It’s 12:20 pst, I’m supposed to get up in three hours and forty minutes and I still wondering about my packing. Do I have too much?What is too much? Have I forgotten something I really want/need? Will all three suitcases be over the weight limit? How much time will I read? How much time will I knit? I have to sleep sometime. I think I need to start all over with at least two of the suitcases, but will the third one feel left out, like I don’t really care about it or something.
As you can see, I’m much too tired and am probably making way too much about the whole thing. Margaret, will you come and pack for me?
(She has it down to a science.)
I am really excited about this trip. but it’s been along time since Elmer & I traveled with anyone. Will I be too close to the others or too aloof? I hope they understand I’m use to most of my waking hours being by myself . I wish I knew how to take pictures and down load them to the computer myself and I would show you what a mess I’m in, and then you could offer suggestions. But by the time Elmer gets up, I’ll have to be done. So I’m just going to shut my eyes, toss in everything and be done with it. Wish me luck. I’ll write tomorrow from somewhere other than Carmichael.
Are My Bags Packed Yet
Victorious Vessel
In my musings about being a vessel, I thought I might as well wear a ‘V’ on my chest, and I grimaced. My mind then made the leap from vessel to victor, and I smiled.” I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:13,19.
Then I thought of vocation:
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3
I therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the (divine) calling to which you have been called (with behavior that is a credit to the summons of God’s service, living as becomes you) with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another. Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of (and produced by) the Spirit in the binding power of peace. Amplified Bible
How blessed I am with a vocation that promises victory by simply being a vessel.
It Was
Moving on is about accepting what happened, not absolving it… You will mourn. Moan and groan and grieve. You are supposed to cry about these things. Kathryn L. Robyn
August 28, Evening tidbit
We cannot change our destiny; but we can enrich each step of the way toward it.
Relaxing?
1dad1 and I left town on for a few day of R &R. I made sure the RV Park had internet access, we didn’t want to rough it too much. We arrived and got set up. The park is small and very quiet, except for the AC’s. Well, the server I got on was commador issued. Relaxing, no. I had to wait up to 3 minutes or more for a page to load, I could read, knit, fill my water glass, empty…
but relaxing it was not. 1dad1 ran a check disc and a defrag. That helped a little, sometimes. So today, he hooked me up to a different server. Much better, although now no time to ….
Another day on the House Hunt
Mom and I went out again to look at houses. This time there were 3 out of the 5 we saw have potential. However the one on Merton is still my favorite. I haven’t gotten the same feeling in the others. Two of the three possibilities felt like they could be home, but I was still comparing them to the previously found house. I am having the Realtor look into those that we found today to see what the scoop is…more info to follow…
It has become quite an adventure!
Pondering a Tidbit
Who would have thought a tidbit could start that kind of thought?
I love your thoughts, I’ll ponder.
Offer #1
I did it, I put an official offer in on a house today. Yes, my only favorite out of the dozen that we have seen. It made me feel big. However exciting it is, it still is scary. Its official, I am really trying to do this.
Now I am beginning to feel a little anxious, I want to know how the offer goes on this house and I don’t really want to look for others. However, with this market, I don’t want to completely close the door to other opportunities. And it is a short sale, (in the second phase, whatever that means) and will take forever to decide on an offer to accept. Oh well, I will be searching for more houses to look at next week.
It is all in God’s hands and I know that he will work it all out to his glory. As I have said through this whole process is, He knows where I need to be when and for how much. I am glad that there is someone that knows what is going on.
Day 2 on the House Hunt
Hi, I’m back with more on the house hunt. I have learned some more things.
I don’t want a condo. It was mentioned a couple times that I look into them. I went to look at a few today and they are just glorified apartments and I don’t want to purchase an apartment. They are ok to rent…but not to buy. Half-plexes might be an option, I saw the outside and would like to see the inside of one that might work. It is on a corner and the two halves are painted different so they look like two different houses. On this one they only shared a wall in the garage, which might work. If I have to share a wall, that is the best option.
Today I saw a house that I really like and am looking into putting in an offer. I’m not sure how this actually works, but we will see. I need some numbers run and some questions answered first. I am keeping it all in God’s hands. There are a lot of variables in today’s market and I need to keep my options open. However I would be just fine with this one.
I will probably be going out next week again to see some more houses and we will see what we can find.
House Hunting
So many of you know that I am currently looking for a house to buy. While it is very exciting, it is very scary. It has been quite a learning experience even up to this point of just starting to go out and look at houses.
So far I have learned:
- I don’t like chain link fenced yards or duplex/apartment-villes
- I don’t like carpet
- I tend to only look at houses on-line if they have lots of pictures
- Houses can be deceiving – they look like they might work but underneath they are hiding lots of problems
- There are a lot things that I will have to buy that I never had to think about before – like lawn mowers, a fridge, vacuum, hoses, broom, trashcans…(and the list goes on and on)
- That I can live with less that I originally thought – especially if I am paying for it all
- When I make my list of things that I will have to purchase, there are many comforts and not needs that get crossed off the list
The list could continue for quite a while and I am sure that I will continue to learn many more things than I ever thought necessary.
I have some stuff packed away, I will have to go through it so I don’t duplicate or needlessly spend money. However, I bought a table and 4 chairs today, they were a steel, $67 for the set. Then I went with mom to Pier 1 and got some dishes, cute ones. :-}
I am going to look at houses with a Realtor tomorrow, again it is scary and exciting. I don’t know what to expect really. Or even how to do this. But it can’t kill me, cause lots of other people make it through alive. 🙂
This is all on house hunting for now – more to follow as the adventure continues.
Another Journey
This is an exercise in writing. Writing is something I’ve always wanted to do, but always been hesitant, my great fears raise their hoary heads, what will she look like, what will people think, it’s not good enough, others can but not me.
Well, I just took a deep breath, let it all out , holding my nose I’m jumping in……
This exercise tells me to take a quote and just start writing, I don’t know where I’ll end up but surely the journey will be interesting, (the “U” is in journey because this time you are invited.
Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives,
as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend … when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present-love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure – the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.
Sarah Ban Breathnach
What do I have abundance of—in material things—cloth, yarn, books, audio stories. What is abundance; where do I draw the line? If I have more than two towels, one to use and one to wash is that abundance – it isn’t lack for I have some…I guess I’ll have to look up abundance.
I have abundant grace; there is always enough grace, especially if I reach out for it. I am loved abundantly, regardless of me, by my heavenly Father and my husband.
I try to see where is the lack – yes there are things I don’t have, but put on a scale-side by side-I am so blessed. I have more than two of everything, except a husband and one is enough.
Am I tending the secret garden of abundance? Am I nurturing, pruning, fertilizing, weeding or do I take my abundance for granted?
I have a choice, Isn’t that powerful? I can choose to focus on abundance not on what I imagine as missing. Are those things really missing or are they just hidden in a corner of the secret garden where it is sheltered and the most tender of plants grow?
“the abundance that’s present” I have today. What a present!
“The wasteland of illusion” how often I get bogged down in the desert land-the barren land of the “Isn’t”. Lift up your eyes! Don’t choose to try to bring to life a wasteland when a secret garden is right at my doorstep of the present.
Abundance n. – great plenty; more than sufficient quantity (see abound)
Abundant adj. – very plentiful; more than sufficient; ample; rich in something
Lack n. – the fact or condition of not having enough; shortage; deficiency
Whew! What a ride! Are you still there in the backseat? Are you carsick yet?
NO, we are not there yet!
Discovery…Continued
Mom asked me to expound on what I meant, so here goes, hopefully I can say it like I think it…
When we wait around for the Isn’t in our life to become an Is, we miss out on a lot of things. I will use my self for an example, there are a lot of things in my life that I would like to be different, but it isn’t my time for that to happen. So instead of wallowing in the fact that there are Isn’ts, I am going on with my life and making discoveries that I would never come across if they were Is-es.
Does that make sense?
I received a card for my graduation with this quote that I think says what I am trying to say in another fashion.
“for a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life but there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. at last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. this perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. happiness is the way. so treasure every moment you have and remember that times waste for no one. happiness is a journey, not a destination.” [souza]
Thoughts of Grace 