Archive for August 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

creating, creating, creating!


a government:) today, one of my government classes was given the assignment of creating their own governments due to their entire student body ending up on a desert island. i was so wonderfully surprised at their enthusiasm towards the assignment and their understanding of John Locke and the social contract theory. his theory has to make an appearance in their government in one form or another, that will be interesting:) i decided to google image search the words creating a government and told myself to take the first one AND this little cartoony was it. i laughed quite a bit, that last square caught me by surprise:) take no offense, ok? :)
i know there is a john locke in LOST. now might be a good time for me to dive into it:)

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Sunday, August 29, 2010

so good...

all of us together:)

thank you Lord.
back to the books...
ps...beck, it is NOT cool to eat a funfetti cupcake 'in front' of me when i can't have one!

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Saturday, August 28, 2010

chaos

i had my first chick-fil-a...i don't go for the chick, i go for the fries:)
i did some unpacking before the trip and i found this little guy in my closet...well, what was left of him. i thought he was alive at first and he gave me a fright...realized he had been there for a while just seconds later...i laughed:)
lets just recap on last night with a few photos:)
two buses and a 1/2 full of boarding students and four of us:)
they quiz you before you can eat...we passed!
just before the rain.
that's me. he was ginormous. joe and joni, aren't you so proud of me?
getting suited up...for the rain:)
today i read and read and shopped:) if you know me, you should at least know that i read well and i shop well...if nothing else, know these two things:)
this morning, i saw marlena's rescue up close. she is so amazing. she found some caterpillars and rescued them and googled how to help them and they are doing so well! they are in their cocoon stage(how crazy!) which means they will be beautiful butterflies in no time:) she loves animals so much and i appreciate that about her a whole lot. she found a lost pup the other day and walked about until she found his home. the butterfly rescue, there were actually two. the first was when she saved a butterfly from the crazy rain storm(sarah, if you read this, lena and her love for animals reminds me so much of you!)
lena and i stopped by the church to drop off her pup and these guys were there just chillin:)
there is an animal rescue located just next door to the church. the amazing thing---they rescue animals like zebras and water buffalo and all sorts of other fun ones. one time marlena and i sat on the grass and had our lunch while animals just walked by. amazing.
we stopped by winter garden for a quick bite to eat before shopping and this place is amazing! the new coffeehouse is located in downtown just a couple doors down from an old movie theater where they play old films:) a couple doors down on the other side is a french pastry shop...recently relocated from france and the pastries are so yummy an the owner is super sweet.
can you say...yum?
this is the shop! most wonderful location, most amazing building. it is so big inside! it is going to be such a neat place for such a cool city. it has potential to create a really super coffee culture here where that seems to be lacking a bit:)
and their cause is so beautiful and i am so excited to be a part of something so new and good.
after shopping i had pool duty and that was fun. i got to chat with some of the students and seriously, they just blow my mind. it started to pour so i got out early and decided to tidy up some more in my little apartment. it is really coming together so nicely. i just love it so far.
i received a really neat tv stand and those two boxes, they are my two very tall new book cases, black forest is the color...they are really brown:) i love my arts and my cherry blossom clock is so lovely.
i hung my little owl by the door. i think he will like it there:)
i love the kitchen. i am going to love cooking in there. the lake view is breathtaking:) big red has his own corner in there. i brought him with me.
the trees here are like nothing else. they have these long strands of moss hanging from the branches and it is just so beautiful and i have them just outside my door next to the old horse barns. it is like a fairy tale here:)
and last but certainly not least...
i drove number 7 today! oh my goodness he is so big and scary but mr. c, my teacher, told me i was a natural:) we took the minibus for a ride around town, it is not a city but a town, and i was a bit nervous at first but was okie dokie by the end. next up, get my big bus license...eheheheh:)
that's all i got.
busy day of church and reading and talking coffee and hanging out with the kiddos tomorrow:)

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i have pool duty.

moving in yesterday felt like college again. only, i have to lecture and put plans together:) this afternoon, i have pool duty, like summer camp or something:)
before i go there, i will shop for home. after i will listen to music and read books and finish planning for next week. getting back into reading books, even textbooks, has been such a treat for me. it is reminding me of why i schooled and that it wasn't in vain and also, exactly how much i loved and love learning and studying. i went to school because it was for me. i didn't do decently in school just to do it and say that i did or even because that may have been what was expected, i did it because i liked it so much. no one dives into history head first because it is a promising field;) they do it because they love it. and i am being reminded of that even on days like today...saturday:) and now i get to teach what i loved and love to learn to others and hopefully i will teach well:)
my mouse got in two nights ago and i am going to have the best time digging through my many boxes of books!

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Friday, August 27, 2010

this was a night to remember...forever.

this week in general was one that i will remember for a very long time to come. there were moments of rough but so many real smiles and laughs, things that were missing for a while in my life. my heart was lifted, burdens removed, there was too much goodness almost, if there is such a thing. it was my first week of classes and i will blog about that tomorrow i think. for now i just want to focus on this evening. tonight i got to go to universal with the boarding students from the school and it was such a wonderful experience.
there were so many languages, so many laughs, so much singing. if there is such a thing as getting too much culture, i think i am getting it:) the teachers that went along took me to bubba gump shrimp company. i don't eat fish but that was a place on my list of places to go and i got to cross it off! AND i ate a mushroom burger and if you know me, you know mushrooms are NOT my favorite but this is a time of newness and adventure for me and that means eating mushrooms:)
it was so nice getting to know them. we walked around a bit and the craziest thing started to happen. rain. BUT not everywhere...only in certain spots:) you could walk two steps to the left and be in rain and step back and be in the dry! how crazy is that! we just walked and laughed and found NBA city. joe and joni you would have been so proud:) i took a photo with a giant basketball man AND the rain decided to pour down so i bought a nice blue NBA city poncho...me and one other teacher did, and we wore them proudly:) and laughed and just had such a lovely time.
on our way back to the school i had a really wonderful conversation with a chinese student. he was talking a million miles per hour and i didn't understand everything but he loves learning english and basketball and he is so happy and that brought so much joy to my heart. the students here just melt my heart. as time goes by, the more i can't believe that i am here and i just feel so undeserving and i am so undeserving but i am so grateful that we are not dealt what we really do deserve. i think you know what i mean.
when we got to the school i got off the bus and landed into a huge puddle of water and just laughed. i walked down the street to my car and jumped in every puddle i could find! and i laughed and laughed:) the puddles here are perfect for that after a good rain. i stood really still for a while and the most amazing thing happened...i really heard the music of nature. really. it was so loud and it seemed like everything was working together to make it happen and it fit and my jaw dropped. there were frogs and crickets and other bugs and they all worked together to make a song. i got to my car and just stood there. i listened and said goodnight to students walking by and just teared up. we miss those little things sometimes. and when we just sit and listen, they really aren't even little things, they are huge.
i drove home and listened to this song on repeat...it is the same song i have been listening to for days now and i will share it one of these days. it is beautiful, about Jesus. the drive was calm and rainy and my heart felt peaceful and full.
the past couple days were rough for me. to feel peace tonight and get that wonderful gift, it was good and i am grateful. it is late...off to bed:) big weekend ahead, the apt is coming together so nicely. lena, thank you for the help!
photos to come...

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Thursday, August 26, 2010

STAR WARS...

today went a bit differently from what was expected and now things have finally settled down. i think it was a patience thing for me and i failed:/ BUT it is ok. i don't have my books with me and i won't be back at school until later tonight so the books will have to wait just a bit.
here is what just happened: lena was getting ready for voice lessons and shawn and i were sitting in the living room. i was grading, he was hanging out. all of a sudden he started speaking like yoda and all of a sudden i got crazy distracted. i said i love star wars and we started to chat and one thing led to another and pretty soon we were laughing like crazy over the most amazing youtube videos maybe ever! seriously, just watch for yourselves...
back to grading. i have to grade now, it comes with the whole teaching gig!!! yahoo!
roundabound:)

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

this face...

melts my heart a million times over:) i remember the second time i saw her in person. it was at augie's outside in the alley with music going and she was just as lovely as ever! a redhead named annie! today i got two very special text messages. the first was of her singing a song, the second was her blowing me a kiss! ahhhh! THANK YOU so much lindsey! (i hope you have the MOST amazing time in Korea...that country will love you like crrrrazy!)
i think those photo messages made my year:) today's phone chat plus the conversation i had with lena just added to the goodness. hip hip for a very unexpected but wonderful evening. i didn't get much reading done tonight but that is ok, there is always tomorrow and the day after and the day after.
i was going to write about my first week but it is not over yet so that will have to wait a bit. it will be worth it, i have a fun-filled weekend ahead:)
goodnight, goodnight.

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Monday, August 23, 2010

war wounds and an apple:)

this past week, i have been moving lots of books around. when i say lots, i mean LOTS. and they are heavy. well, last night when i got out of the shower i noticed these bruises on my arms and legs and jeez louise, they just seemed like they were all over. i have heard about first year war wounds...but i thought they were more of a mental and emotional thing...ahahaha:) maybe the physical ones are better...oh gosh, i am just laughing.
today i hung my shower curtain and it looks so nice. it has lovely colors and trees and squirrels and it turns out there are owls on it too! how perfect is that?! i hung the towels. put down the fun brown floor rug. found out i am getting a really nice tv stand. and i will have a tv for it because someone is giving me one of those too:) there is a really nice community here where people really believe in helping. they are genuine and are concerned that i feel so at home and that is so nice and i am ever grateful for it.
when i was walking back to class today after hanging my curtain, i was met by a sweet student and her very nice mom. i met her mom last week and her dad works at Montverde and seriously, they are just nice people. anywho, Hillary, the student, introduced herself and opened her bag and gave me an apple! really! i just got my first apple as a teacher from a sweet student! i can't believe it. i was going to keep it BUT i ate it because they only last so long you know:)
today, i finished my syllabi, all of them:)
it rains like crazy here. that will take some getting used to:)
tomorrow is my first day!
before...
after:)

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Sunday, August 22, 2010

getting closer...

to my first day of school and it is just wild. friday night, i got home and was on the verge of tears. marlena and shawn came in and sang and i just sat and listened and i started to cry. i wasn't expecting to cry it just happened, you know how that goes sometimes:) i had just received some bad news and i couldn't figure out my syllabi for the life of me and i just felt a bit defeated. lena played this song called restless by this cute girl audrey assad and it just was kinda nice how it filled my heart.

You dwell in the songs that we are singing

Rising to the heavens

Rising to Your heart, Your heart;

Our praises filling up the spaces

In between our frailty

And everything You are;

You are the keeper of my heart.

And I’m restless, I’m restless till I rest in You, till I rest in You

I am restless; I’m restless till I rest in You, till I rest in You, oh God.

Speak now, for my soul is listening;

Say that You have saved me;

Whisper in the dark, the dark.

I know You’re more than my salvation;

Without You I am hopeless;

Tell me who You are;

You are the keeper of my heart

You are the keeper of my heart.

Still my heart; hold me close; let me hear a still small voice.

Let it grow; let it rise into a shout, into a cry.

sometimes i think we all feel a bit restless, it is just inevitable, even for the best of the best out there. and nothing outside of the power of our Lord can really sooth that. sometimes i think we try to find things to do the trick but it just never works out. it is the small sweet whispers from my Creator that always seem to calm me down the most. i love that. and i think it should be just like that.

yesterday i just didn't push myself like crazy. i spent some time with lena and in the evening i went to this place bella collina. i have never been into a place like that ever. it was beautiful and the wine cellar was a sight. there was a parent teacher get to know you event and it was so nice. i really like the people at montverde. they are so supportive and helpful and kind. they are giving me their old furniture because they are just that nice:) so between that and the fun things i will pick up here and there, my little apartment will be so lovely:)

today i spent the day in my classroom writing and writing and meeting students and parents and it was so nice. on my way home it rained like crazy and i couldn't believe it. i have never driven in that kind of rain before...it was so scary but i laughed instead of being super scared. i laughed and out loud said God this is madness! and i laughed some more:) tonight i attended my first service at mosaic and it was exactly how i wanted to start it...with a rob bell video on the book of songs of solomon. they just started a series on the book and i think it is going to be so lovely. the pastor reminds me of my pastor at home which is so nice.

tomorrow will be another day at the school meeting more students and parents and tuesday will begin my time at montverde. it will be so new and interesting and hopefully i will be ok at it:)

happy week to you, sweet friends:)



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Saturday, August 21, 2010

pretties...

this morning i decided i just needed a little break. to prevent a brain explosion:) SO i went shopping to pick up a few things for me new place! the shower curtain is the best, trees and squirrels:) and the set for the kitchen is just perfect in it's autumny colors! i got towels and a fun brown floor rug. it will be so fun to make it my own:)
i live upstairs to the left.
and my kitchen has a nice oven so i WILL cook:)
and this is the view outside my kitchen window... a lovely lake:)
and i CAN have visitors:)
and here is just a sneak peak of my classroom.
and this is my personal favorite
good saturday to you. i have to go get ready for a fancy parent-teacher meet and greet tonight.

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Friday, August 20, 2010

buy this.

i normally would not just tell you to buy something but if you do, you won't regret it. i promise. i listened to it quite a bit today and you will too...if you get it:)

http://sufjanstevens.bandcamp.com/


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i'm here!

last time i wrote i made it to my first night here. it is now friday morning and although i am not even close to being settled in, i am grateful to be here. the past few days have been nothing short of chaotic with getting acclimated. i have been at school every day since i got here, 7:30-4:00 working away on my lesson plans and learning my environment, names, everything. i got my classroom rosters and boy oh boy am i going to have fun learning all the names. there are lots of international students and pronunciations of names....will be perhaps one of my biggest challenges:) i have met the faculty and staff and they are just wonderful people. so helpful and caring and i need that right now.
i found out my first day on campus that my apartment is ready for me and i got me key and everything. now i just need my mouse to get here. the apartment is so chic. it has fun yellow walls and a huge bedroom and a balcony with a beautiful view of the lake and i just can't believe it is mine. my neighbors are all teachers at the school and i can't wait to meet them.
as i have been working on planning, one of the most helpful pieces of advice i have been given is to scratch everything i have learned in my credential program:) it was wearing my down trying to plan the way i planned in school and yesterday was just rough. i felt defeated and like i was not going to be able to do it. the evil one knows exactly how and when to attack and i am so glad that my sweet Lord is bigger.
BUT i am not defeated. so what if this is my first time teaching government. there is a first time for everything right? think possy...cheers to tony:)
to be continued...

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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

my journey here...

began thursday night of last week with packing. monday night i had dinner with my family and some close family friends. it was nice but you know. robyn and i drove becky back up to forest falls and we saw some nice stars. it was the way i wanted to experience one of my favorite places before leaving. i will remember it. we stopped by kim's house to pick up something important. something she took care of for me, great care, and returned so that i could have with me during my time in florida. the move woke me up at 4am yesterday. it didn't actually wake me up because honestly, i didn't sleep an ounce that night. i just prayed and thought and cried and felt God really close to me. i rolled out of bed, got ready, and robyn and i began my journey to LAX. my face hit the floor when we got there because the chaos was not expected. i have NEVER seen such a mess at the airport in my travels and LAX is messy in general. we had to wait in a line that went out the door for so long. once we finally got in they wanted to charge me an extra 50 dollars and i accidently blurted out, are you kidding me?, and felt mostly bad about it. robishka and i did so good and moved things around and averted that potential emotional disaster:)
after that we were moved from place to place to get my baggage checked and after that we had to wait in another line out the door to get through security...which was really bad...because i had 15 minutes until my flight was supposed to board. i was a bit worried, i can't lie. luckily a women came walking by asking flight times and i along with a dozen others were rushed to the front of the line. we went through a special security room which still wasn't fast BUT it did get me to my plane 7 minutes before it left. thank you for those of you who said little prayers for me, the Lord was there with me and i know He heard you. i sat down and in my left hand i had my ipod, in my right had a stack of letters. i ended up by the window and normally that's not my favorite but yesterday, i loved it. i experienced a lot of joy and tears at the same time and it was ok. i so heavily sensed God there with me and all of my heart, He was so ok with it. He is ok with it. He loves it.
my luggage came quickly and marlena was there and when we got to the house, i was SO sleepy. understatement of the year:) it was so nice and we talked and got government books and went to target and ate. it was just good.
to be continued....

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Monday, August 16, 2010

tonight's gonna be a good night.

4:00- zip line. i have to. i pinky promised my friends esther and terry that i would overcome that fear before the end of the summer and since i leave tomorrow, today is the day! i am going to do it. i have to. it is a big deal for me even if it seems so silly.
7:30- dinner with my wonderful family. i am going to eat real good:)
bed for a while and up so early to board my 8:45 am flight.


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Sunday, August 15, 2010

i finished:)

packing that is. i had a lot of time to think and sing a long. there are A LOT of boxes. there is still much to be done but the packing part of it is finished. hip hip! and the boxes... they are not filled with shoes and purses like some of you assumed:)

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Saturday, August 14, 2010

after the show...

tonight was nothing short of magical. after packing, packing, packing, and some time up in oak glen, robyn, dorothy, janell, and carmen came out to redlands and we experienced the little mermaid ballet together and it was beautiful. i smiled and cried quite a bit. it has been quite the day for me. quite the day. a day of thinking and packing and thinking and driving and so on. i am grateful though because i had friends near all day. and even text messages were coming and they were wonderful and encouraging. thank you. these past few days i have been living in chaos but it is ok because i know i am being held very closely by the Lord during this time. i can feel it.
anywho, the little mermaid, it was beautiful. i really did cry quite a bit. after, the five of us went to the falconer for orange wheat and curry fries:) we talked and laughed and just had the most brilliant time together. i will miss you ladies so much....i hope you read this:) my heart was full with the conversations we had and i am grateful. i can't wait for their visits.
bed time. tomorrow will be a nice day. i just feel so grateful.

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little mermaid...

anyone? redlands bowl tonight. 8. the ballet:)

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lovely.

there is a lovely hope in the air today. unexpected, very, but i think that is good because i am more grateful for it.
florida, i will see you soon. i am ready, excited.
sufjan, i will see you in tennessee in november:)
i can't believe it.
oh the sweetness. it is too much.

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a full day...

it is 6:30am and today begins a full day of packing. my room is a mess...i barely found a place to sleep last night:) if i can even call it sleep. it is making me a sleepy emotional mess, the lack of sleep that is, so i will probably catch zzz's my entire first weekend in florida:) i know there isn't really such a thing as catching up on sleep but i will be tired, i am tired, and i will be ready for a good rest.
my books are all packed...there are SO many. perhaps i will sell some when i get to florida...most likely not. i have to try to pack the most important things into two suitcases because my little mouse will be shipping over and i don't know how long it will be until i have all of my things. so one suitcase will have tons of lesson planning materials and the other---clothes...and shoes:)
yesterday was a good day. i said i would write a bit about it. these past few days have been so hope building for me and it is exactly what i need as i am getting ready to make this move. my nerves are going crazy. am i ready enough for this? will i be good for it? will they like me? a million questions are running through my mind so having encouragers near has been a blessing. i worked in the morning and i was tired but happy to be there. i had spent the night before working and packing so the yawns were nonstop. roberto came in and i was so glad to see him before leaving. he has encouraged my heart over the past months in so many ways, i will never be able to count them all. he sat and talked to me for a long while about this move and his thoughts on my journey and just life. i told him about what i have been learning. he started to cry and it made me cry. he has filled my heart with ope every time he stepped foot into the shop and yesterday he told me that i gave him hope and felling like a miserable mess, i began to cry. i don't know how the Lord can use us when we are down to give hope to others but i love that He does. we said goodbye but there was a see you at christmas attached to the end of that:) this really sweet women theresa came in as well. i had my first huge conversation with her just a couple weeks ago but i have been getting her mochas with whip ready for some time:) that first conversation shook me up deeply and it came at the perfect time. yesterday i had hoped i would see her because my move went along perfectly with her words of encouragement just days before i found out about the job. she gave me hugs and there were tears and somehow she had even more encouragements left in her:) i was so overwhelmed by those two.
after work, i drove up to one of my favorite places on this little big planet to have lunch with two of the most wonderful girls. Sarah and Ginger. these two ladies i met some time ago and it was hard not to just love them. they have such a special story. Sarah i love for so many reasons. she is so true to who she is. her life love story not only with her husband but with ginger is beautiful and i think has played a role in the person she is and the person she will continue to become. i love that she is able to love the Lord so raw in joyful times and in times of brokenness. Sarah, if you read this, you are amazing, my friend! we had lunch at one of my favorite places, i will miss el mex:) our drive up there was full of laughs. you know when someone has an unforgettable laugh and you will just remember it well? Ginger has one of those and it is a good one! she also has this crazy new high chair...it attaches to the table and she just hangs there. i don't think she will ever have a problem with heights:) our time there started off with such a laugh and it will be something to remember. while ginger ate her yummy food there was some really great conversation happening. i will be so excited to read her blogs and updates about how the Lord is moving in their lives! also, i got an amazing bouquet of beautiful and good smelling flowers. they filled the kitchen up with a sweet aroma when i brought them home and i just love that. thank you Sarah Sampson. you are a sweet spirit and i will be praying for you and Derek and your wonderful Ginger.
Last night i was able to spend some time with my family and a couple close family friends. it was so good for my heart but a little bit a lot sad. i wonder if aura went through these same motions just before she left? we played board games, i tried but i kept getting distracted, ate lots of food, i cried some here and there, laughed, talked. i was so encouraged and loved that night and it filled my heart with goodness. i received some pretty special little going away gifts that i am so grateful for. there were cards and a bicycle planner and a lovely coffee set and a new apron, i will become a cooking machine, and a journal, and just some really nice unexpected things. robyn gave me some really amazing stuff for my new classroom and i can't wait to use it. robishka, i love you my sweet friend.
it was a day i don't think i will forget for a very long time. there was too much goodness there to forget. i am so grateful for friendship and family and all of the wonderful things i have here. home.
love.

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another night....

of goodness for my heart in a time of need. seeing my family play board games and laugh and eat and love with old old friends was pure renewal for my spirit. it is crazy to think that just days from now i will only get to enjoy game night with them months from now. i will write more about yesterday today...but hours from now when a good deal of packing is done and i have had some sleep:)

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Friday, August 13, 2010

it is late...

in one of my last posts i stated things might be different, they might not. they are. as of yesterday. i work very early in the morning...5 hours until wake up time. packing has begun. yes, packing. they will call me ms. opris...or maybe ms. o...:) what am i talking about??? in just a few days i will be moving to florida. i am the newest member of the montverde academy and i just still can't believe it. perhaps it will be a while until it sets in. i will get to teach what i love to young people. WOW. this is good. He is faithful. so time for bed...

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Thursday, August 12, 2010

tonight...

was a special night for me.
i sat outside in the backyard in the dark hoping to see something special. there was a meteor shower...i didn't see any. but i still stayed outside for a long time. i sat there in the dark with penny. she kept hopping up to lick my toes...my feet were up so she had to hop up to reach them:) she was making sleepy sounds, i think i kept her up past her bedtime:)
my mom and dad sat with me for a while. i loved it. my dad told me that the stars twinkling, they are not really twinkling, they are shivering because it is cold up there:) they went in after some time and it was just penny, mufasa, and me again. they ran off to play and i just sat. i looked out at the many silhouettes. the stars were multiplying, or so it seemed. i just waited and waited and nothing...and finally i saw it. no meteor anything, just a simple shooting star. i think if you sit out for long enough, you will see one;)
i went in to grab music and listened a long while. i looked up at the open sky, it is so vast. and it just sort of caused me to cry for a bit. good tears. i got up and danced with penny. i think if she could have, she would have laughed at me...a lot. so i am glad she can't. i sang to her because she came and sat next to me. i sang to her about sailing to the moon and i think she liked it...she fell asleep:) the moon was invisible but imagine what it would be like to sail to the moon. it made me think of treasure planet. love that movie.
i thought about lovely things tonight. it was something about the open sky maybe. or penny sleeping next to me maybe. or the music maybe. i don't know what, but it was good. things i had hidden away in my heart...old things, new things...just came pouring out. i felt ready to go in.
when i came into my room, there was a roll of beautiful wrapping paper on my bed just screaming to be used. normally i wouldn't even think to do something so late, but i did. i wrapped away and am keeping the scraps...they are too nice to toss:)
no magic in the sky...that one shooting star. but it was magic nonetheless. today is a new day.
wouldn't it HAVE been nice?...:)

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

also...

if you have not looked through the pages of this book, you should! it is awesome.

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today...

sometimes we have times in our lives where things are just a blur. i think we decide what kind of blur it will be. there are good blurs and harmful blurs...i think. i think i might know this because i have experienced each kind up to this point in life. my mom told me i was too young for them, both kinds anyway, i think she means the harmful one, but there isn't an age on these things...that is what i told her in return. she is a good lady, my mom:)
harmful blurs consume us. we get lost and confused in them. we need answers that we cannot have because they are not for us to have. the good blurs, we just know we have to ride them. and where ever they lead to, we just go joyfully. and if they don't, we are still joyful about it. because we know that is our only option....well, there is always the self pity way but in the good blur, that isn't an option.
today is a day of many blurs and while everything in me is screaming to be a daisy downer, my heart is saying NO. and that brings so much joy to me. blurry, yes. but hopeless, no. today may bring changes, and it may not. but it is ok. i am glad i don't know it all. it leaves a little room for mystery:) but if you read this, i will ask that you think of me a bit today, and when you do, do it specifically to say a little prayer for me. don't think it as selfish, just in need of prayer:)
one thing i know is that my hope is built on nothing less than my sweet Jesus and that is a really good thing. something i can hold on tightly to...forever.
because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you...because you are my help, i sing in the shadow of your wings. ps63
i hope you see brightness in your day.
over and out.

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Monday, August 9, 2010

just this...

Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings, you have power over life and death. You know even things that are uncertain and obscure, and our very thoughts and feelings are not hidden from you. Cleanse me from my secret faults, and I have done wrong and you saw it. You know how weak I am, both in soul and in body. Give me strength, O Lord, in my frailty and sustain me in my sufferings. Grant me a prudent judgement, dear Lord, and let me always be mindful of your blessings. Let me retain until the end your grace that has protected me till now.

~~ St Ephrem of Syria, Deacon, Poet and Doctor

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Friday, August 6, 2010

the getty.

i sat with alec in the back seat and he told me all about his seven dogs and three cats and six water fountains....all nonexistent:) the dogs and the cats were all great but the one thing that caught my attention the most was one of his water fountains. it is an eggplant fountain and the water comes out of the egg! geez louise did i laugh like crazy when he told me all about that one. i know that it is his favorite one because it is the one he kept going back to and i along with henry and sherri chuckled every time. he is such a sweet kid and his imagination is SO big and i just admire that about him. we lose that with time/age, whatever, and i just admire his. he is a breath of fresh air. i drew an egg plant...don't judge it:)
the exhibits were wonderful. i saw my favorite piece. this one i like to visit when i go to the getty. if you ever wanted to know what my favorite piece of art is, this is it. astronomer by candlelight. gerrit dou.
the old testament manuscript exhibit was nice. there was an ethiopian manuscript that stood out from the rest so beautifully. they were all wonderful.
the one exhibit that stood out to me the most was gerome. it was brilliant. i love friends:)

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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

PASSION

it is all around us and in us. it is GOOD. i am going to see some at the getty in the morning. there it is in the art. it is different everywhere and that is good. thank you balzer family:)

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