November 21

 In the words of my granddaughter upon entering the car this afternoon. This has been the most AWESOME day! The luckiest day EVER! I smiled at her joy, because this actually HAS been the most fantastic day EVER! Even though I woke up a whole hour later than usual, and two hours later than my goal. The sun was shining after two days of rain, the world has been refreshed, and so has my soul. I went right into the office, and opened up my Bible to Psalm 127. Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. I reflected that a house can be a marriage, and that unless the Lord is the head of the marriage it is all in vain. I guess this was on my mind because of the issues the Mr. and I had had a couple of days ago. While I was reading the Psalm, the words I wrote last night about wood, hay, and stubble burning in the fire was running through my head. All of a sudden Keith Green was in the room, as the two scriptures from two very different parts of the Bible connected in that old Keith Green song. Unless the Lord Builds the house, they labor in vain who try at all...building anything not according to his call...for wood hay and stubble will all burn up in the fire...but to love the Lord with all your heart should be your one...deeeesire...(love the Lord...)

But I digress. The sun was bright in the room and when I was through reading I didn't get up and go sit in my chair and fall asleep, as I usually do until about noon. I went right into making my little Dickens Christmas village. I used yesterday's mistake on the village church, to make a template for the new village church. I put Einaudi on for some background music while I worked, and whiled away the afternoon. About midway through the afternoon I head the Mr. telling me there was  a package at the front door. I huffed a little about going to get it, but when I got down there I shut right up, because the Mr. had bought me a necklace, a really beautiful pendant with a reddish orange fiery looking stone. He just wanted to surprise me. I took back all my huffs and puffs about having to get the door. I was actually very surprised! He helped me put it on and then went into a meeting with his boss while I went back to work on my little village church, smiling now, delighted that he was thinking of me. After a few hours I had to put it on the back burner and go get the girls from school, always a delight, and especially so this afternoon, the last day of school before Thanksgiving break. They were bubbling over, full of laughter and relating the day they had had. Claire was wearing a paper crown on her head, and Arya had come in 3rd place in a trivia game. Those girls have no idea what a treat they are for me. I read something yesterday that now comes to mind. Another beautiful Psalm. Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord. Who walks in his ways and lives according to his commandments. For you shall eat the fruit of your hands. You will be happy and blessed and it will be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within the innermost part of your house; your children will be like olive plants around your table. (I looked up the Hebrew for olive plant and basically it means blossoms. Blossoms around your table). Behold, for so shall the man be blessed and divinely favored who fears the Lord. 

May the Lord bless you from Zion and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life; Indeed may you see your family perpetuated in your children's children. 

Peace be upon Israel. 

So I came home and worked a while longer and I must say I am very pleased with the result. It isn't finished, because the marker that I need to do all the shading with did not make it today, Amazon sends their apologies. Also, the Mr. says the stained glass looks like a petri dish, and he is getting Taco Bell vibes. I laughed. He is not wrong. So tomorrow I will do something different with the stained glass window. The last thing I want for my Victorian village is for the stained glass of the old village church to look like a petri dish. Or a pie with sprinkles. 

The office is a complete shambles, with glue, tissue paper, markers, books, and cardboard everywhere, but I have never been happier.