I Liked This

Claudia Mair Burney, who is one of my favorite novelists, and one of my favorite bloggers, put up a post today about the first Sunday of Advent (which is today if you don't keep track of these things). I loved the post, and thought I'd send you all to read it too.

Its Welfare Will Determine Your Welfare...

I've been slowly working my way through the book of Jeremiah for several weeks now, taking my time, reading a little each day, and letting myself be captured by bits and pieces of the words spoken within it.

Today I was lying in a bath, reading, and found myself captured by the following verse:

"And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for its welfare will determine your welfare." (Jeremiah 29:7, NLT)

I find myself particularly caught by that last line, "Pray to the Lord for its welfare will determine your welfare."

I was born and raised in the city in which I presently live, so I can by no means claim that I am living in exile. However, at times through the last year especially, it has very much felt like a sort of exile. Isolation. Loneliness. Distance from friends. A less than stellar work situation. Tension with my family, with some friends, and occasionally with my roommates.

I can't say I've spent a lot of time pausing, thanking the Lord for this space in life. For this city. For all of the myriad of things that have made me cranky and discontent at times. I definitely haven't paused to pray for this space I'm occupying, this "city".

And yet, today, as I was reading, I was caught deeply by the idea that the welfare of this place I occupy has a great deal of impact on my own welfare. Not just the literal city, province and country in which I live, but the many things that make up the space in which I live. The house, the relationships, the family and friends and roommates and work mates. The job, and all that goes with it. I am convicted today of a need to perhaps pray differently. To pray for the welfare of all these things, because, in varying measures, my own welfare is determined by them. I suppose that I understood that in some ways, but today, thanks to Jeremiah, I am understanding it more deeply, and it is causing my heart to pause, and pray.

Sunday Smile List

I need to pause for a moment and make a smile list. I've been fighting off a shift in mood - from relatively peaceful to whatever the opposite of that is since yesterday morning, and I need to pause, just for a minute and remember the things that I'm thankful for today. The things that are making me smile.

• Bolthouse Farms Mango Lemonande
• watching the baby gorilla play at the zoo this morning
• Warm Amber Body Butter from the Body Shop (scented with ginger and myrrh)
• Warm Amber Home Fragrance Oil from the Body Shop (again, scented with ginger and myrrh)
  
• Hot pancakes for lunch, slathered in butter and maple syrup
• The West Wing on dvd
• a dream that was at the same time deeply disturbing and strangely comforting yesterday morning
• an ongoing conversation
• the way my nose ring sparkles in the light and reminds me that I can celebrate the healing of Jesus in my life
• my friend Karla Adolphe's latest CD "Chair and Microphone"
• tea lights
• a day spent mostly with my roommates yesterday, without the tension that has often been present lately.
• a favorite t-shirt that reads "Little Acorns Become Mighty Oaks"
• a ring on my left hand with a blue-lace agate stone, that reminds me of some promises made, and the search for just the right ring to be purchased in the future.
• a relatively sunny, mild Sunday.
• enjoying being curled up alone in my living room, with the house quiet and peaceful.

And with that, I'm going to spend some time reading and writing. Probably most of the afternoon. And I'm hopefully going to enjoy it.

Headlines...

A few headlines catching my attention today...

Crash Shatters Alberta Family. I'm pretty sure I'll arrive at my office on Monday and discover that they are quite connected to our company.

Riots Kill Hundreds in Nigeria

Blasts Hit Thai Government House

Court Orders Iranian Man Blinded

Saturday Morning - Curled Up Thoughts

I'm curled up in bed still, wrapped in my robe, and buried under blankets.

I'm oddly reflective, after waking from a beautiful, disturbing, profoundly moving dream.

I went to my brother's Christmas concert last night, and actually enjoyed the music (after years of working in retail, I have a hard time enjoying Christmas music.)

I ran into a dear friend there, and we made tentative plans to get together again soon. It was wonderful to see her face and get a hug from her.

Her husband asked me where I was going to church these days. I told him that his wife and I had just been talking about that, and that I, like them, was somewhat in transition church-wise. He asked me if I wanted to come to their Spanish church. I said yes. He asked if I speak Spanish. I said no. His response made me laugh. "That's okay, it'll just all sound like crazy tongues to you then."

I wore a string of pearls to the concert. A gift from a dear friend, and heavy with reminders of her love. I felt so loved with them around my neck.

I'm laying here in bed, wrapped in my robe, and buried under blankets.

I'm surveying the shelves and shelves of books around my bedroom.

My books are like old friends. They bring comfort. I don't have many plans for today, so I think I'll spend the day with my old friends. Curled up (probably in a chair instead of bed) and reading and writing and thinking and praying.

I may put up my Christmas tree.

My roommates and I are thinking about cooking a nice dinner tonight. The plan was to make roast chicken. Except roasting chickens are expensive apparently. We can buy 2.5 pre-cooked rotisserie chickens for the same price as one uncooked roasting chicken. But we might buy the roasting chicken anyway. It'd be nice to cook it ourselves, with all the trimmings.

Which means I need to make a trip to a grocery store.

And I think I'll visit the library and borrow some cookbooks too. I could use some new inspiration for cooking. And the idea of curling up with pages and pages of scrumptious recipes for a while this afternoon appeals to me.

Happy Saturday!