music in my head

My mother has inspired with her posts of Christmas music. Today, Joshua, posted a playlist on his blog. I have been listening to it as I have worked away this morning. I did not know much of what was one the playlist when I pressed play but I usually like his musical taste and decided to press play.

A moment ago, Over The Rhine's (I am always in love with them, and that seems to apply double currently) song Trumpet Child began to play on my computer. I LOVE THIS SONG!!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. It is Christmas in a bluesy, non-traditional, package.

So, I am sharing it with you today. Click on the link above to listen to the song. I am in a mood to listen to it a couple dozen more times today. Happy listening, Merry Christmas.

Love,
Amy

homework

I have homework coming out of my ear. My brain is tired. Oh, so tired. I am in the middle of a journal post for my Pastor as Person class which we are supposed to spend two ours on. I have spent about an hour on said post and feel like I am finished. Ummmmm, what do I do with that. I suppose editing counts...Do I truly have an hour's worth of editing that I can do? I am not sure about this. In case you are wondering, I have stopped my clock so this is not taking up time that should be used on the journal assignments. Ok, that questions is completely rhetorical. I do not really want or need answers. I just waned to ask.

I still have lots to do tonight. LOTS. Plus, I have a Greek exam next week. BOOOOOO! While I do not actually hate Greek at the moment - in fact, I am almost close to saying I could think about liking it - I believe I could come close to hating it again. I am SO not ready for an exam.

Thankful. I am thankful that for the most part I have been able to take small chunks at once. I am thankful that I am allowing myself to take brain breaks (like this one) and then go back to plugging away. I am thankful that I am able to look at my accomplishments and actually feel accomplished. These are glimpses of God's magnificent grace in my life. They are requests which are being answered AS.WE.SPEAK.

Yes, I have a mountain of school work to complete. In the middle of that is a quiet calm, an assurance, a realization that it will be completed when it is completed. So, while I am quite busy, my soul is at rest.


I am thankful.

merry and bright

Hello All!

Merry Christmas. So, I should be working on Greek as I have an exam next week, reading the numerous articles for Counsel and Care, or the 3 hours of journal entries I have left for Pastor as Person. Yes, those are all the things I should be doing and was working on when I as suddenly seized by an UNCONTROLLABLE desire to decorate my blog for Christmas. Is my house decorated for Christmas? Great question. Ummm, well, our Christmas tree is up. Take that as literally as possible. It.is.up. It does not have lights, ribbons, or decorations. It simply stands as a reminder that Christmas is on its way. We hope to do some decorating this weekend or next week. We shall see. If anyone wants to come decorate our tree, you are welcomed to have at it. I am simply not the crafty decorator type. So, please accept the opened invitation to come and do the decorating. While you are at it, you are also welcomed to hang our pictures. Yes, they are still neatly sitting up against the wall in our living room. They will go up someday...and then we will move shortly afterward =) (not literally, I hope.) Ah yes, time it is a funny little thing. It seems to slip away unnoticed.

So, for now, my blog is decorated. It is filled with cheer for all those of you who apparently read it. (secretly, my suspicion is that my only readers are my mother and my friend, Robyn) The decorations for our home will come when there is time - or perchance they will not. Still, Christmas is coming - we wait in excitement and expectation even without our decorations.

Peace on Earth,

Amy

i carry your heart with me

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 the 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

~ee cummings
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)



PS - I have always enjoyed reading poetry. I am not a gifted poet but I rejoice, revel, and find life in the gift of others.
ee cummings is a poet I especially enjoy. It is in his memory that I never capitalize any of the titles of my blog posts.
Happy Reading!

Love,
Amy

a new redemption song

So, I am reading for class and listening to Christmas music. I have not "felt" too much like Christmas this year but I thought I would give it a shot. Today has been a difficult day in a long stream of hard, difficult, sad, painful days. It is simply where we find ourselves at the moment.

Still, if you were to enter my house at this moment, you would find me in bed reading a book about understanding congregations as emotional systems for a class as my husband cleans up the remains of dinner in our kitchen. We sat together tonight. We talked, cried, laughed, and dreamed. He is a blessing in my life. It was nice to spend some time together.

Now we are in our separate spaces doing tasks which need to be done. A moment ago, a song played on Pandora that caught my attention. I stopped and listened. It spoke to my heart in this moment and I have decided to share it with you.

A New Redemption Song
Over the Rhine

Lord we need a new redemption song
Lord we’ve tried
It just seems to come out wrong
Won’t you help us please
Help us just to sing along
A new redemption song

Lord we need
A new redemption day
All our worries
Keep getting in the way

Won’t you help us please
Help us find the words to pray
To bring redemption day

words are windows (or they're walls)

This week has been difficult...so, so, difficult. I am tired, beat up, and worn down. Still, I keep going. All the while, praying that God will hold me close...so, so close.

In reading for my classes, I ran across this poem. I loved it. I share this with you.

Words are Windows
(or They're Walls)

I feel so sentenced by your words,
I feel so judged and sent away,
Before I go I've got to know
Is that what you mean to say?

Before I rise to my defense,
Before I speak in hurt or fear,
Before I build that wall of words,
Tell me, did I really hear?

Words are windows, or they're walls,
They sentence us, or set us free.
When I speak and when i hear,
Let the love light shine through me.

There are things I need to say
Things that mean so much to me,
If my words don't make me clear,
Will you help me to be free?

If I seemed to put you down,
If you felt I didn't care,
Try to listen through my words,
To the feelings that we share.

~Ruth Bebermeyer

gratitude - friends

Tonight, I am grateful for friends, people who care. Several people have shared love and kindness with me today. I have been blessed with truly caring friends. I am grateful, very grateful.

PS - My mother wrote the nicest blog post that truly touched my heart as well. I am thankful for her love and care as well. I have a remarkable mother. Truly, remarkable.