Feel Good Friday -- January 7, 2011

For today's Feel Good Friday I want to share a new website I learned about this past week. It's called Visual Parable Art. This art ministry helps girls heal in conjunction with Mercy Ministries. You may purchase artwork through their auction, and money will be used to further the ministries.

One of the works currently up for bid was done by my dd while she was at Mercy this past spring and summer. I am so proud of the work that she has done; the progress she has made; and the wonderful artwork she created to benefit this ministry and herself.

The wording around the piece is a prayer dd wrote:

"Grace and peace to you who are chosen of God. 

May mercy and grace follow you all of your days. 

May the maker of the universe bless you in all that

you do and may he always protect you."

Check out this site and make a purchase or make a donation if you want.

It will make someone's day!

(Not all paintings are actually 18"x21")

Get more Feel Good Friday @ The Girl Next Door Grows Up.

Thankful Thursday -- January 6, 2011

Today I am thankful for . . . 

1. My God who loves me even when I am

unlovable.

2. The conviction to stick with new plans (NOT resolutions).

I am participating in The Bible in 90 Days.

It is tough, but good so far.

I am also participating in 3 in 30.

My "3" for January are:

Exercise 3 days a week.

Journal my food 5 days a week.

Complete 3 sewing projects this month.

3. A new Bible class on Sundays called

Contemplative Spirituality which led

me to this author, Robert Benson.

4. Progress resolving the physical chaos in our house.

5. People with whom I can discuss my frustrations, and 

feel that I will get Godly input.

They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD. They were to do the same in the evening . . .

-- I Chronicles 23:30

Look for more Thankful Thursday post @ Spiritually Unequal Marriage

Wordless Wednesday

See more pictures at Wordless Wednesday

The Simple Woman's Daybook -- January 4, 2011

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... it is pitch black.

I am thinking... about the promise of the new year. It's like getting a clean slate, even though very little actually changes!

I am thankful for... a good weekend past. Lots of work on the bathroom. Dd quit caffiene cold turkey and it wasn't bad at all. Order is returning to our home. Worship and class (a new one on Contemplative Spirituality) were both very beneficial.

From the learning rooms... it's back to school today. Ds is not impressed!

From the kitchen... re-organization! I am swapping some cabinet contents around; de-cluttering; and re-organizing work areas.

I am wearing... yoga clothes as today is Restorative Yoga class.

I am creating... a new afghan for the family; a couple more scarves; and hopefully completing that fleece poncho I started back in November!

I am going... to yoga and then to the library. I uploaded the goodreads application to my iPod yesterday. Now I'll have my "want to read" list with me when I go!

I am reading... still The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer, hence the planned trip to the library. I'm really bored with this, but I am loathe to not finish it.

I am hoping... to do laundry this afternoon. It seems as if I have fallen off the laundry wagon in the past week!

I am hearing... ds getting ready for school.

Around the house... dh has made so much progress on the bathroom! I can't wait for you all to see it.

One of my favorite things... is fresh starts.

A few plans for the rest of the week... back to school, back to Beth Moore class, back to Precepts class, and I started The Bible in 90 Days yesterday!

Here is a  picture for thought I am sharing... 

The beautiful tile work dh finished this weekend.

Hosted by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Reading List for 2010

Well here it is, the reading list for 2010. I only read 32 books this year. That's down from past years (if indeed I remembered to write them all down, which I almost never do!). This year I did take on 3 different Bible studies, so that may have slowed down my recreational reading a bit. I also find not working at the library impacts the speed of my reading, since I have to factor in time to find and acquire titles. They used to just appear on my desk every time I went to work.


This year I will try to broaden my horizons with more non-fiction, and perhaps some classic literature. We shall see.


In no particular order:


 Alone by Richard Logan 
 The Last Summer of You and Me by Ann Brashares 
 How to Be Cool by Johanna Edwards 
 The Feast by Joshua Graves 
 Caught Stealing by Charlie Huston 
 The Myth of You and Me by Leah Stewart 
 The English American by Alison Larkin 
 The Doctor's Daughter by Hilma Wolitzer 
 My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier 
 Neverland by Piers Dudgeon 
 The Appeal by John Grisham 
 U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton 
 Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz 
 The Female of the Species by Joyce Carol Oates 
 Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwartz 
 Brother Odd by Dean Koontz 
 Forever Odd by Dean Koontz 
 Wild Mountain Thyme by Rosamunde Pilcher 
 Odd Hours by Dean Koontz 
 An Expert in Murder by Nicola Upson 
 Breathless by Dean Koontz 
 The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey 
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson 
 Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhonda Jantzen 
 Deception by Jonathan Kellerman 
 Don't Look Now by Daphne du Maurier 
 The Burning Wire by Jeffery Deaver 
 A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd 
 A Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs 
 The Killing Floor by Lee Child 
 The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson 
 The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest by Stieg Larsson  


How many did you read? What did you? What were your favorites? Your least favorites? Inquiring minds want to know!

A Guest Post from the Dh

I'll turn 48 this year. Sam will be a senior at Lipscomb High School and Claire will start her junior year at Lipscomb College.

Melanie and I have been married 25 year and I've been working at the same job for nearly 21 years. If I'm not old, I'm surely middle aged and maybe a little more...lol.

The earth has revolved around the sun over 2010 times since the birth of our Lord (depending on when you actually place his birth . . . sometime between 3 and 6 BC if I remember my Bible classes).

Each time the earth rotates around the sun another time, we celebrate our victories and mourn our losses. I lost my mom 22 years ago, my grand dad 38 years ago, and my friend Bob almost 3 years ago.

I watched Claire graduate from Mercy this year, which has been the greatest blessing I could have ever asked for her. I've watched her grow and heal and it's been wonderful.

I still have a job and these days that's certainly something to be thankful for, and a Godly wife who loves me more than I deserve.

Sam is just fun to have around and is making really good progress in school. He's dating Samantha and they're already talking about maybe getting married one day (wow!). He struggles with his faith, but I pray he will find that religion is not from God. Christ is. What the world needs is a relationship with a healing savior. Unfortunately, religion often gets in the way (did I mention the crusades...lol).

Anyway, on this January 1, 2011, I squat in my chair (because I still can't sit) but I'm thankful that I can squat because standing is tiresome and makes my feet hurt and I'm thankful I'm learning to sit Indian style again. Maybe my butt will heal this year or I'll get some shots. Anyway, its a minor inconvenience.

It's dark outside and has obviously been raining. I wonder what God has out there for me this year. I wonder how many more times the earth will rotate around the sun before the Son comes back to claim the victory and we will find an eternal home. I wonder what heaven is like. 

I don't know what heaven will be like and its hard to believe in something you can't imagine. I read The Shack this year and I imagine God's love is what will be at the center of heaven, so maybe the particulars don't matter so much; only I'd really like to get a little better idea of things there. I mean, is there really no marriage (so no sex). That seems terrible depressing, but then again, I'm sure it won't be depressing. It will be wonderful. I just can't imagine it.

Well, however many more times the earth rotates or however more days God gives me breath on this earth, I hope you will find the Love of God in Christ to be more important than any of the temporary problems we have to deal with and joy will grow in your life and blow a calm air of contentment and peace over your heart each day.

I want to do a good deed each day but some days it's just not enough. I want to know what I'll be doing in 5 years, 10 years, 40 years. I want a plan. I guess God has a plan. I just don't get to see all of it and I guess that's OK.

Let us all pray more this year. Let us all read the Bible a little more this year. Let's all love each other a little more this year and by all means lets all take more opportunities to say thank you this year.

There's no better way to let love grow in your heart and the hearts of those around you then to express a little gratitude. I haven't read this book but heard the author interviewed on NPR so its definitely on my reading list this year: 365 Thank Yous.

So, if you read this. Thank you. If you commented on any of my posts this year. Thank you. If you prayed for me or for Melanie or for my kids. Thank you.

May this year be a blessing for you and yours and may your heart be filled with thankfulness each day.

God bless you.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

A

Welcome 2011!

1-1-11

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind ?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and old lang syne ?

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !

and surely I’ll buy mine !

And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

We two have run about the slopes,

and picked the daisies fine ;

But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,

since auld lang syne.

We two have paddled in the stream,

from morning sun till dine† ;

But seas between us broad have roared

since auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !

And give us a hand o’ thine !

And we’ll take a right good-will draught,

for auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

May all your dreams be fulfilled in the new year!