The beauty of technology. One can spend above an hour attempting cleverness and literary sharpness for readers to enjoy, scratch their heads, and praise the author for her insight, and then the computer can choose to disconnect and erase all contents of said scribe's composition. Ironic, I think it, as some of my topic from my first compilation of words dealt with my pride issue. : ) Yes. Perfect.



The prayer laid upon my heart since my journey to Londontown has begun has been that the Lord would provide open doors to assure me that this path is indeed His. A thought occurred to me today as I was surfing the net for pictures of cool old doors in London. I googled "open doors in London". I found a few, but I found more that look like this weathered one here. Is it locked? Is it unlocked? We, as the audience looking at this two dimensional entryway know not the answer to these questions. We would have to be physically present to touch the handle and turn it to reveal this mystery.
New perspective on my prayer about doors...The Lord is not a puppeteer. He will lead me, but what is my life quote? "Faith is in our feet." I must step up to the doors, open them, and walk through for Him to show me his continuing, active, tailor- made living plan. He has continued to answer my prayer of doors. At times I let my pride, self-sufficient nature, and stubborness become giants standing in front of those doors. I am transported back to the question..."What am I convinced of?" "What, or rather Who, is my center?" Always easy for me to get those commandments one and two out of order. How beautiful, intimate, and intentional the Lord is with me, to give me a couple instructions for life that I so desperately desire with my personality of wanting to have directions to follow. I love reading directions on anything...shampoo, recipes, rules to games. I know, I know. Love me or leave me...just a dorky insight into me. Thanks be to God for Sarah Harmeyer, my ambassador of pointing me to the order of one and two!

John Piper writes, "God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him". My trek takes my mind to this significant quote often. Funny, it does not say that we should be satisfied, gratified to the full (Webster), in Him, my friends, my family, my finances, my home... Nope, "in Him"...first. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6.33) Hmmm...so if I keep number one in its place, number two will be taken care of? Right. Thanks again for the reminder. Seems like Piper has some wisdom here.
Lord, may my full gratification come from your Well.

"And the weight of glory, if you held it in your hand, it would pass right through you, so now's your chance..." --Caedmon's Call
(Amazing album!)

Just a recommendation for a great read, in my opinion. Our community group has been working our way through the pages of this book. I find myself underlining like crazy.

Do you have friends that make you more clever? Friends that you feel smarter and funnier around? Have you found music that holds unpredictable, profound lyrics that challenges your prior notion of how a song is normally composed? I hope you do. I do. A handful of persons in my life make my wit sharper, my smile broader, and my heart richer. My friend, Lauren (pictured above with her boy Patrick) sharpens my humor because she challenges me to retort in a similar way as she has just spoken, with smart, sometimes random, word choices. A handful of musicians fill my heart with joy and make me sing at the top of my lungs. I love it!
Do you have people who you feel like are "your people"? You feel a level of ease, depth, unspoken understanding, care, and kindredness of mind. I hope you do. If you don't, find them. I believe everyone has at least a couple of kindreds to immerse themselves in. I have been struck lately by the definition of friendship. Not all look the same, nor should they appear identical...tis impossible and improbable. At times that notion is difficult for me. My longing for connection with people often can supercede my knowledge that "my people" my not number in large quantities, and that is ok. Expectations are huge, as well as, parameters. Once I know the framework and expectations of a friendship, my heart and head live in such freedom. Most times my heart runs way ahead of my brain, and the reins have to be pulled back to assess how to balance connection rather than going to extremes.
So, my word is this, I guess...treasure "your people". Treasure those that you don't consider "your people". After all #2 tells us to love our neighbor. We should treasure everyone. But do so for who they are, not for who you think they ought to be or who you would want them to be. The key is to remember how I want to be treasured...just how I am with all my junk, unconditionally. The word treasure, as my pal Webster sees it, means to hold or keep as precious. Who doesn't want to be treasured? Noone, I dare say. Expect that though all friendships will not look alike, they all enrich our lives. No man is an island, as Merton says. Thanks for being my friends, my favored companions who I think precious.
Music feeds my soul. What a poweful medium that can uplift, challenge, help us turn off our brains, inspire... The other day, I was driving to work listening to my ipod on shuffle, my favourite feature these days. I love to listen to David Gray. I love to listen to Jason Mraz. I love to listen to several other artists, of course, but I was struck by these two specifically that morning. You know how sometimes you listen to music because everyone else does or because you want to sound like you are cool because this artist is the one that everyone is talking about? I do this, yes, I am admitting that, I fall to peer pressure and always want to be in the loop of "coolness". However, I happened upon both of these gifted gents on my own, and I love them both...musically, of course. (I know them not.) People sometimes laugh at me about my intense liking of both artists. (I think this laughter comes mostly from them only knowing their radio-played songs, which as per usual most times does not reflect true depth from an artist, only what the masses will tap their toe to and sing over and over.) Tis ok. I am secure in appreciating their talent. Richness, poetry, originality, depth.
A bit of a random monologue, but my point is embrace music you love, treasure friends, and be passionate. Life is so rich and full of passionate pursuits. I believe we all have something we hold passion for and our hearts know joy when we find it.