:0) / :0(

Estimated closing on Markham Street in a week and a half :0)

I wrote our new address out officially for the first time yesterday at the eye doctor's :0)

I spent way too much time last night browsing on Amazon; dining tables inhabited my dreams, and I've already thought of 2 things I want to add to my Wish List :0(

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.  Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26:3-4

Stationed at the Watchpost

[Sharing with you my quiet time journaling this morning]

Father, I asked where I should read this morning, and almost instantly I heard "Habakkuk."

I did not remember that it is out of Habakkuk that Mark Virkler found his 4 Keys to hearing Your voice :0) [Andy and I attended this conference at our church last weekend; excellent.]

2:1-2 "I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.  And the Lord answered me, 'Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.'"

This whole book is like a cultural conversation with You about the state of our nation.

Habakkuk's complaint could be boiled down to, "Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? (1:3a)...guilty men, whose own might is their god! (1:11b)"

And the Lord replies to him, in essence, "Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded.  For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told (1:5)...For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end--it will not lie.  If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay (2:3)...For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (2:14)."  

[And this is what Habakkuk's conversation with God reminds me about my culture:]

H          O          P          E

How'm I Doing With Those Goals?

I did a math-y thing during quiet time this morning.  I mean, I don't think it would stand up to a statistical analysis, but I was proud enough of my method to show it off to my hubby across the kitchen table when I was through :0)  

Since we are substantially into autumn (the feeling of the season, if not according to the calendar), I decided it would be wise to assess my performance in the goals I've set for myself--something to do with Ephesians 5:15-17.  I wrote out 13 goals for myself, ranging from "reestablish a daily quiet time" to "connect with other stay-at-home moms" to "generate content for the library web page."  

And since we bought a house (because, yes, we DID buy that house on Markham Street!) and the majority of my time and thought process for the rest of autumn will be spent on moving our family to a new home, I need to make extra sure that I still give some attention to these goals.  I did, after all, make them intentionally and (still) consider (most of) them important.   

So, in the photo is the math-y part, where I see how my performance stacks up on a scale of 1-10.  The good news is I'm doing really well on the two most important goals [daily quiet time (10) and enriching my prayer life (9)]!  And the other good news is that, having reassessed my goals, I have a clear picture of where I need to focus my energies to move from "goals" to "accomplishments"!  Using time wisely is a good feeling.  So good, in fact, that our God commands it of me--and of you!