The first step toward rejuventation begins with accepting where you are and exposing your poverty, frailty, and emptiness to the love that is everything. Don't try to feel anything, think anything, or do anything. With all the goodwill in the world you cannot make anything happen. Don't force prayer. Simply relax in the presence of the God you half believe in and ask for a touch of folly.

The Ragamuffin Gospel

things about abroad...

(www.whiteshadows.co.nz)

when i was at an outside cafe in France a few years back, my family and i engaged in conversation with these two men at the neighboring table. these two men happened to own a bed and breakfast in new zealand: white shadows. captivating. they gave us their card and invited us to join them in new zealand. i am excited to have more of these conversations and connections in the next 4 months. or maybe i should say i crave them...

the trick of finding what you didn't lose

(existing's tricky:but to live's a gift)

the teachable imposture of always

arriving at the place you never left

(and i refer to thinking)rests upon

a dismal misconception; namely that

some neither ape nor angel called a man

is measure by his quote eye cue unquote.

Much better than which, every woman who's

(despite the ultramachinations of

some loveless infraworld)a woman knows;

and certain men quite possibly may have

shall we say guessed?"

"we shall" quote gifted she;

and played the hostess to my morethanme

(e.e. cummings)

(coolhunter.net)

(weheartit.com)

I love the airport. There are like chairs.

mike birbiglia

Gravity

Something always brings me back to you.
It never takes too long.
No matter what I say or do I'll still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone.

You hold me without touch.
You keep me without chains.
I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your rain.


Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.
But you're on to me and all over me.

You loved me 'cause I'm fragile.
When I thought that I was strong.
But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone.


I live here on my knees as I try to make you see that you're everything I think I need here on the ground.
But you're neither friend nor foe though I can't seem to let you go.
The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down
You're on to me, on to me, and all over...
Something always brings me back to you.
It never takes too long.

sara bareilles

(weheartit.com)

Like this lone seashell, sometimes I wonder how I stumbled upon this shore. How could things have gotten to this point so quickly? God is so beautiful and so amazing, but being a mere mortal, most of the time, I do not understand his purposes...and if I ever do, it is usually in hindsight. I wonder how life gets so complicated, and I wonder why I am continuously in the same situations that seem positively ridiculous and petty. Maybe I am not listening? Maybe I am not placing enough of my faith in Him? Micro-managing my life? Maybe...definitely. But then that's why God is so cool. He continuously delivers us and saves us from ourselves.

She walks in Beauty, by Lord Byron

"SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY"
by: George Gordon (Lord) Byron (1788-1824)

SHE walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!"

O Solitude! if I must with thee dwell,

O SOLITUDE! if I must with thee dwell,
Let it not be among the jumbled heap
Of murky buildings; climb with me the steep,-
Nature’s observatory - whence the dell,
Its flowery slopes, its river’s crystal swell,
May seem a span; let me thy vigils keep
’Mongst boughs pavillion’d, where the deer’s swift leap
Startles the wild bee from the fox-glove bell.
But though I’ll gladly trace these scenes with thee,
Yet the sweet converse of an innocent mind,
Whose words are images of thoughts refin’d,
Is my soul’s pleasure; and it sure must be
Almost the highest bliss of human-kind,
When to thy haunts two kindred spirits flee.

John Keats.

One of my favorites by Keats.

You say you love

I.

You say you love; but with a voice

Chaster than a nun's, who singeth

The soft Vespers to herself

While the chime-bell ringeth -

O love me truly!

II.

You say you love; but with a smile

Cold as sunrise in September,

As you were Saint Cupid's nun,

And kept his weeks of Ember.

O love me truly!

III.

You say you love - but then your lips

Coral tinted teach no blisses.

More than coral in the sea -

They never pout for kisses -

O love me truly!

IV.

You say you love; but then your hand

No soft squeeze for squeeze returneth,

It is like a statue's dead -

While mine to passion burneth -

O love me truly!

V.

O breathe a word or two of fire!

Smile, as if those words should burn be,

Squeeze as lovers should - O kiss

And in thy heart inurn me!

O love me truly!

John Keats.

DeVotchKa

DeVotchKa is a four-piece multi-instrumental and vocal ensemble that fuses Romani, Greek, Slavic, Bolero, Mariachi music with American punk and folk roots. They take their name from the Russian word devotchka (де́вочка), meaning "girl". Based in Denver, Colorado, the quartet is made up of Nick Urata, who sings and playstheremin, guitar, bouzouki, piano, and trumpet; Tom Hagerman, who plays violin, accordion, and piano; Jeanie Schroder, who sings and plays sousaphone and double bass; and Shawn King, who plays percussion and trumpet.

(from wikipedia)

I recommend them. Really interesting music. Creative.

The Moods

Time drops in decay,

Like a candle burnt out,

And the mountains and the woods

Have their day, have their day,

what one in the rout

Of the fire-born moods

Has fallen away?

W.B. Yeats

Barcelona- Please Don't Go

All those arrows you threw, you threw them away
You kept fallin in love, then one day
When you fell, you fell towards me
When you crashed in the clouds, you found me

Oh, please don't go
I want you so
I can't let you go
For I lose control

Get these left handed lovers out of your way
They look hopeful but you, you should not stay
If you want me to break down and give you the keys
I can do that but I can't let you leave

Oh, please don't go
I want you so
I can't let go
For I lose control

i carry your heart

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of they sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

e e cummings

I finally have a brother!

Pat & Elizabeth.

"Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."

1 JN 3:18-20

Anusara Invocation Card

(www.anusara.com)

This is the commitment that teachers of Anusara must make. I am continuously overwhelmed, in a good way, by how much I do not know. And God is sovereign over it all! He knows every intimate detail, and I only know what goes on in my immediate realm. I practice yoga, and I am a follower of Jesus Christ. It's interesting at times. Internally I wrestle with it at times because I love the yoga world, but I proclaim Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Savior. Yoga always talks about the divine light, but Jesus is the light for me. It's cool because at times I feel like yoga and Christianity butt heads, and then at times I feel like they compliment each other and are really talking about the same thing- we each just call it something different. But at least we are both acknowledging a presence greater than ourselves. Sometimes I just like the language of yoga- ultimately free and sparkles with a divine luster...positively beautiful!

"the words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it."

John 14:10-14

PRAYER. I have definitely been learning more and more about the power and the significance of prayer this summer. Nothing is ever too big or too small to give up to God. One of my friends was sharing with me when he came to know Christ, he said he was sitting outside looking up at the sky, and it just hit him. God, you are big. I am very small. That was it, he said. I love that.

Yummmmy

Doesn't look ridiculously appetizing, but it was rather delicious! Poultry spice rub from Fresh market, grilled onions, artichoke hearts...katherine and I enjoyed it! I called my mother in the midst of this cooking adventure, and I happened to be doing laundry at the same time- I stunned her with my domestic skills. Frankly I was rather shocked myself! Everyday new adventures. Life is so cool.

Mumford and sons: Sigh no more

Reference to the romantic language of Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing (I highly recommend- also well done via film): Love it will not betray you, dismay or enslave you/ It will set you free/ Be more like the man you were made to be.

I appreciate people who appreciate literature and can integrate different expressions of art.


mumfordandsons.com

(weheartit.com)

NOOMA 017 Rob Bell

" I ran into this guy recently that I knew in college and he

started telling stories about this person and that person and

'Remember when we went here?' and 'Remember that?' and 'Remember when that happened?' And he's getting more and more excited,

and partway through our conversation I had this thought:

That was years ago.

It seemed in some way as if he's still back there,

like he never left, as if those were the best years of of his life.

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying.

As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white,

seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him."

At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there,

but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away,

tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

Jesus said to her, "Mary."

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means "Teacher").

Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.

Go instead to my brothers and tell them,

'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'

John 20:11-17

All of the sudden she [Mary Magdalene] realizes it's Jesus and he's alive and he's back.

And so, she goes to embrace him, and he says, 'Mary, don't hold on to me.'

Wait, this is Jesus, the divine embodiment of love and compassion and Mary goes,

it looks like to hug him, and he says, 'Don't.' Are we missing something/

Mary assumes that he's back, right?

That's he's back and he's alive and so things are going to go back to how they always were,

back in the good ol' days when they would all eat these big meals as a group,

and they would travel and tell stories and laugh.

Life isn't static, is it?

It ebbs and it flows and people grow up and move away and graduate and lose their jobs.

And people that you love die, and some people get married

and others don't and some get divorced and some get cancer

and things aren't how they were.

Afterwards, Jesus appeared to his eleven disciples as they were eating.

He scolded them because they were too stubborn to believe the one

who had seen him after he had been raised to life.

Mark 16:14-15

He [Jesus] tells them it's a whole new day, everything's changed,

and God's going to give them everything they need.

He essentially tells them they are going to receive a new spirit, one for today

and he promises them that they're going to have everything that they need for their new life.

If you need to celebrate how good it was, then celebrate.

If you need to remember how great it was when they were alive, then remember that.

If you need to grieve, grieve.

If you need to apologize or make amends

or you need to do something to make peace with how it was,

then do it, but then, move on.

There's a certain kind of despair that sets in

when we believe that things were better back then.

When we're stuck back there.

When we're not fully present.

When we're still holding on to how things were,

our arms aren't free to embrace today.

You don't even know what tomorrow will bring- what your life will be!

James 4:14

If you live in fantasy that you'll get around to it tomorrow,

that you'll get around to them tomorrow,

you will wake up and it will not be tomorrow,

it will be yesterday and you will have missed it- you will have missed them.

Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic,

"Rabboni!" (which means "Teacher").

Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.

Go instead to my brothers and tell them,

'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!"

And she told them that he had said these things to her.

John 20:16-18

Jesus, when he's talking with Mary Magdalene, after the "Do not hold on to me" part,

you know what he tells her to do?

He says, "Now go, and tell everybody else what's happening."

He gives her a part to play. There's something for her to do now.

Is Jesus saying ot you, right now, about anything, about anytime,

'Let go and receive a new spirit?

May you accept the past for what it is.

May you celebrate what needs to be celebrated

and grieve what needs to be grieved and then,

may you receive from God a new spirit, one of here, now, today.

Love Google. I always wonder what it would be like to work for Google. On their creative/design team? Or be in their think tank? Happy 125 Birthday Josef Frank!

(www.google.com)

Italian Fashion

(thecoolhunter.net)

Less than 2 months! I would most definitely be ok with the Italian men dressing like this. I have very much come to appreciate well dressed men or men with their own sense of style. Frank from the Bachlorette?

Murdock Barbershop-London

Many old concepts are best left in the past, but not the barbershop. Brendan Murdock believed this statement so strongly that in May 2006, he opened Murdock, an upscale, traditional barbershop on Old Street in the funky design district of Shoreditch in East London. Murdock was right, of course, and two more of his “male grooming nirvanas” have opened since — in September 2007 in Liberty’s department store and in August 2009 among the high-fashion boutiques on Stafford Street in Mayfair. Still in his mid-thirties, Murdock has taken the scenic route to barbershopping — ambling from financial studies to a career as a lawyer, and then opening the CRU restaurant in Shoreditch in 2002. He now focuses solely on all aspects of his shaving emporiums that offer the traditional wet shave, haircuts, manicures and facials. It seems men are in for some serious pampering as Murdock has said he wants his stores in every major city around the globe, and we have noticed old-style barber stores with a modern design touch opening everywhere from Milan to Sydney and NY. - Tuija Seipell.

(thecoolhunter.net)

(nytimes.com)

Biblical trust

A story from a Bahamian priest:

A two-story house had caught on fire. The family- father, mother, several children- were on their way out when the smallest boy became terrified, tore away from his mother, ran back upstairs. Suddenly he appeared at a smoke-filled window, crying like crazy. His father, outside, shouted, "Jump, son, jump! I'll catch you." The boy cried, "But, daddy, I can't see you." "I know," his father called, "I know. But I can see you."

God is my shepherd
I won't be wanting
I won't be wanting
He makes me rest
In fields of green
With quite streams
Even though I walk
Through the valley
Of death and dying
I will not fear
'Cause you are with me
You are with me

Your shepherd staff
Comforts me
You are my feast
In the presence of enemy
Surely goodness
Follow me
Follow me
In the house of God, forever

Jon Foreman

Psalm 23. Never gets old. And I can always find new beauty and God speaking through the Psalm even though I've heard it over 100 times...

(kreativekatherine.tumblr.com)

I have to get out. I have to get out.
The warm tangerine walls suffocate the overabundant thoughts of a girl in distress.
Pedal.
The comfort of the circular and consistent motion of wheels against the pavement. Navigation and direction thrown to the wind.
The cliche of beach metaphors surround her. Water. A grain of sand. Waves. Beauty. Simplicity. All lost when muddled with angst.
Lord. God. Dear Heavenly Father. She prays trusting in something bigger than herself.
Despite how fast she pedals, the bike cannot keep up with the rhythm of her thoughts.
Her skirt flies up giving a show to those who pass by her. She doesn't even notice.
The determination clearly stated in the biting of her lip.
A black Dodge truck with an orange UT license plate whizzes by. For the first time in several hours the girl reconnects with her surroundings. She manages to catch the eye of the man driving the truck, and in that moment, he catches the cry in her eyes: help.

rabbit rabbit white rabbit.

happy July 1st!

perspective.

perspective.

sometimes i wonder why in the world i still care about you.

i have so many other people who, even after hard times, still treat

me better.

i need to learn the art of putting things in perspective.

(carolynmst.blogspot.com)

friends are such blessings

in a letter from a friend:

"i"m sorry you're dealing with some confusing things right now, but I know that God is good and He is preparing the heart of someone wonderful. And he will honor you and fight for you because he puts God first. Don't forget that Romans says 'we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.' and 'hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love for us.'So even when things are shaky, God holds fast to us and never lets go."

thankyou.thankyou.thankyou.

Then shall I leap into love

I cannot dance, Lord, unless you lead me.
If you want me to leap with abandon,
You must intone the song.
Then I shall leap into love,
From love into knowledge,
From knowledge into enjoyment,
And from enjoyment beyond all human sensations.
There I want to remain, yet want also to circle higher still.

~

Effortlessly

Effortlessly,
Love flows from God into man,
Like a bird
Who rivers the air
Without moving her wings.
Thus we move in His world
One in body and soul,
Though outwardly separate in form.
As the Source strikes the note,
Humanity sings --
The Holy Spirit is our harpist,
And all strings
Which are touched in Love
Must sound.

~

God speaks to the Soul

And God said to the soul:
I desired you before the world began.
I desire you now
As you desire me.
And where the desires of two come together
There love is perfected

The Soul speaks to God

Lord, you are my lover,
My longing,
My flowing stream,
My sun,
And I am your reflection.

How God Answers the Soul
It is my nature that makes me love you often,
For I am love itself.
It is my longing that makes me love you intensely,
For I yearn to be loved from the heart.
It is my eternity that makes me love you long,
For I have no end.
~

mystic poetry by Mechthild of Magdeburg, 12th century

blood:water mission

If you have come to save me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because somehow your liberation is wrapped up in mine, then let us work together.

Lila Watson, Aboriginal woman

blood:water mission

God moments- they have been most plentiful

"When a child finds peace, there ain't nothing that's gonna disturb him, for only God can close the door."

Robert, First Presbyterian Church

I've never been. London, Paris, and Tokyo (Thanks Hilary Duff)...plus Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the Caribbean...as far west as Montana, as far north as New York, as far south as Florida- but never to our nation's capital. I thought that was a right of passage for all 3rd-5th grade students. Didn't think it would take me twenty years to get there. Oh the tides of life!

(lonelyplanet.com)

"What Folly to fear to be too entirely God's. It is to fear to be happy. It is to fear to love God's will in all things. It is to fear to have too much courage in the crosses which are inevitable, too much comfort in God's love, and too much detachment from the passions which make us miserable"

Francis Fenelon, 17th c priest

My heart and soul

Dmitri

Olia and Katia

Olia

No internet. No phones. I could live my life writing letters and having more face-to-face conversations.

9 days ago...

3 days!

(http://www.bestwaytoinvest.com/russia)

(http://www.thebreakthrough.org/blog/2008/05/post_3.shtml)

(weheartit.com)

Express Yourself

Come on girls
Do you believe in love?
'Cause I got something to say about it
And it goes something like this

Don't go for second best baby
Put your love to the test
You know, you know you've got to
Make him express how he feels and maybe
Then you'll know your love is real

You don't need diamond rings or eighteen karat gold
Fancy cars that go very fast
You know they never last, no no
What you need is a big strong hand to
Lift you to your higher ground
Make you feel like a queen on a throne
Make him love you till you can't come down
You'll never come down

Don't go for second best baby
Put your love to the test
You know, you know you've got to
Make him express how he feels and maybe
Then you'll know your love is real

Long stem roses are the way to your heart but
He needs to start with your head
Satin sheets are very romantic
What happens when you're not in bed
You deserve the best in life
So if the time isn't right then move on
Second best is never enough
You'll do much better baby on your own
Baby on your own

Don't go for second best baby
Put your love to the test
You know, you know you've got to
Make him express how he feels and maybe
Then you'll know your love is real

Express yourself
You've got to make him
Express himself
Hey hey hey hey
So if you want it right now
Make him show you how
Express what he's got
Oh baby ready or not

And when you're gone he might regret it
Think about the love he once had
Try to carry on
But he just won't get it
He'll be back on his knees
To express himself
You've got to make him
Express himself
Hey hey

What you need is a big strong hand to
Lift you to your higher ground
Make you feel like a queen on a throne
Make him love you till you can't come down
You'll never come down

And when you're gone he might regret it
Think about the love he once had
Try to carry on
But he just won't get it
He'll be back on his knees
So please

Don't go for second best baby
Put your love to the test
You know, you know you've got to
Make him express how he feels and maybe
Then you'll know your love is real

Express yourself
You've got to make him
Express himself
Hey hey hey hey
So if you want it right now
Make him show you how
Express what he's got
Oh baby ready or not

Express yourself (you got to make him)
So you can respect yourself
Hey hey
So if you want it right now
Make him show you how
Express what he's got
Oh baby ready or not

(Madonna)

and I don't even really like Madonna...

and some other things...

(weheartit.com and mackenzie- ihearther)

may or may not be true.

(weheartit.com)

incredible poem

incredible poem

When a Woman Loves a Man
by David Lehman

When she says margarita she means daiquiri.
When she says quixotic she means mercurial.
And when she says, "I'll never speak to you again,"
she means, "Put your arms around me from behind
as I stand disconsolate at the window."

He's supposed to know that.

When a man loves a woman he is in New York and she is in Virginia
or he is in Boston, writing, and she is in New York, reading,
or she is wearing a sweater and sunglasses in Balboa Park and he
is raking leaves in Ithaca
or he is driving to East Hampton and she is standing disconsolate
at the window overlooking the bay
where a regatta of many-colored sails is going on
while he is stuck in traffic on the Long Island Expressway.

When a woman loves a man it is one ten in the morning
she is asleep he is watching the ball scores and eating pretzels
drinking lemonade
and two hours later he wakes up and staggers into bed
where she remains asleep and very warm.

When she says tomorrow she means in three or four weeks.
When she says, "We're talking about me now,"
he stops talking. Her best friend comes over and says,
"Did somebody die?"

When a woman loves a man, they have gone
to swim naked in the stream
on a glorious July day
with the sound of the waterfall like a chuckle
of water rushing over smooth rocks,
and there is nothing alien in the universe.

Ripe apples fall about them.
What else can they do but eat?

When he says, "Ours is a transitional era,"
"that's very original of you," she replies,
dry as the martini he is sipping.

They fight all the time
It's fun
What do I owe you?
Let's start with an apology
Ok, I'm sorry, you dickhead.
A sign is held up saying "Laughter."
It's a silent picture.
"I've been fucked without a kiss," she says,
"and you can quote me on that,"
which sounds great in an English accent.

One year they broke up seven times and threatened to do it
another nine times.

When a woman loves a man, she wants him to meet her at the
airport in a foreign country with a jeep.
When a man loves a woman he's there. He doesn't complain that
she's two hours late
and there's nothing in the refrigerator.

When a woman loves a man, she wants to stay awake.
She's like a child crying
at nightfall because she didn't want the day to end.

When a man loves a woman, he watches her sleep, thinking:
as midnight to the moon is sleep to the beloved.
A thousand fireflies wink at him.
The frogs sound like the string section
of the orchestra warming up.
The stars dangle down like earrings the shape of grapes

(tipoftheword.blogspot.com)

Be a best friend, tell the truth, and overuse I Love You
Go to work, do your best, don't outsmart your common sense
Never let your prayin knees get lazy

And love like crazy

Lee Brice, Love Like Crazy

"Let us not pray long, drawn out prayers,but let's pray short ones full of love."

Mother Teresa

Heart of Joy

2 May

Bear With Us

Going Down for a Bit. That's what she said.

To those of you who were redirected here, we apologize.

In an attempt to befriend Asian investors and increase office morale, we here at Grooveshark established some connections with the Chinese black market and imported our very own black-and-white Giant Panda (hereby known as "Pickles"). Unfortunately, due to circumstances no one could have foreseen, Pickles became agitated at the fluorescent lights and near-constant belly rubs and began clawing at our computers.

Pickles is currently thrashing about in the server room, causing the technical difficulties and temporary outage you just experienced. As soon as our interns return from Pier 1 with synthetic bamboo, a picnic basket and an oversized net, we will be able to return the servers back to normal and, if we can, rescue the coder that Pickles has taken as a prize.

Thank you for your patience.

I love grooveshark.

grooveshark.com