Carl–hehe…yeah, it is something of a chic club around here sometimes. Huh…I hadn’t thought about life’s bigness or smallness as related to me and how I see things before. I’m moving…I’m moving Hope things are well with you.

I could not break up the chic club here, so I decided to quote one, a good one at that.

Have courage and in the words of the movie Meet the Robinsons “Keep moving forward”

Looking forward to seeing your journey unfold.

i want to chime in “me too! me too!” when it comes to that whole “not enough time in the world to do all that we want to do and explore” thing. i once told my mom that i think reading so voraciously as a kid did this to me. it’s like that opened up to me whole worlds of possible existences out there, and in reading the characters it was like i was inhabiting their bodies and experiences, too, which made coming back to my real body and experiences somehow . . . i don’t know . . . pale and bland in comparison because there was just THE ONE OF ME, as opposed to the thousands of them. it made my heart ache to realize i could never actually have all those experiences i was exposed to, and just inhabiting them in books was not quite enough. but i suppose it’s way more than not inhabiting them at all, huh?

i love that image of all of us strolling through the meadow! perfect, girl. just perfect. totally resonates with my experience.

what a beautiful closing you added to linni’s quote. such beautiful thoughts here in this comment thread, all.

8 more weeks . . . ommmm . . . 8 more weeks . . . ommmm . . . ! : )

I do feel like some of this is still just in my head, though, like it hasn’t all migrated to my heart. Yeah, it makes sense, but can I LIVE it? That question seems to be the theme of my life, sometimes.

I’m so glad we’re on the same journey (or similar journeys together?). Sometimes I see you and me and Kirsten and Terri and Tammy and Linni and Dean and everyone else all strolling through a meadow, each making our own path but occasionally saying, “Hey, guys, look what I found!” and showing the others.

Linni–you know, you would make a great spiritual director, because I can see you sitting there, listening, then offering the words you wrote here. And I love the quote. I think I’d add, “When you feel the deepest peace your soul knows, you’re doing what you’re made to do. When you look up at the clock and realize time has passed without your knowing it, or when you find tears running down your cheeks and you don’t know why, you’re walking in the footprints God put in your soul.”

Kirsten–ok, trippy-weird. I just read the Michelangelo story this AM (though it was a lion, not an angel, in the version I had). And I’m glad you weren’t yelling for the bottom half of your comment (though in a related note, one of my colleagues sends EVERY EMAIL in bold—AAARRRGGHHH!!!).

There are totally so many gifts in this world…so many gifts in each person…so many gifts in each day, each hour, even each minute (well, some of them, anyway). I decided once that I hope we can still learn things in heaven, because that’s the only place I’ll ever have time to learn to play the violin or the cello.

I can’t wait to share voiced, face-full, words with you, too. Maybe I should chant…8 more weeks…ommmm…8 more weeks…ommm

Ok, I’m a nutball this morning.

it’s early. )

as i was reading your post i couldn’t help but think as to how some have described the artistic process. many have described it not as “creating”, but as “discovering”. I’m reminded of that quote of Michelangelo’s: I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.

sometimes i think it’s the same for us: part of what we’re here on earth to do is to discover God’s design in us. as i walk this path for myself, i resonated deeply with so many of the points you made: it preserves God’s role. it preserves the imago Dei in me, it shows how insanely lavish God is in His love for us. the more i come to know you in this place, the more i agree. the more i see it in others, & the more i see it in myself. geesh God!! what are we supposed to do with all these gifts you’ve given us?! we need more time!!

love you girl,
kirsten )

A lady once asked Dr John F Demartini (who writes fabulous books about gratitude) but how do you know what is your soul purpose on life. He said something that stuck with me for years now…

“when you do something and your heart starts beating faster, and you get all excited, the butterflies are flying in you… and you are all emotions in one, you are doing what you love. When you feel gratitude in your heart, you are where you belong”. xx

I’m tired and spacey this morning and don’t have much to say, but your words mean a lot.