Thirteen Things about Arlene1…. I am the middle child 2.... I am taller than my older sister 3.... My first car was a VW Rabbit(I loved it) 4.... Childhood pets - gerbils- too many, guinea pigs - Gin & Tonic, 2 dogs - Pepper and Ginger, 5.... First celebrity crush - Donny Osmond 6.... Last celebrity crush - A Klingon name Worf 7.... I would rather go for a walk in the woods than shop in the mall 8.... I love to shop in hardware stores 9.... Childhood dream - to work in Affrica in the peace corp 10.... My favorite dead artist is Salvador Dali 11.... My favorite living artist is Dale Chihouli - Painter & Glass Blower 12.... I pray for unity in families 13.... Scripture I'm standing on is Psalm 139 for the salvation of each family member Links to other Thursday Thirteens!1. trinycan.blogspot.com (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Rambling thoughts of one who's thinking and not sleeping

First my list was encouraging - to focus forward - accomplish something then no focus, no accomplisments - distraction - no encouragement - perception was grey. Maybe the list was too much. I gave it a time line with not enough time. Here's what I've achieved thus far.

Paint with the youth

begun to declutter(purge) my apartment of junk

visit my sister up north
I lost 6lbs not 20lbs
I painted two small paintings

What do you want and how has it affected your schedule?
I want to have a good relationship with Tanya. I want to see her fulfill god's plan for her life. Everything else seems irrelevant. I know it's not but I can't seem to keep moving on.
How has it affected your schedule - I pray more effectively-with more direct use of scripture. I think more about how to talk to her. I forgive her and ask God for forgiveness too.
epesians 1:18-19
I pray that the eyes of your heart be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strenght of his might

Thank you Lord for comfort and strength

The rambling thoughts of one who's thinking and not sleeping - goes to sleep(i hope)

MONDAY MEMORY: Baking homemade chocolate chip cookies

I have enjoyed baking chocolate chip cookies with all my kids and now with my grandchildren. Today I'm remembering baking with Tanya my last child. I don't remember the first time we baked but I remember it became a routine for awhile. It started because Tanya cried when her big brother and sister got on the bus for school. I said "let's make cookies for after school snack" sometimes we made something else for snack.(you can't eat cookies everyday).

Making cookies from scratch requires many ingredients and many kitchen equipment tools = Many dishes to wash. Why then spend the time? for memories, sharing, bonding, learning, listening and growing together. Oops! I forgot one thing - having fun (I forgot that alot lately) I had fun with my kids. It's fun to sift flour and get it in your hair. It is fun to eat the dough and lick buttery fingers. Watching cookies in the oven with anticipation of their scrumptious taste. Tanya bounced with excitement when her brother and sister came home. (even without the cookies) she would sing out between bouncing "look what I made, look what I made"
The look of satisfaction on her chubby cheeks is worth the mess. I hope she remembers our time together. I hope she makes cookies with her own kids.

A simple thoughtful act by someone I barely know brought forth this memory by sending me a note and a box of homemade cookies. She misses baking cookies with her daughter too. We have many other memories since baking and more to come.
How precious is each day and moment we spend together. Choose well how we spend it.