It is monday. I've decided that I would rather be a tiny not so skuzzy gypsy pirate girl flying through 75 degree skies on one of Ann Woods' amazing and ethereal ships. Wearing an eye patch and one huge hoop earring and a pink and black striped shirt, and eating dark chocolate M&Ms....The dark chocolate M&Ms part could actually be a reality--they do exist--and are delicious and dangerous and available at your local Aldi. A little scary for those of us with addictive tendencies.

Instead, I'm putting off getting ready for work and doing chores like taking out about 5 bags of trash. There's also a sheet full of our Christmas tree's coat, which he shed before he made it out the door late last week. Home to be with Jesus, bless his heart. I believe Jesse's name for him was "hairless cat," which wasn't very nice but was kind of true.

It has been a good morning in spite of the lack of magic beautiful ships arriving to take me away. I read some of this amazing prayer book that I checked out from Covenant's library. It is called 2000 Years of Prayer and contains things like ancient Celtic blessings, Saint Augustine, Mother Teresa, Henri Nouwen, Alan Paton. It's beautiful, and reminds me of the fact of being "surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses," which is a good thing to take to heart. So, in true post-modern, Gen-X style, I sat there for a while having a chat with God (a little more in depth than the usual "Have mercy" squawks that usually come out) that started with, "Hi, uh....how ya been?" I also read some of The Screwtape Letters, which is a great, great book. This caught my eye and heart this morning:

(Screwtape to Wormwood)"But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy (God). It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."

I also got to catch up a little bit with Lindz last night, and it has been far too long. I have been feeling a little January, a little tarnished and grumpy, but sometimes reconnecting with someone who has felt far is medicine for the soul.

Diversion:


Contemplation: