Monday 31 July 2006

Home

"Home is the center of my being where I can hear the voice that says, "you are my beloved in whom I am well pleased". Jesus made it clear that the same voice that he heard in the Jordan River and on Mount Tabor can be heard by me. He makes it clear that there is a home with the Father. But if I decide to keep control, if I go out into the world, I will keep running around asking everything, "Do you really love me?" I give all the power to the voices of the world. It is the world that defines me then. The world's love is full of ifs, 'yes I love you if you are good-looking, if you are intelligent, if you are well off, if you are educated, if you have connections, if you are productive'...endless ifs and it is not too hard to know when I have left home spiritually. Resentment, jealousy, desire for revenge, lust, greed, ambition, rivalry are all obvious signs that I have left home, that I am letting the world define me with its love full of ifs. But when I an home with the Father then I know I am the beloved, I can confront and console and admonish without any fear of rejection or need for affirmation, and I can suffer persecution without the need for revenge or recieve praise without using it as proof of my goodness."
-Henri Nouwen, Return of the Prdigal Son

I've finished memoirs of a Geisha. It's so good. Highly recommended.

Tuesday 18 July 2006

Spellcheck on Aisle 1

Go to the 4th and Market Walgreens and look at what they have on aisle 1....i'll do something nice for you if you tell me what's amusing about it.

Sunday 16 July 2006

Not finished yet...

There's this plaque that says, "Please be patient, God isn't finished with me yet..."

God has been teaching me that perfection isn't expected nor is it required.

When Jill Goodachre asks Chandler if he wants a piece of gum when they're trapped in the ATM vestibule, he responds with, "that would be perfection..."

I wish so many times I could say that about myself. "I'm perfection..." But ALL the time, I come up short and end up disappointing myself. I know how self absorbed this may sound to all of you, but I expect perfection from myself. My family and my closest friends can attest to that.

How liberating would it be to think, I'm not perfect, I'm not God and I can't do/be everything to everyone. Seems like such a basic lesson, but I am far from mastering it.

It's such a beautiful day outside. On no grounds is that my doing. God makes the weather change.

I think I also struggle with NOT trying to be perfect because I think it's just a cop out way to live, no effort needed. I guess that's my hubris. Where the balance?

I confess this irreverent attitude. Father, please forgive the behavior and the attitude that has been taken to the extreme, amen.

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Sunday 9 July 2006

July 4th Weekend

I'm still alive!!!
Last week, I went to Boston

With this guy...

to see these guys. And we...

Went shopping and looked at painted cows...

had a picnic in the public garden...

walked the freedom trail

had dinner in the north end (this place is GOOOOOD and cheap) and mike's pastry's canoli

explored lexington and concord

heard aerosmith play with the boston pops, walked on storrow drive...

watched the fireworks on the charles river

and i love this bumper sticker, haahaa.
We also went to Chowderfest and other places, but it was just nice to be with family. :)