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Year Two, Day 31: Saying Goodbye to Gangsters

One year and one month of this daily blog!

It is cooler today, but still no rain.

I had another pleasant surprise from one of my students yesterday. He is one of my newer students.  His older sister has taken piano from me for many years.  He is in kindergarten.  He is the young man that last lesson whispered in my ear "I am excited about my piano lesson!" while his sister was playing for me.  

Today he put his hands in position, fingers curved beautifully and read through three new pieces.  I am always so pleased when I discover a student that takes to note reading so well. I fear that reading music is becoming a lost art.  

I left his lesson feeling quite joyful.

I am also feeling joyful about my new distance walking plan.  I was thinking about how many of my students are planning vacations.  I always spend a few minutes at the beginning of each lesson asking about their week.  They often tell me about what they are looking forward to.  I have a family that just informed me they are traveling to the East Coast to see Niagara Falls.  Another family is touring some of the great national parks.  One student is on her way to Japan with her family as I type this.

I had felt a pang of envy with each of these stories. How I long to travel!  I hope to. Someday.  I have this dream of buying a camper van and traveling the US, visiting all of the National Parks. I also dream of traveling to Europe, India, Africa and Australia. But on my income?  

The other day I had the urge to just keep walking. Never stop. Just head east. I know that is irrational.  But then it occurred to me.  I could get an extra job. Scrimp and save for a vacation.  I'm sure it would be extraordinary!  But if I fly to my destination, I miss all of the points in between! Sure, I could go by train, bus, or even car, but I have this desire to place my feet on the ground of unexplored territory.  To have adventures. To be open to possibilities. New people, new sights, smells, and tastes.

That is why walking appeals to me. It is not the destination as much as the present moment of the journey. I am definitely feeling the winds of change blowing in my direction.

I have felt a bit out of sorts lately. My focus has shifted to watching my eating and exercising.  I have not been focused spiritually. I really notice a difference in my mood and mental outlook when I spend time in prayer and bible study.  Again, not enough hours in the day, but when I make time to commune with God, study His Word, and contemplate application in my life, it seems to put the puzzle pieces back in order.  

On that note, my psalm of the day is Psalm 45. 

 I read that this psalm is a "wedding psalm". It was also prophecying the reign of Jesus Christ. http://www.easyenglish.info/psalms/psalm045-taw.htm

I find the language so lovely in this psalm. 

PSALM 45

New King James Version

45 My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,
With Your glory and Your majesty.
And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;
And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies;
The peoples fall under You.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.
Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women;
At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.

10 Listen, O daughter,
Consider and incline your ear;
Forget your own people also, and your father’s house;
11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty;
Because He is your Lord, worship Him.
12 And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
The rich among the people will seek your favor.

13 The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace;
Her clothing is woven with gold.
14 She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors;
The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.
15 With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought;
They shall enter the King’s palace.

16 Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons,
Whom You shall make princes in all the earth.
17 I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.

And here are my food and exercise logs for yesterday:

FOOD LOG 06/08/2016
9:00 a.m. Water
10:00 a.m. Earl Grey Tea, Black
12:00 p.m. (Lunch at Mandarin Cove with a dear friend) 
Hot tea, brown rice, hot and sour soup, sauteed scallops and mushrooms
3:30 p.m. (At home from my crockpot!)
Oaxacan beef tacos (beef slow cooked with onion, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and lime juice), corn tortillas, coleslaw, 1/4 cup bing cherries.
5:30 Water
6:45 "Rice Dream" Chocolate ice cream sandwich (From Fred Meyer)
9:45 p.m. Bowl of Special K gluten free cereal and almond milk

EXERCISE LOG 06/08/2016
10:45 15 min walk to MAX
11:45 15 min walk downtown to lunch
3:15 15 min walk home 
4:45 15 min walk to MAX
8:00 p.m. Gym
9:30 p.m. 15 min walk home from MAX

I returned my "Sopranos" DVDs to the library today.  I did enjoy them. A bit too much. But the appeal has worn out.  My mood descends into darkness and gloom when I get too involved in the life of a gangster.  I exhaled when I dropped the DVDs in the return slot. And I felt a rush of relief.  I have broken another addiction!

I may take a breather from television. Except for when I am on the treadmill at the gym. Then, I like to watch the news as a distraction.

I have enough books to keep my brain occupied. And lately on the bus, I stay unplugged. I have had many pleasant human interactions on the bus when I keep.my headphones in my pocket!
I am making salmon patties and rice for lunch today.

Lord, I hope it rains soon!

Happy Thursday! :)


 

      

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