What's on your mind?

[Tone]

I want a pet praying mantis! Breeders sell them online!

Nice, I want a dog, but I can't leave him in the van while I'm at work...

 

[bèlla]

I’ve had C’est Si Bon in my head since I heard it. I know the song but this version touches my heart. I let it play. It moves me for a reason.

I feel a desire to write. I haven’t journaled in years. The words felt hollow. But now they write themselves. I make a mental note: tweak a WordPress site. I’ll probably do it today.

The feeling remains and I know there’s more. While I listen images enter my thoughts. The house is done and the camera moves around the room highlighting the changes. The scene shifts and I’m standing at the table as she croons in the background and sentences appear on the screen.

I pull out my supplies and a sheet of paper and draft a skirt with a flounce. I consider the fabric and settle on toile with a petticoat. I make the front and back and opt to construct it by hand. The scene changes and I’m on the couch putting it together by candlelight and an oil lamp. I recall the passage in Proverbs 31 and smile.

The piece is set aside while I make the sampler to practice the stitches for embellishment. I want to try my hand at cording. When I’m done I apply the same to the skirt and review my work. I consider the blouse and shoes and settle on my grandmother’s pearls.

My eyes tear and I let them fall. A year has passed. It’s understandable. I let them see and explain briefly. I dab my eyes and add Visine just in case. I do my hair and makeup. They see it all. I’m looking for something ethereal and light.

I glance in the mirror and I’m satisfied. I hope he’ll be pleased. I dress and set up the camera. I find the image I want and prepare to draft the note. But I won’t send it. I copy the message onto stationary, print the image, and include it in the envelope. Sealing it with wax.

I marvel and realize He’s give me a blueprint. I know what to do now. He built the channel.

 

[Tone]

A woman who gets it...that's all I'll settle for.

 

[bèlla]

I’m looking through the site and saw my development matrix. The Lord had me update it last year. I spot mentoring and immediately say no. I won’t do it anymore. I’ve done enough. I have a similar feeling about counseling too. There’ll be an element but not as encompassing as I’ve done in the past.

It doesn’t take long for me to realize how apropos the image was. My teaching is exemplary now. I don’t want to tell you what to do. How to cook, clean, etc. I’ll show what works for me. And they can glean from it.

Something I’ve said, written, or produced. The work will remain when I’m gone. The vision is clear. Maybe I’m making a skirt, dinner, or preparing the house for the holidays. And I share it with the world. He there’s in all of it. I don’t have to flood it with scripture. I’m living it and that’s the testimony.

 

[Tone]

Wow, I just woke up from the strangest dream...

Well, first it seemed to get off on the wrong foot, as some dude was trying to tell me where I can park my van, and I was like, "I'll park wherever I want." But then I was thinking, oh yeah, he's probably right, I don't wanna be hassled so I went down this really steep hill, through some neighborhood...it was a really narrow street too and I ended up flipping the van after avoiding running somebody over.

Then, somehow I ended up on foot at some University and I was wearing this really cool, elite sportsman sweater and some lady held a door open for me that I would've been locked out of.

On the other side there was this old professor looking guy that had a dog. Oh wait, first there was this guy that was like, "hey let me buy those earbuds!" I guess I had some earbuds and I was like "nah bro I'm gonna need these" and he was like kinda giving me a hard time and I was like "Nah." So he walked off into a kind of a grove.

Then I heard someone who seemed to be coming out of the grove saying "Who likes the Chromatics?" And I was like "I do, the Chromatics rock!" And he began criticising them and I defended them, highlighting the great beats mixed with the ethereal voice of the beautiful vocalist.

He seemed to be a professor of sorts, I think a musical one. Anyways, he had this dog with him that he left, though I didn't feel like he was being mean to it or anything. And the dog began to cry and run around looking for his master and I was like "Hey, your making the dog cry!" And I began singing a song, saying just that..."you're making the dog cry..." And then I woke up.

I know, strange stuff.

Guess who'll be my first song post!

 

[sampa]

My thoughts are stuck in a loop of comparison with two individuals that I barely know. It's all superficial and really don't want to go the worldly path. I don't know that I've had this for sometime. I hate it. Hopefully it's only temporary and I can find that place of resilience and peace moving forward.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

Will you ever get the Holy Spirit feel goodies (where your hair stands on your skin and all the rest) before you endure the heart-wrenching experience of being a criminal before God and condemned to a Christ-less eternity in hell?

Today is your day of repentance. Turn from as much as you know of your sin. To giving as much as you know of your heart, toward as much as you know to your God. Do it now.

 

[bèlla]

I realized last night I was a looking at an old post. There's another I aligned with the biblical women the Lord shared in the past. There's four of them. The want to journal and share my life openly is a homecoming of sorts. My pen has been quiet for a time. I can draft from my head. But there's regions of my person which go unspoken.

Not because I can't. I'm rarely compelled to enter that space. My muse is gone and I'm not inspired to go deep very often. But God has other things in mind. The awakening has come and I shift effortlessly. Dwelling in that place is sacred. It elicits a mood and flow I don't attain elsewhere.

At times I surprise myself. Something comes out and I stare in disbelief. Did I really say that? It enhances my creativity and tenderness. That's why my playlist is sappy. But it's inspired too.

All the things I wanted to do that I wasn't doing I'm doing now. There's no resistance. I'm moving with the current once more. So I think I'll order the oil lamps and molds for beeswax candles. He's not done with me yet. God never gives up.

I'd better add a fountain pen, ink, stamp and wax. There's no coincidence. Everything has a purpose in the Master's plan. All that makes us soar and flutter are His doing. May we embrace them without apology.

 

[Subject to God]

God is the God of hope!

 

[SarahsKnight]

My thoughts are stuck in a loop of comparison with two individuals that I barely know. It's all superficial and really don't want to go the worldly path. I don't know that I've had this for sometime. I hate it. Hopefully it's only temporary and I can find that place of resilience and peace moving forward.

Will pray for your peace in this, Miss Sampa.

God is the God of hope!

Well I certainly hope so, otherwise in my personal opinion there'd be little point in having faith.

 

[SarahsKnight]

All that makes us soar and flutter are His doing.

I wonder what the lovely Miss Erin would think if she ever stopped and fully processed in her mind that the Lord's doing is why she presently causes me to "soar" and "flutter" (well, my heart, anyway) every time I see her.

 

[JustSomeBloke]

I created a demo account, so that I could try my hand at trading financial instruments. The account came pre-loaded with £10,000 of make-belief money.

Yesterday I made a few mistakes, but came out on top with a profit of £449.50. I thought I did alright, but perhaps it was just beginner's luck.

Today was an absolute train wreck! Multiple mistakes caused me to lose £76.00 of my make-belief money!

Boo! Yesterday was another day of candlestick carnage. I lost £99 of my make-belief money. It looks like I'll have to put my plans to visit the make-belief store and buy some make-belief stuff on hold.

And today I lost another £10. I thought the price wasn't going to go in the direction I expected, so I closed the trade with £10 loss. Then a few minutes afterwards, the price sped away in the direction I was expecting it to move, but without me on board.

Are you gonna do crypto?

No. Not crypto.

 

[bèlla]

I wonder what the lovely Miss Erin would think if she ever stopped and fully processed in her mind that the Lord's doing is why she presently causes me to "soar" and "flutter" (well, my heart, anyway) every time I see her.

You're hilarious!

 

[bèlla]

Boo! Yesterday was another day of candlestick carnage. I lost £99 of my make-belief money. It looks like I'll have to put my plans to visit the make-belief store and buy some make-belief stuff on hold.

And today I lost another £10. I thought the price wasn't going to go in the direction I expected, so I closed the trade with £10 loss. Then a few minutes afterwards, the price sped away in the direction I was expecting it to move, but without me on board.

LOL. How much have you lost? What are you looking at?

 

[sampa]

Will pray for your peace in this, Miss Sampa.

Thank you! ♥️♥️♥️

 

[Subject to God]

Job

 

[bèlla]

I'm recalling the film Love Comes Softly and how it applies to today's culture. Sometimes you have to relinquish the fairy tale to have what you want and see the bigger picture in togetherness. Some connections will begin with bells and whistles. But many won't. That doesn't prevent them from getting there.

Getting back to basics may be the best approach for most. Forgoing conveniences and popular methods to find a companion. I like the passages J.R. Miller wrote on the subject. They're old fashioned and you may disagree with some of the things he says. But it's a starting point and diversion from the norm. May you be edified and strengthened through their review.

• The Christian Husband
• The Christian Wife
• The Engagement Ring
• The Marriage Altar and After
• Secrets of a Happy Home Life
• The Home Conversation

You may also enjoy the series written by Douglas and Nancy Wilson on the subject. The titles are available on Amazon.

• Her Hand in Marriage: Biblical Courtship in the Modern World
• Federal Husband
  
• Reforming Marriage
• How to Exasperate Your Wife
• My Life for Yours
• The Fruit of Her Hands
• Praise Her in the Gates

 

[Multifavs]

There's a new 2D Metroid game in development. How cool!
...The only bad thing is now parts of my fanmade Metroid series really won't make much sense, especially the prequel I wrote.

Speaking of stories, I've been thinking back on the fanfiction stories I made in the past and thinking that a lot of them could use some major edits. Maybe sometime I'll think about rewriting some of them, but we'll see.

Even the story I'm writing now (which I haven't worked on in weeks due to lack of inspiration) seems like it could be better. Maybe critiquing your own work often is a writer thing?

 

[sampa]

Goodbye remote working. Took down the calendar, bulletin board, and folded up the table one last time. It will go in the basement. My roll-up exercise mat and foam roller will go back into the corner like it was pre-pandemic.

It's been a year and a half and definitely feel I've grown in some of the relationships that I have with other coworkers. Lots of creativity in our interactions and streamlining some things more digitally than with papers. More methods of communication and quicker than in person for some things. It will be interesting going forward how we work together. Also those that had to stay during the pandemic, there will be much consideration/respect for those people as they see us returning and the parking lot filling up. I already had my first encounter with a new employee that wanted to shake my hand and I said no. There's such a variation in everyone's precautions with covid-19.

 

[JustSomeBloke]

LOL. How much have you lost?

I've lost some make-belief money since the end of Monday, but I've still got more than I started with. My demo account was pre-loaded with £10,000 of make-belief money, and I've got almost £11,700. Some of the gains were from this week, but most were from some trading I did earlier in the year. However, the vast majority of retail investor accounts lose money. It's very risky, and I wouldn't recommend anyone put any real money into trades unless they're got six months history of consistent profits with minimal drawdown.

What are you looking at?

Commodities, indices, and foreign exchange.