My Blog Year, Part 2: Or, Maybe this is more interesting?

Yesterday I posted a list of the first sentence of the first post of every month of 2008. That was fun, but also very random and a little cringe-worthy, a little like hearing a recording of yourself for the first time: Do I really sound like that?!

To remedy that, I decided to go through my blog and choose sentences that better reflect who I was and what I was doing this year. The following are not-so-random sentences, one from each month of blog posts.


Jan.-- I've been inspired to create an atmosphere in our home, an atmosphere of sunny cheerfulness.

I painted the living room, kitchen, and dining area; and we put up new trim. It really has seemed to make our home more cheerful and sunny this year.

Feb.-- I've been spending all my time thinking about, and learning about, and starting to practice, "fixed hour prayer."

This has become a habit for me.

Mar.-- I can begin to flavor the atmosphere around me, as I soak up scripture, and, hopefully, the fragrance of God himself.

I'm still working on this. I want to exude God's love and acceptance and joy everywhere I go. Can an introvert do this? I'm going to find out.

April-- All I'm managing to do is the bare minimum, which is keeping everyone fed and the laundry done.

This was the story of way too much of my year.

May-- My cool new violin came last week, which is exciting.

It's still exciting, every time I get it out to play.

June-- He (JD) is LovelyDaughter's soon-to-be-husband, and we are all terribly happy and excited about it.

Big news. Big changes.

July-- Today my Brother, and K and A, left to go home after their annual two-week visit.

Whew. We did it, even though the timing wasn't the best.

Aug.-- JD and LovelyDaughter were married at just about sunset in a park next to a small lake, surrounded by pine trees, and friends, and family.

Whew. We did it!

Sept.-- In my few off moments lately I have been doing some research, and I have found out something helpful, and here it is: (drum roll please) My body is exhibiting 60% percent of the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Constant undercurrent for the whole year. Sigh.

Oct.-- No, some days, in spite of all common sense, even though I am very happy and excited for her, I miss my unmarried, live-at-home daughter, who is gone forever.

Another undercurrent for the year. Sigh again.

Nov.-- I've been doing much better these days, aside from that headache. I've been taking something called "Malic Acid with magnesium" which also has B vitamins, 5HTP, St. John's Wort, and some other herbs.

YES! Some progress at last-- I LOVE feeling better. I'm more able to deal with the other currents in my life now.

Dec.--We are never too lost, too dark, too hopeless for God to find us, to see us, to love us.

I have a hard time remembering and believing that, but I hang on to this psalm, that, appropriately enough, was the evening psalm for the last night of the old year:

For you, O God, have proved us;*
you have tried us just as silver is tried.
You brought us into the snare;*
you laid heavy burdens upon our backs.
You let enemies ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water;*
but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.

This has been a roller coaster of a year for us: great highs (LovelyDaughter's wedding, adding JD to the family), and great lows (fibromyalgia, depression, tight finances) but I take comfort in this psalm that everything that has happened has been to purify us and now we are being brought into a place of refreshment. I begin the new year with thankfulness.