So Long, March

March is so long.

And full of madness.

I tend to slink through late winter by hibernating with a stack of books. I’m always happy to have made it through this stretch of days while waiting for real spring to show itself after some false starts.

But this year, March has been surprising.

First off, these guys came back to the Western Hemisphere, the North American continent, the US of A, the Midwest!

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Oh, and so did their parents!

For the first time in years, our kids are all within a few hours drive of each other.

Then, there are these guys.

777fd134-4456-3690-8268-c7d631510876Frank the Tank and the Wisconsin Badgers have made it to the Final Four.

March Madness is so much more fun when your team is winning.

Then there was this.

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PB and I got in the car one Friday morning and drove to St. Louis.  We saw our niece perform in a musical, ate some BBQ, and drove home the next day.  I love road tripping with PB.  He lets me pick out all the podcasts and music we listen to.  He lets me read out loud to him.  And sometimes he lets me drive.  While he sleeps, I put on the earphones and listen to the audio version of “Pride and Prejudice” because that’s where he draws the line.  

We were ready for a pit stop around Springfield, Illinois, so we stopped in at the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.  What a great place!

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We celebrated birthdays, our church gathered in small groups for Lent, I went without sugar for three weeks, I read six books.

Thank you, March.

You weren’t so bad.

Yes To ____

There’s something in my shower that has changed everything.
It’s not a gadget or a beauty product or a cleaning solution.
It’s a sticker.

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I’m not too particular about which lotions and soaps I use.
Awhile back, I picked up a cleanser called
“Yes to Blueberries”
because the label said,
“helps improve skin firmness,
protect skin,
diminish fine lines and wrinkles,
and nourish age-damaged skin.”

I’m all for firmness and diminishing wrinkles.
I tried not to be too offended by the “age-damaged” part.
Plus, it was on sale.
Plus, I like blueberries.
Grapefruit and carrots are also on my “like” list, so I tried these.

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I can’t say for sure that I’m firmer or less wrinkly,
but there is a feature of these products that has had a huge impact on me.

The soap comes with a sticker that keeps the lid from opening.
So the other day,
I grabbed my new bottle of Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash
that promises “soft skin with a natural glow” and pulled the sticker off.

Huh.

Some of my most meaningful prayers have come from
reading labels in the shower.
This little two word sticker rejuvenated my spirit.

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This is the prayer of faith I’ve been trying to articulate!

God, today I say “Yes to ____”
and You fill in the blank.

Before I step out of the shower and begin the day,
before I know what the next twelve hours will bring,
before I have the chance to rethink and say “no” —
here’s my prayer:

“Yes to ______.”

Help me stand firm in the truth,
protect me from evil,
diminish my desire to sin,
and nourish my soul.
Keep my heart soft
and help me glow with the Spirit.
Amen.

Aha! Moment

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Hi.

I’ve been on a reading binge and it’s taking me awhile to come out of the stupor.

Since February 1, I’ve devoured 10 books.  My “Books Read in 2015” list has gone wild.  This has got to stop.

With my nose in a book, February flew by, which was exactly what I hoped.  But today the sun is shining, the snow is melting, the windows are open and it’s time to get my nose back into real life.

I need to reintroduce myself to my kitchen, my laundry basket and my writing desk.  They miss me.

I’ve experienced it before: a God-ordained “Aha!” moment.

My thought: “Should I write in my journal tonight or read another book?”

Immediate impression: “Do you want to leave your grandchildren a list of books you read or a book of words you wrote?”

Ok then.

So I will slow my gallop through books to a trot and see if I can find a few words of my own.

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PB

It’s PB’s birthday today!

On the day of his entrance into the world,

there was a magnitude 8.3 earthquake in the Aleutian Islands

which triggered a Pacific-wide tsunami.

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He’s been shaking things up ever since.

Love you, honey!