A Blessed Visit Daybook: Wednesday, February 13, 2012

Outside my window:
Dark.  Early.
I am thinking:
about not letting my mom get on the plane to go home tomorrow.  Somehow she makes everyone better.  The boys behave.  I behave.  Everyone is happy and smiling and hugging.  Wouldn't it be great if everyone could just spread out the goodness like that?  I'm going to try harder.  (Plus, we had four basketball games on Saturday and four wins, including a Championship, all with Grammy here.  Hmmmmm.)

Photo credit and thanks for the above to Mr. Porter

 

PSPA Rams win the Fairfax Stars League Championship

I am thankful:
for a God who keeps trying to teach me about relationships and quiet grace and forgiveness and trust.  Dear Lord, I know You must feel like You are banging Your holy head against the wall.  Sorry about that.  Thanks for coming to me in Your Word and in Your people and in the middle of the night when I am sleepless and worried and angry.  I was heavy burdened and You gave me rest.  How can I forget Your promises so very often?
Also, thankful for time with her.

Grammy is proud of Joe at the Honor Roll Assembly (almost as proud as she is of the shirt he chose to wear to said Assembly.)
 

In the kitchen:
There's been much better food including some of my mom's famous pound cake and a certain boy who thought I was upstairs when he told his Grammy, "My mom tried to make this, but she totally messed it up."  Thanks, buddy.  Truth hurts.

I am listening to:
silence.
I am wearing:
Old Navy pjs which happen to be navy.
I am wondering:
again about walking the line.  How much do I immerse myself in knowing each and every one of my kids' assignments, due dates, grades and how much do I back off and let them succeed, fail and deal with the failure on their own?  There is somewhere in between being completely clueless and being a helicopter mom.  Trying to find the happy medium.
I am going:
to take the time to read the State of the Union address in the newspaper today since my effort to be "Responsible Informed American Citizen" lost out to "Sleepy Snoring American Citizen" somewhere around climate change.  My apologies, Mr. President.
I am reading:
Esther and Amos this week.  I've also got a stack of books including The Language of Flowers, The All of It and something by Anne Patchett.  I haven't been reading much outside of the Bible lately and I'm missing it. 
I am looking forward to:
Mom and I found ourselves at Georgetown Cupcake yesterday, so I have red velvet cupcakes for my people for Valentine's Day which is so much better than those chalky candy hearts.
Around the house:
It looks much better.  My mom and I have been on a tear with the decorating.  There are new lamps!!  We can see!
I am learning:
that the invention of keeping your receipt and no hassle returns are really important for a person who cannot make decisions.  We had a lamp for 3 days and I took it back.  We have another lamp now.  I like it every other time I walk in the room.  I'm a mess.  Perhaps the Apostle Paul should come speak with me about being content in my circumstances or at least with that Crate and Barrel lamp?
On my Ipod:
Well, of course:  This song is one that not everyone knows and I squealed a little louder than necessary when they sang it.  I'm sorry about the one word in here.  My man, Jon, doesn't do that very often, so I'll give him a break here because I LOVE this song.  I just know lots of people who are feeling like a Monday, but I do think if we just keeping waiting upon the Lord, someday it'll be Saturday night.  And we'll give thanks to Him.  Yes, I find God in lots of places, even at Bon Jovi concerts.  He makes all things good and that was definitely good. 
A quote for today:
". . .great lives don't always seem great while we're living them.  They may seem embarrassingly regular.  Seeking to be extraordinary isn't the answer because great lives are never achieved by making greatness the goal.  To live for the greatness of God is to live the great life.  What if we awakened to what a dream-killer perfectionism is?  To how pitifully small and unworthy a goal of personal greatness is?  We were meant for so much more." - Beth Moore
A verse for today:
"You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me;  YOU stoop down and make me great." - Psalm 18:35
I am praying:
for my middle man.

I am pondering:
cutting my hair.  Deep thoughts.
One of my favorite things:
55 degrees in Washington DC and a shopping date with my mom in Georgetown.

A few plans for the week:
The regular season for basketball winds down and we move into the play-offs and indoor baseball workouts pick up with frightening speed.  NOT.READY.YET.

A peek into my day:
The Ash Wednesday service is at church which is one of my favorite services of the year.  Joe and some other 8th graders from his Confirmation Class will be flipping pancakes.  If you're in the area and don't have a church home, come on out to Arcola Methodist tonight.  6:00 for pancakes, 7:15 for the service.  I promise I'll remind Joe to wash his hands.

Daybook idea from http://www.thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/