A New Perspective in a New Year

During this New Year season, I've really been ready for some positive changes in how I view myself, my life and the people I love in it. The Holy Spirit has been revealing new truths in my life and I'm so excited about embarking on this new journey! Praise God!

He's using some attributes from my personality type to show me where my strongest points can, in fact, be my weakest. Here's a link to one website's version of my personality type:

http://www.41q.com/type.41q?p24681312      

The results stated, "Dreamy Idealist", and it hit the nail on the head for me!
     "Quiet, reflective and idealistic. Interested in serving humanity. Well-developed value system, which they strive to live in accordance with. Extremely loyal. Adaptable and laid-back unless a strongly-held value is threatened. Usually talented writers. Mentally quick and able to see possibilities. Interested in understanding and helping people."

The Lord's been showing me that I over commit myself, hoping to please everyone. I don't want to disapoint them or my confidence in myself. He's teaching me to view simplicity in my life as a great and wonderful thing, and it's also a way to give glory to my Maker!

My queen-sized walnut four-poster bed.

One of the many blessings the Lord has recently given me was the urgent desire to put my grief-giving and dysfunctional bedroom in order. With the new and motivating addition of the queen-sized walnut four-poster bed my dad, grandpa and I made, much progress has been made in organizing, down-sizing, rearranging, reclaiming the condemned lost and in coming up with some brilliant organizational ideas to put good use to the things which I already possess. I quite like the way things are turning out, but there is yet still much to be done!

Shelf with Christmas-present walnut clock from Grandpa.

Amidst all of this discovery about myself and 'getting a fresh and revitalizing start' in my room, the weather turned nice last week, up to 50(F) some degrees(!), and melted all the snow away. With the pleasant temperatures, occasional sunshine and the finding of some old canning, preserving and 'putting by' books, I got the unrestrained 'garden fever'! :-D

Curly Parsley, Oregano, Sweet Basil and Thyme seeds.

To console and content this sudden urge, longing and desire, I promptly set out to rummage through our stash for potting soil, a plant flat, some herb seeds from last year, and plastic wrap. I decided upon the following herbs to try and bring to life: sweet basil, oregano, thyme and curly-leafed parsley. The next issue was that of a proper light source. After some research, I found that I could either buy a plant grow light, or buy warm and cool 40 watt fluorescent bulbs. I decided the fluorescent bulbs to be my best bet, since we live in a small town. After looking through a local hardware store flyer, a few phone calls and two trips to the stores, I procured a 48" fluorescent light fixture, a 2-pack each of warm and cool 40 watt bulbs and an outlet timer.  The whole shebang cost me around $30. Funny story- while I was at our humble Walmart buying the last bulbs needed, I came across a 24" under-counter mount grow light. I had to laugh! I'm not upset, I am quite glad at what I've got! I just think it so funny! Gotta love it! Never underestimate, even your local Walmart! :-)

Baby thyme, sweet basil, oregano and parsley under warm and cool fluorescent lights.

Thee afore mentioned herbs were planted the evening of the first day of this new year, 2011. The sweet basil and the thyme have since proved themselves and have germinated, making me the happiest of mothers over my little babies. :-) Their 'growing up so fast' hastened the need for the growing lights, thus leading me to the journey Mom and I undertook this very morning, procuring the said lights. (See above)