Second Freewrite of the Morning

I did a freewrite about two hours ago, but it never posted. Oh bother.

Got up at 4:45 today and went to run on the treadmill and talked to Robin the whole time. Then, it was off to Group Power, and then another thirty on the elliptical. I don't want to go back to Paula's routine for me because I think what I was doing before she gave it to me was much more effective and a harder workout. I do like her running routine for me. So, I will still do that on my off days.

I came home and ran around the neighborhood, praying for each neighbor by name. I felt led to do that this morning as I was praying on the elliptical. It was nice to bless the neighborhood at the beginning of my day.

Came in and Flylady dressed to my shoes, checked email and Trapdoor. Got weird email, but I thnk I clarified in both. Got weird post that I didn't quite understand, but I am OK with that too. Just letting things roll off my back lately.

Still trying to find out if the cooking club is really where God would have me be this year. I like it, but I have reservations. I am still trying to find my place.

Yesterday, the women in my new study weren't prepared, and I felt a little bit of a "sigh" on that note. I had such a committed core of women last year, and I really appreciated that about them. I may just recruit a small group from different churches to come to my house and leave it at that. I don't know now. I do like this new study though. The women are great. I want to join you where you are working God.

Paul is smoking in his birthday thank yous.

Speaking of smoking. For some reason, I had a productivity bug in my body after Bible study. I had cleaned all morning for the women to come to lunch and study yesterday. Afterward, I had a frenzy of putting pictures in frames and hanging them. Then, we watched the Charlie Brown Christmas special, and I cleaned up the downstairs and folded laundry during commercials. Then, I went into the boys' room and cleared out all their unused, old clothes and reorganized their whole closet. What got into me!?

I also ordered some Christmas gifts.

Now, Paul is almost done with his thank yous. The rest of the day after homeschool is:

Dial a Book Book Deliveries
Library
Good New Club
Pizza Night
Ephesians Study
Drop off Warm Spirit Products to Kim's house

I am a little down now after a tremendously happy morning. So weird.

Excerpt from This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley

I read This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley today. It was lovely. I am enjoying his casual writing about the kingdom of God. I think he is on to something.

Loved his thoughts on systematic theology:

I love studying theology, but I've noticed that theology has little tolerance for loose ends. As the study of God, it mostly uses human tools like logic and interpretation and systems to define Him and how He works in our lives. Countless brilliant women and men have written penetrating works that help us think more clearly about God. They give us a rich theological heritage, and I encourage you to read them. But be careful. You can study God expertly in His parts and miss Him entirely in His Being. Sometimes I think today's evangelicals have dissected God, put Him in jars, labeled all His pats, and then breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew. Job done, they gasp. Now we have no more confusion about God. Now we have a God we can market. At least now we can be excruciatingly confident that 'our team' is right"

As right as body parts in formaldehyde.

I've found that theology, especially the systematic kind, becomes more helpful when you think of it as grammar. Grammar helps us read and write, but it can't on its own give us one memorable sentence. That's because grammar is a tool, not an end in itself. Meaningful communication is the end. Communication like, say, poetry. Yes, your grammar helps you to understand and experience a poem. But just when you're getting comfortable, a good poet will break a language rule, turn an image inside out. give you the slip, send you falling.

And there's nothing you can say in response but, "Hmm, good poem.I felt those words."

To help us encounter truths that would die if put into jars, Jesus showed us His kingdom in a gallery of poems, or word pictures. Each time He showed us another facet of what He wanted to teach. What He did not do was give us just one picture of His kingdom, much less a short dictionary definition. Of course, He could have. He could have dissected it for us - defined and dead - for all to inspect.

Instead, He gave us a multifaceted picture that is full of shape and contour and texture and tension and beauty and mess. It is both three-dimensional and experiential. To be known, this picture must be desired, received, and lived over and over again. In the genius of Jesus we find ourselves grasping aspects of the kingdom through a "living" definition that is growing and changing all the time. Not neat (that's dogma), not reduced (that's formula), not disassembled (that's dead).

But beautiful.

New Song

I've been grazing in the lush green pastures,
Watching time pass me by,
And I've been wading in the shallow waters,
Where everything is all right-
But today I know that something's different,
Something's disturbing my peace,
Oh, I can feel the changes in the distance,
And hear them calling to me-

The day is here, the time has come
To sing a new song,
It's very clear,
I must move on,
And sing a new song,
It will define who I become,
This new song,
So show me how to sing along
To this new song-

I've been looking in the strangest places,
To find the source of my strength,
And even though the outcome never changes,
Still I search endlessly,
But no more wandering around in circles,
It's time that I cross the see,
Now I'm trading in my cozy corner
For the bigger mystery

Going there means leaving here,
Saying yes means saying no,
Moving on means letting go of what is sure,
For more

Here is my WINNER's Certificate

I made it as a winner in Nanowrimo!

I wrote my first novel!

I hit 50,000 words at about 5 p.m. tonight.

What a cathartic exercise. My mother always wanted me to be an author.

I really have had this thing percolating in my brain since I was a junior in college 27 years ago. So, it was nice to just set aside the time and do it for posterity's sake.

I feel so free. :)

Party

P A R T Y!
Don't let your pastor know
P A R T Y!
Or he won't let you go
P is for Party
A is for Alright!
R is for Rowdy
T is for Tonight
Y is for You!

YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO!
Paul Christoper's party at 2!

Yes, we are in the thows of a party with ten of my dearest Paul's closest friends.

Love these kids
Love my life
Love my dh who made the cake and did all the shopping and most of the cleaning!

BYE!

41,712 Words Down in my Novel

I am way ahead of the curve in my www.nanowrimo.org writing.

Nanowrimo stands for

National Novel Writing Month.

Every November, an insane number of people write a novel.

Pretty cool. I don't think anyone will ever read mine.

Sunshine on My Shoulder

I woke up at 6 a.m. I was wide awake. When I went to have my quiet time in my happy place, the sun was just rising. GORGEOUS! This is no time to have a quiet time indoors.

Lovely walk as it rose. Had a conversational time with God this morning and talked about many things. Still waiting to hear about some things.

He walks with me and He talks with me
And tells me that I am His own . . .

Sweet communion.

P.S. It was sunny and I popped without knowing that it was sunny. So, I am still holding to my barometric pressue theory. :)

Pressure on my body

Yesterday I POPPED out of bed with no problem. It was sunny, and I went running outside around the Hewlett-Packard Pond (have a picture and will have to find it and post it here) seven times. It was lovely.

This morning, it was overcast and on the verge of a storm, and I couldn't get out of bed to save my life! Is it barometric pressure? Was it something I ate?

So, it is 9:15 am., and I have had a hard time getting moving this morning. I just want to stay at home and hibernate, and I have International Cooking Club and a movie night tonight.

Just wanting to be a homebody today.

That is all I got to say. :)

Call Me Beautiful

I went and saw Carol C. today. She prayed through some things with me like she did four years ago about my friendship that was having difficulty.

There is a new lightness to my spirit as I feel confident in God speaking to me directly about the truth about me and who I am.

So, as I drove home, this is the song that came on the CD, and God spoke to me about the life and future He has for me. Carol assured me that He had a plan in all this happening, and I know that I can rest in that.

Thank you, dear Lord. You call me beautiful

Call Me Beautiful by Ginny Owen

I've been waiting,
For a hero who's brave and strong.
Someone to love me,
Someone to tell me I belong.
So I pretend I'm satisfied,
And I stand watching on the sidelines.
Til You pull me into the light
And say, "It's your turn now, welcome to your life!"

And You call me beautiful,
Say You've loved me all along,
And You've always held the keys to unlock my soul.
You call me beautiful.

There's a smile on my face,
And a brand new light in my eyes,
It's a new day,
And I've never felt so alive,
I feel as if I could conquer anything,
That's what Your love has done for me,
And now all I want to be,
Is everything You want me to be-

Oh, You call me beautiful,
Say You've loved me all along,
And You've always held the keys
To unlock my soul, but I didn't know-
Now I can finally start to live,
Take those chances I have missed.
Things will be much different,
Now that I know You call me beautiful.

Bridge:

The story is better than I could dream after all,
Now this is reality
To know You to hear You call me beautiful.
Call me beautiful.

Now I can finally start to live,
Take those chances I have missed.
Things will be much different,
Now that I know, now that I know You call me beautiful.