Living life on purpose revisited

If you have read this blog long enough, you may know I ponder the subject of Living Life on Purpose once in awhile. What brought it to mind this time? I'm reading through The Gentle art of Domesticity by Jane Brocket again. A book which definitely sparks all kinds of pondering about living and beauty and all things... well... domestic.

I suppose the change of seasons also triggered such thinking, autumn especially causes me to think of another passing year and how time goes by so quickly. How my list of things to do this summer only has a few items checked off and now it is September and school has started.

My Jewish and Messianic friends have the right idea, the new year should begin each autumn. As I pondered... I wondered... and sure enough, Rosh Hashanah... the new year... is just around the corner. Perhaps my inner time clock is in Hebrew. :)

Jane's book reminds me of the beauty in that which is part of our everyday life. Just recently I was sitting in the Lazy Boy looking through the French door windows and thinking how pretty the deck was. I had moved a few plants from the front porch to the deck, placing the cascading geranium plant on one table and the others adding depth to a corner.


The red umbrella on the smaller table near the window has been open most days these past couple of weeks, adding color and its' own beauty to the scenery. I realized as I viewed the scene that day that it has a rather bistro look... not intentional but perhaps subconscious... quite lovely. I had thought about putting the umbrella away so it wouldn't fade but decided I'd rather enjoy the color it provided in a world of green, especially as the flowers were fading.

My attention was drawn to movement on the deck as a chipmunk scurried from under the grill to the table and then down the stairs. Just a short time earlier a squirrel had popped in and out of the flower pots. If I could speak fluent squirrel, I would guide him to the black walnut tree where he is free to take all his little heart desired.

I think part of living life on purpose is about taking the time to really look at our surroundings. Home needs someone to view the house as a canvas for creativity and domestic art. Perhaps I'll write more about what I'm learning from Jane's book as the week continues.

If you're interested in other posts I've written about Living Life on Purpose, you can find some... here. Is it terrible to read what you wrote months and years ago and think those were good ponderings? :)

Oh... thanks for the comments about the new header picture. It is the view from the end of my gravel lane, should I decide to turn west. This was taken last autumn, just as the color of the trees were becoming a little muted. I also added Autumn Leaves as the first song on my Play List.

Added: Yes, the link will show this post first since it is the most recent with the Living Life on Purpose label. :)

Home as a sanctuary

I've written about this before but the thought of "home as sanctuary" came back to me yesterday evening when I was waiting for the guys to arrive home amidst a freezing drizzle.

The call came about an hour before hubby had to pick up Christopher from work... my insulin was available.

He left early to drive to the clinic and then back to campus to pick Christopher up from work at the bookstore. I stayed home and prayed for their safety. :)

By the time they arrived home, the lights on the porch had been turned on and the ancient Le Creuset' dutch oven was simmering on the stove... their favorite Midwestern Boiled Dinner. I wanted the sights and aromas to say "come in out of the storm".

Well, it was not really a storm but driving conditions were not so good and country roads in the dark can be "iffy" at best.

I have long thought of the home as sanctuary. When I was growing up, after my father died, I had no sanctuary. Once I married, a couple of weeks after turning twenty, providing a real home was of utmost importance. Even though we moved quite often to follow my husband's career and there was no permanent dwelling, the objects... sights... sounds... aromas... were consistently "home".

I have noticed my husband spending more time this past year in our living room where he likes to read on the sofa. I'm not surprised. Even though the Early American-English Country look may not be his favorite, the colors are all earth tone and soothing. It is a small room filled with books... very cozy. He can relax in this environment.

There is a storm brewing in the world today, it is already affecting many people. For others, they can see the storm clouds in the distance and feel the wind picking up as they stand... looking toward the horizon and waiting. Where I live in the Midwest, there is a phrase used during parts of the year... "it feels like tornado weather". One can sense the approaching storm, long before the sky turns green and the fierce winds arrive.

I have already spent the past couple of days organizing and decluttering... yet again. But last night, as I was thinking of storms and sanctuary, I decided to work at making my home a complete sanctuary for the three of us and one elderly kitty (and anyone else entering our home).

Of course, I will continue decluttering as my husband and I tackle the garage today. If no one hears from us by nightfall... send out the St. Bernard carrying a flask of hot coffee with cream & Splenda.

I also plan to write out more ways I can make our home a sanctuary... deepening the pantry when possible, fixing things that are broken and other needed household maintenance, organizing my recipes... in particular those that are inexpensive, planning special days of celebration for no particular reason... and most of all... letting the peace of God permeate me and the house.

It all gets down to what He whispered in my ear when we were living in Detroit... Live Life On Purpose. Think... ponder... write down... don't let life just pass you by because it goes so quickly. So, my goals this year all fall under the label of "Sanctuary". Just how to accomplish this will be the subject of much pondering.

Added: I thought I should add that I can never expect perfect sanctuary in my home. I live with a teenager who can become quite cranky and moody, a husband who is on Disability for Bipolar symptoms (brought about by severe environmental allergies throughout his life), a cat who seems to cough up more hair balls as she grows older... and I have to live with myself. Sigh... only in Heaven will we find perfection.

Picture: Nostalgia-Mini by Clement Micarelli; allposters.com

A new year

I love January 1st... I can honestly say I haven't gained too much weight this year, or swiped too many bites of chocolate, or had too much caffeine... no, I've been a good girl this year. All um... 16+ hours of it already.

I don't make New Year's resolutions because I don't keep New Year's resolutions. They tend to have been forgotten by the end of January. I do, however, spend a few days at the beginning of the year in the Word, in prayer... pondering, asking, questioning, listening for wisdom... my annual mid-course correction time.

For by the end of the fourth season, I often find myself off course and in desperate need of Guidance. While I enjoyed the Christmas season very much, I could oh so tell I was wavering... tossing to and fro in life's ocean. There was the presence of tension in the background of my life, an unsettled soul... and the reason escaped me.

It's not just me. I was taking the ornaments from the Christmas tree today (the last post-Christmas project as I loved the way the tree looked this year) and chatting with Christopher at the same time. I reminded him he must not continue to let everything come in the way of spending time in the Word and asking for guidance. For this is the time of life he is making the "big" decisions, those that affect... everything.

I felt a bit hypocritical as I have done the same thing, let the non-essentials of life crowd out that which should be the most important. I plan to spend time over the next week writing out quick notes and then permanently placing them in my scrapbook journal. Hopefully, finding ways to make those course corrections.

I have a feeling 2009 is going to be a year in which we all need to have our lives fully anchored. There are areas in need of correcting. So far all I know is that I want to return to a regular reading program. Eating more fresh fruit and veggies is a no brainer. I must remember to... hope.

I'm planning on getting away at a coffee shop in the morning (thus, the picture above... although quite a different climate as that shown). I'll put pen to paper and scribble ideas as they come, scribbles which only I can read. I (God willing) will find some guidance while sipping coffee and nibbling a scone... coffee and quiet times are quite the combination which often bring Wisdom.

Picture: Morning Glory Coffee Shop: allposters.com

Christman rerun #2

All three of us awoke with a return of flu symptoms. Fortunately, Christopher's first class wasn't until late morning so he could sleep in a bit. I thank God that everything I need to get accomplished today can be done very slowly. :)

Here's another repost from last November... wisdom gained at times the hard way.

The Way Things Ought To Be

I had a coworker many years ago who told me the problem with most people is they live life the way they think it ought to be rather than the way it is. He called it his "Is-Ought" theory. I've been pondering his words recently and realized he wasn't completely right. Perhaps we should be living life the way we think it ought to be. We are in control in more ways than we think.

First, we can choose to have faith that God is in control of our lives. By spending time in the Word and reading books by people of faith, we build inside of us a deep reservoir to use in the challenges of daily living. We don't need to be going through a great trial to need strength for living. Sometimes I find it easier to pray for a large need than to forgive my husband after an argument. Little things need big faith, too.

Second, we can choose to learn what we do not know. I have been making a home for over thirty years and there is a great deal I do not know about the subject. I continue to learn how to better clean house and do laundry, ways to decorate my home, gardening skills I need...lots of gardening skills I need, recipes to try out, decisions to make about next semester's schooling, books to read...miles to go before I sleep, miles to go.

Third, we can choose beauty in a world that gets darker every day. I don't know why it took me nearly a year to change my bedroom from a place I disliked to a beautiful sanctuary. All it took was time (about a day's work) and some creativity. Except for the Goodwill tray I had already purchased for the kitchen, the change cost me nothing. The process has made me look around to a few other areas of the house that need just a small change here and there.

I work at making things beautiful. I study the library books, magazines, articles, etc. in an attempt to find new inspiration. My home has to be a sanctuary from this world for all of us who live here. I'd love to have a room done in a Shabby Chic color scheme with big cabbage roses in pictures and on pillows but that is not to be in a small house with two men. Fortunately, they both like the lace on the windows, the teapots and teacups, the vintage look of the kitchen, the shelves of books and more books, all items men can live with.

They both enjoy the results of a morning baking in the kitchen along with coffee or tea (or a large glass of cold milk for my son). They liked the flowers planted, the herbs in containers, the rocking chair on the porch and the aromas when the door is opened and they step into home. They roll their eyes at some of my more whimsical decorations but they live with them. Pink cabbage roses they could not...

Fourth, this world should be a comfortable place in which to live...it isn't. My home can be quite comfortable, though. I like soft sofas and chairs, throws everywhere for when it gets cold, pillows abounding, hot drinks on cold days, flannel housecoats, comfortable clothing (washed and put away where they belong), clean bed linens, quilts, and soft cats.

Finally, this world ought to be filled with grace and it is not. Only in my home can I have some control over grace filled words and atmosphere. It is not always grace filled. Just this morning tempers flared and words were spoken because the three people living here were exhausted and cranky. However, because grace is sought after and important, there was peace in our home this afternoon.

For most of us, we do not stay within the walls of our home all day, every day. Life is often lived on the other side of the front door, whether family members work outside the home or simply must run the necessary errands required of keeping a home. We attend church and other meetings. We take part in school activities whether they involve homeschooling, public schools, private schools, universities or preschool. We volunteer, we hold public office, we do what we are called to do to be salt and light in the world. There must be a place where we come home to a world a little closer to what it ought to be.

It will never be perfect this side of eternity. But when there are people making an attempt, doing their best, putting thought and energy into bringing a little bit of Heaven into this fallen world for their family (in spite of the fact reality is far from perfect and perfection can never be reached) then we are at least heading in the right direction toward hearing "well done good and faithful servant".

What a wonderful world

What a Wonderful World

I see trees of green,
red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself: "What a wonderful world!"

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day,
the dark sacred night
And I think to my self: "What a wonderful world!"

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying "How do you do."
They really say: "I love you!"

I hear babies crying
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself: "What a wonderful world!"
Yes, I think to myself: "What a wonderful world!"
It's a beautiful world. :)

Ahhhh...Satchmo (Louis Armstrong)... I can hear the music now. I purchased a Christmas CD last year just because this song was on it. Lovely. When I hear music like this, I know why Heaven is filled with song.

Actually, when I was thinking of this music recently, it came with a warning to my own soul. Remember... it truly is a beautiful world. Life can be hard at times and when one is living with difficult circumstances, it is oh so easy to look on the dark side. Darth Vader has nothing on me at times folks. (Luke, Luke... I am your mother!) Oh, sorry for getting off track here.

My personality tends toward optimism but Life has shot it down quite often. Fortunately, our Lord allows nothing but a temporary blow with a stun gun as long as we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off... and keep going on toward the Promised Land. Let bitterness creep in and, well, one can truly live in darkness as the windows of our soul become dark and dusty until Light has a hard time shining through.

What better season to look for Beauty... and Hope... Faith... Love... the will to go on in the midst of trials and tribulations. The Book says we are to expect them and even give thanks for them. (I have yet to figure that one out, it is one of those "perhaps in Eternity" He will show me... or more likely... I won't care by that time.)

So, here's what I'm doing this autumn. I've decided to write down everything I see that makes my heart sing. From Pumpkin Spice Lattes (I get my $20.00 monthly allowance for Starbucks tomorrow, hallelujah!) to a hug from my honey.

Here are just a few this autumn day...

The colors of trees and bushes
Pumpkins and squash
Gorgeous mums in deep oranges, purples, reds, and rust
The lovely sounds of dulcimer music on Saturday morning
and
The interesting people and food at the Farmer's Market

Pictures of my grandchildren arriving by e-mail
Talks with my son and daughter
Days when my husband is feeling better
Amazing sermons in person and on the radio

Music, art, books (oh yes... let us not forget books)
Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate
Pumpkin cookies
Holiday flavors appearing in the grocery store

Blogs by like minded people with pretty pictures
(it doesn't matter the words are in a foreign language sometimes)
Blogs that show me I am not alone
Great Truth from old books written in a time long gone by
Old movies that make me sigh
Vintage magazines that remind me of a time gone by

Oh, my friends... that is just the beginning. I want to enter the Holiday season with Thanksgiving and not with a Scrooge-like attitude because life has been a little frustrating lately (okay a lot but you get the idea), it is all in the attitude and I choose one of thanksgiving for the beauty that is just the leftovers from Eden.

I know just the place to write down my list... see you later!

This post is part of Sallie's Celebrate Autumn at A Gracious Home.

Print: The Good Book; Art.com

Sunday Afternoon Tea

Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.
Proverbs 4:26
New King James Version


Make level the path of thy feet, And let all thy ways be established.
Proverbs 4:26
American Standard Version

I sat at my computer last night, staring at the above verse for...well...too long. I have been thinking of it for weeks now and I truly wanted to write my thoughts for Tea Time this Sunday afternoon.

The words wouldn't come. My thoughts were scrambled as if a puzzle waiting to be put together or perhaps a foreign language which needed translated. I just could not...get it. I knew the meaning of this verse ...at least to me... was there ...somewhere. So I turned my computer off and went back to the book I was reading.

I needed a teacher and this morning, I had one...all the way from Moscow. My pastor's son and his family work and minister in that city (which, to me, requires a great deal of grace ...and courage). He taught about living our daily lives to reflect Truth...what we believe as Christians. That whole thing about living Monday through Saturday what we profess on Sunday.

He talked about living only in this moment, not in the past (whether the good or bad memories) ...not in the future (not to worry...for each day has enough evil therein...look it up...it's in the Word). And then...I realized what that verse was saying to me. Live life on purpose...it's that whole idea I've been writing about for nearly a year now.

The idea of pondering our path...where our feet are taking us. Thinking through our days ahead of time rather than drifting through our life. Thinking about...what is Truth ...who is Truth? How do we, as Christians, live life because His Word is at the center of all we do? If we are not living life differently than those who do not believe in Him ...why? Yes, pondering our path.

I'd love to have a room filled with students and teachers, as has been done in L'Abri for years. We would have the tea tray set with sandwiches, sweets, and both hot and iced teas. The room would be full of cushy chairs, sofas that sink in the middle from years of use, perhaps a couple of rocking chairs, and room to sit on the floor for those young enough to get up easily. :)

We could discuss the above verse in various translations. Some eating quite daintily with small bites, wiping crumbs off of their face before talking. Others (men in particular), throwing in one morsel of food after another, gulping it down with tea, and perhaps choking while throwing out their opinion before reaching for another item on the tray.

Just what does it mean...ponder the path of your feet? I've been uh ...pondering this ...(and if you have read this blog long, you know I ponder quite often) ...ever since I came across it a few weeks ago. How does one...ponder the path of their feet? If we were truly together, face to face, we could hear each opinion. All we can do, given the limitations of time and space, is to be thankful for this ability to communicate and do the best we can. How do we ponder the path of our feet?

We get quiet before Him and read ...His Word, ...devotionals, ...words by those who have walked the path before us and gained wisdom, the words of teachers and saints and sinners redeemed. When possible, we listen to same ...and learn ...and apply. For learning without application is not truly learning.

We talk to Him ...and listen.

We write words and ideas, make lists, talk to family and friends ...we ponder the path of our feet. Where are we going? Where have we gone? Are we on the right path or have we swayed, been tempted to detour when faith lacked and fear overcame? What do we have to do now to end up at that place He wants us?

We do our best to follow His path. We make our plans. Then we set them at the Cross and turn them over. We will not always understand the journey on which He has led us. We may be tempted to think we took the wrong direction for the road has turned stormy ...or filled with dryness and drought. There are those days when the sun shines, the breeze feels cool on our face, and the world is filled with good songs and aromas ...glimpses of future glory.

We ponder the path of our feet to a Person. For we do not follow an idea. We do not follow an idol made of wood or clay. We follow a Person, in whose image we are created ...relationship. We are never, never, ever alone on the path. For when we are following His ways, our feet will always lead us to Him.

And ...each day we acknowledge Him, lean on Him, trust Him, absorb His Truth ...and know He is directing our path. Our feet may be hurting for the path has been long and hard, we may have stumbled over the rocky places. However, we have pondered their path which leads us to that day when all tears shall be dried ...all will be perfect ...and pain shall be no more.

The summer of my Mary heart

Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part,
which will not be taken away from her.
Luke 10:41-42

The next two months are unique as I have no commitments, except for helping at the summer library sale. I cannot recall the last time that I have had two entire free months since...well, never. It has to be as far back as early high school that I didn't have either a job, was homeschooling year round, and/or had young children to closely supervise.

As I was watching the funeral of Ruth Graham on TV Saturday, I was thinking about the legacy she left behind. I was so touched when Anne showed her mother's Bible and the many notes and words of wisdom it included. I tend to do well with my quiet times for awhile and then let them slide as...life happens. Would my family have anything tangible to show that I was a person of Faith other than shelves of books, some pretty scripture pictures on the wall, and a collection of Bibles in various translations?

In my life, Martha is always trumping Mary. Like an older and more verbal sister, the Martha part of me reminds my inner self that there is dinner to be cooked, dishes to be washed, laundry to be sorted, floors to be swept, cats to be fed, weeds to be pulled, lists to be made, groceries to be purchased and put away, clutter to be organized...life is all about the daily work that must be done!

Not that we do not need our Martha nature, she is vital to the work of our household...she just seems to take over all the time. We realize it is time for another day to end and we have spent no quality time reading the Word, or praying, or asking for wisdom, or just thinking of His Goodness...just a few quick "help" prayers sent up throughout the day.

It's not that I'm fearful, for I truly am able to stay calm about most situations. No...like Martha, I become worried and troubled about many things. It's the little foxes that begin to eat away at my peace. I personally think that is far more difficult to control than "the big stuff". I haven't even had time to fret about global warming and the possibility of continued terrorism when the price of gas is over $3.00 and milk is...well, cheaper to buy a cow and put it out back.

After watching the funeral of such a precious woman, I decided I was going to make this the summer of my Mary heart. Martha is going to be subdued for at least a couple of months. After all, this is summer and the living should be slower. It is far easier to subdue my Martha nature in the summer than any other time of the year.

So...I am going to make certain I set my alarm clock once again to get up before anyone else in the house and take my coffee, Bible, and notebook to the deck...my place...surrounded by flowers and trees...and a few of nature's small creatures.

I am carrying with me (in my purse) my summer devotional book as well as The Valley of Vision so those times I am having a cup of coffee and...waiting...for whatever reason...my mind will be turned to those writings of great peace and beauty.

Unless there is some major world news crisis, I will be watching only my local news and taking a sabbatical from Fox, CNN, and MSNBC. I rarely watch the Network evening news, anyway. I'm certain if there is any important news, I'll get an e-mail update.

I've decided to do some more journaling...both in writing and in my journal scrapbook. Something to leave behind to the next generation...like Ruth...wisdom that has been received from the furnace of affliction as well as in the quiet of the early morning ponderings in the Word.

Meals may be simple, the house may gather a little more dust, some things will not be checked off my "to do" list....I can almost guarantee it. However, this is going to be the summer when the Mary side of my nature is let free. I can hardly wait to see what happens...

Photo: Beach Cottage Print; Art.com

Ponderings about life's choices

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live...
Deuteronomy 30:19

I have taken a short break from the Spring Reading Challenge to read two books that came my way recently. The first being one I've already written about....Time For Tea. The other is an Alexandra Stoddard book I found at Goodwill called Making Choices.

Although I always enjoy Stoddard's design and decorating books, I haven't always agreed with those where she talks about her lifestyle philosophy. However, this book was inexpensive so I figured I had nothing to lose and I DO enjoy her writing most of the time.

I'm glad I purchased the book for it gave me a lot to think about. Except where we would differ in our philosophy because I'm more conservative and...well...evangelical, I found myself agreeing with the premise of the book. It is very much like the writing I've done about Living Life on Purpose. Reading both of these books in the same week gave me a lot to ponder, too.

Both books are about lifestyles in their own way. The women we meet in Time For Tea are, for the most part, making the best of difficult circumstances. Even the women with titles and gorgeous homes had many challenges along the way. All of them (except the children, of course) had to take what life gave them and make the best of each day. In her book, Alexandra shares more about the failure of her first marriage and the challenges she has faced than she has in any other book I've read written by her. They all talk about...choices.

Being a person who ponders quite often, I spent time thinking about both Stoddard and the British women...comparing their stories to my own. They reinforced what I have found along the way that life isn't always fair but it becomes what we make of it. If we stomp our feet and tell God that we're getting the short end of the stick, we only become depressed and bitter. I mean, really, all we have to do is look around and see all kinds of people who appear to not have a care in this world...right?

That's part of what reading good books does to us, when we enter the lives of people, real or imagined. For even those characters we meet in books called fiction have come out of the life experiences of the the person who took pen to paper. We live in a fallen world where no one has a perfect day. Rare and wonderful are those times we have experienced near perfection, a glimpse into what eternity holds.

In both of these books, we find women who have taken what life has given and made a life that has beauty in it. The choice has been made to do something rather than wish for perfection. For as I often quote from Edith S., "If you expect perfection or nothing, you will always end up with...nothing".

We can't wait for the day we are married to "decorate" our dwelling place in such a way that visiting friends feel welcome and comfortable. We can't wish we had children but never make a beautiful and cozy home for our husband. To never have beauty in the home because we're afraid our children will "break, spill, or tear" an object is to deprive not only ourselves but our children of lovely surroundings.

We can't wish to meet friends for tea time while never brewing a pot and delighting in Earl Grey, a couple of cookies or cinnamon toast, and pretty china while reading...or serving pretty sandwiches, scones, and tea to the family on Sunday afternoon.

We can't wish we lived in the country and never grow plants in a pot in the small space we do have or purchasing flowers at the grocery store to put in a vase when we arrive home. Or...as in my case...how terrible it would be to live in the country but because of limited health and finances, never grow anything! It doesn't take much time or energy to plant geraniums in a pot or pansies in the ground.

We can't wish we could afford great art and never frame a print or even a favorite picture from a calendar, or learn to quilt, or visit a thrift store for vintage plates to hang.

We can't long for an evening spent at the most expensive restaurant in town and never learn to cook...really cook...the kind of food that lights the eyes and brings smiles to those we love. (After all, even great chefs start with meat, potatoes, veggies - or - flour, butter, eggs, and sugar.)

We can't wish we had time to write a book and never write a letter (or blog). :)

We can't wish we could have joy and never spend time with the One who made us, the author of all creativity.

It is what we do with the path we've been given that brings great beauty, joy, peace, contentment...hope...to our lives.

It's about choices...

"Tis truly a gift to be simple

'Tis a gift to be simple
'Tis a gift to be free
'Tis a gift to come down
Where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves
In that place just right
We will be in the valley
Of Love and delight.

When the true simplicity
Is gained
To bow and to bend
We shall not be ashamed
To turn and to turn it will
Be our delight
'Till by turning and turning we
Come 'round right.

I was thinking this evening of the gift that we give ourselves when we learn to enjoy the simple things of life. It was while thinking of things that make me happy and how many of them are quite small and unimportant in the eyes of the world.

For example, I absolutely love pancakes at the Cracker Barrel, the kind with their fried apples on top. I don't get them often (which is good for my blood sugars!) but when I do, I close my eyes and thank God for the gift of taste buds. :)

I have been thanking Him for a new friend, one that is quite like minded and a joy to have in my life. Thanks to my new friend, I have been enjoying the most gorgeous books while I'm curled up on my sofa, sipping Earl Grey tea.

I was overwhelmed with delight when I found crocuses blooming in my backyard yesterday. I spent a long time, nose to ground, gazing at their gorgeous color and realizing they were close to blooming while there was a lot of snow on the ground earlier in the week.

Some would call it lowering my expectations. I prefer to think of it as raising my ability to enjoy the common things of the world...delicious but simple food, books, tea, coffee, small children, cats, dogs, flowers, music...the good life.

My own Living Life on Purpose journey

I want to share a few ways I have lived life on purpose over the years as well as what I want to do this year. However, you need to know I am far from where I want to be in this area. I'm will be God's Project as long as breath remains.

Two areas where I have tried to live a purposeful life are creating a good home atmosphere and living a life filled with great books and the lifelong quest of learning.

I can't tell you how many times I walk in the entry way of my little house in the country and get a smile on my face. I wanted to create a place in this world that is truly a sactuary for us and I've spent a lot of time and given attention to doing so. Because this brings me great joy, I have never considered it work. (Although the process of keeping it all clean and clutter free involves work.)

I have mentioned before that I have thirty years worth of decorating pictures and articles in files. I went through them this past year and threw out the pictures I didn't like anymore. My tastes have changed...less country cutsey and primitive...more English Country meets Early American. So I weeded out all the pictures, leaving one or two for a reminder of old times.

I also have written about having my decorating/lifestyle pictures in my old fashioned scrapbook. It contains pictures of rooms, buildings, and gardens from favorite magazines. It differs from my decorating files because it also has pictures of scenery, tea parties, people, animals, etc. that create an atmosphere I find relaxing or inspiring. It also has some favorite quotes and various Susan Branch stickers. This one scrapbook very much keeps me thinking of what I want my life to look like, to feel like... I enjoy looking through it to take away stress or just to remind me of what I want my life to be like.

I also keep a mental list of certain items for the house that will give me the look and feel I want. (I remember in Laine's Letters and in the book Frugal Luxuries that both keep a written list.) My list is much smaller so it doesn't have to be written. I can run into Goodwill or a garage sale and quickly scan what is available to see if there is a something I need (or inexpensive Godly desire). Just yesterday, I went into Goodwill before running a couple of errands and saw in a corner, just the very edge of a small oriental type rug. I have known for a long time that I wanted a round rug to put over the beige carpeting in the middle of the family room. Well, this rug is not round but an interesting octagonal shape! It has the perfect colors, too...for $8.99. If I hadn't kept the mental list of my needs, I wouldn't have looked in the corner where they put the rugs. (I always am on the lookout for teacups first, inexpensive silver serving items second, other household goods third...and of course, books.)

Which brings me to...books. Books are a passion of mine and I have always had a lot of them. However, when we started homeschooling in second grade is when I seriously started collecting books. I cannot afford to pay full price for books very often so I must look for them second hand. I depend on library sales, garage sales, Goodwill, thrift shops, etc. I started researching good books for homeschoolers first so I knew what to look for when scanning book tables. Then I began building a more personal library by reading "books about books" and later by searching the Internet to find more information and reviews by people I could trust. Blogs about books have turned out to be my favorite destination online! They are almost as much fun as chatting over a cup of tea at home or meeting at Starbucks!

By spending a little time in some fun research, I save a lot of money by being able to quickly scan book tables for titles and/or authors. (Believe me, we bibliophiles are basically nice people but it can get pretty competitive on the Friend's Night at the library sales, hehehe.) My husband knows our annual $10.00 fee to the Friends of the Library reaps benefits far above that amount.

In our major life decisions, my husband and I have put a lot of thought (and more prayer) into how we want our children to be raised, what values are to be encouraged, their walk with God, etc. Leaving the corporate world behind for me was all about that goal. I loved my work and I was quite good at what I did. However, it wasn't leading me to the kind of family life I desired and I knew what had to go...work. That's not the case for every family but it was for ours and as I look back, I can see many reasons why it was better to "come home" at that time.

We Lived Life on Purpose by choosing to carefully monitor the TV programs watched (this has become much more difficult lately with little children in the home, so many people I respect greatly now have no media other than DVDs and videos), the type of books read, the friendships (when small as well as when in high school), out-of-the-home activities, etc. By at least making an attempt, we were going in a different direction than most of the population. That included knowing when to keep them close as well as when to give them wings. For both our children, my husband and I wanted their increased freedom to come when they were living in our house. Because of less than perfect circumstances in our home (especially the past few years), we also have to make an effort to live a joyful life in the midst of adverse circumstances. It is not all that bad as we have to be very Christ centered...that is always a good thing.

Those are just a few areas of many where I have succeeded at Living Life on Purpose. Some more include the years I made the time and effort and learned to be a great cook, wrote and taught Bible studies, became somewhat proficient on the computer, and worked in politics for Christian politicians and issues. All of these things required choosing to spend time in these areas, as opposed to spending time elsewhere. Of course, the decision to homeschool our son is the most obvious example of making a choice that included a commitment of ten years. I would not have changed it for the world. I tell people all the time that homeschooling was not a decision, it became a lifestyle...one we truly love.

There are so many other areas where I have been determined to Life Life on Purpose and found myself getting off track, going with the flow of society rather than staying with the way I know God would have me live. I'm not going to give up, though. As I'm entering a new year, I want to keep doing what has been working and continue to chip away at those parts of my life that do not come as easily as others. I'm certain you can immediately think of at least one area in your life that you slip back into the path the rest of the world is taking. (For instance, I have a dear Christian friend who has been trying to quit smoking for years.) I'd say for me, the most important area of my life that I have trouble staying focused is the area of staying on a diabetic diet and getting in more exercise (especially with feet that hurt).

This next week while I have more time alone, I am going to take pen to paper and write out my thoughts about the areas I need to make an effort to be more purposefully living the life He has placed before me. I will write out what specific things I need to do to and choose one or two to work on for awhile. I want to look back someday with the least amount of regrets possible, having at least made an attempt to live the life He intended me to live. It is far better to fail trying than never try at all.

Photo: The Warmth of Autumn by Susan Rios; allposters.com

Living life on purpose...choices

Living our lives on purpose is all about a couple of important matters, the first being the choices we make. The second depends if you are a person of faith or fate...people of faith find their God given direction, people of fate must at least spend enough time thinking through their lives that they find their God given passion...even if they do not believe God gave it.

When I was working in human resources and organization development, there was a saying I'd see quite often. It stated, "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity". That's where the truth of living life on purpose is found!

We make a thousand decisions each day of our lives....what we are going to eat, how much sleep we get, how little we exercise (okay, how little I exercise), where we will spend our money, what we allow ourselves to read or watch in the media, music we listen to, whose advise we listen to, how we spend time with our children and mates and friends, if we are continuing to learn throughout our life, etc. The list of choices are probably endless if you think about it.

I love what Edith Schaeffer says about spending time and money. She says in many of her books that for every choice we make in spending our time or money, there is an infinite amount of choices not being made for the same. It's rather deep to ponder at times but she is correct. Obviously we most often recognize bad choices. However sometimes there is not much of a difference between the good choices and the better choices we could make.

Here is an example of a person who is living life on purpose. This is perfection, I do not live in perfection but here is what a perfect person of faith would do. They have spent time in the Word and prayer, at least making an attempt to see the direction God would have them go in the near future as well as possible long term goals. They spend time with their mate (if married) discussing the kind of life they would like to lead. If not married, they seek the counsel of good friends, a pastor, Mom, Dad, siblings, etc.

They think through and research what skills they would need to do the best possible job to which they have been called. Whether the job is teacher, doctor, homemaker, pastor, etc., any job we do has skills that take a lifetime of learning. They ask the Lord to lead them to the people who would help them become better at their chosen profession (not necessarily professionals in that area but people highly skilled). If they have been in their chosen "profession" for years, they are continuing to think through areas where they can improve their current skills or learn new ones. They think through if there are things they are doing now that must be dropped or added to have time to do something more in line with the path they want their life to take.

They think through if the choices they are now making are leading them to living that life...or away from the life...they want to live. Should they change the media they watch? Should they adjust their reading? Should they attend a church or Bible Study or get more (or less) involved where they are currently attending? Should they start working, stop working outside the home, find a new job, change career paths, move to a new neighborhood or city, move to the country, move from the country into town, homeschool, stop homeschooling, change the direction of their own schooling, eat more fiber, eat less fiber...just a little humor there because the list really is almost infinite. Okay, very little humor. :)

A person I've already written about who definitely lived her life on purpose is Tasha Tudor. I mention her again only because her decision is so obvious. She does not care much for the twentieth century (much less the twenty-first century) so she made the choice to live without many modern day options. As a whole, the Amish are an extreme example of people who live their lives on purpose. Living life on purpose always means going against the natural flow of society. If you do not make any life choices, you will end up going with the flow of today's world.

I was again thinking of how I can better communicate the idea of living life on purpose. I don't want to even give the appearance of making short term, medium, and long term life goals as one would do for a corporation or the government (I assume it is done in the government...). Then the thought came to my mind about planning our trip to New England, nearly two years ago. I had been quite ill and in intensive care but recovered (thank God!). So my daughter and the worlds-best-son-in-law paid for our family to visit them in New England.

The planning for a simple visit was time consuming, there were flight arrangements to make (what city we were flying out of...what airport they were flying us into); rental car arrangements; cash to send us for the trip; thought given to where we would visit while in New England; arrangements made so my daughter would be singing at their church for Mother's Day so I could hear my favorite singer; a house to completely redo and paint before we arrived (no kidding, my daughter does these huge projects with each pregnancy...sheesh); arrangements made with our neighbors to take in our mail and newspaper, feed the cats, etc.

Our general destination was the East Coast but it took multiple daily decisions to get us to the specific destination and to fully enjoy our visit. While there, there was not the time to do everything possible so we prioritized (including my daughter and I spending the morning at a famous flea market going on in another town, going to a local tea room with my granddaughter, my husband and son visiting a famous museum, visiting favorite restaurants, being part of Mother's Day festivities, seeing historical sites with my grandson and granddaughter, etc). As much as we planned specifics, there was refining of choices made along the way.

That's the way life is when it is lived on purpose. We think about where we are going, what we are here for (because all of us have a God given purpose in our life), how we want to live our life that pleases God and fulfills His plan for us, what our life will look like when we reach the day we will go to live with Him and look back...did we drift or were we on the chosen road. It may look rocky, there may be mountains and valleys, we may have been under water for awhile, there were times we were running out of breath and other times we were beside the still waters having a lovely picnic...but we were going in the right direction.

There is a lot in our life that is out of our control. We would never choose to be hit with illness, financial reverses, prodigal children, broken relationships, difficult marriages, job losses, loneliness, etc. We live in a fallen world so they are all the realities of life. However, the more we are living life on purpose and keeping close to the Creator of that life, the better chance we have of looking back at the end of our life and smiling. Hearing what we so long to hear, "Well done good and faithful servant".

Painting: Victorian Painting (no given artist); allposters.com

What is living life on purpose?

I was thinking today, wondering how to describe what I mean by "living life on purpose". I thought of what it meant to not live life on purpose by what happened this afternoon. I'd been driving for awhile and realized I'd gone quite a distance without realizing it. (Everyone, with the possible exception of brand new drivers, find themselves doing this. You turn in the driveway of your home and wondered where you were the last ten minutes.) Apart from an alien abduction scenario, I had spaced out by driving familiar roads without thinking about them.

That's what happens when you do not live life on purpose. I've seen it with friends already. They are reaching ages forty, fifty, sixty and older and they wonder what happened to their life. It all went by so fast (and believe me, it does). They remember turning twenty or thirty and then they find themselves twenty years later, wondering where the time went. I can assure you that happens with raising children. It really does seem like just a few years ago we were a family with a toddler and a teenager.

So...what does it mean to live live life on purpose? For those of us in the Judeo-Christian persuasion, I believe that means finding what God intends for our life and living that by the decisions and choices we make in our life. For those who are not of a particular faith, it at least means finding your gifts, talents, that which you are passionate about and following that road.

I'll chat more about those ponderings...tomorrow...God willing and the creek don't rise. With all the rain we've had this Winter, that is a very real possibility.

Picture: Girl in Thought

Living life on purpose in 2007

I enjoyed sleeping in a bit this morning. My husband gave the cats their breakfast so they stopped their morning wake up call...or meows. He pushed the "on" button for our coffeemaker to start brewing. It has a timer which I use when I set my alarm clock (set five minutes before my alarm so the coffee is finished when I stumble...literally...into the kitchen). The extra sleep was much needed as I haven't been feeling well lately. Just the usual "diabetes" stuff...sigh.

When I did get up, the sunrise was in full bloom and the light was filtered through the lace curtains of our dining room window. I poured my cup of coffee, adding some Splenda and a little Peppermint Mocha creamer (most likely the last for this season). I sat on the living room sofa, asking where I should go in the Word this morning. I had been reading the Gospels but I felt there was something else I was suppose to read. I ended up in Ezekiel and I Kings, both in chapters where it talks about Israel forsaking her true King.

Some of the passages in Ezekiel sound like they could represent the world in the year 2007. There is much talk about lewdness, improper behaviour, offering one's children to false God's, etc. I felt once again, the direction from the Lord that we can choose to live our life separately than the way of the World. Once again, that impression came that we cannot escape all that is around us as the whirlwind of ungodly sights and sounds are rising up more and more to envelope us. However, we can make that choice to live life on purpose, to do what we can to make our homes a shelter in the storm.

We watched The Devil Wears Prada last night, my son had seen it originally at the theater with friends. He rented it with his own money so we could view it with him. He kept telling me I'd hate a couple scenes (nothing one wouldn't see when passing Victoria's Secret in the Mall...but still uncomfortable) and the fact she lives with her boyfriend but otherwise love the movie. He was very correct on both counts. The movie shows how easy it is to be drawn away from our real self when we are surrounded by those who seem to have it all together with the glitter of the high life found in the fashion industry. One also gets glimpses into that world, where success comes at a great price. The choices we make...make all the difference. Although the movie has a great deal of humor, you could still feel the pain individuals felt because of selfish choices.

I was thinking of the movie while reading Ezekiel this morning. How much our modern world is now as that ancient world was in Old Testament times. Even then, God was saying through the prophets...choose...choose life! Live it on purpose, don't let yourself get caught up with the flow of society but turn to Him and He will keep you on track. Our children are young Esthers and Daniels, growing up in a different world than I knew. I thought the 60's were far out but that which is normal today was not even known or considered by most of us then. That which is normal today was done in darkness then...and that was the 60's!

For the sake of our children and grandchildren, we have got to choose to live life on purpose. I fear if we just take life day to day, whatever comes our way, we will be like the young woman in the movie and find ourselves overwhelmed and little by little...becoming more like the world around us...until we do not recognize that we are no longer who we started out to be in this life.

We must hold on to the Anchor of the Ages, He who kept the remnant in Ancient times will keep those who choose to hold onto Him today. We can hold fast to our beliefs, living in the world and being salt & light...but not becoming the world. I am planning to think through definite ways of doing this in the days to come.