When I read that title, I wasn’t sure who had written it, Alicia or Dan…both could have.

You see, if there’s one word that characterizes Jarrett, it’s MORE.

The dictionary gives the definition of more as greater in quality, degree, or amount.  That was Jarrett.  He was more, did more and gave more… as a brother,a son, a grandson, as a brother-in-law, uncle, nephew, as an athlete, student, and friend.

Jarrett was more, did more, gave more…more joy, more laughter, more love, more effort, more determination, more of himself.

We thank God for Jarrett and the more he added to each of our lives.

After 36 years and 2 recoverings, our prized lazy boy rocker recliner will soon be going to the furniture graveyard…After shopping for days, and having way too many choices on spending way too much money, we found the loveseat of my dreams ( simple lines, dark brown leather), and it will be delivered next week.  The Room Store is our new favorite furniture place.  On our way out we spied a huge watercolor picture that is already hanging above our fireplace.  It fit with 1/2 ” to spare!

Of course, we’re expecting that the new piece may make our sofa and chair look a bit on the shabby side, but we’re ok with that look for awhile.  Infact, I may be teaching myself how to make a slip cover. (Alicia’s dress designing inspired me!)

I had my very first facial this morning @ Von Lee in Pikesville, an international school of Aesthetics…who knew???  It was 90 minutes of pampering and the most gentle, sweet massage.  I loved every minute of it, and will definitely go back and take lots of friends. My skin feels amazing!

I feel like a prisoner today.  We’re getting a new roof, and to go outside is to take a chance.  There’s roof debris everywhere. It’s constantly falling.  And, the roofers have destroyed my plantings around the house, so I don’t want to look till everything is done and cleaned up.  Then my work will start as I try to salvage plants and make things look nice again.  I know things will be gone with our first big frost, but I want everything to last as long as possible. (Our first little frost was last night.)
John says siding is next…I wonder how long it will take us to agree on a color?
Tonight we’re off to a Feast of Tabernacles in Westminster.  We went last year, and it was so much fun…lots of music and dancing… a real celebration!

I picked this bowlful of goodies from our garden this morning…yes, the garden on our deck that the deer can’t get to. I’m already dreaming bigger and better…like terracing the back hill and adding some fruit trees. One of our neighbors showed me this beautiful fence-like thing her husband’s been making her out of copper piping and deer netting to protect her veggies and flowers from the critters. Maybe John needs a hobby??? Gotta get him rehabilitated first.

SHOW ME HOW…

How do I enjoy and delight in You?

How do I adore you, O Lord?

How do I honor, and worship You

With my thoughts and my deeds and my words?

You alone are worthy of all my praise.

Your will not mine must be done.

How do I live high above my circumstances

As a handmaiden in Your kingdom?

How do I lay aside all that gets in the way

Of living the life You intend?

How do I change the way that I think about things?

How do I become Your best friend?

Life without You is full of anger and pain,

A senseless chasing of temporary things.

How do I open my eyes, my ears, my heart to Your truth?

Where’s the joy that knowing You brings?

What’s real? What’s counterfeit? How do I know?

You lived a love so radical and true.

How do I live in that same amazing way?

How do I get to be just like You?

How do I live in Your Kingdom, and not in the world?

How do I live like I believe what You say?

How do I obey and glorify You?

How do I receive Your abundance day by day?

How do I accept You as Father and Lover and Friend,

My Rock, my Castle, my Shield?

You promise a relationship like no other.

How do I make it all real?

How do I surrender every part of myself?

Am I willing to pay that price?

How do I stop the selfishness and greed?

How do I choose discipline and sacrifice?

The timetable is Yours, the work is Yours,

even the battle You have declared won.

How do I rest at Your feet and bask in Your peace?

You in me, me in You. Are we One?

The journey’s begun, the questions are asked.

I will proceed at the pace You allow.

You are all that I need, You are all that I want,

And You will show me how.

Thanks Dan, Alicia, and Audrey!

I found this while cleaning. I like it as much now as when it was first given to me…

Let it be a dance we do.
May I have this dance with you?
Through the good times and the bad times, too.
Let it be a dance.

Learn to follow, learn to lead.
Feel the rhythm, fill the need.
To reap the harvest, plant the seed.
And let it be a dance.

Morning star comes out at night.
Without the dark, there is no light.
If nothing’s wrong, then nothing’s right.
Let it be a dance!

…Ric Masten

My darling husband just bought himself a new/used sony clie (color with a memory stick) on an ebay auction. I get his old one. I’ve been coveting it for quite awhile…eversince I found out it has dictionary and word search features loaded in….oh and so much more. And it fits in my purse…my Strong’s and Webster’s 1828 don’t. Thanks, dear.

Actually resigned would be a better word. I am no longer a member of the Women’s Council of our church. At the very first meeting I felt that familiar (this isn’t for you) knot in my stomach, but I perservered, and actually had lots of fun along the way, deepened friendships, and organized spectacular events. But from the moment I made it official, my creative juices revived. That’s usually a sign for me…when I stop feeling and being creative, I need to re-evaluate and simplify. Something has to stop, so something better/more important can start/continue. Works every time. So look out, I’m planning all kinds of new adventures!

40 days of preparation….40 is the Hebrew number for new beginnings.

It’s a choice…
I refuse to be disappointed!

…in God
…in myself
…in those I love

(Somebody hold me accountable.)

We surprised Joy this morning with a breakfast wedding shower. Lots of friends, lots of gifts, lots of fun. Leslie did an amazing job of gettting it all together and keeping it a secret.
I loved re-connecting with people I haven’t seen for years…and meeting some of the others that share Joy’s life.
May Joy and Jon’s shared adventure be colorful, joyful, and fruitful!

I just got back from a funeral.
I met a little (4′9″), old (80 something) red-haired Jewish woman walking the mall almost a year ago. She immediately let me into her life. We had lunch, talked often, I saw pics of her family, and her family gatherings. And when I was in Nazareth in Oct. with my mom who had just had heart surgery, Bea would call to check on mom, and encourage me to do whatever was necessary for mom, and I would never be sorry. Bea was amazing..she was so full of life and joy, and she did amazing things…tutored reading, threw parties, cooked gourmet meals, sewed amazing clothes, exercised, read voraciously, and loved extravagantly to the very end of her life here.
She died Wed. morning. Her daughter, whom I had never met, called to tell me. Today I went to her funeral and learned so much more about this woman. She married the love of her life, and shortly after her children were born, he died. She raised her children as a single mom. Some of those children died also. She graduated from college…she was also the only one in her fam to finish hs, then went on to get her masters. She “adopted” hundreds of handicapped children, made sure they were taught the skills necessary to live independently, and paid for much of it herself. She tirelessly advocated for group homes, and worked in many.
She volunteered at her granchildren’s schools when her children had to work. She was never too busy to show she cared.
She made people her priority. She taught her children the Word, and lived her “religion”, although not a single person would have called her religious. She knew how to pray, and spent lots of time doing it. One of her faorite expressions was…”I’ll be dead for a long time, I’ll rest then”.
I want to be like her when I grow up….No, I want to grow up now, and live that life. It was a privilege to take part in an old Jewish tradition of adding a shovel of dirt to the grave as a last act of caring for the person being buried.

I have never experienced anything like this….away in Gettysburg with a snowstorm threatening…those that didn’t let the weather report scare them away got more than their money’s worth.
Never before have I been to a gathering where God made Himself known as we set up, and never left.
Never before have I been to a gathering where every woman heard from God personally, was”ministered” to and “ministered” to others. Two of “my girls” came, and they were embraced by all the older women. There were no cliques, no groups, just women loving women in the most amazing ways. Now there were only 28 of us, but we connected with God and each other, and it was SWEET!
I even had requests for Lectio Divina on a regular basis. Only 4 of the women had ever done L.D. before, and it was with me. We used one of the hotel rooms where it was quiet, and we relaxed, and listened. Most of the women had never taken the time to slow down like that before. I tell you, it was sooooooo good.
There was no main speaker, no silly games, or activites, just lots of worship, prayer, Bible study, and quiet listening. Doesn’t get much better than that.
And now this snow….15 inches and still coming altho slowly. No place to go, a fire in the fire place, and time….I love it!

I was reminded of this the other night. It was something I used to hold very dear, but it seems to have gotten away from me lately. I’m taking steps to reclaim this vision and practice this ministry of presence.

More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories, and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but you truly love them.
Henri Nouwen from Gracias

Warning…rambling…
Oh, to be thankful in every situation…will I ever get to that point?
I just sat through a “Thanksgiving Service”…completely scripted, truly lacking….I long for worship with my friends, sharing with my friends, time with my friends.
I received the most touching email today from one of “my girls” who in three short sentences loved on me and validated me, and brought tears to me bc I had no idea of the depth that God allowed us to touch with each other…
I want more of that…

Saturday is 2 years since Jack died, and it’s messing with us.

I am counting the omer for 49 days from the day after Passover till Shavuot(Pentecost). It’s an old testament tradition that I thought would be fun. Little did I know. It’s been one of the most intense things I’ve done in a long time. Every night I meditate on one of the seven attributes of God, or a combination of 2 attributes, and the next day God addresses that attribute, what it really means, and how it applies to and affects my life. I feel like I’m being dismantled and can’t be rebuilt till all the demolition is complete. There have been days of gentle revelation, and days of intense questioning, days of grace, and days of strength and severity. I really thought I had been pretty well dismantled when Jack died, but no, not completely enough. Apparently I’m still holding out, and that won’t do.
On Sunday, for instance, after the meditation on Sat. night had been on intimacy…I walk into church and Tozer’s quote about Christians singing lies hits me, so I have to think about every word that’s on that screen to be sung, and truthfully, I couldn’t sing hardly at all that morning. I’m reminded of Mark 10 where Jesus in one instance cautions that people have no idea what they’re praying for. So, my praying’s different now bc I want to understand what I’m really praying for. And I’m only on day 8 out of 49. Ohmygosh! This is wild stuff!
You may not recognize me when this is over!

Happy 24th Birthday, Alicia!
I guess this is the last day of your 31 birth day celebration. We’re looking forward to celebrating with you.