It has been awhile

Dear Lord,
It has been awhile since my last post. Looks like it was just a couple of months before Phil and I got married. I think among all the busyness and chaos I've lost touch with a lot of things. I really can't believe how much has happened since I last wrote on here. Marriage to Phil, my dad's diagnosis with cancer, BJ being born, my dad passing away, Joy being born. It feels like ages ago when I still had time to do some analysis of myself.
But recently read the latest Ann Voskamp book and really liked some of what she says. Something along the lines of life is too short to want to be like someone else (to quote her: Your time is limited so don't limit your life by wanting someone else's.)
I like Ann's writing as they seem to reflect what I'd love to be able to write one day. In her latest book she says she is an "introvert feeling messy and broken and battling the edge of depression." I can totally relate.
I would like to blog at least once a week from now on, it will probably end up being once a month but hey a lot more than I have done before.
lot's of love,
Linda

Prayer journal

AKA the times that I know God made known His presence to me:
Being at CVS and they played Brandon Heath's Your Love
Being stranded at an airport but the lady who was a fellow believer who sat in the same aisle offering to let me stay at her house
Last week when I thought I was going to be stranded at the airport but God worked out everything perfectly
God trying to save me from my own foolishness

Stop and give me ten

I'm giving a talk about Thanksgiving at my christian fellowship and saw a blog post from June Hunt from Women of Faith. She talked about how when she gets into the complaining mood, her manager tells her to stop and give her ten, that is ten things that she's thankful for. So this morning I'm extremely tired and annoyed and thought I'd do that.
1. God for his grace and forgiveness
2. God for his unconditional love
3. God for bringing my fiance into my life
4. That I have a wedding coming up
5. That I've survived in this university for so long
6. That I have a loving family
7. That I woke up and was able to get out of bed this morning
8. For the sunshine this morning
9. For being able to write this post
10. I'm about to give this talk

Diary of a desperate doctoral student - part 1

My journey into writing my dissertation
10/9/2014 Thursday - It's Fall break, yeah, what break?
3:05 Had a meeting with Pete the learning center tutor who told me tha tno
one else will want me to get the dissertation done and that I needed at
least 4 hours every day 5 days a week in order to get it done. He told me
to treat it like a job.

10/13/2014 - Monday, it's Columbus day, good thing our university doesn't
really celebrate this but people somewhat take the day off anyways.

6:00 My alarm rings and I'm hitting the snooze button like crazy. Dear
Lord please get me up.

7:39 I'm finally up and taking a much needed shower.

9:05 Dear Lord, thanks for getting me up, now why did I miss that bus?

9:50 Finally sitting at the computer

11:17 Dear Lord, it's only been like an hour. I turned off my phone and
only going onto the internet for research purposes. This is like an
intense exercise on self-control, which I don't have. It's like self-imposed torture.

11:23 Ok, got to continue reaing this article. Maybe I'll go for a water
break. Can I take a lunch break soon?

11:40 Thanks God. Air1 just tells me that the snooze button is making me
lose sleep and less productive because of REM cycle, I'm not actually going back to sleep but just losing more hours. So actually just set it up for when I have to wake up and not hit the snooze button and just get up. Thanks God for that little hint. Please let me run the race for you Lord. Make me more like you.

12:12 - air1.com/hope thanks so much for letting me know that this decision to work at least 4 hours everyday. Alright, only 2 more hours to go.

12:33 - wow, I'm like the queen of procrastination. Who knew my glasses needed so much cleaning? Ok, stomach is really growling, need to go take a food break now.

His Story

I think I often write these blogs when I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed, which is currently true.

But I walked over to school today to get my TA course website up since school starts in 1 week. Anyhow and noticed the signs that said: "Start your Penn story today" and I thought to myself, this seems like a never-ending story to me...but then thought that I'd rather be part of God's story.

It's hard to realize that this is the end of summer, the start of fall and so many things are coming at me. But I realize that I've been getting bitter at people and not producing the fruit of the spirit. I don't want my roots to be bitter, I want to offer to God a sweet aroma but not quite sure how to do that because I'm still frustrated with people, often times I don't see them the way that God sees them. I know I constantly pray for God to change my heart but I'm not sure if that's happening...

I really liked the following story though....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Streams in the Desert

As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing (2 Corinthians 6:10).

Sorrow was beautiful, but her beauty was the beauty of the moonlight shining through the leafy branches of the trees in the wood, and making little pools of silver here and there on the soft green moss below. When Sorrow sang, her notes were like the low sweet call of the nightingale, and in her eyes was the unexpectant gaze of one who has ceased to look for coming gladness. She could weep in tender sympathy with those who weep, but to rejoice with those who rejoice was unknown to her.

Joy was beautiful, too, but his was the radiant beauty of the summer morning. His eyes still held the glad laughter of childhood, and his hair had the glint of the sunshine's kiss. When Joy sang his voice soared upward as the lark's, and his step was the step of a conqueror who has never known defeat. He could rejoice with all who rejoice, but to weep with those who weep was unknown to him.

"But we can never be united," said Sorrow wistfully. "No, never." And Joy's eyes shadowed as he spoke. "My path lies through the sunlit meadows, the sweetest roses bloom for my gathering, and the blackbirds and thrushes await my coming to pour forth their most joyous lays."

"My path," said Sorrow, turning slowly away, "leads through the darkening woods, with moon-flowers only shall my hands be filled. Yet the sweetest of all earth-songs--the love song of the night--shall be mine; farewell, Joy, farewell."

Even as she spoke they became conscious of a form standing beside them; dimly seen, but of a Kingly Presence, and a great and holy awe stole over them as they sank on their knees before Him.

"I see Him as the King of Joy," whispered Sorrow, "for on His Head are many crowns, and the nailprints in His hands and feet are the scars of a great victory. Before Him all my sorrow is melting away into deathless love and gladness, and I give myself to Him forever."

"Nay, Sorrow," said Joy softly, "but I see Him as the King of Sorrow, and the crown on His head is a crown of thorns, and the nailprints in His hands and feet are the scars of a great agony. I, too, give myself to Him forever, for sorrow with Him must be sweeter than any joy that I have known."

"Then we are one in Him," they cried in gladness, "for none but He could unite Joy and Sorrow." Hand in hand they passed out into the world to follow Him through storm and sunshine, in the bleakness of winter cold and the warmth of summer gladness, "as sorrowful yet always rejoicing."

Should Sorrow lay her hand upon thy shoulder,

And walk with thee in silence on life's way,

While Joy, thy bright companion once, grown colder,

Becomes to thee more distant day by day?

Shrink not from the companionship of Sorrow,

She is the messenger of God to thee;

And thou wilt thank Him in His great tomorrow

For what thou knowest not now, thou then shalt see;

She is God's angel, clad in weeds of night,

With 'whom we walk by faith and not by sight.'

New recipes to try out and ones already tried out

These looked really interesting so just adding them in:
http://www.allfood.recipes/magic-cake-recipe/

Tried this two awhile ago and both were pretty good:
http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/recipe/desserts/peach-berry-frozen-dessert
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Janets-Rich-Banana-Bread/Detail.aspx

This one looks a bit more difficult so not sure when I'll get to try it out:
http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/08/recipe-for-julia-childs-eggplant-pizzas.html

Knitting 101 - helpful hints - aka what not to do

Basically I've been trying to make this scarf for my mother for the past 2 or 3 years by now. Mostly because the first time I tried to do it, I accidentally kept on increasing the knitting counts every time I started a new row so by about the 20th row it look more like a slice of pizza rather than a wearable scarf >_<

I think I'm finally going to have a set time for everyday to do it so I apparently have to get back into it every time so I'm just going to put the links I usually review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONVQCK_-rKc

http://knitting.about.com/od/troubleshooting/qt/How-Not-To-Start-New-Row-Knitting.htm

Cast on and bind off videos coming soon