Personal Legends

I fold down the sheet, flatly formed against the quilt so that each dent of stitch stretches into a barely visible terrain.  It forms a pleasant piece of smooth, cold art.  Slowly I stroke my hand across like a wind on plastered white sand beach, lifting my flickering fingers just above the peeking blue quilt edge.  The gust I create is lighter than one that shakes water into waves, so my weak current does not make it's own throughout this small world.
After all.

Little Changes

Thank you Target for giving me little things to sprinkle the house with newness.  I love minor changes.   The photos in the frame are ones I took at Pike's Place Market last summer.  The balls....well, I couldn't find any potpurri I liked.  Numbers Man can't stand them...think's they look like hideous artichokes.  Ha! 

Thinking on these verses today...

2 Peter 1: 4-8Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Feeling like Falling

Tinkering with Fall by KinaBolina featuring Hermes

I am so very ready for fall.  Ready for the leaves to change, ready for my closet to change.  Ready for the September issue of Vogue.  Thus begins my countdown...

Wordless Wednesday

Healthy Scallopped Potatoes

3 - 4 Large Potatoes (sliced into thin circles)

• Olive Oil
• Fresh Cilantro - minced
• About 1-1/2 Cups Vegetable Broth
• Salt & Pepper

 

1. Preheat Oven to 350.
2. Lightly oil a baking dish (I use a 12" Oval dish that is 2" deep)
3. Lay down a layer of potatoes (get them as close as possible without overlapping).
4. Drizzle with a teensy bit of olive oil (you don't need much...so put your finger over the top or use a spray canister), sprinkle with S&P, and cilantro.
5. Repeat 3 times.
6. Cover (but not so totally submerged) with broth.
7. Bake for 45 minutes - 1 Hour covered with aluminum foil.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

You can go light on everything save for the potatoes...it ends up being very rich and flavorful.

**Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tommyhj/

Use Me...

I've been pondering these verses.  Ponder.  Ponder.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ephesians 2:10

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Proverbs 20:11

Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

1Corinthians 12: 1-12

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.  Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.  Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Do you ever wonder how the Lord will use you in this life you've been blessed with?  I do...all the time.  Our lives are made up of moments, and we know we ought to use each moment to the fullest, but how?  I trust that he will show me and I try to remeber to lean on the Word, but there are times when I think..."What am I supposed to do here?  What should I say?  How can I be an asset for good in this situation?"  Sometimes this causes me to over or under-react, or at least think I'm over or under-reacting.  Trust, faith...and remember this verse...

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Proverbs 3: 5-6

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

God will show me, in His time.  He will show every one of us who believes in Him.

Shining Bright

All things bright and beautiful You are

All things wise and wonderful You are

In my darkest night, You brighten up the skies

A song will rise....

~ From Song of Hope by the Robbie Seay Band

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I want to lighten up...less hair, more highlights, sunnier me.  If I still feel the same by the end of the week I'm going to go into the salon asking for this style (less blonde though)...and maybe Ken Paves and some extra volume would come in handy. Ha! 

What do you think?

For My Mom

Two things for my "MA!"...

A flower

A Poem

Fragmentary Blue by Robert Frost

Why make so much of fragmentary blue

In here and there a bird, or butterfly,

Or flower, or wearing-stone, or open eye,

When heaven presents in sheets the solid hue?

Since earth is earth, perhaps, not heaven (as yet)--

Though some savants make earth include the sky;

And blue so far above us comes so high,

It only gives our wish for blue a whet.

The Sparrow

Matthew 6: 26-31

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Photo Credit: Last Stop on Flickr

Convicted by the Cross

Luke 9: 23-25

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.  For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

I am moved, I am finding instruction little by little.  My eyes are opening wider it seems.  I pray my conviction deepens even more.  I want to live for Him only and not me as well.  Truthfully, I'm afraid of what that means.  I pray this fear will abate.

 

Nostalgic

Just a few conversational quotes from my favorite television show of all time...Gilmore Girls, because...I get nostalgic every now and again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rory: A cool B&B?

Lorelai: Yes.

Rory: That's like saying an understated Nicholas Cage movie.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Rory: Did you talk to your parents yet?

Lorelai: No.

Rory: Have you *tried* talking to your parents yet?

Lorelai: No.

Rory: That's my little Kofi Annan!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Emily: I'm sorry. You were on the phone?

Richard: Long distance.

Lorelai: God? 

Richard: London.

Lorelai: God lives in London?

Richard: My mother lives in London.

Lorelai: Your mother is God?

Richard: Lorelai.

Lorelai: So, God *is* a woman.

Richard: Lorelai.

Lorelai: *And* a relative. That's so cool. I'm gonna totally ask for favors.

Richard: Make her stop.

Rory: Oh, that I could.

Watching

Matthew 25:12-14

But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.  For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sometimes I forget that I am a servant of the Lord and instead think it's the other way around...asking Him for things, anticipating his gifts instead of humbling myself and doing what he asks. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Psalm 145: 21

 

My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Love Never Fails

Chosen

Joshua 24:21-23

And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD.   And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.  Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.

Prowling for Deco

I am on the prowl for an Art Deco style radio for my bedside table and so far, no dice. Ideally, I'd like one with a CD player and/or a USB port to plug in my iphone. I want to listen to all of Public Radio's wonderfully entertaining weekend programming in style...as currently, I'm forced to listen using the television...God bless those 900 channels, but it's just not classy.

If anyone sees a beautiful noise box, please let me know...and if I find one, I'll post a picture.

Happy Weekending!

xoxo

All Blissed Out

I discovered a new taste sensation at the natural food store I go to...and it has lit my taste buds up like the fourth of July!!! Yup. It's that awesome.  I love all things coconut so imagine my delight when I found ice cream made from coconut milk instead of cows milk (or rice milk for that matter...blech!) and best of all the tub I picked out is full of pineapple and just a smidgen of rum so it's like having a rich, frozen, won't get you buzzed but still tastes delicious, PINA COLADA!  *dances*   

Sigh...that was a virtual dance...I sprained my right knee yesterday so I'm afraid dancing is not on the agenda.  But if I were going to dance, I'd be practicing my routine for National Dance Day.  You got that right...a reason to shake what God gave ya is coming up on July 31st.  I can't wait!!!

In this spirit of the coming *cough* Holiday *cough*, watch this stupendular number from So You Think You Can Dance...it's moving and deliciousness captured in under two minutes.   

I am grateful.

Bright & Sunshiny Day

It's officially summer here in Washington.  Temps reached 92 and I reached for ice cold lemon water.  I swear I got a little color on my arms on my 20 minute walk with darling dog.  Stranger things have *not* happened (it usually takes aeons for me to tan up).  All fans are running full blast and I pulled off the down comforter and put it away in favor of a light quilt.  All signs point to...

...LILLY!

I'm a Dreamer

An Extra Day

I love having an extra day tacked on to the end of the weekend like an accidental exclamation point.  One part of me tries fervently to indulge and finds itself tucked between book pages, the other part nestles in piles of laundry and errand-running.  Corpulent, dove gray smoke billows from the neighborhood chimneys and the day unfolds into a haze, dissolving responsibility and embracing each passionate notion as it surfaces and forms into deeds and words.

A taste.

A song.

An escape.

Just Happy to be Here

America by Walt Whitman

Centre of equal daughters, equal sons,

All, all alike endear'd, grown, ungrown, young or old,

Strong, ample, fair, enduring, capable, rich,

Perennial with the Earth, with Freedom, Law and Love,

A grand, sane, towering, seated Mother,

Chair'd in the adamant of Time.

So Inspired

*Photo Credit: The Habit of Being

Mountain Rose Herbs has a You Tube Channel and somehow I've been in the dark about it.  Love it!