the morning sweater

embracing the day's embracing me
barefoot on the patio
sunshine on the berry, oh
what a wonderful morning place to be

will

Will
to wish, desire, want. to be chosen, pleasing, eligible, excellent. to favor, hope.
"The implication of intention or volition distinguishes it from shall, which expresses or implies obligation or necessity."

Empathy

"...that's what empathy is -- an expansion of your life into the lives of others, the act of putting your ear to another person's soul and listening intently to its urgent whisperings. Who are you? What do you feel? What do you think? What means the most to you?" These are the questions empathy seeks to explore. Playful and curious, always interested in the moment-to-moment interaction, empathy has the soul of a poet, the heart of a child, and the wisdom of a seer."
- Arthur P. Ciaramicoli

Garden State

So I haven't watched (a lick?) of tv since i've been home. Just this afternoon a hankering to watch Garden State came over me. I looked up our television listings and it starts in just a few minutes. Whaaaat?! Haha, I'm awed. Just in time for coffee and cake :). Happy afternoon, everybody.

We all can do it

with the Spirit

Micrography

If your (really high quality) microscope could take pictures.
All the following: Crystals.
Note compatibility between purpose and appearance. Further, note the significances and implications that might come to mind as you consider this!


n-Butyl-p-Aminobenzoate
Experimented with as a local anesthetic.

Resorcinol
Used to treat acne, eczema, psoriasis and other skin conditions.

Caffeine
Well..

L-Arginine
Involved in the production of urea, or the product of the breakdown of nitrogen in our blood. Nitrogen and our body cells don't really react, so I'm not sure what this means. Lately, popular claim identifies L-Arginine as the 'anti-aging magic bullet' (take the advert-ising hype for what it's worth,) supposedly boosting the immune system, improving athletic performance and speeding recovery time after surgery.

Thioacetamide
An organic solvent. From the Latin solvere, "loosen." Sulfuric.



What to do with this new understanding?

"Why must the gate be narrow?
Because you cannot pass beyond it burdened.
To come in among these trees you must leave behind
the six days' world, all of it, all of its plans and hopes.
You must come without weapon or tool, alone,
expecting nothing, remembering nothing,
into the ease of sight, the brotherhood of eye and leaf."

Mr. Berry, 1985

Padre Wisdom

Take a step.

It's funny how music can change the shape of a day;
the face of an entire life.
Listen well.

Happy for home, but

I miss Europe. Thankful we can learn and serve and grow anywhere.
Further summary/reflection to come!

Belgium is wonderful.

Travel (B)log 3

Today we're headed on a nice, lengthy car trip to Belgium, where we'll visit Brussels, Brugge and Liege, and perhaps other cities. Please continue to pray for our team, as Belgium has a marked spiritual darkness. Looking forward to further learning and understanding.
May God's peace continue to guide your mind and heart, and may you know it.
What more could we need!

Where we visited yesterday:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_Cathedral
It was a rainy day, which we heard was common for German summers.



Rain and coffee made me a little introspective in there.
So dry inside and I can't help but think of the woman at the entrance. Her sign was in German, but it's not like I couldn't understand her need. And anyway, a smile communicates a lot of places. Maybe she's not really poor. Maybe that doesn't even matter.
Am I warm and inviting? Do I welcome people with room to accept who they are, to give them time to think, process and develop?
What good is it for me to smile inside of this Church, to myself? Aren't I the Church? Does my 'chic,' dark sandstone cause people to think about and look to you?
What does it mean to 'finish a church?' What happens next? Do we stop growing? Then do we wrap up the fine details in order to welcome people in? Maybe it's neither good nor bad. But then what is it?