I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure. (Psalm 119:162 NLT)
My soul thirsts for words, like a person surrounded by miles of salt water.
Living on a boat requires you to pack light. We have cupboards, drawers and storage hatches where we can keep minimal stuff. It’s one thing I love about the boating life, you have to simplify and find multipurposes for things. Like a pot can boil water, steam vegetables, pop popcorn and carry the grilled meat back from the grill. But even with all this “forced” simplicity, I find ways to bring my art supplies, twice the amount of clothes as Les, and more books than I will ever read in two months.
I confessed to my husband today that I was a bookaholic. He replied, “I could have told you that!”
I maintain a very haphazard method for reading. I read two or three or five books at a time. I read fiction and non-fiction, Christian and secular, classics and currents. I also like to read snippets in newspapers, magazines and brochures. I use words in my collage work. I am an observer and explorer. I look for inspiration and meaning in almost everything I encounter.
I like to snap photos with my fancy camera, but find myself just as often using the phone camera.
I keep journals. Writing journals. Art journals. Journals made out of recycled stuff. Mini journals. Gratitude journals. And quote journals. My blog is a journal of sorts.
As the new year unfolds and opens up, I have been keeping track of our adventure here in Florida. I’ve been snapping photos of interesting things (to me and maybe you) of my surroundings. And I have been collecting words.
I’m pretty sure my word for the year is REVIVE! But then again other words have been elbowing their way into my mind. Like SEE, READ, and EXPLORE! And then my friend Lynni sent me this cool poem, and I thought maybe my word should be ADVENTURE! So this word lover is going to have to sit with her words and keep searching and seeking the WORD Giver for CLARITY.
Another word for journal or diary is DAYBOOK. In the 1800s, women kept these journals to capture inspiring thoughts, which could include Scripture, notes from a sermon, snippets from a poem, a recipe or even just daily activities. It really does seem like our blogs and Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram are types of diaries, too.
Since I have the leisure to read more as this year begins, I thought I’d share some treasures here.
Books I found at the local thrift store…
I bought the fiction, Beau Geste, because I noticed a play here into town by a similar title, Beau Jest. The book and play are not related, but apparently the book was made into a movie in the late 30s with Gary Cooper.
I found some interesting quotes from Drawing on the Artist Within. (see below)
Quotes from the above mentioned book:
“To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old questions from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advances . . .” (Albert Einstein)
Other quotes that caught my attention in my reading this week:
“The new year stands before us like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.” (Melodie Beattie)
“Even God cannot change the past.” (Agathon)
“The place was silent and aware.” (Unknown)
” I believe that true identity is found . . . in creative activity springing from within. It is found, paradoxically, when one loses herself. Woman can best refind herself by losing herself in some kind of creative activity of her own.” (Anne Morrow Lindbergh)
Bloggers who encouraged my quest for treasures this week:
water fountain for humans and dogsanother source for books, when I’m done reading one of my new books, I’ll trade it for one herebeginning of sunset at marinaanother shot of the low tide and the big step into boatgray, breezy morning run along Pinellas trailkayaks for rentSt. Joseph’s sound at low tide (Pinellas trail runs along the shore of this sound out to Honeymoon Island state park)
afternoon sun on fruit basket (sun came out late morning and it was a gorgeous summery day)the cover of an altered art journal using recycled note cards and Christmas cards…I painted over original image and outlined with india ink marker
Thanks Cecelia! It’s quite the adventure and amazing GIFT to have two whole months to soak in a different vista and wait upon the Lord in all that we do and are…
Kel, being the word-hoarder-and-sharer that I am, of course, I LOVE. THIS. POST. No question about it. Really stranged that you should call yourself a bookaholic, because I’m a real-live alcoholic, and realized one day, that I also have the same kind of addiction to books. I don’t drink anymore, but I don’t think I could not read. I’d need to explore that some………yes, you guessed it, in my journal! =] There is a fabulous quote I will need to share w/ you about words sometime, written by poet Emily (or Emilie, depending upon her mood) Dickinson! You’ll love it. And daybook is a wonderful concept that Victorian women invented, and it is a neat concept contemporarily when you want to include a little of this and that–a poetic potpourri of words in a journal. I don’t keep as many types of journals as you, but I have found of late that I am hippity-hopping from one book to another. What’s with that? I’m not sure, but I’m greedily devouring all kinds of books right now. But I do need to finish some. Others? I’m learning that one doesn’t have to feel compelled to finish a book that isn’t as good as you’d hoped it would be……..and shock of all shocks, I even threw several out, realizing they had surpassed their usefulness to me. I had too many personal notes and underlines to consider passing them on. Anyway, if you are this creative floating down water, what thoughtsreams will flood your mind upon your return?
Love
Lynni
PS I’m on the old computer, so I’ll go to the new one, where I will be able to see the photos.
Lynni- I appreciate your honesty about books…I go back and forth about what to do with my affinity for books…I hope that I honor God in my pursuit of books and sometimes I even ask Him to lead me to a book, which was what happened at the thrift store…I think we’re ok as long as we hold our books with an open hand and be able to walk away from them if God asks us to do so is a great strength…I like what you say about not finishing a book if it wasn’t what you expected…great idea!
I really agree w/ all you say here, Kel. And another thing to consider is giving away an unread book if you feel it will no longer meet your need. That’s really hard to do, b/c it seems like an expensive lesson. But I have to remember life-time it will cost me if I read something that is no longer useful. And as far as walking away from books at God’s directive…….I did that during last Lent, and it was very difficult, but very meaningful. Have you tried this? I read nothing but the Bibl.e And yes, God can also lead us to just the right book or right quote at just the right moment.
souldare 
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