Kind of Like Me

Noticed yesterday in opening my journal to write that there was a weakness in the binding.  Still holding together though...(Kind of like ME these days!)
Perhaps more accurate to say
"held together"!

But That's Another Story

You may remember (I did!)

when I posted this photo a few days ago and drew attention to the 25A 

on the bottom left hand page of my journal.

I concluded that particular post with the words,

but that's another story.

I'd been selecting words for each day of Advent--

SPONTANEITY being one for the 25th.

Well, I've decided to add three to the 28

and try to focus on one to correspond to each day

of each month on 2020.

The words I selected in 2019 were

Hospitality, Beauty, Listen, Patience, Peace, Longing,

Availability, Vigilance, Intentionality, Obedience,

Attention, Simplicity, Humility, Silence,

Discernment, Moderation, Courage, Confidence, Compassion, 

Purity, Faithfulness, Clarity,

Dignity, Generosity, Spontaneity, Emptiness,

Serenity, Joy.

While typing these out just now,

I've already selected #29.

Authenticity.

***

So, it begins.

Today?  The first day of the new year.

The new decade!

And THAT'S ANOTHER STORY.

***

Hospitality.

Going on Seventy-Two

 Seventy-one.

 A portrait.   

(I turned 71 on Christmas Day.)

A long-time birthday tradition for me has been listing

blessings of the past year to match the number of that birthday.

Since my years are adding up,

I chose to begin on Christmas Eve

and complete the list on Christmas Day.

You might notice the 25A SPONTANEITY note

on the bottom of this photo.

I have been selecting and concentrating

on a word for each day of Advent.

I'm actually going to continue for three more days

since Advent can vary from 22 to 28 days--

but that's another story.

Words Are Inadequate

"Installed the (kitchen) fan," 

she wrote on her journal page.

Then she realized the words didn't begin to capture

the experience--

the dismantling of the old;

the unpacking of the new;

spreading out the instructions

ready for reading;

the tools;

the ladder;

the patient assembler;

the helpful hands of elderly father;

the assembly of parts;

connecting of wires;

steps to the breaker box in the garage;

the return to flip on the switch...

And lights!

And the cool breeze of the fan! 

Yes.

Words ARE inadequate to express or explain much of ANYthing,

she concluded.

Here and Now

The lone blooming poppy at the Extension Gardens on Mother's Day

 

 

This morning, this phrase entered my mind and 

passed through my pen onto my journal page:

...living in the here and now for the there and then...

 It is a summary of my intention today.

And tomorrow, if the Lord wills.

Soul Hunger II

  

 Journal entry.  December 2:

My "attention" to soul hunger led to "intention" 

but so far no action or satisfaction 

(except I've lighted a candle yesterday and today).

In its own unique, simple way 

it signifies my awareness and openness to be filled.

Part of my awareness 

is that I don't WANT to fill this hunger myself. 

I could come up with all KINDS of ways 

to fill my days and hours.

This will not satisfy this particular hunger.

And my openness?

This is both an expressed and exclusive

invitation and expectation to experience

a fresh infilling of God's own precious

Holy Spirit.

Numbering My Days

Psalm 90:12  Teach us to number our days carefully 

so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. (Holman Christian Standard Version) 

For many years, I've been journaling in this format

in journals purchased at Barnes and Noble.  This one has larger squares than previous ones.

(I prefer the smaller ones.)

As I open the journal, I write on the right side.  

When I get to the end, I flip it over and write on the right again!

I've been dating entries as shown here from this morning.

Date, time, a cross representing my commitment to Jesus,

and an arrow which indicates moving forward.
(Sometimes, I write in a specific goal I'm aiming for
at the arrow's point.)

Today I scribed: "82". 

I'm numbering my days!

Following a doctor appointment 82 days ago,

I recommitted to a lifestyle/food plan that had served me well in the past.

It is doing so today.

The International Standard Version translates Psalm 90:12 this way: 

 ...teach us to keep account of our days so we may develop inner wisdom. 

I'm learning.

I'm keeping account.

I'm numbering my days.

My goal is to develop inner wisdom.

He is teaching me.

Mercy

I left off my journaling yesterday 

"Pondeirng, wondering....is 'mercy' my word for 2016???"

I woke up this morning and was greeted by Eugene Peterson's tweet.

Apparently so!

Mercy it is.

Interestingly, long ago I took a spiritual gift inventory and was surprised 

that it identified mercy as my spiritual gift.

I guess it's time to "stir up" or "fan into flame"

 that gift with vigorous intentionality.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, 

which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 

(2 Timothy 1:6-7)

I'll look forward to seeing if YOU  select a word for 2016
and what it is...
Happy New Year.

Treasuring and Pondering

 I thought I was finished with my journaling this morning.
I closed my journal and began spending some of my daily 5,000-24,000 
(depending on which source you consult) words on my husband!
Some of my jottings had triggered additional thoughts, and I was eager to share them.
"In fact," I told myself, "I should post some of my profundity on Facebook!"
Almost instantly, a verse from the Bible came to mind.
I googled a few of its words to look it up for accuracy.
But Mary treasured all these things, 
giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart.  
(Luke 2:19, Amplified Bible)
 Instantly instructed and reproved, I reopened my journal to write.

I need to do so much more TREASURING and PONDERING;
so much less facebooking and jabbering. 

I have a small collection of these...this is my latest acquisition.

Journaling Still

 Nearing the last pages of my old, red journal, I seized the occasion of my husband's retirement

to transition to a new, black one.  About the same time, I read an inspiring  post by Alicia Britt Chole

that gave me fresh perspective on the journaling process.  I especially was interested in the various motivations for writing that she listed.  I believe at some time or another throughout my journaling practice I've written for every one of them!

I recently pulled a book off my bookshelf to reread. 

 Bits and pieces of it will be incorporated into my current writing.

I've posted before about my journals.  You could refer to them via the label list in my sidebar.

Truthfully, I don't have a lot of original or new habits to share.

I simply recommend the practice for any and all the reasons Alicia cites in her post.

***

Do YOU journal?  And, if so, what is your current motivation?

Three To-Dos

On what would have been travel-home day of my Gethsemani week (see previous post), 

my husband and I spent a couple of hours at Barnes and Noble. 

 I settled in with a stack of magazines, my journal and four-colored fine-tipped pen.  

I ended up taking a few photos which I've already posted on another blog

 and recorded three (yes, only three) "to-dos" in my journal.

Placing this bird on this stump was one of the three--

the only one accomplished so far.

In commenting on my prior post, Terra thanked me for my honesty about following
and not following my plan. To this I replied:

"Had I made no plans, I probably would have never lit a candle,

would have pigged out on sweets, prayed and journaled less than I did etc."

While I hope to get to the other two items I jotted down at Barnes and Noble,

I'm ahead of myself just by having accomplished ONE of the three!

At least that's the way I look at it.
Reminder to self:  Don't be discouraged by not accomplishing EVERYTHING on my lists.
***

Oh, and while I was out there placing the bird on the stump,

I pulled a bunch of weeds and called in the reinforcement (that would be my husband)

to cut off some branches that had been damaged by the storm the night before!

Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:3

I Lift My Eyes Up....

I look to you, heaven-dwelling God, look up to you for help.  (Psalm 123:1, The Message)

 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?  

My help comes from the Lord,  the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2)

 Spent a little time on the back porch this afternoon

soaking up some sun and doing a few of my exercises holding on to the porch rail.

 I was thankful to be surrounded by early autumn beauty

and sad when the loose pages of directions for some knee rehab exercises

floated off the seat of my walker.

I haven't gotten to the "stairs phase" of rehab yet,

so I tossed a couple of weights on them and will ask my husband to retrieve them later.

I often "toss a couple of weights" on quotations that inspire/instruct/challenge me--

short, concise statements that I don't want to float out of my mind.

I do that by storing them in my hand-written journal*, in the quotes tab of this blog, 

or in my Twitter account.  

They are more easily retrieved than before 

when I wrote them on random pieces of paper that were difficult to re-source....

*Have you noticed how frequently Dr. David Jeremiah encourages 

his congregation and listeners to journal?

Lessons (Re)Learned

LESSONS (RE)LEARNED

•  Don't just SAY "I'll pray about it."
• Pray.
• God answers prayer.
• Notes mean SO much.  (This one is now taped in my journal.)
• Write more notes. 
• God is faithful.

In the beautiful context of how to live life in Christian community,
the Apostle Paul wrote:

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. 

At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.  

Galatians 6:9
One of the outcomes of this kind of community is BLESSING!

The Key?

I did a LOT of reading while on Silent Retreat (see prior post) last week.

With "JOY" emerging as the primary theme of the week,

and "HEALTH" a close second, 

The Key to both may well be words I copied onto a very un-artsy screen sketched in my journal.

They read:  "Try not to project yourself too often on to the screen of  your reflections."

I've noticed the way technology (in my case Pinterest, blogs and facebook) has

encouraged self-centeredness (as if it needed any encouraging) in me
 and am trying to sort out, evaluate and and curb the tendency to
excessive self-reflecting in myself...

 He must increase, but I must decrease.  (John 3:30)

Along the trail at the Abbey of Gethsemani

Reflection

Sitting outside this morning, enjoying the cool.

Basking in the quiet.

Reflecting on the week almost past.

Thanking God for the activity, for health,

for healthy grandchildren and daughters who love Jesus 

and demonstrate His love to their children and to me.

Thanking Him for their safety in traveling back to their homes last night...

Thanking Him for friends who invited us to dinner in their home last evening

and for excellent food and  fine fellowship around the table.

Recognizing the goodness of God in the timing of that meal.

 Catching up with my "through-the-Bible-in-a year" reading.

Cherishing the fact that my reading included some of my most favorite

Scripture passages--Romans 11-16 and Ephesians 1-3.

Hearing the gentle (but unmistakable) corrections and encouragement

from God Himself.

Repenting of my selfishness and pride.  

Celebrating His mercy and grace.

  "We don't need to retire to the desert to meet with God. 

He can come to us at our ordinary duties."

 (A. Bonar)

Elijah & Grandpa (Elijah was missing in photo action yesterday...)

Note-Taking

A recent excursion to Barnes and Noble found me settled in a comfortable chair with a stack of decorating magazines.  I pulled out the calendar/date book from my purse and began to jot a note or two...or three.  I was so inspired!  Here's a sampling:

• ...a wonderful house where you feel like living, laughing, blossoming (Madeleine Castaing)
• Above all you have to love a house to make it a success; it's always a question of love (M.C.)
• (They) discover potential in the forgotten and beauty in the everyday.
• Live (their) art casually and naturally.  Not a contrived aesthetic.  (to which I added, "MY GOAL!")
• There are stories to tell all over this house.
• The room...a typical hodgepodge of artistic inspirations.
• Philosophy of design work: gentle, practical,inspiring, nurturing, purposeful.
• Don't be intimidated by audacity; be audacious, but with taste.  You also need intuition, originality, vigor...Don't get taken in by fashion.  A secret:  love your house; love makes miracles. (M.C. again)
•  Lily of the valley--mulch in spring; divide in autumn.
• For the chalkboard:  Yesterday is history; Tomorrow is a mystery; Today is a gift.
• My eyes and heart are always open to meaningful souvenirs of life.  (Rachel Ashcroft)
• It's amazing what you find if you look in the opposite direction.  (Kenneth Cole)

• Surround yourself with comfort and beautiful things. (adapted from Emma Freemantle)
• Eye-catching evidence of a passionate life.
• Note to self:  On coffee tables - bottles, books, flat silver bowl, flowers in a simple glass

Where do YOU write random notes?  

What do you DO with them if/after you write them down?

For me, NOTHING replaces hand-written notes to myself...at least not yet. 

Yesterday I Crashed

 Yesterday, I crashed.

  I spent a beautiful hour in the back yard on this glider/swing finishing

a witty, wonderful book.

Besides communicating the pleasure Elizabeth found

 in developing her country estate,

this book is full of garden details, wit, and grand descriptions

of life in Victorian times.  

I'm "in the market" for my own copy. 
It is a book I would read again and again and never tire of it!

I understand that she wrote 22 books.  I'm looking for THOSE, too.

I caught up with a couple of days of Bible reading (through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan*)

and wrote in my journal....then I took a nap--a long, deep-sleep nap!

*I'm stretching it out to TWO years.

Thanks to ALL of you who have checked in

and are praying for Silas (see previous post).

I'm waiting for news that his ventilator and feeding tubes
are no longer necessary and have been removed.

Maybe tomorrow?

EVENING UPDATE:  The ventilator has been removed!

He looks SO much better already! 
Such a difference from when I saw him Monday!

Ready for Take-Off!

Ready for take off *

Bite off more than you can chew, 

then chew it. 

Plan more than you can do,

then do it.  (Anonymous)

These words popped off the page at me when I read them.  I don't think they're for everybody.  Some people are already energetically involved with life--engaged in service for Jesus.  I, on the other hand for whatever reason, had been "stuck" for awhile.  Good habits of prayer and planning had weakened.   I have confessed it and am in the process of repenting - which means doing a "180".  

 

One tool I am using is my journal.  Its blank pages remind me of the demise of my commitment in the past, while each fresh entry reinforces and records my current commitment and progress.  I didn't wait until January 1st to begin.  

 

I'm still praying and waiting to see if there is "a word" to focus on in the coming year.  I have narrowed it down to two, I believe.  

Can you tell I love "new beginnings"?  

Can I tell you I am confident that

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"?  

(Or as J. B. Philips translates Philippians 4:13:  

"I am ready for anything 

through the strength of the one who lives within me.")

Do YOU have a "word" for 2012?

Do you get into new beginnings?

Are YOU ready for Take-Off?  

*The plane was constructed by a friend of ours.  We asked him to make it for one of our grandsons.  It's to RIDE on!  My husband painted the seat, prop and stripes and sealed the wood. 

Miscellany from the Palazzo

While on vacation, I've been enjoying this book.  I've jotted down several lines from it in my journal, so it's taking me longer to finish than it "should".  I hope to finish it before arriving home today.  (It's laying on a scarf I found at a thrift store on Thursday...)  Here are a few of the shorter lines that stood out to me:

• It's wonderful, Chou; nothing matches, so everything does.
• The less there is, the more important all of it becomes.
• I made it better without changing the things that were best about it.
• People need to be together as much as they need to eat.
• I'd set out to be delighted.  For if I, myself, were not delighted, what delight would I have to give?

I just may have to expand a bit on that last one!
It became my vacation "mantra" and served me well.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

The Power of a Sentence (or Two)

What I have learned from about twenty-years of serious reading is this: It is sentences that change my life, not books. What changes my life is some new glimpse of truth, some powerful challenge, some resolution to a long-standing dilemma, and these usually come concentrated in a sentence or two. I do not remember 99% of what I read, but if the 1% of each book or article I do remember is a life-changing insight, then I don’t begrudge the 99%. (Dr. John Piper)

Such was my experience at the Abbey last week.  My Bible, journal and favorite pen (a Bic four-color fine tipped instrument) accompanied me just about everywhere I went.  Much time was spent at a dining table between the hours of 4:30 a.m and 7:00 breakfasts, and outdoors in a chair overlooking the gardens throughout the morning and again in the early evenings.  A library of reading material was available and many of my sentences came from the books I read.  Here are only a few of the jottings from my journal pages.

• Vacare Deo - totally free to the Lord today.
• "Lord, let me seek you by wanting you, and let me want you by seeking you.  Let me find you by loving you, and by loving you, find you."  (Anselm)
• Don't pray for water.  Pray for thirst.
• Christians are not entitled - but endowed.
• Compassion is to suffer with--NOT give solutions!
• Learn to do a common thing in an uncommon manner (George Washington Carver, I think)
• Saints are those who judge possibilities and choices by asking, "What is this in reference to eternal life?"
• Nequid nemis - "Nothing in excess."  (Terence)
• "There is nothing as out of place in a Christian as excess."  (St. Benedict)