The BIG Move

We calculated our move today and it is only 2,534 miles. It will take aprox. 1 day (24hrs) + 13 more hours of non-stop driving to reach our new home. Traveling at a pace of about 5-7 hrs per day will require a whole week of traveling- Yikes this is a long ways away! Camping and brown bag meals seem like the most economical and fun to me but Jason isn't too keen on a weeks worth of instant oatmeal and pb & honey. Of course we'll take our french press and stumptown coffee to get the mornings rolling. I am hoping I can talk Jason into a few brief hikes and possible off the routed path excursions. We are headed out in about 6 weeks and I think our latest decision is not to bring much because of the cost of moving it all there and back. I can't believe how expensive it is to move- 1 bedroom for about $2000. So we'll arrive with little and find some needed goods on craigslist or at goodwill. This will be quite the adventure!

Wrapping up loose ends

I have stumbled across another weakness of mine or shall I say it has been brought to my attention that some of my behavior is counter-productive to my relationships. So here it is, I am a starter but not always a timely finisher. I am enthusiastic about the beginning and jump in head first. I get going on the project but sometimes leave a lot of loose ends to be taken care of later (date still to be decided). This causes me a great deal of anxiety and worry because I usually have to hold on to all little pieces that need to be wrapped up. Well this might work, and probably use to when I was working on one or two projects at a time, but now that I have at least 10 things going all the time the loose ends are strangling me! I see this affecting my relationships too because it means when trying to focus on any one thing or person I have a zillion other thoughts of what I need to do next- so much for quality time. I am jumping all over the place all the time just trying to manage the loose ends. Also, I often lack a sense of accomplishment because by the time I complete the project I am so mad at myself for dragging it on that there is no celebration in its completion! In fact most tasks usually become dreaded by the end and I am just relieved to be finally done. I am not sure how to remedy this problem but am confident that I will have many more opportunities to practice wrapping up loose ends in a timely fashion.

Money, Sex, and Power by Richard Foster

I finally finished this book today. It has taken me almost one year to complete because it is quite thought provoking and convicting. I have thoroughly enjoyed the book because of the counter-culture perspective it presents and its applicable nature to my daily life.

In reading the epilogue today, I really appreciated this section on Living the Vows

"The vows of simplicity, fidelity, and service are for all Christians at all times. They are categorical imperatives for obedient followers of the obedient Christ. They are the beginning point from which we explore the depths of the spiritual life and discover our mission in the world...The vows call us to a vigorous social witness. We stand in contradiction to the dominant culture, which has given its soul to the vows of greed, permissiveness, and selfishness. We critique empty values of contemporary society, and call it to joyful discipleship to Christ."

just one more round

so I've picked up the knitting needles again. Yes, I am still working on Jason's birthday sweater of 2004. Lets just say I've gotten lots and lots of practice on this project! Back at it again and enjoying myself.

good morning

I stumbled across this quote this morning and it spoke volumes to me about the anxiety within that I try to avoid daily. At times it seems counter-intuitive to think that if I choose to avoid my anxiety it will only get BIGGER, forcing me to deal with it eventually. I just want it to go away because honestly it feels too messy to deal with. So I think, "By not acknowledge the anxiety it will go away." I've tried this a few times and it doesn't seem to be effective or a very efficient way of handling my emotions. This quote spoke of my experiential finding.....

"When you repress or suppress those things which you don't want to live with, you don't solve the problem because you don't bury the problem dead- you bury it alive. It remains alive and active inside you." John Powell