be still

break the silence

I haven't shared a song in quite some time.

It's been haunting me for a while.

But the truth is, I haven't stumbled onto anything amazing lately. And then this lo-fi, well lived-in masterpiece of a recording randomly played on my iTunes.

I instantly knew it was the song that would break the silence. As always, enjoy.

J. Tillman . Ribbons of Glass [follow link to MP3]

יוֹם כִּפּוּר

A prayer on this Day of Atonement

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13(KJV)

Thru the eyes of a child...

Actual conversation between my mum and my 3-year old niece that took place earlier today:

Kiaya: I love you, Nanny.
Nanny: Why do you love me Kiaya?
Kiaya: Because that's how I am, I love everybody in the whole world.

As I'm writing this thru eyes blurred by tears,
I'm praying that I would see the people in this world more clearly.

More like a child.

More like Kiaya.

More like my Lord.

humbled

[humbled]

humbled by His goodness today
humbled by His grace today
humbled by His blessings today

Photo by Harold Davis . Biggest

Vital Organ

Although it has never been the heart of the Church,
it has nonetheless served as a vital organ for many years.

Photo by Dan Price

Thirty-Two

I was asleep at 12AM when I officially became 32 years old earlier this morning.

I'm almost certain the same was true when I turned 22 ten years ago -- I was never one to stay up late. I've always been an early riser (as you can see by the fact that I'm writing this at 7:28AM on a Saturday morning).

But this morning, my thoughts are not focused on the ways in which I am the same as 10 years ago. Rather, I find myself contemplating the ways in which I have changed throughout the course of my life. The issues I think about now that honestly seemed so foreign a mere 10 years ago.

Today I'm conscious of the Lord's Spirit working deep within my very being and his call upon my life.

I wasn't then.

I'm now keenly aware of the deep love that Jesus has for me, which fills me and has honestly changed the way I think about this world and how I perceive others.

Jesus was a fond memory from my
childhood and youth group days then.

I'm actively house-hunting and planning my wedding these days.

These were the furtherest things from my mind then.

I have a mostly positive self-image and I'm eating healthy.

Back then I had a destructive view of my body
and was caught in the throngs of the disease of anorexia.

Today I find myself concerned about the amount of non-renewable energy I consume, the amount of waste I produce and other ways that I can generally conserve energy and resources.

"Green people" and their ways were an inconvenience
in my otherwise self-centered world then.

I realize more than ever now that I have so much to learn.

I once thought I knew everything there was to know.

I've found the woman of my dreams and, more importantly, the one whom God desires for me to share the rest of my life.

Back then I was lost without much hope
of ever finding such a woman.

So today I'm thankful for many things, two of which are maturity and the Lord's work in my life. It's my honest hope that I'm still blogging ten years from now and I look forward to bringing you up-to-date on the many ways in which I've grown and matured in the the years since writing this. Blessings to you this day!

Photo by troy.

The Imperfection of Violence

"Through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can't murder murder.

Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can't establish truth.

Through violence you may murder a hater,but you can't murder hate.

Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Where Do We Go From Here?"
16 August 1967

Forty years later...and we still don't get it.

Forty years...

One

To find that one in the crowd...
[P.S. She said "Yes"]

Photo by Kaiti Pates