No Compromise

Some C.S. Lewis that I've been pondering lately...

"Our temptation is to look eagerly for the minimum that will be accepted.  We are in fact like honest but reluctanct taxpayers.  We approve on an income tax in principle.  We make our returns truthfully.  But we dread a rise in the tax.  We are very careful to pay no more than is necessary.  Any we hope -- we very ardently hope -- that after we have paid it there will still be enough to live on."

"For it is not so much of our time and so much of our attention that God demands; it is not even all our time and all our attention; it is ourselves...For He claims all, because He is love and must bless.  He cannot bless us unless he HAS us.  When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death.  Therefore, in love, He claims all.  There's no bargaining with him."

Salvation is free, but it costs us everything.  He is more than worthy.

Well, Hello There

Sorry.  Totally forgot about the blog.  It's been a busy school year.  I'm going to start posting though because I've got lots of things I want to share, want to remember....many of them half-written in a notebook on the kitchen table already. 

Forgive me.  I am alive.  I am doing very well.  So is my sweet boy, Finn.  He's grown a lot and has the most wonderful personality.  More about all that later.

By the way...

I got a puppy 11 days ago.

His name is Finn, though I wanted to name him DannyCoale.

I love him.

As Promised...New Looks

So official...poor Grade 9 doesn't get represented :(

This post was a little long in coming....the past four weeks have been extremely busy at work, but we had a FANTASTIC first week of school this week!!!  Hopefully soon things will start to fall into a routine.  For now, though, here are pictures of my new office and of my newly refurnished living room (and my home "office" that now actually has furniture). :)

Looking in..

Now for the living room...

The room is so small it's hard to get it all in one shot, but I love the new look!

And here is the den/office/storage room, that I most often use for folding laundry and ironing :)

I also did some work in the kitchen this summer.  I decided my wonderful table I bought in Williamsburg, though dearly loved, was just too big for my kitchen and completely overwhelmed the room.  I had to keep it against two walls to fit and it ended up more being used as an oversized counter.  So I gave it to my sister to use in her townhouse and borrowed this smaller one from my parents.  It really opens up the kitchen and I feel like I can move around so much better!

Now if only I could do something about how dark the kitchen is...

That's all for now.  Soon I will post about my life lately, and show off some of my recent knitting projects.  I've been quite productive!

Songs of Joy

Had a great conversation with an old friend this week.  I love it when God surprises me with very good news.

Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

 ¹ When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
   we were like those who dreamed.
² Our mouths were filled with laughter,
   our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
   “The LORD has done great things for them.”
³ The LORD has done great things for us,
   and we are filled with joy.

 ⁴ Restore our fortunes, LORD,
   like streams in the Negev.
⁵ Those who sow with tears
   will reap with songs of joy.
⁶ Those who go out weeping,
   carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
   carrying sheaves with them. 

The Lord HAS done GREAT things for us, and I am filled with joy!