Each morning I wake up to the sound of puppies whining to be let out of their crates. So I crawl out of bed, wash my face and get dressed for the day. After leashing all the puppies, we make our way out the door trying not to get tangled in the mess of leashes. Sometimes I make 2 trips. I come back and get the coffee started (or Chase starts the coffee). While the dogs play musical dog bowls, while Chase and I eat breakfast. Then the dogs chase each other around like wild animals for an hour..we go outside again. Then it's my favorite part of the day: puppy nap time. During this peaceful time, I read, paint, watch television, clean the house - whatever strikes my fancy. My favorite shows are Clean House and Warehouse 13. Clean House features incredibly messy homes filled to the brim with clutter and keepsakes that are cleaned up and redecorated using proceeds from a yard sale...that is if the folks will let go of all that junk! It's so easy to get caught up in the American attitude of consumerism - until we hold on to things until they are suffocating us! I feel sorry for the folks on the show because most of them have lost someone important, and they've attached memories and feelings to the junk in their house. They struggle to let it go because to do so would mean they are letting go of the person they lost. So Niecy Nash, in her high heels and colorful suit, gives the owners a firm scolding and challenges them to separate their feelings from the inanimate objects, and honor their lost ones in another way. Meanwhile, Trish, Matt, Mark, and the team clean up the house, organize a yard sale, and redecorate. I love seeing the homes transformed from "foolish to fabulous" and feel inspired to clean up my own foolishness and mayhem. Aaaah...blessed organization! Warehouse 13 is just a fun syfy show.
My summer reading so far has just been 2 books - Francine River's The Scarlet Thread and Jerusha Clark's The Life You Crave; the Promise of Discernment.
Here's the description of The Scarlet Thread:
"The story of two women, centuries apart, who are joined through a tattered
journal as they contend with God, husbands - and even themselves – until
they fall into the arms of the one who loves them unconditionally. When Sierra
discovers the handcrafted quilt and journal of her ancestor Mary Catherine
Murray, she finds that their lives are amazingly similar. Though the women are
separated by time and circumstance and Mary Catherine endured the hardships of
life on the Oregon Trail, many of the issues and problems they face are
remarkably similar. By following Mary Catherine’s example, Sierra learns
to surrender to God's sovereignty and unconditional love."
Of course it is an amazing book just as I would expect from that author! The book deals with destructive forces within a marriage - the challenges of maintaining a marriage with the social pressures to achieve more - and trusting God in all things. It's a fabulous book, and I recommend it whole heartedly!
Jerusha Clark's book is more of a challenging read. I take time process and comprehend what she writes. It's a very good book as well...and who couldn't use a little more discernment in their lives? I know I could...
Anyway, I'm off to organize, clean, or work on some other little summer project! Peace and love to all!
