Update 1/2/10 Day 55

Dear friends,

I never took a shower today. That's probably why I feel kinda crummy. I'm in the need of time with God, a hot bath, and this blasted thing to be over with. I better get some patience or it's going to be a very long winter. I'm trying to get the Christmas stuff put away, food purchased for school lunches, laundry done and clutter controlled. I hate it when I get like this. It's such a mercy to hear the Great One say "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest..." Half the stuff that burdens me is completely unnecessary. I create my own problems. Do you ever do that? Who cares if the overripe bananas hang on the banana hook for another day? Or if my bandage cabinet is in a bit of a disarray. I've seen the reality of what matters. I simply need to remind myself. I feel better already.

Stephen's shoulder and elbow are quite stiff. We are using heat to loosen them up before attempting to stretch them out. Since I tend to over spiritualize everything, let me say there's kind of an analogy here. Before we DO stuff for God, we need to BE with God. That's the warm up. Otherwise it's all stress and pain instead of stretch and strengthen. That's why I need to sit in my cozy corner for a while before I tackle my life. It's not a law. It's a principle. Whether I do or not, I'm loved by the Great One. It's for my own sake. I need to chill out. Or warm up.

Guess what! My dear friend just showed up at the door with a chicken dinner. I am smiling from ear to ear. Stuffing , gravy, potatoes, carrots and rolls. Yum and yum. I wish you all could be here with me. There's even apple pie! I absolutely love a home cooked meal. Going out to dinner is great fun, but there's nothing like home made. I'm starting to do some of my own cooking again, and it feels kind of nice. Sometimes it's tricky because of the time crunch, but it always was that way, even before the crash. We all only have 24 hours in a given day. Like I said in yesterday's blog, time is always working against us. It's the nature of being an eternal soul in a world constrained by time. But it won't always be so...

Think of your warm home today, and send the Great One a word of thanks, and a prayer for those poor souls all over the world who are cold tonite. The Capital City Rescue Mission, right here in Albany is keeping people warm and out of the wind this very day. Send them your prayers and your money if you can. Gotta love Perry Jones and the wonderful folks down at the mission who care about the "least of these".

Tomorrow is Sunday. This week our church starts our week of prayer and fasting to center in on what really matters. Our times are truly in His hands. Let's do with it what He wants. For me right now it's changing dressings and making meals and helping with homework. I may wish my mission were more "far reaching", but the Great One only cares that we are doing what He says matters, right now, with love. God help me with all of it.

Thanks for listening again as I work through all my junk out in the air of cyberspace. It's therapeutic, and it keeps me from being a phony. God forbid.

I love you all dearly, and hope this blog finds you with a cup of coffee and a piece of Katie's apple pie. If not, I dream of a day we can do that together and I can thank you in person for being the true blue friends you have been to me. Get out the ropes, let's keep going.

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann