Still quoting...

this time from "Blue Heart Blessed" by Susan Meissner -

"When we are hurt, it's instinct to cover the wound and hold back anyone from brushing up against it. And I don't need to tell you wounds don't heal if they never see light, if they're never exposed to fresh air. If you want your wound to heal, and it sounds to me like you do, you need to stand up straight, pull your arms away, and let the light and breath of God work its cure on you."

"He surely wants to spend his life with someone who finds him irresistible."

"[Love] is keeping the one I care for from harm, looking to this beloved's wounds, toppling evil in its tracks, bending down in trust."

And quoting from "Looking for God: An Unexpected Journey through Tattoos, Tofu, and Pronouns" by Nancy Ortberg -

"God lives in the struggle. It is there we find Him."

"God is just as present in the days that all run together, days when nothing really stands out, as He is in the extraordinary days."

And random quotes -

"When people cease to be surrounded by beauty, they cease to hope."
N. T. Wright

"to love another person is to see the face of God" from the musical "Les Miserables"

Reading N. T. Wright....

"When the church is seen to move straight from worship of the God we see in Jesus to making a difference and effecting much-needed change in the real world; when it becomes clear that the people who feast at Jesus's table are the ones in the forefront of the work to eliminate hunger and famine; when people realize that those who pray for the Spirit to work in and through them are the people who seem to have extra resources of love and patience in caring for those whose lives are damaged, bruised, and shamed, then it is not only natural to speak of Jesus himself and to encourage others to worship him for themselves and find out what belonging to his family is all about but it is also natural for people, however irreligious they may think of themselves as being, to recognize that something is going on that they want to be part of. In terms that the author of Acts might have used, when the church is living out the kingdom of God, the word of God will spread powerfully and do its own work."
From "Surprised by Hope" by N. T. Wright

Reassuring quote from an unexpected source

The following quote is from the movie, "Juno":

Juno MacGuff: "I need to know that it's possible for two people to stay happy together forever."

Mr. MacGuff: "Look, in my opinion the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what-have-you. The right person is still going to think the sun shines out of [you]. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with."

Making me smile today...

Glancing into my rear view mirror at the vehicle behind me, I saw an old couple, the lines of life creasing their faces, talking and laughing with each other, totally unaware of me and reveling in the delight of companionship. And watching them, I smiled and hoped that someday that would be me.

Beautiful prose

Quotes from "After the Leaves Fall" by Nicole Baart -

"This is not the end," Grandma said, repeating herself as if cooing to a howling newborn even though I wasn't crying. "This is not the end. This is not the end."
It seemed like a strange thing to say, but with every repetition she drove a tiny seed of hope farther into my heart. I almost didn't want it there - hope is not a promise, merely a wish, a yearning for something that may never materialize - but it sank down deep where I could not extract it and began, even in that moment, to put down fragile roots.
It was the hope that scared me most of all, and only when I had felt it tremble inside me did I begin to cry.

The farm looked as if each year of existence had slowly chipped away at the optimistic belief that everything would turn out all right in the end, that happily ever after is the bookend to every story. I realized, as I stood there, that I would never have the fairy-tale ending. But weary buildings with a lifetime of living etched in their aging walls offered their own sweet perspective. A life that seemed attainable.

Deaf Awareness

Watch for this commercial on Sunday night! The actors are deaf employees of Pepsi. The story is a classic deaf joke. And I love that the entire commercial is silent. :)

Pants Rant

So I'm completely and utterly frustrated with the length of women's pants. It's totally unfair. Why do men's pants come in one inch length increments and women only get short, regular, or long? Women's legs are not just one of three sizes; it's ridiculous.
For example, I'm stuck in the middle where regular length pants aren't truly long enough especially if there's any heel on my shoe (and I hate to have my choice of shoes limited by the length of my pants) but I'm standing on the hems of the long length. I just need a couple of extra inches not four more inches but is there such a thing as an in-between length? Oh no! What a travesty it would be if I could buy pants with the correct inseam. What is wrong with the fashion industry? Why is it prejudiced against women? :)
I had this conversation with some people (two women and one man) the other night. The women completely understood but the man started arguing with me and suggested that I buy men's pants. Do what?!? Ummm, women have these things called hips; I can't buy men's pants. So I try to explain that and the guy won't give up. He says, "Well, different brands of men's pants fit differently. For example, Dockers are fat men's pants." I'm saying, "Wait, you think I need to buy fat men's pants?" And one of the women backed me up saying, "Oh you just need to stop talking before you get yourself in any deeper."
Honestly, I do find this issue extremely frustrating but fortunately, just today, I found a store where I could wear the long length so I bought some new jeans and life in my world is improved.

Quote

"Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."
Rainer Maria Rilke

Christmas poem

If you're in the mood for a Christmas poem, follow the link.

Quote for the day

I found the following quote from Thomas Merton at Lisa Samson's blog, author intrusion -

"[P]sychologists have had some pretty rough things to say about the immaturity and narcissism of love in our marketing society, in which it is reduced to a purely egotistical need that cries out for immediate satisfaction or manipulates others more or less cleverly in order to get what it wants. But the plain truth is this: love is not a matter of getting what you want. Quite the contrary. The insistence on always having what you want, on always being satisfied, on always being fulfilled, makes love impossible. To love you have to climb out of the cradle, where everything is "getting," and grow up to the maturity of giving, without concern for getting anything special in return. Love is not a deal, it is a sacrifice. It is not marketing, it is a form of worship."

You know...

you have a serious aversion to socks and shoes when you're scraping frost off the windows of your Jeep and wearing flip-flops. The justification for this absurdity? It's supposed to be warmer tomorrow and the next day...

Interesting...

information gleaned from a retirement ad - "marriage can add 5 years to your life." I'll refrain from subjecting you to any of the random thoughts swirling in my brain after reading that.