A typical week?

Keeping my eyes heavenward is often a challenge,
but essential when feeling unsettled.

It's been an interesting week, not typical, but then I don't think we've had a "typical week" since we've been in Australia. 

It started with a painful ear infection, and interrupted sleep. I didn't do a lot on Monday or Tuesday, and felt guilty for seemingly being lazy. I wish I could shut down that part of my inner dialogue that accuses me of such things. My body and mind was simply not up to work, and I should have just been able to accept that rather than fight against internal judgement.

Wednesday, though, I got back into work and spent time with David planning upcoming speaking opportunities. It's amazing how much time can go into preparing 10 minutes of talking! The familiar iceberg illustration comes to mind!

I also finally got to writing the editorial for the upcoming Winter issue of Japan Harvest. Writing the editorial is really hard. I'm aware it's often the first thing many people read when they pick it up...no pressure! However, once I decided that it was okay to use a wrestling illustration (after checking that I hadn't actually done that before), it all flowed out.

I did some baking, continuing on my quest of baking
my way through a small Women's Weekly Chocolate cookbook
that I bought in 2013. These are Mini red velvet whoopie pies.

There's been a lot of email and instant messaging traffic this week on a wide range of topics, from our organising our upcoming trip to Perth to ingrown toenails (don't ask!).

It's been a rainy week. A delight after so much dryness.

Wednesday evening also saw our youngest son finally get back to the wrestling club he was a part of last time we were in Australia. His eyes are on preparing to join the CAJ team as soon as we get back in January (that's the main month of competition for the middle school team, but they start training there soon).

Then yesterday, between the two of us, our car barely saw the garage between 8am and 3pm, then went out one more time at 8.30. Our eldest son was here from 3 till 8.30, it was delightful, but a little unsettling to have him around. I struggle with knowing what to do with myself. One wants to make the most of the time, but how do you do that with a 19 year old boy without making him feel uncomfortable? Intense, prolonged conversation isn't the way to do it. 

We've been doing our best to feel our way through this new stage of having an adult son in the same city, but not living with us. We see him every week or so, but often just for a couple of hours. It's great that he's really settled in his life and doesn't need to rush home and hang out with us. It's just taking some adjusting to for us all. Last week we went to McCafe for a decadant afternoon tea. We sat around doing word puzzles in the newspaper that was lying around for customers. It was great fun. So much so, that we're going to try that same thing again next week.

Today I've been at the regular ladies Bible study at church this morning and working on various email, writing, and editing tasks this afternoon. Oh, and Japanese study. Yes, I'm spending at least an hour or more on that every day these days.

Tonight is our regular Scrabble date at a local restaurant while youth group is on. Tomorrow we may or may not be getting up early to take boy/s to a Park Run (starts at 7am). But then leaving after an early lunch to go up to Toowoomba for one more ministry meeting there on Sunday. We'll stay the night at my parents' house and come back home after lunch. So before we turn around it will be next week!

Those are many of the physical things that consumed my week. My thoughts and emotions have been roaming around in various other territories, including—friends, boundaries, secularism, judging, Christmas with family, and, of course, the sad news about new abortion laws in Queensland. In general I've continued to struggle with feeling unsettled and feeling unable to settle. I'm guessing that that feeling will persist well into next year when we'll, hopefully, be back in Japan.

How's your week been?