[insert your life here]

today was a beautiful day for.... four reasons.

reason #1: Erin Curtin
reason #2: Sarah Albertson
reason #3: Molly Dever
reason #4: Carly Bishop

Erin and I finally hung out. She glided as I scuffled down the slough on our blades. Many good conversations mainly pertaining to our blessed estates and the awesomeness of God.

Sarah and Molly came home while Erin and I were there. There was the traditional "Erin's-hiding-under-the-marimba" search and then dinner with mo.chi and sma. good food.

Molly and I somehow became inspired to go for a run. Thus we attacked the hills in the forest beside her house with Bailey (the best dog with a mohawk). Trail running is SO much more interesting then street running.. you always have to watch out for random branches and logs that wish your untimely demise. The battle wounds are half the fun.

After the run Molly and I watched the Matrix on TV. A: too many commercials. B: whoever wrote the dialogue for the matrix... angst! so many cliches! it just gets annoying. they're lucky that all the crazy kung-fu action makes up for the lame script.

Molly and I then proceeded to make a surprise visit at the house of Carly Bishop. Freaked her out! She was playing her guitar and we snuck up to her window and got a free little mini-show. it was amazing.. and then she screamed and woke all the dogs up! ha!

Then Carly and I hung out and it was beautiful.

and that was my beautiful day.

the beauty of free writes:

incomplete sentences and non-words. your mind knows what it is trying to create but the english language only restricts so you write in a hyper-language that is so much better because it expresses those thoughts never before expressed because you didn't have the words. and those in tune with the piece will know the meaning. and those in tune with you will see the masterpiece.

writing is so fun.

quality picture.

from the poem generator:

raw materialtell your song
you Where’beenand going
to those shores and what words to meet
me disturbing the
moment: left. strewn about a chair
and
it exist till it
down
the sea Only you is
dying. faithwhen all voices when takenall their own
little thomas guideto lead them know. Does anyone?
Yes Mother.”“That loveI have something to
you.

It is entirely possible to go about our days in blissful ignorance of any errors we may be committing. No one likes to be told they have done or are doing something wrong. For me, it's like being thrown out of the window on the abbey's third floor. Conviction is a bitter taste in our semi-sweet lives but entirely necessary. Proverbs 3:11-12 says,

"My son, do not make light of
the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose hear when
he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines
those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he
accepts as a son."

(qtd. from Heb 12:5-6, emphasis mine)

If we don't acknowledge the errors in our lives how will we ever change? Conviction is necessary if we are to grow more into the likeness of Jesus Christ our model and master. If you're too afraid of being convicted so as to avoid ever being convicted how will you ever grow?

The initial pain of conviction is like dancing in a sticker bush, you get caught by the thorns and wounded. In time, however, God will heal those wounds and make you wiser. You probably won't go about dancing in sticker bushes anymore.

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
Hebrews 12:11
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Prequel: Hebrews 12:1-13

any other thoughts?

I found it.

Yeah, my food card that I lost the first day on campus back in August.

it was in a little box under a little piece of paper...

angst meter is raging.

haha.. I told Jenny I would find it eventually.

After some recent events and changes in the weather a change has occured in my life. Now this isn't entirely in jest (but partially). After a conversation with a good friend a major weight has lifted from my heart and even though it was raining hard I felt like the sun was shining brighter than it ever had in the past few months. I feel a lot of my "old self" coming back and adding to my "new self" and thus creating some super "hybrid self." You know a good change has been made when you laugh as you walk around by yourself. Nothing is really funny, it's just joy bubbling over. I will tell you plainly: that joy is from Christ. From trusting him, from delighting in his words, and from seeing his will unfold as a seemingly desolate situation turned joyous.

Thanks to all of you out there who have been praying for me. It means more than anything.

I must say though, a special someone has caught my eye... unfortunately, he's sweet on one of my good friends but I think I can win him. We'll have to see. Check him out, isn't he dashing!



Ahh, Chester, one day... one day...

something I have been noticing as of late:

Everyday I check The Seattle Times' photo of the day. Why? I love photography and eventually hope to be a photo journalist (a real one..). Ever since the war ended, nearly every day the picture has to do with religion and religious practices in Iraq and the Middle East at large. I would post today's picture but it's high on my "sketchy meter" and would probably result in very odd dreams if we all had to look at it every time we check this letter. So to spare us all the restless sleep, I'll move on. Why do I bring this up? I am not really sure, just a trend I noticed. I suppose half of me wishes they would increase the variety a bit. They've had some amazing shots up in the past... I'll see if I can post some of the ones I have saved somewhere.

coming soon: small discussion on conviction.