... it's time to focus inward ...

Sorry for the silence most of this week.  We celebrated Aaron's birthday and Alex's birthday.  My mother came to town for the celebrations and then stayed a bit longer.  I've been asked to speak at a conference Valentine's Day weekend ... on grace.  Mother entertained the boys while I've been busy reading - thinking - praying - and formulating thoughts on what my illness has taught me on the topic.  I'm not quite ready - but I've got most of it worked out now.  I need to spend another day or so pulling the rest of it together.

Last night I decided it was time to change my med site.  It kept getting irritated, and I'd very much like to be over the worst of the pain before I'm supposed to speak.  Fitting though, isn't it?  I'm speaking on grace - and will be needing some extra in my own life the next 11 days......  I also think it's fitting that the conference will be Valentine's Day weekend - and two years ago ON Valentine's Day I was admitted to the hospital - and began (in an in-your-face-kinda-way) this grace-filled journey.

Anyway - we're supposed to get snow tomorrow.  (yippee)  So - it's time for a new mantle.  I'm not huge on celebrating Valentine's Day recently anyway - at the moment it's more a marker of some rough times in our lives than a celebration of marital love.  So - I'd like something calm ... something simple ... here's what I came up with.

... not quite ...

... almost ...

... that's good enough for me.

Sometimes it's important to de-clutter ...

... shut out the noise of the world ...

... and focus inward.


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