Monday again.
It's the last week of summer holidays here so it's been a very busy week getting ready for school and trying to fit everything in that we've wanted to this summer. In the midst of all the busy-ness...I'm so extremely thankful for a whole bunch of things, including, but not exclusively these:
#101. Extended family-in-law. Is that a thing? This past weekend, Labour Day weekend is traditionally an annual family gathering on my husband's side. This year, with things the way they are, I wasn't sure how it was all going to work out. But, in the end...I went to a significant portion of the weekend and felt as much a part of the family as ever. I'm so thankful for their love and support and prayers!
#102. Sunshine! It's been the weirdest weather around here all summer and Labour Day Weekend is a crap-shoot anyway...but it turned out pretty good! Cool on Friday but sunshine for the rest of the weekend and perfect jeans & t-shirt weather (my favourite!).
#103. Routine. Yes, I'm going back to work tomorrow and I can't wait for the routine and the stability that brings around here. I've always loved this time of year - it's really "new years" for me in a lot of ways - new job, new students, new routines, new goals and plans. And I've always loved getting back into the routine of scheduled days.
#104. 13 feet of scrapbooking space :) What is that, you ask? Well....I've been without a place to scrapbook for awhile and without a table to scrap on but this past month I've got my maybe-temporary-maybe-not space set up and it includes 2 tables that I found - they look like they might have been at a school in a computer lab or something - brown tops, a metal kick-guard down the center of each one - 3' wide x 6 1/2' long. Easily room for all I'll need and a friend or two if you wanna come down :)
#105. Tomatoes and basil wraps. I failed miserably at gardening this year. It was too wet to get into when it needed weeding; I was away for a week of hot & dry; I was exhausted and overwhelmed for a lot of the summer; and my tomatoes got some kind of "thing" that made the plants die and wither into brown stringy plants but on these brown withered plants, hung big old tomatoes. And, since they were ripening on the vine even though the plant wasn't healthy anymore...I left most of them out there and have been eating them over the last few weeks in wraps with fresh basil, shredded cheese...and of course some Miracle Whip and salt & pepper. I think next year I'll put in a more serious effort because I could really get used to fresh garden food!
#106. A photo shoot. My friend Lynette is a photographer-extraordinaire. It's a fairly new hobby for her (past few years) but she's embraced it and it is obviously a gift for her (as opposed to me - still on auto-focus, after all these years). Today she was working on a photo she needed to take for a project her church is doing - and her part was to show someone "thirsting for righteousness" and/or "being filled" from the beatitudes. We spent quite a bit of time outside in the sun - me in black, on my knees, hands raised, with my daughter and her friend pouring water on me - first just my hands, and then in the final shots, all over me and even getting the garden hose involved. Needless to say the girls had a blast soaking me with the hose but the most striking moments for me were late tonight looking through the photos and seeing myself in some of those poses that I often take in my head but don't often echo in my body. That is something I intend to change. I'll share one with you - but not the best ones and not the cropped ones....I'll save those for when she's done her church project.
#107. The word NO. This week saw even more busy days than usual and once again I had to say NO to a few things that I would have loved to have done in order to make room for the down-time my kids and I needed. I wasn't always able to use that word. Even when I first learned to say NO, it was awkward and I felt a lot of guilt but over the past 8 years or so, I've gotten a lot better at it and I've experienced so much more JOY doing the things I'm supposed to and being free to say NO to the things that I'm not supposed to do, or I'm supposed to save for a different time.
#108. JJ Heller's song "Your Hands" If you haven't been reading my blog lately - go back to this post and hear her words and let the truth soak in.
Here are the lyrics:
I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That You would take my pain away
That You would take my pain away
I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crooked lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands
When You walked upon the Earth
You healed the broken, lost, and hurt
I know You hate to see me cry
One day You will set all things right
Yea, one day You will set all things right
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands
Your hands
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave You when...
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave...
I never leave Your hands
#109. My church. I know the pastors there have a thousand people to deal with but somehow, at least in the last year or so, almost every single sermon they've preached have been specifically tailored to what I'm needing to hear. Is that possible? I'm pretty sure it is....not because they're super-human or anything...but because God knows me, loves me, and softens my heart to hear His Words.
#110. New Jeans. I found new jeans this week in the city. I know for some of you that's no big deal but being 6' tall when "tall" jeans are built for people 5'7" is a little troublesome sometimes. I've given up stressing about it though. I figure, when I need new jeans, really need them - they'll be there...in my size, and on sale ;)
Have a great week!
Cathy
It's the last week of summer holidays here so it's been a very busy week getting ready for school and trying to fit everything in that we've wanted to this summer. In the midst of all the busy-ness...I'm so extremely thankful for a whole bunch of things, including, but not exclusively these:
#101. Extended family-in-law. Is that a thing? This past weekend, Labour Day weekend is traditionally an annual family gathering on my husband's side. This year, with things the way they are, I wasn't sure how it was all going to work out. But, in the end...I went to a significant portion of the weekend and felt as much a part of the family as ever. I'm so thankful for their love and support and prayers!
#102. Sunshine! It's been the weirdest weather around here all summer and Labour Day Weekend is a crap-shoot anyway...but it turned out pretty good! Cool on Friday but sunshine for the rest of the weekend and perfect jeans & t-shirt weather (my favourite!).
#103. Routine. Yes, I'm going back to work tomorrow and I can't wait for the routine and the stability that brings around here. I've always loved this time of year - it's really "new years" for me in a lot of ways - new job, new students, new routines, new goals and plans. And I've always loved getting back into the routine of scheduled days.
#104. 13 feet of scrapbooking space :) What is that, you ask? Well....I've been without a place to scrapbook for awhile and without a table to scrap on but this past month I've got my maybe-temporary-maybe-not space set up and it includes 2 tables that I found - they look like they might have been at a school in a computer lab or something - brown tops, a metal kick-guard down the center of each one - 3' wide x 6 1/2' long. Easily room for all I'll need and a friend or two if you wanna come down :)
#105. Tomatoes and basil wraps. I failed miserably at gardening this year. It was too wet to get into when it needed weeding; I was away for a week of hot & dry; I was exhausted and overwhelmed for a lot of the summer; and my tomatoes got some kind of "thing" that made the plants die and wither into brown stringy plants but on these brown withered plants, hung big old tomatoes. And, since they were ripening on the vine even though the plant wasn't healthy anymore...I left most of them out there and have been eating them over the last few weeks in wraps with fresh basil, shredded cheese...and of course some Miracle Whip and salt & pepper. I think next year I'll put in a more serious effort because I could really get used to fresh garden food!
#106. A photo shoot. My friend Lynette is a photographer-extraordinaire. It's a fairly new hobby for her (past few years) but she's embraced it and it is obviously a gift for her (as opposed to me - still on auto-focus, after all these years). Today she was working on a photo she needed to take for a project her church is doing - and her part was to show someone "thirsting for righteousness" and/or "being filled" from the beatitudes. We spent quite a bit of time outside in the sun - me in black, on my knees, hands raised, with my daughter and her friend pouring water on me - first just my hands, and then in the final shots, all over me and even getting the garden hose involved. Needless to say the girls had a blast soaking me with the hose but the most striking moments for me were late tonight looking through the photos and seeing myself in some of those poses that I often take in my head but don't often echo in my body. That is something I intend to change. I'll share one with you - but not the best ones and not the cropped ones....I'll save those for when she's done her church project.
#107. The word NO. This week saw even more busy days than usual and once again I had to say NO to a few things that I would have loved to have done in order to make room for the down-time my kids and I needed. I wasn't always able to use that word. Even when I first learned to say NO, it was awkward and I felt a lot of guilt but over the past 8 years or so, I've gotten a lot better at it and I've experienced so much more JOY doing the things I'm supposed to and being free to say NO to the things that I'm not supposed to do, or I'm supposed to save for a different time.
#108. JJ Heller's song "Your Hands" If you haven't been reading my blog lately - go back to this post and hear her words and let the truth soak in.
Here are the lyrics:
I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That You would take my pain away
That You would take my pain away
I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crooked lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands
When You walked upon the Earth
You healed the broken, lost, and hurt
I know You hate to see me cry
One day You will set all things right
Yea, one day You will set all things right
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands
Your hands
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave You when...
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave...
I never leave Your hands
#109. My church. I know the pastors there have a thousand people to deal with but somehow, at least in the last year or so, almost every single sermon they've preached have been specifically tailored to what I'm needing to hear. Is that possible? I'm pretty sure it is....not because they're super-human or anything...but because God knows me, loves me, and softens my heart to hear His Words.
#110. New Jeans. I found new jeans this week in the city. I know for some of you that's no big deal but being 6' tall when "tall" jeans are built for people 5'7" is a little troublesome sometimes. I've given up stressing about it though. I figure, when I need new jeans, really need them - they'll be there...in my size, and on sale ;)
Have a great week!
Cathy
1 comments:
You are such a beautiful subject to photograph! Thanks for being willing. You are welcome to share any pictures you want before I am done with the project. I am confident that it will not interfere (besides, I plan to share them on my blog this week). Do I need a consent form signed from you? You may need to speak to my lawyer on that!
Love you!
Post a Comment