Doing the Next Thing

I haven't posted in a while because I've been here: My Sweetie and I had a fabulous anniversary trip in the Rocky Mountains! In addition to simply enjoying 3 1/2 days of grown up conversation (thanks to Mom & Sis for watching the young 'uns!) we were in constant awe of the splendor of our God's creation! It was a time of romance, worship, and refreshment for our souls. Just the thing to "fill my tank" before beginning a new school year. "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head over all." I Chronicles 29:11

By God's grace, married to my best friend for 15 years today. I love you, Sweetie!

Lori at Glass Half Full began a "Family Table" tag and I decided to play! This is where we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is where we have family devotions and family meetings. Sometimes it's a school desk, sometimes a sewing table, most of the time it's just a big mess! Above all, it is where countless memories have been made. It's old - note 2 of the original chairs have been dismembered and gone - My Sweetie bought it for me as a surprise when we only had three olive shoots sitting around the table. Now, with five, it's getting too small. Once our little K.L. outgrows the high chair, we will be in trouble! Praise be to Him who has done exceeding abundantly! The green paint is new and the "runner" is a big sample of the fabric I'm planning to use to make window treatments. Someday maybe we'll get the whole room decorated!

I am not nearly skilled or eloquent enough to offer a serious critical review of anything, but here is a laywoman's attempt. A very dear friend recently suggested I read C.S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces. I can't believe I had never discovered it before. It is a grown-up book -- a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. A sublime work that shows how well good ole "Jack" really mastered the art of a novel. As a story, it was entertaining and captivating. At first, I just took it at face-value, enjoying the tale. But when I finished the book, thoughts of it stayed with me for days. I found myself meditating on certain passages and themes. Lewis finds a way to tell a pagan myth while illuminating such Christian ideas as the gulf between believers and unbelievers, the even bigger gulf between God and sinners, and the glories and joys of just knowing God. I really can't say more, both because I'm not a literary critic and because the impression the novel lef...

It has been a couple of weeks since I had a chance to visit the blog world. We went on vacation, and then I took a "vacation" from the computer for a bit while I got our little world back in order. It really takes about three weeks to pull off a one week trip: one week to prepare and pack, one week for the travel, and one week (at least!) to recover. I think we are back to normal for a while - until the next trip, anyway. Here are some stats: 1700 - approximate number of miles put on "the Burb" (our trusty family vehicle) on this trip 5 - number of states we drove through 90 - total minutes the baby slept on the entire trip! innumerable - the number of times a parent said, "Find her the binky!" immeasurable - the joy of visiting loved ones we rarely get to see! (Here's the best shot we got of all 5 at Lake Michigan. Impossible to get them all looking at the camera at the same time on the beach!)

In my devotional reading, I recently came across one of my favorite notes from Amy Carmichael. She quotes Deut. 2:3, "Ye have compassed this mountain long enough." Many times we find ourselves compassing mountains of discontent, guilt, worry ... going round and round and round the wilderness of un-Christlike thoughts. "Ye have compassed this mountain long enough, turn you northward." We all need to be challenged to repent of our faithlessness, receive His grace, put those destructive thoughts behind us, and move forward in the call of God in Christ Jesus. As we prepare for a long road trip with our crew, I was thankful for that challenge today. May my mind move "northward" to Heaven today even as tomorrow we move northward (literally) in our car!

Well, I'm only a few days into my blog and I was tagged by Kate for a Personal Policies meme! Makes me feel welcomed by the blog world. So here goes: 1. When I'm having trouble finding time alone with the Lord, I read the Proverb that corresponds to the date and a devotional entry from Amy Carmichael. (many times while hiding in the bathroom) 2. I always place dirty dishes in the left side of the sink, so the right side is always empty. 3. Along those lines, I run the dishwasher every night, whether it's full or not, so all my dishes are clean first thing in the morning. (These are the things that makes my Mom call me "Monk!") 4. When in the car, I always see what's on public radio first, before listening to anything else. 5. Like 50 Toes , I drink Diet Coke, not Pepsi, unless DC is not available. 6. I stop whatever I'm doing to admire the birds that come to our many feeders. 7. I try to stop whatever I'm doing to dispense a hug to whomever needs it....