Newness

I am a big fan of newness these days.

Fresh starts.

New life.

I know I've mentioned it here before, but one of my favorite quotes is a classic line from Anne of Green Gables that goes something to the effect of , "Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet." That is a really hopeful sentiment to me these days.

I'm waiting eagerly for spring and all of the newness it represents as well. Yesterday was the first day in a week or so where no snow fell. (I'm not counting those few little flakes that were mixed with rain as my roommate and I headed into the grocery store.)

It's a new month today. I like new months. Blank calendars and the space for fresh things.

I've been thinking a lot about the question Jesus posed to the man at pool of Bethesda, "Do you want to be well?" There's a lot having to do with newness in that question too. In fact, that question probably deserves it's own post at some future date.

But for today, I'm just going to celebrate newness.

And the fact that it's Friday.

Friday's are also good, for a number of reasons, including evenings of having the house to myself, spent in generally luxurious pasttimes such as facial masks, long baths, and episodes of Grey's Anatomy. Friday's are also good because they're "jeans day" at work. I like jeans day.

And on this Friday, I'm wearing a favorite top and earrings, purchased from the Tibetan store downtown, with my jeans. And flip-flops, even though it's theoretically too cold. Because I felt like wearing flip-flops, and because my toenails match my Tibetan top and earrings!

Celebrating newness.

Choosing life and joy today wherever I can.

Short Form

I'm all about newness this morning - thoughts on that are still coming here sometime today.

But for the moment, this quote appeared yesterday on the calendar that sits on my desk, full of "Wisdom from Women Saints". The calendar that's been kicking my butt on a regular basis since a friend gave it to me a little while back.

This quote didn't catch at me so much yesterday, but it caught my attention when I glanced at it this morning, getting ready to flip the page to the new day and month. An admirable goal. I think I'd like to live a life full of days like these:

"We should make each day a short form of our whole life by filling it with prayer, work, and charity." (Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur)

3 on Freedom from Henri

So, I suppose some of you might get bored with all the quotes from Henri Nouwen I share here, but really, the blog is something I do as much for myself as for the people who read it, and I often flip back through the archives and read the thoughts and quotes and links and articles that have challenged me, or struck me, or made me laugh. And so, I add all the best of the Henri Nouwen quotes that appear in my inbox here, for later reference!

But, today's thoughts from Henri are on freedom, which is a topic I've been thinking a lot about lately anyway... so, I'm sharing again!

Growing Into Our True Freedom

True freedom is the freedom of the children of God. To reach that freedom requires a lifelong discipline since so much in our world militates against it. The political, economic, social, and even religious powers surrounding us all want to keep us in bondage so that we will obey their commands and be dependent on their rewards.

But the spiritual truth that leads to freedom is the truth that we belong not to the world but to God, whose beloved children we are. By living lives in which we keep returning to that truth in word and deed, we will gradually grow into our true freedom.

The Spirit Will Speak in Us

When we are spiritually free, we do not have to worry about what to say or do in unexpected, difficult circumstances. When we are not concerned about what others think of us or what we will get for what we do, the right words and actions will emerge from the center of our beings because the Spirit of God, who makes us children of God and sets us free, will speak and act through us.

Jesus says: "When you are handed over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes, because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you" (Matthew 10:19-20).

Let's keep trusting the Spirit of God living within us, so that we can live freely in a world that keeps handing us over to judges and evalutators.

Freedom Attracts

When you are interiorly free you call others to freedom, whether you know it or not. Freedom attracts wherever it appears. A free man or a free woman creates a space where others feel safe and want to dwell. Our world is so full of conditions, demands, requirements, and obligations that we often wonder what is expected of us. But when we meet a truly free person, there are no expectations, only an invitation to reach into ourselves and discover there our own freedom.

Where true inner freedom is, there is God. And where God is, there we want to be.