Oh heavens…I have no real excuses.  This blog has been a sad sad testament to the busy-ness of the past month.  Abandoned and lonely, yet still attracting visitors daily, for which I am insanely humbled.  It seems that summer was good to this here blog, but since the academic year started, things went gone down hill.  And even though I suppose that is an excuse, it really isn’t.

The truth is, many other things have replaced this blog in terms of priorities.  And I’m okay with that.  I’ve been able to spend time with friends, start a small group Bible study in our home, and start a business!  I canned tomatoes for the first time, harvested fresh homegrown sweet peppers, and picked up our local beef from the meat processor.  I’ve enjoyed some beautiful fall weather, but fallen off the running bandwagon – though fear not! I got back on this morning.   I also photographed and helped lead a seminar at a student conference, and we managed to pick out a roof color and have our roof replaced!  Finally.

I’m hoping to update with pictures soon, including our house with its spiffy new roof  I have a “break” coming up next week, and we’ll see what I can accomplish during that time.  My main goal is to prime and paint the red room.  If I could finish that next week, I would be SO happy.

And yes, I did say I started a business.  And I am SO SO excited about it.  If you’re curious to know more, leave me a comment and I’ll fill you in…

I can’t believe it’s already been two years since we said “I Do”  Time has gone by fast, but it’s been beautiful and wonderful during it all.  Sure, there are moments where we disagree or things aren’t smooth and easy.  But I am still amazed at how much love one person can have for another.  It’s such a blessing.

Even though our celebration was cut short and didn’t go as plan, my husband still managed to be incredibly sweet.

And I loved walking around in the woods, happening upon beautiful scenery and small quiet places where we could just be together, smile at one another, and know that we’re happy.

I’ve realized more and more that marriage is such a mystery – two people becoming one, sharing life together, and yet, still remaining distinctly different.  Unique differences clashing at times, and yet strangely, spouses start to become like each other!  How funny, yet endearing.  And when you see it happening to yourself…oh the bliss!

Many more years to come  I’m looking forward to it !

Linking to…

One thing that’s always been a bit difficult for me is staying disciplined.  For some reason, I manage to re-think the way my life and stuff is organized about every 6 months.  I think it’s because I can’t handle clutter and excess.  And I have trouble sticking with patterns, so I need new ones every once in a while.

About 6 months ago, I started a weekly chore pattern, and succeeded about 80% of the time.  Some chores, and I’m gonna be VERY honest here, I just don’t care about.  To me, if you can’t see the dirt, it’s not there.  Hence why I sometimes skipped vacuuming our rugs or mopping the kitchen floor.  (Cleaning floors is probably my LEAST favorite chore!)  I also began to realize there are some chores I DO care about a lot – reducing clutter, having clean counters and tables, a well made bed, and clean bathrooms. After realizing this, I reevaluated my weekly chore list, flipped some things to different days since my summer schedule is very different from my academic year schedule, and have a new and improved weekly chore plan.  WOOT!  Aim for success by planning for it, that’s my thinking at least  Or, you could say I’m lowering my expectations and making it easier to succeed.  Either way, I’ll feel better about it, and that’s really all that matters, right?  Ha.  Sure.

The other thing I’ve revisited recently are daily disciplines that have become FAR LESS than daily.  As a Christian, I desire to grow in faith and my walk with the Lord daily, and frankly, I’ve become rather lazy at it.  My time spent reading scripture was decreasing more and more, and prayer was almost non-existent, except within the context of my job.  Working in full-time ministry is a blessing, but also a challenge.  When your job is so closely tied to your faith, it’s very easy for your faith walk to feel and become like a job, something you just do, not something that is woven into who you are, which is the way it’s supposed to be.

After realizing this, for probably the bazillionth time in my life, I recommitted myself to daily discipline and time with the Lord.  And I made a plan, which is really the key.  Without a plan set out, it’s easy for me to just skip out on it.  For now, I’ve decided to read one Psalm each day, and I’m doing a short daily scripture reflection from a book I own.  I’ve also added in some journaling and prayer time as well.  It has become a breath of fresh air, a blessing during my day.

I encourage you – take the time to evaluate your habits.  If the way your life is organized and the disciplines you’ve committed to aren’t working for you or aren’t satisfying, ask the tough questions – why?  Why isn’t it working?  For me, I was trying to fit into someone else’s patterns when it came to my housekeeping and chores, and I just needed to do a bit of tweaking.

Be blessed today!

Have you ever taken a look at your house, or in my case, your car, and noticed a lot of stuff? Clutter?  Or, if you’re like me, is your calendar super packed with activities and responsibilities with little room to breath?  I know that sometimes my life feels so full and it is easy to get swept up and feel a little bit out of control.

A few weeks back, I posted about how I try to keep our house tidy by making sure everything has a home.  And then, my friend Jill shared about how she keeps her life in order with a home management binder.  An idea I still have’t put into practice, all in good time though, right?

But today, I want to share about simple living.

Living simply is something that is so counter intuitive to our society.  We’re all quite busy and we’re all focused on meeting daily needs, wants and desires.  Advertisers vie for our attention non-stop, and various health professionals or organizations compete for the “right” solution to xyz problem, ultimately leading to more confusion.  It’s difficult to navigate life when it is so complex.

However, I do think it’s possible to simplify our lives.  It’s incredibly counter-cultural though, and people may look at you funny – it’s happened to me! – but it is totally worth it.

I’m not talking about selling everything and couch surfing, but about basic choices that will encourage a more simplified way of living – a way that allows more time for relationships that are important to you, decreases wasteful habits, and brings life instead of stress.  Don’t get me wrong though, you’ll encounter resistance, and that might feel stressful at first.  Change is never easy.  But give it a shot and see how things change. You might be surprised!

Here’s a few particular suggestions to get you thinking about simplifying:

1. If you’re relocating or moving, consider living closer to where you will work.  You will gain valuable time together as a family just by reducing your commute.  For some, this is a BIG sacrifice and fairly challenging – I know I was conditioned to like the idea of the suburban dream.  However, living in a city or in a small town is quite lovely also
2. Simplify your media intake.  If you want to be drastic, cut out TV.  This may sound appalling to most people, and when I share with folks that we don’t even own a TV, they’re pretty surprised.  It will force you to be creative, spend time with people, and try new things.  For children, their imagination will be encouraged and relational skills developed in positive ways (after they get over the lack of sponge bob…)   If that’s too extreme for your taste, try reducing gradually – maybe just one show a day or week.  If you go the route of completely cutting it out, you’ll also save money!  Huzzah!
3. Don’t always buy new.  Craigslist, yard sales, and Good Will are helpful tools to find exactly what you need.  Consignment stores are also great for clothing.  Or, get crafty and make it yourself!  I’m so glad my mom taught me how to sew, and I’m convinced that if you know how to drive a car, you can learn how to sew
4. Share stuff.  I’m not sure why it’s necessary for every person to own a lawn mower or ladder.  Sure, it’s convenient, but consider all the time it is stored and unused?  You could go in together with a neighbor or two and share yard supplies and cut down on cost, and maybe open up some free space in your garage.  You could even trade off taking care of each others yard.
5. Get rid of anything you haven’t used in the last 12 months.  This is tough for me – I always see potential in things.  But the truth is, if I haven’t used that item, read that book, or done that project yet, I probably never will.  Make it a habit to go through your closet at the end of each season and pull out items that don’t fit or you no longer wear – have a yard sale or donate them to the charity of your choice.  Give old toys to new families, and sell books on Amazon (I’ve made a bunch of $$ this way in the past month!)  Getting rid of stuff that is crowding our lives can help us simplify A LOT!

That’s just a few ideas to get you started.  I’m sure there are TONS more I could think of.  Or maybe you have your own.  Please share!

gracious |ˈgrā sh əs|adjective1 courteous, kind, and pleasant : smiling and gracious in defeat.• pleasantly indulgent, esp. toward an inferior.• elegant and tasteful, esp. as exhibiting wealth or high social status : the British painter specialized in gracious Victorian interiors | gracious living.2 (in Christian belief) showing divine grace :I am saved by God’s gracious intervention on my behalf.3 Brit. a polite epithet used of royalty or their acts : the accession of Her present gracious Majesty.exclamationexpressing polite surprise.DERIVATIVESgraciously adverbgraciousness nounORIGIN Middle English : via Old Frenchfrom Latin gratiosus, from gratia ‘esteem, favor’ (see grace ).

living |ˈlivi ng |noun1 [usu. in sing. ] an income sufficient to live on or the means of earning it : she was struggling to make a living as a dancer |what does he do for a living ?• Brit. (in church use) a position as a vicar or rector with an income or property.2 [with adj. ] the pursuit of a lifestyle of the specified type : the benefits of country living.adjectivealive : living creatures | [as plural n. ] ( the living) flowers were for the living. See note at alive .• (of a place) used for living rather than working in : the living quarters of the ship.• (of a language) still spoken and used.• poetic/literary (of water) perennially flowing : streams of living water.PHRASESbe ( the) living proof that (or of) show by one’s existence and qualities that something is the case : she is living proof that hard work need not be aging.in (or within) living memory within or during a time that is remembered by people still alive : the worst recession in living memory.the living image of an exact copy or likeness of.live 1 |liv|verb1 [ intrans. ] remain alive : the doctors said she had only six months to live | both cats lived to a ripe age.• be alive at a specified time : he lived four centuries ago.• spend one’s life in a particular way or under particular circumstances : people are living in fear in the wake of the shootings.• [ trans. ] lead (one’s life) in a particular way : he was living a life of luxury in Australia.• supply oneself with the means of subsistence : they live by hunting and fishing.• survive in someone’s mind; be remembered : only the name lived on.• have an exciting or fulfilling life : he couldn’t wait to get out of school and really start living.2 [ intrans. ] make one’s home in a particular place or with a particular person : I’ve lived in New England all my life | they lived with his grandparents.PHRASESas I live and breathe used, esp. in spoken English, to express one’s surprise at coming across someone or something : good Lord, Jack Stone, as I live and breathe!be living on borrowed time see borrow .live and breathe something be extremely interested in or enthusiastic about a particular subject or activity and so devote a great deal of one’s time to it : they live and breathe Italy and all things Italian.live and let live proverb you should tolerate the opinions and behavior of others so that they will similarly tolerate your own.live by one’s wits see wit 1 .live dangerously do something risky, esp. on a habitual basis.live for the moment see moment .live in hope be or remain optimistic about something.live in the past have old-fashioned or outdated ideas and attitudes. • dwell on or reminisce at length about past events.live it up informal spend one’s time in an extremely enjoyable way, typically by spending a great deal of money or engaging in an exciting social life.live off (or on) the fat of the land see fat .live off the land see land .live out of a suitcase live or stay somewhere on a temporary basis and with only a limited selection of one’s belongings, typically because one’s occupation requires a great deal of traveling.live one’s own life follow one’s own plans and principles independent of others.live rough live and sleep outdoors as a consequence of having no proper home.live to fight another day survive a particular experience or ordeal.live to regret something come to wish that one had not done something : those who put work before their family life often live to regret it.live to tell the tale survive a dangerous experience and be able to tell others about it.live with oneself be able to retain one’s self-respect as a consequence of one’s actions :taking money from children—how can you live with yourself?long live ——! said to express loyalty or support for a specified person or thing : long live the Queen!where one lives informal at, to, or in the right, vital, or most vulnerable spot : it gets me where I live.you haven’t lived used, esp. in spoken English, as a way of enthusiastically recommending something to someone who has not experienced it: : you haven’t lived until you’ve tasted their lobster ravioli.you (or we) live and learn used, esp. in spoken English, to acknowledge that a fact is new to one.

Good grief, that is a long definition!  This phrase, gracious living, has been on my mind a lot lately.  Mostly because it describes what I aspire towards – living graciously.  I want to be frugal, resourceful, kind, pleasant, and generous.  But I also want to live with gusto!  I want to extend grace to others, and receive it as well.  It reminds me of the Proverbs 31 passage that describes the wife of noble character.  The description is quite detailed, and honestly, a lot to live up to!  I feel the same way about gracious living.

To me, the phrase just really embodies what I want our marriage, our house, our lives to be like – full of gracious living.  Perhaps this might become a new blog name for me

In celebration of our upcoming first anniversary, I thought I’d put together a few wedding/marriage related posts.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to go on and on about flowers and crinolines (okay, maybe I will…I haven’t written all of the posts yet), but hopefully I’ll share a few stories that you’ve never heard!

If you didn’t already guess from the title, this week you’re going to hear the story of how DH and I first met and got acquainted!  It’s a cute story.  But I’m biased, of course!

Way way way back in the day (2005) I moved to western Massachusetts to start my first job after graduating from college.  I was eager to make friends and find a welcoming church community, so my roommates and I set out one Sunday morning to go church “shopping.”  It was the first Sunday of the academic year, so there were tons of students at the church we visited and everyone was super friendly.  I loved it there!  Even better – they had a “20-somethings” growth group (code for Bible study) that met every week.  Score!

I wasn’t really paying attention during the announcement of said group gathering, but thankfully my roommate was.  She ended up getting the phone number of the guy in charge, and two nights later, she dragged me and our other roommate to the little gathering.

I was pleasantly surprised by the lively group – mostly grad students, but some young professionals, and a few local folks that had stuck around in the area.  It was an odd bunch (let me tell you…but that’s Amherst for ya!) and it was a little uncomfortable having three new people show up all at once and being put on the spot, but I really enjoyed the community and felt like it was a place I would be encouraged in my faith.

And…..there were boys.  :-)  I fully admit to letting my eyes pass around the room and sorta evaluating the possibilities.  Some nice guys for sure! And who happened to be in the room but my future husband!  But I had no clue at the time.  And honestly, I didn’t really notice him other than that I thought that he seemed like a shy nerdy guy with funky fashion taste.  That was about it.

I think we both wish we could say it was mutual love at first sight, but sorry folks, not true.  I didn’t have a clue what a gem DH would turn out to be.

But apparently, he noticed me. And I bet DH wishes he could say that he whisked me off my feet with the one-liner that supposedly bounced around in his head (“Who’s that foxy Dane?”), but alas, no.  Many, many, many months later – a year and a half! – and after coming to my sense about what a great guy he is, which then led to a dropping of the hint by yours truly (all it took was my AIM address in one mass email to our whole Bible study group) and subsequent flirty, conversations, and several ambiguous and awkward dates, he finally let the cat out of the bag that he liked me.  *swoon*

Ah, young love.

My former punk-rock DJ of a husband told me yesterday that there is a song called “The Day That Farrah Fawcett Died”.  Kind of a morbid title if you ask me, but it was originally written maybe 20 years ago, so I think it was more a tribute to her pop-culture icon status.

I had no idea this even existed, but DH insisted on playing it yesterday on our stereo.  It’s by the Vandals.  I don’t know how to describe it, but it was odd listening to that song on the actual day that it describes.

And then we found out Michael Jackson died too.  Whoa.  Really?  I couldn’t believe it.  A bittersweet day for pop-culture junkies for sure.  And I was even a little bit sad – MJ gave us Billie Jean, the moonwalk, hyperbolic sleeping chambers, the best music videos ever, and probably was a person that paved the way for African Americans to have greater influence in our society.

Yesterday (well, technically, 4 AM today, but it felt like yesterday…) was also the day that we decided to sleep in the basement one last time because of the unbearable heat, and woke up to a bat flying around above our heads!

We some how finagled the thing outside, praise the Lord!  Actually, it was my husband who did the dirty work, while I squealed in fear underneath the sheets.  I have a friend named Amy who woke up to a bat sleeping right next to her, so I consider myself lucky!

The day that Farrah Faucet died, MJ died too, and we had an intimate encounter with a bat.  Weird day.

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Ok, are you ready?

At church yesterday morning, I did not avoid talking to the pastor at the church we were visiting as we were leaving because I felt some dissonance with his sermon.  And no, I did not start daydreaming about home decorating while he was preaching on Revelation.  Nope, not me!

Jerod leaves for a conference this week, and on Sunday when he returns, I will most definitely not be skipping picking him up at the airport because I’m presenting at a local church. Nope, not me!  (I actually feel bad about this one…)

After being sick for several days, no I did not scowl in my sort-of slumber this morning at 1 AM when Jerod created a pillow barricade to block my runny-nose induced snoring. Nope.  And, no I am not spending all day in my sweats reading blogs, watching TV, sleeping getting better today.  Nope, not me!

When Jerod explained that large donors to Rose-Hulman (his alma mater) receive a RHIT jacket with the school tartan as the print, no I did not refuse to stand next to him or associate with him at future RHIT events, even though we will likely never give that much to the school.  Apparently there is a lot of pride involved in wearing these jackets. I have too much pride not to! Nope, not me!

Oh how I wish I could find a picture of those lovely ugly jackets so you could understand!

And finally, no I did not eat four cookies for lunch the other day when I was home by myself.  And no my husband did not shake his head at me in disappointment over my failure to eat normal foods when I’m by myself.  Nope, not me!

And now, off to snack on a cookie…

The past few days I have been making a lot of fundraising calls, some have been wonderful conversations with alumni I’ve never met, a few have asked me to call back at  better time, and many have been me practicing leaving voice mails.  Getting back into fundraising more whole heartedly has been difficult, but not especially frustrating.  It is, however, making me realize how much I want to reach my full budget and really get a chance to do my job to the best of my ability.  It’s reminding me how much I really believe in what I’m doing, even if it’s hard.  

In an odd way, I’m grateful for the challenge of Jesus in scripture and in my life:

“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore prayer earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his field.‘”  Matthew 9:35-38   

I am a laborer in the field, but fundraising has reminded me that I cannot do it apart from others (and God!)

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.  And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 1:3-6

I’m very grateful for the call on my life to serve, and the provision God has sent my way through the blessings of many people.  

What are you grateful for?