Well, I have nothing nearly as interesting as Jenny Smith to blog about. Though I will take this moment to say that reading her about her travels in Scotland has given me a nasty case of wanderlust! I have been wanting to go to Ireland, Scotland, and Wales for a few years now. Reading her very detailed descriptions about her travels in Scotland makes me feel like I can almost taste it. I plan to go there someday, Lord willing.

Here in Glendale things have been pretty humdrum. The sky is overcast and its foggy, and yesterday I felt pretty blue and unmotivated to do ANYthing besides sleep. I don't think I would do well living in WA or thereabouts. I had to force myself to do some chores to snap out of my funk, and while normally that would get me on a roll and I would end up cleaning everything in sight, I actually just kept flopping on the couch after each completed chore. *sigh* Well, some days are just like that I guess. Today, even though the weather is the same, I feel in better spirits.

I have been innundated with calls from this lame-o debt collection group, Allied Interstate, who I've read is bordering on criminal in their practices. I ignore the calls because A) I have no debts that are in bad standing that would be sent to a collection agency and B) the person who had our phone number last apparently DID have some debts in bad standing and we're still getting calls for him two years later. Its really annoying and amusing at the same time that some of the callers do not believe me when I say that I don't know the man nor do I have any idea of his whereabouts. They usually call back a few times until I start getting more annoyed on the phone and tell them to stop calling for real because I for real don't know the guy. the people who are more on top of their business will check to see that the address and phone number on file match, which of course they don't.

So as a result of all that irritation, I was thinking yesterday about getting rid of the number and going with cell phones only and a wireless internet connection. But Kurt doesn't think it would be a financially viable option, and there don't seem to be any internet providers who would give us service for a reasonable rate or without the constraint of also purchasing a phone line or cable service. (We're all about catching the good shows on DVD, LOST excepted, and foregoing a cable bill). Any suggestions?

In other news, I have had some interesting experiences in prayer recently. I will be going about my day and suddenly get this feeling like the Spirit wants my attention. Then when I ask what is going on, if anything, someone will come to mind--or more specifically will be laid on my heart--and I will pray for them. As I pray, I get a sense of what that person is feeling, and more amazingly, what God seems to be feeling and wanting for that person. Most of the praying is not really in words per se; it seems like what the Bible describes as "groans that words cannot express" which it also tells us is the work of the Spirit to go to God on our behalf, when we don't know what to pray for. So anyway, it will go on for awhile and I will notice things change in the way the person or God feels, and then there will be this sense of relief or release or joy and it is over. Well here is the crazy cool part--several times now, three for sure, these prayers have directly coincided with actual events in these people's lives. Moments when they were desperate for answers or really hurting or needing help. One time in particular I was praying for a friend who was really troubled it seemed, and then around 10 something (I can't remember exactly anymore) I got the feeling she wasn't feeling anything anymore. Like she had passed out or gone to sleep. Sure enough, I learned the next day that she had fallen asleep at the time in question (after a very rough patch and time of prayer where God really spoke to her!).

What's also interesting about these experiences is I don't feel any responsibility or sense of accomplishment for them. I feel like a mere vessel of something God starts and God completes by His strength. When it is all said and done, I am grateful to have been used in some way, though it is clear that He didn't need me at all to do it. I think though that this kind of interceding is something that He likes to do in the Church, because we then experience His love for each other and see His heart. And each time it has resulted in my having a purer love for the person in question as well. It is very sobering and encouraging to be used in this way. Less of me and more of Him!

Ok, so I guess that was interesting afterall. Hope all of you out there are well...