Rule of Life -- Disclaimer -- Religous Heavy

For the past few years I have been a member of a religious order known as the Daughters of the King.

  I am no longer a member of that order by choice.  Our diocese has gone through a huge change by leaving the American Episcopal Church.  Our diocese was involved in a lengthy and ugly battle for our property.  Our diocese was in litigation for over five years but we did come out the other side with our property and so we begin again.  We are no longer called "Episcopal" as in aligning ourselves with the national Episcopal church but we are now Anglican and aligned with the larger Anglican Communion and the ACNA.  The daughters who were involved with the DOK have now been offered an alternative that they could take although not required.  Some of the daughters have chosen to stay with DOK but I have not.  I am moving forward with the discernment period for the Daughters of the Holy Cross.

 
 Not being a cradle Episcopalian all of this didn't affect me quite like it did others although I didn't relish the thought of arriving for church of a Sunday morning and finding myself locked out and on the curb.  I do care deeply for my church and the people an clergy therein and I don't like the idea of having to seek out a new place so I am moving forward in this new reality.

The emphasis in DHC is a bit different than DOK.  DOK is all prayer all the time which is what drew me in because I figure as a common person I can't do a lot but I can pray and believe in the practice wholeheartedly.  DHC focuses on prayer as well but equally weighted are evangelism, study and service and that is to be our rule of life.  I am on board with all that but I have to say that study is my hardest -- getting into the Word is so overwhelming to me.  I need to work on that.

It was suggested in DOK that we keep a prayer journal and there was even a meeting to show us how to make one.  For some of our avid scrapbookers it was an opportunity to be very creative.  I didn't go to the meeting and I never made the prayer journal -- popcorn prayers seems to be my go-to method for prayers. 
It was also suggested that we keep a prayer journal for DHC and I have taken that to heart and realize that I could benefit from being a little more organized in my approach to things.  After getting started I also realize that this isn't something that can be "done" like a scrap book.  It is an evolving thing.  It is almost a living thing.  So, when I first started building this I realized that it isn't an activity that I can sit down to and be done - it is ongoing and I needed to just relax and realize that.  Also, I see that it has the potential to become more of a Rule of Life journal rather than just a prayer journal  as we work our way through this discernment period.

So, anyway, this is my journal.  It is very plain and very humble but I hope that it helps me focus on this part of my life a little better.

I took a plain 7X9 sturdy plastic binder and outfitted it with two sets of plain dividers and appropriate paper. Although not a scrapbooker  I found some faith-affirming stickers to add to the dividers to keep me inspired.

I labled each divider with things that I thought I would like to include in this journal.  I will probably change that around as I go because I was very specific but who knows, I might become even more specific.  We will see how it and I grow.

This is a cute little prayer prompt that I put in the section labelled "prayer prompts".  I used Bean's hand for this and showed her what I was doing.  She wanted to know which finger was for her!  I think that my prayers, except for the morning and bedtime prayers, are going to be written.  I think my mind won't wander so much.  A lady I know writes her prayers in a letter to God and I think that sounds so personal and real.  Also, I did find a site on Pinterest where the author gives you a daily prayer prompt to write about and I think I am going to start there.

I added a section for the Rosary -- I started with the Anglican Rosary, drew it out and added some prayers on sheets behind it.  I have always just used this rosary with my own choice of prayers, mostly the Jesus prayer, so I did a google search and found some really nice prayers to use here -- my favorite is the Celtic prayer.

I will also add the same for the Roman rosary as that is what we use at church.  It will require more drawing and more writing but I did load a Rosary prayer app to my tablet which will be helpful.
 

I have a section for Scripture Study that I plan to use  as I work on getting into the Word.  Not my strong suit here so I decided to make the pages a little fancier -- maybe a bit inspiring. 

 

As I said earlier, study is overwhelming to me -- I question why I haven't read the Bible cover to cover, I question how I would even do that, I have tried starting with the Old Testament but I have to say that, as much as I love genealogy, I always get hung up on that part.  However, I was always taught that to understand the New Testament you have to have read the Old Testament so that is where I always start. 

So, trying hard to move away from the idea that you have to read the Bible front to back in order, I was intrigued by the mention in an earlier discernment of lectio divina --

This made sense to me -- don't try to read the whole thing at once, do this and it will be a joy rather than something to be endured.  Baby steps.  I can do that.

The tools that I am going to use, other than my journal, are these --

A good study Bible that I can write in -- I have one but it isn't easy to read so I am going to have to work on that.

The 1979 Book of Common Prayer. 

A One Year Bible for Women -- this is a Bible that is divided up differently -- each day you get a passage from the Old Testament, the New Testament and Psalms.  I think that would be beneficial to me as I approach this new endeavor.

Another thing that makes this group different from DOK is that there is the expectation of service -- a service project.  I think that will be good for all of us -- it sort of completes the circle in my mind.  We haven't touched on that yet, it is for the upcoming weeks but I am looking forward to what my fellow Daughters have to offer.

So, that is what I have been up to. 

Don't worry, dear Readers, I am not turning this blog into a diary of my spiritual journey.

And On We Go

Here are a few photos of the progress in the front of the house.  I didn't take "before" photos so just picture a dozen or so hawthorn bushes that were not doing particularly well.  I believe we have had so many plant problems because this house was built on rock -- yes, rock -- and topsoil was brought in for landscaping purposes but it isn't all that deep and I think it just can't sustain all the big bushes and such that people have put in.  So, anyway, here is the front --

right side of the gate -- bushes gone

it is a long little stretch of bed

the planting has commenced

yes, he is measuring with a stick -- I don't know who that strange man in the baggy clothes is

still more to come

I will post a picture of the finished product when it is a finished product. 

Allen, Allen, How Does Your Garden Grow?

Well, that is a complicated question.  Which garden are you speaking of? Perhaps this unruly, overgrown example of what NOT to do when landscaping?

The Dewberry and Mystery Vine creeping up the Folly

The Hawthorn being eaten by that lovely creeping Asian shrub -- can't remember the name

Nandinas

Well, Allen has been spending the summer -- the entire summer -- in an effort to remedy the situation.  He has a deep tan which he has never had being a redhead and all and I think he has permanently injured his right elbow digging up stumps and pulling out roots.  No, I haven't helped him.  My job is to just get out of the way and make iced tea.

So, after many weeks of grueling labor and almost 100 lawn clipping bags put out for pickup this is the end result~

New Redbud tree to replace the broken Hackberry

Asiatic Jasmine everywhere

now you can see the boulders and the hollies

bags of clippings all gone

the mint bed under control

Arlo in his much sturdier new home

Vast improvement, don't you think?

Hobbit in a Hole

I don't really like to put the children's photos on the internet but I couldn't help myself this time.  How do you like my little hobbit in a hole?  She was having some "time alone" as she puts it.  She needs time alone every day to read and do her art.  However, she didn't really want to be alone so she constructed a quiet spot with the chair, cushions and a quilt.  It was quiet for a while and then....it wasn't.  Clearly some of us need more quiet time than others!

Very quiet

Uh oh -- somebody has the giggles

Quiet time almost over

The stuffed doggy friend's name is Graham, by the way.

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

 

For my final book in my 2015 Goodreads Reading challenge I read "The Winter People" by Jennifer McMahon.  This is not my usual genre but I have to say I enjoyed it.  I am not sure how to classify this book -- a mystery or horror -- but it was a bit of both and a lot of murder.  It was also historical fiction involving multiple generations.  So, you can see it was a bit complicated.
It was the story of Sara, Martin, Gertie and Auntie.  They lived in the 19th century Vermont.  They were the subjects of a book -- "Visitors from the Other Side" writtenby Sara's niece, Amelia Larkin. 

My beloved aunt, Sara Harrison Shea, was brutally murdered in the winter of 1908.  She was thirty-one years old.

"Visitors from the Other Side" was the secret diary of Sara Harrison Shea that detailed her life with her parents, Auntie and her coming to learn about sleepers.

The first time I saw a sleeper, I was nine years old.  It was the spring before Papa sent Auntie away--before we lost my brother, Jacob. My sister, Constance, had married the fall before and moved to Graniteville.

This story of Sara, Martin, Gertie and Auntie was the foundation for the whole book.

Present time -- Ruthie, Fawn, and Alice

Ruthie, Fawn and their mother Alice live in the Harrison-Shea house with all it's secret places and hidey holes. The house backs up to the woods and Devil's Hand.  The girl's were taught to never go into the woods -- bad things happen to little girls who go into the woods.  People disappear.  Alice disappears.  Will  they find her?  What did she know?  What did she do?

Present time -- Candace

She knew the whole story but wanted to find the missing diary pages for financial gain.  Did she find them?  Did she profit or did she get something else?

Present time -- Katherine, Gary and Austin

All Gary wanted was for Austin to come back.  Could the diary help him get Austin back or would it prove to leave Katherine alone?  Would the diary take Katherine in a direction from which there was no turning back?

As you can see there is a very twisting, intertwined plot.  Each story stands on its own yet the entire story feeds on the interconnection.  This book is well written, the twists and turns are plausible and don't seem to be contrived.  It is a good mystery, enough horror to make it just scary enough and there is a bit of cliff hanger. 

Would I recommend this book?  Yes.  It isn't my usual sort of read but it was good and drew me in.  I did find myself worrying about Fawn and her fever though -- she really didn't need to be out running around in the snow at night with a bad fever and I wish they would have just left her home.  I guess that was just a "mommy moment". 

Book Reviews

Summer is flying by, it seems.  I have a "to-do" list that I am working on but it is a slow go.  I haven't been reading as much either because most of my reading was done on my commute to my daughter's house and now, since I am at home, other demands have taken over. 

I have, however, read three books that I haven't reviewed yet.  They are all part of my reading queue so no real surprises here but they were enjoyable.

I have to say that I was not thrilled with this Agatha Raisin book.  I don't know why, perhaps the location or perhaps the repetition -- lots of driving all over the place.  However, I didn't dislike it enough to give up on the series and will be continuing with the next in the queue as soon as I finish my current book.

I enjoyed this book by Jennifer Chiaverini -- the next in my line of  the Elm Creek Quilts series.  Perhaps I should have read it closer to Christmas but it was a nice spring/summer read too.  I love the way Chiaverini uses the setting of Elm Creek Manor for all her books whether they are current or historical -- the manor is the main character in the book, actually.  It is interesting to see how she weaves the history of the place in all the books regardless of the time period.

This book was a bit different than her others as it gives a back history of some of the Elm Creek quilters -- new characters to the books and it shows their lives prior to their involvement in the Manor and how they came to the Manor.  It centers around one day -- an interview day for prospective employees and it goes into their tales of how they got to that interview and what happens after.  It is very cleverly written and I enjoyed seeing it unfold.

I would recommend any of these books -- just because I didn't enjoy the Agatha Raisin book doesn't mean you won't.  I am looking forward to the next one after my current read.

My current read is "The Winter People" by Jennifer McMahon.  It is a diversion from my usual style of reading -- it is a ghost story with a mystery involved.  I am enjoying it although I have to say it is disturbing.  I am half done with it and am getting to the point that I can't put it down but I don't know if I will gravitate toward this particular genre again any time soon.  It isn't frightening, just disturbing but I am sure there will be some clever twists as I go along.  I will review when I am done.

So, there you go.  That is where my reading obsession has taken me the last couple of months.  I went to the library for myself for the first time in forever and I have to say I enjoyed it. They were holding my current read for me so I went to pick it up and I, for a moment, felt that same feeling I used to have as a child in the library with a much sought after book.  Different library and I am much older but the thrill was still there.  I am going to have to make a point of going to the library more often but first I am going to have to read down my own library a bit and that is where my next couple of books will be coming from. 

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig!

Yes, Tinklepaw is home.  Tinklepaw is my computer -- it is a little netbook by Asus.  I named it Tinklepaw because that is what I name everything.  I was planning a small craft business one time and my father decided that would be a good name for the business.  The business never materialized but I loved the name so everything, including my little Jellycat (stuffed cat) that travels with me, is named Tinklepaw. I think Tinklepaw the Computer is a boy.

So, Tinklepaw the Computer comes with me lots of places.  Many times he goes with me to my daughter's house to spend time while I am babysitting.  He is loaded with several educational things so Bean likes to explore those sites.  He is also very lightweight and small and easy to carry with me.  It was during one of these trips that he decided he needed a vacation from me.

Now, granted, I work him very hard.  I have dropped him, I have broken his built in mouse and now he has a prothesis (an external WIFI mouse) but we have a good relationship and I hope he never leaves me.  However, I guess he needed a rest because the other day we were at my daughter's house and it was time to leave.  I picked up my handbag and out the door I went.   I never heard a peep out of Tinklepaw. I didn't even think about him until I got home so I guess he wanted to stay a while and did not let me know that I was forgetting him.

I wonder if his feelings were hurt?  I hope not.  I wonder if he missed me?  Probably not but I missed him and was very glad to get him home today.  I promised him that I would never forget him again and I hope he doesn't feel the need to take a separate vacation again. 

Be Back Soon

In case anybody is missing me, I left my computer at my daughter's house and I am reduced to Internet on my little 7 inch tablet.  I will be back when my computer finds it's way home-hopefully tomorrow.

Bruce Lewis

Not much to say about this except that the sadness and concern for this family are overwhelming.  I just wanted to share this so that the prayer chain will grow.


http://www.gofundme.com/z45b38zc

Bruce Lewis on the left raising his glass

Bruce is a 50 year old father of two, Hans and Echo a special needs child who was born medically fragile and requires full time intensive medical care at home.  He has a wife, Mundee, who is unable to work to care for Echo.  A few months ago Bruce started having seizure like activity and couldn't work.  On July 10 a diagnosis was finally made and it isn't good.  The doctor's found a golf-ball sized mass on the right side of his brain.  Early indication is that it is malignant and stage 4 but that hasn't been confirmed and won't be until after surgery which is scheduled for Tuesday.  According to Bruce's sister, things are looking rather bleak.  Even best case scenario means a long recovery time with obstacles.

I am posting this here to ask for prayer for this family.  Lots and lots of prayer.  I know I don't have a lot of readers but hopefully some of my readers will take this to heart and ask their own prayer warriors and groups to participate.

The link above is to a gofundme account to raise money for this family.  I am asking for prayer but if you are so called money is, without a doubt, needed.  It doesn't have to be a great deal -- everything helps. I don't think you can just click on the link, I think you will have to cut and copy into a browser -- I couldn't make it work any other way.

So, it makes me so sad to have to share this as this is a very dear family and have had so many obstacles for so long. I am proud to call them my friends.  But, there is power in numbers so, if you are the praying sort, I am asking you for your help.  Thanks in advance.  I will repost with news as I have it.

11 July 1890, 1966

July 11th seems to be a popular day for events.

July 11, 1890 marked the birth of my grandmother-in-law, Charlotte Fore Brinkley.  She was born in Kosse, Limestone County, Texas. She is buried in Prairie Hill Cemetery, Prairie Hill, Texas.

July 11, 1966 also marks the death of her son and my father-in-law, James Otis Brinkley.  He was on a fishing trip at the Texas coast.  He is buried at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas

July 11, 1965 marks the birth of the "young man" mentioned in my first date post.  As far as I know he is still amongst us.

July 11, 1977 also marks the birthdate of a high school beau (did I really say "beau") of my daughter.  Not sure what ever happened to him.
 
As per historyorb.com a few other things happened on this date in history.  Here are just a few.

911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy.

Charles the Simple was the King of Western Francia from 828 until 922.

 1776 - Captain James Cook begins his third voyage

 1848 - London's Waterloo Station opens

 1967 - Kenny Rogers forms 1st Edition


Yes, so, I wonder what is going to happen today?  Hopefully -- nothing of any importance.

Who Knew? Obviously I am Late to the Party

A few months back I signed up for Ebates -- a purchasing site that will pay you back a percentage of the cost of your purchase.  My cousin doesn' trust sites like this but I decided to be the rebel and try it.  I mean, seriously, isn't all of my information out there somewhere anyway?

I honestly don't remember what I bought -- maybe improved record keeping should be a part of my future?  Ah, yes.

Anyway, I bought one thing, thought I would give it a try and, as is typical for me, I promptly forgot about it.  I clearly think that "decluttering" applies to my memory as well as my home. At any rate, I never gave it another thought.

Fast forward to yesterday -- I went to the mailbox in anticipation as I am waiting for a rather important piece of correspondence -- it wasn't there but I did find an envelope from Ebates with a check for $8.16.  I giggled. 

I might be doing all my Christmas shopping through Ebates.  I was very pleased.