Trekking with Me

It's Friday night, and I am home, and I hardly know what to do with myself. You see... I am so happy to be home because the last 2 months, I believe I have been busy almost every single weekend: weddings, trips, retreats, guests staying with me - busy, busy, busy!  So much so, my house, my laundry, my yard have pretty much gone by the wayside. I am feeling that horrible feeling most females can identify with: I AM A MESS because my house, my yard, my life seems to be a pile of disorderliness! I literally started having a meltdown this week, my to-do list was growing, and I was feeling weak and overwhelmed... all because I have not had time to take care of me. Yeah... i can hear some of you mom's of young kids saying, "I can't even remember the last time I took care of me..." Well... being single, remember... I am the only one who takes care of everything... even if "everything" doesn't include kids and a husband: I still have to pay the bills, ...

I am really in the fourth decade of my life now.  Hitting 40 was indeed a milestone, and now I pass the first marker of this 4th decade. I can't say that with much hoopla, to be honest.  Lately I am looking a little more carefully in the mirror for lines that were not there yesterday, thinking more about how many days it's been since my last good work out and that it only takes three days of non-aerobic work for your muscles to begin to atrophy.  Ugh... I don't want to look old, but I feel older!  My body is not wanting to move like I did a few years ago.  I even got bi-focals this past year, which at the time made me happy cause I was having a hard time seeing but that is what OLD people have! 41.... oh man. But, I enjoyed my birthday with many well wishes on Facebook, and many texts, a skype call and a few phone calls.  I feel loved.  I feel thankful. And, I am noticing that a year is moving along much quicker.  I now see the year ahead ...

Good Morning! It's a lovely quiet morning, and I am soaking in every little second of being home, on a Tuesday, with no real demands, agenda, project, job or responsibilities screaming down my neck.  For now, that is... and I love it. I even slept well last night.  Which is a gift, since REST is from the Lord.  Yes, I must admit anxious nightmares have been flickering through my nights, stirring me to action, as school is about to start up again.  It's my minds way of dealing with fear of "oh no, it's just around the corner" and I will have to face the end of these lovely do-what-I-want-to-do days in a week. What a gift this summer has been! It has been a full, very productive, eventful, surprising summer!  From summer house projects, family time, reconnecting with old friends, trips all over, meeting and making new friends, to leisure mornings like today: Thank YOU Jesus for refreshing my soul! "Refreshing" is the word that my soul has repeated...

I snapped this this past week as I was sitting in traffic downtown.  I think it may have been on Thursday, the first day of Spring.  I had my sunroof open, soaking in the wonderful warm weather, blue skies and new season.  I did not mind the 5:00 traffic jam as it let me appreciate the earliest of blossoms on these trees.  I shot this through my sunroof.... straight up into the sky.  

It's Valentine's day, a day to celebrate love and relationships.  From my red couch to yours, here are a few of my thoughts and endeavors on Valentine's day: First, I am enjoying another snow day, yes our third day at home because of the massive winter storm.  I am trying not to eat myself out of my house.  Funny how my appetite explodes when gray clouds cover the sky, a chill hits the air and activities are limited to movies, homework and reading.  Not that I mind that... Today, I woke with a peaceful happy heart and mind.  Joy gushed up upon seeing the sunshine glisten over the snow, especially after two days of cloud cover and lockdown.  I am suffering a bit of cabin fever so I was ready to move!  I cooked up my favorite pumpkin pancakes for breakfast.  This was a good morning for pancakes; I did not even burn them! Kitty and Sasha are enjoying me being home.  Kitty is still not use to these colder temperatures. ...

Hello from Wintery, Icy, Snow covered and now melting Columbia, SC!  What a treat for us!  Thank goodness, the forecasted ice storm turned into mostly snow and sleet for my area.  I never lost power, but I know many did. Sasha is plum tuckered out from all the running, romping and snow playing she did today.  She is right now curled up on the floor, tucked as close as she can be to my feet and the couch.  I kind of like it except for the occasional dog-stench that rises... so much for that dog-bath she got two weeks ago. It's the joy of having a critter when you see her so excited over all this white stuff.  It gave me a good reason to get up and out.  This was our second snow day, which allowed me another lovely day to sleep in with no alarm.  I tried being productive - kept the dishes washed and tried reading instead of watching another movie... so getting out was much more

The morning sun had yet to make its appearance, my heart and mind were feeling the dark despair as I mindlessly drove my now familiar route to work.  My normal positive outlook had been under fire for a few months now.  The recent few days had brought on a new grief;  since August, life had taken a turn from lovely light paths lined with poppies to dark, hard and lonely. It was mid-October, a shocking death had shaken my church, personally I was in a place of despair over work;  again wondering, had I made terrible mistake .   That morning The Counselor lead my mind to this verse and counseled my soul: " For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." The Spirit led me to realize that this hard place, where I was crying, fussing and complaints were gushing out, was an altar: a place to die.   T hat place over there looked a whole lot bet...

"take these truths, day by day... preach to yourself... may you sing with confidence that you are made NEW and CARED for..." I have been in Job recently... and this video is perfect as I think about the deep, unimaginable suffering Job went through... and my own response when I have a bad day. Hope you are blessed through this video.

If you have been following me here, you will be well aware I have been neck-deep in a huge renovation project.  This last week, it has about done me in! I don't know if I am receiving some physical notices that I am getting older... but every part of my body is "powerful worn out" (know where that quote comes from??)! Since I am in the renovating mindset, I thought it was time to make some updating changes on my blog.  I wanted to add a few gadgets to make it more interesting, give me some better feedback, and freshen it up a bit.  As you can see the "gadgets" are on a slide out thing to the right of the screen: notice I have added a "Popular Posts" gadget.  You will also notice there are some feedback and sharing tools for you! I also added a few links to my "about me" page, if you are just coming through for the first time (or have only visited a few times), stop by and let's officially meet! I would LOVE more feed back, so plea...

I can't believe it's only been a week since last Monday - see previous post and you will understand.  Funny how time can seen to go so fast and yet seem so slow and long or full and more than it actually was: it seems like a month ago!  Maybe I just mentally and emotionally distance myself from humiliating experiences.  My own form of denial? ;-) Update on my Kitchen:  testing a stain color, all cabinet doors have been sanded and wiped down, last of the paint over and around the kitchen window and shelf area is being extremely difficult to remove.  My goal is to have the cabinets stained, and put all back together by the weekend.  The rest can and will need to wait a few months... but it will get finished, Lord willing, by Christmas. So... I have been inspired through a fellow blogger's series on singleness.   Not an unfamiliar topic: I could have easily written " Times I hate singleness " - in fact I may come up with my own post of reasons soon....

The swoosh of a slam dunk always amazes me:  you are focused on your team, the sweat flying off the arms and legs of the players running, squeaking down the court, following the ball ever so tightly, intensity builds as you hold your breath, then as smooth as molasses, the ball  swooches  into the net!!  Everyone is surprised, screams, yells!  The players relax their shoulders a bit, gracefully turn around and jog back to the other end. The last player bouncing the ball effortlessly down the court for the next play to move into action. That swoosh always surprises, smooths... and continues the game.  It was hard work getting it there. That's how I feel right now. I just got a JOB!( Swoosh!) I am swirling with excitement, disbelief, amazement, gratitude.... I can hardly breath!  At the same time I feel a surge of what a deer in head lights must feel like... What! I have a REAL Job, with real responsibilities... what if... if ...*gulp* I  fai...

I am half way through: February 14 is the half-way mark for my birth day.  It conveniently falls on Valentine's Day.  Not that I am pushing for my birthday to get here sooner, or even lamenting that it's going so fast, it's just one of those things that pops up in my head. Admittedly, this year, my 39th year, causes some shock waves; like a wake up call or something.  Not bad, but definitely something that makes me a little more alert to what I am doing, where I am going, and the decisions I make and why. Just a minute ago I read a question from  The Pioneer Woman's Blog . If you could be one age for the rest of your life, what age would you be? I can clearly say, I like where I am, right here, right now.  I have been through some tough waters in the last ten years, emotionally speaking.  I feel I am finally gaining some ground over fear, over hang-ups, insecurities and pits.  I am finally resting in who I am in Jesus, understanding that more, ...

Praise Him for His  mighty deeds;   Praise Him according to His excellent  greatness.  Psalm 150:2 What a Year!  2012 has been one of the fullest years I have ever experienced.  It's been a year of going deep with God, Him peeling back layer upon layer, and with each layer, bringing insight, healing, growth, renewal, joy and hope.   From the very beginning to this day, PEACE has been felt on the soles of my feet.  "  ...S hod   YOUR FEET   WITH   THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF   PEACE..." This has been HIS work, His preparation: He help me grasp and practice what it means to put on peace, to follow peace... to Let Peace rule .  It's a wonderful, wonderful place to live!  Early in the year, Matthew 6:33 was spoken to me through my sister in love, Melanie.  "Seek first the Kingdom..." It's a piece of Scripture I have known since my youth, a familiar song sung around many a campfires.  Th...