Look Back. Look Forward. September Tending

August was a month!

a month …

of loss #miscarriageawarenenss

of hammocking with my big sister while we chatted over hot coffee

of hugging friends and family who we love so dearly, despite the new normal of “social distancing”

of celebrating my husband’s birthday with family. What a blessing!

of gathering with friends & family on hot summer evenings with cicadas making music in the trees

of flavor-of-the-day ice cream at local shops

of saying “no” to feeling guilty for the subpar language study hours I got in

of saying “yes” to sharing our story with others and advocating for the amazing people of South Asia

Verse of the Month

Adventure of the Month

Wild Florida is basically a zoo for alligators, crocodiles, and a bunch of other animals not that are not native to Florida like the lemur with a stank eye.

Favorite Foods or Recipes

I didn’t do a lot of cooking since we were traveling in the States but we absolutely loved the foods eating the foods we don’t get in South Asia (aka: almost everything in the picture below).

Seasons 52 birthday dinner date with the hubs.

Books I Read or Listened to

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

My husband and I listened to this book on our recent road trip and loved it. There were so many truthful and practical nuggets for leading a slow and spiritual life that eliminates distraction and the hurried pace of Western culture. Comer specifically talks about silence and solitude, sabbath, simplicity, and slowing. He reminds us that God’s commands were meant to be life-giving not life depleting.

“Less time means more hurry…Most of us just have too much stuff to enjoy life at a healthy unhurried pace…We worry about what we worship.”

“Slow down. Breathe. Come back to the moment. Receive the good as a gift. Accept the hard as a pathway into peace. Abide.” 

John Mark Comer

Creative Outlet

Water Color painting while listening to the birds fill the silence with singing and watching the pet duck waddle back and forth in the garden.

Revisiting my August Tending List

monthly 

• schedule doctors appointments  yes! scheduled and finished.
• read a book  see above
• make the most of time with friends & fam in USA  such a blessing
• celebrate the hubs bday Seasons 52 date. Shopping. family party
• write thank you notes I am loving Parabo Press. Ordered 4 x 6 cardstock prints from the photos we took in South Asia and am writing on the back of them.

weekly 

• memorize the word Phil 4
• spend time outdoors  hammocking, intercostal in FL, the beach, Wild Florida + gators
• date with hubs 1st date in America again –salmon and scallops. double date– friends took us to Cheesecake Factory
• stay in touch with national friends  miss you

daily 

• workout still so thankful for Btribal Fit, especially when the FL heat is just too much to handle
• language study not as much as I wanted but still every weekday

September Tending List

I’m keep it super short and super simple for this month because I just feel like I need it that way. Know what I mean?

monthly 

• soak up time with friends and family –be present
• create fall fun list
• enjoy vacation in WY

weekly 

• take language classes online (6 and 6:30 am)
• sabbath rest and begin HYMNS-volume 1 study on Sabbath

daily 

• abide