The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...It is the first full day of spring and it couldnt be more spectacular!   The sun is warm, the air fresh and clear!  The flowering trees and spring posies are radiantly in bloom and the earth is supple and ready for tilling..  I love this wonderful season!


I am thinking... how marvelous is the   Word of God!   How Jesus used the simple parable and metaphors to describe life in His kingdom The references to planting the ground,  tilling the various types of soil, preparing it to receive new seed,  or the metaphor of prayer being like the gardener who plants,  then waits for the the seed to germinate,   while he see how God is going to answer the prayer ,   then works to bring in the crop...  God inspires His children to  operate within  the kingdom  with the gifts He provides   through instructions that they can readily understand through experience.... and their wisdom of things of Him and knowledge of His true nature develops and grows...

I am thankful for...  there is some improvement in my mother's overall well-being.  she suffers terrible arthritis and is experiencing debilitation pain, yet her attitude is improving and a bit more sunny..

From the kitchen.. cooked last night so  Im hoping for   dinner out this evening...

I am wearing... jeans,  white tee and red light weight sweater,  and sandals...


I am creating...  an atmosphere of spring in my home


I am reading... A Praying Life, by Paul Miller  The Peace Maker by Ken Sande  both of these are for bible studies at church!   The Peace Maker   is for our Sunday night Pastor's study.  I am preparing to teach  a couple of chapters from  the praying book next week.  This has been a marvelous study on prayer and how to approach God more effectively!



I am hoping....   to go to my favorite consignment shop this week... Love to visit there each season and see ho it is decorated  and find something new to revitalize a room or two.  The price is always right there!


Around the house.... the house is in good shape....of course, however, the laundry is never ending around here.

One of my favorite things....is anything English...  I am behind the times I suppose but I ams till very excited to finally upgrade our cable tv and now we have BBC America.     I am looking forward to finding perhaps at least one  new show that will tickle my fancy.  And I look forward to a fresh perspective on world news in the BBC news network...   Our liberal media here becomes quite mundane after a while   and a fresh perspective appeals to my hungry ears.

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Monday - Bible Study and clean house

Tuesday-  allergy shot, Mom and dad  to the doctor,   marketing , work on Bible Study

Wednesday- Wednesday evening dinner at church and  Bible Study

Thursday- shopping at the consignment shop,  small group Bible Study in the evening

Friday- our 39th anniversary... dinner   at our favorite restaurant overlooking the city...  Looking forward to my favorite....  chicken marsala!

Saturday- Meet at Lynne's house, ( I'm bringing the refreshments...  I'm thinking perhaps a nice quiche and sweet bread and fruit)

Here is a photo Id like to share...
A bit of spring gardening produces a refreshing   atmosphere  at our rear entrance to our home!







For the 2011 edition of The Simple Woman's Daybooks visit Peggy here!

Skywatch Friday

On the road again!   Spring is calling me away!

Check out Skyley for more wonderful photos!

Mosaic Monday

This week as we celebrate St Paddy's Day, I am pleased to share some of the gorgeous landscapes of  Eire... which is homeland to so many of us here and abroad. This mosaic is a montage of views in and around some of my favorite sites there, County Louth around Dundalk, Newcastle West  Limerick, and Wexford......  if I had to choose which was my  total favorite I just could not.  I have to take them all!
Visit Mary at the Little Red House for more Mosaic Monday!!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...Today dawned bright with a promise of sun but by midmorning overcast clouds took  the sky and the air has deteriorated to a chilly reminder of February  days!


I am thinking... I cant believe that a week ago I was thankful for a reprieve from burdensome undertakings.. those days and thought quickly dissipated. It seems that overwhelming tasks loom upon me once again....

I am thankful for... the ability to be able to endure and persevere in the struggles of living...  even though mentally I sometimes feel undone,  physically I am able and for that I am very grateful!


From the kitchen..   nothing is simmering... but Im thankful for leftovers!!!


I am wearing... winter white slacks, green turtleneck and tennis shoes


I am creating... my calendar which had gone missing for a few days has resurfaced... praise God and I am playing catch up filling it out and trying to plan my schedule for the rest of the month... This is becoming quite a jigsaw puzzle lately



I am reading... A Praying Life, by Paul Miller  The Peace Maker by Ken Sande, Ministries of Mercy ,by Timothy Keller all  of these are for bible studies , or ministries at church!   The Peace Maker   is for our Sunday night Pastor's study.Pastor Schemm is asking us of the Benevolent Committee to read the Mercy book   as we are seeking to expand that effort  and combine perhaps with local missions.  This makes for a lot of heavy reading at the moment


I am hoping....  to get out this week  and so some spring planting...

Around the house.... the house is in good shape....of course, however, the laundry is never ending around here.

One of my favorite things....sharing with folks I meet online.. I really enjoy blogging, and facebook.


A few plans for the rest of the week:

Monday - financial   business for parents, deal with improper billing problems for parents, Bible Study,

Tuesday-  ,  laundry, marketing , work on Bible Study,  Community Band Concert

Wednesday- Wednesday evening dinner at church and  Bible Study

Thursday- Dad to dentist, choir, luncheon  at church,  small group Bible Study in the evening

Friday-

Saturday-prayer in chapel

Here is a photo Id like to share...


 ;
A collection of dainty tea cups thrills my heart and really inspires me to thing about higher level things like hosting a friendship tea in April.. perhaps this year it will happen!


For  the 2011 edition of The Simple Woman's Daybooks visit Peggy here!

Pink Saturday

Happy PINK Saturday!!

And 

Happy St, Patrick's Day

Anyone who really knows me knows I am a huge anglophile... love everything about the United Kingdom and Ireland is  surely dear to me, a huge segment of my ancestry originated in Ireland..  The  Celtic music I love so well and share on my blog inspires me to learn more and more about my ancestral home..

  The wild and beautiful land beckons me to cast aside my troubles and return to the land of my forebears!

The mystery and history of the peoples who lived there evokes wondrous dreams of what it would be like to actually share in their lives.

Little by little I cling to anything that will draw me ever closer to my ancestral roots...

  My celtic knot pendant I wear ...

The Beleek china and Irish tea cup I use for my Irish Breakfast cup of delight...

and I love to pop a  favorite dvd ...Leap Year and revel in the beauty of Eire!

or


or how about this one!

Happy Pink SaturdayVisit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for more PINK SATURDAY!!

A Song of Spiritual Renewal through our Repentance

Ashes

We rise again from ashes,
from the good we've failed to do.
We rise again from ashes,
to create ourselves anew.
If all our world is ashes,
then must our lives be true,
An offering of ashes,
An offering to You. --> -->

We offer You our failures,
we offer You attempts;
The gifts not fully given,
the dreams not fully dreamt.
Give our stumblings direction,
give our visions wider view,
An offering of ashes,
An offering to You. --> -->

Then rise again from ashes,
let healing come to pain;
Though spring has turned to winter,
and sunshine turned to rain.
The rain we'll use for growing,
and create the world anew,
From an offering of ashes,
An offering to You.

... Thanks be to the Father,
who made us like Himself.
... Thanks be to His Son,
who saved us by His death.
... Thanks be to the Spirit,
who creates the world anew,
From an offering of ashes,
An offering to You

Liturgy

  This week is the beginning of the Lenten season...beginning on Ash Wednesday and going through Holy Week ending on Holy Saturday,,, right before Resurrection Sunday. Lent is a time of sacrifice for Jesus. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, self.sacrifice and repentance— for the annual commemoration during Holy week   and the subsequent death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This practice is common to much of Christendom, being celebrated by Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists,  Presbyterians, and Anglicans.   Because of my varied Christian background I do see the benefit in my life in sacrificing during this 40 days vigil of expectation to Holy Week.  

There are traditionally forty days in Lent which are marked by fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of penance. The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigor during Lent are prayer , justice towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and giving (justice towards neighbour). Today, some people give up a vice of theirs, add something that will bring them closer to God, and often give the time or money spent doing that to charitable purposes or organizations.

I am committing to be much more careful in my healthful practices... trying to get more exercise and watching my food controls... perhaps doing some fasting from certain foods that I know a re not good for me... and I am dedicating more time to my personal relationship with the Lord...  giving more time to Bible reading as well as daily prayer focus...  Together as a family we are saving toward being able to give more to the  Spring Missionary effort in our church....focusing on God and His kingdom is what it is all about..  pressing in for more of Him and allowing Him dominion over our lives....  that is a two street to heaven...   heavenly gifts from our Father to ourselves and then to our world!