A Clean Room

I love a clean room. Free of clutter. Free of dust. Free of dog hair. A candle's scent filling the clean air. I just rest in the relaxation that a clean room brings. I am horrible, however, at maintaining a clean room. I don't like the time and work that it takes to keep the room clean. So, gradually the clean room gets to a cluttered room to a disaster mess. And, the mess is overwhelming to me.

The same goes inside my head. Last night the stress became overwhelming. The house was messy. There was paperwork to do. Dishes to clean. Closets to organize. Clothes to launder. Errands to run. Lists to be made. And sin issues to be dealt with. As I began to tackle the piles, my mind went into melt down over a sin area that I have been struggling with. I was at wits end wondering why I keep falling in this way. I speak truth to myself. I know how to alter my thoughts, but I still end up here.

Then, in the midst of my laundry, I realized the thing I had been missing. Prayer. I hadn't ever prayed about the situation. Not. Once. Usually, the avenue people go to first, I had completely neglected. I was trying to beat the sin on my own.

I thought over the past weeks. I started with a clean mind - it was on God, quiet times were deep and real (not 15-minute get-bys), my prayer life was consistent (not just at meals), and my attitude was right (not pretend). Slowly, I had stopped maintaining my spiritual life and finally, it came crashing over me.

As I sat down, I confessed my sin. I cleaned out my heart and mind so that I could start over with a clean one. I read through Psalm 51 a few times and prayed those words to God.  I prayed for the diligence to maintain my heart - the picking up of the clutter each day by confessing my sin. The chores of dusting and vacuuming by digging into God's Word and praying. Not leaving it to the next day, but making time for it each day. So that in some way I may please God with a sweet aroma.

Sure, a clean room is nice, but a clean heart is peaceful.

My plans

When Starbucks came out with Pike's Place coffee, I thought it was an odd name for a coffee. First, I (naturally) thought it was named after Pike's Peak, although somehow I figured I was probably wrong. Then, I really didn't care what it was named after and it hadn't entered my mind again.

Until...I found out we were going to Seattle. Then, I knew I would need to visit the first Starbucks, which happens to be at Pike's Place Market. As a lover of browsing around cool local markets and shops, this intrigued me. Little did I know that it is 9-acres of shops - from food to spices to gifts to clothes to restaurants.

I think you now know my plans. Since I will have an entire day to entertain myself, I am planning to spend a lot of it at Pike's Place. I am kind of excited to walk and browse, sip coffee, and even have lunch.

And if I still have time after that, I found out our hotel is right across the street from University Village, which has lots of fun stores like Madewell, North Face, Anthropologie...you get the point. Stores we don't have around here.

This is gonna be fun!

Lee: A Life of Virtue by John Perry

I really like history, and especially Civil War history, though I have read very few books on the subject. I was very excited to receive this biography of General Robert E. Lee. The book takes you through the entire life of General Lee, where I learned about his family, his career, and his personality. Of course, there is play-by-play of his career and decisions as General of the Confederate States of America.

I really enjoyed the read. I loved learning the reasons behind General Lee's decision to leave the United States army and join the Virginia Militia, and then the Confederate Army. But even more than the war history, I was enthralled in the relationship between Robert and his wife, Mary. The letters they wrote to each other, for they lived much of their life apart, and the love they shared. The war details did get a little drawn out at points, however I think that if I had a better grasp on the geography, I would feel differently.

Mainly, this book further established in my mind that 1) the Civil War was not chiefly fought over slavery and I am not sure the United States did the right thing; and 2) that I would love to read more of Mary letters to the General. I think I could learn a lot from her about being a godly wife to my husband.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A morning race run

Pre-run family photo:

The 3-mile winners:

Post-run family photo:

Turns out I won the 2-mile race. Though it doesn't really count considering I was the only person running the 2-mile route - everyone else walked. 

Still, it was a fun time and a great way to start the day!

Why I didn't get the jeans

There was a big sale at Banana Republic yesterday. A pair of very cute skinny jeans that were marked down from $89.50 to $49.50. Then, they were an additional 30% off - making them only $34.65 - which is a G-R-E-A-T deal. I debated all day as they sat in my shopping cart waiting for me to push "Complete Order."

But, I didn't do it. And here is why:

1.  I did not NEED the skinny jeans. I already have a pair that I LOVE, and even though I was sure to love these, sigh, I knew that I should use money on something I really need - like slouchy suede boots or cute sweaters.

2.  I need to learn to not spend money just because it is a G-R-E-A-T deal.

3.  My birthday is right around the corner (25 days) and I am hoping to shop-til-I-drop in Kansas City!

4.  I am trying to be extra budget-conscious for the next few months as we save up for our GIANT vacation.

Where are we going? Let me give you a few hints...

It's ancient.
It's fought over.
It's smaller than New Jersey (in square miles).
And here is some of what we will see:

The Mediterranean Sea

 Old walls

Desert and maybe some camels

Jerusalem

Yes. We are going to Israel!

I could only be more excited if I was pregnant (haha). Really, we are thrilled for this opportunity. It is a study trip, so we will be taking in more than our little brains can handle from Dr. Doug Bookman of Shepherd's Theological Seminary. He is awesome, by the way.

I can't wait to be in a place where so much history has taken place and so much more will take place. We will see all of Israel and we will learn so much about God in the process.

Please take the time

to watch this.

Our next destination

October is turning out to be an out-of-control month. It is only day 2, I know, but I have never seen my planner so full. It's fun that way.

One of the more exciting prospects of October is that we will be taking a trip to...

Seattle, Washington!

I am so excited. Washington is one of those states that I have never visited, and never quite knew how I was going to get there to visit. It just so happens that Hubs is headed there for a dental excursion, and I am going to tag along.

So, like usual, I am going to ask what you think we MUST see, do or experience while we are there. This isn't a "just-for-fun" trip and we won't have a lot of time, but I'd like to hear from you if you have been there. What did you like? What did you not like about Seattle?

As I am sitting here discussing Seattle, it dawned on me that I should probably arrange a place for the Pups to stay while we are gone, book our flights, and reserve a hotel room. I better get on that!