'Ten Things for Tuesday' Returns!

Well, it's not quite as good as The Return of the King (Tolkien's book, not the movie), but it'll have to satisfy you folk who actually care to hear something from the deep recesses of my brain. Or, my brain on recess...which is the more likely event.

Anyway, I just thought I'd free associate for a moment, using a satisfying-to-the-structure-needer-in-me format known as a list. Pretty cool stuff you can learn here, huh? {that'll keep 'em coming back!}

Here we go:

1. I swear I'm a lady, but the steak I am currently eating actually caused me to drool just now. Perhaps a lady wouldn't have mentioned that... (The ladies in the audience just said, "Ewww." The men just said, "Steak?")

2. I think some people are praying for me, as I feel like me life is slowing settling back down--emotionally, physically, spiritually. I wouldn't say I'm out of the proverbial woods (and I'm pretty sure that would mean being in heaven anyway), but things are definitely better than they were 4 or 8 weeks ago. If you are one of those peeps, I thank you very, very much.

3. I've been able to FINALLY start doing a little bit of exercise again. I've done 4 sessions of Pilates in the past 8 days, and I'm feeling mighty fine about it. I haven't been able to start running (or even walking for exercise) yet, but I now actually have hope that I might be able to again. The challenge will be to hold myself back until my body is ready.

4. One can lose a lot of muscle tone in, say, 4.5 months of non-exercise. This is not a hypothesis; it is a conclusion.

5. I just learned how little I like starting over. On the other hand, I also learned that I really love it when my muscles hurt from working out. These balance out in the end, I think.

6. In most areas of life, I am an optimist. However, when it comes to the health of my body, I've realized lately that I am a pessimist. There is some legitimacy in my persuasion, but it's still not a great perspective. I've decided to try to work on this. But I hope that doesn't mean I have more health issues in my future... :-)

7. I think I am no longer an extrovert, if an extrovert is defined (as Myers-Briggs does) by someone who draws their energy from others. I still LOVE people, but I find I must have a substantial amount of down/quiet time to balance these interactions. I have been surprised to discover that people drain me. Now the question is...was I always like that and have just now settled into who I am? ...or, Did I become this way due to aging, being single, etc., or some combination thereof? It is moot, I suppose, but a curiosity.

8. I wish it was (were?!) appropriate for me to speak the way they did in Georgian England. I think I could do a splendid job of sounding Jane Austen-ish. And, I miss the vocabulary! {oh, to use big words and not be thought of as a snob/freak/Yankee}

9. I love the Olympics! Love, love, love! However, I always kinda thought Ice Dancing was, well, skanky. I watched some this year, and while some of it WAS skanky, there was actually some talent and taste on the ice. I am very pleased over the gold and silver medalists' performances.

Didn't think I could get this far, did we?

10. I will probably sound nuts trying to put these thoughts into words, but the older I get, the more amazed and humbled and grateful I become: I love God so much. So much more than I used to. I love that I get to know Him and love Him. I love that His Word is deeper than my brain can attain and wider than my thoughts will ever go...yet is is accessible to any thinking child. It is a miracle that I will sing of over and over in eternity. I love that we get all of eternity to know and discover God. Our God is awe-worthy.

Well, I can't really go up from there, so I'll 'go dark.'

Alive in Him,

-J

"Great and marvelous are Your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are Your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear You, O Lord, and bring glory to Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed." -Revelation 15:3b, 4, NIV