, "Dis woom is a MESS. Tan yew hep me, Maw-mee?!" So it was with some renewal of vigor and inspiration that I stumbled over the following verse, tucked amongst cubit measures and acacia wood for the Ark of the Covenant, the tabernacle, and cloth dye for the temple veils and garments: "And they will make a sanctuary, and I will dwell in the midst of them." Exodus 25:8
WELL. Talk about a come to Jesus moment. This home sure wasn't no sanctuary. How could I expect anything other than chaos and disorder if I'm not making a sanctuary for God? I spent the entire morning organizing and sorting. Teddy's room is now a delightful space for play and rest. Our kitchen flows with functionality. The family computer space is cleared of papers and junk mail, all ready for bill paying, record keeping and watching movies. My desk is organized and all set up for daily reading and posting. Everything is in its place, including Jesus in our lives. When Matt comes home, we will agree on where to put our "sanctuary" for prayer time. I am so hopeful for our future in this transition home, now that I've been led to see it as a space to welcome to Jesus.
The first day's reading was from Exodus, 22:16-24:18. Lots of rules and guidelines for living in there, but it was about halfway through that I was drawn to this: "Thou shalt not follow the multitude to do evil: neither shalt thou yield in judgement, to the opinion of the most part, to stray from the Truth." Exodus 23:2
This is so especially relevant in these times, at this moment. The attack on Christian conscience by the President and by the HHS Department, the recent bullying of the Susan G Komen Foundation by Planned Parenthood (over a paltry few hundreds of thousands of dollars), the cultural war that is being waged on the family...it can be so easy to just sit back and ignore what is happening...it is certainly easier than sticking ones neck out and speaking up in defense of religious freedom, against the travesty of abortion, for the integrity of the family. I spent the rest of Wednesday thinking about and praying for fortitude.
Day two: Exodus 25:1-28:43 Matt left on business yesterday, and I was despairing of ever getting our home in some semblance of order. Teddy's room was still a disaster from where we just dumped all the Christmas loot "to sort later", but instead of "later" happening, it just turned into a dumping ground for any and everything we didn't feel like doing "now", like folding laundry, unpacking suitcases from weekend trips, bringing the donation boxes to Goodwill...poor Teddy. He didn't use his room much anyway, but one evening he went in there and declared, "Dis woom is a MESS. Tan yew hep me, Maw-mee?!" So it was with some renewal of vigor and inspiration that I stumbled over the following verse, tucked amongst cubit measures and acacia wood for the Ark of the Covenant, the tabernacle, and cloth dye for the temple veils and garments: "And they will make a sanctuary, and I will dwell in the midst of them." Exodus 25:8
WELL. Talk about a come to Jesus moment. This home sure wasn't no sanctuary. How could I expect anything other than chaos and disorder if I'm not making a sanctuary for God? I spent the entire morning organizing and sorting. Teddy's room is now a delightful space for play and rest. Our kitchen flows with functionality. The family computer space is cleared of papers and junk mail, all ready for bill paying, record keeping and watching movies. My desk is organized and all set up for daily reading and posting. Everything is in its place, including Jesus in our lives. When Matt comes home, we will agree on where to put our "sanctuary" for prayer time. I am so hopeful for our future in this transition home, now that I've been led to see it as a space to welcome to Jesus.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Day Five, Honey!
So, I never took a before picture. Oh, well. It's Day Five of the Crunchy Betty Honey Challenge, and each day is a little...different. I broke out VERY badly in my "problem area" on Day Three, but a few swipes of tea tree oil on a cotton ball, and a LONG session with a "honey mask" and today I think the blemishes are a LOT smaller and "deeper" (if you know what I mean) than they were when I started. I am hopeful and encouraged!
The stickiness is definitely something to get used to, and there has been a time or two when I realize I wasn't as thorough with the rinsing in one area of my face or another (the "overhang" of my lower lip above my chin is an elusive spot!), but these are minor problems that don't cause me any lasting hesitation.
I took Teddy to the Farmer's Market this morning, where he had his first encounter with a harmonica.
I was hoping that my honey people would have squeezy bottles for me to take in my luggage as we travel this week, but, alas. I had seen a honey stand on the side of the road on our way to the market, and had observed squeezy bottles on the table there, so I stopped to check 'em out. Turns out the squeezy bottles were for giving samples. Le sigh. I sampled the honey, though (all raw and "local", meaning that the man's hives range from a town about two hours drive due south all the way along the coast to a town about twenty minutes due west of us), LOVED it all, but bought only one jar (a two pounder!) of white sage honey for twenty bucks. THAT honey will be for eating. It tastes delicious like buttah. If I had bought some for face washing, I probably would have gone with the Wild Mountain Flower version, since he said that was the one you would pick if you have allergies. Maybe the wider array of honey-producing plants has something to do with it? He said that it also had "more pollen" in it, which is probably a big booster of allergen-fighting properties...I don't know. I've only read a couple of books; I'm no expert. (It's a little...weird...that I can't get any google returns for this guy's honey biznez...hoping it wasn't a bad idea to write a check...). ANYWAY. So, now I have the unenviable task of funneling some honey from my OTHER great big jar o' honey into a wee little airplane-safe squeeze bottle, so as to continue this experiment on the opposite side of the country.
Oh, well, at least the mess I'll make will be edible. :)
The stickiness is definitely something to get used to, and there has been a time or two when I realize I wasn't as thorough with the rinsing in one area of my face or another (the "overhang" of my lower lip above my chin is an elusive spot!), but these are minor problems that don't cause me any lasting hesitation.
I took Teddy to the Farmer's Market this morning, where he had his first encounter with a harmonica.
I was hoping that my honey people would have squeezy bottles for me to take in my luggage as we travel this week, but, alas. I had seen a honey stand on the side of the road on our way to the market, and had observed squeezy bottles on the table there, so I stopped to check 'em out. Turns out the squeezy bottles were for giving samples. Le sigh. I sampled the honey, though (all raw and "local", meaning that the man's hives range from a town about two hours drive due south all the way along the coast to a town about twenty minutes due west of us), LOVED it all, but bought only one jar (a two pounder!) of white sage honey for twenty bucks. THAT honey will be for eating. It tastes delicious like buttah. If I had bought some for face washing, I probably would have gone with the Wild Mountain Flower version, since he said that was the one you would pick if you have allergies. Maybe the wider array of honey-producing plants has something to do with it? He said that it also had "more pollen" in it, which is probably a big booster of allergen-fighting properties...I don't know. I've only read a couple of books; I'm no expert. (It's a little...weird...that I can't get any google returns for this guy's honey biznez...hoping it wasn't a bad idea to write a check...). ANYWAY. So, now I have the unenviable task of funneling some honey from my OTHER great big jar o' honey into a wee little airplane-safe squeeze bottle, so as to continue this experiment on the opposite side of the country.
Oh, well, at least the mess I'll make will be edible. :)
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