Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

Good morning!  I am joining up with Joyce at From This Side of the Pond for this fun weekly meme.

1.What do you love about your life right now?  I love that the Lord is drawing me close to Him.  Life may not be what I had always dreamed it would be but He is seeing me through.  Almost every day He uses someone to give me a scripture of encouragement.  The one I recently used to "rebrand" my blog keeps coming up in so many places!  I love how He works.

2. March 26th is National Spinach Day...are you a fan? If so, how do you like yours prepared/served?  As a kid my grandmother served canned spinach with vinegar... YUCK!  Sour and slimy are the words that come to mind.  But I do like fresh spinach in my salads or on a sandwich.

3. In this current season would you say you need to spend more time looking inward or that you need to get out of your head? Tell us why.  In this season of the restoration of my marriage I am leaning heavily on my Lord, I have to get out of my head.  My mind takes me down rabbit trails that I don't need to be on.  I am looking to Him and not myself.

4. Are you following the 'March Madness' madness? (That's US college basketball in case you're out of the loop) What's something that feels like actual madness to you right now?  No I do not follow sports. Nothing against anyone who does but I feel like it is a waste of my time.  Actual madness right now is how this world is coming against Israel.   They have a right to defend themselves.

5. How will you celebrate the Easter/Passover holiday this year? Easter this year will be a quiet day at the condo.  I will spend time reflecting on the awesomeness of this Holyday and relaxing in His presence.  Then we will tidy up the condo and head home.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  I have stated blogging over at Wordpress again.  Thought I would see if it has gotten any better.  Seems a bit easier to figure out than when I was there last.

I hope your Holy week is going great and that you find time to link up with Joyce!

Monica

Journaling my thoughts...

Today is Monday March 25, 2024

Looking out my window - It's raining... We really need it but makes for a dreary Monday morning.

I am thinking - on Psalm 106:1 Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever!

I am thankful - for the Spring weather!  Although the temps have been a roller coaster I am thankful for those warm days in between.  We worked out in the yard Saturday afternoon.  This picture is the cabin that we rent out on ABNB and VRBO.  We cut out the green undergrowth around these trees.  It looks much nicer.

One of my favorite things - seeing my beautiful granddaughter!  Which I did again Saturday.  I sat with her while my daughter went to an appointment.

I am creating - some dish clothes at the moment but I plan on a cardigan for next winter.  It will probably take me that long to complete.  I also have a hat pattern in the wings if the cardigan gets to be too much.  Some times I just need to see results quick and a hat is perfect for that.

I am wearing -  Blue jeans and long-sleeved shirt.  It's always cold in my office so I have to dress like it's winter!

I am reading (read) /watching (watched) / listening to - I just finished reading What I Hate, That do I by Jimmy Swaggart.  Of course we all know how I struggle with nonfiction but with my mind being on so many other things going on in my life this was difficult to get through.  This book covered scripture from Paul's letter to the Romans.  It is something that all Christians struggle with... sin nature.  When we became Christians our sin nature was not removed but left to refine/test our faith in Jesus and His finished work on the cross.  This book did not promote sinless perfection.  It did encourage that sin does not have dominion over the believer!  

Watching - Dan and I have been watching a new series on Paramount + called Tracker.  It's about a guy who collects rewards for finding missing people or things. 

I am hoping (praying) - for family, restoration of marriage, co-workers with cancer in their families, Israel, President Trump, blogger friends, finding a church to attend, my children and grandchildren, and peace that only Jesus can give!

I am learning - To wait on the Lord.  In the process of restoration of my marriage I have so many times gotten ahead of the Lord. MY plan is much better and I need to get it set in motion. Geez, really?!  The Lord quiets my heart when I start to get ahead of him and I stop and wait...  I am waiting and will continue to wait.

In my kitchen - Wow, my "kitchen" is so tiny!  We don't eat very much so our cooking is very limited.  Cooking is something that I should get back into though.  

Post Script - Since knitting has been reborn in my life I have been viewing a site called Very Pink Knits.  She has some great "S L O O O W  M O T I O N" videos that help you learn a new stitch or technique.  She will be the one to teach me how to knit socks! LOL!

Shared Quote - 

A moment from my day - She loves it when Pa Pa talks to her!

Closing Notes - Dan and I have a totally different relationship than we had the entire 30 years we were married.  He enjoys doing things on his own and I am learning to do things on my own. Before we always did things together, never on our own. The best thing that has come from this is that I am learning to walk, talk, and be with Jesus.  He is my one true friend who will never leave me nor forsake me.

I hope you all have a blessed week!

Monica

Friday's Fave Five

 

Joining Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to share some favorite things from this week!  I know posts are more exciting when you have pictures but I have been unprepared for that this week.  I will do better in the future.

1.   Dan went out of town last weekend to visit his City Cousins so I went to a restaurant that he doesn't seem very fond of.  It was delicious.  I had enough leftovers to have for dinner.

2.  Not a very good picture of either of us but I had coffee with my daughter Sunday morning and got some snuggle time with my beautiful little granddaughter.  She is 9 months old now and growing so fast.

3. This week my knitting hobby has been reborn.  I started knitting some dish clothes until my supplies arrive to begin a bigger project.  These are somewhat boring but I will survive until my things arrive this weekend.

4.  My sweet little dog is old.  He is almost 17 and has some back issues and has not been doing very well.  Saturday morning I took him to the vet and got him a new shot for osteoarthritis.  They also gave him some medication for inflammation.  This picture was before he went... poor old man.  He is feeling much better now.  But I was told not to let him act like a puppy as he could injure himself... Geez, that's the same thing I tell Dan! LOL!

5.  Prayer was on Barbara's list and I am going to add it to mine as well.  Many people I work with this week have come to me asking for prayer for a certain situation.  Once word gets around that someone prays it seems to spread like wild fire!  I love that people will come to me knowing that I will immediately pull out my prayer journal and put there need there to later spend time at the feet of the Lord with their needs.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!  

Monica

Wednesday Hodgepodge

I am joining Joyce this week for Wednesday Hodgepodge.  It's my first time... 

 1. Spring is officially upon us, no matter what the weather may be in your neck of the woods. Is there any 'spring cleaning' on your to-do list? What's your most dreaded task? 

    We live in a very tiny space by choice.  It takes me about an hour to thoroughly clean this space so I don't have anything on my "to-do list" for spring.  We still have some cold days/nights so I will leave the extra blanket on the bed for a bit longer.

2. What's something many people seem to love, but to you feels like 'watching the grass grow'? 

    Watching NASCAR.  I don't really understand how you can sit and watch cars go around a track 500 times.  We used to really be into racing hold hotrods but it was on a short strip.

3. Mint grows in abundance during the spring season. Are you a fan? What's your favorite food with a 'minty' flavor?

    I like mint... Girl Scout Mint chocolate cookies are my fave! 

4. It's been said, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder.' Agree or disagree? Explain. 

    Absence makes the heart grow fonder... well, I agree and disagree.  This depends on the person.  It is true for me but not for my significant other.  He enjoys his time away and doesn't seem to actually show much feeling like "missing" anyone.  Me, I get heart sick when I'm away from the ones I love!

5. Are there any festive spring events in your city or town? If so, will you take advantage of them? 

    There is nothing going on in our small Missouri town.  I check the calendar just the other day.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

    Quite a few people around us are already cutting grass.  We did our preventative maintenance on our mower and sharpened the blades getting ready to start.  Our grass isn't quite ready to be cut yet.

   Monica

Knitting reborn!

 In the past couple of months I have struggled with what to do with my time.  Dan and I live in a tiny space living so when I came back into this relationship I only brough the necessities.  I donated all my knitting/crocheting supplies and a huge stash of yarns.  I donated all my books and only kept my Kindle.

Lately, as I shared in my last post, it is difficult to focus on a book for very long.  My mind wonders down bunny trails.  So I ordered me a new set of interchangeable knitting needles and some yarn to get started back to knitting.  I will have to be careful not to get carried away and grow my supplies and stash to an unreasonable amount of space.  It's very addictive! LOL!

I cannot wait for my supplies to arrive!

Monica

Restoration

 Think about what that word means...returning something to its former owner, place, or condition.  I have been praying for the restoration of our marriage.  But is that what I truly want?  Restoration?  I want our marriage back but not in the same state it was when it ended!  I want our marriage to be filled with all the blessings that the Lord would pour out on us!

This has been a difficult few months.  We are learning to communicate more than I think we ever did in the 30 years that we were married.  That in itself is hard for me as I am not much of a talker.  I'm an introvert.  Some days  I don't think that this is going to work.  But I think that is because I am trying to get out of communicating.

Another thing that I've struggled with during these months has been not having anything to fill my time outside of work.  I "cling" to Dan, something I know he hates, because I don't have anything to do nor do I know what I want to do.  I feel antsy.  If that makes sense.  I donated all my knitting supplies.  I have a hard time focusing on a book. It's taking me forever to get through the one I have going.  I'm working on finding something for ME.

This was not meant to be a pity party.  I am just putting my feeling down somewhere.  I hope to come back in a few months and see that we have made some tremendous progress! 

Thanks for listening.

Monica