God, Oregon, and me
“A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.”
Leonardo da Vinci
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:2-3 NIV
People have, with the help of so many conventions, resolved everything the easy way, on the easiest side of easy. But it is clear that we must embrace struggle. Every living thing conforms to it. Everything in nature grows and struggles in its own way, establishing its own identity, insisting on it at all cost, against all resistance. We can be sure of very little, but the need to court struggle is surety that will not leave us. It is good to be lonely, for being alone is not easy. The fact that something is difficult must be one more reason to do it.”
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
Be not hasty to believe flying reports to the disparagement of any.
George Washington’s Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior
Have a blessed weekend!
My favorite scene in How the Grinch Stole Christmas has always been when his heart grows three times larger at a perilous precipice. But this year, it is the Whos in Whoville that captured my heart.
It is no secret that this Christmas has been unlike any other. My Christmas spirit was here, but greatly diminished. To try and make it better for one of my kids visiting, I had promised a Christmas tree. I forgot until the last minute and all were sold out.
So I made a declaration. We were going to have a Whoville celebration, we were going to metaphorically sing and celebrate without a tree. And even though my other kids being miles away, it has been one of the best Christmases I have ever had.
”It came without ribbons, it came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags. Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas (the thought) means a little bit more.”
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Joy does not reside in circumstances, it resides in Jesus.
