Conversations with God

A friend of mine posted this quote on Facebook the other day and it has been in my mind ever since. (Thank you, Pam!)

"When your ordinary work or business is not specially engrossing, let your heart be fixed more on God than on it; and if the work be such as to require your undivided attention, then pause from time to time and look to God, even as navigators who make for the haven they would attain, by looking up at the heavens rather than down upon the deeps on which they sail. So doing, God will work with you, in you, and for you, and your work will be blessed. "

~St. Francis de Sales

I like the thought of being actively connected to God throughout the day.  Isn't it amazing that we can have simple, everyday conversations with the Creator of the universe?  It's incredible really.  I like talking to God all through my day.  Many times when I try to sit down for a traditional-type prayer time, my mind wanders all over the place and my attention gets so distracted.  I end up feeling more frustrated than refreshed.  Having an on-going conversation with God that doesn't really have an "amen" works so much better for me.  Sometimes I do actually stop what I'm doing for a more focused prayer, but mostly I just talk to God everywhere:  when I'm mowing, when I'm driving, when I'm crocheting, when I'm doing dishes, when I'm cutting out fabric.......well, you get the picture.  Now please don't think I'm some paragon of prayer!  Far, far from it!  I wish I were better at having longer prayer times, I wish I did more praying.  I guess there is always something to strive for.  For years I stressed over having a certain section of the day carved out for prayer, and always felt like such a failure when I didn't do well at it.  Having this never-ending conversation with God instead works so much better for me.  Now instead of so much stress there is an enjoyment of God in a different way and a longing for more.  Maybe this is what the Word meant by "Pray without ceasing"---a continuous conversation with God that is not ever very far from our minds.  I hope so, because I rather like it.

 

Back To The Grind

So now the Stay-cation is a week over and I'm working on getting back into the grind again.  It's always so unpleasant to have to go back to work after a nice time off, isn't it?  I suppose there are people who love their jobs so that going back isn't too bad.  And I can't say my job is awful.  I just don't love my work.  But it's a job and it provides me a good living, so I cannot complain.  Anyway.  My last 2 days off that I never did blog about were just putzy days.  I love those kind of days.  I do my best work then!  Those days when I don't really have an agenda, just puttering around the house doing what comes to mind---and I feel like doing.  Some of those days I don't get much done, but some "putzy" days I bumble along and actually accomplish chores that are on "The List".  =)  I had already determined that Tuesday--the last day--would be an absolute do-what-I-want kind of day.  I had made up my mind! lol  In actuality, Monday and Tuesday both turned out that way.  It was a nice, relaxing end to my Stay-cation.  I didn't accomplish much of what was on my hope-to-get-done-on-vacation list, but that's ok.  I had fun and that is what matters.  So now I'm back in the saddle, as it were.  Back to the work/eat/sleep pattern, with a little fun and chores in between.  Today I had planned to get into the the Studio and sew, but as I write this I have yet to get there!  However, I did get some stuff done that has been on my mind, so no worries.  I have decided to try something.  Having this little shop is nice, but it also is proving to be a stressor.  I'm always feeling like there is a thumb in my back pushing me to get things ready to sell.  So every bit of spare time I'm thinking I should be sewing for the shop.  But then I see things like the windows needing washed and some extra work out in the yard that needs doing, not to mention the regular house cleaning, and I get stressed wondering how I'm going to do it all.  So I've come up with a Plan.  I've divided the month into weeks and will try to work on shop stuff the first and third weeks, leaving the other two weeks for things that need done around the house and my own person crafting (like making cards!).  It may not work, but I'm going to try it.  I have to do something or I will have to take time away from the shop completely.  Either that or have a nervous breakdown---something I'm sure no one wishes to see! Not be a pretty sight! lol  Having a Plan makes me feel better already though, so I hope it works.  In the meantime, today is a beautiful day.  The sun is shining and it's been cool enough to have the back door and a window open.  The fresh air smells so good!  Chris Botti is keeping me company and there is Starbucks on tap.  So even if I get nothing done in the Studio, it's ok.  I will enjoy this day that God has made and not stress!  =) 

Stay-cation Days 3-4-5!

As you can see, my stay-cation vacation ran away with me!  Ooh the days fly by when you're having fun--and even when you are not!  Friday (aka Day 3) dawned and suddenly my get-so-much done time at home came to a screeching halt (brakes squealing and even a little smoke!).  Have you ever woken (is that even a word?) and felt like you had been hit by a very large delivery van?  That was Friday.  And I was doing so well, too!  I had it all together, ticking things off the list left and right.  I felt just a bit like my friend Karin in Texas who is always so organized and does things like steaming all her carpets and re-sodding her small patch of lawn on her vacation days.  I'm so jealous!  Anyway, Friday, it seemed my organization and motivation had also gone on vacation.  I did manage a little sewing and another section of lawn, but other than that.......  Friday night the gallbladder was not happy (hadn't been all day, in spite of much water drinking which usually calms it down), so sleep was......partial, shall we say.  But it was better Saturday morning(Day 4), so off I went to Craft Day at church.   We gals get together the 2nd Saturday of every month for crafting---or I should say THEY get together every month.  I only get there about half the year d/t my work schedule.  Grr!  Anyway, this month we did cards for Operation Write Home, which is a group that sends blank handmade cards to soldiers which they can in turn send back to their families.  It's a pretty cool thing.  (Check it out here.)  It was really fun to make cards with other people for a change.  We ended up with 48 cards, which I think was a good days work.  =)  I had intended to get some mowing done after crafting, but on the way home there was rain.  Oh so sad that I could not mow! lol  But it really turned out to be a good thing (divine intervention maybe?), because I also needed to cook for our church lunch the next day.  If I had gone out and mowed the field like I had planned, I would have been so tired to have to cook afterwards.  What did I make?  Bacon potato salad (recipe here ), and a peanut butter/oatmeal cookie with mini m&m's in them.  That one came from my own cookbook.  I'm too lazy to write out the recipe today, but if you want it, just comment or email me.  =)  So that was Saturday.  Saturday night the gallbladder again was not happy.  This time I know it was my fault.  I made homemade spaghetti sauce and just plain ate too much!  I have got to learn to change my eating habits to accomodate this "older" body!  I must learn to graze instead of eating at the trough! lol  Not to mention the habits of adding much more fiber and drinking more water!  Both are absolutely necessary for gallbladder health and contentment! (as well as many other organs! lol)  Anyway, once again, sleep was rather elusive.  But the good news about that was the next day was Sunday--Day 5--the day of rest!  So after church (very good) and lunch with church family (also very good), there was napping (exquisite)!  I miss Sunday afternoon napping.  I grew up doing it, but with my current work hours (including early bedtime), an afternoon nap is usually counterproductive.  But this Sunday I did not have to work the next day, so napping was definitely the thing to do!  Ahhhh......so lovely.  Sunday was finished off by a visit from some very dear friends.  There was singing and music and food (homemade ice cream!) and much, much laughter.  Positively delicious.  I really must take vacation more often!  =)

Stay-cation Day 2

Day two started out with a visit to the dump.  I told you there would be much excitement! lol  I don't know why I don't make it a point to go more often, especially in the Summer.  No, it's not because the dump is a fun place to go!  Although one does see some interesting characters there.  The reason I should go more often is the smell--and the mess.  But it's a pain to travel 8 miles to the dump with one lonely bag of garbage!  So I don't.  Which means that by the time I collect several bags, the first one has been in the can a while---especially since I started recycling.  This isn't too bad in the cooler weather, but in the Summer.........let's just say that by the time I go to the dump the garbage is rather.....'fermented'.......phew!  This round was especially lovely---probably due to that white chicken chili that I blogged about a while ago! lol  So anyway, after the "garbage outing" I cleaned the house and did some laundry.  I know why I usually go away for vacation.  When I am in Acadia National Park, the only things I have to think about are where to go visit today, what waves to photograph and what to eat next!  It's lovely to stay at home (vs going to work), but when I am here it's hard to ignore the mowing and cleaning, etc.  Consequently there is not as much relaxing going on.  But that's ok.  At least I am not punching a clock!  I'm making bags instead.  =)  Which is what I did for most of the rest of the day yesterday (with a several hour break in the afternoon for my date with Fred!)  I'm getting more put together in putting the bags together.  Getting this bag making down to a science.  Of course I'll finally get it exactly right and then I'll decide to move on to another pattern! lol  I have this endless parade of bag ideas running through my head.  I really need to get a sketch book and start drawing some of them out (very rough drawings you understand! lol) So that's my exciting Day 2.  Can you stand it all?  =)

"Stay-cation" Day 1

Be prepared for much excitement and adventure!  You'll find it all here in my "Stay-cation" journal!  It's going to be so fun I think you may have to sit down. lol  Anyway, technically today is Day 2, but you can't really blog about what the happenings of a day until the day has happened, can you?  So here it is: Day 1.

First we must start with the evening before Day 1, the evening after the last day of work.  This is always one of the most "funnest" times of vacation, don't you think?  You're done with work, you're free for an entire week (or long weekend, or however many days off) and it's all there stretching in front of you.  The excitement in the air is high and you're just plain giddy with relief.  That's my favorite part anyway.  A close second is the morning of Day 1.  You wake up and realize: A. you don't have to go to work, and B. you can make your own schedule for the rest of the week.  Ahhh!  Anyway, back to the eve of Day 1.  I went to visit some friends and we had an evening of food, fun and fellowship.  We had Thai food-compliments of my hostess (yummy!), and chocolate cake-compliments of me (also yummy--even if I do say so myself!).  While we ate we watched The Ultimate Gift.  If you haven't seen it, you must.  It's a wonderful story.  After that we were just visiting and then my friend started searching for Chris Botti music.  We were expecting maybe some short clips or singles but what we found was a full length concert---in HD no less!  So, even though it was late, we settled in for some great music.  My friends have a very large projector screen and projector so that they can play movies/tv on the big screen.  Seeing the concert this way was amazing!  I felt like I had actually been to a Chris Botti concert (minus my aching wallet and the serpentine line to the women's room!).  That boy sure knows how to play the trumpet!.  The movie was nice, but that concert was the jewel of the evening for me (well, besides being with friends, of course!), and the perfect way to start my vacation!  Oh, I mean stay-cation.  =)

So now we come to Day 1.   It went a little like this:  lazy morning which included Starbucks and a little fabric shopping online (ooh they make it way too easy to do this!), followed by a not-so-lazy afternoon with Fred.  But the exercise felt soooo good.  It's been a few days since I was out mowing and I could tell it!  I've gotten so used to that exercise that when I don't get it, I notice.  Then it was off to the big city to do some more fabric shopping (for my business you know.....I love having that excuse!) and then supper with friends, followed by prayer service with more friends.  I love my church family.  We really are like family.  We don't always agree, but we would fight for each other, just like a family does.  It's wonderful to fellowship with them.  So that's Day 1.  You're blown away, aren't you?  I told you you would be!  It's you're fault for not sitting down when I told you to!

Stay tuned for much more excitement from Day 2!  Have a great day everybody!