Stumbled across this little gem while reading my Bible this morning...
"As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?"
- Ecclesiastes 5:11
A timely reminder for me as I once again struggle with wanting more "stuff". Simplicity is the way to go.
Peachfuzz and I are both sick again, and it looks like Papa Bear is going under too. We only managed to kick the last cold/virus a couple of weeks ago, and now here we are a week into round two. Peachfuzz has been a lot more miserable this time, which has been hard to watch, but thankfully, I haven't been quite so bad, so I've been able to look after her a little better. Lots of cuddles, sleep, playing in the steamy bathroom while we shower and plenty of fluids has helped her out somewhat. She's been a little less energetic, and happy to sit and play quietly. We even rented out a couple of kids DVD's (sad but true) to help pass the time while she just wanted to sit and not do much. It's so cute to hear her ask for a "moonee".
While I was on my blogging break, there were a couple of fantastic blog posts on some of my regular reads. Sara posted some wonderful thoughts about the Proverbs 31 woman here. Proverbs 31 has both inspired and intimidated me in the past. After reading Sara's post, I decided, like her, to try getting up early to spend some time alone with God. My days always seem to go better when I make that the first thing I do each day. But you know what they say about good intentions! Day one I was up at 5:30 and had a wonderful quiet time. Day two I didn't get up until 6:00, and sadly, day two was the end of that! Once we're all recovered and sleeping a little better, I'm going to give this another go.
This post over at Changing Rhythm also really hit home for me, especially after a week of being away from all this, a week of noticing all the small joys in life. I hope Matt doesn't mind if I quote from his post, because really, it's exactly how I feel, but written so much more eloquently than I ever could.
"We are on a journey, there is no destination. It should be an adventure; like Pirates of the Caribbean, or Peter Pan. Sometimes, it is going to feel like the Tea Cups, or Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. But, at the end of the day, each day, I want to crash into bed laughing and telling exhausted stories of the magic I experienced, the things I noticed for the first time, the things that are worth living for. I want to pass out and dream dreams that pale in comparison to the days I have had. I want my children to see me as they do here, in "The Happiest Place on Earth." I want them to know that I wasn't forcing them to live with less; but, to live more, with less holding them back from a wild and adventurous life."
And of course, Amanda always has something amazing to share. After a few days of feeling frustrated that "all I ever do is clean up messes", this post reminded me of the right perspective.
So many wonderful finds on the internet lately have been convincing me that I need to get more confident with my machine and start sewing! Here's some of what's been inspiring me lately:
- These cute aprons.
- These dresses and skirts. I adore the red one near the top with the tree applique. If you click on no other links, at least click this one. I think these clothes are gorgeous, but they're the kind my husband would abandon me in public for wearing!
- These bags. The skirts and dresses at this site are beautiful too.
- These absolutely gorgeous fabrics from Denyse Schmidt.
- And finally this post at my all time favourite blog, SouleMama. Because I would love for my Peachfuzz to be that excited about sewing at six years old.
From this post at whipup:
Whenever I feel unsure, I go back to one of my favorite books and the quote at the beginning. Here’s the introduction that never fails to inspire me from Off the Map:
This is what it means to be an adventurer in our day: to give up creature comforts of the mind, to realize possibilities of imagination. Because everything around us says no you cannot do this, you cannot live without that, nothing is useful unless it’s in service to money, to gain, to stability.
The adventurer gives in to tides of chaos, trusts the world to support her- and in doing so turns her back on the fear and obedience she has been taught. she rejects the indoctrination of impossibility.
My adventure is a struggle for freedom.
