what we said when basia fell in love

Jackie 10:15 AM

basia, do you have the fever?

 the love fever.

Basia 10:16 AM

no, i dont think its a fever

­­

it just is

no fever

just is

its the strangest thing

this is

the being.

the be

to be

and just is

not a fever

just being

Jackie  10:18 AM

being what?

Basia  10:20 AM

just being

there's not fever in just being

jsut being is breathing

lots of just breathing

through it all

i thought it would be a fever

but its not

its just breathing

life fully in

taking it all in, one step at a time

and just sitting, and being

Jackie  10:22 AM

are you happy?

Basia  10:23 AM

oh, for sure

but its so much greater than that

so much better

so much more jesus

Jackie  10:24 AM

better.

Basia  10:24 AM

prayer works

god is faithful

and kind

and so kind

on loving others + desiring our joy in christ

Spiritual pride is the main door by which the devil comes into the hearts of those who are zealous for the advancement of Christianity.  It is the chief inlet of smoke from the bottomless pit, to darken the mind and mislead the judgment.  It is the main source of all the mischief the devil introduces, to clog and hinder a work of God. Spiritual pride tends to speak of other persons’ sins with bitterness or with laughter and levity and an air of contempt.  

But pure Christian humility rather tends either to be silent about these problems or to speak of them with grief and pity. Spiritual pride is very apt to suspect others, but a humble Christian is most guarded about himself. He is as suspicious of nothing in the world as he is of his own heart. The proud person is apt to find fault with other believers, that they are low in grace, and to be much in observing how cold and dead they are and to be quick to note their deficiencies. But the humble Christian has so much to do at home and sees so much evil in his own heart and is so concerned about it that he is not apt to be very busy with other hearts. He is apt to esteem others better than himself.

—Jonathan Edwards, Thoughts on the Revival

of sarah edwards and religious affections

“They say there is a young lady in New Haven who is beloved of that almighty Being, who made and rules the world, and that there are certain seasons in which this great Being, in some way or other invisible, comes to her and fills her mind with exceeding sweet delight, and that she hardly cares for anything, except to meditate on him — that she expects after a while to be received up where he is, to be raised up out of the world and caught up into heaven; being assured that he loves her too well to let her remain at a distance from him always. There she is to dwell with him, and to be ravished with his love and delight forever. Therefore, if you present all the world before her, with the richest of its treasures, she disregards it and cares not for it, and is unmindful of any pain or affliction. She has a strange sweetness in her mind, and singular purity in her affections; is most just and conscientious in all her actions; and you could not persuade her to do anything wrong or sinful, if you would give her all the world, lest she should offend this great Being. She is of a wonderful sweetness, calmness and universal benevolence of mind; especially after those seasons in which this great God has manifested himself to her mind. She will sometimes go about from place to place, singing sweetly; and seems to be always of joy and pleasure; and no one knows for what. She loves to be alone, and to wander in the fields and on the mountains, and seems to have someone invisible always conversing with her.”
- Jonathan Edwards' on Sarah Edwards

untitled

A dinosaur just walked into my room and wanted to sign on his AIM screen name
I said Heck No you tyrannosaurus Rex, you get your own freaking PC
Then he told me
this
really
sad story.
So I let him use it. 

indie was a brachiosaurus

today
i want to speed travel
on a brachiosaurus -
to an indie city's art district
and play chess
with a homeless man
who tells me of his fortune 500
business,
and how i should invest in stocks.

spontaneous decisions

this is the face my mother is going to give me when she see's my most recent addition 

[nose piercing]

biblical femininity + you

a friend sent me this email, i thought i would share.
+++++

ive actually been thinking about our definitions and perceptions of femininity alot.
I went to an orphanage yesterday run by a woman, Tammy. Something about it seemed peculiar to have her leading and raising these kids by herself. I mean there were interns and other adults, but she basically served as dad and mom and pastor, visionary and the complete gusto behind the entire operation from the very beginning. She is in charge of their spiritual needs, their discipline. Shes basically a single mom for 46 kids, ranging in age from 20 to 2. I dunno. It was incredible to see the Lord at work here. At first I was just feeling out the place and getting a gist of what goes on, and i felt weird but i didn't know what it was. And then it hit me that she didnt fit a mold of "biblical femininity."  And I wondered if she would have been encouraged and supported by our christian reformed culture. I dunno. Still trying to process all of what i saw and experienced yesterday. I see your concerns very clearly: what about missional living, what about loving the poor. Is God just as pleased with 80 dollars on a haircut "serving your husband" or toward feeding and clothing children in uganda.

Well? Whats the deal here? Whats actually more biblically feminine? This butch, seminary graduate, single lady running an orphanage? Or a quiet housewife wearing Ralph Lauren who's sacrifice is nonreturnable modest clothing? Both?

+++++

what do you think?

in a similar challenge, check out this francis chan message.

eighty-six + sparks are flying

yesterday i went running around my neighborhood.
five point seven miles. yes, it surprised me too.
around the four mile mark, i saw a sweet elderly couple
holding hands, it was so sweet.
while passing, i told them these thoughts.
he said, "i've got to... so she doesn't get away from me!"
i told them that was a gift, and that it is rare.
on my home way past them again,
the sweet lady said,
with child-like enthusiasm,
"i hope you have someone to hold hands with..!"

what beauty.

photo courtesy of sigur ros - hoppipolla

last night:: initiation into secret societies

well, i can't tell you, can i?

alphabeat

thanks to my good friend evan,
who is currently an internationally adventuring,
i have grown aware + full of adoration for a danish pop band named
alphabeat.

czech it out.

i am a child again

this german photographer + shop artist brings 
out childlike dreams
that wander aimlessly lost in grown up minds
probably camping out 
somewhere 
between the aisle of 
deadlines and to do lists.

it is a beautiful day

in the oa office, we have huge windows.

it makes me appreciate art + beauty + design.

i love it because it reminds me of the sweet outdoors,
dreams i've dreamt,
the unlimitability* of creativity,
and therefore the unlimited goodness of God.

thank you, Jesus, for the sun.

(*and for the unlimited creativity to create the word unlimitability)

kip + the gnarly whals

this week in short. kip showed us some explosive magnesium, which is a story to be continued. took a couple shots for the gnarly whals monday night. we also saw mobley, touring from somepaso, texas.

Wicker Park Final Scene

To Live in the Mercy of God

To Live in the Mercy of God

BY DENISE LEVERTOV

To lie back under the tallest

oldest trees. How far the stems

rise, rise

before ribs of shelter

open!

To live in the mercy of God. The complete

sentence too adequate, has no give.

Awe, not comfort. Stone, elbows of

stony wood beneath lenient

moss bed.

And awe suddenly

passing beyond itself. Becomes

a form of comfort.

Becomes the steady

air you glide on, arms

stretched like the wings of flying foxes.

To hear the multiple silence

of trees, the rainy

forest depths of their listening.

To float, upheld,

as salt water

would hold you,

once you dared.

.

To live in the mercy of God.

To feel vibrate the enraptured

waterfall flinging itself

unabating down and down

to clenched fists of rock.

Swiftness of plunge,

hour after year after century,

O or Ah

uninterrupted, voice

many-stranded.

To breathe

spray. The smoke of it.

Arcs

of steelwhite foam, glissades

of fugitive jade barely perceptible. Such passion—

rage or joy?

Thus, not mild, not temperate,

God’s love for the world. Vast

flood of mercy

flung on resistance.

hello, innovation.

Wood imaged post its with personal ring circles. Brilliant.

Courtesy of: http://www.gnr8.biz/product_info.php?products_id=1066

The love of God is a love of rest, contentment & delight.

'He will rest in his love'. (Zeph 3:17)

To rest with contentment is expressed by being silent, that is, without grumbling and complaining. Because God's love is so full, so perfect and so absolute, it will not allow him to complain of anything in those whom he loves. So he is silent. When God is said to 'rest in his love,' it means he is satisfied with the object of his love and will no seek for a more satisfying object to love. His love will make its home in the soul on which it is fixed for ever.

John Owen, Communion With God, P. 18

Currently reading...

Reasons I love the Internet 1: Exposing Tree Sweaters

I recently have discovered this interesting hobby: Knitting a tree sweater.

Enjoy.

An intruiging thought:  How did the sweater get on the tree?

Creative Costume Party Themes

1. Alter Ego - Who you would be if you weren't yourself.
2. A Few of My Favorite Things - I would dress up as raindrops on roses.
3. Major Party- Literally, dress as your college major stereotype.
4. Inner Child- "Who is your inner child? What were you like as a kid?"
5. Murder Mystery- Assigned Characters (Elizabeth Grivetti-- you had the best one last year... woo!)
6. Inanimate Object Party- Dress up as a stapler.
7. Dress-up as Your-Middle-Ages Socio-Economic-Status-  'Hey everyone, look at me, I'm a Pauper!' (Hahahaha, Anna & I thought it would be funny to include this one. Just kidding. Do NOT do this one.)
8. Hollywood - Warning, make plenty of parking, because paparazzi will be flooding the streets for this one!
9. Pun Party- I would be a 'Black-Eyed Susan'... a bruised eye with a shirt that says susan.
10. Your Arch Nemesis - I would dress up as Homework.
11. ....YOUR CHOICE!!

Any Ideas? 

Vote for the Annual April Costume Party!