why.

"There is always the danger

that we may just do the work for the sake of the work.

This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in—

that we do it to God, to Christ,

and that's why we try to do it as beautifully as possible."

-Mother Teresa

by His Love and His infinite Art.

"A tree gives glory to God by being a tree.

For in being what God means it to be it is obeying Him.
It 'consents', so to speak, to His creative love.
It is expressing an idea which is in God and which is not distinct from the essence of God,
and therefore a tree imitates God by being a tree.
The more a tree is like itself, the more it is like Him.
If it tried to be something else which it was never intended to be,
it would be less like God and therefore give Him less glory.

No two created beings are exactly alike. And their individuality is no imperfection.
On the contrary, the perfection of each created thing is not merely in its conformity to an abstract type but in its own individual identity with itself.

This particular tree will give glory to God by spreading out its roots in the earth and raising its branches into the air and the light in a way that no other tree before or after it ever did or will do...

The special clumsy beauty of this particular colt
on this April day in this field under these clouds
is a holiness consecrated to God by God's own creative wisdom
and it declares the glory of God.

The pale flowers of the dogwood outside this window are saints.
The little yellow flowers that nobody notices on the edge of that road
are saints looking up into the face of God.
This leaf has it own texture and its own pattern of veins and its own holy shape,
and the bass and trout hiding in the deep pools of the river
are canonized by their beauty and their strength.
The lakes hidden among the hills are saints,
and the sea too is a saint who praises God without interruption in her majestic dance."

-Thomas Merton,
an excerpt from "Things in Their Identity",
from New Seeds of Contemplation

there is nothing lacking.

favorite Christmas present.

and sometimes my life is game nights, chocolate fondue, wine and good friends.

my life...

I keep wanting to write a real blog post. But here's about as real as it gets:

My Life Is...

Spanish babies babies Spanish Spanish Spanish BABIES BABIES BABIES toddlers eight-year-old shy smiling siblings Spanish babies...

friends friends friends tears of gratitude for how amazing my friends are friends friends friends long phone calls with friends out of state joyful quick refreshing times with friends in state tears of amazement at God working in my friends' lives exciting lunches with new friends friends friends...

church church taking Eucharist giving Eucharist babies at church babies babies Spanish at church Spanish Spanish worship learning humbled church families friends church...

prayer prayer prayer what the heck I think God is teaching me stuff prayer prayer on dates with God prayer on walks prayer at lunch prayers for others OTHERS PRAYING FOR ME prayer that I don't know what I'm praying prayers of thanks wordless prayer learning what to pray sitting silently alone with others deep sad tearful broken prayer prayer where I am just with God prayer prayer prayer...

conviction learning apologizing laughing feeling so lonely feeling so connected frustration joy prayer friendship bowling reading cooking eating working driving music small group deep talks missing people Christmas lights Starbucks Julian of Norwich my roommates are awesome my cat is insane joy loneliness joy connection joy frustration learning fear HUMBLEDDD trust fear trust fear friendship Spanish Spanish connection phone calls texting Spanish babies friendship prayer thankfulness prayer...

...

(did I mention Spanish and babies? :-))

i am thankful daily there is no direct Spanish translation for "awkward".

Many weeks after the Spanish church service,
we all eat Mexican food together.

Tonight, I was sitting at a table with lovely people,
some of whom I knew and some I did not.
We were discussing how good the food was;
I wanted to say, "Yes, I never leave here hungry!".

In Spanish, you don't say "I am hungry",
it translates to, "I have hunger".

So I wanted to say,
"Nunca salgo de aqui con hambre"- I never leave here with hunger.

Except I accidentally pronounced hambre...
as hombre.
Hombre = man.

"I never leave here with a man!".

...

I think this may beat my previous winner.

aaaahhhhhhhhhhh

shout out.

My great friend Steve is obsessed with music (and, side note, lots of people are obsessed with HIS music, cause it rocks!!).

Following hours of listening research, he made a list of the 31 almost-best* songs released in 2010. Every day for the month of January he will be posting on one here.

So go check it and fall in love with some new tunes!

*He calls them the 31 best songs. But despite the FIVE options I suggested from the Weepies' new album, they are not represented AT ALL. Thus... the 31 almost-best. (The songs I suggested were Please Speak Well of Me, Made for Sunny Days, Hummingbird, Not a Lullaby, and Empty Your Hands, in case you want to know the REAL best :-)).

Uselessness.

I just posted this in November. But rereading it tonight I was so struck by it again.
I spent my afternoon at Panera, journaling by a fireplace and
asking God what to do with this year. Let this willingness to offer uselessness
and make constant choices to be with Him be a theme...

"...His life taken from Him in the ugliest of executions-

what a waste it looked!

His life was poured out in intentional uselessness,

like the expensive ointment the woman poured out on His head.

Some of us are indignant at the waste, like Judas was.

Some of us are envious of her- at least she had the ointment.

We would like to have something to give,

to pour out for love of Him,

but we don't have even that. It seems we don't have anything.

Nothing to offer except our uselessness,

and our choice to be with Him:

and that is a choice that no one but Him is likely to put any value on."

-from Celtic Daily Prayer's Aidan readings

.2011.

Enter, Lord Christ-
we have joy in Your coming.
You have given us life;
and we welcome Your coming.

I turn now to face You,
I lift up my eyes.
Be blessing my face, Lord;
be blessing my eyes.
May all my eye looks on
be blessed and be bright,
my neighbors, my loved ones
be blessed in Your sight.

You have given us life
and we welcome Your coming.
Be with us, Lord,
we have joy, we have joy.
This year is a new year,
the opening door.
Be with us, Lord,
we have joy, we have joy.

-New Year blessing from CDP