WE PROBABLY ALL experience the occasions when we browse our bookshelves for something we're not even sure what exactly, and so find ourselves drawn to a particular title or book cover or even colour. And, when we browse through it, we're drawn in to read further. For we have found exactly what we need at that moment.
To my way of thinking, it's a little gift from heaven (and I oft wonder how HE does it... and I marvel that He should have that much caring interest to arrange for me to find exactly what I need to hear or re-hear on a given day. Some may say it's just serendipitous, but I take it as that benign intervention from a loving Father...but that's a pondering for another day).
Not only do I scour my bookshelves, but I tend to poke through old postings and certainly my book journals, which, to my great wonder, often brings to light something that speaks fresh and new all over again.
In my browsing through my archives this morning, I found such a posting. And so I offer it below as my own little gift which I hope will have made the 'trip' to my blog worth it for you.
Wishing you a peace-filled and rest-full day for you.
Hugs,
Brenda
Journal Jottings
first posted in 2010
I'VE CHUCKLED MORE than once at one
of Oscar Wilde's quips about traveling on long train trips. Apparently
he once said he always took his journals along so that he'd have
something sensational to read.
Well,
I haven't been on any train trips lately, and I don't know how
'sensational' my jottings would be, yet it's still fun to randomly pull
one of my old journals from the cupboard. Not only does it house the
record of The Life And Times of Brenda Leyland, but along side my
own mutterings and musings, I often jot down quotes and interesting
ideas from many of my favorite magazines, books, and movies. Whether
they provide inspiration, encouragement, laughter or creative
imaginings, these sayings tend to settle in and become an integral part
of my soul's fabric.
This
morning, a pretty creamsicle-hued journal from 2007 beckoned me.
Accepting the invitation, I open it to see what voices might re-whisper
words I 'need' to hear today, and this is what caught my attention:
On Keeping A Diary.
"...keeping a diary...is a gesture of faith in the importance of your
own voice, your own opinion. This is worth considering, worth
recording, worth cherishing."
(from Perri Klass, September '94 Victoria Magazine)
On Solitude.
"Solitude is a beautiful word. It sounds like sunlight through trees,
or a walk on the beach, or a soprano voice that soars... I'd run out of
sleep before the night lost its darkness.... This is the sort of time
that begs for a marathon baking project, a cake with lots of layers
demanding the kind of persnickety perseverance that pays off in sugar
roses and "ooohs" from the children.....We gather beauty for gray
days..."
(from Catherine Calvert, A Day of Solitude, September '97 Victoria Magazine)
The Test for a Well-Decorated Room. According to
Charlotte Moss, the test for a well-decorated room is simple:
Does it invite you to settle in with a book and a cup of tea, even if no one is home?
So, how does she choose colors for a room? Charlotte assesses how they
would look on a rainy day when she's curled up with a book.
And, what makes a comfy sofa? A solid back but never a solid seat -- you need to be able to sink into a pillow to read.
On Planning Ahead.
"To the ancient Hebrews, each new day began in the evening. Each
evening was devoted to rest, to family, to fellowship -- as well as to
study and meditation in God's Word. Try devoting some of your time in
the evening to quiet reflection and some inner planning. In other
words, prepare yourself in the evening for the coming day." (from Emilie Barnes, Keep It Simple, p. 228
Photo source: Microsoft Images
