Life in the Country

Today started off as one of those "you are really glad you got out of bed days", chatting with friends via phone & text (yes at the same time - thank God for 4G) all while enjoying my hot cup of green mint tea....yum! Oh have I mentioned how much better I feel since I have stopped drinking coffee!
I began looking forward to my "to do list"~ at this point you are wondering what is on her to do list that she is so excited about? Well, today is jam making day!
I discovered the love that I have for canning in October when I bought a box of organic peaches from Utah.  Knowing I only have a couple more jars left and loving fresh jam; I set my mind to find some fresh fruit this spring to be canned.  I found those fresh deep red strawberries that you know are just bursting with juicy sweet flavor and wonding if these will make it in my home till they can be canned.... Well today is the day & yes they survived the weekend with the children in & out of the frig... Halleluja!!!
The tops have been cut off, they have been sliced & cooked, they have been lovingly placed in jars & sealed... Now I am waiting for them to cool to place into the cabnet for our enjoyment later.

It's just that simple and it's the simple things that are usually the most rewarding.  When I first canned it was not as simple as it looks now.  My first batch of peaches did not set and we used it for ice cream topping... I failed to read the instructions (I tend to be the kind of person that jumps in with both feet then asks questions).  Yes, today I read the instruction before I began.  I use the recipe from the pectin box.  I do not have a bunch of fancy canning equipment just a large boiling pot (think resaurant size), jars, lids, fruit, sugar & a box of pectin.  And WALA ~ jam ~ homemade! Best of all, the cost is realatively low & I know what is in my jars!

I'm still here

Yes, here I am and another year has past and another New Years' resolution that I am trying to remember to hang on to and...  You know the feeling when you wanna do that thing you set your mind to and gave up on or got busy in another area of life and it kinda fell by the way.
So today I am feeling good (no fog) and I am trying to reorganize my life, which means put those things that are important first.  Worshipping, spending time with God, keeping myself healthy and allowing that to flow into other areas of my life; family, business & church.  At this point you ask "how"... I say "good question".
I think first we all have to allow ourselves grace in the midst of life and realize that we have off days but that we are not charactierized by those.  To remeber to get up and keep going! I had that today it started out as an "off day" I was going to spend in my pj's another day in front of the computer playing video games and I heard or felt life and remembered what God had spoken to me about who I am.  He said you are faithful.  I thought how can I be faithful, I am sitting here wasting time playing video games.  I knew in that moment that He is looking at the end results and that I am not characterized by my mistakes or my short comings.  Those are learning moments but that is not who I am.  I am who He says I am and that gives me hope... so in this moment I would like to pass hope to you.  Who does He say you are? A fisher of men, a friend, a worshipper or someone that just sits at His feet.  Whoever He calls you to be... be that.  Allow that to flow into every area of you life.

 

me

I'm feeling kinda tired tonight... just got home from a mini vacation (sunday) and I am still not feeling like myself, is that jet lag... humm?
Well if you know me at all you know that usually if it looks like fun I jump in; then I rethink or research.  As you may or may not be aware I am training to run, I thought, a 1/2 marathon.  Well after doing a little research and where I am now (as far as abiity) I am changing my goal and will start with a 5K... I have pleanty of time to train and strengthen for the event in Feburary.  At this point I am feeling a little more focused and feel like I have a real goal before it was just that I "was saying" now I have a date & a plan... well still working on the plan.  Here is where I have been getting some great information www.halhigdon.com

running!

When I was in high school I had trained to audition for our pom line.  I practiced and got the routine down to the tune of Hello Again by The Cars.  I even achieved a complete split during the freshest dance "thing" EVER! The day of as I was heading to the gym, up the stairs with heart beating, I stopped turn around and walked away.  I was scared, scared of not making it.  

As I begin training for a half marathon I find myself wondering what will happen when I get to the race.  Can I get there, what if I can not run the whole thing, what if I fall, what if others laugh at me, what if, what if what if.......  I could talk myself out of getting out of bed with all the what if's in life.  There has to come a time in ones life when you (I) have to realize - hey this is what I want to do... just to say I did it or to feel a sense of achievement, whatever the reason I am there! With the line of "I am doing this" having been crossed; I have invited, dared and am encouraging others to join me(as accountability for me-lol).  I invite you to dare, encourage & cheer me on too!

I have a magnet on my fridge that I just truly love, (next to the magnet with the rhinestone decorated cowboy boots) it is a wooden plain brown with a star in the background with the quote "Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyways" John Wayne.  This which brings tears to my eyes thinking of having the level of courage to breakthrough!  Gotta love John Wayne! I want this level of breakthrough!

life in the day

I hear thunder in the distance... let it rain! So after a few minutes of writing and deleting it is now raining.  One of my favorite moments; is reading while it is raining now that I am "internet" writer (extrordanaire) this is the pinnacle of my reading ... now writing experience! In other words... love writing while it's raining:)
Rain, that is very much a picture of life in the desert.
What else does life look like?
Well today it looked like a lady getting gas in her car.  As I had finished loading my groceries, she pulled along side me in her silver civic.  I thought she was asking for directions? She repeated the question "do you want to buy a food perserver?" She needed help.  I told her I did not need one but I could put gas in her tank.  She pulled gently up to the gas pump and shamefully got out of her car.  She was now crying and was thanking me, I felt so much compassion for this young lady.  At this point she began explaining her situation and as I listened all I could say was "I am sorry." She thanked and hugged me. I got into my car, she got into her car and that was it.  After it had all taken place I thought I should have prayed for her, as I was trying to think why I did not  or try to come up with an excuse why I "dropped the ball" or even why all I could do was stand there and say I am sorry... God reminded me that I stood in the gap.  A peice to the puzzle of someones life; a moment when we take responsiblity for something that happens and offer forgiveness, love or emotional support that chages their day.  Today it wasn't about the gas but about the life, life, if even for a day that was changed.

day 1

Do I call it day one is it suppose to have a real name.... my coffe is getting cold & I need to go for my walk/run.  So this is my first blog... blog, blog... kinda just sounds cool saying it.  Where did that word come from? Is it bio log? huh?
I have been concidering writing a blog for sometime but I was always unsure of what to write about and then this morning it came to me... life after 40, my life after 40. (cant write about some else's life after 40)
I am thinking about training for a half a marathon... I know that is just kinda out there.  But hey, I am 40 and you start to look at things differently... is my life making an impact on the world around me, (I would have to answer yes to that because I hs-ed my children) what am I doing or what do I want out of this life.