Cleansing rain, a kick and great joy

- On a day in which no rain at all is predicted until later on tonight, a co-worker asks me if it rained on me this morning. No, I say. No rain is predicted until tonight. Well it rained on him - big drops. Pouring. I tell him that I hope he is not like that cartoon character from Li'l Abner who has the rain cloud above only him. Perhaps it is just meant to be a cleansing rain.

- Getting a kick out of David Lebovitz's Twitter post: "Had raw duck for dinner last night. Luckily woke up still alive."

- "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people." (Luke 2:10) - this scripture that was part of this morning's daily devotional I get called "Faith at Work." It was good to read that this morning and it is lovely that the writer put it into another context other than the Christmas story.

Downtime, learning the lesson and creative outlet

- Attending a lecture "Downtime: The Sacred Art of Stopping" by the wonderful Barbara Brown Taylor. The lecture addressed how we are all SO busy that we may not have noticed how this "too-muchness" eats away at relationships, creativity, health, focus and soul. She spoke about different spiritual traditions having different names for downtime, but all being in agreement that it is essential.

- At the beginning of her talk, my mind is still clicking in the background, Should I have promised that print job for Friday? I just spent too much money at dinner, I need to remember to buy paint on Wednesday, What did my neighbor mean when she said that? I hope Susan found her ticket at will-call, etc. etc. But as I begin to really listen, I relax and reflect upon what she was saying. And this is one of the reasons I write this blog. It really just started out as journaling, but 3BTing is a creative outlet for me. (Thank you, Whitney and Clare.) I do like to write, but am fiddling around in my head with other things I might do to feed my soul.

- Later, when she was signing my book, Barbara exclaimed with delight that I was wearing one of her Mahjong necklaces. (That is one of her creative outlets - making jewelry that is sold out of a gallery in Clarksville, Georgia.) She said she had been conflicted about whether the piece was upside down or not, but decided that it was OK one way or another, because I would be looking down at it when I wore it. Another fine example of letting things go...

Lent, warmth and walking uprightly

- Walking the church grounds with a man and his son searching for the three holes in the ground that the Lenten crosses went into last year. Different friends coming by to offer suggestions, I finally leave them to it knowing it will be taken care of.

- Thinking of my mother every time I pull on my long black gloves. Ever practical, but loving stylish things, she chose these for me because I am fond of black and like gloves that disappear up into my coat sleeves.

- Quote for the day from my FrankinCovey calendar planner: "There is a transcendent power in example. We reform others unconsciously when we walk uprightly." --Annie-Sophie Swetchine.

Retreat, gift and sharing

- A women's retreat at Columbia Theological Seminary with its wonderful display of artwork and crosses through their "Faith and the Arts" program.

- Walking through the grounds and admiring the gothic architecture of the buildings. The program, taught by Mary Bruggemann, touches on something essential to a life built around faith; the gift of waiting.

- A shared poem that I will remember when I cannot turn off my mind and sleep, "What to do in the Darkness."

Go slowly

Consent to it

But don't wallow in it

Know it as place of germination

And growth

Remember the light

Take an outstretched hand if you find one

Exercise unused senses

Find the path by walking it

Practice trust

Watch for dawn

- by Marilyn Chandler McEntyre

from the journal Weavings, 2004

Glow, lifted and glorious

- The morning sun shining through the stained glass in the sanctuary of my church, casting a glow across the Thanksgiving tableau.

- Feeling lifted in the spirit by my church's annual combined service with the First Pentecostal Slavic Church of Atlanta. We Presbyterians poke fun at ourselves by saying we are the "frozen chosen." There is nothing frozen about this group, who pray out loud as if it were their last prayer.

- The Slavic Men's Ensemble sitting in the pew behind me, who later sang a musical offering for the congregation, singing all of the hymns in their native Russian.

Home away from home, rumble and wisdom

- This cubicle that is home for nine hours a day. I made it my own by adding family photos, a plant that has been with me at three jobs now and colorful things. My company printed the Les Misérables poster and I hung it up as my own private joke for when things get a little too tightly wound.

- The rumble of the die-cutter beyond the wall behind my cubicle, sounding like a large cat's purr.

- Whitney's beautiful post about her life in Belfast and a young boy's prayer to "help us to treat other people as God's good creation."

Weekend!, midtown experience, inspiration

Lavender by Bob Trammell

- Laughing, talking and sharing a yummy meal of steak, blue cheese salad and chocolate cake with good friends. I looked forward to it all day and it lived up to expectations.

- A falafel sandwich on flatbread with thinly sliced carrots and tomatoes and a lovely yogurt / chili sauce dressing. Messy but delicious. I went to Metrotainment to pick up the chocolate cake and stopped by Star Provisions for the sandwich.

- Reading Hugh Tran's beautiful prayer* for Bob Trammell to heal.

* DEAR JESUS, DIVINE PHYSICIAN AND HEALER OS THE SICK, WE TURN TO YOU IN THIS TIME OF ILLNESS. O DEAREST COMFORTER OF THE TROUBLED, ALLEVIATE OUR WORRY AND SORROW WITH YOU GENTLE LOVE, AND GRAND US THE GRACE AND STRENGTH TO ACCEPT THIS BURDEN.

DEAR GOD, WE PLACE OUR WORRIES IN YOUR HANDS. WE PLACE OUR SICK UNDER YOUR CARE AND HUMBLY ASK YOU RESTORE YOUR SERVANT TO HEALTH AGAIN.

ABOVE ALL, GRANT US THE GRACE TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR HOLY WILL AND KNOW THAT WHATSOEVER YOU DO, YOU DO FOR THE LOVE OF US.

AMEN.

Welcome to the world, manifesto and sofa time

- The arrival of a new third cousin - beautiful baby Andrew.

- Finishing "In Defense of Food - An Eater's Manifesto" by Michael Pollan and liking his suggestion on how we should eat: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

- Not feeling well and realizing that I can really just stay put this morning.

Sisterhood

- Loved Spamalot and explaining Monty Python to one of the Fun Girls was a funny experience in itself. Also loved the toast by recently divorced Joanne, "To Sisterhood!"

- Sitting with other women waiting for mammograms this morning - I was taken with the different ways we all fastened the paper cape around us. I heard the magic words, "You're good to go!" and made my way through the rain.

- Ash Wednesday service found me sitting among cherished friends. One of them whispered, "Good night, Sister" in my ear as we left in silence.