The Time Has Come...

I've been thinking on this for a while now. I began blogging even in the days before blogging was a thing. I wanted Damaris to have a way to know what the months before she was born were like, so I started writing letters to her on our website. She'll be 16 in October, so it's been a while. Over the years, there have been time when I've blogged more frequently and times when I've blogged less frequently. I've shared good times and bad times. It's been a journey just as I've been and continue to be on a journey.

However, in the last couple of years, I've been sharing myself online in lots of ways (links below) and just don't feel the need to blog anymore. It's not because I don't like writing (I still write quite a lot in my bullet journal and other places online). It's just become an obligation for me to blog, whereas in the past, I blogged because I wanted to.

So, this is the end of blogging for me. Does that mean I'll never blog again? No, if I come to a time where I think and feel blogging is right for me again, I'll start up again. But for now, for this time, and this place, this is goodbye. I have tons and tons of gratitude for those who have followed me over the years and read my work and commented. I appreciate each of you!


My pal Winnie the Pooh says, "It’s always useful to know where a friend-and-relation is, whether you want him or whether you don’t."
So I won't leave without telling you where you can find me online:
~ on Ravelry as JavaPurl
~ Knitting Designs on Ravelry & my JavaPurl Designs website
~ on Twitter as cc_almon
~ on Fitbit as user 2F8K2V
~ on Instagram as cc_almon
~ the weekly video podcast Geeky Girls Knit that Damaris and I co-host
~ our Ravelry group ~ Geeky Girls Knit Podcast
~ on Twitter as geekygirlsknit
~ our Facebook page
~ on iTunes
~ on YouTube

Hope to see you around the interwebs! Grace and Peace and Happy Knitting (for you knitters obviously, although I think everyone should be a knitter and I'll teach you if you want to know how!)! xx



Image Credit | Image Credit | Image Credit

Happy Christmas!

Don’t be afraid! Listen! I bring good news, news of great joy, news that will affect all people everywhere. Today, in the city of David, a Liberator has been born for you! He is the promised Anointed One, the Supreme Authority! You will know you have found Him when you see a baby, wrapped in a blanket, lying in a feeding trough.

At that moment, the first heavenly messenger was joined by thousands of other messengers—a vast heavenly choir. They praised God.

To the highest heights of the universe, glory to God!
And on earth, peace among all people who bring pleasure to God!
Luke 2:10-14

Happy Christmas to you and yours! xx

Peace.

My Health Top 5

Today is day 27 of the WEGO Health ~ The Health Activist Writer's Month Challenge 2012. I will be writing a post everyday this month and each will in some way focus on what life is like with fibromyalgia (as well as other health issues including migraines, hypothyroidism, and polycystic ovarian syndrome).

For today’s post we’re making a list of our top 5’s – whether they be for your health condition or your Health Activism. Take some time to think about your experiences and develop your top 5’s – the 5 most difficult parts of your health focus and the 5 small victories that keep you going.

The 5 Most Difficult Parts of Living With Fibromyalgia
1 - Never knowing what I'm going to feel like day to day. It's a surprise when I wake up each morning.
2 - Having to save up energy for days in order to participate in anything
3 - Having to allow myself to be served and cared for by my hubby and 12 year old daughter
4 - Struggling to have community and friendships because I am home bound so much of the time
5 - Not being able to do the work of ministry that God called me too because the pain and fatigue is so bad

The 5 Small Victories That Keep Me Going
1 - Getting out of bed (even if it's just to move to my recliner)
2 - The love of my hubby and daughter
3 - My bbf's (best blogging friends) who walk this journey with me
4 - Grace and peace to get through another day
5 - Finding the eucharisteo in every day

What about you? What are your top 5?


Image Credit

I Used to Be...But I'm Not Anymore.

Today is day 23 of the WEGO Health ~ The Health Activist Writer's Month Challenge 2012. I will be writing a post everyday this month and each will in some way focus on what life is like with fibromyalgia (as well as other health issues including migraines, hypothyroidism, and polycystic ovarian syndrome).

Write a 10 line poem where each line is the phrase "I used to be ____ but I'm not anymore." What did you fill in the blank?

I used to be a maniac running around like a chicken with it's head cut off but I'm not anymore.
I used to be unable to sit and just be but I'm not anymore.
I used to be embarrassed and fearful to talk about my health but I'm not anymore.
I used to be weak allowing whatever may come to knock me down without a fight but I'm not anymore.
I used to be a multi-tasker with seventy zillion things always going on but I'm not anymore.
I used to be full of the opposite of grace, peace, and mercy but I'm not anymore.
I used to be a runner, a swimmer, and one who did yoga but I'm not anymore.
I used to be healthy but I'm not anymore.
I used to be a lover of books full of intricate detail that required all my attention but I'm not anymore.
I used to be willing to go, go, go until I had nothing left but I'm not anymore.

A Prayer for Today

Creator of the universe,
you made the world in beauty,
and restore all things in glory
through the victory of Jesus Christ.
We pray that, wherever your image is still disfigured
by poverty, sickness, selfishness, war and greed,
the new creation in Jesus Christ may appear in justice, love, and peace,
to the glory of your name.
Amen.



Prayer & Photo Credit

The 30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 26

Welcome to Day 26 of The 30 Day Blog Challenge hosted by me, C.C., here at I'm On My Way and my online BFF Jamee at A New Kind of Normal. Today's assignment is to post a blog post in which you think back to how you were 5 years ago and then post about how you have changed since then. Make sure you grab the 30 Day Blog Challenge button (use the code that's in the box below) to post in your blog post and once you publish your blog post, enter your link below so we can look at each other's posts.


These pictures were actually taken in late 2006. On January 1, 2007, we moved from New Mexico to Abilene, Texas. Russ started school at Logsdon Seminary and I continued staying home with Damaris and homeschooling her. We found an amazing church home. We made some great friends. And within a few months, I decided to go back to school too. I also started the Couch to 5K program and ran some races and lost a good bit of weight. Healthwise, I was dealing with the migraines and some other issues, but the fibromyalgia didn't rear it's head until late in the year.

Now, 5 years later, we're living in New Mexico again, but going to Abilene tomorrow for the weekend. Russ and I both finished our M.Div. degrees. I spent 2 years as a hospital chaplain. I can no longer run because of my health. Fibromyalgia is so bad that I'm sidelined a lot of the time. Disability application is in my near future. God has taught me a lot though in these 5 years. Grace and peace are so important to me that the words are tattooed on my wrists. What does the future hold for me? I'm not totally sure, but I hope to be in a place eventually where I can still minister to others in some fashion.


Grab the 30 Day Blog Challenge button!


<center> <a href="http://javapurl.blogspot.com/2011/12/the-30-day-blog-challenge-your.html"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6600865717_48f9030233_m.jpg" width="200" height="176" alt="The30DayBlogChallenge"></a></center>

Looking forward to seeing your posts!

A Prayer for Today

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. Amen.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. Amen.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. Amen.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen.



Image from Revised Common Lectionary
Prayer from A Franciscan Blessing

Happy 12th Birthday Damaris!

From a beautiful baby girl...


...to a beautiful young lady!

Happy 12th Birthday Damaris Mikaelia Almon! I am so blessed and honored to be your Mamma! I pray that as you continue on this journey called life that you will surround yourself with things of beauty and honor, people who love and respect you, and walk with the grace and peace that our God gives us through our relationship with God and community. I love you so much!

Action, Reflection, New Action

My friends and colleagues who have been in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) will get a kick out of the title of this post. Action, reflection, new action was a huge part of the CPE method. We put it into play with Damaris' schooling these last few weeks. We had located an online public school that is free that we thought would work for us. After about three weeks, we knew it just wasn't working at all. There were rules that were just too stringent that we struggled with. And it was miserable around the house as Damaris tried to find work to fill the hours after completing the daily assignments but not the hour requirement.

So, Russ and I talked yesterday and decided that homeschooling was still the right thing to do, but we needed to make some changes. Ultimately, we want to purchase the curriculum we used previously before she went to public school. However, that curriculum is going to cost us about $400 plus whatever it costs for a Spanish course (haven't decided which one to get yet). We just don't have that right now.


So I went searching online and was able to put together a curriculum that costs us almost nothing but covers everything she needs to be learning. We'll be able to include fun outings and I've reached out to the homeschool group here in town to try to get connected with them. Damaris is really excited about the change.


Already today, we are feeling much less stress and it has not been a fight to get her to do school. She is taking advantage of the fact that her G-Pa is off work today and she is going with him to pick up her cousin Lola and have a fun outing with them. If we were still doing the original curriculum, she would not have been able to do this because of the time requirements.


As I sit here typing this, there is such a sense of peace and calm in the house. This is what the homeschooling I remember (we homeschooled originally through the middle of 4th grade) was like. Sure, there were times when things got stressed or frustrating because of the struggle to learn and/or teach a particular concept, but overall, it was like it is this morning. So, we put into place action, reflection, new action and this new action seems to be working for us. Thanks CPE! LOL!

Until next time,


Some images are from Homeschool Boutique

Kissing the Shoreline

Kissing the Shoreline

There'll be days like this, my momma said.
When you open your hands to catch
and wind up with only blisters and bruises;
When you step out of the phone booth and try to fly
and the very people you want to save are the ones standing on your cape;
When your boots will fill with rain, and you'll be up to your knees in disappointment.
And those are the very days you have all the more reason to say thank you.
Because there's nothing more beautiful than the way
the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline,
no matter how many times it's swept away.

Written by Sarah Kay

A Lenten Prayer

Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ indwelling in them.
Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of all life.
Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light.
Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger; feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.
Fast from worry; feast on trust.
Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.
Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.
Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer.
Fast from hostility; feast on nonviolence.
Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth.
Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.
Fast from facts that depress; feast on truths that uplift.
Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.
Fast from suspicion; feast on truth.
Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.
Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence.
Gentle God, during this season of fasting and feasting, gift us with your presence
so we can be a gift to others in carrying out your work.
Amen.

by William Arthur Ward

Damaris' 11th Birthday Sleepover

I posted a couple of these pics in my pictures of the day, but thought yall would like to see all of them. Damaris wanted a PEACE party for her 11th birthday.

Talent Show

At church over the last few weeks, the kids have been learning about their talents and gifts. Each parent was asked to share what they believe are their child's gifts. The kids decided to finish off this time of learning by having a talent show. Below are some pictures and a video of Damaris singing. The sweet young lady who has been teaching the kids this past month ended the talent show by giving each of the kids a frame with Saint Theresa's prayer inside (the kids then got to decorate the frames). Here is what the prayer says:
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that
has been given to you....
May you be content knowing you are a child of God....
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Peace...

This is how I feel right now. Such peace and calm. I can definitely feel God's presence. I think my New Year's "resolution" was a positive choice for me to make.

Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You. Psalm 25:4-5

Psalm 23

Well, this is my 200th post since moving over to Wordpress in March, 2008. I guess those 100 days of blogging really helped though. LOL! I normally don't post things like this, but got this in my email today and the words and pictures just really spoke to me.

Psalm 23:
The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship!


I shall not want = That's Supply!


He maketh me to lie down in green pastures = That's Rest!


He leadeth me beside the still waters = That's Refreshment!


He restoreth my soul = That's Healing!


He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = That's Guidance!


For His name sake = That's Purpose!


Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death = That's Testing!


I will fear no evil = That's Protection!


For Thou art with me = That's Faithfulness!


Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me = That's Discipline!


Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies = That's Hope!


Thou anoints my head with oil = That's Consecration!


My cup runneth over = That's Abundance!


Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life = That's Blessing!


And I will dwell in the house of the Lord = That's Security!


Forever = That's Eternity!