Three Birds Blog



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Road Trip to Missouri

I recently took a quick road trip to Missouri.  I really enjoyed taking my new camera out for a spin.  My husband just found a Sony a230 DSLR camera for me.  It's great.  The rolling hills of Missouri are actaully quite lovely.

Estate sale goodness

I have been wanting a gold leaf necklace for awhile.  I could not believe that I found one for $4.00 at an estate sale yesterday. It was lovely.  I also found a blue glass candy dish.  I am going for a blue theme in my bedroom when I redecorate, so when I come across lovely blue things I like to pick them up.  I also found this very cool vintage fabric with buildings and bridges.  I may make pillows or frame it.   This copper bundt pan may go to a new home.  My grandma has one on her wall, she's going to take a look.  If she doesn't like it I'll give it to a friend who collects them.

Enjoying the sunny day

We finally have sun here!  I was enjoying the lovely weather.

Inspiration

This the the kind of relationship that I strive to have with Joshy.  No one counting who has done what for the other.

I hope to be the kind of mother that instills self confidence in my children, by having confidence in myself.

Reflections on Romance

When my husband and I started dating in September of 2005 my heart ached when I wasn't around him.  I remember the physical pain I felt when missing him.  I remember in January 2006 I was so sad to not get to see him for a few weeks over Christmas.  I came back to Lawrence a few days before I expected him to be back.  I was watching movies with a friend and her partner.  I had talked with Joshy several times that day.  Each time he mentioned that he was driving around to visit friends, but said he didn't have to go.  This all came together for me when someone rang the doorbell of my friend's apartment.  I was absolutely SHOCKED to see him standing there.  I was SOO thrilled to see him.  That was romantic. Now we have been married for just over a year and a half.  He is still romantic.  He left me flowers in my car on Valuntine's day.  I love him.  I actually do not miss that pain that I felt so poignantly when we were apart back then.  But it is nice to reflect on how it felt to fall in love with THE ONE.

The pictures of me in the silver shrug were of our first date!  We actually kissed in the rain after our date ;). I think it's so cute that there are rays of light in the pictures.  Sparks were flying!

From Aura Joon's blog.


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First Chiminea Night

I am excited about spending more time in our back yard.  Spring is on it's way! We had a lovely 70 degree day yesterday.  They had Chimineas half price at a store here in town.  I decided to go pick one up.  It was a lovely night for the inaugural fire!

The moon was so bright!

I decided to use flash for just a few shots so you could see the cool details on the chiminea.  It was very hard to choose! But, I love polka dots and modern design.  You can also see a glipse of the wee pond in our back yard.  The previous owner put it in.

Your Cross was Made for You

Below is a daily devotional that is emailed to be every day.  Today it tapped into something I have never thought of before.  I have felt so much anger and resentment over the last year and a half that Joshy has not lived here with me.  Yes, his stuff is here.  But he's not Monday through Thursday.  There were many justifications for his staying with his company and traveling, which I will go into another time.  


The positives of this situation have become more apparent to me over time though.  Before this living situation, I did not like to be alone.  I did not know what to do with myself.  Since I have been living without Joshy though, I have found myself.  I have found many hobbies that I really enjoy.  I actually like myself.  I like who I am and who I aspire to be.  Ofcourse there are many areas I would like to improve on (being more spiritual, working out more often, being consistent and stable in my life).  But generally, I like myself.  That is not something I could have said a few years ago.  So perhaps this was my cross to bear.  And this cross was built for me.  it did help straighten the areas of myself and my spirit that needed to be straightened.  Feel free to take a look at the devotional below.  


Listening to: Blessed by Brett Dennen.  I love his upbeat music!

by peggy gardner

Uploaded 1 Oct 2008 — 13 favorites

Picture from Peggy Gardner.




Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:

Genesis 11:1-9
Psalm 33:10-11, 12-13, 14-15
Mark 8:34-9:1

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
Take Up His Cross. . . .

This is a powerful passage that tells us about how Jesus expects us to behave. We are to take up our cross. Not our neighbor's cross, not the cross three houses down on the left, not a leftover cross. Our own cross.

Why is this so important? We need to understand that our own crosses are made for us. They are orthopedic. They are meant to straighten out the crooked places and bend the places that should not be straight. They are designed to help us conform to the person we will be at the resurrection. As such, they are medical devices for the spirit. Just as we would not trade glasses for anything other than an experiment, so it will not avail us to wish for the cross someone else bears.

What we need to understand is that no matter how light, how easy, how relatively small the cross of another, it is designed for that person. It hurts just as much when we want to conform to the world and do as everyone around us does. It is painful in a way that is meant not merely to hurt, but to change us for the better. Think braces on teeth - they hurt while they are on, but when they come off, our teeth are better able to perform their function.

So are our crosses while we live. They are designed to make us straighter, truer, stronger. They hurt day by day, but they help the seed of the world to come grow within us.

Do each day, take up that day's cross and be thankful that the Lord cares enough to help us grow as we need to in order to help those around us.

~ JuandelaCruz | email: sriddle415(at)yahoo(dot)com

Please recommend The Journey website to your friends and Catholic webmasters

Inspiration - Blogs that I read

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Appreciating the Wuv

Yes, I said Wuv.  I am a huge fan of the scene in Princess Bride when the couple is married by the priest with a lisp.  "WUV, Wuv is why we have gavered here today."

Currently my husband travels for his job Monday through Thursdays.  That will be ending in July (hopefully).  So I was a bit sad we would not be able to celebrate on Valentine's Day.  We did have a lovely evening on Sunday night.  So my hubbs left me a lovely surprise of flowers in my car for Valentine's Day.  Flowers help me to appreciate the beauty and wonder of God's creation.

A Foggy Day

Today was quite surreal.  On my drive to work the entire world seemed far away.  It was as if I was in a bubble with only those very close to me existing.  It was quite like a horror film or something.  I now see why they use such a setting.  It makes you feel quite alone and vulnerable.