thoughtful thursday.

i have had the enormous pleasure of reading this summer. i think god has been giving me an opportunity to indulge in one of my favourite pastimes before the babe comes. what a joy!

two books that have been hugely influential on how i am framing this next season have been margin by richard swenson, and bread & wine by shauna niequist.

margin suggests that we live the moments of our lives right up against the next moments - leaving no space for rest or play or unscheduled 'interruption' but that in actuality, the margin is where god has space to show up and move within our lives. if we are living without margin we are unable to grasp the grace-times the father has waiting for us. if we are always rushing to the next thing we aren't able to stop for a chat on the street with a neighbour, or meet a friend for a spontaneous coffee. we aren't able to rest well or to play well. we are late and 'too busy' and tired. and we lose the space for grace in our lives. further, we lose the space for showing grace to others.

bread and wine is a fabulous you-must-read-this-book-right-now collection of stories about food and faith. about gathering together around a table, breaking bread, sharing wine, doing what jesus did with his friends in the upper room, and engaging in community. on our holiday le boy and i reflected that one thing we have not done as much of in the last six months is open our home and fill our table with friends and food. and while there are good reasons for this - namely the small soul joining our family in november - it has felt a more empty season in our home and is something we hope to press into more as we go forward.

and so what have i done as i think about making space for grace? how do i make space for the sacred around in our lives, around our table, living intentionally in community and being available for the spirit to use me in unexpected ways? how can i live a less busy, more intentional life? i'm sure i'll be puzzling this through for many, many years to come. i imagine this is an area where i might always struggle. but i know what i'd like my life to look like - i know that this is how i'd like to live.

linked.

may i just encourage you to visit this today?

may our days reflect this balance of the word and work and wandering. amen and amen.

ann voskamp on how to keep sanity. 

via incourage.me

starting.

what is it about a new year?

every blog i read, i find myself nodding along to - yes, it's true. we love a new start don't we? a year is stretching out in front of us and we're unsure of what it holds and how it will end up, but it holds so much potential doesn't it? so much possibility. so much life.

tomorrow le boy and i are a taking advantage of an unexpected day-off and spending some time planning our year. we'll do this individually and together. together we'll focus on what we'd like to achieve as a couple, how we want to handle our finances and where we'd like to travel.

individually, it will be well, personal to each. for me, i'm hoping to create a small journal for 2013 where i can assess my intentions monthly and keep track of things such as books i read, crafts i make, places we travel, memorable incidents, memory work i undertake.

additionally, i'm hoping to use this resource from simplemom.net to set intentions for 2013. and to use the seven signs of spiritual life, ideally, i'll go through this quarterly so that i can assess where i'm at spiritually and grow in my relationship with jesus this year.

i've made a printable so that i can keep it in the back of my 2013 journal, ready to hand.

Seven Signs of Spiritual Life by Brie B-D

this comes originally from a sermon by our worship pastor matt southcombe at st michael's southfields.

finally, i'm challenging myself to undertake the three marriage habits.

i'll check back in soon with a recap on our day-away. so looking forward to this!

december.

i've been quiet recently. but much to the chagrin of those who know me - that's never going to last long.

i missed reviewing october/november so here's a combo post.

::october/november recap::

spiritual: 

• we've started a new bible study in our homegroup and we're moving through it, will finish for christmas, it's been revelatory to grasp the concept of grace more fully 
• working my way personally through the beth moore proverbs study: wising up - and let me tell you, i am! 
• started a breakfast bible study with some ladies from church, so good to be drinking the word (and coffee) with sisters in christ! 
• memorised: ephesians 2:8, philippians 4:6, habbakuk 3:17&18, psalm 127:2

mental: 

• read: case histories by kate atkinson, readable but not my very favourite 
• read: start your family by candice and steve watters, a good biblical overview of the role of family in a believer's life, now the question is when to start? 
• winter of the world by ken follett, the second in a trilogy spanning the entire 20th century, readable, gripping, multiple storylines and LONG, but in a good way, worth the read, but absolutely necessary to read the first book! 
• the secret keeper by kate morten, this book has been much touted this autumn, and it's good and a compelling read, but it feels very similar to other kate morten books, in the way that all john grishams feel the same? it's a formula, it works, but it loses its magic once you've got this insight...sorry. 
• dear life by alice monroe, this book of short stories stole my heart, i ached for each snippet of life that was detailed. it probably helped that the stories mainly take place in places so familiar i could exactly picture the scenery the bleak and beautiful scenery of southwestern ontario farmland in winter, the beauty of lake huron in high summer. in honesty it made me a little home (and heart) sick, and isn't that what the best of books do to us? if you are familiar with the places of southwestern ontario, particularly those communities near the shores of lake huron, read this. 

physical: 

• i didn't start a 10 km training plan, but i have lost 40cm since july, so i'm feeling pretty great 
• i can leg press 100 kg, yup, you read that right. these quads are on fire!

creative: 

• well i quit photography class. that's ok. 
• i did photograph a friend's wedding and if i say so myself, the photos are at least passable for decent, mainly.
• i've knitted three jumpers and two hats. 
• knitted the cosiest throw blanket in the world

::december intentions::

spiritual: 

• finish off beth moore proverbs lecture series
• finish off bible in a year two years
• advent bible study, slow down, wait expectantly for the saviour of the world. 
• two more scriptures make 24 for the year! 

mental: 

• reading against a deadline: great expectations and life of pi (i know) both before i see the films, big hopes people. 

physical: 

• 'tis the season for cakes, and dinners and lunches, and deliciousness, so let's do this alongside the gym eh? 
• legpress 110 kg by 2013!

creative: 

• christmas cards
• christmas knitting 
• christmas decorating
• christmas baking 
• christmas day menu - so many decisions! 

october.

there's a chill in the air. it's definitely autumn around these parts. school has started back, leaves are covering the ground and it's thanksgiving this weekend.

if i'm honest i've felt a bit wordless. truly, my story's feeling a little bit stale. that is until i realise that my story is about so much more than the one thing that distracts me from the rest of the goodness. i'll be honest and say that i'm wrestling with my professional life at the moment, no longer feeling fulfilled in ways i used to be. i'm not sure what to do with the restlessness, but i also know that when god stirs you up, he's usually getting you ready for change.

::september recap::

spiritual:

• tuned into the beth moore simulcast 
• memorised psalm 68:11 & james 2:26 

mental: 

• read: crazy love (finally) it's crazy good, but crazy convicting also.
• read: orange is the new black, entertaining, poignant  a memoir and an insight into the life of a prison inmate and how choices can have long lasting consequences. 
• read: the orchardist, gripping. a novel that centres on how violence can be redeemed by love 
• read: call the midwife, bbc made a television series from this collection of stories of a midwife in post-WWII eastend london, watch the mini-series sure, it was fascinating, but read the book

physical: 

• took a bit of a break, it was necessary and well received, by my body that is! 

creative: 

• finished the drapes! now hung and looking pretty. 
• finished a knitted poncho, just my new favourite item in my wardrobe (photos coming)
• made jersey scarves, liking the diy aspect 

the drapes. finally. 

::october intentions:: 

spiritual: 

• starting a new bible study with our homegroup on grace - so looking forward to what god is going to show us

mental: 

• keep reading (what else would i do?)

physical: 

• start training for a 10km, i'm desperate to start running in earnest again, but i need a goal! 
• finish off the weight loss, i'm really happy with the progress, and i'd like to be finished by the end of the month! 

creative:

• starting a photography course this month, so looking forward to learning more about this art form and not just pointing my camera at things that look pretty! 
• working on a new knitted jumper
• contemplating making this for our living room - big and cozy

september.

i'm not entirely sure what happened. i blinked and it wasn't just september it was the middle of september. it's halfway over!

it's been full-on, non-stop busy. working in education means that september is the busiest time going. it's great but exhausting. add to that my parents making a trip over to see us and it's been a busy couple of weeks!

but it's also been oh-so-wonderful!

i've done some canning.

we've been to the paralympics (with marvellous & the barton boy)

there's been bits of knitting and this weekend, finally, a little sewing. but i should probably briefly reflect on august. (even if it was weeks ago!)

::august recap::

spiritual: 

• finished the nehemiah study - have decided that workbook studies definitely speak to my 'student' personality
• started up the end bits of the bible in a year two years 
• memory work flagged (again) but did get 2 tim 3:16&17 suitably lodged in my brain and my heart

mental: 

• read the art of fielding and hold love strong (gripped my heart that one)

physical: 

• ww continued to be a great way of losing weight, lost a total of 9 lbs by the end of august and 12 inches overall! 

creative: 

• finished knitting the poncho - needs to be blocked 
• got some bits finished in different rooms of the house, which feels very very good! 
• canned (a bit) of strawberry-peach jam

::september intentions::

spiritual: 

• keep on with the scripture memorisation
• keep on with the daily bible study - it's so nearly finished! 
• tune into the beth moore simulcast

mental: 

• finish crazy love 
• read two fiction books

physical: 

• make my goal weight and evaluate where i'm at physically 
• hit the gym at minimum three days a week 

creative: 

• new knitting project needed 
• finish the drapes
• simple sewing projects in the form of jersey infinity scarves! 
• green tomato chutney (the tomatoes aren't going to ripen this year, are they?)

august.

it's been a week of catching our breath. the kind that you never feel finished. i mean really, how is one supposed to complete anything with hours of olympic coverage to catch up on? i miss my childhood summer holidays - it's the only time i remember having absolute freedom to watch tv for hours on end, how can a parent really say, stop supporting your country and go outside? plus it was usually 35 outside and humid and really midday and outside was less attractive, to everyone.

but now, i'm working and depend on sneaking peeks online during the day and using catch-up player in the evenings. it's a bit bizzare to live in the same city as the olympics. and it's great. plus it's bringing friends back to us for a week, so in my opinion, it's amazing!

this weekend will be spent assembling IKEA dressers (yes!) and organizing the last of our clothes. i can definitively say that  we officially have too many workout clothes. it's crazy. insane-crazy. i'm not sure i'd be exaggerating if i said that fully one-half of the combined wardrobe was workout gear. i told you. insanity.

we'll also celebrate our first anniversary - but that deserves it's own excitement. and post.

last week we started off the olympics with a viewing of the road race. there were high hopes for a british medal that just weren't to be, but it was great to get out and see the excitement of the cycling community, in a place we so regularly enjoy. le boy kept saying, "it's just so weird to see them cycling on my cycle route..." i'm going to diving on tuesday with a friend, and i'm so excited! and we're hoping to catch some more live events over the next week.

july recap: 

spiritual:

• i've kept up with the nehemiah study and LOVE it! such a great dig into the old testament, it has been a blessing on my summer. 
• memorisation has flagged a little, with travelling and a bit of laziness, but neh 2:18 has been a great scripture to think about regularly. 

mental: 

• completed three books in july, each of them such wonderful reads that i believe the deserve a little post all their own. but if you've not yet read the following, download them to kindle, rush out to buy them at your local bookstore, or click on over to amazon...beautiful, inspiring reads, each of them.
• a visit from the goon squad - jennifer egan 
• state of wonder - ann patchett 
• gilead: a novel - marilynne robinson 

physical: 

• i wanted to be active everyday of our vacation - this was easily achieved in the hot (but dry heat) california. not so easily achieved in ontario where our days were packed from morning to night and the humidty was almost oppressive. it reached over 40 one day, that did me in. 

creative: 

• plane crochet - a nice little basket for my knitting in the front room 
• diy around the house - pillow covers sewn, spray painted picture frames, lots of painting in a small room, dreaming up finishing touches 

::august intentions::

spiritual: 

• finish out the nehemiah study strong 
• pick up the last of my bible-in-a-year-two years plan and get to work on finishing it 
• memorise three scriptures 

mental: 

• reading 'the art of fielding' by chad harbach and finding it absorbing. 
• read something else 

physical: 

• i will admit that i've started weight watchers - and it's working! i've lost 4.5 lbs! which feels really, really good. i'm using the online plan and think that it might be the key to some success for me. i realised that really, i'm already so active that i have to change my eating habits (particularly that cheese as an afternoon snack habit)
• my trainer has me on a new four days a week strength plan and i would LOVE to actually hit the gym consistently four days a week - i'm looking forward to some serious strength gains this month! 

creative: 

• finishing the drapes and bits of home-dec sewing that are languishing (on my kitchen table no-less) 
• finishing off decorating the spare room and 'lounge' ie family room 
• begin my autumn knitting project. i realised that i needed to get going if i wanted to actually be able to wear it come the cooler weather - which here, is sadly, just around the corner

enjoy august friends - i just love the meaning of the word - to inspire awe and admiration - i am hoping that this month does just that for all of us! 

july.

oh it's that time again. a new month, a new post, a new page.

june recap:

spiritual:

• memorised jer 31:3 & psalm 34:1
• finished reading the power of a praying wife - this book has completely brought my prayer life, for our marriage and for my husband, alive! i worked my way through this book day by day this month and intend to continue to do so daily, but i can see how if we were walking through a difficult season i may turn to just a few prayers for specific times. 
• started nehemiah: a heart that can break, by kelly minter, alongside the living proof beth moore blog, this is my first workbook bible study and i am already loving it. having specific things to do each day and questions to answer is definitely my style! i'm so looking forward to this summer spent in nehemiah. 

mental: 

• canada - by richard ford was an epic tale. it is a story of crime, but really it is a story of how we are redeemed, of how our past does not dictate our future, of how life can be shambles and slowly it can be pieced back together, of how life can seem very good and within hours a life can change. it's long but in a good way. 
• still reading francis chan's crazy love. 

physical: 

• i'm struggling in this area. partly it's my own issue, seeing progress as only a weight issue. but with all the gym time i'm doing, i'm not losing pure weight. i'm trying to come to terms with that. but i am doing very well with rehab - i'm single leg pressing more than 60kg, i'm choosing to work exercise into my daily life and i'm working on my head space regarding my body and my weight. 

creative: 

• sewing has happened. 
• knitting has happened. 
• crochet has happened. 
• baking has happened.
• i'll try to post about each in time. 

::july intentions::

we're away on vacation for the middle two weeks - hello california and ontario! i'm so looking forward to some summer reading, warm weather and being active.

spiritual:

• keep up with my nehemiah daily study, and video sessions
• continue with memorisation - this week we're memorising neh 2:18: i told them how the gracious hand of my god had been on me. 

mental:

• reading the goon squad a recommendation from julie at fresh basil - and liking it already. 
• summer reading choices are coming later this week, so stay tuned! 

physical:

• we're running in a colour run in a couple weeks, a 5K where they throw colour dye at you the whole time and you end up a rainbow - sound hilarious and really fun, plus i'm doing this with one of my old running partners who's moved to the Bay Area, so that's awesome. 
• i have a goal to break a sweat, from movement and not from humidty or heat, 5 days a week this month. 
• i'm going to focus this month on inches. i'm hoping to lose two inches overall. and i'm not going to look at a scale for a month 

creative: 

• some plane creativity is upcoming - namely, crocheting and socks, but that will be good! 
• i started our new living room drapes over the weekend, one is done, the other, isn't started, i'd like to be finished by the end of july. 

june.

i was distracted this past week (the beginning of june) with a four-day weekend, courtesy of the queen. liz, of course, has been on the throne for 60 years, and true to form, the brits celebrated their monarch, with what else? a bank holiday. the country was good enough to coincide the jubilee with what is normally the second may bank holiday - for a fabulous four days off! we took the cue, stayed in the country but headed north. way north. nearly all the way north, but not quite. a full recap will come. suffice it to say, the highlands are superb, and we're already talking about how to make this jaunt northward an annual event.

may recap: 

spiritual:

• worked on memorising jeremiah 31:3 
• god has been really teaching me some interesting stuff that i'll share as things progress, but it's been a great journey 
• started reading and using the power of a praying wife - what an excellent book - giving specific words to my prayers for le boy it  is such a fantastic resource. 

mental:

• the london train by tessa hadley - a nice read, although about an affair which i must confess, i have a hard time reading about, i'd prefer not to be necessarily exposed to those thoughts :) 
• the sweet life in paris by david lebovitz - another food memoir, it's wonderful and full of recipes, but i find with food memoirs that i can pick them up and put them down easily, each chapter is a stand alone story, i like for this reason and find them intolerable for the same.
• crazy love by francis chan - i'm stuck in the middle of this, it's a slightly uncomfortable read, and i want to take my time, but slowly we'll get there. 

physical: 

• i started and stopped a diet plan. and i'm counting this a success - the diet made me intolerable, and intolerant, i've decided that i need access to all food groups, everyday. so carbs are back in, just fewer of them, and i'm enjoying what i eat and trying to be conscious of my overall health and diet. 
• i'm seeing real gains in my strength and fitness - i can leg press more than 100 kgs! which is a huge step forward in the recovery land. and i went for a short run the other without a need to stop, which i feel means that my cardiovascular fitness is starting to return also. 

creative: 

• i didn't bake more or finish the cardigan, but it's almost finished and the baking, well, it can wait for this month. 

::june intentions::

spiritual:

• my memory work has really taken a hit this month, my goal is to make up for it over june and july and get back on track by memorising 6 scriptures over two months.

mental: 

• work is at its height in june, so i might just try to immerse myself in some good fiction reading that keeps me coming back for the sheer enjoyment of story 
• i'm also loving podcasts (as always) and i want to make sure i'm thinking while i'm listening to them. 

physical: 

• we have signed up for a 5 km run in mid-july, i'd really like to make it round the course without stopping, i don't care about my final time, but this means a little bit more running training 

creative: 

• consolidate my projects and finish ones that have been started and not finished. i'm terrible for this. i'd also like to start an ordered list of what project to do next - so that i'm not just caught by fancy, but regardless, this will be high up on the list. 

may.

april was fantastic, but fast. and i kind of feel that despite a trip to florida, it kicked my butt. we were exhausted before we arrived. and we spent the best part of our time there lounging in front of the pool, reading. it was bliss. and so so needed. but once we got back, i never felt like i got april back in control. so it is, i suppose. i tried to wrest control in a last ditch effort on monday night. i thought, i'll roast a chicken, on a weeknight, and my husband will called me blessed. he did. it was fantastic, and yes, you can roast a chicken (a small one) on a weeknight and still eat at a reasonable hour. on tuesday, i woke up with searing pain down my neck, don't know what caused the neck strain, but i got a sick day for it.

i'm not feeling that may is off to the greatest start. what with the neck, and the weather here in london is beyond terrible, we're talking 8 degrees terrible, and rainy and grey - i can see my breath outside, it's just sad. and i'm praying that my tomato plants make it, if not, eh, i'll buy some more i guess.

but there were some highlights for april:

spiritual:

• memorised deuteronomy 14:2 & zephaniah 3:17 - i've been using redstamp to create prayer cards that act as my background for my phone. i LOVE them! 
• attended the hillsong women's conference - colour - such a fantastic time of teaching and worship and prayer. 

mental: 

• read a lot - a lot of books, and for this single reason, april was redeemed
• one day - david nicholls, i know, old and probably the last person on the planet to read it, it was absorbing and a great holiday read
• the grief of others - leah cohen, poignant and well written from a variety of characters points of view, absorbing and arresting, it's well worth the read 
• escape - carolyn jessop, this was on the bookshelves of our condo, it is a fascinating look inside the cult of the FLDS, and while being a quick read, you do desperately want to know the story. 
• a homemade life - molly wizenberg, fabulous. a memoir, about food, with recipes. hands down fantastic. i felt like i was eating on each page, and there are so many things i want to make from this!
• the tiger's wife - tea obreht, in a list of great reads it's hard to pick one that was greatest, but this might just eek through, if it weren't for what follows...
• crossing to safety - wallace stegner, i'm placing this alongside one of my other favourite novels on marriage - two-part invention by madeline l'engle. it might have been the most beautiful read of this year so far. i couldn't put it down, couldn't stop underlining, couldn't wait to pick it back up. it gave words to sentiments i have about my marriage, and gave me hope for what our marriage could become. it's an honest and achingly beautiful look at the inner workings of a long marriage, and all that entails. go read it now. 

creative: 

baby items have been made, and upon delivery to waiting parents will be produced for the blog, i've picked back up my cardigan, i keep meaning to buy blackout lining for curtains, i keep forgetting. 

physical: 

• not the greatest month from a physical fitness standpoint buti had a great appointment with the lead physio for my knee op though and all is progressing well - so that's good. 
• i turned 28 - and i guess given that i've seen how our bodies are not indestructible, i'm just happy that it's working, that it keeps working and that god-willing it will be that way for a long, long time. 

::intentions for may::

spiritual: keep memorising scripture, i'm finding it such a blessing to my walk. keep digging into the word. 

mental: for my birthday i got a kindle, hence the huge amount of reading last month - i'd like to keep this up, i'm a far happier person when i have my nose in a book. 

physical: my trainer has set me some goals for this month and given me a diet plan. i'm putting my foot down and getting serious about getting my pre-op body back. i know it's possible, it's a matter of discipline and will-power. 

creative: finish my cardigan, bake more (yes i realise this contradicts the previous goal) 

april.

it's april already - three days in even! i've been on an unintentional blogging break, not because there's been nothing going on, but because there's been too much! march was the month of visitors - my parents and my sister in separate visits! and of reading! and cooking - baking to be precise.

march recap:

creative: i've started a cardigan from quince & co - oh how i love quince patterns, so easy read and such fantastic results every. single. time.

spiritual: memorised jeremiah 33:3 & psalm 139:14

mental: read the entire hunger games trilogy, the rules of civility  by amor towles, so so fantastic filled with the glitz and glamour of new york in the thirties, and the tragedy and sadness that can be left in its wake.

physical: i'm up to running 20 minutes, and i'm almost back to my marathon pacing from years ago - so that feels really good! also i've bitten the bullet and gotten a personal trainer - it's time to kick this knee rehab into high gear - and someone who forces me to work way harder than i want to naturally is just what i need, although he may kill me in the process. (grin)

:: intentions for april :: 

creative: wee babes are on the way, creating has begun! finish my cardigan, start on a linen shawl

spiritual: finish off the lenten bible study i've been doing (sporadically). resume my daily bible study. enjoy the spiritual refreshment that comes with time away. start listening to a college-level online course on the old testament.

mental: reading and reading - what else is holiday for?

physical: play some golf while on holiday, bump up the gym time to five times a week.

we're off to florida for the easter break and i just can't wait for the warmth, the bathing suits are packed, the golf shoes are in, the books are waiting patiently for my carry-on and i've already reviewed the in-flight movie selection. (am i the only one who does this? i like to know if there are movies i want to watch or if i need to be prepared with extra entertainment options!)

march.

a day behind. i feel that way a lot recently. like i'm coming to life late or something. i wonder if i need to slow down or speed up or evaluate what's on my list and what's possible or get a better routine or abandon routine? but i'm also here. so that's good.

a recap on february. i'm trying to be gentle with myself. some great things (great big things) happened, but they took energy and time, and so there was less of me to do the things i absolutely love. i've also decided to set myself a monthly creativity goal - most often sewing or knitting i expect, but we'll see what else makes it's way in...

creative: i finished a baby blanket for our closest friends' new baby, she is now snuggled up in it, so it was finished and delivered just in time. no pictures of the blanket yet, but i used this purlbee pattern and i LOVE the way it came out. possibly the cushiest, softest, loftiest baby blanket.

spiritual: memorised hebrews 4:12 & john 10:10

physical: ran/walked my first 2 km in more than 13 months! this is huge. i've not lost weight as quickly as i'd like (we went to france, they do bread and cheese and chocolate particularly well...), but i am reinvigorated to stay focussed on the goal!

mental: this was pretty much a failure. i started off with my fiction pick - the children's book by a.s.byatt. a.s.byatt is notoriously dense. and this is no exception. i am liking the story, it's just taking a long time to plough through. i may set it down to read the hunger games, which a.b. emailed me about to say that i HAD to pick it up. i'll report back. in other news, i've decided that at the top of my birthday wish list is a kindle, perhaps this will make reading novel (no pun intended) again! i've also started eat this book by eugene peterson, in the non-fiction category, i'll report back.

::intentions for march::

physical: get to running 20 min straight through. lose 2kgs (but i have a good incentive, we've just booked a florida trip for easter, so it's bathing suit (or swimming costume, as they say here) time! 

mental: read the hunger games - i'm so serious about this i'm picking the book up on my way home tonight :) finish the children's book and eat this book. 

spiritual: i've started a lenten devotional on my youversion bible app - i want to make sure i finish it! and to continue memorizing two scriptures this month. 

creative: working on a short sleeved alpaca sweater knit sideways - i'll be interested to see how this goes, and sew a slip cover for a storage unit in our living room. 

february::intentions

it is cold here. bracingly. nothing like the winters of my childhood and youth, dressed and wrapped against the snow, the lake's wind, cheeks perpetually rosy-glow, and never without a hat. but it is cold nevertheless, below-zero cold, deep desires for warm food and warm beds and nights snuggled on the couch with blankets.

i am startled by it. refreshed, hopeful for the days and weeks ahead. in all honesty, i find february difficult - cold and usually grey, i am so desperately pleased to see the golden warmth of sunshine today. it is streaming through my window, warming my back, deceiving me of the truth. i will take its deception.

january was definitely a growing month for us. we're learning how to handle life with us both working and trying to fit in mundane (but important!) tasks of the gym and cooking and laundry. alongside some new opportunities that god's presented us with - namely, we're now leading a homegroup and serving on our church's prayer ministry team. both of these things are blessing us immensely and we are so grateful to be continually immersed in a community that is proclaiming christ. we are also learning that we will need to say no to very fun social things from time to time in order to have time for our marriage, which is also a very fun thing. 

january recap: 

spiritual: memorised acts 20:32 & joshua 1:9

mental: i read the meaning of marriage by tim keller (absolutely fantastic read for both married and single people, seeking to understand biblical, thoughtful, intentional marriage!), i'm still struggling with a room with a view, and if i hadn't said that i'd read it, i probably would have put it down by now. 

physical: i've been to the gym four times a week! i am TIRED. 

bites: one bite at a time has been helpful, but four bites was more than i could chew (pun intended!) and i'm happy to have settled at two - meal planning, which i'm fully in the swing of and cleaning while i cook.

::february intentions::

spiritual: memorise hebrews 4:12 & another scripture

mental: two books, as yet, not chosen, but le boy is currently reading another keller, so it's high on the list of probability

take a photo a day - i missed the first but took two today...i'll try to post all 28, i'm going to experiment with instagr.am i've not used this app very much, but it seems appropriately suited to such a task.  

physical: i'd like to lose a couple of kgs, two to be exact, so that will be the challenge this month! 

bites: establish a morning routine, establish an evening routine

poem for february

Winter Sun

By Molly Fisk

How valuable it is in these short days,

threading through empty maple branches,

the lacy-needled sugar pines.

Its glint off sheets of ice tells the story

of Death’s brightness, her bitter cold.

We can make do with so little, just the hint

of warmth, the slanted light.

The way we stand there, soaking in it,

mittened fingers reaching.

And how carefully we gather what we can

to offer later, in darkness, one body to another.

source: the poetry foundation 

it's a.b.'s half birthday today - you heard me right, we celebrate those sorts of things...so hope you have half a cupcake today kid. love you.

be it resolved.

i love a new year. really, i love a new anything. but there's so much promise in a new year isn't there? 2011 will be difficult to top in terms of big life events. this time last year we weren't even engaged. but i'm hoping that 2012 might be quieter.

i'm hoping to settle into our house, to watch more movies and read more books, listen to more music and podcasts. i'm looking to invest more deeply in our marriage and in my relationship with jesus. i want to have time to spend with friends and to develop new friendships. i want to give my full attention to the areas of service the lord has placed before us - leading a home group and participating in prayer ministry. we hope to travel and i would like to be intentional in that - knowing what we are seeking from those experiences.

i want to rush less and be more present for life. i read ann voskamp's book, one thousand gifts, while convalescing, and it's true: nary an hour has ever been added by rushing. i want to live fully in each moment - seeking his will for my life in the mundane and the exciting.

i will continue to set intentions every month. but my overarching intentions are divided into three areas and each month i'll endeavour to update on where i'm at.

mental: read twenty-four books - twelve fiction, and twelve non- fiction.

physical: run a half marathon by the end of 2012 - i'm using this as a barometer of my recovery, plus the half is a very do-able distance.

spiritual: memorise 24 scriptures

and for this month i'm specifically working on simplifying - le boy starts a new job next week! this is a massive answer to prayer but it does mean big changes for us and a revamp of how we order our days and our mornings specifically. in addition, i need to get to the gym four or five times a week for rehab, i have regular dates with friends and i have a home to keep, and a husband to feed and pay attention to. i'm hoping to use this resource to assist with simplifying life. (and there's a discount until january 10!)

::intentions for january::

- read the meaning of marriage, by tim keller and a room with a view, by e.m. forester
- gym four/five times a week
- memorise acts 20:32 and choose another scripture and memorise.
- complete four bites from one bite at a time.

day in autumn:: {november}

it is hard to believe that november is upon us. an aunt of mine once decided to take the month as it came, eating when hungry, sleeping when tired. there is something about november that can be draining. maybe it's the quickening darkness? that in the northern hemisphere we're plunged into winter?

here we're preparing for what i've affectionately called my 'planned convalescence'  it's rather strange to know you're about to be laid up for many weeks. i'm trying to get in all i can while i've got the chance. to rest and prepare my body for healing. to prepare our house for a period of quietness. wool has been ordered. marvellous is coming over. the lovefilm queue has been updated. i'm stocking the freezer. and piling up the books.

::intentions for november::

• leave an extra 15 minutes for getting ready in the morning (stop the rush!) 
• take this month just as it comes
• be gentle with myself in the lead up to and after the surgery
• exercise every day until nov 17
• drink 2+ liters a day of water - the heating in my office has been turned on, bad news for the skin!

 

 

Day in Autumn

By Rainer Maria Rilke 1875–1926
 

Translated By Mary Kinzie  

After the summer's yield, Lord, it is time

to let your shadow lengthen on the sundials

and in the pastures let the rough winds fly.

As for the final fruits, coax them to roundness.

Direct on them two days of warmer light

to hale them golden toward their term, and harry

the last few drops of sweetness through the wine.

Whoever's homeless now, will build no shelter;

who lives alone will live indefinitely so,

waking up to read a little, draft long letters,   

and, along the city's avenues,

fitfully wander, when the wild leaves loosen.

four::newlywed::relationship

::: to see all 31 days of posts please click here :::

how to build a life together? i think this is what we stumble over most now. perhaps always? how to submit your own personal will and thoughts and plans to another? we are learning. falteringly. it is breaking us, and we are being made new.

i have made a habit of setting intentions at the beginning of every month. it's been helpful in adding purpose to how i walk through those days. my intentions have been simultaneously mundane and sublime - walking across waterloo bridge everyday was helpful in ensuring i at least got a little bit of extra exercise during a very busy month at work, and enormous changes in our lives as we settled into a new home and a new routine. memorising proverbs 31 has been an on-going intention, and it has helped me to focus on the godly characteristics of a good wife.

this month we discussed our intentions for october while wandering around richmond park at dawn. we are bending our wills, praying that our intentions will make us into better partners for the other. praying to be made new.

::intentions for october::

• rise daily at 6am 
• daily exercise
• daily prayer for le boy using this.
• read daily
• 31 days of blogging!

this poem reminds me of my homeland. october, as ontario is turning a myriad of colours, the scent of burning leaves wafting through the air, farmers bringing in the last of the harvest.

Neighbors in October

By David Baker b. 1954

All afternoon his tractor pulls a flat wagon

with bales to the barn, then back to the waiting

chopped field. It trails a feather of smoke.

Down the block we bend with the season:

shoes to polish for a big game,

storm windows to batten or patch.

And how like a field is the whole sky now

that the maples have shed their leaves, too.

It makes us believers—stationed in groups,

leaning on rakes, looking into space. We rub blisters

over billows of leaf smoke. Or stand alone,

bagging gold for the cold days to come.

planning.

i'm sticking to some of my intentions this month. namely i'm meal planning. i might have become slightly obsessive. i just can't help it. it is such a weight off my mind to know that dinner has been planned, we have the requisite food in the house, the recipe is already in the kitchen and dinner can be thrown together quickly! i love cooking, i'm not a huge fan of thinking about what to cook while i'm under pressure...

so i used pinterest to find a variety of meal planners/grocery lists. this might as well be a pretty process right? but most planners were for moms planning breakfast, lunch and dinner, and included snacks. now, i'm all for snacks, but really breakfasts at our house are easy: cereal, toast, maybe eggs... lunches for me are 99% of the time leftovers, and snacks: fruit and nuts...so dinners are all that stress me out right now. also i prefer to think about the number of meals we'll have this week, not the exact days they'll be consumed. so if i come home and we would much prefer fish over beef, we change it up.

so i made my own. it's also my first printable! yippee! i'll make some matching freezer/cupboard inventories in the future...i'm still getting the hang of this thing :)

it's a meal planner on one side, grocery list on the other. i've been having HUGE success with rachealraymag.com  for recipe ideas and the beginnings of meal plans. seriously, we've only had one so-so meal in two weeks - that's a pretty good run! and they are fast and healthy :)

to download, click and print :)

the beauty of the morning::{september}

composed upon westminster bridge, september 3, 1802

Earth hath not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.

Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendor, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! The very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!

- william wordsworth

it is semptember now. and for me again, the beginning of a new school year. i am always in the cycle of academic life. it feels like a new year today. the grey and rain that's crouched over the city this week has lifted - it was the most beautiful of mornings. the neighbourhood slowly waking. eating eggs with le boy at our kitchen table. toast and jam. devotion time. coffee. sunlight streaming through the windows. i searched september in the poetry foundation app - and found this wordsworth poem about this city on a morning just like this one - indeed in two days time, two centuries ago.

as in july, i'm setting goals for the month of september. resolutions? intentions? intentions. it seems much more manageable to intend to do something for the next month. 

:intentions for september 2011

-  blog three times a week 

- daily devotions with le boy
- walk across the bridge daily (alas, waterloo, not westminster)
- meal plan
- rest

september holds so much promise.

self-care.

it can be so hard to give ourselves time can't it? i'm struggling with that a little as the (all good) commitments of life and relationship and wedding planning hover closely overhead.

july is my last month as a single girl - and while i'm so so so looking forward to marrying my love and going on honeymoon and creating a home and continuing to invest in the relationships that mean so much to me i'm also feeling a little overwhelmed.

so I've set some goals for July. i want to finish my single years feeling the best i possibly can about who i am. i want to carry that confidence into marriage.

to this end i've tried to make my life a little easier this month. i meal planned next week's meals and bought the groceries online. and i took myself for a payday treat and had a pedicure over lunch - definitely the best thing i've done for myself this week!

:goals for july 2011:

- read one novel
- daily quiet time and prayer (i'm usually good about this until i get busy and then it falls away when i need it most!)
- stick to my healthy eating plan and cook - it's way too easy to grab comfort food on-the-go when really those moments of preparing food and nourishing yourself are so important.
- complete the jillian michaels 30-day shred - exercise literally is my sanity!
- memorise proverbs 31:10-18 - i figure going to the SOURCE for wisdom on my new role as wife might be a good way to start marriage.

in reality, with a little planning this won't add any extra time to my days and will probably make me more productive. regardless, i'm pretty sure it's the only way i'll get through the last month before our wedding, tying up loose ends at work, taking a month off, moving house, attending various social engagements (including wedding II of the 2011 season!!) and keep my fiance still wanting to say 'i will' at the end of it all...


:posted on the go: