Sophie--the aspiring writer, ignored and neglected by her fiance. Victor--the fiance who can't get his head out of the kitchen. Claire--graceful, sweet, and lovelorn. Charlie--her hot-headed, know-it-all grandson. 74 Lorenzos. Brought together by a letter written 50 years ago.
My Mom and I watched Letters to Juliet today. She'd been wanting me to see it for quite a while. I wasn't expecting much out of it since most new romances just can't measure up to the old ones (While You Were Sleeping, Two Weeks Notice, Ever After, etc. [my tastes are weird, I know]). But I really enjoyed it. It was very sweet. So, except for the part where he ate his ice cream after rubbing it in her face, the twist about the cousin, and the cornball moment when she asked, "can you move?" and he replied, "just my lips," I really did like it.
Hope you enjoy your weekend! post title: William Shakespeare
I love music. Period. Well, ok, I don't love rock or hip-hop or screamo or emo. I like folk, instrumental, pop, country. But I love what I like. It's like Ego said,
"I don't LIKE food. I LOVE it. If I don't love it, I don't SWALLOW. "
Only with music. (Although I'm just about the same with food too.) I used to hate it--I would rather have died than practiced piano. I started at 11, but I didn't really practice until I was about 12. And I had to play for 2 years...like my other siblings. But at 18, I'm still playing. Now, I love it. It's become such a habit that I can't stand not to play. I tried playing the violin--I fiddled around with it for about 3 or 4 years--I even bought a German Roth violin off Craigslist two years ago for my birthday. I tried to stick with it--my teacher said I was a natural. But I really, really, really, didn't like it. So I put my old violin in the basement and my new violin on shelf. I think my bow might still be wound. About a year ago, I began teaching myself guitar. I really do love it. I've even put chords to a few songs I've written. songs you'll never ever hear. And I still like guitar. And I still like piano. oops, I mean 'love'. I listen to music on the radio, on my iPod, on my mom's iPod, on the internet, TV show theme songs (like "It's a Jungle Out There" from Monk)...my life has a lot of music in it. And now I'm adding more. Or trying to. I'm trying to play the hammered dulcimer. It's a challenge, but I pray I can stick at it. hey, maybe someday I'll record myself and let you hear. And maybe someday, I'll sound like this:
post title: Natalie MacMaster "My love, Cape Breton, and Me"
I pray for grace to hold out, stay strong and (most of all) please Him.
Such a beautiful sky today! The Photographer took this picture a few years ago, but the sky doesn't change much in Colorado--(I think it's the most beautiful feature of the West and I'll miss it when I move back East. It's also a great thing about Colorado--no matter how dry, brown, or cold it gets here, the sky is usually beautiful!) I'm so glad there is a verse in the Bible for every subject. I haven't read Daniel in a while, so I thought I'd share from it. Daniel 12:1-3:
"At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time Your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever."
Since today is the 32nd of March, I read Psalm 32. I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the promise of His word that I wanted to share it,
"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"--and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!"
The reason I highlighted verse 7 was because it stuck out to me. It's really easy for me to forget that certain things are in the Bible. I mean, do you remember every word and every line of a 66 volume series? So I had forgotten that one of my Mom's favorite songs was based on a verse in the Bible. You may be familiar with the song "Hiding Place." I think this version is sung by Selah (ironic with all the Selahs, right?).
(Please ignore the words and the weird pictures. Just close your eyes. Or open a different tab.)
When I was little, I used to do Saxon Math. Many times, I would tell my mother my grade and she would say, "Were those silly mistakes or did you really not understand what you were doing?" More often than not, I would have to answer, "Silly mistakes." I'm a daydreamer and those silly mistakes would pop up while I had my head in a cloud. I've always hated silly mistakes--not only do you already feel bad for messing up, you feel worse because if you'd really been paying attention, you would have easily seen the right answer. I made a very silly mistake today. I got up and got ready for my piano lesson and my mother asked, "It's at 10 o'clock, right?" Ever since I switched to a different day and a half an hour later in time, she's been confused about the lesson. And I've gotten used to her being confused, a half hour off. So, when she said "10 o'clock," I immediately assumed she was wrong. "No ma'am. It's at 10:30." I wasn't very kind to my mother and I made a point of reminding her that she was "always wrong" about the time. But she was right. And my piano teacher was forgiving, but she couldn't fit me in because of her next student. I was so afraid that my mom would be angry with me, but she wasn't. She simply told me to come on home, without so much as one 'I told you so'--something I find hard to resist saying when I have the chance. I'm so blessed by her kind, forgiving spirit. I went to the library on the way home and had the pleasure of a gentleman holding the door for me. That always makes me feel special. So, to return the favor, I held the door for a short lady and her husband. She looked up at me and said, "You're a tall young lady, how tall are you?" "5' 8"." "Wow." She went on about how short people envy tall people. "Well, tall people envy short people because of their little feet," I answered. She laughed, "What size shoes do you wear?" I looked down at my flats and giggled, "10." Her husband smiled, "That's the size I wear." And the lady apologized, "Oh, you didn't have to answer that question. You have a nice day." I really didn't care that she asked me how big my feet were or how tall I was...I was just glad to know that people are friendly. As I drove home, I looked up at the sky--it's one of those bright Colorado days where the every cloud is perfect--one my mom would call a "Toy Story" sky. And I wondered how today couldn't be a good day. I'm so amazed by God. He used a kind man to hold the door and a little lady to bless me, even after I'd messed up the whole morning. And, when I thought about it, if I had gone to the lesson, I would've missed out. He knows the plans He has for me. He really does. From piano lessons to shoe sizes, He really knows it all. I can't help but smile at this cute song: (it might be an old one, but it's a good one!)
post title: from "God Knows Everything" from the Donut Man
Until recently, my heart was burdened by an idol, the biggest idol I have encountered so far in my life. That idol may be familiar to you, although not so dear or so close or so big as it was to me. The idol is being a help-meet (don't worry, this isn't a mourning post of a single, I'm only eighteen!). I can't remember a time when the desire of my heart was not to be a mother. As I grew older, that desire matured into the longing for a husband. And it wasn't a bad thing to want for. Not a bad thing at all. But little did I realize that I belonged to someone else. Not a husband, but a God. It never occurred to me that while I was busy thinking, planning, wishing, praying, dreaming about my future husband, someone was being neglected. And that someone is madly in love with me. It never occurred to me to think of God as a lover, well, I had thought of Him as a God who loves, whohasawarmregardforothers:as aloverofmankind. But I'm still learning to see His love for me as that of a father, a brother, even a husband. Francis Chan uses the example of Hosea and Gomer to show God's husband-like love for His children. In 1st Corinthians 7:34, Paul warns us about the challenge of keeping God as our focus when we are married,
"And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband."
Isaiah 54 speaks of Israel as a desolate woman and God as her loving husband,
"For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called."
As I was reading my blog-roll today, I encountered this post on The Scriptorium Daily. I felt something strange inside me when I thought about being alone. I didn't feel lonely at all. When he was going to be crucified, Jesus told his disciples, in John 16
"Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me."
That's sort of how I feel--I'll never be alone because He is with me. It was then that, to my joy, I realized God is slowly taking away the idol that so long burdened my heart. Not entirely, but making it smaller in light of the idol I hold in Him--an idol that grows bigger every day. I still have the desires in my heart, but they are not who I am, are not everything I want to be anymore. I'm surprised to realize this. I really am. And I'm so glad. I'm excited to see the things He will lead me to. And I'm so glad He's my very best friend. I know Nuns commit themselves as married to God and that is NOT what I am saying I believe. I'm not saying that I don't want a husband, I'm just trying to share that I don't feel like I need a husband. Jesus is all I need. I need no husband, no children, nothing of this world. I need Jesus above all the desires of my sinful heart. He is my everything. He's Mr. Right. Yeah, He's the one.
Of all the things I wish I could do (at the moment), sewing is on the top of my list. I can sew--but I'd like to be able to sew all the time and very well. Of course, both of those are impossible as I'm not going to try. Instead, I've been feasting my eyes on these wonderful sewing sites:
JJ Heller's Blog --if you don't know who she is, you're missing out. Look her up on MySpace and listen to your heart's content.
I dare you to add them to your Google Reader and not get hungry for sewing.
"She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle...She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet...She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple...She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates." from Proverbs 31
"Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for
'All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.'
And this word is the good news that was preached to you."
