It's 98 degrees Fahrenheit with 40% humidity. A family of robins has claimed a corner of the front garden. Amore's new grass is weathering the heat so far, thanks to his hand-watering.
I am thinking...
about the news of the British Prime Minister's words yesterday about Internet pornography and our collective duty to protect children from it;
about the various misbehaving parts of my body and which one to attend to next;
since it's 5 till 6, I should probably know what we're having for supper by now and have it in the toaster oven. (I know it will be chicken, but with what seasonings/toppings/sides?)
Yesterday, the rediscovery of an essay series from the original "crumbs from His table" e-mail list reminded me of the peculiar phenomenon when one's own words from the past read like someone else's.
I am thankful...
God is who He says He is.
He will do what He says He will do.
I am who God says I am.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
God's Word is alive and active in me. (from the Believing God Bible study)
My dear friend and I were able to talk on the phone last week for the first time in too long (She lives in a different country.);
The afternoon has been quiet after a tumultuous start to the day;
The dog Amore brought home from his walk with Ebony was reunited with its owner before animal services arrived to collect him;
The electrical repair, part 2, passed inspection this morning;
We both were able to attend our youngest nephew's birthday party Saturday;
A relative's cardiac procedure went well, and he was released from the hospital sooner than expected;
The new tires purchased immediately beforehand proved their worth in a rainstorm on the way home;
The shower and tile are installed, only awaiting grout and some wall texture to be completed;
My cleaning helper comes tomorrow to attempt to help me remove some of the drywall dust;
The Lord provided the right help at the right moment to devise a way to maneuver the top half of our shower unit around the corner into the bedroom;
My new computer is working great;
The Lord is sending strength like manna for each day's needs;
He isn't scratching His head in perplexity over how to solve this or that dilemma;
None of the unexpected things lately have caught Him off guard;
The Lord is patient with my lack of concentration in my time alone with Him;
There is always time to read His Word, even if I don't manage to read anything else.
(gratitude list #1086-1106)
In the kitchen...
The clean dishes are all stowed, and
I am wearing...
a navy polo dress and grey leggings. And hiking boots. Again with the hiking boots.
I am creating...
a crocheted cozy for Allen's lumbar pillow, which tore along the zipper and is temporarily held together with duct tape. I have yarn selected and wound into balls for a possible Christmas project, but that is not in the present tense yet.
(Here is Ebony modeling the blanket given to the aforesaid nephew Saturday:)
I am going...
(perhaps) to a corporate movie night with Amore Thursday night, if my back can handle it, and still going to the pool to exercise.
I am wondering...
what "adventures Aslan may send" for tomorrow
and whether my new senior pastor factors into the answer to my prayers for revival (starting with me and moving outward).
I am reading...
Acts and Psalms, Bonhoeffer (still), Divergent, Weakness Is the Way, and Evidence Not Seen, along with several devotional books
I am hoping...
to have our home repairs finished tomorrow, and certainly by week's end.
I am looking forward to...
quiet in the house more days than not, removing drop clothes from the book shelves and piano, and having our shower working again.
I am learning...
Ephesians 4:25-27, NIV:
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
Around the house...
Dust reconvenes on every surface as soon as I turn my back. The path from the garage to the work area is spotted with spots of indeterminate stuff. Old sheets cover some of the bookcases. Ebony is hiding in his nesting bed, temporarily not barking at potential threats. (He's been a little on edge with the workers in the house, seeing as how he's my self-appointed bodyguard.) My swim towels are in the dryer. The air conditioner is running quietly. The light that was arcing last week is no longer doing so. It's still a mess, but a mess with progress.
I am pondering...
what it looks like for me, right now, today, to put off my specific "old self" and put on my "new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph. 4:22, 24).
A favorite quote for today...
God is represented as treasuring the prayers of His saints in vials. . . . They are placed like fragrant flowers in the chambers of the king. . . . And later they are represented as poured out upon the earth; and log, there are voices, and thunderings, and great providential movements fulfilling God's purposes for His kingdom. We are called 'The Lord's remembrances.' And are commanded to give Him no rest, day or night, but to crowd the heavens with our petitions. And in due time the answer will come with its accumulated blessings. No breath of prayer is lost. The longer it waits, the larger it becomes (A.B. Simpson, quoted in We Shall Have Spring Again, 118).
One of my favorite things...
hugs from nephews, sisters, and grandmother
A few plans for the rest of the week:
Yesterday, the electrician and the bath workers both came in the morning. The latter stayed all day. I made two trips to Home Depot, one without a supervising Y chromosome (shocking, I know).
Tomorrow, Lord willing, the shower work will be completed and the bathroom put back together. My house helper is expected in the afternoon, and I hope to go to the pool again at least 2 more times this week.
There are some medical decisions pending and appointments to schedule. If able, Amore and I are going to a movie Thursday night. Through a program arranged by our church, my parents are hosting 2 Chinese exchange students for 2 of the next three weeks, so we plan to meet them at some point soon and probably share at least one meal.
Sunday I get to hear my new senior pastor preach again. It will be the third time for me to hear him in person. It's so nice to have stability in that office again.
A peek into my day...
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| the runaway dog, named Luke, who played in our back garden for a few hours early this morning |
Sharing with Peggy Hostetler's The Simple Woman's Daybook today and with Ann Voskamp's Monday Multitudes Community
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