Photo of the day (yesterday )

Work as a Prayer

I heard something recently that took my breath away, and although having read most of the books in C.S. Lewis' Narnia series, I haven't gotten to this part just yet.

I actually heard someone speaking about this at a different time, and thankfully found it again on the Desiring God  blog when I couldn't remember the details.
Even though it wasn't always easy for me to be this transparent and share this vulnerable side of my life,  this journey I am on has been a bit like walking out on the water, and I am not sinking.

In a fabulously hard place where God is "making me lie down in green pastures," requiring me to be still ad know, to trust, to be quiet, to listen for his voice. He has a purpose, an authenticity he wants me to uncover through it all. Not to say this journey isn't amazing too, I am just saying when it comes to finding an authentic voice, and work, I am and have been made to lie down, and the old dragon skin is being ripped off as I speak.

Hopefully by sharing this with you, at least one person's eyes will be open that we need to be on this journey together. A journey to an Authentic Life, living with core convictions, understanding that we should have joy in our work, to be creative because it is just the way our life should be, and to trust that the outcome is in "good hands."

So back to the story that took my breath away. If you see Aslan as a representation of Jesus, fully trustworthy, and fully fierce & unsafe but Good, then you will understand what is needed for true transformative change, and it doesn't sound pretty or easy!

"In mercy and compassion, Aslan arrives, and leads the dragoned Eustace to a garden on top of the mountain, and then to a well at the center of the garden.

Eustace looks at the well and knows if he could just get into the water the pain in his leg would be soothed. But Aslan says he will have to be undressed first. After a moment of confusion Eustace, remembers that he is a dragon and that dragons have skins like snakes which could be shed. With his new claws, Eustace begins tearing at his dragon skin. He peels off one layer only to discover another nasty, scaly, and rough layer underneath. And then another. After three layers, he realizes it’s vain — he will never make himself clean or get rid of his pain or shed the nasty skin.

A Gash of Grace

“You will have to let me undress you,” says Aslan the Lion. So desperate was Eustace, even his fear of Aslan’s claws was not enough to stop him from laying down flat on his back. Laying anxious on the ground, here’s what Eustace felt. The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. . . .Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off — just as I thought I’d done it myself the other three times, only they hadn’t hurt — and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was I as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me — I didn’t like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I’d no skin on — and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I’d turned into a boy again. . . .
After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me . . . in new clothes.

Was able to get my baby "fix" the other day when I met this new little one. So sweet! Working is such a delight, I will never ever take it for granted ever again! As I work, it is really my prayer. I think slowly I have decided to take a few clients in photography for now and do some more odd jobs to fill in the blanks while I am working on my painting show. Love and miss photographing children so much it literally hurts, but this time of creating and playing with a new medium has been extremely refreshing. Hopefully fruitful soon. 

As I paint, I am wanting to set some real goals for the end products I have accumulating here, so I vow to have a very colorful art show in Nashville Tennessee, hopefully this summer and hopefully with Kristi D. McDougal. Setting goals helps me take this painting thing to another level and see it as a way to work, and love what I do!  Also, I will be showing my new paintings at the Slope Suds in Brooklyn in about 5 weeks! 

As far as Photography goes, I am definitely looking to sing up a limited number of new families for newborn sessions and child Urban colorful Spring sessions in the Brooklyn area or Manhattan of course. 

Plans to come back to Raleigh  so do sign up for your spring photo session too. ( very limited number of sessions available) 

Got to hang out with this little sweet baby today and snuggle! She has such a great big sister!

Painting, I am just letting it all out. Sometimes it turns into mush. But that mush usually begins me thinking about what I want again. The best thing about painting, it there in no limit to how many errors that you make, just paint over it. Hardest part in painting though is letting go of a good part because it is not working in the overall life and profound statement the painting is trying to make. 

Next, I want to paint from the inspiration of birds and butterflies and dragon flies wings, mixed with dreams, texture, patterns, and some subject matter and landscapes. 

A step toward freedom

Welcome to my battle ground.  

I have decided to try an experiment and write down 12 observations during the day that capture my attention.  Not any of the negatives, but only things that captivated me, like beautiful things or something I overlook and take for granted on a regular basis. 12 simple phrases and descriptions every day for a year. My overall goal in this commitment is life intentionally focused on the good, allowing the awakening my longings and senses and start being receptive of this moment right before me.  

What a great dramatic day to start this journey!!! I've had many grumbles today & the temptation to complain, but I've intentionally zeroed in on the good for a purpose. 

First, We all woke up extremely groggy from staying up much of the night due to sickness in the house. We were excited to wake up to a foot of snow outside our door, And found out at 5 am by a courtesy call from the school that all schools were closed! Yay!!! a sick snow day! When jarred awake suddenly by this call, my son passed my room moaning that his ear was bleeding and  it appeared he had ruptured his eardrum. We needed to get to the doctor. 

True story continues... Bundled up for temps in the teens... We walked a 1/2 mile in the snow (which was way better than trying to dig my car out and drive in this mess) to get to the doctors office. 

We then proceeded to walk 2 blocks to the train and then walked about five blocks in the freezing uneven snow to Trader Joe's on Court, Only, we arrived to empty shelves. Their truck never arrived!!! 

My feet were frozen To the point where I had to find a radiator at in the bathroom and stand next to it to warm up my toes. 

After a long walk with grocery bags and a bus ride home, Ellis was so weary! I watched him get weary as his Ear discharged bacteria and infection and blood all day. 

What a great day to start Annihilating the sins of ingratitude, entitlement and complacency and grabbing onto truth and gratitude! 

I realize this is do or die. 

Its a start, a shaky start, but a start. 

Gratitude: the key to a heart of worship?

Does my heart sing with gratitude all day long? Am I living fully alive? Do I want to? 

By the time we moved here to NYC  I was so covered in false truths, lies, deceptions, hiding behind religion, and just plain hiding... that I was near total suffocation, lacking spiritual oxygen and water.  

I begged God that I needed to encounter the Real Him, to Know HIM, and not some made up version of who He is. Not the God-in-a-box most churches find easier to be around. I want to know the fierce, the Loving God who is terrifying and amazing, attractive and too Holy to be near. I want to taste and see that He is good, and to Hunger and Thirst for Him alone. I want the real deal. Weary from pretending and not really knowing where I stand, weary from lacking authenticity. 

One of the first families I met here in Brooklyn used to live in Africa. They spoke of camping out in the jungle where they could hear lions roar at night the tents had no doors. 
Could I do that? 
God is way more beautiful and fierce than the lion. And since my life is eternal, why would I be so afraid? What exactly am I trying to keep safe? 

It all started being ripped from a comfortable place, kicking and screaming, only 1/2 open to this experience.  Having seemingly no rest or peace for years and years, I felt totally ill equipped to love and call this crazy place a home.  In the midst of being in AWE and what I felt like was a semi open heart to living here at that time, I sensed the negative places brewing, the bitterness, the not seeing the good and pointing out the ugly surrounding  this city and in my heart. 

Emotions I felt like I had no control over. Wouldn't everyone feel this way? no.  

More than10 years I have been praying with seemingly little results and changes on the inside. 

The deep seeded places. 
The places where tragedy struck at an early age, the places that others intentionally harmed me on purpose, even the places that I decided to harm myself, all these torn and ripped places that have kept me from living fully alive, living fully present, and living fully grateful.  

Gratitude. could it be the key?   
Little morsels of information have led me here.  It started with the move, then little details the door opening to attend In the Living Room, He is Life, He is Life, He is Life, and Art opens the windows of hearts... were for me the take home messages I felt Kenyon Adams proposed so worshipfully (amongst many other profound understandings of Art and Culture). 

An awakening of my senses started to happen when I received a gift of membership to the Natural History Museum. Little by little I started to notice more and more the tiny overlooked details, treasures discovered,  thankfulness filled as I would see the glory of God showcased in a butterflies wings or in the 1000's of precious stones and minerals, etc etc. 

Then just walking around this city, riding the train with people from all walks of life. My eyes see the beauty of God in each and every detail of each human. 

Recently I have been able to read a lot more than ever. I just purchased a book called How to be and Explorer of the World by Keri Smith. Immediately enthralled by what she proposed, seeming so simple, what others might see as time wasters, a whole new way for me to look at art making and life. Immediately after,  I have been reading Ann Voskamp's 1000 gifts. 
Today, while reading what she was saying it was like I could take a breath for the first time ever, and my eyes were opened. 

How much of a coincidence is it that I read these two books back to back? or that even one of Ann's examples of her thankfulness  was seeing seemingly meaningless details that pleased her in the moment, like the details of soap bubbles  (number 362. suds all color in sun) on top a glass and all the colors in the sun. 

{Didn't I just post an instagram picture of that exact same thing the other day!!!? } see below 

I am only in the middle of the book, but am so thankful for her struggle through this process of having gratitude for taking the time with conviction and commitment to write down and recognize the little 'loves' and little moments that she finds beautiful, and little details in life that she finds enjoyable and is thankful for. Looking forward to reading the pages ahead. And looking forward to my own journey of Gratitude ahead. 

That process for Ann Voskamp has ushered in a kind of newness and an open heart to love, worship,  beauty, feeling, and being alive that no other thing could do. Ann quotes several verses to back up what she has discovered about this process and her walk with Christ, so I will get those for you for sure! For now I need to go cook dinner!!

Dear Ann,  I have never once heard someone really acknowledge and explain so well what happens to a heart when tragedy strikes so early in life. As you explained in losing your little sister to a horrible accident that left the whole family with terrible grief for many years to come, how tempting it was for you, for the rest of your days to wake up and see only the holes in life and the things wrong and the things that seemed off or missing. I just want you to know that for my entire life, since my mother tragically died when I was 3,  this is what I have struggled with too, its just that, no one has connected those dots for me ever before until today.  

 Join me day by day. I am all in. Gratitude. 

signed,  

Blest in Brooklyn. 

2014, We have 365 days ahead...

2014 
I welcome you.

For now, a video slideshow, just some highlights from a year's worth of instagram pics (our first year in NYC). The slide show took me two days to make, and I finally narrowed it down to 9 minutes, hope you enjoy!



2013 year endnumber2small from kimberly on Vimeo.



Four big things I learned in 2013

1. Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it._ c.s. Lewis

2. Jesus is Life and my life is hidden in Him alone. He restores the Human calling.

3. Art is not Free and is the most valuable thing that God uses to open the hearts of people.

4. God's voice stills you, leads you, Reassures you, Enlightens, Encourages you, Comforts you, Calms you, Convicts you.

Blest on a Sunday

When We moved to the city, as you might assume, I suffered a bit of shell shock and culture shock adjusting to a new culture and I made some hasty what-seemed-like-a-good-decison-at-the-time kind of choices on what I was going to be doing with my time and my business.

A regular Sunday.


A typical Sunday living in NYC from kimberly on Vimeo.



One of those decisions was to blog at least 3 times a week about what all I was learning and seeing and the different places I was discovering. Seeing this city with a fresh set of eyes, and a refreshing perspective is what I had to offer at the time.

WELL, lets see, um, the blogging 3 times a week, as you can clearly see, that actually didn't happen at all.

LIFE was all I could handle for a the first several months being here. Amongst ALL the AMAZING and the good stuff there were colossal melt downs and minor emotional crises along the way.
Recovering now. On the upward swing and so thankful!!

What I wish I could have learned many many years ago, and to have put into practice years ago are:

To take one day at a time and don't make any big or small decisions out of fear EVER! Ask God to give us our daily bread and mean that. For me NOT to try to plan the BIG PICTURE but to work hard each day letting what passion God placed there lead the small action steps I take. Stay on a good honorable path, love all people equally, care of your neighbor and God will lead you to the places you need to be.

Learning that the life God chooses for us is better in NYC because he himself chose it for us, and if I open my eyes and heart, letting go of what I have always known, his choice is way way better.

So this is where where I am, daily choosing to love, to relax and trust, to make small decisions, and to take action little by little and most of all to take deep breaths and enjoy the moments and people and beauty here.  

Recently, my husband (T) has discovered imovie for some work related projects, last night, we had fun editing this video together. 


Our first clip, this first footage is raw, choppy, interesting, but not really all that exciting. Now that we know what we are wanting to film, things can only get way better from here.

Little bits about the video since there is little to no words involved...

We get to attend Tim Keller's church (one of the most profound Christian thinkers in the world) Which is AMAZING so it is not by any means"regular" but it feels kind of normal to us now, like a regular process of our new lives.

The reason we chose attending there instead of staying with the Gallery Church which we still love and care for all the people there, was because of our kids needing children's ministry with strong leaders. So we miss the Gallery's community a ton as we choose what is best for the kids, it seems also to be the best for our growth and understand at this time too.   

Honestly, when Keller is speaking, there is a tangible concentration in the room all round us as the whole church ponders over and brain chews on what he is saying about Christ. It takes all my brain power to dig into what he is saying is true sometimes. Completely Amazing. So for this season of life, this is where we are. Wishing I could somehow mix the amazing community of the Gallery with the needs of the children together!! 

We shop at Trader Joe's for their simple ingredients and prices, but we have to trek across town with heavy bags to do so. 

Amsterdam Ave is one of our very favorite streets and areas. Love it!! 

Our kids ride scooters everywhere. And there is always waiting and a bit of strife here and there btwn the siblings.


We have been living here (My husband for 11 months), I and the kids for 10 months, and is it weird that I measure our time in Mayonnaise? We have made many friends, seen some move away already, Had three visitors, visited around 5 churches, gone through around 6 Trader Joe's mayonnaise jars (that's a lot of sandwiches), seen our friends Brian and Erica twice. Met around 15 Tennesseans, 5 North Carolinians, Lia's gone through about 2000 pieces of paper, deep cleaned our apartment around 7 or 8 times, and I have been to the MET now around 5-6 times, the MOMA 3 times, Columbus Circle around 30 times or more, and as my position and frame of mind is not on as wobbly shock effected territory as it once was, it could be a good time to start this blog thing after all.

My husband, whom I greatly admire, has a completely different style of writing, completely different very interesting perspective, so I have asked him if he would also blog here once a week, and he said he would be happy to! 

Stay tuned!

Warmth & WINDOWs

With an out of nowhere Beautiful 74 degree day last week, 

I jumped on the G train with my daughter to photograph a little girl that lives in this charming area near Cobble Hill. When the session was done right around 5:30pm the lure of exploration tugged on my heart and the oblivious miles to walk never seem to hinder that desire to explore until I realize how many miles I have walked all day and collapse in exhaustion at home. 

On this day, the destination, would have been lovely if it were one of these open cafes to sit and enjoy a meal and a glass of wine with friends, but today, I just wanted to find my way to Trader Joe's (about 15 blocks away) so I could get a Root Beer that doesn't have corn syrup in it. 

It was such a nice walk, with the warm breeze and the warmth of the sun, evidence of laughter and life before me finally.  The streets once seemingly only a designated highway to find a "warm" retreat, now crowded with vintage wood eclectic tables and chairs, fresh flowers in cute little vases, clinking wine glasses sparkling in the setting sun filled with beautiful whites and reds, opened windows and doors & wonderful aromas of steak cooked to perfection.  

Since we moved here on the 25th of December & landed hitting the ground running, acclimating to a congested northern city in the dead of the winter, while saying good bye to open spaces, green grass, a big back yard, our circle of friends and mentors our church home, short warm winters and the ability to do our own laundry whenever we wish.  

Not that I haven't experienced goodness, nor have I not met warm people, but up until this point, this city seemed to be a bit gray on the outdoors, only warm and inviting if you peer into a cozy cafe or if you enter a fascinating museum or building or train station. Only experiencing people in the outdoors gritting their teeth and burying their heads in their scarves to stay warm as they walked briskly in the direction of relief, to find a warm destination to get a rest from their face freezing in the wind. Walking as fast as possible down the streets, you would see glimpses of life and love in the windows of cafes, where the heat was on, candles were lit on tables and people gathered with their close friends to eat. Such warm atmospheres on the inside.

On this day, I caught a glimpse of what is to come very soon for the outdoors. 

I loved that at this park in Cobble Hill, as soon as the warm sun hit, a balloon clown showed up and started selling balloon animals and a man ( who really shouldn't have been singing) showed up to share his songs with the world who would be willing to listen. 

The Streets became alive. Doors and windows were all flung opened and or just gone altogether. Giving me a small glimpse at what's to come when the weather stays this warm and the trees have all their leaves and the days are long.

In retrospect, there was one other day that I felt this kind of joy about living here, it was the first few weeks of our arrival and I had barely seen any place just yet. My husband finally convinced me to get out to the park which was nice and then we walked down 9th Av to 7th street on a charming big flaky snowy day, passing all these historical brownstones with gas lit lanterns and ornately designed iron railings.

I had never seen something so nostalgically charming. The feeling was like I was being pulled into a vortex of time travel, revisiting the days of old and being given a moment in history. If the streets had windows into another time, it would look similar 86 the razor scooters and roller blades and women wearing leggings. I realized that we were finding our home in a city where people have thrived for 100's of years, and if they thrived, we could too. It was in that moment that it occurred to me I could  let go of all that I have know, all that I knew about this life and how to live it,  opening my heart up a whole new way of living. A new world of possibilities.

Back to this particularly warm sunny day, I looked around and focused on all the life and vibrance, and I welcomed the overwhelming feeling of this could be an amazing experience living here, this could be home.

All that said, I still question when I  will feel like a real New Yorker?  How long will that take? When will I feel like this is home and I will stop feeling like a southern red neck that has been dropped off in the middle of real civilization? Good question.

Hopefully sooner than later. I know I have only been here three months, So I need to have patience. Even though I have had glimpses of vibrancy of life, sometimes I still find myself missing and longing for life like before. I have been warned by many people who barely know me and by really good friends too that in about three years, I  hear,  I will never want to leave this place, I will look back and not recognize who I was when I lived in suburbia or why I liked or wanted any other way of life ever.  Looking forward to that day!



Cobble Hill: Art and Windows

I will revisit this area often, and hopefully begin to share with all of you the style of Brooklyn, individual products etc.  As I discover the city slowly and mostly on foot,  with every turn of a corner is another opportunity to learn, to take in the creativity that is pouring out of the shops here. I have to refrain from photographing everything I see literally.

One thing that fascinates me beyond words is what motivates customers to buy from specific businesses. I have often heard from the etsy market, that GOOD photography sells. Here, in the open street market, I am convinced that the most popular stores are always the ones with the best and most inventive creative window designs (kind of like Anthropologie) .  Each day that I get out and explore, I will share with you all my favorites in each area of Brooklyn and Manhattan depending on where I am spending the day! 

http://shop.bybrooklyn.com/

I loved this window.. I'll get the name of the place later ( forgot that) 

These rustic antiques mixed with the products drew me in.. couldn't resist going into this place. Although, when a dress costs more than $500 I walk out fairly quickly. http://www.smithbutler.com/sb/?page_id=9  

Something simplistic and colorful as this, mixed with the old vintage sign letters and for some reason brillo pads boxes,  I had to go in an investigate a bit. http://brooklynrefinery.com/

this knitting store brought the inside out by the addition of this colorful quilt on their bench. And of course, the tent chalkboard always is an eye catcher.

This business is a bit closer to my home, but a fun example of the window design. http://www.slopecellars.com/ 

Style Watch: 
Also, when I am walking I am loving being confronted with my lackadaisical approach to fashion. I am obsessed with looking at what people wear and why? What are the shoe choices and of course, what are the window fashions that tell us what the creative fashionable youth would wear.  Stay tuned for STYLE WATCH each week.

Today, I love this spring outfit and unfortunately for my faith, I keep a constant level of Covet of all the cute things I see in the windows!! Repenting daily, If I could buy a few things this year, it would be at this store called Goldy & Mac on 7th Ave in Brooklyn. http://goldyandmac.com/

 

I realize these outfits are made just for the window, very artistic, but not for me thanks

Michael Kors 

A few teens on a field trip: 

Some Man Style for you:

More men's fashion as seen on the streets of NYC to come!

Real Estate:

As you walk down the streets of Brooklyn, every mile or so there is a realtor's office that advertises new apartments or houses for sale. Today I want to share with all of you hungry to move here some great deals... this is the market here. I am really not sure, but I haven't seen very many houses for sale that consist of more than one room for less than 1.5 or a near 2 mil in Cobble Hill or Carroll Gardens.  If you want to rent a 2 br here, be prepared to pay 4,000 a month.

A whole new world.

Brooklyn, through the eyes of a newbie: 
So, be real with me, you've always wanted to live in Brooklyn or NYC haven't you? Remember those dreams? OR some of you DID live here or in Manhattan when you 20 something! You met your husband/wife here and now you've moved somewhere in the suburbs to a house on a quiet out-of-the-way cul-de-sac. Your house is cute, you love sipping on beers on Saturday nights on your back porch with your best friends next door? Barbecuing while you watch your kids jump on the trampoline together.  All the while, memories of brooklyn haunt you, and somewhere in your heart you miss it don't you? You were done, you were too old so you traded the life here for space. If you stayed wouldn't have the yard or garage to work in. 

How would you raise your kids in Brooklyn or NYC? Who could do that? Now you have to drive to get to civilization now that you are in the burbs? But you're okay with that now, now that you're old right? You don't need all that hassel of taking your laundry to a Mat and lugging your groceries up four flights of stairs and running up and down stairs on your commute. Good news, you don't have to live here to see this city again...

Now, you get to be here every week if you like, just by following our journey! I will bring this city to life for you right from your living room, how's that for awesome?

I'm telling you, there is something about this place and I need to find all that it has to offer and what it is that God has for us here. Lets discover what that is together as I learn to love it here through the lens of my camera and through the people I meet, food we discover, art we find and the community here in PS. 

Today, I decided 4 things. 
1: "take each day as it comes." Papaw
2: "put one foot in front of the other and take one breath at a time,    then discover what I encounter." a paraphrased quote I heard somewhere
3: Focus on the beauty right around me, never letting the negative or Ugly or the past get in the way. my own thoughts. 

So today I walked from Union to Third and back up to 7th just to see what I would see. This was the first thing that struck my eye. Someone took the time to make this crazy wall structure around a tree. from far away it looked dilapidated and ugly, but if you zoomed in, you could see the artists vision of beauty. 

This street was gorgeous, love the brownstones, and this guy made me giggle, his hair flopped up and down as he jogged. 

I love some of the details that people put into their homes. Some, I love not-so-much

Like these details, hello... anyone home? Who thinks this is a great design combo and enhances the hood and value of the home? blahk. I am sure those railings cost a fortune and the awnings and door, but wowzers. 

cute garden, but this empty space is worth over a mil and a half. I love green spaces, but If I were Annie, I am just saying. 

Will be revisiting this business that I happend upon. A Niche market business that is doing well here. Seems to have a strong story and heart behind their business. Can't wait to find out more. 

I love brownstone doors.. love all the architectural elements and the spring additions!!!  

I see lots of style, and yes, each day I blog I will have a style watch comparison, so watch out for it! What do you think? a, b or c?  

Hello beautiful cathedral right down the street. 

It is places like Sweet Melissa's that draw me in. I am always fascinated with certain businesses and why some are so inviting and some are cold and non-welcoming at first glance.  Just the colors, the window display design, the flowers, the chalk board.. the wood door, all make me want to go in and see what's inside. 

Loved the inviting store front and would love to know more about Sweet Melissa's 

Inside a mural.. very cute. Must be of the original store front on Court Street. 

Another amazing business. Imagine, it has been in business for over a 100 years, and potentially in the same location? not sure. But this business store window design was rather vintage and stately.  

As I am walking around the city, it is inevitable that I accidentally eavesdrop on other people's conversations.   

this is what I am hearing... people are either wanting more money, needing more things, grieving a loss, pissed off at a roommate or boyfriend, hating a neighbor, sorrowful for a loss, & oblivious too into shopping. There is almost always a common thread... that each conversation that I hear has something to do with either money or getting more things, more prestige, power, better position etc. 

I haven't heard anyone's conversations where the person sounds completely satisfied right where they are. (I know that they're are those of you out there, so no judgment from me about it, it is just what I have heard so far). 

  
I did pass a woman by the other day, she lived on one of those dreamy do die for brownstone streets, she walked out on her stoop to just smell her lovely flowers that were immaculately kept in perfect design and harmony. As I passed her by, two thoughts occurred to me, first, I thought to myself, ooooh, she looks happy. She's woman in her late 50's, living in one of the most beautiful homes yet, did not appear to have plastic surgery and or any hair dies or such. Not sure she even had on make up. She let her hair turn gray and wiry, yet she was wearing fine linen garments and seemed to float when she walked toward her flowers. I peered into her beautifully sophisticated and simplistic home and I did feel just a tinge of envy. How do you get there, floating in Linen I thought.  
It happens so quickly. Those thoughts, the covet ones.  But this is a subject for another day. Am I content right where I am? Putting one foot in front of the other, waiting on God's best for me? To be continued.