slow motion

Kudos to my Mr., first of all, who spotted this photo as we were driving our motor bike. This dad was holding the umbrella to shade his daughter with one hand, while driving with the other. Not as safe as you might want, but she's going to have light skin. Priorities, you know.

I know it was a pretty good day, but I sort of feel like I was stuck in slow motion. Breakfast, exercise, shower, internet (yes, video game), studied Hebrew. Lunch, grocery shopping, reading, Angry Birds, finished and sent out a newsletter. Supper, TV, phone call with a friend. 

Blogging while the TV is on. Not working so well.

You know, I think of lots of interesting or profound things to write about throughout the day, but when I log on and get this white screen in front of me, it's like my mind goes as blank as the empty page.

I struggled a bit today because, as I admitted to my Mr., I have trouble studying because I don't feel like I'm "accomplishing" anything. And yet there is so much I want to research and learn. So, although I spent almost two hours on Hebrew, and an hour reading a chapter in a book (not fiction!) I still feel like I don't have much to show for the day.

I have been thinking and struggling lately with the concept of sacrifice and suffering. In our weekly update, I wrote this past Monday that I sometimes feel tired of making the sacrifices we do in order to be here. The next day I felt immediately foolish, because I read in Colossians (I think?) about the sacrifices early Christians made. Nakedness, prison, famine, sword. Here I am whining about lost dreams, dirt, feeling out of place. Waaaa. What a baby.

So I talked to Mr., who pointed out that any time we are accustomed to life a certain way, and then lose those things, the anguish and stress and pain are real. I left feeling a bit better. But then the book I was reading quoted Paul in Philippians 4, who knew the secret to being content in whatever circumstances he was in. He lived through a variety of severe extremes, and did it with grace (as far as we know) because "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." That doesn't leave me much wiggle room. Now I feel like a loser again.

Obviously I have a ways to go.

On a lighter note, the kitty is cracking me up. Just in a million little ways, but specifically this evening she's been sleeping. We kept going to her, picking her up, waking her, but she just curled up and kept sleeping. So now it's almost 11 pm. She's streaking around the house, pouncing on things, wide awake. She's definitely not coming to bed with us. Only problem is that around 3 or 4 she'll start clawing at the door, mewing loudly, jumping at the door knob (at least she's smart and gets the general idea of how doors work). Then we'll be awake anyway. This is an ongoing nightly ritual. It's getting a little old.

But I wouldn't trade her for anything. :-)