Tomorrow morning, Matt and I are planning our escape. Don't worry, we're not running away permanently (although the temptation is often overwhelming). We're doing something completely illogical and driving to San Jose and back in three days. Why? That would be free tickets to The Sexy Tour with great friends.
Are you intrigued? The Sexy Tour ... hmmmmm ... is it Madonna ... or the Jonas Brothers ... or Usher? (Okay, I don't find any of those people sexy, but it's the best I could come up with.) Oh, no. The Sexy Tour features the incredibly hilarious, always, ah, sexy Jim Gaffigan! Here's what you might have been missing:
And of course ... the classic uniting of two of my absolute favorites! Pale Force!
We are thrilled to be seeing Gaffigan in person, but we're even more excited to spend time with our friends AND be alone together with no kids for three days!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
An Irish prayer for tomorrow morning
This Irish prayer is attributed to Saint Patrick and often referred to as the "breastplate" of St. Patrick, i.e. words that shield. May Christ protect you today and be your strength. -Natalie
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's hand to guard me.
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.
Christ shield me today
Against wounding:
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ in me.
I arise today
Through the mighty strength
Of the Lord of Creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's hand to guard me.
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.
Christ shield me today
Against wounding:
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ in me.
I arise today
Through the mighty strength
Of the Lord of Creation.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Thomas Merton's Prayer ... and mine
MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Turning this thing around
I feel like I'm hunched over a huge steering wheel, using all my arm and back strength to crank the wheel desperately to the left so that I can change my semi truck's momentum and start heading a different direction. It's exhausting, the effort may fail (can you say crash, rollover, destruction?) and I'm not even sure what the new direction is. But I'm committed to the change and I pray that God will strengthen me to keep cranking on the wheel - or maybe even take over the whole thing. After all, what's the point of having a savior if I don't let myself get saved?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Perplexed, but not in despair
2 Corinthians 4:1,2; 7-12
Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
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