On My Mind

The apartment is quiet aside from the light music playing in the background. Kate is napping. The place is clean and picked up. I have a moment to just ponder and journal my thoughts. 

- I like a clean place. Why don't I do a more consistent job of cleaning more often? I function better. I am less stressed and frustrated when things are clean. In a way it has a calming affect on me and I am able to focus on other things better. I don't know why I pick up all day long, but don't deep clean as often as I would like. I don't want to use time as an excuse. I just need to do it. 

- I am very humbled and blessed today by my friends. My morning received a ray of sunshine on this cold, grey day when I opened a thoughtful text from my friend, Keitha. I am thankful to call her friend after over 10 years of cultivating an open, gut-wrenchingly honest, real, true, genuine friendship. She has helped me refine the word, 'friend', and I do not use it loosely. Each phase of pruning in our relationship has produced a relationship that humbles me each time I think of it. I truly feel that is what He has intended all along. I love where we are now. She is my 'same' in many ways, just a few years ahead. I also had a group of mom friends over for brunch and prayer this morning. Although some mornings we only make it to requests because of the kiddos. I looked around the bar at each one of them and thought - these faces all represent God's provision for me here. After 5 years to look at each of them...how humbling. Then I checked email and saw one from dear friends back in Texas that we get to hang out with this weekend, the Baileys. They are kindred spirits for David and I. It also reminded me of all of my sweet and dearest friends far away. How utterly thankful I am. Life is so empty without friends and I feel blessed and undeniably full in this area after so many changes, distance, and time. God is faithful. He is good. 

- I love me some Chili. We are having a last minute dinner guest over tonight and I love that it is easy to whip up some chili and that it always sounds good to me, especially on a cool, Fall day. This dinner guest is a mutual college friend of ours and happened to be the very guest with us on the night my water broke over a year ago. Uh - yea. What memories that brings back! I am sure our conversation will reminisce tonight just a bit and we will share a big laugh.

- Pumpkin scones are delightful. I could have one every morning and never get tired of them.

- Mornings are so peaceful. I usually spend my alone time with God during Kate's nap, but I really want to start having it in the morning after David leaves and before Kate gets up. I just need to do it. It's not hard. I am just lazy and selfish with my time. This morning I was reminded how sweet that time is and I want to do it more often. 

- I love candles. They make a place feel cozy. I lit all my candles this morning for my friends and I had to actually dust some off because they have not been lit in a long time. I feel like that is one way I can enjoy and live for today - by lighting candles more often. What am I saving them for?

- Entertaining is so fun. We get to have several families over this weekend, some we know and some we don't. Then next weekend - a Fall Festival for our Community Group. What a sign of God's provision for us that he allowed us to move into a smaller place, but one with an outdoor space, so that we can do this more often. The Fall festival is going to be an "outreach" time where we get to invite families that are unchurched and that we care about in the community. What a huge answer to prayer that we can offer our place for such gatherings and it's fun at the same time! 

- Charlie Brown must have a movie for each holiday. There was "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" on this week and I know of "Charlie Brown's Christmas". Is there one for Thanksgiving? Random.

I know I could go on and on but think I'll stop for now and do some reading. Thanks for stopping by ... these are a few things on my mind right now.