A life update

Hello! I'm right in the middle of acclimating to my new job, and tonight starts another three shifts in a row.  I actually like when the shifts are grouped together, but I'm still working out how to do life in-between. I just wanted to check in and share a few things that are really encouraging to me right now.

In my work:

Having nothing of our own to trust to, but resting upon the merits of Jesus—his passion and holy life furnish us with the only sure ground of confidence. C.H. Spurgeon

I'm adjusting to nights somewhat better—progress is good! And Nicholas and I are figuring out how to prioritize our time together between my shifts and his work schedule. It's going to be a dance, but we're already beginning to figure it out.

In my leisure:

I finished knitting the Striped Dustland Hat I started months ago. I did finish it months ago, but it was just too slouchy, so I reworked the crown, and added a big grey pom pom, like my friend Sara suggested. I'm very happy with it now! You can find the nitty-gritty details on my Ravelry.

In my wardrobe:

The temperatures are still quite warm during the day here (lower 80's on most days) but I've had a few chances to sneak in some flannel-wearing. Also, I've been getting a lot of wear out of some new, bright red lipstick that was a birthday gift from my sweet friend, Lauren (and her mom, Julie).

In my kitchen:

A freshly organized pantry! My goodness, it's so nice. Everything in it's own place.

And also, breakfast foods! No matter how I plan meals, we seem to be eating a lot of our favorite types of breakfast food. For us, it's mostly scrambled/fried eggs, baked peanut butter oatmeal, french toast, frittatas, and tonight we're having waffles. I blame the slight breakfast obsession on my unusual schedule...every time I wake up, morning or evening, I've been craving breakfast. Also? Kombucha. A local company makes some of the best kombucha we've had, so we bought a refillable container that we can refill at the Saturday morning farmer's market.

In my mailbox:

The sweetest gifts and letters from several sweet friends of mine. Thank you! I appreciate the time and love you all put into each and every piece of fun mail I receive. It makes Texas seem not quite so far away. And, I really love sending letters out to various states. The beautiful pieces below were made by my dear friend Sara.

In our home:

I'm enjoying quiet mornings at home more than ever.

At our church:

We had the second monthly Women's Gathering at church this past Sunday, and again, it was so refreshing. We talked about serving and spiritual gifts, and I felt reaffirmed in my work as a nurse, and my role in the community here in Austin. I especially loved this John Piper quote the speaker shared:

Future grace is “varied grace.” It comes in many colors and shapes and sizes. This is one of the reasons spiritual gifts in the body are so diverse. The prism of your life will refract one of the colors of grace that would never come through my prism.

**If you haven't already, my dear friend Abby posted her article for this weeks Articles Club discussion on God's Heart For the City (something I desperately needed to read). Hope on over to Abigail's blog and join in the conversation. We're excited for this series!

Have a lovely rest of the week, everyone!