Dangly Things

Blogging has long been the reward I give myself once everything else has been completed!

And since May 29th, nothing has been completely completed!  Everything has had some element of a "dangly" (as our assistant has labeled them)  dangly things that yet need to be.........completed!

That has been the problem with Embrace the Grace.  But this morning I realized that this blog is about more than just me being excited to write something that will hopefully encourage or maybe even inspire someone.

This blog is also about giving friends, family, acquaintances and even a few strangers an opportunity to be distracted, for just a moment, from their own list of "dangly things."  So in an effort to at least distract - I'm posting today.

Travel and company have been a huge part of the past thirty days for Household Hawley.

•  Frank and I went to Orlando for a three day conference.  
• My dad came down to preach for our church on Pentecost Sunday.  
• We traveled to north FL for Dad's family reunion.  
• The very next weekend, I flew to NC for my nephew's graduation.  
• He flew back with me to spend a week.  
• Last Monday, Frank's brother and his sweet family arrived from NC for a few days.  
• And in just a couple of hours, Joy and I will leave for a speaking engagement in Jacksonville.  

(Now you see why there have been an unending number of "danglies" following me around!)

Instead of the hour I normally use to craft a blog post, I allowed myself fifteen minutes to write a short HELLO this morning.  And don't you know that because I've waited so long to write, my blog server demanded a new pass word setting.  (Also, I couldn't remember what we'd last changed it to!  Huge Sigh!)

Seven of my precious minutes went to technical difficulties.  But I was determined to say something to you today!

Next week begins VBS at our church and we can hardly wait to love on the scores of neighborhood children who pour through our doors.  Many more danglies will accompany them.

But I've determined that this summer I want to retrain my brain.  I'm moving blog writing from a task of  reward to a task of responsibility.

And working on a responsibility that also renders rewards takes the difficulty out of a deterred dangly every time!

 (Try saying that three times really fast!)

Thank you for reading!  It is an honor that I value!  And my heart is to offer encouragement and inspiration more often than just distraction.

Hope your day is full of doing away with every dangly that would dare to distract or discourage!

Blessings!