Oh! Since moving to Hobbit Cottage my passions have all happily resurrected themselves.
I find I'm passionate about:
Spending time with God
Encouraging others through writing in this blog
Searching for online coupons, supermarket shopping for great deals
Emailing friends and those who need encouragement
Reading for pleasure
Learning new things, especially how to live cheaply, though well.
Decorating, keeping a neat house
Finding favorite tv shows/movies/documentaries online
Cooking while listening to my new favorite retro radio music station
But Tom? What's he passionate about here at Hobbit Cottage?
Watching tv
Gah. That's it.
Oh my, do you know how frustrating it is when I (me, me, me), the Great Inspiration Spreader, can't inspire her own husband to get up off his recliner?
I've heard people say, "Oh, it was so humbling when my students nominated me for Teacher of the Year." But do you know what's a whole lot more humbling than that? It's when you spend months nagging your own husband, sending him inspiring email links, lecturing, psycho-analyzing, and sharing all sorts of pep talks only to have God tell you, "Uh, Debra... Have you noticed none of this is working?"
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Lord. I noticed. I know, I know.
So once again, God's telling me to back-off. To lose the constant low-grade frustration. To remember that I'm not to be my husband's teacher and to put Tom in God's hands, trust God with him there, then just continue along my merry way with my own passions.
Because hey, living what you preach is the most powerful thing on Earth, especially if there's love involved. And it is love that's, ultimately, making me want to see Tom reach his full potential. But nagging him into that full potential? Nah, that will not work. God will see to that.
"Just live the life, yourself. Live it, live it, live it. Inspire by doing... and trust. Trust much."
Yeah, Lord, I know. But, like, please help me remember that for more than just two days in a row, ok? ツ
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In case you're wondering, Tom seems perfectly happy and contented to watch tv for a living, yet he also agrees with me whenever I try to coach him to do other things (the man knows how to avoid an argument). I tell him if I could just see him trying to find a passion, I'd feel better.
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"The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations (and well-meaning housewives...heh...) and thwarts all their schemes." ... Psalm 33:10
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Oh! Earlier this week, Spring arrived for a short visit.
I swept the front porch (where squirrels snack from the compost boxes) before John and Donna arrived Wednesday for lunch and I just wanted to remain out there in the sunshine, blue skies and cool-but-not-cold fresh air and sweep, sweep, sweep forever. The sun shone through all the windows during our visit and we chatted and laughed and everyone forgot it was early January.
But then there's this morning. There's a bbbbblizzard out there!
Oh well, this is Buffalo in early January, after all.
Time to gather all my coziest books and blankets, time to sit in bed and read and drink hot chocolate and watch movies and favorite old tv series. Time to remember there's still a big ol' active, hurting world still spinning out there, too--and do something about that.
And shovel snow, of course.
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Here's something which has haunted me in the very best way since I read it in my dearly-loved daily devotional, God Calling. You know how you can read the Bible or a devotional or well, any book a hundred times and something different will leap out, shake you, then follow you around? Well, that's what this is doing to me:
"You are to help save others. Never let one day pass when you have not reached out an arm of Love to someone outside your home--a note, a letter, a visit, help in some way.
Be full of joy. Joy saves. Joy cures. Joy in Me. In every ray of sunlight, every smile, every act of kindness, or love, every trifling service--joy."
Ah, I love that---am still chewing on it and allowing its truth to change me.
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Oh! Yesterday I watched one of the best documentaries (imo) ever. It's called "Hey, Boo: Harper Lee And To Kill a Mockingbird." Loved it for many different reasons, mostly the writing/Harper Lee one.
I saw this via instant view at Netflix and I just may watch parts of it again today(!)
"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." ... John 8:32
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Oooh! These two-minute videos were so inspiring. I've watched the first ten (or so) and thought I'd share them with you. Second Act Videos.
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Oh happy day! We are back to 'Baby Cable'. Twenty-two stations is more than enough for me (Tom might answer differently), especially since we also have the Internet and Netflix and dvd's galore around the house.
More. Than. Enough.
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Did you know that Pauley Perrette, "Abby" on NCIS is 42-years-old? Eegads! I thought more like 30. NCIS is my current favorite show, the only one I knew I'd miss from Regular Peoples' Cable (USA plays it a lot), so with my amazon.com gift card I bought a season for NCIS fixes when I need them.
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Forgot to tell you Tom bought me a nifty crock pot for Christmas to replace the yard sale one which broke. Is this cool-looking, or what?:
Ack, it's a dark photo, but trust me, it looks perfect in our kitchen.
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Oh wow, did you read Susan Branch's latest Willard? Her beliefs about Valentine's Day mirror mine exactly! (Felt kinda eerie, actually.) I was so blessed and inspired, I can't even tell you. You can read her letter here.
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Oh, and at Dollar Tree yesterday I found a third book of essays! It's called Dirt Is Good For You, from the editors of babble.com. and is stuffed with essays recalling the joys and trials and lessons learned when raising children. Pure delight.
I adore essays. Yet back around 15 years ago I remember moaning to God that almost never could I find books of morally-decent essays at the library or anyplace else. But since then, He's helped me find some delightful, thought-provoking, morally-nice collections and though I've mentioned these to you in past posts, here are my favorites listed in one place:
Thoughts of Home edited by Elaine Greene
If These Walls Could Talk edited by Elaine Greene
Mama Makes Up Her Mind by Bailey White
Sleeping At The Starlite Motel by Bailey White
A Matter of Choice edited by Joan Chatfield-Taylor
It's Bright in my Valley by Philip Jerome Cleveland
Domestic Affairs by Joyce Maynard
How To Fit a Car Seat on a Camel edited by Sarah Franklin
Dirt Is Good For You from the editors of babble.com
Oh, and the Front Porch Tales books by Phillip Gulley
I'd love to make those all links for you, but today is special, in that, we're having our friends, John and Donna, over to lunch. So now I must dash and clean and straighten and cook and prepare for a lovely time.
May your day be lovely, also.
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