Whew. Peace Instead of a Wall

Naomi and her cats arrived Wednesday evening, the car so packed that the Joads would've been proud. Oh, how grateful I am that Naomi safely traveled those thousands of miles over a two-week period of band-touring and moving home from Georgia.

Remember that wall with a door we'd considered building upstairs? Looks like we don't need it. Naomi and I set up the two large fold-able dog cages Tom ordered, then she outfitted each with a comfy, thick pillow, warm, fake-fur blankets inside and over the top and walls, a salt lamp, dishes and a litter box, then wafted Calm-Your-Kitty spray over it all.

Her cats currently live better than two-thirds of the known world. 

And already, Farrah The Friendly Cat (as opposed to Ginger The Mean One) can handle wandering free. Frankly? Daniel and Sammy aren't impressed with these ladies. No one is fighting with (or over) anyone else.

My relief can't be adequately expressed. Especially the relief toward not having to deal with wall builders right now. Whew.

As for the backdoor? We do have one alternate plan, one which we'd put into place only in an end-of-Life-as-we-know-it emergency. We'll see. Tom and I have many 'frying pans in the fire' right now and we remind ourselves, "Deal with one pan at a time."

So our tiny Hobbit Cottage has stretched her walls to welcome our daughter back home and there is peace and pleasantness (did you know Naomi's name means 'Pleasant'?). In December Naomi will again, on the East Coast, tour with her NYC band. In January, it'll be the opposite coast. We'll care for her cats while she's away.

But as I said, one frying pan at a time.

This was Farrah out at the farm. Sweet little thing has more of an old lady face now. She and her twin are 14 years old.


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I appreciate what Joyce Meyer's ministry posted this morning on Facebook:


"Learn how to stay focused on Jesus when the enemy tries to get you aggravated and upset."



It reminded me of how I felt like shooing those builders out of our house on Tuesday night (putting it mildly). Our words, our actions do matter and I've felt convicted that I wanted to wildly lecture those guys. That such frustration, anger and pride rose up within me.

That stuff matters to God. A lot. And it's meant to humble us, to show us what's still floating around down in our heart's depths.

In order for Him to increase within me, I must decrease. What Jesus wants is that I'd react as He would and that will only happen consistently if I die to self--what I want, how I feel. Dying that way is a choice. How far do I want to go in Him? How much do I want Him to trust me when dealing with others?

And so the work, the dying, continue.


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"Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools."   ... Ecclesiastes 7:9


"But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."   ...James 1:4


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Three Good Reasons Why You Shouldn't Rake Your Leaves

(Gotta love an article that tells you to leave your leaves lying around out there.) :)