Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 138

The last daily 5 list for the year 2010.  A year that held some days that were truly fabulous, where lists flowed easily, and a year that held some completely horrible days, where finding five things that made me smile or that I was grateful for to put on a list was the hardest thing in the horrible day.

So, without further ado, today's daily 5:

1. Getting in and out at the passport office in ten minutes (can't believe it went that quickly!  government stuff is never quick!)
2. taking the train to a stop I'd never been to before (new adventures!)
3. some sweet deals at a couple of craft stores
4. A sunny day
5. pondering (and completely changing!) what my "one word" for 2011 will be
6. realizing that I wasn't forcing joy, but actually wanted to smile and felt joyful
7. This quote from a facebook status that made me laugh and smile very wryly in recognition of the sentiment, "so and so has her wishbone where her backbone should be."
8. a smoothie for breakfast
9. getting a bunch of errands done with mom
10. trading in some old, no longer wanted books, for credits at two different local used bookstores, and picking up a few new treasures along the way
11. a great deal on Living Social today for yoga classes
12. having reasons to laugh
13. making soup from scratch
14. banana cream pie
15. a totally relaxing evening to end the year that included pie, passion tea, Top Chef, Grey's Anatomy, and reading a novel in a bubble bath.

Reverb 10: Day 31 - Core Story

Today's Reverb 10 Prompt:

December 31 – Core Story

What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.)

(Author: Molly O’Neill)

I think this prompt is my favorite of the questions that have been posed over this month of reverb10.

The central story at the core of me is this:

I am known and loved by the creator of the universe, a God who heals and who offers wholeness, who is perfectly constant, unchanging, and desires to draw all of creation into a deep joy and to bring redemption and resurrection to broken and dead things. 

It's quite the story, and I've been years learning it, and expect to be learning it for the remainder of my life.

That part about being not just known, but loved - that was big this year.

I've also discovered that what I thought healing, redemption, and resurrection looked like, is quite often not at all what they end up looking like.

I've seen this story play out in crazy ways this last year.

In the unexpected way in which I suddenly found myself duckless, with no ducks left to gather in a row.

In a job loss and a housing change and a total change in career directions.

In a car accident.

In a house church that turned out to be a safe place to land.

In a funeral, and a wedding.

In a road trip with my dad, and a week in California.

In visits to the zoo.

In books I've read.  Especially a kid's book.

In celebrating the fifth anniversary of my healing from depression.

In conversations over tea and phone calls and emails and blog posts.

In unexpected decisions and actions taken.

I've seen redemption and resurrection and healing in the most unexpected places.

And I'm so grateful for them.

Because they are at the core of my being, and are making themselves at home there in new ways that excite and challenge me.

Do it Differently

I have long proclaimed New Year's Eve to be my least favorite holiday of the year.  All of the other big holidays tend to be about family, but New Year's is about partying with friends.  This is challenging when you don't particularly like to party, and the vast majority of your closest friends live far away.

I've spent most of the last 5 New Year's Eve's alone, and tonight won't be any different.

However, this year I've decided that lonely and melancholy can take a hike!

I'm quite looking forward to a quiet evening alone at mom and dad's (my parent's are going to a party - they have more of a social life than me - how funny is that!)

My plans for the evening involve a Top Chef marathon on the Food Network, maybe a funny movie or some Grey's Anatomy on DVD, Vietnamese take out, cozy pajamas, writing, reflecting, dreaming, a cup of tea, puttering around online, maybe painting my toenails, and maybe even a bubble bath.

I'm actually almost giddy with anticipation at the prospect of a nice evening in, alone, with a show I like being played in marathon format on the Food Network, and just chilling and having time to be peaceful and reflect and pray and plan for the year to come.

This is a day that finds me smiling, and not dreading the evening ahead.  I don't know when that happened, but I'm rather delighted to be doing it differently this year!

Stay tuned tonight for the final reverb 10 post, the final daily 5 post of 2010, and tomorrow for posts about my one little word, and plans for the year to come!