imperfection.

It's a little rough around the edges.

It's got a few dark spots here and there.

It's a bit withered and weary.

It's not perfect.

But it's still beautiful.

Philippians 3:12-14

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

in the moment.

{wood violets in my front yard}

It's Saturday. It's raining. It's a great day.

I hope your Saturday is quiet and beautiful...

Libby's 10 things.

Well, she wore me down. She was relentless. She pouted. She sulked. She gave me dirty looks.

So I said, "Fine. Make your own 10 things list...see if I care!"

So she did.

1. Pedicures. There's nothing like having my feet done! All that digging in the dirt wrecks havoc on a girls feet and nails!

2. Apples. I love apples. And I hog them whenever that mean lady that keeps us in this stinky cage all day brings them out to me...er...I mean us.

3. Freedom. There's nothing quite like being able to relieve myself wherever and whenever I want to. You know you're jealous.

4. Bugs. Oh how I love bugs.

5. Gossip. I am the best at letting the WHOLE neighborhood know what's going on around here.

6. A nice long bath. There's nothing like a pile of dirt and some sunshine to rejuvenate a girl's senses and get her ready for yet another day of it all. *sigh.....*

7. Having my own camera. Oh. Wait. That's right. That mean lady that keeps us in this stinky cage all day didn't GET me my own camera. Whatever.

8. Frantically scratching and pecking at the door to this stinky cage. It makes that mean lady feel bad and let us out. I've heard her say that we are "destructive". Uh huh...we'll see what she has to say about that when her vegetables are growing like gang-busters thanks to my...uh...freedom.

9. Long walks on the beach. Don't ask...don't tell. What happens in California stays in California.

10. Having my photo taken. I am quite photogenic...all my sides are good.

The End.

10 things...

One of my favorite people in the whole wide world, Sarah over at bee house hives, "tagged" me yesterday to tell 10 simple things that make me happy. Libby was a little annoyed that she wasn't chosen.

But I told her that she needed to be a blogger to play. Upon hearing that she requested use of the computer and her own camera. Chickens...they can be so high maintenance.

Anyway...here goes.

grey skies and rain. Friday night. dusk. newborn baby breath on my neck and their wrinkly little frog legs. laughing so hard my eyes water, my stomach hurts and I can't breathe (and maybe even need to cross my legs...just in case!) being taken for a drive by my hubby. geese flying overhead. a handwritten note in the mail. a stack of books from the library and a whole day with nothing to do. fresh brown eggs from my own backyard.

Whew! There. I kept it to 10. But I could go on and on.

Simple pleasures for a simple girl...there are so many.

And if you are reading this...consider yourself TAGGED. If you do play...leave me a comment so I can come and read what makes you happy!

Wednesday in the Word.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

a poem.

Let Everything Happen

Rainer Maria Rilke

God speaks to each of us as he makes us,

then walks with us silently out of the night.

These are the words we dimly hear:

You, sent out beyond your recall,

go to the limits of your longing.

Embody me.

Flare up like flame

and make big shadows I can move in.

Let everything happen to you:

beauty and terror.

Just keep going.

No feeling is final.

Don’t let yourself lose me.

Nearby is the country they call life.

You will know it by its seriousness.

Give me your hand.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It brings to mind something else...

Psalm 139:13-16

13 For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

* * * * * * * * * * *

I opened up my email this morning and my sweet friend, Kristin, had sent me this poem. I think it's beautiful. I hope you enjoy it, too. Isn't the first sentence so beautiful?

Can't you just imagine the hand of God creating you...knitting you together...forming you...placing everything just so...making you perfect in His eyes.

And all the while He's speaking to you, to me...whispering to us the truths of life. Whispering to us how much He loves us and how much He'll miss us while we're away.

Whispering to us...asking us not to forget Him.

Monday, Monday...

Did everyone but me know that it was a 3-day weekend? I had no idea until last night at around 8pm when Seth informed me. Talk about being in my own little world!

These are not my photos...they are some of my Flickr Favorites that I made into a Mosaic. These are fun to make every now and then...especially when one hasn't taken any pictures of her own as of late. Ahem.

My poor camera...she is neglected. Cast aside. Lonely. And because of that...she mocks me. Not really. I just like to say that. It cracks me up. Isn't it nice that I can amuse myself so easily? I think it has something to do with delirium...

* * * * * * * * * * *

So, it's Monday. And my boys are off of school. And I am starting my new work schedule today, officially. I trained a bit last week then got thrown into the fire to fend for myself on Thursday and it was totally fine! I like it. And I'm telling you, the time flies when I'm in that back room ripping boxes open and frantically entering stock into the computer. I get there...clock in...put on my handy-dandy purple apron and next thing I know it is 5 minutes past the time I am supposed to clock out! It's nice. Except that there really isn't enough time to actually receive the entire UPS delivery on a daily basis. Between getting called to the front register to cover for breaks, lunches, bank runs and long lines...it's all I can do to receive 10 boxes per shift.

Anyway...enough about boring stock rooms! What has my life come to?! That is the LAST time you will hear about stock rooms on this blog. Stock rooms are not pretty...self-sustaining...eco-friendly...oh if you only knew the bubble wrap, plastic, cardboard and wasteful packaging I throw away on a daily basis...it actually makes me feel a slight bit nauseated. It goes against my recycling nature. Completely. But...it's how they do it and I've been told to "let it go" and "get over it". So...I will. For now. Until I get settled in and can maybe figure out some way to lessen that waste. I don't know how exactly...but...I'll figure out some small way to make it better.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

One day at a time...right? When I think about everything I've got on my plate...and that every evening this week has something going on...I get so anxious I can hardly breathe. So, what I have to do is focus on the issue at hand. And right now, at this moment, it is getting ready for work. I can't think about school tomorrow night and the chapter that needs to be read in preparation for my quiz. I can't think about Seth's band concert Wednesday night and bible study Thursday night and Seth's traveling game Thursday after school and Ian's practices Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Or the fact that Chris and I are double-booked tonight and Thursday night. I can only think about this morning. And getting ready to go to work today.

One day at a time. One obligation at a time. Focus on what's in front of me and do that as best I can. Then...move on to the next thing...do it as best I can and move on. Before I know it I will have made it to the end of my day, having done all that I needed to do, without freaking out or hyperventilating.

What I need to remember is that this situation is temporary. Going back to college is not a lifelong thing (trust me...contrary to my school history...I'm getting it DONE this time!). It is a year and a half out of my life. Once I have my bachelor's degree in my hot little hand I will get a job (hopefully) and then I will only have one thing to focus on. I won't have to focus on work and school. I will just focus on work.

I will still be running around with the boys...but really, that is temporary, too. before I know it they will be grown and gone. And I will long for the days that we ran to meetings and games and concerts and youth groups.

Yes. This is a busy time. But it can be done as long as I keep my head straight and keep things in perspective. And with God's help, I can do that.

Matthew 19:26

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."