My Life Is Yours

"Take my will and make it thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart--it is thine own,
It shall be thy royal throne."

~Frances Ridley Havergal

My Worries

I laid awake in bed last night thinking of all the things that worried me. I thought it would be helpful to see this list face-to-face.

Things that Worry Me

1. Finding a husband
2. Graduating
3. Finding a job
4. Meeting current class deadlines
5. Catching up on class reading
6. Conflict with my family
7. Providing sufficiently for my future family
8. My grandfather eventually passing away
9. and how my family and I will react to the short-term and long-term consequences
10. Will I get everything done?
11. Am I missing out on all that God has for me today?
12. Working too much and resting too little
13. Letting work control my life rather than His Spirit

friends

Simple

was there ever a simple life?

a life devoid of things not big but things that are small?

a life where "the next big thing" does not matter?

a life where we find strength in the small things,

peace in heartfelt things,

and hope in simple things?

is simple really better?

does simple define who i am?

does complexity define who i am?

or, is it a matter of complexity?

am i such a complex person that there really is no simplicity to me?

are simple acts complex?

or, are complex acts really simple?

is it our perspective?

does our perspective change as we view familiar things or new things?

did God give us both complexity and simplicity?

a t-shirt by Edison Glass says:

"see with new sight changed eyes different perspective"

A Dose of Reality

"...What drives the decision to live divided no more, with the risks it entails?
How do people find the courage to bring inner conviction into harmony with the outer act,
knowing when they do,
that the force of the institution may come down on their heads?

...The difference between the person who goes to the back of the bus and
the one who decides to sit up front
is probably lost in the mystery of the human heart.
But in Rosa Parks and others like her, I see a clue to an answer:
when you realize you can no longer collaborate in something that violates
your own integrity,
your understanding of punishment is suddenly transformed.

Whne the police came to Rosa Parks on the bus
and informed her that they would have to put her in jail if she did not move,
she replied, 'You may do that.'
It was a very polite way of saying,
'How could your jail begin to compare with the jail I have had myself in all these years
by collaborating with this racist system?'

The courage to live divided no more,
to face the punishment that may follow,
comes from this simple insight.

No punishment anyone lays on you
could possibly be worse
than the punishment you lay on yourself
by conspiring in your own diminshment."

(my teacher gave this excerpt out in class today.
if you want to read more:
Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer (1998) p. 171)

life

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong."

~ Joseph Chilton Pearce

it makes me think...

i saw this in my church bulletin. it made me think of all the countless amounts of time i spend thinking negatively about a person or situation. what if all those times i thought of something positive about the person or situation? what if i start doing that now?

For a Happier Life:

~Do not give in to anger over the past or fear of the future. Do not look backwards or forwards. Enjoy the present.

~Do not waste your time and energy on grudges, gossip and negative thoughts. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

~Envy is a waste of time. God will provide what you need.

~Enjoy the simple things.

~Remember, everything in moderation.

~Play more games and read more funny books.

~Do not take yourself so seriously. Cultivate a sense of humor. Laugh a lot.

~Count your blessings and be thankful.

rest & listen

"All who are weary come to me and I will give you rest."

today,
just rest.
turn off the t.v.,
silence the music,
dim the lights,
and just
sit.

today,
just rest.

questions to ponder:
* is it hard or is it easy to do nothing?
* what do you hear?
* what do you feel?
* what do you long for?
* what are you grateful for right now?

What Are You Searching For?

"The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give it away."

~ D. Viscott

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though.

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake

The only sounds the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

A Simple Verse that is Often Overlooked

peace be with you today, tomorrow, and forever