LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

sun shining...being a good nwestern girl i never take it for granted...yoga, coffee, banana pancakes, praying while i clean, reading the Word, ani difranco, beck, & enter the worship circle on my ipod, enjoying the wind sneaking in through my open window...breathing it deep...
for all these things i rejoice with my life...

AND CAN IT BE THAT I SHOULD GAIN?

i love hymns...i think that may be one of the reasons why the "olds" (as my friend giordi likes to call those over 60) like me. let me just say i LOVE the olds and they call me "preacher girl" so we're even...
anyway...lately i've been meditating on And Can It Be That I Should Gain...
And can it be that I should gainAn interest in the Savior’s blood?Died He for me, who caused His pain—For me, who Him to death pursued?Amazing love! How can it be,That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?Amazing love! How can it be,That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
He left His Father’s throne aboveSo free, so infinite His grace—Emptied Himself of all but love,And bled for Adam’s helpless race:’Tis mercy all, immense and free,For O my God, it found out me!’Tis mercy all, immense and free,For O my God, it found out me!
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;My chains fell off, my heart was free,I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.My chains fell off, my heart was free,I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
how could it be...that little old me could have the opportunity to share the Good News...that i could be a part of the NEW THING that God is doing...that i could have the opportunity to live in the Life of Christ...
things are ending at aurora. i prayed for over an hour this morning in the sanctuary - closing my eyes and imagining all the beautiful faces that i will miss...but what an amazing thing this following Jesus is...we do not lose one another...we only gain more Love...more Hope....more more more....
i am more than blessed with opportunities. i thank Him. new things are on the horizon for us...if you are the praying kind, pray.
Long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature's night; Thine eyes diffused a quickening ray - I woke, the dungeon flamed with Light; my chains fell off, my HEART WAS FREE, i rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
my heart is free...

I COULD WEEP

21,500 bad number, bad idea....COME QUICKLY LORD CHRIST!

THE ART OF BEING DISLIKED

for some reason, in the past few days, i have been the object of the rantings and anger of random people...first, at a church i preached at sunday - apparently, i am part of the hauerwasianfemalewesleyanpinko plot to destroy america...then at an all norwegian community - i am not a racist but i do seem to pick up driftwood and then put it down again in a DIFFERENT spot (two feet from where i found it on the ground - gasp)....finally, at work where i became a an easy target and punching bag for an angry and rigid person....who decided to personally attack me for being uppity and unlikable because i was unable to make phone calls and concentrate when a circular saw is two inches from my ear. i am exasperated. one of the most frustrating parts of this is that i try to walk in the love and kindness of Jesus...and yet....
i can forgive these folks...it isn't hard given that it is just what broken people do - hurt others...but i am still wondering what i am to learn from being a target for angst lately.
i have decided to meditate on how it must have been for Christ to be spit on, beaten, and killed by the very ones He loved...the very ones He was dying for...and i am reminded of the cost of discipleship. it really sucks sometimes...
my desire is that i will be able to focus on the joys and deflect the rage and anger...i read somewhere that buddhist monks imagine that there is a bubble around them that is impenetrable by anger...i think that is one of the things that the blood of Christ does, i want to claim that...i'm trying...
i do not want any opportunity for me to be closer to Him wasted. so i am growing and learning to listen....and learning, hopefully, the art of being disliked...

btw www.kellyvivanco.com - someday i hope to have one of her paintings...so beautiful...