trust

"Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.”

(Psalm 116:7)

six on a sunny sunday

I love lots of things.


Lots of things to love.

...but for the sake of six, I'll attempt to narrow it down. 



Today, just...this.




1.  The street lined with American flags, waving in the breeze.


2.  Chatting it up with sweet Subway employees & teasing good-natured strangers
about Sunday afternoon silliness.


3.  Greeting Audrey at the door & giggling through her excited discussion of her oh-so-beautiful butterfly dress. 

(And the bow! in the back!)

(And the other bow! in her hair!)


4.  My VERY OWN, brand new North Carolina library card.


5.  Owo' hurrying outside to see "Gwanma & Gwanpa," my elderly downstairs neighbors, and his sweet wave and "hewwo" ...and their utter delight.


6.  Windows and doors wide open with nary a sneeze to be found!



Now you tell me if I'm wrong, but that's some pretty great right there, don't ya think?



I hope you're having a happy, happy Sunday :)

fortunately 50 weeks or so is, like, a lot

So I'm just going to give it to y'all straight.  We're two weeks into the year and I'm not revived yet.  Truth be told?  Not even close...

I know picking an annual word isn't about setting goals per se.  It's more about shifting my attitude & my thinking & what-have-you, and in that way I suppose I'm progressing a little, but I'm still waking up tired & back-achy and limping around like a 60-year-old (which is fine and dandy if you're, you know, 60 years old...).

Apparently it takes more than two weeks to feel the results of behaving like a grownup.

...and speaking of behaving responsibly, today seems like a good time to share a little in the way of an update.  It is becoming increasingly obvious to me that I am an easily distracted, Meant-Well-Molly so it would behoove me to find some accountability.  and fast.

Sorry folks (shout-out to Donita!!), but you're it. 


I've been eating better, aka dieting, for the last couple of weeks and I'm just gonna say it.  I'm not svelte yet.  I still haven't bought new bathroom scales because WHO REALLY WANTS TO KNOW, and besides, did you know there are now about a hundred different choices?  What happened to plain old scales with the little needle that swings and gives you temporary hope?  Also the treadmill in our tiny little, oh let's just call it a "gym" because it sounds really impressive,  weighs me everytime I log in so I have a general idea.   

And it says I am not yet svelte.

(I'm certain it has nothing to do with the poppyseed chicken with rosemary rolls I made for the girls last weekend or the Papa John's I ate yesterday.)

I suppose svelte-ness wasn't built in a day, but I surely wish things would hurry along.  I really miss my Pepsi.  And foods that you chew.  

Who am I kidding?  I mostly miss doing whatever I want.  


My word! I'm rambly today!  

For those of you who haven't already fallen asleep...regarding the rest of my life that isn't focused on my nonexistent bathroom scales I shall summarize my quest for revival below.


1.  I have been enjoying the aforementioned treadmill  but I do find it OH SO HARD to walk all the way up the hill to our "gym."  I blame it on the rain.  And having to look acceptable to the general  public on a rainy day even though I have yet to run into another human person in said gym.  Whatever.

2.  Still little progress in settling into a new church, but I have been "attending" a few services online.  This newfangled world is both helpful and confusing.  I had decided where I was going to attend last Sunday and had Kate pack suitable adorable-ness for Audrey, who was spending the night with me.  I was excited to "check things out" in person because I really liked the pastor online.  When the time came to load her car seat I realized my car is packed floor to ceiling with Christmas that needs to go to storage.  No space for a four-year-old anywhere in said vehicle, so back to the computer I went.  sigh.  Next week I'll be at The Sea, and two weeks after that I'll be in Houston (Texas!) (Yaay!), so obviously this is going to be a slow process.

3.  All I'm going to say about sleep is that I was awake at 3:30 last night.  And that's all I'm going to say about sleep.


4.  I'm memorizing Scripture with approximately 11,000 other optimistic human people and am staying on top of it so far (two weeks!) (yaay!).  I learned my first verse and have begun my second.  Of course as I was writing out the second one I realized I completely forgot to learn the reference of the first.  

(She's already behind, Sally!)

Whatever.  
I like to think I give hope to dozens of try-hards all over this great land of ours.   


I suppose revival, not unlike svelte-ness, isn't built in a day. 



Happy Wednesday-ing :)

msm: baby steps

Try as I might, it has become abundantly clear that one cannot thrive at 47(!) years old on Dr. Pepper & Pepsi alone.  It seems the prudent thing to do would be to watch my calories at least some of the time and perhaps exercise more than once a month.


I don't like it, but if one is to revive I suppose it's necessary.


Whatever.

a whole lot of words about the word

For the life of me I'm not sure why this post has been so hard for me to put down on paper.

I've written a dozen variations in my head over the last couple of weeks as I've contemplated the coming year, and how I want it to look & what I want to do with it...


I've been amazed at the things I've learned with choosing a simple word to inspire/direct my focus instead of ambling through my days all reactive (my natural default).  

I've learned a lot, and I think I've accomplished a bit.  I think maybe I've loved just a little better...I hope I've encouraged someone else this year.  

I do know that my heart has grown and stretched in ways it never has before.

(I'm pretty sure I am not at all the same.)

So there's that.


However, 2012 is over and it's time to march into the new year. 

It's time for me to share my word for 2013.  


Learning to become more intentional & filling my life with purpose has been AWESOME.  But y'all.  I'm EXHAUSTED.  (Inside & out!)  

Mary suggested back in October that maybe my word for 2013 should be rest.  Ha!  I'm thinking probably not...Yet I do feel considerably out-of-whacky.

As is so often the case for me, as I figured some things out this year some other things got all off-kilter.  Someday perhaps I'll get everything in balance (maybe that should have been my word!) but for now I'm still just learning as I go.


(Hopefully that's a truth that will encourage all of you sweeties reading this...Our days are filled with learning as we go; as long as we're open and willing to stretch God will teach!)


Can I tell you a secret?

As I enter 2013 I'm feeling my years - and a fair amount of neglect.  


I'm so fatigued I find myself longing for a nap in the middle of my
 shiny! new to me! mall with the awesome food court! 

Parts of me hurt without explanation.  I weigh more than I have in, well, EVER, and I'll just say it.  That makes the girl inside me all twitchy and stressed.  

My eating habits have deteriorated.  

My quiet time has been hit or miss.  

I don't have a "church home."

I've been so! very! busy! being purposeful that I haven't taken the time to stay charged up myself.  I've tried so hard not to be selfish that I've neglected that crucial fill-up time.

(I've also watched too much TV but whatever.)


Basically, I'm pooped out.

Revive: Give new life or energy to.


So this year, as I continue to seek His purpose in my every day, I'm going to focus also - just the healthiest bit - on, well, being healthy.


So what in the world will that look like, you ask?


Well, for starters I begin an earnest search for my new church.  I find a Bible study with women who can no doubt provide some support & accountability.   

I resume my focus on healthy eating (just cutting back on the Pepsi y'all; I haven't completely lost my mind!)   I embrace (kicking & screaming) a healthier lifestyle...silly things like trying to sleep regular hours and eat at regular times, and Heaven help us all, exercising on a regular basis.  Between you & me?  Formal exercise?  I'm NOT A FAN.  But all the experts insist that exercise is quite reviving ;)


So there you have it.  

New life.  New energy.



...things are about to get all interesting up in here.

SSMT 2013!

Hey y'all, I'm just hopping on to share my very first memory verse for 2013 :)


It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
Psalm 18:32 (NIV)



(And now, back to your regularly-scheduled Holiday...)