Thoughts while Traveling
1.27.2005
brains
This is kind of interesting. Take the brain test to see if you are right brained or left brained:
http://www.rcw.bc.ca/test/personality.html
http://www.rcw.bc.ca/test/personality.html
1.26.2005
Gems
I just finished reading through the book of Proverbs for an assignment in my acting/directing class and was overwhelmed once again by the wisdom that the book offers. If I could just live by all of the advice of Proverbs, minute by minute. It seems that easy while reading it...and then my flesh steps out into the world and it's only matter of minutes, sometimes seconds that I fall flat on my face again. Actually, I don't know that I have EVER sat and read uninterupted the book of Proverbs before. Perhaps I should read it every morning before getting out of bed...then maybe over time I will have a better success rate :)
The Proverb for the day is this:
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. "
*******************************************
Back to the earlier thought today. The definition of "the poor in spirit" is (drum roll, please...)
A person who is teachable.
Well, I am sure that many people have many definitions of what they think this means. The context that I heard this in today was in the light of running a business and how "un-teachable" people have a much lower success rate in business and also in the academic world. It's weird to think about wanting to be poor in spirit, because it sounds...WEAK. And we have another key word on our hands. I am still learning that the weaker I am, the stronger He is...There is a lot to ponder there, I have been pondering that all day. Lord, make me poorer in spirit. If I ever become un-teachable...smack me.
A day filled with wisdom is a good day. That's my original (and oh-so deep) proverb for today. I had one of those days.
I sound like a lunatic. A raving one (see, Phil, there are more of us out there) :)
To everybody who reads this rediculous expression of my heart on occasion, may God bless you abundantly today and fill you with such joy that you can't sit still.
My cup runneth over.
Sarah, I miss you , too.
adios.
The Proverb for the day is this:
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. "
*******************************************
Back to the earlier thought today. The definition of "the poor in spirit" is (drum roll, please...)
A person who is teachable.
Well, I am sure that many people have many definitions of what they think this means. The context that I heard this in today was in the light of running a business and how "un-teachable" people have a much lower success rate in business and also in the academic world. It's weird to think about wanting to be poor in spirit, because it sounds...WEAK. And we have another key word on our hands. I am still learning that the weaker I am, the stronger He is...There is a lot to ponder there, I have been pondering that all day. Lord, make me poorer in spirit. If I ever become un-teachable...smack me.
A day filled with wisdom is a good day. That's my original (and oh-so deep) proverb for today. I had one of those days.
I sound like a lunatic. A raving one (see, Phil, there are more of us out there) :)
To everybody who reads this rediculous expression of my heart on occasion, may God bless you abundantly today and fill you with such joy that you can't sit still.
My cup runneth over.
Sarah, I miss you , too.
adios.
Help!
Joy~ thanks for the tip. I have been trying to figure out how to change the width of the screen, I don't understand why it's so hard! Does anybody out there know how to change the width of this blasted thing? Please, impart your knowledge to me. I have tried altering everything I can in the template, but maybe I have to actually add somthing to it??? I don't know. Sorry it's hard to read, Joy. I am on it ...
I am ready for summer weather. Yikes.
I heard a definition today of the opening line of the Beattitudes, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit."
More on this later....what do you think it means?
adios.
I am ready for summer weather. Yikes.
I heard a definition today of the opening line of the Beattitudes, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit."
More on this later....what do you think it means?
adios.
1.18.2005
Relaxing weekend in the mountains at our favorite bed and breakfast in the place we got married...awwwwwww, isn't that sweet? It was quiet and good. Justin had his first massage and we have made a believer out of him (yay!) Read another good book, soaked until I was an absolutely rotten prune in the hot tub, and had to be drugged and dragged down the stairs to leave. Had dinner with an old couple celebrating their anniversary, he was a bit of a lush with the champagne and wine and she was a refined French woman. Justin got to brush up a bit on his favorite language...that was our weekend in a nutshell. Twas a nice one.
Possibilities of a new job have arised, and I am totally leaving the situation in the hands of God with no anxiety attached. That's a good feeling, for one who is accustomed to anxiety attacks and stress overload. I am of course open to a promotion and more responsibilty in an environment that is better suited for me, but I am content however the Lord leads.
We are starting up a female exlusive Bible study this Saturday, which I am excited about. It has been a while since I have had the chance to be knitted with a group of girls and able to fellowship and share and pray...should be good. It's important and I excited to get going.
It's cold as mess here....and it's a wet cold due to the ocean which makes it feel arctic. It is supposed to snow and I am praying that it snows GOOD. A day being trapped inside would be nice. Why am I talking about the weather? Wow...anyways...peace abounds.
adios.
Possibilities of a new job have arised, and I am totally leaving the situation in the hands of God with no anxiety attached. That's a good feeling, for one who is accustomed to anxiety attacks and stress overload. I am of course open to a promotion and more responsibilty in an environment that is better suited for me, but I am content however the Lord leads.
We are starting up a female exlusive Bible study this Saturday, which I am excited about. It has been a while since I have had the chance to be knitted with a group of girls and able to fellowship and share and pray...should be good. It's important and I excited to get going.
It's cold as mess here....and it's a wet cold due to the ocean which makes it feel arctic. It is supposed to snow and I am praying that it snows GOOD. A day being trapped inside would be nice. Why am I talking about the weather? Wow...anyways...peace abounds.
adios.
1.09.2005
Blessings
Yesterday was a good day. A very productive and peaceful Saturday. Cleaned my house a bit, unpacked from Christmas(I know), went shopping with my husband, had an eye exam and got new glasses (which should cut down on my daily headaches considerably), and spent the evening with some strangers that quickly became friends. Daniel, Danny, and Kim. Daniel (or was it Danny?) cooked an Indian curry dish for us all, and accompanied by a glass of wine and a nice store-bought pound cake, it was a fabulous meal. We had good conversation and played HOOPLAH, which was a barrell of laughs.
Don't you love it when you realize that you would never have the opportunity to meet people unless you met at that one specific time and place? Your circles are different, and you may never would have crossed paths and much less spend quality time getting to know one another, and yet you are unexpectedly thrown together and BAM! You have acquired new friends and better understanding of another culture and another walk of life. I love that.
Justin and I had a intimate and sweet conversation en route to the mall, (and when I say "intimate" ~ get your mind out of the gutter~ I mean we shared our hearts. I would imagine that you married people out there understand what I mean when I say that I cherished that conversation. Sometimes when you go though the day to day grind and live with someone, the easiest thing to happen is to get caught up the the things that don't really matter and actually forget to really speak , and more importantly LISTEN to one another. Discuss what God is revealing to you and praise Him together for those things. Hold each other accountable to be better, and celebrate the unity that you have through God's spirit and with each other. I cherished those moments.
God doesn't continue to bless us without raising the bar of responsibilty we have toward our relationship with Him and our stewardship of those things. We are blessed to be a blessing. I want to be more of a blessing. My hard heart is in the process of being softened by the one who created it. I must be patient and allow God to do this through His perfect timing, but it's like I am finally able to see some small results of this procedure. It's like when you are trying to lose weight and you want so badly to see the CHANGE in your double chin or your wasteline, and yet it takes time, diligence, faith, willpower, and patience. That's exactly what it is like for me.
I am beginning to feel His burden for His people again, and feel compassion for them, and feel compelled to do something. Now I know it's not all about "feeling" (believe me), but I have been made a very feeling person, and for a while I have been unable to feel anything for myself or anyone else. A tactic of the Enemy to debilitate me into being of no use to God and inevitably destroying myself, my faith, and my heart all together. But the good news is that my God is here! He is in the process of redeeming it all. I cling to that reality and Him only in this time of rebuilding.
Nicole called me yesterday from Panama. Her mother is going to survive and although Nicole is lonely and far away, she told she has finally grasped what being a Christian means. The way she talked about God and how He is in control and how now that she has experienced this miracle...was awesome. Beautiful. I almost began weeping with joy as she spoke to me. I cannot wait to see her again and hug her...God is being glorified once again through a tragedy. Wow.
Richard also called me. That was a weird surprise. He is a 50 year old friend of mine who I used to serve tables with at Macaroni Grill in Charlotte. He has a heart of gold and although he is not a believer, God is moving in his heart without him even knowing it. I pray that I have many more opprtunities to share with him...
I have homework that must be done pronto, although I could keep writing all day.
God is good and His mercy endures forver.
adios.
Don't you love it when you realize that you would never have the opportunity to meet people unless you met at that one specific time and place? Your circles are different, and you may never would have crossed paths and much less spend quality time getting to know one another, and yet you are unexpectedly thrown together and BAM! You have acquired new friends and better understanding of another culture and another walk of life. I love that.
Justin and I had a intimate and sweet conversation en route to the mall, (and when I say "intimate" ~ get your mind out of the gutter~ I mean we shared our hearts. I would imagine that you married people out there understand what I mean when I say that I cherished that conversation. Sometimes when you go though the day to day grind and live with someone, the easiest thing to happen is to get caught up the the things that don't really matter and actually forget to really speak , and more importantly LISTEN to one another. Discuss what God is revealing to you and praise Him together for those things. Hold each other accountable to be better, and celebrate the unity that you have through God's spirit and with each other. I cherished those moments.
God doesn't continue to bless us without raising the bar of responsibilty we have toward our relationship with Him and our stewardship of those things. We are blessed to be a blessing. I want to be more of a blessing. My hard heart is in the process of being softened by the one who created it. I must be patient and allow God to do this through His perfect timing, but it's like I am finally able to see some small results of this procedure. It's like when you are trying to lose weight and you want so badly to see the CHANGE in your double chin or your wasteline, and yet it takes time, diligence, faith, willpower, and patience. That's exactly what it is like for me.
I am beginning to feel His burden for His people again, and feel compassion for them, and feel compelled to do something. Now I know it's not all about "feeling" (believe me), but I have been made a very feeling person, and for a while I have been unable to feel anything for myself or anyone else. A tactic of the Enemy to debilitate me into being of no use to God and inevitably destroying myself, my faith, and my heart all together. But the good news is that my God is here! He is in the process of redeeming it all. I cling to that reality and Him only in this time of rebuilding.
Nicole called me yesterday from Panama. Her mother is going to survive and although Nicole is lonely and far away, she told she has finally grasped what being a Christian means. The way she talked about God and how He is in control and how now that she has experienced this miracle...was awesome. Beautiful. I almost began weeping with joy as she spoke to me. I cannot wait to see her again and hug her...God is being glorified once again through a tragedy. Wow.
Richard also called me. That was a weird surprise. He is a 50 year old friend of mine who I used to serve tables with at Macaroni Grill in Charlotte. He has a heart of gold and although he is not a believer, God is moving in his heart without him even knowing it. I pray that I have many more opprtunities to share with him...
I have homework that must be done pronto, although I could keep writing all day.
God is good and His mercy endures forver.
adios.
1.04.2005
2005
The emergence of 2005 has successfully blindsided me and I am now...4 days? late on this realization. Now on to acceptance of this insane notion. I am not sure I know what happened to 2004, although it seems when pondering the issue that it has been full of events, steps, milestones, and the like. In thinking back to the beginning of 2004, I am faced with the awesome reality that God has been faithful as usual. He has redirected my steps when I didn't think there was any hope for me. He has lit a small spark in my soul that I was afraid had been snuffed out along the way. He has made a way for my husband and I to walk with assurance that He has created us to glorify Himself, and He has given us a small glimpse of how we can offer up our humble gifts and passions to be used for His kingdom. The road of 2004 has been full of bumps, potholes, and roadblocks. Some have been painful and fear has won over in more moments than I would like to admit and repent. And yet my God, who is full of grace and love, accepts me with open arms just the same.
There are some things I will never understand. The past week has been another reminder of that. Why things happen the way that they do, when they do, etc. Death is one of those things. My most recent experience with death was a different one. A life that was ready and willing to pass on into the arms of Jesus, and the waiting was painful. I wish I could have had one more conversation with my grandfather, as most of my family did. However, I knew the second I entered the elevator over Thanksgiving weekend at the hospital that this would be the last time. And it was. I am glad I saw him awake and alert. He spoke of how God was giving him opportunities to pray with people in the hospital, and his heart was so tender and soft. It was beautiful. I wish I could have been there for my family who went through the hell of the week between Christmas and the new year, but I know that all things work together for good. The past few days have been sweet memories with my family, with the exception of a few incidences (as family goes) and a few mixed nuts around (that's all I am saying about that).
My grandmother is a treasure. She is becoming one of my champions. I hope I can learn to be as graceful as she is. Full and overflowing.
Standing on the wet ground again at Westview cemetery. A few feet from the headstones of my cherished Aaron and my dear Kathy, who are only a few feet themselves from my friend Brock, uncle Steve, Patty, and now my Papa is right there with them. It is surreal to stand there and look down at their names and remember the blessings that they were. Surreal.
Life goes on. What a stupid and yet true thing to say. It sounds so ridiculous and trite, and yet we have to keep saying it in order to brace ourselves and keep moving forward. Those of us that remain when some of us leave...we sometimes wish it has been the other way around, and yet reality is that we are still here. There must be a why, and we continue putting one foot in front of the other in pursuing this why.
2004 ended. 2005 is ahead, with possibilities that are endless. I am grateful and I am blessed. God is good and He remains as always on the throne and the one I worship with all of my heart.
The new semester begins. For the first time in my entire life, I made straight A's. My first semester of grad school. May seem like a small thing, but to me it is a significant accomplishment. That I am capable of achieving higher things. The fact that it only took me 25 years (snort) is meaningless to me. Marty, congrats on your straight A's, too. See, us right brained artsy fartsy types can come out on top! It's a good feeling. And to think that my motto that got me through my last few semesters of college was "D is for DIPLOMA"...no longer applies. It's the little things in life sometimes that propel us forward.
Justin will be home from play rehearsal soon. I know I get mushy at times when describing and referring to my husband, but he is fabulous and I am so blessed. I am so proud of you and I love you very much.
God is good. 2005 will glorify you and you alone, Jesus. Leading to that glorious day when "every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that you are Lord."
Adios.
There are some things I will never understand. The past week has been another reminder of that. Why things happen the way that they do, when they do, etc. Death is one of those things. My most recent experience with death was a different one. A life that was ready and willing to pass on into the arms of Jesus, and the waiting was painful. I wish I could have had one more conversation with my grandfather, as most of my family did. However, I knew the second I entered the elevator over Thanksgiving weekend at the hospital that this would be the last time. And it was. I am glad I saw him awake and alert. He spoke of how God was giving him opportunities to pray with people in the hospital, and his heart was so tender and soft. It was beautiful. I wish I could have been there for my family who went through the hell of the week between Christmas and the new year, but I know that all things work together for good. The past few days have been sweet memories with my family, with the exception of a few incidences (as family goes) and a few mixed nuts around (that's all I am saying about that).
My grandmother is a treasure. She is becoming one of my champions. I hope I can learn to be as graceful as she is. Full and overflowing.
Standing on the wet ground again at Westview cemetery. A few feet from the headstones of my cherished Aaron and my dear Kathy, who are only a few feet themselves from my friend Brock, uncle Steve, Patty, and now my Papa is right there with them. It is surreal to stand there and look down at their names and remember the blessings that they were. Surreal.
Life goes on. What a stupid and yet true thing to say. It sounds so ridiculous and trite, and yet we have to keep saying it in order to brace ourselves and keep moving forward. Those of us that remain when some of us leave...we sometimes wish it has been the other way around, and yet reality is that we are still here. There must be a why, and we continue putting one foot in front of the other in pursuing this why.
2004 ended. 2005 is ahead, with possibilities that are endless. I am grateful and I am blessed. God is good and He remains as always on the throne and the one I worship with all of my heart.
The new semester begins. For the first time in my entire life, I made straight A's. My first semester of grad school. May seem like a small thing, but to me it is a significant accomplishment. That I am capable of achieving higher things. The fact that it only took me 25 years (snort) is meaningless to me. Marty, congrats on your straight A's, too. See, us right brained artsy fartsy types can come out on top! It's a good feeling. And to think that my motto that got me through my last few semesters of college was "D is for DIPLOMA"...no longer applies. It's the little things in life sometimes that propel us forward.
Justin will be home from play rehearsal soon. I know I get mushy at times when describing and referring to my husband, but he is fabulous and I am so blessed. I am so proud of you and I love you very much.
God is good. 2005 will glorify you and you alone, Jesus. Leading to that glorious day when "every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that you are Lord."
Adios.
