on earth as it is in heaven

the gratitude dance what a perfect name for it. :) tears roll down my cheeks every time i watch this. thanks, matt.

enemies

I loved this story. A Victim Treats His Mugger Right Click on the title to listen to or read the article.

"You have heard that the law of Moses says, `If an eye is injured, injure the eye of the person who did it. If a tooth gets knocked out, knock out the tooth of the person who did it.' But I say, don't resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other, too. If you are ordered to court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow. "You have heard that the law of Moses says, `Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you. In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. “ - Jesus

crickets

i'm home. i got in after midnight and opened the car door to the sound of crickets. that's what home sounds like. i've already laughed until i cried, i've been amply hugged, and it feels like i've been in one good long conversation since i've arrived. so many words - i have loved every one.

here are some oldies but goodies. lyrics from this song run through my head a lot. i just found out they were written by a woman. i was thinking of them again tonight as the crickets chirp outside. i think it's good advice.

get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good. be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

enjoy your body,use it every way you can. don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

do something every day that scares you.

don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. the most interesting people i know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds i know still don’t.

sing. floss. dance. travel. stretch.

lyrics by mary schmich

writing

"If there's a book you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." - Toni Morrison

I first saw this quote on Kristie's blog. It's stuck inside of me. Perhaps that's because I am trying to write a book. Its roots go back to words spoken by a mentor in college, a garage sale find in Kirkland, and a thousand cups of coffee. It is a book about the lives of women, because I am hungry for stories from other women's lives. And as I tell my own story, I remember who I am and who I want to be. Writing things down has been good for me. I have a journal and gel pens in my purse, I have a "doing list" (because to do lists feel daunting), and I take notes in church. When I write things down, they stay with me and things seem to happen more easily. So I am writing on this blog about writing a book. I want to finish by July 2012. Now that I've written that, maybe I will.

"I felt like I really had a shot at becoming the woman that I had always wanted to be. And I did it one day at a time with a lot of support." -Anne Lamott