It's Sunday morning again, and as per usual, I didn't get enough sleep last night. But here's the thing - it's only partially the fault of my whacked out brain this time. Seems our neighbors decided to have a campfire, complete with beer, talking loudly, and lots of swearing. Seems they felt 11pm would be a good time to commence having such an activity, only 4 feet or so from my bedroom window. Seems they felt it would be good to carry on with said activity until at least 2 am. So I didn't get quite enough sleep.
It's a new day. I like new days. To paraphrase Anne of Green Gables they "don't have any mistakes in them yet."
It's a new week. I like weeks like this upcoming one, which is going to be a short work week for me.
It's a new month. June will be a busy month. Trying to find a place to live. Getting ready to move. Seeing various friends.
I'm starting a new journal today. I like the possibilities of new journals. I've never filled a journal of the size I generally buy as quickly as I filled the one I finished off last night. Just under 3 months. Usually I use the same journal for 1-3 years. I've developed a habit of writing something, anything, in there at least once a day. I need to come up with a quote to begin my new journal. I always start them with a quote that has struck me and kept coming back over a season, to kind of set the tone for the next season. I think I know what quote I'm going to use, but I'll have to let you know on that!
Okay... time to get moving... style the hair I just washed, find clothing, look over my sunday school lessons one more time, maybe even find some breakfast.
Happy "New" things day!
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Quiet Day into the Weekend
It has thankfully been a quiet day. Spent prayerfully while I work at tasks that have not exactly required the full engagement of my brain. Stapling. Sorting. Folding. Photocopying. Opening and distributing mail.
Not as enjoyably quiet as yesterday, when the bane of my professional existence was home sick with food poisoning, but quiet nonetheless.
These days quiet makes me simultaneously happy and nervous. Happy because no disaster has befallen that particular day. Nervous because “disasters” seem to be coming with great regularity lately and I find myself “waiting for the other shoe to fall.” (That last bit, by the way, is a lovely example of the weirdly awkward and non-sensical nature of English idioms.)
There is an hour and a half left in my work day.
And I’ll be really glad for the weekend to come.
It’s been a full week. Good, but full, and I’m ready to rest. One more social event tonight (a dinner at my aunt’s house, to welcome three different missionaries from West Africa – there will only be two of us in attendance who haven’t been to Africa – the “Africa virgins” of the bunch, just waiting to be converted to “sanity in our future travels.”). After this evening I have a couple of days designated mostly for laughter and rest.
We have houseguests again, but they will be making a day trip tomorrow, and my house will be blessedly empty for the day. I have plans to occupy my couch for much of the day. Reading, watching a movie or two, writing, sleeping, preparing a Sunday school lesson. Maybe cooking. A day to myself sounds like a blessing that should be taken full advantage of, don’t you think?
Not as enjoyably quiet as yesterday, when the bane of my professional existence was home sick with food poisoning, but quiet nonetheless.
These days quiet makes me simultaneously happy and nervous. Happy because no disaster has befallen that particular day. Nervous because “disasters” seem to be coming with great regularity lately and I find myself “waiting for the other shoe to fall.” (That last bit, by the way, is a lovely example of the weirdly awkward and non-sensical nature of English idioms.)
There is an hour and a half left in my work day.
And I’ll be really glad for the weekend to come.
It’s been a full week. Good, but full, and I’m ready to rest. One more social event tonight (a dinner at my aunt’s house, to welcome three different missionaries from West Africa – there will only be two of us in attendance who haven’t been to Africa – the “Africa virgins” of the bunch, just waiting to be converted to “sanity in our future travels.”). After this evening I have a couple of days designated mostly for laughter and rest.
We have houseguests again, but they will be making a day trip tomorrow, and my house will be blessedly empty for the day. I have plans to occupy my couch for much of the day. Reading, watching a movie or two, writing, sleeping, preparing a Sunday school lesson. Maybe cooking. A day to myself sounds like a blessing that should be taken full advantage of, don’t you think?
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Decision Making
I am not good at making decisions on the spur of the moment. I do not generally enjoy spontaneity. I need time to think and evaluate things.
I say all that because I've made a couple of spur of the moment decisions this morning, and they're bothering me. One seems to have worked out well for the moment. Hopefully the same will happen with the other...
I say all that because I've made a couple of spur of the moment decisions this morning, and they're bothering me. One seems to have worked out well for the moment. Hopefully the same will happen with the other...
Pure of Heart - Henri Nouwen
Another reflection from Henri Nouwen...
Jesus Is Pure of Heart
Jesus, the Beloved of God, has a pure heart. Having a pure heart means willing one thing. Jesus wanted only to do the will of his heavenly Father. Whatever Jesus did or said, he did and said it as the obedient Son of God: "What I say is what the Father has taught me; he who sent me is with me, and has not left me to myself, for I always do what pleases him" (John 8:28-29). There are no divisions in Jesus' heart, no double motives or secret intentions. In Jesus there is complete inner unity because of his complete unity with God.
Becoming like Jesus is growing into purity of heart. That purity is what gave Jesus and will give us true spiritual vision.
Jesus Is Pure of Heart
Jesus, the Beloved of God, has a pure heart. Having a pure heart means willing one thing. Jesus wanted only to do the will of his heavenly Father. Whatever Jesus did or said, he did and said it as the obedient Son of God: "What I say is what the Father has taught me; he who sent me is with me, and has not left me to myself, for I always do what pleases him" (John 8:28-29). There are no divisions in Jesus' heart, no double motives or secret intentions. In Jesus there is complete inner unity because of his complete unity with God.
Becoming like Jesus is growing into purity of heart. That purity is what gave Jesus and will give us true spiritual vision.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
