Saturday 04/28/12

1) A good day's work down at Master Cleaners.
2) A morning spent with my Dad... precious time together  and something that doesn't happen too often.
3) Found out that I was accepted to Summit's Oxford Study program for this summer!! My mouth hasn't quite closed yet. I am so humbled by this opportunity and praying for wisdom to discern whether this is what God has for me this summer. But this joy is enough for tonight :)

Thursday and Friday

Thursday
1) Getting to spend the afternoon and evening with these two fellas. Love them to pieces...

Brother love

For some reason, this little one was absolutely fascinated with my moccasins 

 He informed my quite decidedly last night that he wants to be a "worker man" when he grows up. Because he likes to be sweaty and likes to work hard. Looks like he's got his boots picked out.

(He took this one all by himself...and was immensely proud with the result :)

2) Helpful music input today. When I'm on an out of town trip I have a tendency to flip on the radio and end up listening to a mix of good lyrics and others that are not helpful because "its just on" and I do like the style even though it's feeding my soul with a self centered focus. So I was so thankful for the grace to be faithful in that area yesterday. It was such a blessing to again experience the joy that comes with obedience in these things that can seem small at the time but are so fundamental in the long run. 

3) A successful 30 min shopping trip for jeans. That is definitely the all time record for me. High enough, loose enough and - most amazingly - long enough is often a nonexistent combination. But it was there yesterday, was found in less than 30 min and only cost $7. Oh yeah!!! 

Friday

1) Finding a whole girl scout cookie in my thin mint icecream
2) A wonderful time focusing on passages of scripture that talk about the faithfulness of God.
3) I got a violin student today!! Looking forward to her first lesson of this summer on Tuesday!

Wednesday 04/25/12

1) Summer roses ready to burst

2) A good conversation with my mom...for processing pride in my life and coming out of thankful for the frustrations that have prompted the heart inspection and for the Mother I have. I can't believe how faithfully she sticks by me even when I am so full of pride and quick to be defensive. It is a beautiful picture to me of the faithfulness of God in my life...neither base their love on my deserving...

3) Grace to finish the last of the summer study program application that has taken most of this week to complete. More later on that if anything comes of it. For now I'm just grateful for what the process has unearthed in my thinking. Too much to explain in this post but maybe a few words soon about it on the other blog. I can just say that it was worth the application even if the study opportunity comes to nothing.

Tuesday 04/24/12

1) Homemade Chocolate chip cookies :)

2) Today's out of sort-ness: it's a reminder that life is only "fine" because of God's mercy through the gospel and not because I have things under control.

3) The french language: I am absolutely obsessed with its sound. It draws me in like music and holds me there with the same entrancing, melting power. The only thing better? The french language with music :)

Bonne nuit....

Last week and today...

Last week definitely saw progress! Its a bit late to detail it tonight but the one line version is that seeing more of the love of God and learning to connect even one of the many strands between knowledge and belief has powerful implications.

So what am I thankful for today? 

1) Family. So very thankful for my family!! Enjoyed getting to hang out with my little man on saturday...finally getting to watch him Ref for an extended period of time. 

2) Getting the opportunity to witness the progress of so many in my violin studio recital tonight. They were so gracious to Skype me in for those two hours tonight. Thankful for God's grace displayed in their lives and in their work!!!

3) Thankful for good progress in todays work. It was an encouragement to see tangible answer to prayer in that small request of mine today. I realized once again recently how quickly I worry and get frustrated about my lack of progress or lack of consistency but do not commit it to the One who can affect change through grace. And as I come to him, it reminds my heart again to rejoice in my weakness, trusting that they most effectively display the strength and glory of God to a watching world. How often do I only see the world watching my weakness? 

Today: Picture overload warning!!

May I begin by saying I have been given explicit permission for the overload of pictures below. But before that:

1) Sweet time with my Mom this afternoon
2) Dear friends willing to remain engaged in my far from perfect life.
3) Home: Sometimes it hurts and its difficult but it is so beautiful and precious at the same time.

Okay pictures from today:

1) Speaking of home: I have so enjoyed the yard these last few weeks. As I have said before, I realize that  it's beauty is very much amplified in my heart because of the memories it holds and it's present dearness to my heart. To anyone else it is a 50's period white house that needs paint surrounded by pushes and old pine trees. But to me it is home. It's attic is my smugglers cave. It's porch is where I learned to paint my nails and have eaten countless chocolate almonds. The old cracked cement driveway has served as the untrod paths of my childhood adventures as well as the silent sharer of every barefoot summer starry night and the humble foundation for a carpet of cherry blossoms every spring.

Past the gate into my tiny backyard most would see a collection of camellias, an open board sandbox and a soccer goal. When I pad, barefoot, through that white picket gate and hear it clang behind me I enter the sphere that was my whole world for 12 years...the zone where there is somewhere still buried the remains of a much anticipated but never found prize to a treasure hunt. The place where many mud pie concoctions were formed. And best of all the old rope swing where I have thought most of my thoughts and met with God most significantly. And on it I have flown as high as I dared on blazing summer days, rushing through the air as though I owned it all, then dipping back again to let my waist long pigtails drag behind me as the world turned upside down just for me. This is home.

My Neighborhood? A typical slice of Virginia suburbia. But to me? 

These are from my walk through it tonight: this is what I see...

Opening my own wardrobe...

Back on Track

1) Having the opportunity to pick up a few extra hours down at the dry cleaning plant.

2) Pork chops for dinner

3) Good input from Quieting a Noisy Soul.

4) A beautiful evening walk

5) The last of spring in our yard

Day 24

1) Good Perspective...praying for grace to soak it in. 

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

2) A barefoot walk on a perfect sunny 75 degree day. Feeling the warm asphalt under my feet and kicking up freshly fallen cherry blossoms into the air to watch them airborne once more...

3) Technology that connects me to those I miss sorely. Thankful to live with access to these tools that soften the pain of distance.

Day 23

1) A beautiful new Easter Dress for tomorrow, a special surprise from my Mom today. 

2) Healthy perspective still racing the periphery of my outlook today from last night at Secret Church 

3) Thankful that life comes in seasons not permanent sets. Even things that may last the rest of life like physical conditions or other difficulties still come packaged one day at a time and aren't to be handled at any faster rate. There are so many implications to truly believing this. I can only pray that I will increasingly embrace it...

Day 22

1) Afternoon: Great planning meeting with my Parents

2) Finished up Budget stuff for the week. Really don't like working on that stuff so it was a good feeling.

3) Friday was pretty much summarized by this: 

It started at 7pm. It didn't end until almost 2 am. It was about an hour of hearing from missionaries to and anonymous members of the persecuted church in the Horn of Africa. It was Worship in the God we unite in glorifying. It was intentional focused prayer for our brothers and sisters in that region. And it was over 5 hours of intense exposure to what the scripture says about suffering through the teaching of Pastor David Platt. And it was the best Good Friday service I have ever been to. I have about 3 months worth of notes to process through. So thankful for this opportunity and I pray that it's impact will be as enduring as the truth to which our eyes and hearts were turned. 

The Last Four Days (18-21)

I've been somewhat delinquent lately in keeping up with this blog. Sometimes the thought process happened but I didn't get to my computer. One day I scribbled it into my journal just before falling asleep. It's been a particularly hard week - not an excuse, but true. In light of that, it's probably even especially important to make the effort of looking at the last few days carefully from a grateful perspective.

Monday: 
- Garlic Shrimp for Dinner
- Conversation in the evening: very difficult but really helpful in the long run.
- Hot tea late at night. So calming and hopelessly soporific  :)

Tuesday: 
- Sweet time listening to the Stabilizing Truths disc from the QNS course. Especially struck by the passages about God's desire for broken humility as more pleasing ultimately than perfect sacrifice. It is almost a strange thought to think that I could, in His strength, be found in a heart posture that delights Him. Also interesting that this posture does not involve acquiring some virtue but only reaching a point of complete, open dependance on Christ. This is the dependance that recognizes its total incapacity to please the Father and, by doing so, delights Him.
- Some good work on college planning work...those details drive me nuts and often end in frustration rather than success so I was truly thankful for this progress.
- Enjoyable conversation with a friend in the evening...some good perspective.

Wednesday: 
- The opportunity to make a bit of money
- A spontaneous afternoon trip to Sonic  (Happy Hour = Half Price Drinks) with my Mom. We got our cokes and then moseyed our way home by the back roads.  Another worthwhile conversation
- Progress in Lesson Planning for later this summer.

Thursday: 
- Time with Mimi tramping around Lone Star Lakes and talking. Thankful for good friends.
- Some productive studying in the afternoon despite distracting factors beyond my control.
- My mom and I both randomly hankering for Key Lime Pie after dinner and just up and making some.

Day 17

1) Wanting to pull out my fiddle and just play for the fun of it.

2) Pasta for Dinner :)

3) The best cup of coffee tonight I've had all week.

These are kind of small but today these are the things that come to mind. I should add that I am very thankful for the unchanging nature of God. Remember that, Rebecca, and let it fill your soul with hope.