delight

Thank You God for giving me desires. I often doubt that my desires are God-given, but it is stated so cleary: "He will give you the desires of your heart." Not only will He fulfill the desires we have, but He will even conceive good desires and place them into our hearts.

As long as our delight is in Him.

surrender

When it is the worst, it is the easiest.

At least for me. When I have absolutely no control whatsoever, when God simply answers my plea with a gentle, firm 'no', after I have railed for a little bit, THEN it is the easiest to trust Him.

Because that is all I can do.

another name

If you couldn't tell: the snow makes me want to write.

I have also been reading, Betty Smith and Don Piper, but here is one quoteworthy:

"Come and have breakfast." said the Lamb in its sweet milky voice.

Then they noticed for the first time that there was a fire lit on the grass and fish roasting on it. They sat down and ate the fish, hungry now for the first time for many days. And it was the most delicious food they had ever tasted.

...

"Please, Aslan," said Lucy. "Before we go, will you tell us when we can come back to Narnia again? Please. And oh, do, do, do make it soon."

"Dearest," said Aslan very gently, "you and your brother will never come back to Narnia."

"Oh, Aslan!" said Edmund and Lucy both together in despairing voices.

"You are too old, children," said Aslan, "and you must begin to come close to your own world now."

"It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?"

"But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan.

"Are--are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund.

"I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."

-Voyage of the Dawn Treader, C. S. Lewis

Remodeling update: I was finally able to paint my in-laws' dining room walls today! Kitchen is still in progress, but a new stove is going to be delivered sometime this week. Brett had to work Saturday, and is at work now (Sunday), but then the plant won't have much to do for a few weeks, so he has to bank hours while he can (it'd be lovely if he got our anniversary off... *smile*). I am holding on to hope that I get to paint the kitchen before Christmas!

meant to be

Brett,
the love of my life,
the man God made to husband me,
is a merely kind of person. (see previous post)

Brett does not use too many words. He has no anxiety about details. He is never restless.

He uses merely enough words. He accepts each day as it comes. His soul rests even when he works.

Our couples small group was on personality traits last week. I identified most with the lion (aggressive) and secondarily the beaver (detail-oriented). Brett was of course the opposite/complimentary golden retriever (non-confrontational) and otter (relational). Reflecting on our differences ought to make me rejoice in my Creator's ingenious diversity. Our strengths are meant to blend together in a beautiful harmony, but often result in discordant cacophony. Though of late I have bemoaned the restrictions of time, here is a marvelous example of how we have been put in time for our own good: God has not finished with us yet. He is still at work to mend our dissonance into glorious unity. Every once in a while when we hit the right notes - these are glimpses of What Is Meant To Be.

more and merely

More snow today. I almost didn't go to Faribault S.A. for "thrifty thursday" half-off clothing. But I couldn't reschedule my eye exam, and driving Brett to work was halfway there already. So I braved the icy (squeaky) roads and did not end up in the ditch at all. Ordered a new pair of glasses, enjoyed an eggnog shake for lunch, and found a powderblue snowsuit with sparkly silver snowflakes for Norabella. Simple joys.

Tomorrow we're going to Grandma Norma Elaine's for the whole day. Saturday I'm slated to paint. I want my own home so badly that I fear my will must be broken before I may have it. That is usually the way of things. Oh, vanity of vanities. Why can't I merely be thankful? I am just not a "merely" kind of person is why.

joy

At dawn the temperature was -12°F. The rest of the day was pretty cold too, but Norah and I decided to get out our snowpants and walk two blocks to the post office to mail a christmas package anyway. Then she took a nap and I walked a 5K to Salvation Army thrift store where I found a sweet wooden nativity and a few other good deals. After supper I went to book club with Andrea.

On the docket for the rest of the week: Laundry. Drywalling and painting. Celebrating Brett's birth season some more. Spending a day each with both of Brett's grandmas. Eye exam. Mailing christmas cards. Having coffee with one of Brett's aunts. Hanging out with Brett's cousin's family. Making pies. Et cetera.

I am lovin' winter.

blizzard bliss

The world has donned her white gown. It is seven degrees farenheit, and the sun is shining. The neighbors have been out mowing - I mean blowing - their sidewalks since the last flake fell sometime this morning.

I love the smell of ginger root and garlic. Sauted onion, sweet potato, lentils, and coconut milk, along with a blend of 12 spices; the ingredients for a delicious winter soup. Oyster crackers or a dollop of greek yogurt to top it off.

Norah and I are going to go out sledding.

oh, december

Since we traveled the last couple weekends, this weekend it feels especially good to cozy up indoors. The perfect way to commemorate our first Minnesota blizzard! It has snowed 2-3 times since those first fleeting flakes in October, but this time we are quite happily homebound.

We are still celebrating Brett's birth season and today I shan't spend a thought on laundry or tidying or how I am powerless to finish the kitchen. Instead I am going to just enjoy the time with family. A heavy, silent snowfall out the window. Handel and Tchaikovsky playing in the background. Wrapping packages to send to California. Making paper chains for the tree. Putting christmas cards into envelopes. Perhaps some baking. My long-neglected stack of library books awaits me, too...

my beloved burns wood

In a month we will have been married for three years. And he is by far my most favorite person in the world. We are making a counterfeit carcassonne, and it smells sooo good.