Passing Time While Waiting

Can't waiting be more than just "whiling away the hours?"

Spending time at West Clinic today as I waited for a friend's radiation treatment to "finish up," I picked up a book, to "finish up" my morning read.  Roger Rosenblatt's, making toast, "a painfully beautiful memoir....how people die out of order." (E.L. Doctorow)

It became more than "passing time" as I came across a few jewels. 

When the author's grandaughter responded to her "Boppo's" comment that children have no power... 

"That's not true, Boppo," she said. "We have the power of thought and kindness." (p. 159)

Rosenblatt's summation of a book review he had written (Deaf Sentence) concerning Desmond  Bates visit to Auschwitz, " '...I see how one was unable to value the passing time.' "

"As far as I can tell, this is how to live---to value the passing time." (p. 157)

 A needed reminder ---when in a season of waiting, value the passing time. 

MINDFUL

Mindful. A full mind. 

What should the contents of one's mind be? 

Not regrets. Not fears. Not financial worries. Not distress.

So.....I've been meditating on filling my mind---
(happy thoughts, pure thoughts, worthy thoughts, Phil. 4:8)
Acrostic reminder (Draft form)---

M - ini moment celebrations as I
I - ntentionally & thankfully
N - otice God's hand and
D - elight in Him & discover more of His truth--
F - inally... fully forgiving myself and others so that I
U - nderstand my
L - Lord's lasting love!

Then, I found this----

Others must need a handle on their thought life as well!

Little Big Shots - Four-Year-Old Basketball Trick Shot Whiz

This is for my "grand boys" to watch! He even shoots from a raised platform at the end. (Hopefully, the innuendo will go right over their heads and they'll just watch the tricks!)
I have seen them do many "fun" shots as well from the balcony in Texas!

Quotidian Quest

Alliteration strikes again. Of course, it's Wordsmith Wednesday.

Quotidian. A great word that keeps popping up lately in my reading.

Mr. Webster defines quotidian (kwōˈtidēən/) as an adjective---- occurring every day. Many think of it as the ordinary----the everyday---possibly occurring so routinely that we don't give it much thought. 
Mundane is probably a synonym of quotidian though I haven't confirmed. 

A quotidian schedule. A ritual. A routine.

A quotidian cuppa is certainly a part of my morning ritual.

As far as routines go, I learned those from a master---Daddy. You could set your clock by him. The sense of routine and order bode him well, especially as he aged. Routine offered security. Habits long practiced kept him focused. 

• ....LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you. (Psalm 88:13)
• My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; (Psalm 130:6)
• In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. (Psalm 5:3)

Quiet time with an open Bible, more that a morning ritual-------scripture is more of a love letter from God to our quotidian lives which give hopes to our little corner of the world.
A Quotidian Quest of Quality.

Mind Speed

"90 to nothing."

The term is slang, used heavily in the South. For me, it means y'ull (Southern for you will) have a millon things to do and y'ull be moving fast to get all those things finished. 
Admittedly, in our household, 11th hour is the default timing for productivity. Wait 'til the last minute. Crisis management style = most accomplished in the least amount of time. 
But....I no longer want "90 to nothing" accomplishments or productivity---I want peace. 
Peace of mind.

This little, old, streaked blonde, lady I know, way down South, talk's "90 to nothing," drives "90 to nothing", and is "90 to nothing" at everything...and I mean everything...unless she's asleep, then I imagine she dreams "90 to nothing!" When she can sleep, that is.

If  my mind is going to continue in what I see as warp speed, I need to make sure my mind is full of worthy thoughts. (Philippians 4:8)
Worthy NOT worrisome. 
An acrostic is needed. (A work in progress---help me out)

M
I
N
D
F
U
L

Wednesday Wordsmiths

Wednesday Wordsmiths.
My daily prayer list is compartmentalized in a way that would not make a bit of sense to others----but that doesn't matter as it is "my list" and tends to help my recall.
God has been gracious to help me remember what day it is and thus folks for whom I intercede on each day of the week.......as recall these days seems more difficult.

Part of my Wednesday "default" list is filled with wordsmith friends and family.

Wednesday Wordsmith Bernie has recently shared her Biblical Truths --Alliterated. Now that's right up my alley. 

Acronyms. Acrostics. Alliteration. 

Any literary device that helps me recall truth is appreciated.

Bernie's "P" list was thought provoking today. A great reminder that as I continue to "wait" I need to remember that the best location for waiting patiently is in His Presence. Patiently, an adverb, that needs to characterize my "waiting" journey. (Psalm 40:1)

My "pig" pottery cup led me to BE's "P" list where patience was listed.

OK, Wednesday Wordsmith Bernie, now I need some M(s). 

M(s) to keep me mindful or maybe help on my mindful acrostic, as I'm struggling to keep my wandering mind filled with positive, peaceful ponderings. (especially in the wee hours) 

Adverbs to never use----never and always, oops

Seems like I'm always waiting for something. 
Obviously, I'm not the only one. Shauna Niequest in cold tangerines, writes of waiting to become something else----the person she is biding her time to be...." (p. 15)
Biding. A Mama Davenport term. I've always known, because of her, that sometimes one has to "bide her time" BUT not to miss opportunities and adventures along the "wait."

I recommend an icy glass of sweet tea and a Niequest's chapter "on waiting"* as an adventure during my wait for results of hubby's MRI.

*Enlarge the pic & enjoy celebrating "little" moments...
instead of waiting for those big ones!

Now I'm learning that waiting never needs to be static. Waiting is attitudinal and "the wait" does not have to be undesirable or uninteresting.

Hubby said, just last night, "I can't wait for SPRING!" Yet, the calendar shows---this "Leap Year," means he will have to wait an extra day!
But...he can wait with a positively expectant outlook, maybe even celebrating the 365.25 day itself.
It's his choice---- always a choice for each of us in our waiting game!

Today's "Google" pic might indicate a "nap" as a good option as one anticipates springtime.
I never say "no" to a nap!

Waiting---adverbial directions

Coming soon---you'll just need to wait patiently, joyfully and expectantly!

Spiritual Permission

Do you ever have to give yourself "permission" to do something just for yourself----esp in the middle of a "blustery" day?

I had to do just that---a cuppa tea and a cozy mystery. Yet, somehow it seemed like what I needed. 

Whether waiting in a physical space like ER room #2 with your daughter or in a spiritual waiting room of God's design, sometimes you need to "escape" with a little light reading and a warm cuppa.

Agatha Christie is usually a safe bet and The Harlequin Tea Set which was a story collection seem the perfect fit. 

I was reading, relaxing and resting. It seemed almost spiritual.

Guess what? It was. (Romans 8:1)

KINDRED SPIRITS

Kindred Spirit---a noun. Plain and simple. A person whose interests or attitudes are similar to one's own. The work place often pulls folks together with similarities---but then sometimes it ends there. Work often tends to be the only connection.

Relationships can be guarded.....with communication on the"virtual plane" easier than face to face, even from the next cubicle. Real relationships are rare.

How blessed I have been to have had relationships that have blossomed, even in the early days of my work as a school librarian. ljj is one for whom I thank God for having her as a part of my “life’s journey.”
We were like an old married couple---acceptance, listening (she did it better than I) often finishing each other's sentences, understanding, (my circular thoughts and idiosyncratic lesson prep), together calling our students "friends" (3 John 1:14) and willing standing together year after year and serving 1,000 + cups of hot tea during "National Hot Tea Month" because together we "get it!"

Morning at ljj's new  home---served with tea and devotion.

Now we are separated by miles but the kindred connection remains. Devotional times, tea times with Mary Alice Hadley (Ky pottery) and a Lucado book. My teacup is from the "Delta" where ljj's  grandaughter, Lila, lives. 

ljj will pass on the new Gloria Houston book, Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile, because she knows my real name and we both love the premise of Houston's  My Great Aunt Arizona, who hugged her students when their work was good and she hugged them when it was not. Hugging encourages.

Book and cup are reminders of the importance of keeping up and staying close regardless of miles.

It's what kindreds do. As close as flesh and blood. 

When the spiritual factor is added it deepens and widens the relationship to a "kindred spirit."