#2) The Ultimate Multi-Tasker...

Today was a LONG DAY!!! Running, running, running. Stressed, stressed, stressed! But in it, I see your superior attributes. I realized today...you are a good multi-tasker - the ULTIMATE actually! Today was super stressful juggling fatigue, frustrating patients, lots of patients, people's needs AND wants, MY needs and wants, taking care of Jack, my fears, meeting deadlines, fulfilling commitments, friendships, and talking to people that are important to me. And yet you juggle so much more. You juggle the hearts of the world - You hear our prayers, know our truest needs, understand our deepest wants, feel our pain - all while keeping the Earth on its axis and keeping the fish alive and the planes in the air, and the volcanoes and earthquakes under your control. Wow! I admire that in You. You have it all under control! And you don't get stressed like me...

#1) A Lover of Beauty...

So...I want to moon over your amazing attributes. In true "head over heels" fashion, I should be hanging upon your every word...thinking of you constantly...remembering all the super-cool things about you. So today I tried that. I read your word. Found incredible sustenance from Psalms. I feel full of joy today. But it's hard not to with such a picture perfect day...which leads us to AMAZING ATTRIBUTE #1: You are a lover of beauty.

This PERFECT day. The green is so green. The blue so crisp. The temperature perfect. Only you could do that. You are the Creator of people in all their diversity and beauty. Tall and short, dimples, blue eyes, chocolate eyes, skin the color of caramel...dark coffee...alabaster. You created the mountains of Guatemala, the beaches of Florida (and the Bahamas!), the beautiful coastline of Oregon with its rugged glory.

You are also the ultimate source of beautiful art. Light and dark. Color. Shape. Texture. You gave the inspiration for everything in the Sistine Chapel, the Louvre, my kitchen. Wow! You put that passion and talent in people to express Your beauty, your world's beauty, Your people's beauty. There is beauty in every DAY. There is beauty in every BREATH actually. Won't you help me to be aware of it?

Help me to make the world a prettier place - not a darker, uglier, more petty place. Help me to speak uplifting, brightening words of encouragement and love. Help me to accept the beautiful things you give me! I love you!!

Sustenance...

"I am STILL CONFIDENT of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. WAIT for the Lord; be strong and take heart and WAIT FOR THE LORD." --Psalm 27: 13-14

"Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law" --Psalm 119:18

PSALM 145 - ALL OF IT!!!! WOW!!!!

"O Israel, put your HOPE in the LORD, for with the Lord is UNFAILING LOVE and with him is FULL REDEMPTION." --Psalm 130:7

Give Me Your Eyes...

Songs have really been speaking to me in the last week or two. I was listening to this song in the car today as I drove up Cockrell Hill today. And I was bawling like a baby. How I want to have the eyes of Jesus! How I want to see all people and all situations the way He does! So often, I see things all wrong because I look with my own eyes and my own earthly logic. And occasionally, I get it for just a second or two, and I see through His eyes...and I am overwhelmed with the pain in this world and the needs of His people...and I am in awe that I am seeing through His eyes.

Give Me Your Eyes ... By Brandon Heath

Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight

Touched down on the cold black tar
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breathe in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos

All those people going somewhere
Why have i never cared?

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so i can see
Everything that i keep missing
Give me your love for humanity

Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach?
Give me your heart for the one's forgotten
Give me your eyes so i can see
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what's underneath

There's a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work he's buying time

All those people going somewhere
Why have i never cared?

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so i can see
Everything that i keep missing
Give me your love for humanity

Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach?
Give me your heart for the one's forgotten
Give me your eyes so i can see
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

I've been there a million times
A couple of million eyes just moving past me by
I swear i never thought that i was wrong

Well i want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all alone
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so i can see
Everything that i keep missing
Give me your love for humanity

Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach?
Give me your heart for the one's forgotten
Give me your eyes so i can see

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so i can see
Everything that i keep missing
That i keep missing

Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach?
Give me your heart for the one's forgotten
Give me your eyes so i can see
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Just doing nothing...

Today was my last free Monday. They've changed my schedule at the clinic and so I'll now be working 5 days a week...EVERY week. Today was my last free Monday. So I had tons of ideas on how I was going to make the most of it. But, like most free Mondays, I did next to nothing.

Of course, it didn't help that it was rainy and gray outside all day. Perfect weather for staying in bed all day. I suppose I was slightly more productive than that. I woke up late; I did my taxes, organized some things around the house. I finally got up and moving and left the house about 4pm. Spent 2 hours and TOO much money at Target...and then I took the scenic route home with a Guatemalan detour of Pollo Campero for dinner. And you know what? I think it was a good day. There were no deadlines, no rushing, no stress. We all need days like that more often.

And I did it all with my main man, Jesus. Listened to some music this morning. Talked to Him as we drove up Cockrell Hill from Cedar Hill. New neighborhoods - some super sketch and some kinda fancy. And all the people need Jesus. So I talked to God about us and about the people I was passing. And I am amazed that the same heart is beating within me that was there 2 weeks ago.

How can it go from so stressed to so calm? How can He be enough right now? I don't know. But I love it. I want Him to be my El-Shaddai - my provision. My All in All. He is the Lover and Creator of My Soul. And sometimes it is enough to just sit and relax...

Awaiting translation...

Here are the words to that last song:

That your kingdom be established in me
That in my life you glow
I open my heart to your will.

Open the heavens, Lord. Make it rain
On us today. Make it rain

That your work bring life here
on the earth. Make it known.
Let us see your work and your great power.

Open the heavens, Lord. Make it rain
On us today. Make it rain.

Make us alive
Your glory we long to see
Restore us
Your face glows

Make it Rain...

I got to sing a beautiful song to my Lord at Family Night tonight. I love to sing in Spanish. I love that our Lord speaks in all languages and loves in all languages. Open the heavens and rain on me...


Que tú reino se establezca en mi
que en mi vida resplandezcas Tú
abro mi corazón a tu voluntad

Abre los cielos Dios, haz llover
sobre nosotros hoy, haz llover

Que tu obra se avive aqui
en la tierra hazla conocer
dejanos ver tus obras y tu gran poder

abre los cielos Dios haz llover
sobre nosotros hoy haz llover

Coro:

Avivanos
Tú gloria ahnelamos ver
Restauranos
Tú rostro has resplandecer

Que tu obra se avive aqui
en la tierra hazla conocer
dejanos ver tus obras y tu gran poder

abre los cielos Dios haz llover
sobre nosotros hoy haz llover

Coro:

Avivanos
Tú gloria ahnelamos ver
Restauranos
Tú rostro has resplandecer
-Marco Barrientos

I stood Him up...

So. I'm the worst date ever. I stood up Jesus. Instead, I had to work. Exhausted after a busy day, I wasn't up for socializing...even with Him. I know that's wrong, but it's the truth. And then I spent a few hours on my Down Syndrome talk for tomorrow. I'm nervous! Hopefully, I don't forget it all between now and then!
Tomorrow is family night. I'll see Him there. Hopefully we can hang out just the two of us afterwards...

Dinner Date Tomorrow...

So...what is one of the most common dates of all time? Dinner Date!!! And so...that's what I'm doing tomorrow. Dinner date with my main man - JESUS! Hopefully, I can fill the next days of true date activities...that I spend with my Lord and Savior. May I fall completely head over heels for Him and Him alone...

So...no one ask me to do anything tomorrow night. And if you do, I'll turn you down! I have a date!!

He brings me to life again...

The poor and needy search for water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the Lord will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will make rivers flow on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water,
and the parched ground into springs.
I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia,
the myrtle and the olive.
I will set pines in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress together,
so that people may see and know, may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
--Isaiah 41:17-20