my first best time for Him

last night i crawled into bed

i wasn't sleepy yet

but dantheman had a migraine & was turning in.

i hate to go to sleep after him

something about that creeps me out a little bit.

so i climbed in , pulled the covers up

& starting praying.

yes i'm guilty of praying myself to sleep

but felt certain this would not be one of those nights.

so wide awake & all

i laid really still

i think i made an audible sigh

& realized

i haven't spent time with Him in a while.

sure i talk about Him

& i sing about Him

i read about Him

but the last several weeks

i did exactly opposite of what i wanted to do.

i let some of the things i love to do

get all my attention.

i hadn't really spent any real , quite, quality time with Him.

i run everyday

i take photos everyday

i read blogs everyday

& i clean my home everyday

one thing i haven't done everyday

( & it pains me to admit this)

is sit quietly before Him.

just sit

just be

& listen

in 2009 i began reading the bible through in chronological order.

in 2010 i was still not finished.

i did however find time to read dozens & dozens & dozens of other books.

great prioritization skills right?

i can sit with my laptop in hand & play on photoshop for hours

yet there are some days when i never pick up my bible

ugh

i can barely admit that.

for where your treasure is there your heart will be also.

  matthew 6.21

i'm thinking my heart and my treasure

 have both been much more in tidiness & adding mileage on my daily run.

as much as running & photography & a clean orderly home are  good things

they should not get the best of me

& the best of me is usually in the uninterrupted wee hours in the morning

when i slip downstairs

often times before anyone else.

once the day gets rolling

i find it much more of a challenge to sit

to sit & be quiet

read scripture

journal my prayers

so

i'm back in the saddle

i will finish reading through the bible this year

i'm not a big new years resolutions girl.

but i have a few ideas on how i will spend the early morning hours.

the first ones

when my thoughts are fresh

& my home is quiet.

i will give my best time to Him

not facebook or photoshop

i once asked a mentor of mine

how & when she spent time with the Lord

she has a bustling household & has many hobbies.

she told me what a wise friend once told her.

"i give my first best time to Him.

somedays that doesn't occur until 4pm.

somedays that's at 5am. but my first best time goes to Him"

i loved that. freeing right?

so

here's to making sure

i spend my first best time well

& where my treasure is

my heart
will
be

also

neighbors

there's a farmhouse just across the street from emi's school.

two horses live there~ ruby & lucy, 5 year old sisters
& they are gorgeous!

i love driving down that street, just to see them.

i wish i knew horses

i wish i rode horses

i think they're amazing , spectacular creatures

i don't understand horse behavior

but these two are almost always side by side

maybe all horsies do this

but either way~

they graze right beside each other.
so sweet.

the other morning i decided to bring my camera with me

 & capture some images of them after i dropped emi off at school.

they weren't too sure of me.

i'm a dork and forgot to bring carrots ( also forgot my zoom too)

i did however find one frozen one on the ground

score

well hello there neighbor!

i think this is ruby
isn't she gorgeous!

lucy hung back a little

clearly unimpressed by my one frozen carrot offering

i was hoping for an old testament 5 loaves of bread & 2 fish feeding the masses miracle

but they hit the road after i split the one carrot

if i had a red barn

i would so dress my tractor in rudolph garb

for sure

our community is changing.

 construction everywhere.

big yellow traffic barrels block the path on which i run.

our school district is in the top 10sh largest in the state.

but every time i drive by this field

& see these magnificent creatures

i feel as i live out in the country.

& it's beautiful

here & there

i've watched 478 movies

well, almost

(wished i'd known the mom dies at the end of The Family Stone...sigh)

gained 38 pounds

mostly from eating cheese grits Pioneer Woman Style

because who knew

that the recipe makes enough to feed an entire ranch full of cowboys.

twice.

painted my nails opi's suzi skis in the pyrenees

debated whether to keep the second pair of cowboy boots santa brought.

santa rocked by the way

but brown or black?

conflicted.

packed up every single solitary Christmas ornament.

sent the tree to the recycle place

& caught up on laundry.

can you hear the hallelujah chorus?

so here's a few more

totally random

shots from here & there this week.

one more gift tag idea.

photocopied the girls silhouettes & resized into wallet size

perfect for gift tags

& glittered the edges.

the girls all waiting for the "ok" to come on down, Christmas morning.

little bit reading Luke 2 before opening gifts

the days of serving fudge pie for breakfast

must come to a screeching halt.

seriously.

received some of THE cutest cards

ever.

feel i sorta underachieved on this years card

the color & all

so i thought i'd share last years

much cuter card.

how weird am i?

meant to share a close up of one of my fave pictures.ever.

my mom in santa's lap, 1953.

i printed it out on canvas

sprayed with adhesive spray

& then very gingerly sprinkled crystal glitter on top.

sweetness.

madison is baker extraordinaire

& after running out to lunch with my sweetie

( which by the way, if you're a local, Farm Burger has THE best burgers in atlanta.promise)

returned home to find her whipping up

dozens of these cuties. from scratch.

she is such a good kid!!

 looking forward to digging into this book

a couple great library scores.

poor caroline has been a sicky for days.

this was taken pre-sickie status

but she's been a total trooper.

went to the doc, negative for strep

but she's had it all

cough, fever, congestion, pink eye, viral rash & never complains.

i would complain if i were her.

we had snow here in atlanta for the first time in over 100 years

on Christmas day.

it was absolutely magical.

ps...to answer a few of your questions.

the necklace from the previous post is from j. crew.

boots are lucchese

alrighty, off to watch another movie

& maybe heat up some cheese grits

:)