Excerpt from Henri J.M. Nouwen

I really like this quote. I have been trying to steal back some time for reflection and prayer. This really hit home for me!

"Once we have committed ourselves to spending time in solitude, we develop an attentiveness to God's voice in us. In the beginning, during the first days, weeks, or even months, we may have the feeling that we are simply wasting our time. Time in solitude may at first seem little more than a time in which we are bombarded by thousands of thoughts and feelings that emerge from hidden areas of our minds. One of the early Christian writers describes the first stage of solitary prayer as the experience of a man who, after years of living with open doors, suddenly decides to shut them. The visitors who used to come and enter his home start pounding on his doors, wondering why they are not allowed to enter. Only when they realize that they are not welcome do they gradually stop coming. This is the experience of anyone who decides to enter into solitude after a life without much spiritual discipline. At first, the many distractions keep presenting themselves. Later, as they receive less and less attention, they slowly withdraw."

The Playroom Project

New door in Hannah's room.

View of the door from the attic.

Getting ready to install the window. The wood is there so they don't fall out.

Framing the walls and ceiling.

Hannah already loves her new playroom.

Some pictures of sweet Charis.

Confession of a Computer Addict

Well, life had been crazy lately. I think part of the problem was information overload... mostly from the computer. I love Facebook, but my brain just can't keep up with what over 300 people are doing in their everyday life. I also was reading a bunch of money saving blogs. They give you tips on great deals for the day and how you can get items for free. It is really a great resource, but they post about 20 deals a day. There is no way I can keep track of that many deals and in fact it makes me feel like every time I buy something for full price, I have failed. One women buys all of her groceries for $40 a week-- sometimes less. I have just come to the conclusion that I cannot possibly do that. So I am taking a fast from Facebook and I think I am going to unsubscribe to my money saving blogs. I hate to do it because I really do find some good tips on there. I guess I just don't want my whole life to be about saving money. Next thing I want to try is to only check my email twice a day. Just thinking about it gives me a bad feeling. I think I really am addicted to all of this stuff. In all my spare moments, I want to run to the computer. So I this is kind of like my confession. Part of the reason I love all of these things is that it keeps me in touch and I love that. But I think I can keep in touch in a more healthy way by having set times in the day when I am on the computer. So, I will probably be back on Facebook in a week, but with more boundaries. Life has already been made simpler without it.

My next post will be pictures of our new addition to the house! Brian and Papa got the door, floor joists, and window in. They will start framing the walls today.