This is my first Daybook (formerly Catholic Woman’s Almanac) of 2014. Our host Jenny has a beautiful new blog and logo. I’m happy to be linking up with her this morning.
I am also linking up with sweet Pam for my first Project Snapshot Mondays. Scroll down to the bottom for that one.
AND
Moments of Gratitude…
Today I am especially thankful for
- Warm sunshine and a gentle spring breeze. (I cannot imagine what real winter weather must be like.)
- That Brian is getting stronger and recovering from his surgery.
- That my mom will be visiting us again next week. A huge treat!
- For a really enjoyable 4 day weekend. Usually it goes by too fast but not this time. I feel like we were able to really relish the time off together.
- For a hubby that insists that I get out of the house once in a awhile and sends me to the movies after the kids are asleep. (He wants me to go tonight. What should I see??)
Beauty in the Ordinary…
When the usual noise and mayhem quiet down and one of the littles comes over and hugs me for no reason. This makes everything else worth it.
In the Kitchen…
M – Lasagna that my mother-in-law made us.
T – Moroccan Style Chickpea Chili (But this time I am going to add a little ginger to it.)
W – Garden Salad topped with BBQ Chicken
Th – Breakfast Dinner – Eggs, (no nitrate) ham, country potatoes & tomato slices.
F – Slow Cooker Lentil Soup with Kale & Grilled Cheese
S – Leftovers.
S – Enchiladas & Homemade Beans
Praying…
- For Brian’s continued recovery from cancer and for the chemo treatments that will most likely start next month. (He has outpatient surgery on Tuesday to begin the process.)
- For all those suffering with cancer and other illnesses.
- For those suffering the cross of infertility.
- For those who have lost a child in miscarriage, especially for a dear friend of mine.
- For our military, especially those having a hard time being away from their loved ones.
- For some special intentions.
Pondering…
On Thursday I shared about the struggle I was having with Brian’s cancer and this whole situation. It just seemed like everywhere I turned people were dealing with heavy crosses. Then on Friday I found out that a close friend lost her first child in miscarriage. It was a long awaited baby and after the “safer” 8 weeks time and she was devastated. It was the straw that broke this camel’s back. I just lost it. My utter sadness for her turned to anger. I cried out to God asking why He would do this. When it was time to say our family prayers I told Brian to pray with the kids without me because I wasn’t feeling well. Instead I went into my bedroom and told God that I could not pray because I was was too mad and couldn’t talk to Him right now.
Someone may think that is a bit blasphemous but the thing is, I could be honest wit God like that because He knows my heart completely. He knows that deep down I am upset with the situation, not Him. It’s like when I am really upset and Brian tries to talk to me. I tell him, don’t say a word to me because I am too mad to talk right now. He understands me and knows that I just need to blow off some steam and let myself cool down. Before long I am back in his arms crying and telling him I’m sorry for getting so upset. It is the same with God. Thankfully, it is rare that I reach that point but it just seemed like everything was hitting me at once and I couldn’t get my head above water. Once I calmed down and thought things over I was able to run back into His arms and pour my heart out in prayer once again. I was able to tell Him that I love Him and trust Him, even when nothing makes sense to me. It is amazing how patient God is with us, me in particular.
Maybe one day I’ll be able to reach the trust point without having a tantrum first but for now, it’s baby steps.
Around the house…
Much needed spring cleaning. With my mom coming next week I’ll really get a kick start!
Reading…
I haven’t had much time for reading lately. I did finish reading Divergent by Veronica Roth. I wanted to finish it before I saw the movie next month. (If you haven’t guessed, I love going to the movies!)
Listening to…
I first heard about the band Bastille from Carolyn and then Hallie mentioned them. I have been listening to their album Bad Blood on Spotify and finally just downloaded it to my itunes. I’m addicted to the whole thing. Different times of my life always have a certain “soundtrack” of songs that I would listen to a lot. Right now this album is my soundtrack.
On my DVR…
Sherlock is over. Boo! But we still have one more episode of Downton Abbey. I’ve been posting my DA comments here.
The other night Brian and I caught an episode of BBC’s Fr. Brown, based on the stories of GK Chesterton. Fr. Brown is a Catholic priest has a knack for solving mysteries in his English village. We’ve only seen two episodes so far but for a simple TV series they are well done. The Season 1, Episode 3 that we saw had a bizarre love triangle (husband, wife and zany mistress living in one house) but in the end Fr. Brown spoke beautifully to a main character about the love and mercy of God. It was not what I was expecting from a non-religious show. You can catch Fr. Brown on BBC One on Friday nights. (I’m not sure if they are available on Netflix or Hulu yet.)
On the blog…
I’ve been posting a lot more lately. My laptop had been a godsend to get some late night blogging done on the couch while the kids sleep. At the end of a stressful day I have found blogging to be my happy place. 🙂
Posts I’ve Liked on my Bloglovin
I’m behind on my blog reading so instead of telling you what I liked, here is a list of my blogroll on Bloglovin.
Pinned…
- Balsamic Glazed Chicken and Roasted Potatoes (I forgot I was going to try this. Maybe I need to adjust this week’s menu. 😉 )
- Milk Carton Greenhouse (Bella just made this for a school project.)
- A Look at My 2014 Planner (Totally my own pin. heehee.)
Plans for the Week…
Perhaps the movies tonight. Back to school routine tomorrow. School fundraising work. My mom’s arrival on Sunday. woohoo!
Captured…
(I am linking up this photo with Pam for Project Snapshot Mondays.
After what I was saying in “Pondering” about being stressed and overwhelmed with negative things, I went out for a walk the following day. I was thankful that God understands our frailty and His mercy always comes when we need it most. No matter how dark it gets, there is a moment when light shines through and your heart (even if it is temporary) is alleviated from the pain and you feel refreshed again. It can come from a loved ones hug or a kind word from a friend or a moment of grace after prayer or even a glorious scene of nature after a night of storm clouds.
That is what happened here. It rained the night before so everything was freshly washed, bright and sparkling. The ocean before me was such a vivid blue it was like the scene from Wizard of Oz when it goes from black and white to technicolor. It was a reflection of the beauty and majesty and power of God. It was as if he was whispering, “Everything is in my control, little one. Stop worrying and just keep following me.” Blessed be God.
The Pacific Ocean near Monterey, CA. Shot with my iphone. No filters used. It’s not as good as in person, but close enough. 🙂
Thanks to Jen and Pam for hosting! 🙂
PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, GoodReads or Instagram. 😉
Hey Bobbi!
Oh Sweetness – hang in there. Cancer stinks. I’m about 1/3 the way through an 18 week chemo program right now. Assure Brian that it isn’t as awful as he might expect. You start out scared out of your mind with grief and worry. Then you discover that while the reality isn’t exactly FUN, it’s more than bearable and not that horrible after all. The doctors will provide all the meds necessary to stay comfortable.
My best advice (and what I keep telling my husband!) is take care of YOURSELF, too. Take those moments to scream, cry, rant and rave. Get out of the house with the kids. Let friends and neighbors bring food. Go to that movie at night, eat popcorn and laugh for a little while. Let the housework slide other than what is absolutely necessary to keep Brian from getting sick.
All things pass. God is constant. Big, big hugs, my friend.
Angela, I seriously think this is the most loved comment I’ve ever gotten on the blog! Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I read it to Brian and we just looked at each other and smiled. It was so reassuring to hear from someone going through this and have them tell us it’s not fun but it is doable. That takes a lot of the fear of the unknown out of it! Hours later Brian was still telling me, that is so nice of Angela to write us. You really helped him. Thanks! I always thought you had a tender heart from reading your blog but now I know it, along with a warrior spirit. 🙂 Lots of love to you! We’re keeping you in our prayers as you fight this battle too. God blessings to you and your family!
Powerful prayer list & pondering…you are a beautiful & true daughter of our Father.
God’s grace to your days…
Thank you, Valerie. I truly appreciate it. 🙂
I totally blog late at night after everyone is asleep — the house is quiet (other than a few cat fights) and I can focus better.
When I was in the hospital after my emergency c-section with Daniel in April 2009, I could not pray — I mean, the words were just not there. I remembered Romans 8:26-27 which says this: ” In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” I would just say “OK God, you know my heart. Please look at my heart and grant what is there.” It helped until I was at a point where I had words to pray again.
Hi Jen, I noticed that you blog (or comment, rather) late at night. When I get a ping in the middle of the night from my blog that someone left a comment, I always think to myself. – that must be Jen. LOL 🙂 Also, I love that scripture…”wordless groans” says it perfectly. When we can say nothing, God know our hearts. It is so reassuring. 🙂
🙂 I also have pretty bad insomnia because of fibromyalgia so I find it a good time to do the praying I need to do and get some writing done. Blogging like that also helps my brain to shut up so I can sleep.
I haven’t visited your blog in a long time (long story of cyberspace disorganization here), but now that I have, I am very glad! I think I will be visiting frequently to read past posts…
I am so sorry to hear about your husband’s condition. I will not say that I know how you feel because I don’t, but I will be praying with and for you — you, Brian especially, and your children. I will remember you in a special way when I pray the Rosary.
End-of-day blogging suits me, too, if I don’t fall asleep first 🙂
Blessings and graces for your week…
Hi Marcia. Thanks for the kind words and for remembering us during your rosary! It means a lot. 🙂 I know what you mean about not reading people’s blogs. I have so many favorites but I am utterly behind on reading them. My free time is limited so I have to decide it I want to blog, or answer emails and comments or read from my blog roll. Other times I just fall asleep with my fingers still on the keyboard. LOL. Anyway, thanks for stopping by. 🙂
And you have that view on your walk? How awesome is that! So happy the walk provided some clarity for you.
Thanks, Pam. And the view is breathtaking. I can’t believe I get to enjoy it everyday! It’s crazy gorgeous. 🙂
God is a merciful Parent. He knows your heart. He expects human responses and loves us anyway.
Praying for you and yours. I’m so sorry about the cancer. We are blessed that we live in the US and people beat cancer all the time. I pray he will.
Blessings!
p.s. – Man that beach is gorgeous!
Em
Thanks, Em! I agree on all counts. We appreciate the prayers. 🙂
Bobbi, I’m sorry I’m just now getting over here. Prayers for you and Brian. I loved Angela’s comment. She said everything better than I could have even thought to.