Dear Reader:

One room down…five to go! I can do this! I am really getting a system going now…before I start I have big trash bags handy, little trash bags in tow…along with zip-lock bags of different sizes for saving photos, certificates, letters, newspaper articles, etc.

I have decided in between each room I will take a day or two break to gather fortitude and determination for the rest of this momentous endeavor. In other words I need to return to the garden, talk to the plants, applaud and welcome new blooms, check in with God and rest by the fountain.

Two days inside cleaning and my plants just kept on kept on…doing what they do best…making the world more beautiful. The moon flowers are growing taller right before my eyes!

Inside, for the first time in eons every drawer, closet, and shelf is cleared of stuff! Happiness is! Now my brain and thoughts can de-clutter too!

Last Sunday our pastor preached on the importance of rest…if God needed it on the seventh day of Creation, why would we think we need less than Him?

Don’t days shine brighter after a good night’s sleep rather than a night of tossing and turning…worrying about this or that and waking up feeling haggard and tired before the day even begins?

The great benefit of “action” projects (that require some physical activity to accomplish a goal) is that we have a much better chance of a good night’s rest when we are physically tired…not just mentally, emotionally, or spiritually tired.

Spiritually tired is the worse…when we find ourselves staring into a deep, dark cavern wondering how to find our way out…we know we are spiritually drained. When we can no longer feel the light shining down on us…it is definitely time to rest.

What a wonderful gift God gave us! Think about it…most of us will spend about a 1/3rd of our lives sleeping. God must have had a reason for this or it would never have been in His Plan.

Haven’t we heard someone reply to a response that someone looks like he/she needs to get some more rest. “Ah…I’ll rest when I’m dead” and then laughs it off.

God wants us alert to all His signals and winks that He is providing for us along our journey. If we are never still…how can we hear His voice? How can we ever get to know Him intimately if we are always on the move? Always in charge?

So until tomorrow….Give yourself permission to rest. Some days it is the best decision you will make all day.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Thank you for all your responses and prayers for Nathan’s intricate surgery today. I am sure Kaitlyn will keep us updated on the surgery and recovery…

*Anne texted me back about her quick trip to Connecticut to see her family and be there with her sister on her anniversary. She said it “fed her soul.”  I texted back that another God Wink had just occurred and for her to check out the title of the blog today.

*The nice thing about going through old family photos, honors, awards, newspaper clippings, etc. is that some times you remember a funny one. Summerville Journal Scene titled John and Mandy’s engagement announcement wrong…stating: Dingle, Rutledge Plan Wedding for Next May. Underneath the photo they were identified as Mr. Rutledge and Miss Dingle.

After the first incorrect announcement…I was assured they would reprint it…which they did with the same mistake….so if I ever can’t think of John’s name I will just call him “Rutledge”…little Rutledge must be named for his uncle and grand-dad.😉

Speaking of John and Mandy…the Turners have returned from Disney World with lots of stories to tell and memories to re-capture. Welcome Home!

Mom and Dad took a picture of the kids on Day 5 of Disney…it is a “good kind of tired.”

Yesterday I met Susan for lunch since she had a dermatologist appointment in Charleston, along with her one-time neighbor Gladys and friends Kathy and Judy.

We decided to get one dessert and pass it around (Five Loaves) but at the last minute decided two desserts floating around were better than one. (We did have our cake and eat it too!) Lots of fun catching up.