if i had a million dollars

i saw this list this morning, and it made me think about how weird it must be to be a totally rich rock star person. let's face it, john lennon's to-do list looks kind of like an 84-year-old retired person's list. i'm somebody who enjoys having something TO DO during the day. not sure waiting for the HBO man would be so fulfilling.

it looks like he had something to do with 'marmalade' on his list, which is possibly why i love him anyway.

that being said, the mind started wandering to what WOULD i do if i had a million dollars like john had?


i'd probably still surf the interwebs.
i'd buy siesta a really expensive cat bed.
i'd keep my job, but possibly skip the meeting i have this afternoon.
i'd keep my house, and probably also get a cabin in the woods.
i'd keep thrifting for .99 items
i'd think about ALL the things that we could do at mercy church that we want to.
i'd dress better and have a decent haircut.
i'd bake cookies for the neighbors for valentines day coming up.



wait. couldn't i do most of those things WITHOUT a million dollars?

sigh. sometimes you just have to admit that you're a procrastinator, and ask God to get you off your holding pattern. whatever you want to do in this life, DO IT.

:) happy day.

back in the day

anne and i are doing 'research' for a project (well, okay, mostly SHE is, but i might do a little)... she found this yesterday, looking back at some vintage national park projects.

this is for REAL, peeps! can you imagine the number of art directors who raised their hands and volunteered to do THIS one?! i sure would have! ha! 'sasquatch says' is the best line ever!

random day

sigh. i am glad it's tuesday. no 'meetings' today, thankfully. just a project to finish up, and a beautiful, sunny day to rejoice in. i got up and read my devo for the day and it opened with 'i am your strength and your shield. i plan out each day and have it ready for you, long before you arise from bed.'

i cannot tell you how MUCH i'm enjoying 'jesus calling' by sarah young...(ps. that is the kid version pictured, because i like the cover). i think you all need to go get it. it's great to wake up and read something that feels very much like God speaking directly to you. i'm always amazed at how much devos like these hit 'right' exactly at the circumstances that you are going thru. God is super cool that way.






last night, we also had our 2nd meeting for the bible group i am hosting at fern. LOVE it so far. the conversation last night centered around whether christianity was in fact 'absurd' or strange or difficult...and why? our group is all over the board with differences in age, experience, and denomination, so it was neat to hear and learn a little. i remember how when i was younger, i was only comfortable with those 'like me' in social situations. i cannot imagine how far God plans to stretch that little crutch, because increasingly i seem to find that He works well in places where we are all NOT alike. pretty sure heaven will be culturally diverse :)

anyway, i was reminded as i was setting up last night, of how i have only lived in fern for a few months. and somehow, she feels like i have always been here! it's crazy how that goes. i am pretty sure that i will not 'attach' to this house like i did with mabel, simply because as much as i love home, it is not really my home. i think we're meant to hold loosely to earthly things....and leaving mabel taught me that it is not so hard to do that.

still. having a home i love feels good. today, i'm thanking God for all his blessings. people and places and a lifespan to learn and grow and be hopeful for. i hope where ever you are today, you remember that it is part of the journey, but not the whole story :)

happy day!

these days.

schwew. friday again. as the last couple weeks have been 'full up' - i realize i can only really handle a 4-day work week anymore. by friday, i can only handle mundane tasks. nothing to really apply much brain power to. my supply of brain cells is limited, i fear.

ha. but oh, these days. these january 2012 days have been good to me. nothing externally has changed much, there is still snow/no snow, work/no work, good moods/bad moods to deal with. the changes seem to be internal...coming from somewhere deep within. it's incredibly exhilarating to learn to rely on the holy spirit inside you as you go. i am sure that is the answer to the newness i feel.

for about a week now, somewhere in my life i have come across the concept of 'paths' - crooked vs. straight. for as long as i have lived, i have simply assumed and walked along the crooked path of my own understanding and view of the world. sometimes, it's been good, and i have been able to cope. sometimes, it's been awful and gut-wrenching and out of control. i don't think there has ever been a point where i have even realistically BELIEVED that my life was capable of being a straight path.

but then, Jesus steps in. He always steps in. He is changing my mind, peeps, after 10 years of wonky following. my paths were meant to be straight, no matter what is going on circumstantially. and so were yours. it's a realistic notion, one not based on what you do or what happens. it's achieved by standing on the ROCK of your salvation, and on the rock of mine. i so love that. i want to see across the horizon and my STRAIGHT path of assurance to what i know my purpose is, and to the one whom i know loves me the most.

okay. that was kind of deep. :) when i started this post, i just wanted to take some pretty pictures of my day. hmmmm. i guess He had other ideas. i wish you straight paths today...happy friday!

I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.
Proverbs 4:11

Dud on the Suds

okay. so the soapmaking class was a little disappointing. it was basically a 'melt and pour' class, where we all made little glycerin bars instead of real, cold-pressed soap.

i should have known that it would not be the other kind. however, i'm learning to just enjoy processes that don't work out the way i think they should. our little instructor was adorable. it was fun to spend time with anne when we are NOT working. i got to meet a cute couple who is interested in all the crazy earth-momma things that i am interested in.

and, i learned a little more about soap-making. hopefully enough to get the courage to set up and make some in my garage this summer. that's how our instructor did it, she just tried it and learned as she went.

she also got lye on her tongue once. yikes. she said to always keep a bottle of apple cider vinegar handy, for when such things occur. because she is not dead, i believe her ;)

cleanup

whew. so, it was good to shut off the email for awhile yesterday. it's amazing how much more work gets done! i am committed to doing that a few hours a day. really, try it. you might want to shut down your cell phone, too.




okay. tonite is the soapmaking class i have been waiting for. so very excited. it looks like our 'teachers' are going to be good. their company looks kind of fun. hopefully, i'll have pics and a rundown of the whole shebang tomorrow.

happy tues!

hunkering

to settle in or dig in for a sustained period —used with down <hunker down for a good long wait

shhhhh. don't tell anyone. i shut my email and phone off today, and i am settled in to get a project done....it's snowy out, so that helps.

i'm also eating chicken noodle soup. it is a good partner for hunkering.

trying out a new blog template, too. i wonder why it's so difficult to decide what to put up there. oh well. it will probably change again soon :)

happy montag.