A Melodious Sonnet

Toys! (Photo Challenge day 2)

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Little sister came out to my room this morning as everyone else was doing school. She doesn’t do it often these days—it’s currently winter, and although the weather belies that fact, it is chilly outside most of the time so she doesn’t have many chances to escape the house. However, today it was warm enough to have the doors open and out she came!

Toys 01

She doesn’t say much, but today she announced something similar to “Toys!” and proceeded to dump the contents of the cardboard box I use as a toybox on the floor. Usually she asks me to get it out for her, and generally only pulls a few things out before rediscovering the books and forgetting about the other animals and blocks. However, she played for forty-five minutes or so, both discussing the different books with me and playing with the animals. She seemed to enjoy herself.

Toys 02

And as I watched her from time to time, examining the nuances of the different books or playing with the different animals, I had to think how we really ought to be like that, too—appreciating the beauties of the world around us, even if it just comes from a common toybox. Being content with what we have, with what we’ve been promised in Christ. Not wishing to have any more now than our King wishes us to have right now (see the section on Passion and Patience in Pilgrim’s Progress).

Job 12:7-10 is a beautiful passage on the subject: “But ask now the beasts [or the little children?], and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.”

He cares for us! Isn’t that just wonderful?

Week 30: Last of July and Photo Challenge

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The sun was shining brilliantly through my half-window this morning as I sat on my maroon-colored bedspread reading from Isaiah. It’s such a treat these days to have the sunshine, and even though we’ve had much more of that than cloudy days this winter, I still love the sun and its warmth. The call came for breakfast, so I blew my candles out and watched the smoke weave its way upward—sometimes thin, sometimes thick curls that can be seen but never touched, smelled but only enjoyed when the light hits it just right as it was this morning. It was a beautiful sight. And yes, I got into breakfast a little late because I stopped to enjoy the sight of the smoke. It truly was gorgeous; I’ve never seen it last as long as it did this morning!

The light is long gone now, swallowed by the clouds that occasionally spit a little rain but for the most part make it chilly and as such more pleasant to stay inside this evening than be out. As I sit again at my blue fold-up table this evening, looking over my last week and praying for wisdom for the week to come, music playing quietly in the background, I can’t help but think how privileged I am. That I can take time to enjoy things like candle smoke twisting in the morning sunlight, that I can even plan my week! So many don’t have this privilege, so many in poorer situations must fight day after day to just get a little food on the table. Many—like my Dad—work incredibly long hours, never complaining, while I sit at home and can use my time just about any way I please. I’m incredibly blessed. And I don’t want to ever forget that, sunshine or not.

Colossians 3:1-3

One thing I decided this morning was that this week I want to do a photo challenge again. I did one back in January, and that was pretty fun, and I want to do it again. This evening as it was getting dark I realized I hadn’t taken any pictures yet today! Well, my chosen subject for this week was “daily life”, and as I looked at my desk I realized I had a piece of my daily life in front of me: One of my memory verses. I copied it out onto some note paper a week or two ago, as a reminder to focus on the Lord alone, and it’s proven to be a great reminder over the days since then. I love verse two, especially.

Last week’s to-do list:

  1. Schedule book/movie reviews through the end of the month
  2. Read one book
  3. Set up some settings with Amazon and AbeBooks (done Thursday; this was something that’s taken me quite a while to do, but it’s a relief to have it done!)
  4. Do bookkeeping (done Wednesday)
  5. Respond to the emails that I haven’t replied to yet (done Tuesday and Wednesday)
  6. Finish an interview (done Tuesday)
  7. Do 45 min. of science and last day of history
Jonah 2:9

A reminder I keep in my planning folder; a verse I found one day while studying Jonah.

This week’s to-do list:

  1. Schedule reviews through the 31st
  2. Read The Destiny of a Galaxy
  3. Watch the DVD Fly Away Home (borrowed, so I ought to get it back)
  4. Read up/do practice tests for getting my learner’s driver license (it’s about time…)
  5. Sign up for another affiliate program
  6. Work through the website to-do list (mostly simple changes, but ones that I’ve been putting off for a while)
  7. Do some baking Friday!

What are your plans for the coming week? Enjoy the sunlight and more than that, keep looking to the Light of the world, Jesus!

Playing Hookey (and This Week’s Plans)

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(Before I start, I thought you might like to know that Mom is currently running a giveaway for two books from one of our favorite authors! Details here.)

I realized yesterday afternoon as we were winding our way up the curves this side of a nearby river that I had completely spaced doing my normal “Sunday” post on my goals for the week. I had fun Sunday afternoon, during the time that I normally do my planning…I played two different board games with my siblings and we watched part of a movie together! In the end it really isn’t a problem, except that after a day in the city I wasn’t feeling particularly up to trying to figure out what I want (or need) to do this week. So it falls to Tuesday evening to tell you of this week’s goals.

As far as last week, I think I got almost everything done. Thankfully, I hadn’t planned much, and even though we were gone only 3 1/2 days in the end, it was still good to be able to relax and prepare to face the world again.

Last week’s list:

  1. Finish preparing this week’s newsletter (done Saturday)
  2. Do a little sewing (done Monday)
  3. Reply to/take care of K and S’ emails (S’ done Saturday; the other had to wait until this week because of the technical difficulties involved)
  4. Send this week’s newsletter (done Saturday)

This week’s list:

  1. Schedule book/movie reviews through the end of the month
  2. Read one book
  3. Set up some settings with Amazon and AbeBooks
  4. Do bookkeeping (keep forgetting to do this!)
  5. Respond to the emails that I haven’t replied to yet
  6. Finish an interview
  7. Do 45 min. of science and last day of history for the “school” work I’m currently working on

I think that’s it. Have a great week, folks, and keep your eyes on Jesus!

Planning: Second Week of July

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Well, it’s already quite late, and I need to head off to bed but before I do so I wanted to do a quick recap of last week’s plans. This next week is going to be pretty busy, so I’m not planning to do much at all. And besides a few basics (like sending the newsletter), I’m probably not going to be online much either.

But as for last week’s plans…I went off the rails a bit last week! Instead of working like I probably should have done, I decided to watch a couple borrowed movies instead (ones that need to be returned, but I want to review first). Besides that, we had visitors one day, which cut into my time a little. It was wonderful to have them here, though—well worth the “lost” time! Also, I realized Friday that I hadn’t even looked at my plans all week. Hmm…wonder if the old adage “out of sight out of mind” had anything to do with not much being done? Must remember to look each day next time!

Last week’s list:

  1. Schedule book reviews through the 24th (done Saturday)
  2. Edit reviews doc 6 (done Thursday)
  3. Upload the four reviews that weren’t ready before now (two done Saturday; the other two need to wait because they aren’t quite ready yet)
  4. Send this week’s newsletter (done Saturday)
  5. Prepare next week’s newsletter (begun Saturday, but ran out of time to finish)
  6. Do bookkeeping
  7. Set up affiliate program payments
  8. Do some much-needed sewing!

This week’s list:

  1. Finish preparing this week’s newsletter
  2. Do a little sewing (has to be done Monday)
  3. Reply to/take care of K and S’ emails (need to remember to do this next Saturday when I’ll have a little time)
  4. Send this week’s newsletter

Okay, that’s all I think I need to remember later this week.

Have a great week, and keep serving Jesus!

My Plans for the First Week of July

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As I sat at my blue collapsible table this evening, one wing propped open to give me a nice area to spread everything out on, I sipped my coffee and reviewed last month. There were a good number of things I got done in June, several that I didn’t even start, and a couple that were absolutely fun to do. The things that I didn’t touch were ones I really want to get done—need to do—but also ones that have grown to gigantic proportion in my mind so I haven’t even started tackling them. I want to work at them this month. At least get started on those hard things.

Most of the time, though, I get so focused on the urgent that I forget what’s really important—what I really ought to be doing. Finding the balance, between what needs to happen and what should happen is hard. I’m tired of just barely scraping by on my jobs. Tired of doing the absolute minimum for my commitments, making it look like I’m doing okay when underneath I really suspect I’m blowing most of my time. This month, I want to be different. So I’m dedicating it—rededicating it—to the Lord. Asking Him to use me and use my time to His glory. I want to be a tool. And this is the only way I know how to be a tool.

This doesn’t mean I won’t outline what needs to be done. This means that I’m saying “Here, Lord, this is what I believe I need to be doing now—should I do it? Or do You have something more important for me to focus on at the moment?”

Okay. I don’t know if any of that makes sense, but that’s what I’ve been thinking over this evening.

Reading Sacred Allegories

From my phone this week: Little brother enjoys coming out to my room sometimes, and often picks up the copy of Sacred Allegories that a friend gave us. He loves the detailed pictures in it!

Last week’s to-do list:

  1. Reply to emails in inbox (done Monday, except there’s one in the inbox now that I want to respond to ASAP)
  2. Edit doc 22 (done Tuesday)
  3. Upload reviews in doc 22 (done Wednesday and Thursday)
  4. Catch up on writing reviews (done Wednesday)
  5. Spend 2 ½ hours on new theme (this is one of those monsters I haven’t conquered yet…but I want to!)
  6. Send weekly newsletter (done Saturday)
  7. Finish I Needed a Neighbour (done Saturday)
  8. Spend 15 min. researching I Am Not Skilled to Understand (yeah…another “monster”. I don’t know why.)

This week’s list:

  1. Schedule book reviews through the 24th (already up to the 13th, but I need to get a bit further ahead)
  2. Edit reviews doc 6
  3. Upload the four reviews that weren’t ready before now (several were just published recently or will be published soon, and I don’t like posting the reviews until the books are actually available)
  4. Send this week’s newsletter
  5. Prepare next week’s newsletter (next week might be a bit hit-and-miss because of other plans, so I want to be ready in advance)
  6. Do bookkeeping
  7. Set up affiliate program payments (for some reason, I’ve never finished this…I don’t know why)
  8. Do some much-needed sewing!

Well, this week looks set to be an interesting one. We’re expecting some visitors who just “happened” to come across us online while searching for long-lost relatives (we sort-of know the relatives; they live about 7-9 hours south of us and we’ve met the family twice), and they want to meet us. We’re looking forward to that!

What are your plans for the coming week?