Random Friday Musings

Fridays for me often used to be the kind of day where you feel, as Aunty Meryl would say, like you're running around in square circles. By the time the sun rolls over the horizon you just want to flop on the couch and sleep. But ever since I decided to work Sundays and make Friday my "day off," I've been enjoying Fridays a whole lot more.

Today felt so relaxed I almost couldn't believe it was Friday. Of course I did the usual chores and cleaning, but even those were enjoyable since I didn't have to rush. I also spent a couple hours preparing to teach Sabbath School tomorrow. I love teaching first graders! You don't have to think up clever discussion questions or devise speeches. Most of the preparation encompasses cutting stuff out and thinking up illustrations. My teaching aids for tomorrow include a pile of paper hearts, a glove, a pen, a camera, and a sheet of stickers. Fun!

Seeing as I got all of that done before lunch, I decided to spend the afternoon whipping up some kind of dessert for tomorrow. Lately I've been so busy there haven't been  many spare moments left for cooking. (With the exception of applesauce-making, which must be done, busy or not, otherwise certain members of this family would probably stage a revolt.) It's rather sad, since I just love experimenting in the kitchen. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed getting sticky and making a mess in there (yes, I cleaned it up)! Hopefully the end result is going to taste as good as it looks.

My family can be pretty crazy sometimes. I actually have a page in OneNote dedicated to the funny things they say. Today they provided me with quite a few laughs, and I thought I'd share one or two conversations here on the off-chance that someone else will find them amusing as well.

Conversation 1. Setting: Cousin Ashlie's room. I'm straightening her hair. Small cousin Ryan pokes his head inside, observes for a moment, and then remarks:

"Ashlie, your hair's smoking! *pause* You need to take it to a health expo." 

Exit Ryan, as he dashes, giggling, down the passage.

Conversation 2. Setting: The kitchen. Kyle has just poured us a glass of juice each.

Kyle: "There's tall and thin, and short and fat--which one do you want?"

Me (grinning mischievously): "Well the tall one's thin like me, but the fat one's short like me, so maybe I should take them both."

Kyle (raised eyebrows): "I'm afraid that would elicit an armed response."

~

And to top this Friday off, I even had time to write a blog post!

Life's Simple Pleasures, Part 2

Scribbling away in my journal the other day, I noticed that my "Life's Simple Pleasures" list has been growing. I had so much fun reading over it again and adding a bunch of new things to it that I thought I'd share some of them with you.

So here it is! More little things that make life happy, according to Melissa. ;-)

:-) Watching flames dance and snap :-) Sleeping in on rainy mornings :-) Receiving a long-awaited letter :-) The smell of freshly cut grass :-) Singing at the top of your lungs when no one can hear you :-) A little dog nudging its head under your arm :-) Chasing a chicken :-) That feeling you get, when something you've longed for starts to move from the misty realm of dreams into reality :-) Not being able to sleep because you're too excited :-) Knowing you did your best :-) Snail mail from a friend :-) Learning something new :-) Reading over old journal entries :-) Private jokes :-) Glimpsing a beautiful rainbow :-) Hanging out washing on a sunny day :-) Chocolate-covered raisins :-) Starting a new journal :-) Hitting on a totally original figure of speech that perfectly expresses your thought :-) Impromptu hugs from little children :-) An encouraging word from someone you love :-) Watching a child's animated face as they tell you a story :-) "Venting" to your best friend :-) Watching little birds with wagging tails catch worms on the lawn :-) Looking through old photos with a friend :-) The beautiful call of a zebra :-) Exploring :-) The smell of onions and herbs sizzling in a frying pan :-) Losing yourself in a good story :-) New clothes :-) Pretty writing paper :-) The sound of popcorn kernels exploding in a pot :-) The taste of warm, freshly salted popcorn :-) Actually, anything to do with popcorn :-) Pencil sketching :-) Journaling through your feelings :-) A field dotted with tiny, perfect wildflowers :-) The song of a sunbird

The Baffling Call of God

I read this today, from the devotional My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. It's just too good not to share!

God called Jesus Christ to what seemed unmitigated disaster. Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death; He led every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. Jesus Christ's life was an absolute failure from every standpoint but God's. But what seemed failure from man's standpoint was a tremendous triumph from God's, because God's purpose is never man's purpose.

There comes the baffling call of God in our lives also. The call of God can never be stated explicitly; it is implicit. The call of God is like the call of the sea, no one hears it but the one who has the nature of the sea in him. It cannot be stated definitely what the call of God is to, because His call is to be in comradeship with Himself for His own purposes, and the test is to believe that God knows what He is after. The things that happen do not happen by chance, they happen entirely in the decree of God. God is working out His purposes.

If we are in communion with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, we shall no longer try to find out what His purposes are. As we go on in the Christian life it gets simpler, because we are less inclined to say--Now why did God allow this and that? Behind the whole thing lies the compelling of God. "There's a divinity that shapes our ends." A Christian is one who trusts the wits and the wisdom of God, and not his own wits. If we have a purpose of our own, it destroys the simplicity and the leisureliness which ought to characterize the children of God.