Given that I am recovering from pneumonia this week and I am part of a household filled with guys.
When I saw the topic enjoy I thought I would talk about some of the ways my guys have let me know I am loved and cared for.
1. My son coming down and giving me his own cuddle blanket off the bed when I was going through the chills.
2. My son making me tea in an effort to help me get warm.
3. My husband running errands, and taking the boys to their events.
4. My international student helping my son get the garbage out to the curb for pick up in the morning.
5. That same student making himself his own supper.
6. My hubby doing the dishes.
7. A lad caring for my critters...even that over-protective mamma doe who is a tad scary.
8. A quiet house when hubby grabs up the boy and takes him out pokemon going so I can have a nap.
9. MEDICATION!!! God is good in providing help before I needed it.
10. TV, internet, computers, books...all these things that distract me and help me not feel like a resting lump of nothingness.
11. Community, family that prays, coworkers in the review world who pray, people who call offering support.
These are things that I am grateful for. Things that I have "enjoyed" while recuperating.
Why don't you help me to continue enjoy the community that surrounds us. Take part in this five minute Friday post. Let me know. let me see what this word enjoy means to you.
You can find the linky over at Kate's blog.
Five Minute Friday word is brought to us by Kate. Today's word in Journey.
I've had this word on my brain today as I've gone about my daily tasks. I wish I"d had time to write this morning, but just couldn't squeeze it in. My journey's have taken me away from the house this morning and into the helping hands of my hubby in the front yard and then calling for helping hands into the backyard. It's been a solidly good day.
First we had HOPE days where I led an art class and helped in a birding class. Then home for lunch, with hubby calling me out to help clean the trailer. The day was so lovely that once we had the trailer washed off I headed into the backyard. Since we have a move coming up I want to get things in good order in backyard. Today's task: Tidying up the wood and junk piles under the hedge. I'd already gotten out most of the garbage so now I just needed tidy up the woodpile.
I called out the boys to help with the light stuff, and they had it all tidied up in about 15 minutes, leaving me to get to work restacking wood into a more compact space. Tidying up found bricks and removing all lumber into one compact area.
It is SO GOOD to have that all done.
Well my friend Lori has been doing a book club along with Wendy... but I've been following their club for a bit and finally asked "so what you are reading for next month". AND... They were reading The Bronte Plot so I thought I'd join in.
I used to go to a book club and stopped because 1. they read weird books 2. the discussion quite frankly went over my head sometimes and 3. the timing wasn't working anymore.
I haven't had that with The Bronte Plot, I've actually quite enjoyed it.
The Lewis quote at the front of the book describes an aspect of Lucy at the beginning of this story. Why do you think she’d lost the power to enjoy books? Is there something in our lives that we can fail to see clearly and lose enjoyment for?The Lewis quote is this: Did you ever know a lover of books that with all his first editions and signed copies had lost the power to read them? Lucy lost the power to enjoy books because they became the story about them became more important than the story itself. And that happens sometimes, you can romanticize a figure or a story or a place so much that you fail to see what is right in front of your face.
Sid is one of the author’s favorites. What character trait do you think she found so attractive? She doesn’t tell you a lot about his background—any thoughts as to his story?
Sid is a gentle quiet soul with a surprising depth to him. I won't suppose his story, but he strikes me as one of those tall, mournful souls that sees into the heart of a person and that's all that matters...not all the business that surrounds it. Just the heart matters.
Was James justified in feeling so hurt when he found the forged inscription? How did he perceive Lucy’s struggle? Was it a betrayal, like he claimed?
Well yah. He paid for it believing it to be genuine. To feel hurt or angry would be a normative thing to feel. I suppose if you are in a relationship with someone such an ac would seem like a betrayal... or at least a theft. A betrayal as he claimed...they were two people, who at the time felt a connection but weren't truly in a relationship yet, so not sure that it's a betrayal except she never told him. He just kinda found out and well..not good.
Why did Helen hold on to the watch? Was she really afraid to let go? What did it cost her along the way?
I have to admit, not sure how to answer this question. Why hold on to it? It's youth and daring and first love. And holding on to that is sometimes very important. Letting it go meant living with the decisions one has made and sticking to them. Not sure that it cost her to let it go... what it did was release her to live with her decisions.
Lucy talks about “boiling a frog.” What does she mean?
You can boil a frog if you slowly change the temperature of the water, so slowly that the frog doesn't know it. Likewise you can mold or change a person if you make the changes slowly enough they don't know it... even dangerous changes. You can see it from the outside, but when you are in the pot, you can't always see it.
Do you agree with Lucy that each person has his or her own worldview? How did hers change? How did James’? Helen’s?
Of course people all have their own worldview. It can change when your perspective or life experiences help you re-evaluate what you held to be true. For instance a non-believer will adapt a Christian worldview IF they become a believer. A person who highly respects the law and is a law-abiding citizen may revamp their worldview when they see the legal system doing what it shouldn't be doing. A young criminal, with the help of other people, change his view on possession and ownership. Worldviews change and adapt as we mature as people.
How do you think Helen’s journey will affect her final days with her family?
If Helen lets go of her past, if she remembers the good days, and the harder days and releases it to live completely in the here and now... then yes, those final days will be different. People will see it in her.
This story is one of choices. How do you see them playing out with each character? In your own life? Are the choices not made as powerful as the ones we consciously make? Is there a difference between them?
Choices made, or not made always affect us. From how we respond when we accidentally walk out of the store with something unpaid for nestled in a pocket. Not a deliberate choice at the time, but how one responds after IS a deliberate choice. One can choose to correct a child for a minor detail, or let it go. One can watch ones tone in conversation or one can not. Choices always matter, some more than others though eh? :) Each of these characters wrestled with choices.
Helen in letting go of the past and making it right.
Lucy in figuring out how to correct the wrongs she had done and how to make it right, how to stay true to what she truly wanted, and seeing people for who they are.
James... to see what he truly wanted to be, as opposed to his family's expectations.
We all have choices? Thing is...what will we do when we realize some of the choices we have made?
You will have to go and visit Wendy at Ladybug Dreams and Lori and At Home where Life happens.
For some reason when I try to think of something to write for this word only.. this tune keeps running through my head.. "If only the lonely, ba ba ba badada..."
But it does make me think about something.
Before marriage I liked to listen to pop and country music... That was my style of music, that a variety of praise and worship music.
Then I got married...to a man who DESPISES country music and only tolerates pop. We found some common ground in jazz, and I discovered big band music which makes my husband smile.
BUT the biggest change is this.. HE LOVES rock music. Adores it. So what does he play as often as he can? Rock music.
Guess who is SLOWLY starting to like rock music? You got it right.. me. The other day he even caught bopping to some tune that 3 years ago I would have barely tolerated.... He likes me bopping to his music... again... it makes him smile.
So what can I say? "if only the lonely ba ba ba dadada...."
Hop on over to here and here to find more 31 day writers. :) Oh and Lisa from Canadian Homeschooler is doing a Canada series. See the rest of my series here.
Oh....not a word that I am comfortable with.
Well okay, truth be told... it's not that I am uncomfortable with the WORD confront, I just tend to try to avoid confrontation.
Even though I'd rather avoid confrontation, there are times when I do allow some confrontation in my life.
There's the natural bit of confrontation within a family as you raise a child, workout issues with a spouse and what not. Not talking about that kind of confrontation.
I raise rabbits and sell them.
In this day and age where people are moving farther from the farm, farther from seeing animals as animals, there are those who prefer to use words to redefine what I do.
They will say that they wish to adopt an animal, or that no one sells a pet, or they will pay a rehoming fee.
I quietly correct them, letting them know I am SELLING them an animal. It's important to understand the difference and to help educate people. Words matter. The more that we allow our language usage to be redefined by the animal rights folk, the more danger there is in losing our right to raise and breed animals for others to use and enjoy.
So this quiet type of confrontation I deliberately engage in.
Our sermon Sunday morning (at a different church) brought this need to confront into the spiritual realm. Pastor spoke about how God LONGS to be with his people and he reaches out to us in so many different ways that no one can truly say they haven't heard God's voice. So when people say "God ain't never done anything for me" that we should treat that as the blasphemy it is. Sometimes folks need to know exactly what they are doing, and that by doing so, we might help them be aware of what they are doing and THAT is work for the kingdom.
Now just what is a sign?
Is it a legal warning?
Such as beware the deer cross here?
That there is a limit to speed?
To know what is expected?
Is is a point of awareness?
A bird flying in a v...heading to warmer climes?
To know the changing of the seasons?
Or a look of displeasure?
To know a point of a communication?