The Year of the...

Last year, or the year before, I remember deciding to dub every year something in line with the Chinese tradition - The Year of the Dog, Year of the Boar (was that a book title, too?), Year of the Dragon, etc.

I know what this year is.

The Year of Grace.

2007 is my year to learn about grace. Giving and receiving.

I'm reading books about grace, listening to talks on grace, I'm desperately needing others to extend grace to me, and I'm trying to reciprocate that.

One of the books I'm reading said that of all world religions, the thing that sets Christianity apart is grace. Our God is gracious; he gives us undeserved favor and forgiveness. He loves unconditionally. Because of that, because we are his ambassadors to the world, we should exude grace toward everyone.

Grace is significant because it's hard. But every time, every small moment that I am able to give someone else grace, and especially every time (the many times) I need to ask for grace to be shown to me, I see that God is here. He's in the world. He is the love we show.

There's peace in that. And assurance that eventually our hope will be realized.

A great thought

"God does not force his kingdom upon anybody but gladly gives it to all who know they're losers without him and humbly seek his help."

~ Clarence Jordan, Sermon on the Mount

I did it!

Here she is in all her glory!
Okay, so it's really just the top of the quilt, but honestly...I can't believe I did even that much. It's awesome.

I'll have to enlist some help (Mom...?) for the batting and hand-sewing on the backing, but, for me, this was the major part. Cutting, arranging, picking out colors, sewing, seam-ripping when I messed up (three separate and major times), and ironing seams, once I got them right.

Below is my favorite part of the quilt -- dead center, all my favorite old t-shirts: Care Bear, MASH, I heart Ireland, my tiny pocket red shirt from 8th grade, Ciao Ciao from Italy, my Good Will China shirt that Evan picked out, Mr. Bubble, and, last but not least, Steve Buyer...best and last campaigning I ever did, handing out fliers for him during a parade in my hometown.

Yay for me!

Irritating Phrases

Words mean a lot to me. Because of this, I find myself, perhaps more easily than some, irritated by the misuse or my perception of the misuse of words, phrases, and statements.

I don't like the statement, "we covet your prayers," which Christians in conservative circles often use.

To me, coveting is not a good thing. I was always taught that it was a sin, a bad thing. In fact, I do believe, if I'm not mistaken, it's the final, the 1oth, commandment: Thou shalt not covet.

Dictionary.com states its definition as: "to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others," with the option of "to wish for". But what I'm saying is...if you wish for something, why not just say that: I wish for this or that"? Covet has bad connotations, especially in Conservative Christian America. Why use it when other words suffice, and indeed, do not bring forth such negative feelings?

On a roll

Perhaps I'm on an upswing right now. Let's hope so.

Evidence of such:

Today I cleaned my house, I picked up my sewing project that had been on a two to three month hold, walked five miles, bought a loaf pan, and have banana bread in the oven. Shortly, I plan to continue with the sewing project, hopefully finishing up the major portion (if not the entire top) of the quilt tonight.

Oh, and I also killed three spiders today. That's always a great feeling.

Maybe I'm more like Emily than I thought. Maybe I have to have a project to work on or I feel directionless and lost. Maybe I do find my identity in how much or what I can create. I simply have never had the chance to find that out.

I'm glad I have this time to myself - living on my own, doing my own, individual things - to figure who I am apart from academics, grades, studies, etc. I was a studying machine, and being that person or that thing, is not fun. It was never fun. It was life. And not a great one at that.

Thank GOD there is more to Life than what I had seen by the age of 23. Thank God I have this time to sort it all out. To search for meaning in other places, to focus on relationships rather than the next test or assignment, to collect myself into who I am in preparation for the next step in my journey.

Thank God for that.

A little something from the past

Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote
The droughte of Marche hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,
And smale fowles maken melodye,
That slepen al the night with open ye
(So priketh hem nature in hir corages):
Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmers for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, couthe in sondry londes;
And specially, from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The holy blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seke...

(For a beautiful rendition of this piece, contact Evan or Leslie Gottschalk...they speak it brilliantly.)

Congratulations to Jordin Sparks, resident of Glendale, Arizona (aka my favorite place in the world).

She has just become the next American Idol. And if it's possible to have a hero be someone who is 6 years younger than you, she is mine. (yes, she's 17 and she's freaking talented!)

Props to Melinda for being a phenomenal singer, performer, and a person of integrity and goodness. To Blake for beatboxing his way into millions of people's hearts. To the other finalists who put on a good show (except for Sanjaya. You'll never hear me saying thanks or good job to him).

I can't help it, I love that show.