wonders and reflections in God's presence

Are you the type of person who, when traveling, is more concerned about getting there or enjoying the ride?

I was driving to Circuit City yesterday to drop of Katie’s car for her stereo installation; Katie was following me in her car … and I realized I was going much too fast for a 16 year old driver on I-10. I can afford another ticket, but she can’t. So I knew I had to slow down. Why was I such a hurry? And why was it so difficult for me to drop 10 mph? Because I’m much more interested in getting there than in the process. I don’t like it. I’m so future oriented that I have a very difficult time just enjoying the ride.
Today I led mid-day prayers for the staff at work. We read the story of the wise men traveling to Bethlehem to visit the newborn King of the Jews. In The Message, it says,

“They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!”

I thought … right place, sure, but right time? It took months, possibly years, for them to get there! They went to Jerusalem first … out of their way … they should have mapquested first.

But perhaps, God’s timing was in the journey as well as the getting there. Perhaps God’s timing was in the patience, the trekking, even the wrong turns. They arrived at precisely the right time.

I want to learn to be focused in the moment, not consumed by later. In the Dewitt Jones video, Celebrate what’s Right with the World, he interviews a world-renowned weaver in Scotland who projects an aura of wisdom. Jones asked her what she thought about as she weaves, expecting a profound reply. “I wonder if I’ll run out of thread,” she answered. She noticed his look of disappointment and added, “when I weave, I weave.”

I have decided, like my dearest husband, to keep my blog on our home site. The posts here are supposed to cross-post to my Xanga (blepo); but if the software works right, you should not be able to post comments on Xanga, only here.

I want to keep this a conversation, much like we’re just sitting in the backyard on the patio and talking about whatever’s on our minds. Anyone want to take a swim or soak in the hot tub?

The picture on the top of the site, btw, is one I took of one of the flowers in my backyard last summer (2005).

(from my xanga)

I listed some things in my 2005 50 words that were really the last days of 2004 … but the emotional impact was really felt in 2005 like the tsunami in Thailand and southeast Asia and our purchase of two new cars. Now there are some things that are happening right now that will have a huge impact on 2006 …

Katie has been accepted to UNT in Denton and has already filled out her housing application (and we’ve paid our first $400 to UNT). Dwayne and I will have to adjust to being empty nesters. We are currently hosting our last AFS student for awhile; we want to embrace the empty nest for a year or two at least (maybe longer). Katie’s high school graduation will be a big deal. We have relatives coming in from New York and Florida, maybe Pennsylvania too. But don’t let me fool you … I intend to be crying continually from May through October … I am certain she is well prepared to go off to college; and I am most proud of her self-esteem, caring nature, and recently developing self-discipline; she is brilliant, beautiful, and ready for the world. I will miss this phase of our life, though. Letting her go will be necessary but tearful.

The Presbytery has embraced a new vision that will radically change our priorities and the way we do things there. This terribly exciting as well as frightening, because we know that there will be opposition. Speaking of opposition … I imagine when Eklektos is up and running, we will be the target of quite a little more opposition. More tears?

Dwayne and I are both having some health concerns that will need to be addressed in 2006 … my arthritis and a (almost certainly benign) lump in my breast … dwayne’s lower digestive track and foot. Ugh … we’re getting old … more tears.

And the biggest news, just in … my parents are seriously thinking of retiring to Texas! No, not Baytown … right now they are thinking of the Austin area. Ivy … any suggestions for them? I am thrilled that they would consider Texas, that they would choose to move close to me and Matt, but I will miss the old house that I grew up in. They need to get the money out of it while the market is good and it’s good to move someplace less stressful than New York … but there will be tears, necessary, good, and healing tears.

(from my xanga)

Tsunami, Three new cars, Presbytery job, girls new school, Cursillo, Matt moves to Houston, new pool and spa, The Harbour, Emergent, New Church Training, Bui leaves, Rahel arrives, Three trips to New York, Katie’s a Senior, Katrina, Rita, evacuation nightmare, Conners, angels, Brighton Beach, Katie drives, Eklektos, First-Westminster merge.