Grains of Sand

Day 30 // monochrome See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world. Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the January 2019 photo a day challenge . Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

Day 29 // empty See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world.  Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the January 2019 photo a day challenge .  Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

For Today January 28, 2019 Looking out my window... it is a snow-y, blow-y, blizzard-y and cold winter day. I am thinking... of all my teacher friends who get an unexpected day off due to the inclement weather outside. I am thankful... for the quiet stillness of a morning while everyone sleeps.  One of my favorite things.... other people's stories.  We are all so different and unique and wonderful. I am creating... a feature wall.  Arranging little treasures to make a bigger statement. I am reading...  Control Girl: Lessons on Surrendering Your Burden of Control from Seven Women in the Bible by Shannon Popkin I am hoping... that my son will let go of his fears and anxieties.  Talk about a beautiful story in the making. I am learning... to look for beauty in difficult circumstances. In my kitchen... smoothies, salads and scones as well as the beginning of a list of appetizers for our Sunday gathering. In the sc...

Day 28 // the sky See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world. Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the January 2019 photo a day challenge . Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

Day 27 // a sign Yikes! Came across this sign on a trail we were hiking. See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world.  Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the January 2019 photo a day challenge .  Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

convenient   adjective // [kuhn-veen-yuhnt] :suitable or agreeable to the needs or purpose; well-suited with respect to facility or ease in use; favorable, easy, or comfortable for use. :at hand; easily accessible.  For the past 24 days (but who's counting) I've been following the Whole30 food program.  One of my takeaways from the experience is that eating whole foods is not easy or convenient.  It takes intention and resolve.   Have you ever looked at the label of the diced tomatoes you have in the cabinet?  Chances are there is sugar added.  What?!  That's what I said!  Part of the Whole30 is refined sugar elimination.  That means no sugar unless it occurs naturally in fruit.  Guess what?  Your mayonnaise probably has sugar.  Mine did.  So, I have been making my own these past 24 days.  Not as convenient as pulling a pre-made jar out of the fridge.   Whole30 is teaching me a number o...

day 25 // white See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world. Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the January 2019 photo a day challenge . Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

day 24 // landscape See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world. Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the January 2019 photo a day challenge . Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

day 23 // a drink See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world. Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the January 2019 photo a day challenge . Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

I feel compelled to share my journal entry for today.  Maybe it is only so I can look back and remember.  Maybe it is for you, dear reader. The parentheses are my words. Psalm 13 For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? (Lord, sometimes it feels this way! In my mind I know this is not at all true.  But Lord, in my heart I feel so separated from you.) 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? (How long indeed?  I wrestle with thoughts of not being good enough, not feeling chosen or holy or loved by you, Lord.  I wrestle with your commands to not fear and to cease striving.  The lies are my enemies, how long will they continue to badger me?) 3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, (Lord, ...

Day 18 // turquoise See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world. Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the January 2019 photo a day challenge . Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

Day 16 // glasses See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world. Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the January 2019 photo a day challenge . Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

For Today January 15, 2019 Looking out my window... it's a gray, stay at home and bake cookies kind of day. I am thinking.... of how quickly life can take a turn, for better or worse. I am thankful.... for warm fires and cozy blankets. One of my favorite things.... sitting and enjoying a hot cup of coffee especially with this mug. I am creating.... a project for our Weekend for Women. Wendy and I are making some purchases and getting the little details ironed out. I am wearing.... a charcoal gray hoodie with a brick colored tank peeking out the bottom, paired with black pants. I am not wearing jewelry, socks, or make-up. (I just realized my outfit reflects the day) I just finished reading.... The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. It's a historical novel about a female spy during WWI and an American girl brought together on a mission to find the truth. I quite liked this and always enjoy real life history woven into fiction. I am h...

Day 14 // handful A handful of items found in the washing machine or dryer over the past couple of months. See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world.  Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the January 2019 photo a day challenge .  Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

Day 12 // Begins with T Trowel begins with T See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world.  Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the January 2019 photo a day challenge .  Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!

better adjective   [ bet -er] : of superior quality or excellence B elieve you can E xpect God to work on your behalf T rain your brain T hrough reading His word E agerly anticipate the journey R est in Him Five Minute Friday is a wild and wonderful flash mob of words.  Five minutes on one prompt. No overthinking or editing.  Please visit Kate Motaung and link up with Five Minute Friday  to see more.

Day 11 // Pink See all the amazing photos taken by talented people from all over the world.  Head over to Fat Mum Slim for the January 2019 photo a day challenge .  Maybe you want to join in the fun yourself!  

…. Try again. Sigh.  I have a desire to be more creative, take more photos and have more of an eye for the unexpected or unique.  Which is why I always want to participate in a photo a day challenge.  However, I can't seem to make it stick. Today I realized my lack of enthusiasm is partly because I'm comparing my photos to all the other photo submissions on any given day.  Have you seen some of the photos people take??  They are good!  In the comparison, I fall short of this ideal I have when taking my own photographs. I don't like that!  As Theodore Roosevelt said, " Comparison is the thief of joy ."  So today, I straighten my spine and lift my head and say, no more!  And with that, I will once again try to take a few pictures using these prompts from Fat Mum Slim's January challenge .  Wish me luck, I'm going to need it.

Way back in September of last year, I decided to kick my Mountain Dew/soda fixation.  The decision came after mulling over these words from my doctor, "Do not increase your Mountain Dew intake.  That is the devil's drink in more ways than one."  Hmmm. Those few sentences uttered by my doctor haunted me every time I would pop the top on that delicious carbonated can of sugar and caffeine.  So much so that I tried to decrease my intake.  Much to my disappointment, that only fueled my cravings.  What worked? I'm glad you asked!  I REPLACED those 73g of sugar in a can with a delightful cocktail of sparkling water and a splash of fruit juice.  I actually learned from a book I read that if you have a bad habit, you can't just eliminate that bad habit.  You have to replace that void with something good.  Wise advice that worked for me.  Maybe it could work for you too.  Yay! I am happy to report that I have not had a Mounta...

Going with the new year, new you theme this week; on my bookshelf is The Songs of Jesus by Timothy Keller.  A 365 day devotional in the Psalms.  The introduction is what got me and the fact that I love the book of Psalms.  I love how transparent the heart of the author is. So far, I have read one each day (haven't fallen behind yet!😜) and I'm trying to journal with it.  I can't wait to go back and read some of these entries at the end of the year.

Happy New Year everyone!  We crossed the finish line of 2018.  Woot, woot! How'd you do?  Did you sprint the distance without a glance backward?  Did you trip over a hurdle or two that slowed you down?  Maybe you fell and bruised your knee.  Perhaps you only had enough energy to crawl across the finish line of 2018 and lay spent on the ground with tears in your eyes, surprised and happy that you finished.  I can see myself in each scenario, some parts more than others.  The important thing is, we made it.  And, God has given us yet another day. I'm using this day to reflect and then to dream and set some goals for this new year.  I'm also doing dishes, folding laundry and curling up on the couch with an e-book that expires in 3 days.  But first, I need to pause and marvel at how fast time travels.  Look at these 4 children!  When did they get old enough to hold a sparkler on their own?? So, some of my dr...