Scenic Route

I keep coming across the concept of choosing one word to focus on for the coming year.  For years I've chosen a theme or one particular scripture, but never just one Word.  It was fun roping in all my goals and aspirations and boiling them down to one Word.  After much thought...ta da!  My word is: I figured that my other pet words/ideas all fell under the umbrella of this one fruit of the Spirit that I desire so badly to embrace (embrace was actually one of my word wanna be's :) and exhibit.  I want to experience Peace with my heavenly Father in all the ways He wants His children to.  I want to experience it in all my relationships.  I want to internalize it and have it materialize in my physical life.  This is an excellent time of life to begin to cultivating peace. To that end, I came across the following in a great book I read last year on the beatitudes: A WOMAN OF PEACE She has surrendered her life to God and she's not mad about it....

A few days ago I returned home from running errands just as an afternoon snow storm was beginning.  A mug of hot tea in hand, I headed upstairs to my evolving new sewing room in the loft--for the rest of the afternoon.  Ahh...a foretaste of heaven! I have purposely left the windows curtain-less as they make me feel like I'm in a tree house--the views and light delight me no matter the time of day or the season.  Every time I looked up from my sewing, I just smiled out loud.  So, I finished a baby gift of receiving blankets and bibs for a dear young friend... and dug out some UFOs... I started the binding for this table topper... and laundered this black & red dresser topper for my bedroom... and came across these happy birds that I had started last summer and plan to finish up into a runner... Then, how about the traditional Mongolian ger furniture?  I ordered some made back in UB and it came back with some of our other furniture and belongings l...

From my front window in Colorado Mahanaim --it's a Hebrew word meaning Double Camp.  What a journey I've traveled since this word, Mahanaim, came my way! This is a long blog, I know; and I have no idea if anyone will take the time to read it.  However, I do need to write it. From my front window in UB, Mongolia A year ago I was agonizing over what I should do with myself and where in the world I should do it.  I was frustrated.  I am a nester at heart.  My home in Colorado was soon to be empty what with my daughter and family moving into their own place and my husband was/is happily consumed with his work in Mongolia.  Barb, a dear Aussie sister in Mongolia, looked at me during a verbal spew and said, "Well, it sounds like you just need to make two homes."  Stunned silence.  Of course!  Bless you, Barb, wherever you are.  Days later, I came across Mahanaim in Gen 32:2 --it seemed to reinforce Barb's counsel.   Now, I am ...

  but the land you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year. Deut. 11:11,12 I don't really consider myself a List Person; though I do rely on them--as tools and not as task masters (big difference, there).  For most of my adult life I have made New Year goals.  Somewhere along the way I switched from making resolutions to setting goals .  Much more flexible and forgiving.  Goals are something I stretch and strive to accomplish--resolutions smack of should's, failure and guilt.  Yuk.  Who wants or needs more of that stuff? This year's goals are very practical and totally submitted to my Father's good, acceptable and perfect will.  The primary goal is Getting a Life.  Sort of a big one.  The last decade I have been very Reactive rather than Proactive . My life during this tim...