I'm giving away a book!

Prayers for Emotional Wholeness, by Stormie Omartian, was helpful to me during a stressful time. The book is subtitled "365 prayers for Living in Freedom". Chapters include "When I Need to be Free of Anxiety and Depression", "When I Need Hope and Joy in my Heart", and "When I Need Greater Faith". Sometimes my mind would be completely blank of words to pray, and Stormie's prayers gave me a starting point. Each prayer has a Scripture that fits its topic.

I'm giving away a copy of this book this week. This particular copy has a black remainder mark, and a little price tag residue on one corner. I will send it free to someone who:

has a blog

leaves a comment here with their blog's address

posts a link to this post on their own blog before this Saturday, 5 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time

Next Sunday, I will e-mail the winner of the book to get a shipping address, and post a link to the winner's blog. (The winner will need to have a US mailing address.)

espresso at home

My husband bought us a Primula stovetop espresso maker (for the very small price of $7 at Ross), and with the addition of a milk frother (for about $12), we are making delicious mochas and lattes in our own kitchen. I am amazed that the process is this affordable! Two squares of Green and Black dark chocolate melt smoothly into the espresso (the Mayan Gold variety is especially nice) to make a silky mocha. What a perfect accompaniment to a morning quiet time or an afternoon writing session.

Friday funny

I haven't posted a Friday Funny in quite awhile. Today I recommend you read The Unquiet Years blog for a chuckle about Angelina Jolie.

I've also found some laughs at Rocks in My Dryer.

timid tastebuds?

I saw an advertisement last week that I found disturbing. On the back of a Time magazine was an ad for a photo-developing website. The picture showed a man and a woman holding a glossy photo book, pointing at a picture of a hamburger. The text below described the couple's joy at finding "the best hamburger in Beijing", thanks to a thoughtful friend who made them a photobook to use when they didn't know the Chinese word for what they were seeking.

I find it mind-boggling that an American couple travelling through China would desire a hamburger. I can understand that if one lived in a foreign country, one might occasionally crave the food of home. But are the culinary horizons of American tourists really that narrow? Are we so arrogant that we expect our national cuisine to follow us around the globe? I cannot imagine seeking out a hamburger (available at dozens of restaurants in my hometown, not to mention easily prepared in my home kitchen) while halfway across the world, surrounded by culinary adventures that are only available in that exotic location.

The only explanation I can think of is that some people have very timid tastebuds.

growing through trials

I liked Phyllis Sather's blog at first viewing; one of my favorite scriptures is below her blog title.
Today I am recommending this post, and I'll share a quote from it:

Abandon your faith in God and turn away from the problem and you put yourself in a position to be swallowed up by what was meant for your growth. --Watchman Nee

Daybook Monday

FOR TODAY, August 18, 2008
Outside My Window... 87 degrees, with a few clouds
I am thinking... I need to enjoy my husband's last two days of vacation
I am thankful for... coffee
From the kitchen... biscotti
I am wearing... my pj's. Don't judge me. It's still vacation.
I am creating... a clean desk so I can scrapbook.
I am going... absolutely nowhere.
I am reading... The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax
I am hoping... to clean the school room.
I am hearing... Elmo. One of the more annoying voices in children's television.
Around the house... there is a bongo drum in our living room.
One of my favorite things... a cuddly four year old who at the moment prefers my company to her sisters.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I'm still thinking about Today. The rest of the week will care for itself.

Simple Woman's Daybook is hosted here.

shining hours...again

Months ago, I promised myself that I would use this blog to record shining hours. I have not kept that promise, for as I look back at my posts I see dark dusty cloudy days. Admittedly, it has been a rough year, full of loss and physical challenges. But there have been so many shining hours...why don't I talk about them? Is it because the darker times must be written down to make sense of them or to release them? Is it because I find them more newsworthy? Perhaps I think no one wants to read that I had a great Saturday evening watching Britcoms on PBS and eating a concoction of leftovers that only my husband the genius chef could make appetizing?

Last week was a dark tunnel week, a week when loss and depression filled my mind and seemed to paralyze me. As always, it was difficult for me to admit even to myself that I was depressed. Yet when I finally did, I cried out to Jesus...the Light..the Lifter of My Head...my Beloved...and He answered, brightening my outlook.

Today I am on the edge of a migraine. My home is full of undone tasks that taunt me with accusations of failure. But in my quiet time I came across a glorious verse:

I am the light that shines through the cosmos;
if you walk with Me,
you will thrive in the nourishing light that gives life
and will not know darkness. (John 8:12 The Voice Revealed)

Glory be to God who has shown me that Light.