Daybook, April 13th

Outside my window...it's wet and cold, but the water droplets on the long leaves of the daylilies are glittering jewels.

I am thinking... that I'm not necessarily a "worrier". I don't fret over the usual daily worries, but I have to confess that I've just realized that while I trust God for provision, for health, for safety...I've struggled this last year or two with trusting him with my heart. It seems ironic and incongruous, but it is true. These past few months, well, maybe past month, has been a quiet, inner revival for me. I don't want to lose what I am just reawakening to. And I know we all go through seasons where we are close to God and seasons where we feel spiritually dry. Nevertheless I want to cling to the first and consciously work to avoid the latter. I really appreciated the article "From Worry to Worship" on the Heart of the Matter.

From the learning rooms... back to the books. I've said it a million times, whining to everyone who's ear was tilted even slightly towards me. We didn't have a spring break, we had a sick break. Now everyone is healthy again, and its back to phonics and algebra. As soon as the weather warms up, its out to the garden we go.

I am thankful for... this weekend. The Jedi is awesome and made sure everyone had a great weekend. We slept in on Friday and then went and got a new cargo topper for the van and ran a few other errands in the afternoon. That evening we decorated our Easter eggs. Sweetling found a rubber band technique on Family Fun that we tried. It was a little tricky, and there were a couple of casualties, but we all had a good time. Saturday was the Easter egg hunt at church, followed by a trip to Sharon Centre's indoor adventure station. We got home and I cut Toa's and the Jedi's hair, and Dear Mama picked up KFC for dinner. That night we watched Bedtime Stories together. Sunday was a pancake breakfast at church, followed by a Resurrection Service. (Oh, and a sneaky bunny tried to hide baskets in the kids bedrooms while they slept, thinking the kids would look through the rest of the house *first* before finding the baskets in their bedrooms. But the kids got up and got ready for church, like good little children, before looking for their Easter baskets, and were then rewarded by the discovery of Easter baskets in Toa's closet and hiding between Sweetling's dresser and her wall.) After church, lunch at home, playtime with new Easter bunnies, a box from Nana and Bapa, a freshly mowed yard (and grass clippings raked up for a new compost bin), and a nap. Then, Mario Party on the Wii, a family egg hunt, pork tenderloin and sweet potato casserole, Star Trek: Enterprise and Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Also on Friday and Saturday nights, the Jedi and I are reading "For Men Only" together, having just recently finished "For Women Only" together. Both are outstanding books and I hightly recommend them.

From the kitchen... we have stacks and stacks of Easter treats. Sadly, I have no idea what I'm going to make for dinner tonight. Something simple and wholesome and straightforward. Stop laughing. That's the plan.

I am wearing... brown cords, a green T with blue and pink flowers (I refuse to let go of spring, despite the cold), and a beige cardigan. Yes, it goes together. You just have to squint and make the image a bit blurry.

I am reading... "For Men Only". And I HIGHLY recommend its counterpart, "For Women Only". Did you know on a national, objective, professional survey of hundreds of men, 74% of men responded that if forced to choose between two negatives, they would rather be alone and unloved than to feel inadequate and disrespected? See, I had always heard that men needed to feel respected, but I never really understood what that *meant*. I blogged about this in an earlier daybook. Check it out. (you can just skim down to the "I am reading section.") It's obviously significant enough that a month later, I'm still blown away by the revelations in this book.

I am hoping... for warmer temperatures this week. Amen to that, sister. The Jedi has given me permission to use his power drill (with trepidation and under supervision.) So, I can get started on my idea for a compost bin soon. And the Jedi has offered to go with me to pick up bales of peat moss for the square foot garden. I haven't told him yet about the vermiculate I also need, but I bet I get that too. :)

I am creating... a web of links. Yes, yes, I'm link crazy today. I've also started to go back through and apply labels to my blog posts, so that they are nicely sorted by category.

I am praying... for obedience, discipline, and focus. “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river.” Is 48:17-18

Around the house... laundry is underway. Toa of Boy is busy drawing scenes for a puppet show, for paper puppets glued on popsicle sticks ...which will be created next. Sweetling is hopefully completing a unit review for algebra. The kitchen is clean, though dishwasher needs unloaded. All in all, not bad....especially for a Monday. And a rainy, cold, blecky Monday at that.

One of my favorite things... how the Jedi holds my hand. He did that a lot this weekend. Sitting in church, riding in the car, watching tv, he would just reach over hold my hand, slipping his fingers in between mine. While we were reading "For Men Only" on Friday, we read a few lines written by a survey respondent. She concluded her anecdote with "it just made me feel so heard." I, of course, knew instantly what she meant. The Jedi started chuckling. "Wow," says he, "I didn't even know that was an emotion." But Sunday night, as we were drifting off to sleep, he asks me, do I feel heard? I love him so much.

A few plans for the rest of the week... back to co-op on Thursday. I need to write a short story for my composition class. (Yes, I'm the teacher, but somehow that hasn't gotten me a free pass on the homework assignments.) I have the outline done, but need to put the pedal to the metal and get the story done. Back to Tae Kwon Do this week after a week and a half of sick days. That's going to be rough.