Hello, Monday: Gone but not Forgotten (I Hope)

Hello, Monday!

I wasn't around here last week.  Sorry.

It's not you; it's me.

I was supposed to meet a friend for coffee last Friday and was so stinkin' tired that I FORGOT her.  

Instead, I lay on my couch with a book and dared anyone to speak to me.

Pathetic, I tell you.  Pitiful.  

She forgave me because she's just like that, and we're meeting tomorrow.  

The alarm is set on my phone.

People, when you need an alarm to remind you to get coffee with a friend, you need some margins.  

Or some ginko biloba.

Moving on.  

 

Hello, state testing week.  Ready--or not--here you come.

Hello, spring fever.  You explain why I was worn.out. this past week.  You make corralling 7th graders for a test they care nothing about even more fun than it already is.

Hello, spring.   I heart you and your greenness. 

Hello, Aaa -pollen- choo.

Bless you.

Hello, science fair projects (pinhole camera, anyone?), college visits (sniff!), concert practices, and assorted other errands.  You mean May is near.  Which means summer is near.  Which is a rather nice idea at the moment, actually.

So, what have I missed over your way?

Be blessed this week,

Ginger

Quickest of Quick Words

Spring has sprung around here (finally), and that means the something-going-on-almost-every-night season is cranking up, but I wanted to say hello!

Words for the Week:

Thankful...that Big Red returned safely from another mission trip to Belize; we serve a great and mighty God!

             ...for friends who let us use their showers last night when we discovered a leaky hot water heater.

             ...for provision to replace said hot-water heater and tank.  

Happy...for DD#1, who had a sticky situation resolved in an unexpected blessing

Basking...in sunshine and temps in the 70's.  Woot!

Studying...1 John.  I'm using the slow and deep SOAP method, and I'm lovin' it.

Already...mentally planning next school year.

Relieved...that the ladybug discovered in my coffee pot after I brewed a cup didn't poison my cup. (Poor ladybug.)

What are your words this week?

Be blessed,

Ginger

Spring Mantel

Hello, Friday!

This might be one of the few Fridays I'm not enthusiastic about because it's the Friday of spring break.  Fastest.week.ever.

One of the other speedy things this year was the arrival of Easter.  

I had my mantel ready, but I never had time to post it.  

So today I'll show you the Easter Spring mantel!

This mantel features my favorite neutral, green.  (Look outside.  Unless you live out west, green is the background color, right?  

It's the new neutral.)

It has my favorite antique chalkboard.

My favorite thrifted-$1.50-each candlesticks are up there along with a few of my favorite books and one of my favorite vases from my mom.

Finally, it has (had) my favorite early spring flowers, daffodils and forsythia, now deceased.  Yes, I really should bring in something fresh, but my to-do list today is rather lengthy--and I needed to get this post done ASAP!

So without further ado (because that explanation took a long time), here it is:

 Don't you love the glitter bunny?  It was  Silhouette project from this post.

Be blessed,

Ginger

linking up here and here

Thursday Morning: Spring Break

The weatherman declares that spring is on the way in a day or two, but today winter wins.  It's blustery and gray and wet, and I am savoring my quiet house.

My morning in a collage:

1. I love this room. The color (Cowslip 3 by Laura Ashley) makes me happy; it cheers a gloomy day and glows in the sun.  The Mrs/Mr pillows were a wedding gift gone wrong; I was afraid to share them, but the imperfection doesn't bother us. 

2. Studying 1John at the kitchen table, coffee and Kari Jobe at the ready.

3. Made a coffee cake.  Half has weight-watchers friendly blackberries; the other side has teenager friendly chocolate chips.  Their mama loves them, even if they pretend they don't know this most days.

4. Stood out in the rain to get this shot of blooms I planted yesterday before the clouds came.  Pansies tell me winter will end.  I like that about them.  

Not pictured: laundry.

Not pictured: the piles of winter clothes on the bed, soon to be sorted into keep/give away/wishful thinking stacks.  

Not pictured: ungraded papers. 

 This is spring break, after all.

Be blessed, 

Ginger

Nineteen

Today I'm celebrating 19 years of being married to my best friend.

Back in the day.  We both have less hair now.  One of us has a lot less hair.  He shall remain anonymous.  One of us is carrying a few extra pounds.  She shall remain nameless as well.

DD#2 had this pithy observation about her parents' marriage: "I really respect your marriage.  I can't imagine that anyone else would stay married to either one of you for nineteen years." 

Ha!

Out of the mouths of babes.

It's true that we are a match made (all cliches aside) in heaven.

Here are nineteen things I love about Big Red:

1. He's godly and growing in godliness.  His relationship with Christ isn't stagnant.

2. He prays for me and  for our kids.

3. He works hard.  

4. Few people, I think, can say they are doing what they were born to do.  He is one who can.  He was born to teach and coach and influence young men positively.

5. He is funny.  (He's also annoying, but one must take the bad for the good.;-))

6. He is handy.  He fixes everything--including septic tanks.  Plumbing is his nemesis--which is okay.  Everybody should admit defeat somewhere.)

7. He is respected by the people who know him and work with him.

8. He's fun to be around.

9. He has big dreams.

10. He pushes me to have bigger dreams for myself.

11. He grows things.  If green thumbs were hereditary, I would be the gardener.  Alas, my husband caught the gene by osmosis from his in-laws.

12. He appreciates things I do well, like cook and create.  He says all the right things about scrapbooks and cards and mantels even though I suspect he wouldn't notice if I didn't point them out first.

13.  He is a great dad.

14. He is generous.

15. At 45, he's still cute.

16.He makes a mean omelet.

17. He can out-clean Monk. ( Sometimes this fits under the annoying category, but I realize that it is a blessing most of the time.)

18. He is compassionate.

19. He is willing to go and do whatever God calls him to do.

Enough

When I was in high school, I joked that I owned the world's largest collection of 2nd place ribbons.

(I was the runner-up in the region essay contest four times.)

I lived, it seemed, in the land of Not Quite Enough.

Sometimes it still feels that way.

Lately I've felt like I am almost a blogger. (Hello, is anyone out there?)

Almost a writer. (Which may explain the first one.  I am mocked by the blank page.)

Almost a speaker.( I wait for doors to open.  And wait.  And wait.)

Almost a good mother, wife, teacher.  (Pick a day , any day.)

This week I've begun to study 1 John and ventured deep in the word koinonia, fellowship, the communion of shared relationship.  According to one of my favorite commentaries:

"Those who have a fellowship one with another, are those who share the same resources, and are bound by the same responsibilities. The idea becomes almost overwhelming when it is thus applied to the relationship which believing souls bear to the Father, and to His Son Jesus Christ. . . . The Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and all believers have all things in common. All the resources of each in the wondrous relationship are at the disposal of the others. Such is the grace of our God, and of His Son." (Morgan)" {emphasis mine}

All the resources of the Trinity shared in relationship. Ponder that. 

 It goes on to say this:

"This idea of a shared life is essential. This doesn't mean that when Jesus comes into our life He helps us to do better what we did before. We don't add Jesus to our life. We enter into a relationship of a shared life with Jesus. We share our life with Him, and He shares His life with us."

The beautiful blog house of belonging, whose author has the tenderest heart for her Savior, has an Etsy shop with this t-shirt:

 

At first, I admit, I struggled with it.  After all, I am not enough.   All insecurities aside, that is true.  On my own, my failure runs past the  cellular level-body, spirit, soul.  Without Christ, I am nothing.

Yet with Him, in koinonia, I am enough because He is more than enough.

My not-enough shares in His more-than-enough, and five loaves and two fish become bread for thousands.

So my prayer is this, no matter what my heart or hormones (or blog) may tell me, that I will rest in and share in, and live in the One Who is Enough.

Be blessed,

Ginger

Heart on Your Heart

A musician friend and I used to joke that we could be the world's best worship team if we worked together; she understands melody and I love words.  Though I'm drawn to particular tunes, the words will ultimately capture my imagination.  

  I love Hillsong because they meld power and poetry in their worship songs.  The simple heart-cry of this song has kept it on my playlist (and prayer list) this week.  Though  fraught with insecurities and imperfections, I want to be a faithful follower.  I want Christ to change my heart and shape my vision so that He fills my thoughts and guides my words and actions. I want to live my life in response to my holy and righteous Creator.

Heart on Your heart and my eyes on Yours.