(Yes, my eyes are closed.  And yes, my head looks all out of proportion.)

Hi, it's me.  I feel like it's been a while since I've "really" been here.  My thoughts are all disjointed right now, but I'm going to post something anyway.

First, I haven't taken a lot of pictures lately.  See below.



...the new unofficial neighborhood mascot...



...and cheery orange flowers in a cocoa powder can.

Oh yeah, and there was that silly spelling one.

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An answered prayer: Last week I had an interview at Home Depot, and they offered me a part-time position.  After months of waiting and praying, I'm thankful for a job (which I'll be starting soon - but I don't know quite when).  It's a relief to be done with job-hunting.  I know it may not seem like my type of job, but they were hiring, so I applied - and God chose that this would be the answer to my prayers.

On my mind: The mosaic that life so often is.  I have friends who are expecting little ones (some for the first time!).  Others I know are facing cancer.  Some are close to starting new ministries; some have just moved overseas.  Some are hurting.  It's hard, sometimes, to take in the whole spectrum at once, yet life is often just that - the whole spectrum.  Excitement, disappointment, struggles, gifts, loss, growth, new beginnings, goodbyes...all at once.

Heaven.  Right now, while I'm feeling in-between and not-quite-belonging in some ways, I have to remind myself over and over: It's okay to not belong completely.  Heaven is the only place that I truly, completely belong.  As long as we're on Planet Earth, a certain sense of un-belonging is normal and healthy.

Habits.  It's so easy to slip into lazy or unhealthy or just plain bad habits.  The Lord has shown me some areas that I need to work on.  Old habits that need to go, new habits to start.  Like more rest, more quiet, more thanksgiving.  More hiding His Word in my heart.  More realistic goals.

Change takes time, I keep reminding myself.  And thankfully He's patient with me.

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"Life is not an emergency," someone so eloquently said.  I like that.  But oh, it is hard to remember, especially in our fast-paced, go-go-go world.  Where deadlines loom and to-do lists never end and expectations pile one on top of the other.  Where a thousand voices call, "Do...do...do more..."  No wonder we often act we're living in some state of emergency.

Even in Christian circles, accomplishments are so often equated with fruitfulness - and they're not the same thing!  Christ does want us to be fruitful, but that comes from abiding in Him, not heaping up accomplishments or driving ourselves to be ever-busier.

How much I have to learn here...

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In closing, two links you might enjoy:

The We Factor Thoughts on missionaries and supporters.  Very well put.

Home (song)

And a bargain for your library: Graceful, $5 (I don't know how long this sale goes, so don't wait too long!)

Enjoy your weekend, friends!