7 Quick Takes for Friday

--- 1 ---

My dear friends that have loaned us their car for the last month are needing it back since he's lost his job through the effects of the recession. I'm so thankful for their willingness to let me drive it - I have been able to do SO MUCH this month, and it's made life so much easier.

Isaac and I are talking through our options about cars and housing and finances. It looks like with our rent being raised this summer when our lease is up, it will be financially wise to move on to the seminary campus. Although we love our little apartment, I think this move is ok with me because the seminary housing is fine and that way Isaac might be able to get either a scooter or a bike to take to work (and keep it in private lot), and then I'd be able to use the car. It will be further away from church, but closer to the areas of town that are more artsy and like Chicago (I hate the endless suburbia feel of Dallas!). We hate moving, but we'll see how it goes. It all depends on whether they have room for us.

--- 2 ---

I have changed my morning eating habits, and I totally feel the positive effects. I used to eat a bowl of cereal and sometimes have a cup of coffee or tea. I was always starving by 10am, and just shaky if I'd had caffeine. Now I've taken to making oatmeal from steel-cut oats, and I LOVE IT because it's whole grain cereal and steel-cut oats are almost crunchy. I drink coffee every morning now, but only decaf. With this morning meal I am usually not hungry until lunch time, but if I am I have a handful of a fruit and nut mix and feel satisfied. All in all my work day is much more productive this way!

--- 3 ---

My family is in Germany right now at a conference, and I am extremely, extremely jealous. I have always wanted to go to Germany. I know most people would rather hit up Italy and Switzerland (and I want to go there too), but I have always wanted to see the Black Forest area of Germany. My sisters say they are loving it.









--- 4 ---

Spring has sprung in Dallas, which I may write more about later, but walks among the new flowers and accompanied by some amazing birdcalls from the male birds that have spring fever.... ahhh, it's just spirit-calming. I took these last spring in Dallas.





--- 5 ---

Today - just 30 minutes ago - I finished reading through the Old Testament. I got stuck in the Prophets so I'm really not sure how long I've been doing it. Reading Haggai, Zachariah, and Malachi over the last month has really been amazing though. I feel like I've never read them before, but I know I have.

--- 6 ---

I think we moved up a tax braket this year, despite barely increasing our income at all. Somehow that extra $500 pushed us over a certain limit, and our tax return dropped a couple thousand. Hmmm. That's disappointing, because we were hoping to put it all into a savings account to have for an emergency (at the moment we don't have anything for an emergency). Well... I guess a few hundred is better then nothing, right?

--- 7 ---

Isaac has been on spring break this week, but he has been SO diligent, it's amazing. Every morning he gets up and heads to the library and works all day on his papers. By the end of today he will probably have completed three exegetical papers this week - intense, in depth papers. I've been so proud of him, and it's been great to have him come home and night and not have homework to do. I think he's relaxed even though he's been working so hard.