Last night Jenny Smith came over and we watched the Hudsucker Proxy. Very entertaining! It was especially fun to watch it with her because she really likes it and its usually more fun to watch a movie with someone else who is really enjoying it. Not that I wouldnt have liked it anyway, but its more fun to laugh with someone else. I really liked the costume design and it made me think how much nicer women dressed in general in the 50s. It is on right now cause Kurt wanted to see the first half he missed, but he has fallen asleep. So Im thinking he didnt like it as much. He didnt laugh at the funny parts either, which was disappointing, but oh well. Jenny I am still laughing on the inside. You know...for kids.

This afternoon I went to my Moms house and watched Last Holiday with her and my sister. I was very thankful for the invite because I spent the morning dusting among other things and contrary to expectation there was suddenly so much dust in the air that I couldnt stop sneezing and blowing my nose. SO Will and I hung out with Grandma and Auntie. I ate a very tasty Fiesta Salad from Taco Bell and finished it off with a sugar-free York peppermint pattie which oddly enough tasted as good as the original variety, if you can believe it. Well, it tasted that good whether you can believe it or not. I could totally get the sensation. We also had Rocky Road and vanilla sundaes which were wonderful given that today was miserably hot (at least for here; perhaps would be a nice temperature for say, the Sahara).

So now the evening is winding down but it is light out and hot and I wonder what well do this evening. But aside from some kind of unpleasant weather I am thankful for my home and my family and for free time and peace so we can read or talk or play cards and just enjoy life.

BTW, my apostrophe key is for some reason bringing up the "find" feature of Firefox and I dont know how I made that key the shortcut but I apologize for the poor grammar of this entry. Hopefully it isnt too annoying to you all...

And here is my question to you all: What is your anxiety dream? I know something is eating me when I dream that Im driving and my brakes have to be pushed down super hard and I never come to a complete stop...and tend to roll into intersections. Really awful!

my handsome little man! 

I bought a Staples brand stapler. It didn't work. Does that seem wrong to anyone else?

Almost a Country Song

So this weekend I lost two good friends to the call of getting-out-of-LA. We all say it from time to time, but I think we all secretly love AND hate this place. I had hoped that love would win in the hearts of these friends of mine, but I guess "baby sometimes love just ain't enough."

Or maybe they just hated it here.

In any case, it is an empty hurt to say goodbye. Not news to anyone reading this I'm sure, but it really is like a void opening up in your heart and you're just not sure what will ever fill it. And you kind of despair that it will ever be filled. Cause if I have a hole in my heart shaped like Erika, and there is only one Erika now far away, what can I do? At least Julie is only in San Diego so our parting was not nearly so difficult. I know I will see her again, even frequently. But Erika is in Washington with family. There is very little reason for her ever to come back to LA.

But then in the midst of the hurt I felt the Lord's compassion, and He, like no other, can fill any void. And so even though when I think of that empty apartment downstairs I get sick in my stomach, there is no despair anymore. He has held me up and been more to me than a thousand dear friends. He bound up that wound so that it is only a sting, and only a temporary one at that! He has made that wonderful Day of His return so real to me. It will be no time at all before we all are gathered together and taken Home, and there will be so much joy and wonder and warmth! Its so near, only just around the corner! What a stirring thought and realization--we WILL be reunited, and in a place of real glory, goodness, perfection, beauty, joy, and LIFE. No pain here can compare with it! And no loss seems very great in light of what is coming. And then, as the whipped cream on top (or rich chocolate ganache if you prefer), I feel now how His children are all united by His Spirit and so are never really apart.

God is GOOD. What good things He has given us! What a hope we have in Jesus! So I guess Don Henley was wrong, cause Christ's love IS enough.

Now wasn't that a clever ending? I didn't really mean for that to happen, sorry.

Another thought on Providence

I was talking to Jenny Smith yesterday about my previous post (the one thing needful), and she brought up a good point, which she also mentioned in her comment on said post--if God is a generous God, why would He be reluctant to give to those in need? I do think God is giving and gracious, and has a heart for the poor and needy. Why then do people starve in the world? I can't answer that and won't try. In my very long rambling post before, I think I did try to answer that question and I am perhaps not prepared to do so.

Very often I think we miss what God is doing and how He's provided because we were not looking for it. We are accustomed in this country to having not only our basic needs met, but with variety and high quality. We don't often ask Him to provide because there is no apparent lack. We not only have clothes, we have several outfits. We not only have food, we have many styles and varieties. Most of the time when I say there is "nothing to eat" or "nothing to wear" in my house, what I am really saying is that there is nothing I WANT to eat or wear. But in reality God has provided something to fill my stomach and cover my body. He never promised to always give us things that suited out tastes, only fill our needs. Not that He doesn't also at times lavish wonderful things on us, but I can't help but realize that the best meals I have ever eaten were the ones with real thankfulness in my heart, like the vegetarian bologna sandwich I was given by a stranger on the bus ride out of Denali National Park. I was SO hungry, we were out of food, and there was a long bus ride ahead. That sandwich, which I normally would have turned my nose up at, was a cause for tearful thanks and rejoicing in me, because it was a direct answer to my prayers and a clear sign of His providence to me at that time.

Six reasons I'm "weird"

6. When I am a passenger in a car, I like to stare out the window and imagine I am clipping the hedges and bushes that we pass so that they are all perfectly flat on top. I have always imagined this.

5. Loud noises make me cry with emotion.

4. My "flying" dreams usually involve wearing scuba flippers.

3. A lot of mint toothpastes are actually cinnamony.

2. Some buildings give me headaches to look at.

1. I do not like the beach. I mentally combust when my feet touch the sand. Especially if I am wearing sandals. AH! So much for the So Cal summer...

In other news...
Dan Fabrycky, if you're out there, I have good news. Palm trees ARE native to CA. We even have our own variety! I don't know about you, but that's a big relief...