Kyrie Eleison

in everything there is constancy,

"And in the middle of a struggle
there's a quiet place you can go
Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know..."

and there is crying out.

be still? are you kidding me? do you KNOW how much i have to do today? i don't have TIME to be still.

there is crying out,

can't i just download a devotional or song or prayer or something to my PDA and get my god-fix for the day? God knows how stressed i am. He wouldn't want me to be stressed about spending time with him, too...

and there is letting go.

"...Right in your heart there is a temple
come and bow before the throne
Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know." ~Kim Hill

yet, there is constancy.

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i sat down tonight and listened to a CD that i use in my massage sessions. really listened.

this particular cd always relaxes me, helps me really leave stuff outside the room and focus on just being there. i guess i don't notice much what's going on in me, because i'm always focused on what's going on in whomever i'm working on.

so tonight i decided i really needed to take some time out for me. my body's wrecked from doing too many massages last week. my bones are tired. so much so it's hard for me to think. it's time for some yoga and music.

my mind becomes quieter as i listen to breath coming in, breath going out. hearing the tibetan singing bowls pushes my thoughts to the edge of the pool. i begin to feel individual muscles stretch in each pose. some let go as others become taut. breath in, breath out.

the Kyrie Eleison begins. it is Greek for "Lord, have mercy." i notice things i normally don't hear in this song. in each part of it, there is a constant voice, and there is one that literally sounds like it is crying out, to me, maybe even for me. there is no disharmony, no matter how much the crying out part deviates from the constant, just tension between the voices. yet, there is no resolution until the crying out lets go and joins the constancy.

there is that inner spirit in me, that draws me, even when i am running and crying out. it remains constant, no matter where i am, no matter where i run, no matter how much i rage and try to avoid the truth. there is no pressure for me to stop running or raging or avoiding, yet i never feel peace, until i join the constancy. it is only when i let go that the tension resolves into the constancy that is already there. that may have a different look than stillness at times, yet, there is always a place for being still.

_____________________________________________________

in everyting there is constancy,
and there is crying out.

there is crying out,
and there is letting go.

yet, there is constancy.

shout out to "stupid" quizzes

thanks to my friend, Nancy, for sharing this enlightening quiz with me. thought i'd pass it along...


Breakfast Quiz


In the middle of the table is a round food tray with five kinds of Fruits on it.

a. Apple
b. Banana
c. Strawberry
d. Peach
e. Orange

Which fruit will you choose? Please think VERY carefully and don't rush into it. This is great, I was astounded! Your choice reveals a lot about you!


Test results: Please SCROLL DOWN





If you have chosen:

a. Apple: That means you are a person who loves to eat apples
b. Banana: That means you are a person who loves to eat bananas
c. Strawberry: That means you are a person who loves to eat strawberries
d. Peach: That means you are a person who loves to eat peaches
e. Orange: That means you are a person who loves to eat oranges

I hope you find fulfillment in this new insight about yourself. May it bring you peace and understanding, tranquility and all that other profound stuff. Mostly, may it remind you that the God who made you has a sense of humor, too.

white stuff = H2O

i am sooooooo lovin the snow! the only thing that has remotely annoyed me is that it took me longer than i thought to leave for work on Saturday.

i went outside to scrape the snow off my windshield. lo, and behold, there was a layer of ice waiting for me underneath the powder. yikes! yeah, you know the drill - left the defrost running to melt it enough for me to scrape it off. i waited inside, where it was warm and toasty, though. my momma didn't raise no dummies!

funniest thing i saw Saturday had to be my cat's reaction to the snow.

we get up, eat breakfast, and she then heads straight to the balcony door, wanting to go out as usual. i'm just as curious as Sasha is, curious how she'll react to the snow. so, i open the sliding glass door, then the screen door and she bolts full force onto the balcony...

...for all of two steps. she takes two steps and stops cold (literally) in her tracks! she looks up at me like, "what IS this stuff???" and backs up onto the carpet shaking her paws off one at a time. there are two perfect kitty paw prints left in the fresh powder on the balcony (yeah, i didn't get a picture, soooo wish i had).

then my roommate's male cat, Kozwell, wants his turn outside, again, as usual. i open the sliding glass door, he takes one look and whiff and doesn't even move. he looks up at me like, "you have got to be kidding me, lady! i know what THAT stuff is."

yeah, he's from Chicago, where they have REAL snow. smart cat =)

v-day blues

so my mom sent me the usual card and package for valentine's.

or so i thought. went to the post office today to pick it up. anticipating some good chocolate, i unwrap the package without any ado. tearing through the brown outer paper, snapping through each taped side of the package (wrapped as any good OCD mom would) and rip-popping through the bubble wrap to discover a CD.

yes, i said a CD. wrapped in red paper. but still a CD.

okay, i appreciate the CD and i know it probably cost way more, but where's my freakin candy???

don't cha know a girl needs chocolate on v-day, mom? yes, i love Amy Grant, and you get props for knowing she's my favorite, but still...

I WANT DA CANDY!!!

thankfully, there was some chocolate for all of us at the spa today. the typical assorted big heart-shaped box (you never know what you're gonna get...) AND a box of assorted Ghiradelli (read: YUM) good stuffs!!!

blunt deficient ------->|<------- tact deficient

have you ever noticed that southern men are blunt deficient?

bless their hearts...

i'm telling you, it's true. they can't handle a woman that's blunt. they don't know what to do with the truth being shoved in their faces without any warning or sugar coating or dancing around to make it easier to swallow.

their system becomes shocked and overloaded and they proceed to become thoroughly offended and tell the woman that she copped an attitude with them.

in the same way, blunt women are tact deficient.

they don't know how to use "when you say X it makes me feel like X" neutral kind of statements, or tell a short story to make a vague point about an issue. and unless you take the time to get to know them, you might be offended by the bluntness.

yes, dear friends, it's a dilemma.

Tagged, again...

Four jobs that you have had in your life . . .
bookkeeping
server
art/music instructor
wilderness camp counselor

Four movies that you could watch over and over:
The Shawshank Redemption
Corrina, Corrina
The Karate Kid
Spaceballs

Four places that you've lived:
(find these on a map!)
Willow, KY
Eufaula, AL
Livingston, AL
Flomaton, AL

Four TV shows you love to watch:
Alias
Commander in Chief
Four Kings
Las Vegas

Four places you've been on vacation:
Destin, FL
Disney World
Hawaii (it was really a mission trip, but hey, it's Hawaii, man!)
Las Vegas

Four of your favorite foods:
Pizza
Cheese and Triscuits
Mexican (anything)
Home-grown Vegetables

Four sites I visit (almost) daily :
winmovieticketsnow.com
tvguide.com
ebay.com
google

Four bloggers I am tagging:
Queen MAB
Heather
Siali
the hilarious ladies of That Ain't Right