Where You'll Find Me

This winter, you'll probably find me...

sitting in this chair...

poking my nose in a book
 (a little light reading for your January-Ezekiel and History of the South)...

grading lots of papers...

savoring sunrises...

posting on Instagram!  

watching Fixer Upper in 30 second intervals because that's as fast as my computer will make it happen...

hoping on a snow day...

counting gifts....

1001. Christmas break with College girl

1002. Good weather to travel

1003. Ham soup

1004. Organized cabinets and drawers

1005. Big Red  making drawer dividers just because I asked nicely.

1006. A savings plan after some unexpected expenses

1007. Seeing my mother over the holidays

1008. Some sunny weather for a walk

1009. Cat in my lap

1010. Tea kettle whistles

1011. An unexpected affirmation from a sweet new friend

1012. Big worship in our tiny church

1013. Plans for monthly craft nights!

1014. Our home in candlelight
Following,
Ginger

The Less Project: Looking Backward

Merry Belated Christmas to you and yours!  

Meet P. Fitzwilliam Darcy, better known as Fitz.

I hope your season was--and is--bright with the Light of Christ. 

Amen.

May I confess that I've started and discarded a dozen posts this month.  With my classes on hold until January, this month seemed the perfect time to return to blogging.

Only it wasn't.

This post, however, this post has been in my brain for a while, waiting post-Christmas, end-of-the-year reflection.  

Other bloggers are posting their "best of 2014".

 2014 got the best of me.

My word for the year was "less".

I envisioned clean closets, clutter-free counters, maybe even some minimalist decorating.

And there was some of that.

Like this year's Christmas, with its silver and white and green and pine.

(Having a red-free tree stressed me out for about five minutes, and then I found it soothing, somehow.)

But mostly, this year has felt like, well, less.

I can't even put a super-spiritual spin on my less-ness in 2014 

and say I learned there should be less of me, more of Him;

 truth be told, I've come face-to-face this year with just how much of me is still lurking around, 

and it's not pretty. 

With this year's tiny church plants and half-empty nest,

 its class-from-Hades and its what-was-I-thinking-return-to-college, 

it left me feeling half-empty, too.

There were  lots of good things--I counted 1000 of them!-- 

but with more stress and more questions, 

there was less blogging, less creating...

less focus, less discipline,

  less confidence, less peace, less purpose.

Just...less.

The Lord's been patient with me here, 

and He's talked to me about my dangerous propensity for nostalgia.  

He's given me a word for 2015 that amounts to a holy kick in the pants; 

I'll share it later on.

I think less was the prerequisite course.  

It's time to pack a lighter suitcase for 2015.

Following,

Ginger

When Winter Makes You Weary

It's a white world out my window.

If forecasts are to be trusted, we might as well get comfortable, for we are about to be officially snowed in.

While part of me loves a good snow day (or two), worries over losing power and worries over losing test prep time at school tend to spoil the fun for grown-ups.

The truth is this: February and March are hard for me, bad weather aside.

I'm weary, the kids are grumpy, the assignments are backing up, and the pressure to get through it all is mounting.

Last week, the coach (facing his own issues with weather and work) and the students who live here claimed the computer. 

 I confess I was secretly glad because discouragement had swept in like a polar vortex, and I simply had nothing of worth to say.

Psalm 40:16-17

 But may all who seek you

    rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation

    say continually, “Great is the Lord!”

 I am oppressed and needy!

May the Lord pay attention to me!

You are my helper and my deliverer!

O my God, do not delay!

Today, with a prayer to bless the Lord, to focus on truth, to call the seclusion and silence of this snow rest, I am counting gifts.

183. Spending last weekend with my mom.

184. Being in the car with teens--and enjoying it!

185. Power still on!

186. Laughing with my witty children.

187. Salted caramel brownies. Oh, my.

source

188. Marshmallow cocoa.

189. Big, fat snowflakes.

190. Arm-knitting, which is kind of like magic.

191. Better library books after a few weeks of duds

192.It doesn't matter how I ask the question; Jesus is still the Answer.

193.The Living Water is deeper than the well.

194.Grace...instead of grace.

Following,

Ginger

Linking up at Multitude Monday...even though it's Tuesday

In Which I am Thankful for Cat Litter

One of my gift-counting goals is to learn to look at the flip-side of things to see the blessing.

That's sounds Pollyannaish (Look on the bright side!), but I don't mean it that way.

I want to see through the eyes of the sovereignty of the mighty and good God Who really does do all things well.

I want to major on majors and quit letting minors eat my lunch.

Take, for example, when an entire Chic-Fil-A mocha milkshake spilled under my car seat.

I'm thankful for the grace to stay calm.

I'm thankful I was on the phone with my sister, and her brilliant mind went into action.

She suggested cat litter (it absorbs liquid and odors), and I'm thankful I still had some in the basement.

I'm thankful I'm not the teen who needs money and therefore will be stuck outside in the cold today vacuuming it up.

*wink*

Following,

Ginger

-------

83. I know He's with me

84. Christmas music at the end of this week

85. updating my phone this week also--hopefully no more daily battery issues

86. warm house

87. baking

88. finding some gluten-free recipes that will help me feel a bit less left out

89. a week at home!  I love being at home.

90. secret Christmas crafting

91. Thanksgiving--my favorite

Confessions and Over-Complications

Starting the year with a confession:

I over-complicate things.

Surprised?

If you know me, you aren't.

Like, for example, the Joy Dare.

It's a simple concept, and an infinitely significant one, but instead of just doing it, I over-complicated it.

Perfect font, perfect pictures, everything just so (are you seeing the theme here?)

Joy-collecting fail.

So, for 21013, I'm trying again, with just a list.  

A good-enough list. 

A truly grateful list.

That was the point, after all.

(And yes, I confess that I'm annoyed with myself for not remembering this on "Multitude Monday".  I'm letting that go.)

1. My husband.

2. DD#1 

3. DD#2 

4. Quiet Bible study in the morning.

5. Waking with a stunning sunrise after a good night's sleep!

6. Having a worship song stuck in my head, even on days when things haven't gone well

7. The sound of the heater running

8. Coffee pot gurgling

9. Orange yogurt muffins

10.Watching stars come out with Big Red on a cold night.

Be blessed,

Ginger