I'm out of my rut!

That can be a good thing. It makes you look at your life in new ways. However, I've found so many of our days are lived by habits and rituals that it can also turn life upside down. In my case, I am so used to my husband looking at his desk each day that I made an error which could have caused a huge late fee on a bill. I misunderstood that he wanted me to photocopy an insert to the bill and then mail it! I made the photocopy and put the bill back on his desk.

Normally the error would have been quickly caught but this time, days went by before he was able to go through the stack of mail and papers I had been putting on his desk. Fortunately, he was able to get a nice consumer service person on the phone and they dropped the late fee. The guy was probably a husband whose wife was confused once in awhile. (I could make the argument that directions were not clearly given but why bother?) :)

This entire incident made me think of Gordan McDonald's book, Ordering Your Private World. It is, without a doubt, the best book I ever read about living the Christian life in an orderly manner. This is one of my most reread books and one of the only books I own where I had to get another copy because the old one became too ragged. I was thinking of it because he talks a lot about the necessity of letting our life be anchored by Christ in those day-to-day habits so when we are turned upside down...we do not sink. Of course, he is talking about major life crisis but those little foxes can jump up and bite you, too. Not to mention cost you money.

I did get a lot of rest Sunday, hoping it would help my foot to heal better. The guys had to work (they always have to work the Sunday the students are returning to campus). They attended church without me so they could drive directly to the bookstore after the service. I knew they would be exhausted when they arrived home at 8:30 so I slow cooked one of the roasts I had bought on sale last week, then roasted vegetables to go with it (quartered potatoes, sliced carrots and zucchini left whole). I also made a loaf of honey wheat bread in my bread maker, finishing it in a regular loaf pan in the oven. The kitchen was all nice and clean and there was a great aroma when they came home at last. I figured it was the least I could do to help while they are working such long hours this week.

Today is the first of five days that I plan on doing much needed projects, as well as spending time in the Word and prayer doing some living life on purpose ponderings. I want to write out some ideas to share about emergency preparedness for homemakers this week, too, perhaps getting pen to paper (mouse to keyboard) by the end of this week. Then I've been requested to bake a few items for the guys to take to the bookstore with them this week.

It will be a full week but at least I am in charge of my time and I can go at my own pace. For that, I am very thankful. It is not until you spend a season which requires you to be out of the house all of the time that you fully appreciate the luxury of being in charge of your own hours each day.