regina spektor

hmm... definitely another great musician. and somehow the song "Eet" is definitely up there on my list of songs. it's on my list of happy music.

Today is a day that I am SOOO very thankful for a little time to go to the gym & then to run, to relax and disconnect, to think & process life, to just be and not have to solve any problems, not be able to be interrupted, not having to do anything but run,... I love the now familiar sounds, I love looking up at the sky, I love the repetitive motion and pushing myself. It is so nice. And I'm so grateful for time to disconnect and forget all the problems of my day. And then the benefit of feeling great and having little endorphins (the runner's high of sorts) that help me have a new perspective on life. And today was one day that I really needed to disconnect. Somehow problem after problem seemed to pop out of no where and just bog me down a bit. So getting out and disconnecting and getting perspective was GOOD, very GOOD.

joanna newsom

Joanna Newsom is quickly becoming one of my favorite music artists. She has such a solid but whimsical sound and I love the fact that it's youthful playfulness somehow puts me in a good mood. It makes me feel happy and like I'm outside running through a field or frolicking. Okay, I know that sounds cheesy. Anyway, I think Joanna Newsome is awfully swell.

Bono: "You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "as you reap, so you will sow" stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff...

...I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I'd be in deep s---. It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.

Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you that. Christ says: No. I'm not saying I'm a teacher, don't call me teacher. I'm not saying I'm a prophet. I'm saying: "I'm the Messiah." I'm saying: "I am God incarnate... I know you're expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah. So what you're left with is: either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase... The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that's far-fetched …

...I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says: Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness, and there's a mortality as part of your very sinful nature, and, let's face it, you're not living a very good life, are you? There are consequences to actions. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That's the point. It should keep us humbled... It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.

If only we could be a bit more like Him, the world would be transformed. …When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my s--- and everybody else's. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was He just a religious nut? And there it is, and that's the question. And no one can talk you into it or out of it."



Grace... Redemption... God taking my sin and my place on the cross... God paying my debt and giving me LIFE, not just putting me at zero or neutral but giving me his character and goodness accredited to my account (and then teaching me to walk in his ways and giving me the ability to do so)... all things I'm oh so very thankful for and yet wish that somehow I understood them better than I do, internally, so that I would actually live FULLY out of those realities and truths, particularly as they relate to loving others well and helping others to understand and fully grasp the unmerited grace and love of God in Christ. :-o

these are a few of my favorite things

A few of the things that make me happy:

sunshine
blue skies
foreign languages
good music - right now i'm listening to joanna newsom & carla bruni
good friends
good food
good wine
dark chocolate with little dark bits in it
witty books - right now "up in the old hotel" by joseph mitchell
quiet days
tea
a frothy soy cappuccinos or cafe con soja
a good espresso or macchiatto
time to be creative, decorate, make things for people, write letters, etc.,
lit candles
unique but pretty fabrics / prints / clothes
old houses, old apartments
exploring / wandering around a city
sevilla
paris
good friends
my family
lavender
lavender tea & lavender lattés with almond milk
sushi!
lemon, mango, raspberry sorbet
milkless desserts
fruit
salad with good lettuce and lots of fresh veggies (cucumber, red pepper, avocado, dried cranberries, fruit, carrots, radishes, nuts,...)
happy music
people
beautiful scenery
nature
snow covered cities or parks
fresh flowers
buying gifts for people (at least thoughtful gifts)
sewing
spanish
spanish food
having friends over
significant conversations
reading God's word
music
live music
the harp
hearing my brother play the piano or sing
my sister's art & her photos
hanging out with my siblings
nyc
philadelphia
lawrence, ks
madrid
paris
running
walking
being outside
exercise
of course Jesus & the Bible (goes without saying)
gospel-centered preaching
little things
leaves changing colors
spring flowers
the first snow
fresh air, the mountains, the woods, creeks, rivers, lakes, the ocean
the sound of flowing water
random things that make me laugh
wittily funny people