Five Minute Friday: "Design"

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Intelligent Design

Design on a Dime (I miss that show)

Divine Design (I miss that show too)

Deserving Design (Ditto)

I used to love to watch design shows (as mentioned above) back when HGTV was worth watching... well and PBS too.  I would see these awesome artists take some of the most butt-ugly houses or yards and make absolute masterpieces out of them--some on a huge budget, some on a shoestring.

I'm in the process of decorating my apartment (have been since I moved here more than 3 years ago).  The space and rules of apartment living put a few limits on what I can do. My monetary budget is small, but my creative budget is abundant.  I don't have fancy designers to get advice from, but I do have Pinterest, YouTube, and Southern Living magazine.  My studies are almost over, so soon I'll have my evenings and weekends back to dive into creativity with both feet and finish this thing.

But what of my most important design project?  How do I design my life around God's plan for me?  His budget is endless and His loving creativity knows no bounds, but what about my own limits?  I saw an article from Forbes that gave five steps to designing the life you love.  I believe the Word has its own spin on these steps:

1. Design in small doses.  In Matthew 25:14-30, three stewards were given small sums of money to invest for their employer.  Those who did well were given more to tend to.  I believe that as we trust God by following His design for our lives, we are given even more to work with.
   
   
2. Emulate your heroes.  In I Corinthians 11:1, the apostle Paul instructed the church to follow him as he followed Christ.  This holds true in any area of life.  If you hero in the faith is building a life that follows Christ's example, take cues and learn from from him or her.  If not, move on.
   
   
3. Rescript self limiting beliefs.  "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]" (Romans 12:2 AMP).
   
   
4. Blend need-want tensions. "Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Psalm 37:4 KJV).
   
   
5. Let design values underpin your dreams. This step is really a blending of the other four. If you value what God values, His dream and your dream will match.  If not, it's up to you to allow Him to change your dream.  Trust me, His is better.

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Good and Bad Bingeing: The Weekly Hodgepodge

Join the fun! 

Come on over to 

From This Side of the Pond 

for the Hodgepodge link-up!

Have you done more binge watching this past year than in 'normal' years? Any plans to break that habit in 2021? Tell us one or two shows you binged last year that you really liked. 

Yes and no.  I only have Amazon Prime and do plan a Star Trek (the original series) binge in the future.  I've been too busy to do a whole lot of binge watching.  However, during my down time (whenever that is), I've been catching up on some of the YouTube programs I enjoy.  I've been watching a lot of Smosh comedy videos along with This Southern Girl Can and Moriah Elizabeth's crafting videos.

January 26th is Australia Day. Have you ever visited or lived in Australia? Have you ever tasted Vegemite, and if so what did you think?  Is a trip down under on your bucket list? We answered a question about travel three months ago (the October 21st Hodgepodge), but let's revisit now...where are you when it comes to planning or even imagining travel this year? 

No, I've never been to Australia or tried Vegemite.  However, I would like to visit there, along with
other places across the pond.  As far as travel this year goes, if at all possible and things are close to a better normal, I want to go home for fun and see everyone who I didn't get to spend any time with when I went home for Mom's funeral. If we're at the point that JSU can have the Marching Southerners reunion in November and budget allows, I'm in! 

Heck, I'm ready for the better normal to happen so I can see all my friends at church or go across town to see friends face to face, hug, talk, and have fun without masks and fear.

Something that zaps your energy? Something that energizes you? 

Sadness and depression zap my energy, along with drama and any type of meetings that drone on and on unnecessarily.  Creativity, laughter, and caffeine energize me.

On a scale of 1-10 what are your eating habits like these days? (1=all junk food all the time and 10= juicing every green thing in the frig) Healthiest meal you've eaten in the last week or so? 

I'd say 7.5.  Since the holidays I've been eating more healthily than in previous months.  I'm still working to get back on track with consistency, so I still eat more crap meals than my body needs.  The healthiest meal I've eaten in the past week was the variation of my hot mess omelet I had this morning.

What's your most often 'Back in my day....' thing to say?

Back in my day we had musicians who could play and singers who could actually sing.  Yes, we had the Milli Vanilli thing, but we didn't have auto tune or music--as comedian Greg Proops says--that sounds like it was written by an appliance.

Insert your own random thought here.

In case you're interested:

* My completed 2020 It's the Hardback Life Reading Challenge is here.

* My new 2021 Flip and Sip Reading Challenge is here.
* My latest Simple Woman's Daybook post is here.

* My latest Auntie's Workshop post is here.

A Better Normal: The Simple Woman's Daybook

  If you would like to join in and post your own Daybook, please head on over to visit Peggy at The Simple Woman's Daybook

 

For Today: Monday, January 11, 2021

Looking Out My Window ... 

 

 

During Christmas break, I did manage to get outside for a walk at Union Square Park with my friend Joan. This walk reminded me that I need to plan more time outside.  If it's sunny and the temps are above 40 degrees, being outside in a hoodie and gloves is quite comfortable.  Try that in Alabama and the cold moist air will cut through you like a knife. 

 

I am Thinking...

• About spring.  Yes, I know it's only January and spring is a short season here in Colorado, but the days are starting to get longer and Lent starts February 16th.  Spring, summer, and fall are fun to plan for and dream about.  I do not plan to while away my winter in idle daydreaming.  This season will prove to be fun and productive as well.
  

I am Thankful for...

• For the wisdom of keeping a backup pair of glasses.  I learned my lesson from three years ago when I had to walk around for days with a duct taped pair of broken spectacles because it was a holiday, every place that could fix them was closed, and I didn't have a spare.  My current pair broke and the recommended repair shop is way in Englewood (about 25 minutes away).  I was planning to take them in on Saturday, but we had snow (#ImStillSouthern).  Though my spares are a slightly different prescription, they will suffice until these are repaired.
• For dine-in restaurants being open in Colorado (and other states) again.  This is not for my benefit; I have a friend at church who owns several dining establishments and was distraught over having to lay off his workers.  They are only open at 25% capacity, but it's a start.
  

From the Workshop...  

As I said in my latest Auntie's Workshop blog, I decided to leave up my Christmas garland and redecorate it for the appropriate season/holiday.  Here's what I put up for Valentine's Day:

With the holidays over, I will now put myself back on craft supply restriction and complete round two of the Get 'er Done Art Challenge until March.

From Auntie's Test Kitchen... Tried my hand at making a dump cake this weekend.  I'm not sure how I feel about it.  I wasn't thrilled with the one piece I ate, but that could have just been me.  I put it in the freezer and I'll try tasting it again this weekend a let you know what I think.

I am Reading...  

 

On Prayer and the Contemplative Life by Thomas Aquinas

Introducing Theological Method by Mary M. Veerman

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Completed volumes since my last Daybook:

 

1.    A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

2.    Shepherd's Abiding by Jan Karon

3.    The Quiet Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott

4.    God With Us by Charles Spurgeon

5.    The Lord's Table by Andrew Murray.  This one was a glorious reread. Please see my review here.

Favorite Quote(s) of the Week ... 

Now For Something Totally Different ...

Five Minute Friday word of the week:  Cancel.