From the Mountain View.

There is fear again, 

but hope takes a stand,

in the midst of my lost eyes,

I close them tightly and reach,

my hands quick to find His,

without too much hesitation,

against what my mind threatens me with,

hands firmly laced He guides me,

at first the terrain feels rough,

all I see are the splotches behind closed lids

I am terrified by the unknown.

We go a few more steps 

and suddenly we are climbing,

I begin to cry and tell Him I can't go up,

afraid that He might let go,

and that I'll fall to a terrible low.

But His grip tightens,

He asks me to trust Him,

and I do, because He brought me this far,

we go further up and I feel faint,

weak with exhaustion,

He lifts me by my arms into His,

carries me up the highest part,

and I can feel the air pressurize

into that cool crisp mountain top,

eyes still closed I feel the wind,

our hands glow in the still,

He whispers to me gently:

"open your eyes"

I feel my body shake with relief,

not realizing we have stopped.

At first the movement stings,

but I slowly peek out from the darkness,

and the light is blinding,

but soon I adjust to the bright.

I see how far we have come,

the things we left behind,

the broken pieces are far beneath us,

and they look so insignificant,

I almost laugh.

But I see they led me to Him.

So I'm even grateful for the pain,

that made me desperate,

made me more trusting,

made me close my eyes,

and hold on to Jesus til I reached the top.

The Inferior Interior

What's vying for your heart?

At this very moment, what do you want? 

 A cookie?  

maybe a friend?

That new game? 

 A pair of shoes? 

 Brand new car?  

A lover? 

 A specific career?

More money?

       Something is vying for your heart right now, and I just want you to focus in on that thing.  When I say vying for your heart I don't mean a mere temporary desire, but something that is always there gnawing at your mind, and making you believe that if you had this thing or person or attribute, it would be like opening up a can of bliss.  Perhaps for a while it would, but with time it would get moldy, old, smelly, boring.  Ask the person who has what you want if that thing or person is still as shiny as it was before they had it.  For me that would be...well a few things, but I'll name a few, and here's what is being said after much reflection:

1.  If I become a published and famous writer, I will be so happy to do what I love while getting well-paid, and all the recognition and admiration would mean that I was a great writer, which means I'm a great person.  So what's not being said is that I think money, fame, and admiration will make me more of a person because I'll be happy, I'll be comfortable, and/or I'll be liked.  First of all, happiness is not contingent upon any one thing in this life, our happiness fluctuates depending a variety of things from our oscillating emotions to the weather.  So that boots out the notion of "happiness" because it will, if anything, be short-lived, and I'll soon start seeking it out from other things.  Comfort.  Security.  Money, mo money.  Even the world knows that money does more harm than good (ie: Scrooge, Cruella DeVil, and pretty much every bad guy in any movie is after more wealth, and because of their greed they become villains.)  I'm not saying that money itself is bad, but the love of money is the root of all evil.

1 Timothy 6:10

"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

       It says that a love of (or a strong desire for) money have caused many to err from their faith (or their trust in God to supply their needs (financially, emotionally, physically) and that by doing so they pierced themselves through with many sorrows, not just one, not just a few, but MANY.  Your hopes of happiness through more money will eventually pierce you like a dagger, because we all know that in the end money cannot buy us happiness.  Real joy comes from a peace in our hearts and our minds, which comes from God.

Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

     If you're not a naturally generous person, then if you got a lot of money it would more than likely magnify your greed.  Money cannot make you into a different person, but it can magnify the kind of person you already are.  So whatever thing you struggle with will become even more of a struggle if you had more resources to fund it.  Perhaps you should be grateful if at this time your heart needs to be healed before you begin to make more money.

       Well, what if I struggle with poverty and being poor? You might be thinking that, and thus completely bypassing anything I just said above.  And to that I say, if you're on a computer, smart phone or even just the internet you're not poor.  You probably just want bigger and better things as validation for your worth.  To want bigger and better things is not bad, but when you want them for things they cannot provide (validation) then the searing disappointment will rob you of the joy you thought it would bring you.  Not only that, but it will sting even more when you've gotten what you've wanted, but nothing has changed internally.  

Corrie ten boom said it wisely:

"The most miserable person in the world, is not the person who doesn't have what he wants, but the person who has what he wants and has found out that it doesn't make any difference."

That applies to any desire that exceeds our love for Christ whether it's marriage, children, careers, flat abs, or an unending traveling ticket around the world.  (In case you haven't noticed I'm speaking from a personal perspective, but for you it might be something lame like a car or jewelry)

Your heart may think it needs something aside from Jesus to fulfill you, but know that the heart is very potently deceptive.  

Jeremiah 17:9

  " The heart is deceitful above all things

    and beyond cure.

    Who can understand it?"

Trust the Word of God, don't just "follow your heart".  Have higher standards for the way you live; what's higher than God?  You? ha.  ... -_- sadly, this is what I've deluded myself into thinking countless times.

       When my value would be deceptively based on recognition of my achievements, or when that recognition was slow in coming (or realistically not coming at all)  I developed bad habits to have some sort of control over the unmet desire (again, sometimes I did get the admiration or accomplishment I wanted--a job I interviewed for, a guy I had a huge crush on, a physical appearance, and it never made a lasting difference.)  At the end of getting what I wanted, I was still left wanting.  I may start to wonder if perhaps my wants were not big enough, and that's why they didn't provide what I had hoped for-- maybe if I became a millionaire writer, got a Pulitzer Prize, married a hot, rich Christian guy, or whatever else seems most relevant to right now, maybe then I'd be content.  Maybe, but highly unlikely.  The thing I want is something to fill my heart, and nothing of material can even touch my heart, and as for a guy, well, we all know that real marriage takes work, and that's why they call it the "honeymoon" stage, because it ends...before you have to make an effort to sustain the relationship.  Work.  haha.

       Conclusion:  

Matthew 6:33

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Proverbs 3:5,6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

    in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight."

Isaiah 41:10

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Matthew 6:25

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?"

Joy to The Lord,

Amen.

Sweetly sought after.

I love sweet potatoes, black beans, hummus and avocados, tempeh with quinoa, and almonds with raisins. 

That's a particular of mine.  Some folks love burgers and fries, ice cream, sushi, and lobster.  I don't.  We are all so different, but the core of the human heart is identical.  Not similar, but identical.  We yearn for that deep and inexplicable something. 

I have this confusing fear that seems to build walls around me (mostly at night) and it feels like I'm trapped.  These deceptions, which I have mentioned before as "shadows", are projections of my fears from things from my past, present and future.  Some of the shadows bring an onslaught of grief, while others bring a bubbling of anxiety that starts to get out of control, spilling onto everything.  Then all I FEEL like doing is anything to ignore them, but my feelings betray me every time.  Feelings tell me I don't want to deal with any of my fears, but the truth (the Word of God) tells me plainly the following:

1.  That He will take care of me when I give him all of my fears and doubts about life and my future

Rom 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is  for us, who can be against us? 

32 He who did NOT SPARE HIS OWN Son, but gave him up for us all— how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us ALL things? 

2.  That the choice is simple-- my feelings deceive me into thinking it's difficult or even impossible.  I can choose life or I can choose death, and that if i choose life God will see me through to reaping that life in abundance.

Deuteronomy 30:19,20

19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I  have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life,  so that you and your children may live 

20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold  fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the  land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

3. That I need not be afraid or terrified because the Almighty is always with me.

 Deuteronomy 31:6

6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor  forsake you.”

4.  That when I became a child of God He breathed life and power into my spirit so that I am no longer timid, but rather graced with power, love and SELF CONTROL.

2 Timothy 1:7 (amplified version because it's spot on)

7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and  cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of  love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

I have to keep reminding myself, bopping those pesky ground hog-like fears back into the ground where they belong, that my feelings are usually not a good indicator of how I should react since we are so naturally inclined to fear, anxiety, selfishness, and a sense of entitlement.  Fair is not equality, if that were the case we would not be here today.  Fair is knowing the truth, and choosing to walk toward it or away from it.  We each choose our path in life, whether we want to admit it or not, we plant seeds and get exactly what we've sown.  We should not expect one thing when we've planted another.    You want a certain crop, in my case that would be a writing career, healing, and to have a real relationship with Christ, then I need to start sowing into those things.  That means writing more, maybe attending some workshops, submitting my work, and as for healing and my relationship with Christ, that is waking up and praying and surrounding myself with godly friends, and reading the Word daily. Sorry, I'm rushing to finish this post because I have to go into work soon, but this morning I met with some of my church friends for an early morning bible study that we do every friday and it was The Lord reminding me, once again, how tremendously He loves me.  His love was apparent through the love that flowed from my friends, and I am so grateful to know them, and to be able to confide in them.  

      He loves you so much.

-J

I need more than a smile, I need your story.

       I'm at 8th and Roast Inc.  It's my newly found favorite coffee shop, not only because their coffee is so delicious and decadent, but bc the place has a great atmosphere to get writing done.  It's not so big as to feel loud and commercial, but it's just the right size for that speckle of intimacy between strangers and the stillness needed to concentrate on writing/reading.  

       I'm going through the book of Job and James.  I began with just wanting something, anything, even if just a short sentence from the Holy Spirit to speak words of life and encouragement to me, something to direct me, even if just a little bit, and I ended up having this intense (still short) conversation with a stranger when I pulled out my study bible, haha.  I shared so much, which just shows the eagerness in my heart, but at the same time I was listening to his words of passion, making an effort to keep up with his words (because I tend to think way too much when people start speaking to me, that I have to actively tune my thoughts out, to really hear what the other person is saying-- this must be some sort of neural condition...or I'm just THAT inconsiderate and self-seeking.  Which, again, is why I desperately need Jesus, haha, among other reasons.)  But as he was speaking, I was so encouraged by his enthusiasm and the way he just lit right up and was so confident in his relationship with the Lord.  It was beautiful, and very attractive.  Alas he is married, of course, haha, but point being, there are solid men of God out there who have a seriously awesome relationship with the Lord, and I was starkly reminded of that.  Not only that, but his passion for Christ really stirred in me something that I needed.  To be reminded that following Christ is about transformation, about trusting in God despite all the fear that wants to hold you back from letting go, and waiting on the Lord to show you real Joy.  That kept resonating with me as my friend was speaking; wait, Jamie, wait and see, let go, and then just wait.  It'll feel like suicide, but what have you got to lose?  The logical thing to do would be to at least give the Lord an opportunity to reveal Himself by trusting in Him.  However, I'm almost confident that if I did wait, I would be amazed, and even that scares me.  To know that my life would be intrinsically flipped inside out.  I'd be one of those radiant "christians", the ones who are undeniably walking closely with the Lord, and who exude this bright eyed confidence...my eyes are dull.  I want bright eyes.

       Ok, I'm at a new place (my favorite midday spot to eat and write), Kay Bob's and the thunder and lightening are at it's peak.  At any moment, I may die.  I'm not being dramatic (to me), the thunder scares me, I hate to admit that, but it does.  I don't know why, ...actually I know exactly why.  It is obnoxiously loud, it makes everything shake and could at any moment strike me.  So yes, impending death feels imminent when the weather is like this.  I'm a little happy-scared.  Happy because it's so surreal to be indoors next to a window watching and feeling the this:

You may or may not be able to tell how intense the rain is, not to mention you can't even see or hear the lightening/thunder, but it's definitely there.

      So my story.  My story is still too sensitive for me to share, but I know it'll be paramount when I do.  I want for my life to be a light for others, because that's what others' stories have been for me.  A broken and desperate mess that Christ used to illustrate His sweet grace, and a humbling freedom to allow His perfect and overwhelming love to passionately capture all of oneself to Him.  However, it's going to take a blind trust on my part, and that's frightening to me.  Job 24:22 says that no man is sure of life, and this could not be more true in my eyes.  I have no idea what will happen to me in this storm, but it's calmed down quite a bit, so perhaps I shall live after all.  I don't know who I will marry, if I will ever get published...or if I'll ever even finish a book (sad, but true...but I'm gonna say that I definitely will...because I must. haha), what sort of health issues I will face first as I get older (since we are all heading toward old age and the "perks" of that process), I don't know any of these things.  I'm unsure just as Job said it.  Then in verse 23 he writes that the Lord gives us security, and we RELY on it (that security).  In order for me to have that confidence, those bright eyes, captivation of heart, mind, and strength, I must rely on getting all of that from Jesus.  Not from a man (no matter how tall and handsome and intelligent and rich he is.. haha), not from a publication (no matter how many millions I make haha), not from the perfect body, or anything else.  He is the only light that can and will give the bright to mine eyes.  When I begin to wait and see the Lord walk me through this storm, scared to pieces as I am, I know for certain that the outcome will be a cogent testimony.  

       Verse 23 finishes with the Lord's eyes being on our ways, not our intentions or our prayers even, but our ways.  He watches which way we go, toward him or away, and that is the measure of our trust in Him.  If I trust the Lord I will walk toward Him in obedience, and that doesn't mean I will be perfect, but I'll be continuing on toward good conduct rather than steps that are self-seeking in my heart (James 3).  Freedom comes with a price, but what you pay is like crinkled wrappers compared to what you get: freedom, bright eyes.  Now, being convinced of all this, I know it will take some time for you to be able to begin trusting in Him.  I know this, because I, myself, am still clinging on to my old chains, but meeting my friend at Roast earlier, gave me a glimpse into that which God desires to give me, and to give you.  Those bright eyes.

      So my prayer for you and for myself is this:

"Thank you Jesus for speaking life into me today.  Please help me to have the courage to change directions and walk toward you."

      He loves you with the rain, the sounds of united instruments, and all of those things that make your heart grateful.  That is Him conveying a glimpse of how much He longs for you, wants to have you close to Him, to give you great joy and those strikingly beautiful bright eyes.

       Your story can change the life of the next person you meet at a coffee shop. ;)

J

what funny frights!

       Today is so lovely.  Tainted by the fact that I can't think of a better word to describe how beautiful this view is, the slight breeze in this humidity, the speckled rain drops that illuminate the windows, but most of all the soft glow in my chest. A steady heartbeat.

       I can actually be aware that I'm breathing, that I'm ok, and that things are not as terrible as I tend to make them out to be.  In fact, they are not terrible at all...ok no, some things still feel and look pretty grim, lets not get carried away. Ha.  But I've got good music and graceful weather to alleviate some of the trembles.  Not to mention decaf coffee with soy milk, my laptop, and about 3-4 hours of time to write and write til my fingers start rebelling.  I can't believe I still get bogged down by the same worries that I have dispelled with the Word of Truth time and time again.  So this is nice, the time.  Time to do what I love (right here/write here hehehe), watch the rain, and listen to music ...pretty loudly in my headphones.  I don't listen to music very often, but that's what makes it so much more sweeter when I do finally get to.  Human nature is so fickle.  We want so much of something or someone, but when we get a surplus of it or them we don't know what to do with all of it, we get bored with it/them, we start thinking it's/they're not that great, but when we are deprived of something/someone and experience it/them in small waves, we love them like savory short-lived Joy morsels.  It takes more than our feelings to sustain a hobby or relationship.  It is about persevering through the not-so-lovely phases, because we build foundations that will last in the long run in doing so.

       It's easy to do what we feel like doing, but if you're like me (which most of you probably are ;) then you're a selfish, lazy, decrepit little mind, over eager and just as readily deflated by the complications of getting what you want.  I want to be good, to do the right thing, make good and moral decisions, but I have found that where there is good there is also bad, and I often find myself fighting to be "good".  When it's me trying to win, I find that I'm up against something much bigger than myself....and I need Jesus.  I’m a thousand broken shards of glass, and Jesus builds me up again into a perfectly transparent figurine.  I’m so beautiful when I’m in the hands of Christ, but then I jump out and shatter on the ground again thinking this time will be different because circumstances are in my favor (or at least they appear to be) and like an idiot I crash to the ground.  The most amazing thing about this whole analogy is that Christ, my Love, never gives up on me…because He loves me that much.  Have you ever liked or loved someone so much that no matter what they did you still forgave and forgot about it, just to give them love again?  Maybe not, but I have, and it’s an almost impatient kind of excitement, that waiting, waiting for them to come back for more lovin’, because it brings you joy to be able to give them that love.  I imagine that's how God sees me, this dumdum jumping out of His hands all of the time, following my selfish desires, and then He eagerly picks up every piece of me, wipes off the filth that I thought would cling to me forever, and builds me up again, completely perfect; Ravishingly beautiful in His hands.

      As I'm looking out the window of this coffee shop, I realize that focusing on the raindrops isn't as lovely as looking past the raindrops.  You know how you can focus in on one or the other, like a camera zoom lens, the portrait of the day outside looks so much more spectacular through these unfocused raindrops.  I don't think it's a coincidence.  This is just another parallel for who we are when we identify as a child of the one and only King.  Our past mistakes, present failures, doubts, anxieties, all of that are the raindrops that will inevitably fall in our lives, but when we look past them we see how good God is, how He uses our weaknesses for the beauty of His power.  His grace.  His Love.  Goodness! My fears are the raindrops that do nothing but accredit how all things give God glory.  Every fear of mine will and must bow down before my Saving Grace, Jesus.  So maybe I'll always have these pesky fears of mine pop up like the groundhog game at chuckie cheese's, but I just have to bop them on the head, put them back in the ground where they belong, and laugh about it.  It's ridiculous to let fear become anything more than an annoying groundhog.  Because it says in Isaiah 41:10:

"So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

       If God said it, it's true.  Don't believe the lies in your head that try to scare you, they're just raindrops that require you to refocus your gaze past them into how beautiful life in Christ really is.  Then you can take a step in the right direction, toward the destination you want to go to, rather than the one you keep ending up at.  Let me rephrase that:  I need to start taking steps in the right direction to get where I want and need to be, rather than thinking mere intentions will get me there as I take steps in the wrong direction.  Dumdum.  Choose to live, and be ravishing in His hands.

-J

mind boogers

this guy keeps trying to love me, but it takes more than a cute face.

I saw a friend sitting just out of arms reach from me at church the other day, and I wanted to say hi since I was excited to see that we were in the same place at the same time.   I couldn't get his attention without disturbing the folks around me.  I thought about wadding up a piece of paper to throw at him, since he was just close enough for me to aim directly at his right ear, but i knew that was a terrible idea, considering where we were and how old we are, also I didn't have anything to wad. So then I realized that I wished I had an expandable stick in my purse to poke, or rather, gently tap those for just such occasions.  I really just couldn't wait for the speaker to be finished to say hello, because I'm a NOW kind of person.  Do the dishes NOW, pick up those socks NOW, drink coffee NOW, take a shower NOW, sweep all the floors NOW, even and especially when I don't have time or if something more important is pressing.  So there I sat,  wad-less, no expandable stick, and being a terrible whisperer, I waited.  A bit squirmish in my seat, I thought about these compulsions in me.  My impatience, my childish ideas, and even the strong desire in me to say hi to this somewhat acquaintance who I will probably never care to see again.  Why.

       Minds are an unanswerable question.

I heard someone say that man's biggest enemies are hunger, boredom, and loneliness.  Think about those three things:

 Hunger;  we can't really think of much else or function very well when we are legitimately hungry.   It's a good and healthy indicator for when we need to replenish our bodies, but it can also be abused when we over-eat, under eat, or damage our bodies with things other than food in order to suppress the hunger.

(alcohol, cutting, drugs, sex, etc)

Boredom;  this one is big for me.  It used to take a lot for me to get bored, I could entertain myself for hours (via writing, reading, painting, imagining, ...being colorfully and mentally uninhibited), but recently within the past 3 years I have dealt with so much inward deflection, a denial of sorts.  At first it was just to appease my indecision regarding my path in life, then it was a coping mechanism for how completely off course things had turned out from what I had planned on.  I stopped my ambition at the seedling stage, tore up the dirt, threw the seeds at the wind, and then felt terror when I realized what I had done.  Thankfully, God had plans for me, albeit.  Those seeds that were thrown in the wind were carried to all sorts of fertile ground.  The only catch is that I have to travel some distances to care for each one, and they are all so very far apart.  It's a lot of work, and I get distracted along the way.  Sometimes I mistake the lengthy journey for boredom, forgetting that I am on my way to water the next seed.  I don't really think this does much to describe how boredom gets me in a bad way, but it's what I thought about.  I'm not really a television watcher, bar-drinker, or party person.  I want for things to have meaning, and if they don't then I deflect, in other words I get bored.

Loneliness;  I don't know about this one.  I know a lot of people deal with this, but maybe I'm in some sort of sub conscious denial, but I don't really get lonely. I love my friends, so I suppose the only sort of loneliness I can think of is that of finding my mate for life.  I guess it's pretty simple for me, and I'm willing to wait for the right guy at an older age, than the wrong guy right now.  Sisters, let me just say you should have at least the following 3 standards for whoever you date: 

1.  He must love The Lord faithfully (not just emotionally), because a man who loves Christ knows how to treat a woman, not to mention that sexy integrity of his.

2.  He must have a real job, or working toward having one.  God said that men were to work, so if he's not working he's in direct disobedience to Christ, which negates number 1.

3.  He must NOT  pressure you to get too physical.  A man who guilt trips you or whines/complains about wanting things to get more physical (even if it's not sex) is an immature little boy, and trust me, I was nanny for a good enough time to know that little boys will drain the life out of you.  This one is pretty fool-proof for separating the men from boys.

----

It's been about me, and it's time for me to not be afraid.

sometimes I reminisce about all the good times,

but through these waters I wade,

past all these  island memories,

my arms numb from the paddling

letting the scent of hope guide me.

Shining like Stars. (I grin for a good metaphor/simile)

       Time today and time tomorrow is digesting into time yesterday.  Soon enough, just like the food we eat, time will be disposed of.  We take in time wanting copious amounts, having intentions of doing all kinds of spectacular things (if you're something like me you want to build cabins, climb cliffs, write entire novels, start a small business of all the cool things I haven't made yet, or attempt martyrdom) but then when a grand bowl of time is given to us in a day or even a week, it almost hardly gets used for all the good intentions I had for them.  Instead, veering away from work means sleeping more, eating more, moving around less, and getting bored (and boredom is a dangerous place to be).  My heart is the director of my time, but I often delude myself into thinking the measure of time is what will direct how I use it.   Being aware of the state of my heart has become difficult to look at, but the more I study my heart the clearer it gets to understand my actions.  Good thoughts dry out when I am given the pipes to assemble them, it suddenly becomes arduous, as if I thought water could flow from sand.  As usual I hadn't thought about the work involved to begin doing the things I know would make me happy.  I feel entitled to things I don't work for and that's when I begin to grumble.  I think we were designed to work, and to work hard.  Whether as a man who cleans pools or a woman spear heading a team of investors on wall street, we were made to be somewhat consistently mobile, expending energy to produce the fruits of our labor.  Oftentimes we shift our focus from why we work to what work we are doing.  While having a good job is nice, it's not the most important reason for our keeping at it.  Most people don't work in the settings they desire, while some do, but regardless whether we are given a denarius for one hour or for five, we are not entitled to grumble at the God who gave His Son for us to make a way into eternity with Him.  Working is not the meaning of our lives, but it is essential for our well being, and something to note is that it doesn't really matter what it is that you do, so long as you are doing something (and doing that thing diligently since we are reflections of Jesus wherever we are), and diligently striving to know God and give Him all the glory with a thankful heart.  There.  Joy.  Is found; even amidst what the world may view as a terrible circumstance.

(this began as a vent about how I had nothing incredible (or decently proper) to write about given the opportunity and time TO write...then all this just sort of fell out of my fingers here.)

       It's difficult to remind ourselves of the real reasons we work or clean or make efforts to invest in or perhaps let go of, relationships with others .  To remind ourselves that we should do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but rather, at the expense of possibly losing face, we are to value others above or as much as we value ourselves, and look more intently to their interests.  This is the formula to shining like stars.  (Philippians 2)

Having walked in the rain,
J