In London Today
Sunrise: 4:44am
Sunset: 9:17pm

Back in February my sister and her family from Spain came to visit for a few days. On the first night I explained the blinds - 'they don't close all of the way, I hope this does not throw off your sleeping patterns...'
'What no Black-out Shades, what sort of backwards country is this?' Naomi replied teasingly.
(in Spain, every home comes equipped with built in metal black-out shades that really do keep your home completely dark no matter what time of day it is)
But really it would be not problem - as in February the sun goes down at 4 and rises at 8:30ish.

This morning at about 5am the light was pouring through our less than adequate window shades and in the grouchy fogginess of my mind to those words Naomi said came back to me...What sort of backwards country is this?
...perhaps one that will make me the early morning riser I always wish I were (for 4 months out of the year at least)!
Either that or I need to realize that I am the backwards one for not biting the bullet and purchasing proper curtains.

preparing

On a walk with Nathaniel a few days ago
- we do that a lot lately, its free and now that the sun does not go down till after 9 we are often tempted for a late evening stroll -
we were discussing the many changes that will be coming up in the next few months.

After I listed several things that needed to be done in preparation - my heart beginning to feel overwhelmed - Nathaniel said, "and the most important preparation is the spiritual one..."

no pictures of our walks so just a picture of the two of us!

So very true. I think so often I get wrapped up in preparing for life and worrying about the things I can't prepare for that I forget how valuable spending time with God is.
Prepare my heart first, and then prepare for what lies ahead.