At the beginning of July I made myself a habit-tracking log. You can see some of what I was working on in the picture, if you're into that kind of thing. I was reasonably consistent about reading the Bible, but then we move into the section where it's clear I didn't really want to be working on the habits I assigned myself: didn't want to be reading Trollope, didn't want to be running, didn't want to take time for yoga. I did finish Mystie Winckler's Simplified Organization course, and I got a year's worth of pictures into albums. (Although! I just realized as I was drafting this post that I overlooked a couple of early July pictures. Check out these flaming bananas from our experimental fiction feast!)
I'm doing a six-week Mystie Winckler mini-course, but I got up this morning and thought, "UGH! I have to do those stupid routines AGAIN? I just did them YESTERDAY!" I...might be one of Mystie's remedial students.
There is a tree drawn on the left-hand page of my journal as a reminder of Psalm 1, my great-grandfather's favorite bit of scripture. I drew it because I was thinking about bearing fruit, but then all through the month I kept bumping up against the idea of rootedness in Christ. I knew I'd see roots mentioned in Colossians 2, but I was surprised to encounter them in Ephesians 3 as well. You know how sometimes you see a word everywhere you go? Rooted was my word.
So I have been thinking about roots: the way they can stabilize a mammoth entity. We can rest peacefully under trees, knowing they won't fall over on us, because of their root systems. I have been thinking about the way that plants feed themselves through their roots, drawing up the goodness that makes it possible for them to bear fruit and create shade. For some plants, like hydrangeas, the nature of the soil in which they sink their roots can alter their whole appearance, which prompts me to think carefully about where I am rooting myself. I have been reflecting on the idea of roots working their way through rock-- it's a slow process. It's normal for that growth to require patience. And here's a final little tidbit I learned last month: though roots themselves are hidden, the health of the root system governs the growth of the whole plant. In response to the environment in which they find themselves, the roots produce a substance that can speed -- or slow -- above-ground growth.
I think for August I'll focus less on counting yoga videos, and keep thinking about roots instead.
Wow, you're so organized -- well, at least in tracking your habits! ;-) I don't like to to those kinds of things in order not to set myself up for failure... but I have been persistent enough to complete several years of NaBloPoMo in November, so I guess I'm not 100% a lost case. ;-)
Beautiful thoughts about roots and I loved the drawing too.
Posted by: L - Mama(e) in Translation | August 02, 2017 at 04:00 PM
And thanks for your prayers. I am extremely calm, all things considered, and I spent some time today emailing all students who requested permission to enroll and then didn't or registered and dropped. Several had already assured me over the summer (I emailed some for the first time back in June) that they will register before classes and others never said anything.
The only thing I may have "done wrong" is that I didn't allow the seniors to register earlier, so only 4 out of maybe 10 who wanted to get in actually registered. Sigh... I am still waiting on several freshmen, which is great. There is potential, but until I see the numbers go up I will feel anxious. I didn't share in the post, but the limit for each section is 18 students and currently I have 6, 8 and 4 -- precisely enough to fill up one section! :-(
Posted by: L - Mama(e) in Translation | August 02, 2017 at 04:04 PM
Rooted is a good word. I hope you write more about your thoughts on rootedness.
Posted by: Melanie B | August 11, 2017 at 10:45 PM