A Week in the Life

Good morning, bloggers!

This morning I was up early enough to do my devotions before I left for work. Love it! Admittedly I haven’t been nearly as faithful with that as I want to me. I am NOT a morning person, and actually staying UP after my hubby leaves for work doesn’t usually happen. Yes, I get up with him, make sure he has everything he needs for the day, kiss him goodbye when he leaves, and promptly crawl back into bed until I have to start getting ready for work.
But this week I am going to try NOT going back to bed. I’m sure I will still be craving the extra sleep, but I want to start trying to make better use of my time and the hours in my day when I’m actually not in the office.

•  Good use #1: daily devotions 
• Good use #2: extra gym time 
• Good use #3: catch up on dishes 
• Good use #4: clean bathroom 
• Good use #5: meal prep 
• Good use #6: tidy up house

 Those are just a few things that came to mind if I have an extra time before I have to start thinking about getting ready for work. As the Chris Rice lyrics say:

“Every day is a bank account 

And time is our currency

So nobody's rich, nobody's poor

We get 24 hours each

So how are you gonna spend

Will you invest, or squander

Try to get ahead

Or help someone who's under 

Teach us to count the days

Teach us to make the days count

Lead us in better ways

That somehow our souls forgot

Life means so much

 This week I purchased a devotional on Amazon.com called “The Daily Sacrifice”, written by H.A. Ironside, published in 1948.

The daily readings start with a text of Scripture and are followed by a paragraph of insightful expounding. Today I read through the 3rd chapter of Colossians and was reminded that “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

It is a great blessing to start the day focusing on the Lord, and with His words in my heart & mind.

Tomorrow morning I am going to attempt an early-morning workout at the gym, be headed home by the time I'm usually thinking about getting up, hit the shower, throw on some makeup, grab breakfast, and be out the door in time for work. I’m feeling ambitious at the moment…I only hope that ambition is still there when the alarm is going off at some awful hour and I’m warm & cozy under the blankets while the wind is gusting and the rain is pouring outside. Have to see how that one works out.

Here is a rough outline of my week:

• Sunday: AM Church, birthday dinner @ the in-laws (Ribs!), PM church
• Monday: Work, sewing machine shopping w/ Mom, movie (“Julie & Julia”)
• Tuesday: AM Pilates workout, work, dinner, laundry
• Wednesday: Work, meet hubby for coffee @ lunch, out for birthday dinner
• Thursday: Work, dinner
• Friday: Work, birthday dinner @ my parent’s (Pizza!)
• Saturday: WEEKEND!!! YAY!!! AM Pilates workout, menu-planning, cleaning, laundry
• Sunday: 1 year anniversary!!!! Church

Are there any tricks you have learned for getting out of bed early, having daily devotions, or weekly workouts?

Happy Monday, ya’ll.



 

In Every Moment

Today my dearly beloved husband met me at Starbucks for our first taste of Fall by enjoying their Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Ahh, seasonal bliss. Tantalizing to the taste buds and invigorating as it warms your hands and your insides.  Oh course I also had to enjoy a Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffin while I was there, seeing as those are also only around this time of year and are usually gobbled up by early-morning-coffee-goers who can’t fathom a day beginning without their high dose of sugar and jolt of caffeine.

We sat outside, the low 70-something breeze blowing around us, the sky overcast, trying to ignore the spits of rain we felt. It was lovely just being together, even if it did feel like Seattle. Having a break in the middle of a work day simply to sit at a café and be together was wonderful, relaxing, and a breath of fresh air. Just being together is the best. The A.B.S.O.L.U.T.E. B.E.S.T.

It’s the small moments that sometimes bring the most joy. I sat there and silently thanked God for the blessing of those small moments and the amazing husband that I get to share them with.  The everyday life is ten-times better because we're together.  What a gift.

I returned to work, and had an email waiting for me. A friend of mine was just diagnosed with breast cancer; her surgery is this afternoon. It was so fast, so unexpected….”Not her, Lord!” were the first words I wanted to utter. But my God is not only a God of small moments, He is the God of big moments too. It hurt to read the words on that page, but I was reminded that God was greater than all this.

Where are words in the midst of pain? How to you reply to an email like that, or even find the right words to pray for them? But God knows.

I crept away to an empty room to pray. Prayed for the surgeon, prayed for my friend, and prayed for her husband. These people don’t profess an active faith in the Lord, so maybe God will use this to draw them to Himself. I am praying that He will. I am praying He will guide the hands of the surgeon and grant them knowledge in how to best deal with this situation, and that He will grant strength to this couple. This couple who loves each other more deeply than most, and that would never leave each other no matter what. I prayed that they would come to know the Great Physician and the true Healer, and that though this He would be glorified…and that she would be healed.

God is there, in the sunshine and the shadow, in the quiet blissful moments, and the moments of pain and tears. How I praise Him for His faithfulness and the hand that guides me and He who walks beside me each step of the way.

Running through yesterday into tomorrow
Don’t let it just drift away
Forget about tying the hands of time
Give every minute to the One who gave us today
-- Joy Williams

Dancing

Dancing.  Musicals.  Theater.
I love it all.

Here are a few video tributes to what are some of my favorite dancers and dances.

Enjoy!

Singin' In The Rain - "Good Mornin'"
Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Conner


Tribute to Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers


The King and I - "Shall We Dance"
Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr


Jamie Salé and David Pelletier - "Love Story"