(xaris and shalom)

As I climbed into bed last night, I was distracted by the view out my window and a thought. I love this place. It got me out of bed early the other day, too, because I woke up and the sky was so gloriously beautiful.  It fits right in with the over-joyed theme of this summer.   This summer makes for a second full rotation of seasons that I've had in Bloomington, living in the same apartment in the same town.  It has been so very, very good.  There are a thousand thousand reasons to live this life. Every one of them sufficient. ~Marylynne Robinson We're so lucky we're still alive to see this beautiful world. Look at the sky. It's not dark and black and without character. The black is in fact deep blue. And over there!  Lighter blue. And blowing through the blueness and the blackness, the winds swirling through the air. And there, shining, burning, bursting through, the stars! Can you see how they roll their ligh

And I keep having this dream That you get swallowed by a darkness The image appears so vividly "Redemption," she prays, it seems so far in the distance That's when I realize that the darkness is me... [ Standards, Boyhood Bravery] I woke up about a week ago from a dream that involved a crime scene.  A murder scene, to be precise.  As far as I remember, the dream was mostly about trying to crack the case and figure out who the killer was.  (I haven't even been reading mysteries recently!)  Right before I woke up, I looked at my own hands and they were covered with blood.   Case solved.   All of the pieces fell into place. ( photo by Matt Popovich ) It was creepy, as far as dreams go, and also sobering, especially since the victim was someone who I really do not like all that much in real life.  I wouldn't have said "hate," but I'd be lying to say that I loved them. I think that my subconscious has done a better job of grasping and

Pictures of recent days (because I am very Frederick-like and believe in storing up sunshine and colors and words) and some song lyrics from Mumford & Sons'  Wilder Minds , which has been slowly growing on me over the past year.  There is, in this case, no particular connection between the pictures and words, just that they both are part of my life right now. I only ever told you one lie When it could have been a thousand Might as well have been a thousand   This is never gonna go our way If I'm gonna have to guess what's on your mind And I know what's on your mind God knows I put it there A life lived much too fast to hold onto ... This life I tried to hard to give to you Didn't they say that only love will win in the end? I didn't fool you, but I failed you In short, made a fool out of you There is no great thing, to stop and sing Waiting for the rain And I can't be for you all the th

a month ago, I went back to PA and then Virginia to spend some time with mi familia. I've got aching feet  from walking over miles of concrete And I can't wait to dream But the city, you know, she won't go to sleep So I'm saying... Goodbye to the skyline Hello to the sweet pines Gonna see you later street lights I'm headed back to tree lines To free time and starry nights To bonfires and fireflies Pack your bags it's time to go 'cause we've got brighter lights back home. ( Back Home   by Owl City)

God is good. I know that I say that in a vast range of circumstances (because it's true... all the time...) but today I could feel it, this deep, pulsing assurance of His goodness.  Not just in a general sense, but in very specific situations and particular providence.  It's like seeing the flip side of some of the drama/spiritual warfare that has been so thick in Bloomington recently, seeing God's faithfulness as His people work on living faithfully, on persevering in hard situations, repenting, seeking reconciliation and shalom. It's incredible. It's not easy.  I have friends right now who are walking hard paths that are uncertain and dark and scary.  These friends are resisting the urge to kindle their own torches and light their own fires to bring comfort and to ward off their darkness, and instead choosing to trust in the name of the Lord and to rely on Him (Isaiah 50:10-11).  It's challenging and inspiring and beautiful and I feel, right now, lik