Good morning, Father! (just chatting with Papa, pretty much undistracted)

May 27, 2010

Good morning, Father!

I am waking pretty consistently at 6 am-ish without the alarm clock - and getting to sleep about 9ish. Getting 9 hours of sleep (or a bit less) most of the time. Guess that is what I need - though I am not getting enough walking, exercise, good eating - and I keep forgetting to take my vitamins. I have to change that! Also, I need to drink lots of water, and stop inhaling all the coffee and hot chocolate, which have become a bad habit during all those cold summer mornings outdoors at the street ministry.

And I do need to schedule better. Especially my priority: time with You, top of the morning. If I go downstairs, I get distracted immediately: tidying up, making breakfast, baking, doing laundry... and that dang computer! Yikes!

I need to stay up here in my room, where I have quiet, and fresh morning air coming through the wide open window, and bird songs in the background. Oh - and very few distractions!

Of course it only happens when hubby is at work. On his nights off, I can't do this. Story of my life! I used to complain about it when he was out of town working for 4 weeks - and then home for 2 weeks. Two weeks without quiet, alone time with You. Now I complain if he's at work 4 nights running, and then home 2 nights. Two mornings without quiet, alone time with You...

Oh boy. I should just get used to it (2 mornings is, after all, easier than 14 mornings!). Or find a creative alternative. Of course, I fully planned to have the "spare bedroom" as a comfy, private space for sewing, office work - and focused, quiet time with You. But so far, it's been my 20-year-old son's cave, aka bedroom. Well, we did put up the gazebo 3 days back. Now if it wasn't suddenly so gray, chilly, and very soggy outside! (I guess I could wrap up in a blanket, eh...).

Speaking of soggy, yesterday it was raining (well, raining for here - other places it would probably be considered sprinkling) and I was outside, and took a deep breath - and I smelled and pictured Haida Gwaii. Which goes to show that we have nonetheless had more rain lately than we are used to. I love that smell!!!

I have actually not written much for so long (well, several days - long for me), that now that I've gotten started, my pen is just flying across the page. Another distraction from focused time with You? Papa?? Or maybe not. I know You want me to write. And it seems that it is when I am focusing on You, that is when I get most inspired to write! I've been doing a lot of research on social networking on the webs, and on the techniques and art of blogging - but I need to DO it, not just soak up knowledge. And when I'm with You, it seems like I am learning and doing at the same time! Wow! Thank You!

Father, I also wanted to mention: I still am confused about what You might want me to focus on, writing-wise. I think You may have provided one "narrow down" yesterday, as my daughter asked me to make our "family stories" less publically accessible. I still do want to finish that project, writing our family stories - and I could do that quite easily by simply writing a new anecdote in about 15 or 20 minutes a day. But I think I will have to make that site for assigned readers only (I've already taken it off access for search engines). So anyway, family stories won't be my writing focus. Also, that means that my "novelization" of the Mother's Journey site needs to really be a novelization! (Even though I didn't put names and dates in it in its present form). So that's a help, too! Thank You, Father! I got that Novel Under Construction site started, but then wasn't sure how to proceed. So for sure that is direction from You - thank You!

Okay, I think those are the main things I needed to get down before I "lose" them. Yes, I should make notes along the way! I have, actually, but I don't always see my scattered notes as "writing." The thing is, when I post, it doesn't have to always be straight from my journaling, does it? It can be from my "notes" and I can just develop it as I post.

Speaking of notes, I'm getting curious about how You'll be using the research notes I'll be taking, because I really to believe that You are directing me on what to take notes on.

Oh yes, and I am more and more interested in really exploring the de/un-schooling and de/un-churching things in combination. That's an approach I haven't seen much of. Papa, what is "dichotomy?" That word just popped into my head... Let's see..."a splitting of a whole into two non-overlapping parts." Hmmm... yes, that fits. School and church have so much in common - and yet we have really split them into totally separate things - well, we do that in all kinds of aspects of our lives. Maybe, along with "de-" and "un-" schooling and churching, we ought at the same time to see how we can bring those back together (not to mention making them integral parts of our entire lives, our entire walks with You). (The word "dichotomy" came from You, didn't it? I mean, I've heard it before, but never really thought of it in this kind of sense ... and then I ask you for guidance in what to pursue in my writing - and "up pops" a word that presents amazing possibilities - must be from You! thank You!