150th Posting on Monablog

Autumn has arrived! At the office this week seemed like everyone pulled out their festive fall hues and enjoyed the cool mornings and the pleasant afternoons. Then as the sun went beyond the horizon again the cool of the evening was so enjoyable. It has been wonderful convertible weather and I have run as many errands as possible to to take it all in. Last night and tonight, we even had to run the heater while we drove around. Love it! I knew Autumn would come, I was just so impatient for it to arrive. This past week has been glorious. We have waited, prayed and not beyond the bribing of cooking, non shaving of legs and the threat of wearing pantyhose, I think it has been worth it all.

I didn't give any thought to my 100th post but I thought I would take the moment and try to do say or do something special to celebrate this milestone. I have been giving this much thought for several days and nothing new or creative came, so you will be getting the same Monablog, not new and improved, but yet you'll get the same Monablog buttery goodness.

Steve Knox did our devo for Ministries staff on Tuesday morning. Interactive and thought provoking. He asked for sayings that were said in our homes growing up. Nothing that I heard as a child rang true to what others were saying but I was able to give this one, "when you're smiling the whole world smiles with you, but when you're pouting, the whole world dances on your lips." If you are making a puzzled face right now, don't worry that is what everyone else did as well. Then he asked what encouraging statements did we hear as children. Nancy you idiot, you'll be the death of me" isn't really an encouraging statement, so I did not share. Then he asked us what God was speaking to us right now and we were to take that and tear it out of the construction paper in front of us. So I thought. This is where my creativity breaks down, anything artistic. For some strange reason I have been struggling of late in how different I am from most and I have been beating myself up over that. It is strange because I have always liked not being able to be categorized or put in a box. I fight that kind of thing with vigor. My mindset is, don't label me. While I have wrestled with this, God has been speaking over me...that is how He made me. See Psalm 139 for any type of reminder. Nancy, my Word doesn't return void, so get over your different self and know I am God. Brilliant, I tore out a snowflake because no two snowflakes are alike. I did not share my work of art with the group but afterwards someone came up to me and said, "did you make a snowflake?" Yes. "Did you do that because (add a sneer to the next words) you are so different? It took a moment to stop my emotions from reeling and I anchored myself on the Word of God in Psalm 139. I said, "yes, I am fearfully and wonderfully made and I am different and unique. My husband and friends love me this way. My name is Nancy and I have been different for 53 years." I got the standard reply of this person when they have no clue, mmm....uh huh...yes... yes...yes.... Steve left us with a quote, “Don’t ask what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive…because what the world needs is people who are alive.”
Wild at Heart, John Eldridge

That might also include the hills, because we all know the Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Music. Tee hee...

Dena went to Colorado a couple of weeks ago and heard David McCullough (author of Truman and John Adams and other books) speak at the conference she attended. He said that people don't write enough anymore. That writing is thinking and we need to write to help process our thoughts. The more we write, the better able we are to think through a process. I love to write and that prompted all kinds of images and words to construct into sentences, but I remembered that at times our words to those we love are some of the most important words we can write, think through and process. I am guilty of saying this and know others are as well, but when we can't find the words to express appreciation or thankfulness, we say, you'll never know what this means to me. And we are right, they will never know because we have not taken the time to process our thoughts of their kindness and love extended to us. It is so important to tell those we love, our family and friends, that we do and then take the time to write out why. If you are not used do doing this, it will take some effort at first, but when it becomes a part of you, the words flow seamlessly and effortlessly, because the time has been taken at some point to process.

I read an article in the New Yoker by Steve Martin. Finding out what funny is, is the subtitle. Very interesting to me how he worked on his comedy routines and finally came to the conclusion he had to stop using tired old jokes, worn out lines and other people's material. He needed to write and perform from his own unique viewpoint. Something I did not know, he and Stormie Omartian worked at Knot Berry Farm in California and they had a "thing" going on.

So I am trying this new schedule to wash my hair. Now I am washing my hair before going to sleep at night. I get at least 15 more minutes to sleep in the morning. But I am getting too confused and I think I should have washed my hair last night instead of tonight. Oh, it will get washed tonight, but why I am finding this so confusing, I don't know.

On Monday I am going to put fresh green beans and ham in the crock pot. I am going to add some field peas toward the end of the process. That will be some good Southern cooking.

Dang, I thought I would write 150 paragraphs for my 150th post.... Oh well... Instead I think I will go read the 150th Psalm, then wash my hair...then try to figure out when I have to wash it again... Yep, I am different and wonderfully made... but I am not a wonderful maid. I am still trying to get all happy over the housework thing, but haven't found the happy yet.