Have I ever mentioned how much of a home body I am?
I love quiet Saturdays when the house is empty of everyone but me, and I have a list of homey type things to work my way through.
Laundry.
Putting dishes away.
Cooking myself lunch.
Updating my budget.
Clean, fresh sheets on my bed.
Sorting through cookbooks.
Watching tv on dvd.
Sweeping.
Organizing my desk.
A trip to the library.
Emails from friends and family.
Tea and candles.
Incense.
Jason Upton playing in the background as I go about the day.
Dinner plans.
Looking for ideas in scrapbooking magazines.
These are the sorts of things I've engaged in today, with more still on the agenda.
Megs is coming over tonight for a Grey's Anatomy marathon complete with junk food. It's been a few weeks since we've had time to hang out thanks to competing work schedules, after work commitments, and her new boyfriend. I'm looking forward to watching several episodes of Grey's and catching up with one of my best friends.
See you around!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Added a new book...
I've added a new book to the non-fiction reading list in the sidebar.
Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor.
I reccommend this one highly.
So many beautiful thoughts and words, though I don't always agree with all of the conclusions Reverend Brown draws.
A sampling?
"The effort to untangle the human words from the divine seems not only futile to me but also unnecessary, since God works with what is. God uses whatever is usable in a life, both to speak and to act, and those who insist on fireworks in the sky may miss the electricity that sparks the human heart."
Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor.
I reccommend this one highly.
So many beautiful thoughts and words, though I don't always agree with all of the conclusions Reverend Brown draws.
A sampling?
"The effort to untangle the human words from the divine seems not only futile to me but also unnecessary, since God works with what is. God uses whatever is usable in a life, both to speak and to act, and those who insist on fireworks in the sky may miss the electricity that sparks the human heart."
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Looking Backwards...
In May I put up this post. I asked you all to pray, because I was going to step way outside of my comfort zone and speak at a youth retreat. To be honest, I never wanted to speak. I campaigned to bring in a friend of mine to do the speaking, but the guy I was working with for the youth at that time insisted that the two of us do the speaking.
As I prepared to speak, I felt God prompting me to share with the kids that I had suffered for so many years from depression, had been suicidal, and then encountered the powerful healing of Christ. I didn't know why I needed to say those things at the time. They opened up a couple of conversations (I wrote about that here), but didn't seem to make sense. It was a weird context to talk about it in. Most of these kids I'd known their whole lives, and they would have had no idea that I'd been experiencing those things.
I got a little glimpse this week of why I shared those things all those months ago. I sat and had coffee with a young friend, and because I'd said those things all those months ago, she opened her life to me, and gave me a glimpse of the pain underneath the smooth exterior. I feel privileged that she felt safe enough to share with me.
Pray for me as I begin to walk alongside her. Pray for her as she wades through some deep and painful things this next while.
It helps to understand, now, why I spoke those things all those months ago. I needed that tiny glimpse of the bigger picture this week.
As I prepared to speak, I felt God prompting me to share with the kids that I had suffered for so many years from depression, had been suicidal, and then encountered the powerful healing of Christ. I didn't know why I needed to say those things at the time. They opened up a couple of conversations (I wrote about that here), but didn't seem to make sense. It was a weird context to talk about it in. Most of these kids I'd known their whole lives, and they would have had no idea that I'd been experiencing those things.
I got a little glimpse this week of why I shared those things all those months ago. I sat and had coffee with a young friend, and because I'd said those things all those months ago, she opened her life to me, and gave me a glimpse of the pain underneath the smooth exterior. I feel privileged that she felt safe enough to share with me.
Pray for me as I begin to walk alongside her. Pray for her as she wades through some deep and painful things this next while.
It helps to understand, now, why I spoke those things all those months ago. I needed that tiny glimpse of the bigger picture this week.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Full to overflowing
My brain is absolutely full to overflowing. I don't think I can take in one more thing until I find a way to digest some of the stuff that's already sitting there.
So much input in the last week or two. So many things on my mind. So many voices, and authors, and words.
Friend in trouble. Illness and darkness.
Sadness at the news that another friend has completely rejected the freedom she'd gained, thrown the healing that was hers to the wind.
A story I felt compelled to tell when I spoke at a youth retreat for ten kids six months ago opening doors for a conversation and a chance to tell someone they're not alone just last night.
I'm cutting keys to my house to give to someone who desperately needs a safe place to just chill off and on for the next while.
A disappointment when something I've been waiting a year for didn't happen today, but got postponed until Friday sometime.
Need to meet with my brother to plan a Sunday school schedule for the rest of the fall. To find out when he wants to teach, how much, what does he want to talk about?
A chance to stand alone in the shower, lean against the wall, and just rest.
Two remote controls, a cell phone, two Bible translations, four books, two journals, a myriad of pens, a bottle of water all within arms reach.
The candles have burnt out for the night.
The reflection of light off the photographs hanging on my walls. Lampposts and Paris.
The neighbors upstairs are quieter than usual, but I can still hear them.
Overwhelmed at the nearness of God. Overwhelmed, a little uncertain - why now? What are You saying?
Frustrated with my work situation - though I still feel like He's asking me to stay.
Detour on the bus on the way home today.
Dozed off as it took longer than normal.
Woke when my phone vibrated with a text message from Rae.
Hoping friends will join me and others for an event at the end of the month.
I need to plan a lesson for Sunday school this week.
I have no idea what to teach.
Another recruit (two if you count the boyfriend that comes with her) to fill slots for the prayer room I'm hosting for 24 hours at the end of October.
Plans to see Paul Brandt in concert in November with at least a couple of friends.
A Grey's Anatomy season 3 marathon scheduled for Saturday night. Megs is bringing the junk food.
Thinking about Peru a lot today, and wondering about learning Spanish.
Still waiting for a friend to send me the Spanish translation of the Lord's prayer - the prayer I learned in high school Spanish, and fell in love with, but have forgotten the last half of.
I listened to U2 all day at work today.
U2 is the music I listen to when I'm in the mood to push through stuff, to break through.
I don't know yet what it is that I'm feeling so compelled to push through, but I was in a fighting mood all day.
Alone in the living room.
What's weighing on me?
Time to read, to meditate, to pray, maybe to journal, and then to sleep.
It starts all over again tomorrow.
So much input in the last week or two. So many things on my mind. So many voices, and authors, and words.
Friend in trouble. Illness and darkness.
Sadness at the news that another friend has completely rejected the freedom she'd gained, thrown the healing that was hers to the wind.
A story I felt compelled to tell when I spoke at a youth retreat for ten kids six months ago opening doors for a conversation and a chance to tell someone they're not alone just last night.
I'm cutting keys to my house to give to someone who desperately needs a safe place to just chill off and on for the next while.
A disappointment when something I've been waiting a year for didn't happen today, but got postponed until Friday sometime.
Need to meet with my brother to plan a Sunday school schedule for the rest of the fall. To find out when he wants to teach, how much, what does he want to talk about?
A chance to stand alone in the shower, lean against the wall, and just rest.
Two remote controls, a cell phone, two Bible translations, four books, two journals, a myriad of pens, a bottle of water all within arms reach.
The candles have burnt out for the night.
The reflection of light off the photographs hanging on my walls. Lampposts and Paris.
The neighbors upstairs are quieter than usual, but I can still hear them.
Overwhelmed at the nearness of God. Overwhelmed, a little uncertain - why now? What are You saying?
Frustrated with my work situation - though I still feel like He's asking me to stay.
Detour on the bus on the way home today.
Dozed off as it took longer than normal.
Woke when my phone vibrated with a text message from Rae.
Hoping friends will join me and others for an event at the end of the month.
I need to plan a lesson for Sunday school this week.
I have no idea what to teach.
Another recruit (two if you count the boyfriend that comes with her) to fill slots for the prayer room I'm hosting for 24 hours at the end of October.
Plans to see Paul Brandt in concert in November with at least a couple of friends.
A Grey's Anatomy season 3 marathon scheduled for Saturday night. Megs is bringing the junk food.
Thinking about Peru a lot today, and wondering about learning Spanish.
Still waiting for a friend to send me the Spanish translation of the Lord's prayer - the prayer I learned in high school Spanish, and fell in love with, but have forgotten the last half of.
I listened to U2 all day at work today.
U2 is the music I listen to when I'm in the mood to push through stuff, to break through.
I don't know yet what it is that I'm feeling so compelled to push through, but I was in a fighting mood all day.
Alone in the living room.
What's weighing on me?
Time to read, to meditate, to pray, maybe to journal, and then to sleep.
It starts all over again tomorrow.
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