we have lived in Florida for about 2months.
When I woke up this morning I was reminded of all the blessings God has sent our way including this little apartment we have been calling home.
It looks straight out into the inlet and this morning the water is as smooth as glass.
We have been truly spoiled with the view. As many of you know Henry and I have been looking for a house. It most likely will not have this view!
After two months I have ready gotten used to a lot of things here including a small area to clean and my sister Julie's help. I have also gotten used to Henry being able to come home earlier from work and at more predictable hours.
There are some things I do not want to get used to.
That is, there are things I don't want take for granted. They include the above items, but also, Melva's happy smile in the morning and Henry's at night.
It gets so easy to fall into ruts no matter how many times one moves. Routine is not bad when it is in healthy balance with spontinaity. It generally includes a good dose of intentionality as well. Ruts however are exactly that. A hole one falls into with no thought at all.
Having a new start here, allows for us to live intentionally without pre-set ruts. But I am already finding it difficult to find time to excercise or to start the day listening to what God may have to share so my spiritual roots don't wither.
Melva however has been quite an inspiration. Within the past month she has mastered the ability to roll over in all directions, and learned to drag- push her self across the floor. I am afraid in another couple weeks she will be giving me a real run for my money. She already is grabbing at everything she sees. Melva never had to be taught Pilates. She does it on her own. You should see her little abs at work. It is amazing to me that the thing at the top of her list each day is to MOVE! God programmed human babies to move. And yet somehow along the way we forget or grow to disdain movement.
My baby is doing pilates but it sometimes takes all I have for me to continue to try to lift my feet in the direction of healthy habit.
Willow, has always been a dog on the move. We recently started going to training again. On the first day I asked the instructor what I needed to work on the most. She stated patience. Willow needed patience and so did I.
As some of you know I struggled quite a bit with postpartum blues. And try as I did to prepare myself for everything a new life brings, I still found my self flat on my face with all the change that hit Henry and I as we not only had a baby, but had to also deal with job issues and house renovations and then went on to prepare to move and change jobs.
Henry and I agree that we were still blindsided by even just the baby part.
Due to God's grace, though, I think we are up and running again. God even worked during a trip Julie and I made to Tennessee - one I was that I didn't think I could make due to my exhaustion. My dear Tennessee friends who are like family and my sisters all worked to encourage me and shared stories and pampered me. It warms my heart now just to think of it.
And now we are here in Florida with a five month old, dog, a good job, a little apartment with a great view and a nice cool night with which to enjoy it. We are settling into a nice little routine as well. Melva is even getting the hang of going to bed at a decent hour again.
And God is speaking through a baby and a dog.
I pray God gives each of you a breath of fresh air tonight so that you can soar tomorrow.
As you sit in your easy chair or porch swing, pray that you don't get tired of pushing on. And pray the same for us.
