Do you ever wonder why life just speeds up without warning?
Why do we have to think through a million decisions in an hour.
When did ordering a cup of coffee get so complicated?

I don't know.

But one thing I do know. Life is full of goodness. Full of color and life and passion. When you start to lose your vibrancy, just stick close to someone who is pressing on. They're liveliness will rub off on you and pretty soon you'll be up an running again.

Until then, there's the joy of hope. Real hope. Everlasting hope that is being fulfilled today and will be fulfilled in the days when Christ returns to the Earth.

We are pilgrims in this life and I must remember that. For when I do, nothing phases me. No tests nor storms nor trials of any kind will disturb my soul.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever... Hebrews 6:19-20a

I'm praising God for deep, beautiful friendships, hospitality and good Chik-fil-A coffee this morning.

Labels: Chick-fil-A, freedom

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
until each appears before God in Zion.
Psalm 84:5-7

Even when it seems that a storm is taking over, you can be reminded that the rains bring abundance in the harvest. If we lived in an agrarian society, rain would have a much deeper meaning to us. Granted, no one in their right mind likes a hurricane, but we can be thankful for the rain. The land will benefit from the water even though it destroyed some stuff in the process of falling.

Monday is September 22. September 22 is the autumnal equinox or the first day of fall. I'm looking forward to it. A new season. A new beginning and praise the Lord, we will again have a current flow through our home as of 10am this morning. Kite flying Benjamin Franklin would be happy for us. Light and power is a good thing when your getting dressed for school at 5am on Monday morning.

Labels: Conroe, Hurricane

Hello friends. I have frequently shared photos from my beloved circle of quiet to borrow a term from Madeleine L'Engle. The old country club golf course near my house has been a frequented spot for solitude and refreshment. I ventured out to explore it after the hurricane.

In the days following the hurricane, I have seen a lot of broken things. It has got me to thinking about the reality of our spiritual condition. Consider this verse from the thirty sixth book of Isaiah in the Old Testament:

Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. But if you say to me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is it not he(I) whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar"? v6-7

How often do I put my trust in Egypt? How often do I think that even the 'good' things in my life will protect and sustain me? How often to I hold someone besides the Lord in high esteem in my heart? All these things will eventually 'pierce my hand' when I trust in them. However, in the wake of brokenness, there is a great light. When we come to a place of saying, I trust in the LORD my God, he will remove the barriers we have set up between us and Him. He will bring us to His temple to worship Him from a pure heart. Glory!

Labels: Community Development, Conroe, Hurricane

Hi friends. All is well in Conroe. Well, actually, it's a little crazy here but thankfully there was minimal damage to my home.

I don't really know where to start with processing this storm.

It was big.
It made a mess.
It cost a lot of money.
It destroyed a lot of plans.
It canceled my classes indefinitely.
It put our power out for 1-4 weeks.

I'll post as I have access to power.

Our help is from the LORD, who made the heavens and the earth.
Psalm 124:8

Labels: Conroe, Hurricane

Maddie is a little wild-eyed today. I think she knows Hurricane Ike is coming.

It's 10:30 here. They're saying the 'big wind' is coming around 4:30 in the morning. I'm thinking that I might wake up to find some tree limbs in the swimming pool and green leaves carpeting the ground. I suppose there could be some serious damage, but I'm praying it's minimal.

Praying for friends to be safe and sound. Praying for the water to drain off quickly. Praying for the hospitals to keep power. Just hoping good things for folks.

I'll miss you guys if the power is down a bit. I'll be back when the power is back.

“The wise man in the storm prays to God, not for safety from danger, but deliverance from fear” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Labels: Hurricane, Maddie

refuge |ˈrefˌyoōj; -ˌyoō zh |
noun
a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble
• something providing such shelter : the family came to be seen as a refuge from a harsh world.
ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French, from Latin refugium, from re- ‘back’ + fugere ‘flee.’

Today has me thinking a little more about the term refuge. I need a refuge today. Right now I'm sitting on the second floor of the Texas Woman's Campus in the Texas Medical Center. But in a couple of hours I am leaving and I'm not coming back until the hurricane passes. I think it's interesting that we have a very heightened awareness of our physical needs and we make all kinds of provisions for our physical safety. Tomorrow's classes are being cancelled...bottles of water are being stockpiled...hundreds of extraneous phone calls are being made to check on everyone.

Many times in our life we face emotional or mental storms that threaten to tear us apart from the inside out. Where is our shelter from those storms?

This is a photo of Virginia Lane, my street. The shade of the trees, the subtle hills, the familiar faces all help me to settle into peace when I arrive home. I'm learning little more with every storm I face that God is strong enough to protect me and guide me to safety.

For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. -Psalm 27:5

Labels: peace

I've come across this quote quite a bit in the last few years but I've never taken to time to read it in its entirety. These thoughts inspire and challenge me.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond imagination. It is our light more than our darkness which scares us. We ask ourselves – who are we to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, and fabulous. But honestly, who are you to not be so?

You are a child of God, small games do not work in this world. For those around us to feel peace, it is not example to make ourselves small. We were born to express the glory of god that lives in us. It is not in some of us, it is in all of us. While we allow our light to shine, we unconsciously give permission for others to do the same. When we liberate ourselves from our own fears, simply our presence may liberate others. -Marianne Williamson

This quote gives me further encouragement to be completely alive.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. -Jesus(recorded in the book of Matt)

Deep thoughts. I'm heading home from school now. Bye friends.

Labels: everyday art, glory

I'd like to share with you a passage from a favorite book of mine called A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle. Here she shares her perspective on the role of words in our life.

The simplest word is almost always the right word. I am convinced that Beatrix Potter used 'soporific' because it was, it really and truly was, the only right word for lettuce at that moment. One of my favorite authors, Anon, wrote, centuries ago:

The written word
Should be clean as bone,
Clear as light,
Firm as stone.
Two words are not
As good as one.

I should pay more attention to those lines than I do. The writer who listens to them will do his own limiting, but it will come from inside, it will come from a creative response and not from an arbitrary restriction, which is the structure that imprisons instead of the structure that liberates.

The more limited our language is, the more limited we are; the more limited the literature we give to our children, the more limited their capacity to respond, and therefore, in their turn, to create. The more our vocabulary is controlled, the less we will be able to think for ourselves. We do think in words, and the fewer words we know, the more restricted our thoughts. As our vocabulary expands, so does our power to think. Try to comprehend an abstract idea without words: we may be able to imagine a turkey dinner. But try something more complicated; try to ask questions, to look for meaning: without words we don't get very far. If we limit and distort language, we limit and distort personality.

I'll leave the sharing to Madeleine today. Have a beautiful week friends.

Deal bountifully with your servant,
that I may live and keep your word. Psalm 119:17

Labels: everyday art, Word

I'm sitting at Panera this morning having a lovely time with my anatomy notes. I know that statement sounds sarcastic, but I am really just enjoying this liesurely time to study. I woke up this morning to a crispness in the air. The fist hint of fall is here and it awakens my heart this time every year. I feel a little more childlike, a little more energetic and I begin to think of how to decorate for the holidays. Good thoughts.

My friend Karli(from growing up in Conroe) always had the best fall and Christmas decorations at their house. Miss Cydney was full of creativity and love for her home. I always enjoyed seeing their house this time of year. When I was sitting down this morning at the coffee shop, guess who I saw. None other than Karli and her momma. We caught up on the last 2 years of our lives(in brief) and exchanged hugs. My heart was lightened.
While sitting here this morning I have been overhearing some wonderful conversations. If you can see far behind me there is a group of ladies in a knitting group. Yes they are just sitting around talking about yarn and life and specialty yarn shops in Brenham. I absolutely love knitting and even though my spare time is devoted to the books these days, it was fun to hear them discussing the craft.

Now take a look to the left. There is a group of men in their 40s and 50s sitting behind me. Most of their morning was just spend shooting the breeze, but there is something so comforting about hearing men discuss their family and civic life. I could tell by the way they mentioned their wives and families that they love the Lord and are just trying to do this everyday aspect of life well.
Study breaks over...back to the books.
Have a lovely Saturday friends.
You are much loved.

Labels: fall, family, Knitting, PT

Meet Maggie.
Maggie likes to roam.
Often Maggie likes to be alone.
Maggie eats
and Maggie sleeps.
Maggie meows
and Maggie purrs.
Maggie decides when she wants to play.
Today Maggie wanted to play.

Then Maggie ran away.

I hope you are having a beautiful day friends.
Here's a thought...

Why do animals have such crazy fun personalities?

God's creativity never ceases to amaze me.

Remember when you were little and all the team moms wanted to take a group picture. You see spots for a while. You get overwhelmed, sick of the photo frenzy. You want out of the forced team pose. All you see are spots.

But sometimes you can take a look up, quit focusing on the flashes and see that you can look beyond the line of soccer moms and just 'be' right where you're at. This is how I'm coping with grad school. Bear with me a minute. It's a crazy analogy I know, but think about it. I have seven professors all with very 'important' assignments. I could spend my time getting quite overwhelmed or I can look beyond the deadlines and declarative statements and see the big plan. I am walking on a blessed road. This opportunity is a gift and I can choose to simply enjoy being here. So I'm choosing to look beyond the dots.

So I enjoy this view. This is what I see from the lunch room of school. It's beautiful and the chairs a quite cozy. I'm learning to be at home where I am. School can be restful, even with constant deadlines. I'm choosing to still do what I love (like blogging!)

And then this evening, the Lord helped me unwind a bit more with this glorious image in his creation.

This verse encouraged me today...
I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:22-23

His glory is all around us. Enjoy today friends.

Labels: everyday art, physical therapy