....and no this won't be a huge update post. I've just been asked several times when I'm going to post something to my blog again and since I haven't had a chance to upload all the apartment update photos I figured I would at least let you know I'm still alive.
Swamped, but alive :)
I have a huge deadline looming - December 31 to be exact. That's when the company's website launches. That's when I can finally stop working 10 hour days. That's when I can reclaim my life :)
So if you don't hear from me in the next few weeks don't worry - it's because I'm coding the other website so that I can finish it on time. Or at least on the revised timeline. By Dec 31st.
If you think about it - pray for my sanity - specifically coherence of thought as I'm tying databases together. And for my eyesight as staring at screens all day when it's so dark out side even with the office lights on is rough :) 'Tis the season of light-induced and ocular migraine's for me. So I'll always have a bottle of Excedrin on me for those who also suffer...
Quick update since I can't resist - I'm here, I'm typing - why not?
I was in CT this past weekend at the Revolve Tour with 13-16 year old girls as a chaperon. Fun times. Also reminded me of how old I am LOL. I had a great group of girls though - and the weekend went so well Katie was left wondering when the ball would drop so-to-speak. But thankfully none did- It was the Lord - we were and are still thankful :) The night before we left I slept at Katie B's house and dreamed about presenting a poem/song I had written in Latin to the pope for him to critique. He loved the first verse but wasn't keen on the other two. I remember 'verit' being in it and it translating into something about John - whether Baptist or the Apostle I don't recall. I remembered the dream after seeing a sticker on the bus steps that said 'kneeling bus' which I thought ironic :)
This week - I head to Ohio to prepare for the board meeting presentation this Friday. I'm picking up a coworker from the airport at 6:30, which means I'm leaving NY around 11-ish. Just in time to beat the storm that's supposed to be coming in. Hopefully I won't be driving through it as I head south.
Speaking of driving, pray that what ever is going on with my car is fixed. My car did not pass inspection the first time because there were too many 'not ready' warnings. No check engine issues, it just 'wasn't ready'. Which makes no sense to me, but apparently after many days of start and stop driving it's supposed to reset the car's EEPROM chipset and be ready to be inspected once again. It would be a huge blessing if that could take place tomorrow, so I can drive my car to Ohio and not one of my parent's. That and apparently there are now chunks of 'stop leak' coolant system sealant that didn't dissolve correctly over the weekend, so my car has been overheating, which is has never done in the 6 years I've owned it. So tomorrow on top of trying to get it inspected my dad will also be suctioning the coolant system so I don't over heat when I (hopefully) take it to Ohio on Wednesday.
Thursday is prep for the Board meeting presentation, and Friday is the presentation to the Board. Not really concerned about the presentation aspect, provided I can get a few more pages on the website done.
Then I head home on Friday after the meeting, probably around 1 PM, to try to make it in time to grab dress rehearsal shots at my parent's church's musical thing that evening at 7pm. Then Saturday I'll probably head to the Finger Lakes, for some much needed respite.
Ok - a much longer update that anticipated, but hey. You should know me by now :)
and then some...
So I woke up this morning after a great Sunday evening and a late drive home with that raw feeling in your throat right behind your nose... not good. That usually means I'm getting sick. Again.
It was easier when I lived by myself when the 'sick' season came around. Mostly because my interaction with people was extremely limited so I avoided sinus things very easily. Now not so much. However, if I had a choice between isolating myself in my apartment and hanging out with friends I'll choose the latter. It's worth it :)
So the fact that I'm not feeling so hot is clouding my judgment.
It just makes it harder to ignore comments like 'will we ever see you on the weekends?' and 'why would you ever get involved with that music group when there is so much to do here?'
Discouraging. And hard brush off when this music thing has come so far so quickly. This past weekend on the drive to practice I was praying that the Lord would give me lyrics. Give me a song. Sometimes I feel like I have so little to offer and other times I feel so full of my own pride that I feel useless because I'm in the way. It's a constant back-and-forth wrestling against my prideful flesh and against the lies of the evil one who would try to shame me into silence.
The good news is I think I have at least one chorus. And the beginnings of another song that I woke with on Sunday morning. Funny thing is it's like I was writing in preparation for this trial... I've been reminded of late of Paul and the 'thorn in his flesh'. And of the Lord's response to his request, "My grace is sufficient for you..." And I woke up early on Sunday with a melody and the beginnings of lyrics for this song. Which I've been singing to myself for the last few days as if I heard it on the radio. Kinda weird, but a blessing nonetheless.
Your grace is sufficient for me, Oh Lord;
Your grace is sufficient for me.
Help me remember when the trials come
that Your grace is sufficient for me.
So you can't hear the melody, but it's clear as a bell in my head... and now comes the fear that it's already been written and I'm just regurgitating it :)
Anyway, working on verses for it. And I'll still need melody and music help, but it's a start. And it's a message that apparently I need to remember.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.and another verse that brings comfort...
II Corinthians 12:9-10
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed...So a slightly discouraging day. But not enough to make me discontinue the path that I believe the Lord has me on...
1 Corinthians 4:7-9
Listening to: "Fool For You" by Nichole Nordeman on FLN
Reading: 'Vitals' by Greg Bear. Just started and it's rough plot is the modern search for immortality.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 5: Peace Be with You. Still catching up on homework :)
For those of you at Prayer & Praise last night and for those of you who are just interested in the chocolate pie recipe :) My family makes these pies every year for Christmas.
This recipe is usually found inside the Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate box, but as microwaves came out they modified the recipe. This is the 'old school' stove top method. Something about nuking chocolate doesn't seem right to me... Next time I make something for a recipe I'll post pictures... Enjoy :)
Prep Time:
- 10-15 minutes to make
- 3-4 hours to set
Ingredients:
- 1 Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate Bar (in the green box)
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup milk, divided
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups cool whip
- 1 graham cracker crust
Directions:
- Place the chocolate bar and 2 tablespoons of milk (taken from the 1/3 cup) in a medium to large sauce pan. Heat on medium, stirring often till the chocolate is melted and the 2 tablespoons of milk are mixed in. Be careful not to burn the chocolate as it will ruin the taste of the whole pie :) Remove from heat.
- Add the cream cheese, sugar and remaining milk. Stir until smooth.
- Fold in the cool whip until the color is consistent.
- Pour into graham cracker crust and add a dollop of cool whip to the top. I like to add either mini chocolate chips or chocolate curls to garnish the top.
- Freeze for 3-4 hours and pull out 15-20 minutes before serving to allow it to thaw for cutting.
Usually you want to eat these when they are just starting to thaw. Last night they had a chance to soften up a bit too much. Still tastes good though :)
Finally set up my stereo in my office, so I can actually listen to the radio - specifically FLN. At one point I started listening to my 'old' radio stations - the ones I grew up with...and though I liked hearing some of the same songs I remember from way back when, it reminded me why I walked away from listening to those types of stations. The world view they project is not Biblical by any stretch of interpretation.
Which is why I'm careful about the music I choose to listen to. And why I've come to believe knowing the lyrics of the songs I listen to is so important. Words are powerful. And why listening to FLN is so refreshing :)
And now the real reason for writing today after such a long blog pause - I just heard a Sidewalk Prophets song and it really struck me today, so I thought I'd put the lyrics up. I pulled them from their website which you can find here: Sidewalk Prophets - The Words I Would Say
The Words I Would Say
Three in the morning, and I’m still awake
So I picked up a pen and a page
And I started writing just what I’d say
If we were face to face
I’d tell you just what you mean to me
Tell you these simple truths
CHORUS
Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got His hand on You
So don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say
Last time we spoke you said you were hurting
And I felt your pain in my heart
I want to tell you that I keep on praying
That love will find you where you are
I know cause I’ve already been there
So please hear these simple truths
CHORUS
Say… from one simple life to another
I will say… come find peace in the Father
Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got His hand on You
So don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray
And thank God for each day
His love will find a way
These are the words I would say
Felt like someone would need to hear these words as much as I did today :)
Listening to: "Revelation" by Third Day
Reading: 'The Body Farm' by Patricia Cornwell. Just finished '206 Bones' by Kathy Reichs and started on this novel. Stuck in the forensic murder mystery genre lately.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 5: Peace Be with You. Still working through the homework for this week even though my friend and I already met and watched the video (which was good). She's gone for a few weeks so we won't meet again until early December. That gives me plenty of time to catch up on my homework :)
Edit - I've just fixed the comments section - hopefully you can see the captcha words and enter them on the posts now... Thanks Traci for pointing this out :)
It's been an odd Monday.
First, I woke up from an intense dream about someone purchasing the land next to ours and building a huge complex - to the point where they started building on our property and were claiming eminent domain. Marble tiles planted directly in the ground, a multi-level castle-like complex, and a foreman dressed in a full suit with broad shoulders. More on this later I suppose...
Got up at a normal time, and was in the office early because of the time change. Started working and enjoying the day.
Lunch - I did 24 'clean & jerks' - essentially lifting 24 1/2 inch sheet rock panels from the first floor of the barn up to the second for my Dad to grab and pile. Let's just say I was happy when the last one made it to the top.
Back to work, tweaking code and getting ready for a benefits meeting. In the meeting and a very shocking thing happened outside my window... but I should preface this first.
Before I get to that event, a few quick tidbits to document - first, I hit a deer on my way to the finger lakes on Friday evening. Or rather the deer hit me. Two little 'knee' dent in the driver's side front wheel fender, a dent behind my door, and another dent on the driver's side rear wheel fender. All minor, and some my dad even got out this morning. So very thankful to the Lord that He spared my car (and me) from a lot more damage :)
Second - I went down and grouted the cabin today. Dad came when we laid it, and I went back down later after it had set to wipe it off. It looks good.
Ok - back to the crazy thing that happened...I have many squirrels that frequent my feeders. And chipmunks. And deer. And a curious red-bellied woodpecker that apparently likes corn. Here are some recent shots...be sure to click on them for a high res version.
Red-bellied woodpecker...
Abbey requested the recipe for the bars I brought to Prayer & Praise on Wednesday, so here it is. Saw it on the side of the Corn Flakes box and only modified it slightly. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 5 cups corn flakes cereal
Directions:
- Measure out the corn flakes and place in a large bowl.
- In a large sauce pan, combine chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter. Stir over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat.
- Add the pre-measured corn flakes to sauce pan. Stir until evenly coated.
- Coat a 9 x 9 x 2 pan with cooking spray and transfer the mixture into it.
- Using wax paper, press the mixture evenly into the pan. Cut into squares when cool.
I actually used a 9 x 13 pan and the bars came out thinner, but just as good :) Next time I'll probably double the recipe for the larger pan. If you need the bars to cool faster throw them in the freezer or fridge, just allow them to thaw a bit prior to cutting into bars if they freeze - otherwise they have a tendency to break along jagged lines. Again, this does not affect the taste :)
So in just two days a lot has happened. Some good, some not so good.
First, the 'not so good'. My Dad's been dealing with some ministry stuff - I'd ask that you'd pray the Lord would give clarity and wisdom to him and all involved. I could see it on his face last night after the meeting - he was weary and it showed.
The other not-so-good - we've drained Dad's cabin fund, a.k.a. my apartment fund. I'm honestly not worried about it - the Lord will provide the funds we need to complete the work in His time. And he's provided me a job so I'm guessing that's where the funds will initially come from. So no more rare book purchases for a while :)
The good - well, the Lord is always good :) In this case I'm referring to the chocolaty goodness that mentioned in the post title. Look for that shortly...
Listening to: "Black Balloon" by the Goo Goo Dolls from 'Dizzy Up the Girl'
Reading: 'Post Mortem' by Patricia Cornwell. First Kay Scarpetta novel and it's dark. Interesting to go back and read it when I know some of the story from her later novels.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 5: Peace Be with You. Had a good time at Bible Study last night. Hard to persevere through last night's video session for some reason. We're sticking with it regardless.
So I decided to follow through on my blog redesign. Can't take all the credit for this one - I just happened to find a great template site: http://btemplates.com/ Searched several options and thought I'd try this one. Had to tweak it a bit to get it to where I wanted it, but overall I'm liking it...so if any of you want to try out a template and have coding questions let me know - I think I've got it figured out :)
On another note, didn't go to play volleyball for a few reasons. One, I'd prefer to go with people that I know at least the first few times, and since they had other commitments I opted out this week. Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll head over to play. Second reason - Mom's birthday dinner with G & G. We went to a nice steak place - and I got veal. LOL Was going to go for steak but just wasn't in the mood. Who knew I had to be in the mood for a good steak? Anyway, Val ended up stopping home just as we were getting in the car to go and so she tagged along. Poor Kim - she's been home sick with a fever the last day or so and hasn't been feeling all that well...She's on the mend though, so hopefully she'll get back to work on Thursday...
And one more thing - I realized how important it is to share those 'weird' things that seem to be coincidences (which I don't believe in - there are no coincidences!). Like last weeks' 2 Peter1 I shared at Prayer and Praise. For 4 days I kept hearing and reading this passage - specifically Chapter 1 verses 3-12. So I shared based on the more obvious prompting of the Holy Spirit (4 days in a row is pretty obvious I think lol). And based on a few things today I'm thinking that it definitely wasn't just for me - that these things we're led to discover by the Holy Spirit are meant to be shared with others so that they may also reap the benefit.
That said, I haven't had any glaring 'coincidences' or other scriptures jump out at me this week. But I would encourage any of you reading this - share what you've been learning. You never know how the Lord will use it in someone else's life.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:10-11
Listening to: "Unbound" by Robbie Robertson from 'Contact From the Underground'
Reading: 'Post Mortem' by Patricia Cornwell. First Kay Scarpetta novel and it's dark. Which means I'll be reading something not in the forensic sciences for my next novel...
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 4: The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength.
So today started off..well...interesting.
First, I've de-linked my blog and my facebook page. For various reasons. And as much as some of my friends rely on facebook for their updates they may be disappointed in this development, however, for my own sanity it's the right choice :) I guess I'm not keen on broadcasting my blog to every connection I have on facebook. I'm still blogging, just in a more 'private' way - which is a huge oxymoron considering nothing you post on the internet is ever private LOL. Maybe I'm just filtering for the most dedicated of readers - so if you are reading this, it's because you have the direct link to my site. Thank you for reading :)
Anyway, as is my normal practice, I wake up without and alarm, in this case at least an hour earlier than I had anticipated. Blah. Not able to get back to sleep, and an underlying panic just at the edge of my consciousness. I have an idea of what's causing it and so I choose to ignore it, and that's followed by a futile attempt to reclaim another hour of sleep before removing myself from my bed and starting my day.
I meet my mom on the stair as she's heading out. I missed celebrating her birthday yesterday. Several reasons for that - one, I attend a church in the Finger Lakes region, and that's a 2 hour drive. And I can hear some of you asking why I would ever drive that far for church my answer is it's worth it. Anyway, between driving back and forth for the other events I was attending this weekend it just wasn't feasible to drive back and forth twice this weekend (I had a Relevant Worship concert to attend - lots of fun - word of the night being 'awkward' LOL :) And even though I talked with my mom about not being here in advance I still feel guilty. Ugh. Anyway, met her on the steps this morning on her way to work and wished her a happy birthday again.
It's always a challenge to come up with the right gift - for anyone, not just my mom - but this year my sister Kim had a great idea... so we went with it. And yesterday afternoon they placed the gift on the porch and told mom after dinner that she needed to see the improvements we made to the porch. Dad told me last night that she went out on the porch and was looking at the stairs and didn't see it right away. She looked left and there on the porch was a kayak :)
She was completely surprised - and happy too. And saying that we needed more so she wouldn't have to go by herself. You see, when we're in the mountains on vacation we like to be on the water. Some of the rental houses we've stayed at have kayaks that we can use and we've enjoyed them in the past. My mom apparently made a comment this past summer about how we needed one as the place we stayed didn't have one. So Kim wisely tucked that tidbit away and shared it with me a few weeks ago. After running it by Dad and Val we started looking, and thanks to a trip to Dick's that Kim and Val took, we got mom a kayak. Dad's going to try to get her out on the pond with it. LOL
Anyway, Happy Birthday mom :)
So that was the celebration yesterday. Mom confirmed her surprise with me this morning, then told me the dinner with Grandpa & Grandma D was rescheduled for Tuesday night. I had requested Monday. Ehh.... so I won't be celebrating with them either, which makes me want to bake a cake or something even though she's received no less than 3 cakes in the last day or so. Yes - I have a guilt complex... I won't be going because a Volleyball league is starting up and I've been interested in playing in one for a few months now. And it's starting this Tuesday. Going to see if one or both sisters want to come. And I'm geared up now after this past weekend's volleyball event.
Yep - volleyball yesterday afternoon. A few games indoors, a few games outdoors. Pretty good games, and great to meet new people. And get in a few good games of volleyball with some excellent volleys. Still looking forward to a more competitive level of play - not hugely competitive, but more 3-hits-per-side type play. I'm finding myself a bit sore today though...worth it for the play.
So where was I, oh yes - today - so I'm in my office, and I get an email from the CEO asking me website questions and please call him at his direct line. The nice part is we're a smaller company (less than 300 employees worldwide) and as I worked at the corporate office I've done quite a bit of work for the CEO so I know him. Just didn't expect an email of that direct nature. So I call from my parent's land line, leave a voice mail and two minutes late receive a call on my parent's line from the CEO. He commented on how he got a busy signal the first time and that he hadn't heard one of those in years :) Anyway, he asked me to help out his wife as she's setting up a survey for her doctoral dissertation and he felt out of his depth with the web stuff. So I called her this morning and had a nice chat with her, and apparently the CEO is happy with my breadth of knowledge on web stuff because she mentioned how he mentioned me when she had questions. So that's good - it means that they have confidence in my ability to do my job. Which is really good cause I'd like to keep my job :)
So as I'm on the phone with her, a blue jay flies smack into the window. Let's just say it startled me. Which shouldn't surprise anyone because I startle easily. I have an abundance of blue jays now, and this morning they've been chasing each other, and the woodpeckers, and vice versa, and the squirrels are chasing them - must be a good day for chasing. This one wasn't paying attention and flew into the window. No worries - it survived the ordeal, but it took me about 5 minutes to recover....
And now I'm looking at this huge post and thinking I need to change my blog layout so that my posts don't appear so long... maybe I should post smaller things more often as opposed to longer ones less frequently...would that help? Long posts are what happens when you find blogging cathartic :)
Listening to: "Perfect (Original Mix)" by Rob Lemon from 'I Love Trance: Vol 7'
Reading: 'Post Mortem' by Patricia Cornwell. Just started it this morning.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 4: The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength.
"Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."Hello all.. just thought I'd pass this along. It was written back in 2005 and I found it today on Boundless. Thought it was a great reminder of the responsibility that comes with blogging...
http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001341.cfm
Listening to: Munch 3 [Remix] from the Oddworld: Munch's Odysee Soundtrack
Reading: 'In The Courts of the Sun' by Brian D'Amato. Just finished it this morning. A lot of language that didn't need to be in there, as well as other material. Interesting storyline, but kind of ended on a downer. It's the first in a trilogy though I'm not sure I will continue it when it becomes available. Hoping to pick up my next book this weekend at the book sale :)
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 4: The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength. Had to reschedule with my friend because of visiting coworkers. We both feel like we're being hindered in this study for whatever reason. Which is even more incentive to keep doing it.
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com
that's right - and sooner than expected. Yesterday a USPS truck actually drove down our driveway and was going to leave a 'you weren't here so we're keeping your box at the post office' note but thankfully my Dad intercepted the mail carrier before he could leave :)
Haven't taken any pictures yet but I'll tell you - it's exquisite :)
I realized also that after all this talk of this poem, that I haven't actually given you the full poem to read, so I'm including it here. And I don't have the book under lock and key yet, so if you're at prayer and praise tomorrow night you may just get a glimpse of it....
Enjoy :)
Mortality
William Knox
Job, iii. Ecclesiastes, i.
Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
Like a swift-fleeting meteor, a fast-flying cloud,
A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave,
He passes from life to his rest in the grave.
The leaves of the oak and the willow shall fade,
Be scattered around, and together be laid;
And the young and the old, the low and the high,
Shall molder to dust, and together shall lie.
The infant a mother attended and loved;
The mother that infant’s affection who proved;
The husband, that mother and infant who blessed;
Each, all, are away to their dwelling of rest.
The maid on whose cheek, on whose brow, in whose eye,
Shone beauty and pleasure—her triumphs are by;
And the memory of those who loved her and praised,
Are alike from the minds of the living erased.
The hand of the king that the sceptre hath borne,
The brow of the priest that the mitre hath worn,
The eye of the sage, and the heart of the brave,
Are hidden and lost in the depths of the grave.
The peasant, whose lot was to sow and to reap,
The herdsman, who climbed with his goats up the steep,
The beggar, who wandered in search of his bread,
Have faded away like the grass that we tread.
The saint, who enjoyed the communion of Heaven,
The sinner, who dared to remain unforgiven,
The wise and the foolish, the guilty and just,
Have quietly mingled their bones in the dust.
So the multitude goes—like the flower or the weed
That withers away to let others succeed;
So the multitude comes—even those we behold,
To repeat every tale that has often been told.
For we are the same that our fathers have been;
We see the same sights that our fathers have seen;
We drink the same stream, we feel the same sun,
And run the same course that our fathers have run.
The thoughts we are thinking, our fathers would think;
From the death we are shrinking, our fathers would shrink;
To the life we are clinging, they also would cling—
But it speeds from us all like a bird on the wing.
They loved—but the story we cannot unfold;
They scorned—but the heart of the haughty is cold;
They grieved—but no wail from their slumber will come;
They joyed—but the tongue of their gladness is dumb.
They died—aye, they died—we things that are now,
That walk on the turf that lies over their brow,
And make in their dwellings a transient abode,
Meet the things that they met on their pilgrimage road.
Yea, hope and despondency, pleasure and pain,
Are mingled together in sunshine and rain;
And the smile and the tear, the song and the dirge,
Still follow each other, like surge upon surge.
’Tis the wink of an eye—’tis the draught of a breath—
From the blossom of health to the paleness of death,
From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud
Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
Listening to: Jars of Clay 'Futhermore: From the Studio'
Reading: 'In The Courts of the Sun' by Brian D'Amato. I'm enjoying the book. Still a few sections and details that are unnecessary, but being immersed in Maya culture even fictionally is cool.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 4: The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength. A bit behind on my studies - need to quit playing Call of Duty early tonight so I can do some real studying :)
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com
If you're just joining the story now, best to go back to my last post...so where was I? Oh yes - did well on my college reading project for public speaking. And more importantly I had the full poem in a book I could access anytime I wanted in the college library.
Then I graduated.
Hmm... no longer on campus, but ok because I got a job about 10 minutes away from the college. And it's not like I couldn't live without reading this poem. It was just nice to know that if I needed to reference it, it was there.
On occasion I would get the urge to go back and find the book and read the poem. And unless they've rearranged the library greatly since I was last there, it's downstairs in the poetry section, by a building support column. No, I don't have the call numbers memorized. I can see where it is on the shelf in my head :)
Probably about 7 years ago I thought I better make a photo copy of it for my own records. Never know when the book would disappear off the shelves, never to be found again. So I went, found the book and photo copied 'Mortality' and another poem called 'Not Lost, But Gone Before'. Folded up the papers, took them home and promptly filed them. Don't ask me where the copies are now -I have no idea LOL
Around the same time I made the photocopy I mentioned my search for this book to a coworker. They asked if I'd ever done a rare book search before which I hadn't. Hadn't really thought about it. Just figured when I walked into an old book store someday I would find a copy of this book that I've been wanting for so long.
Yeah. Not the smartest plan of acquisition, but hey. It was just a book of poetry and I still had access to my photocopy (at the time it wasn't lost in the filing) and the copy at the library.
But on the advice of this coworker I searched the web for a rare book search and found this wonderful resource: www.alibris.com specifically their Book Fetch feature.
First I searched for the book. Reprints galore, but none of them really fit what I was looking for - an early edition - you know, the 'old' smelling mid-1800s edition. So instead of throwing down $25 for a modern reprint, I used Book Fetch to notify me when an original became available. Kinda felt like cheating though. I wouldn't be doing the hard work of researching and trying to find this book.
Ah well. Filled out the Book Fetch form and submit it. That was what, 8 years ago? Didn't give Book Fetch a second thought...
...until yesterday.
Yesterday I was in Ohio at the office. Yesterday I was checking email in the morning when this subject line caught my eye:
"Your Alibris Book Fetch Results for 10/12/2009"
Could it be? No... Oh my word...it is... seriously?
Your search for:
Songs of Israel by William Knox
Published Before1875
Matched: The Lonely Hearth, the Songs of Israel, Harp of Zion and Other Poems (With Two Als Cards From Wright Howes and 1als Note By Howes) by Knox, William, 1789-1825 John Johnstone. London. (1847)
No way...
So I clicked on the link. And read the description.
16mo-over 5¾"-6¾" tall. 216p. An item of extraordinary rarity of which less than a half dozen are known to have survived. Abraham' Lincoln's copy, the copy Wright Howes discovered in Edinburgh (the Knox family copy), the copy given to Lincoln Memorial University, and give others. Lincoln referred often to the poem in his copy entitled "Mortality" first discovered by Lincoln more than a decade before ascending to the Presidency. Mr. M.L. Houser of Peoria, Illinois, the Lincoln Scholar, had Wright Howes, the preeminent expert on Americana to acquire a copy of the book for him in England. On July 28, 1934 Wright Howes wrote Mr. Howser [sic] that he was back from England where he had gotten one of the items which was the 1847 edition. though described as fine, we think a fair binding copy w.a.f. (though sitll in original cloth) is more appropriate. The card notes "apparently this is the only copy in all the British Isles, so treasure it. "--Wright Howes, another Card on his letterhead written in February 1935 notes "glad you are so pleased with Knox's Poems...I knew it was exceedingly rare as no one in england knew anything about it. Always glad to hear from you. " A letter to Wright Howes from Maurice Boyd (author of the work yet to be published in 1966 William Knox and Abraham Lincoln) he inquires about the detail of the 1934 purchase. The copy came from the Knox family and as is further evidenced by ownership signatures on half-title page was owned by his niece, Jane Cocrhane, and then by her niece, Harriet Lang. Professor Boyd goes on to ask what was bookseller and how did he obtain it. Wright Howe responds on bottom of same letter: "My recollection is that this Now volume was supplied me by Jas. Orr on George St. in Edniburgh. he has been dead about 15 years. I was in Edinburgh about 10 years ago and met his son, now iwth another firm, he promises to try to obtain another cop for me, but I 'hev me doots", Wright Howes. Also includes Wright Howes envelope with history of Belleville extract
And put it in my cart immediately.
I walk over to ask the Director of IT his opinion of this kind of purchase. He says if it's a rare thing it's more like an investment. He read the description and said 'Cool'. I took that as a 'go for it'.
Then my boss shows up - and I am so excited that the book is even available I tell her exactly what I'm doing - might as well be up front about not working at work... She thought it was the coolest thing that I may actually have found this book. Seriously. I have an AWESOME boss...
Anyway, while I'm talking with her and debating this purchase I can't login to the site. It doesn't recognize the email address. Which I find strange as it emailed me at that address. Then I click on the link in my email again to see if that works, and the page with the book - the book I'm looking for - comes up with this:
That item is now out of stock, but you may find a similar item below:
Nooo! I'm thinking.... I waited too long and someone else bought this obscure book before I could make a decision. How cruel! To find something you've wanted for so long and then to have it snatched from you as you're having website issues.
I had to admit to the fact that this little 'quest' was a bit more important that I thought. Always there under the surface. Hoping against hope to find this book - which turns out to be even more rare than I ever thought it was...
I share my dismay with my boss and she says 'well, if you were meant to have it it will still be there when you login'.
I login and click the link again.
That item is now out of stock, but you may find a similar item below:
Argh... it's hopeless. I've lost my chance to pick up this book. And I'm trying to learn what I am supposed to be learning about this whole thing. What's the Lord trying to teach me? That's when I see my cart.
You have 1 item in your cart.Seriously? Could it be that simple?
Apparently when I put this thing in my cart, it signified to everyone else that the book was no longer available. Including me when I tried to click on the link to the original item.
So against all hope I went through the purchase process and it now seems that I am the new owner of a very rare book. It may or may not be first edition. It may or may not be a copy that belonged to the Knox family (check out that description again... unbelievable). I'm hoping it is for the price I paid for it :) No worries - it was a bit more than I thought, but still in a reasonable range.
I have the confirmation email. I now have the shipping confirmation as well :)
In the meantime, I am feeling that euphoric high that happens when you find something you've been looking for for a long time. Kind of like the widow looking for a lost coin who finds it and rejoices with her friends - and I'm thanking God for that little glimpse of what He must feel when one of His prodigals come home.
That and I'm slowly coming to realize once again the Lord's perfect timing. If this book had come up for sale when I was in college I wouldn't have even had the chance to pick it up. If it had come up 8 years ago when I first tried the book fetch I would not have the finances to make a snap decision and would most likely had lost the opportunity to pick it up. But it didn't - it came up for sale precisely when I have the finances to make a quick purchasing decision.
And humbly I'm reminded that if the Lord can precisely time the sale of a rare book that's been the desire of my heart for so many years, how much more is He concerned about the timing of a spouse?
But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
My times are in Your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
Make your face shine on Your servant;
save me in Your steadfast love!
Listening to: "O Praise Him (All This For a King) - David Crowder Band" from The Best of Passion
Reading: 'In The Courts of the Sun' by Brian D'Amato. Very interesting story line. Think Maya, the Sacrifice Game, 4 Ahau aka December 12, 2012, and Time Travel of someone's consciousness back to the days of the Ancient Maya culture.Story is great, the language in the book leaves a bit to be desired...
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 4: The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength.
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com
So you may or may not know, but I have this thing for old stuff. Which includes ancient stuff that you see in museums - come to think of it, I passed a truck yesterday on the highway that was a corporate Archaeology company...hmm...should look them up. Anyway, I have this thing for old books. Really old. You know the kind - the ones you find in a back corner of your grandparent's house that smell kinda musty - they smell "old".
There's a shop in the adirondacks that has some - The Maxton House. I remember back when it was some guy's antique shop that was just PACKED with old junk. A few cool tidbits, and lots of old books, but mostly junk :) Then another family bought the house and all the stuff and cleaned it out and started this wonderful little shop with crafts. To my delight, they kept a room in the back for all the old books for sale. Every year I go back to that store and look at the books. The place was recently sold to another family and I'm hoping they don't change the old book corner...we shall see... This year I got a really old hymnal, a book with photos of Israel from the early 1900's and a book on the National Parks with old photos from the 1930s. Nice, old books.
But none of them equal to the one I've been searching for since..oh...1996. Yeah - that long. Which in comparison to other peoples searches isn't that long, but I digress...
It started in my High School AP English class. Actually it started much earlier than that but it wasn't until High School AP English that I made the connection... I was required to read several books before the start of the school year - my senior year. Which means that I really wasn't that into it as the beginnings of senioritis had already set in. Nevertheless, I read the books and wrote reports, then found I had to read a Biography. Ugh. I have a hard time with anything other than fiction - I love adventure stories, and somehow reading about another person's life just wasn't that interesting to me.
I looked a several biographies from the library and started a few but just couldn't get into them. Then I discovered this old book on my mom's bookshelf - Norman Hapgood's "Abraham Lincoln, the Man of the People. It was an old book - but it was about Abraham Lincoln - and it was written not too long after his death. 'not too long' is relative in terms of a biography. Let's just say it was written only 30 years after his death and not a hundred or so. In other words, this guy had access to Lincoln's contemporaries, which was important to me. Even as a 17-year-old.
So I pulled it off the shelf and started reading. I think I finished the book in several days - it was actually a good book. I learned a lot - including a few stanzas from what Hapgood said was Lincoln's favorite poem. It's called 'Mortality' or 'O Why Should The Spirit of Mortal Be Proud?'. And it was written by William Knox back in the mid 1800s. The Bio didn't give a book for that poem, and it only gave a few stanzas. But I recognized one of them:
'Tis the wink of an eye, 'tis the draught of a breath,
From the blossom of health to the paleness of death,
From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud,--
Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
So where had I read that before? Ah yes....so it really started with a Michael W. Smith song on his i2eye album called 'Live and Learn'. I remember hearing this song in the basement in my parent's house and trying to decipher the words in that stanza, never realizing it would connect me to a book in the living room and send me on this quest.
That song came out in late 1988. So if you figure I got the album for Christmas that year or the next, I was 10 or 11 when I first heard the song. Crazy - that means I've known vaguely about this poem for 20 years or so... ok now I feel old LOL
Back to the 'quest'. So I read the biography on Abraham Lincoln and wrote a report on it. And I still cherish that old book that reintroduced me to that president and to the William Knox poem.
Flash forward about a year to my freshman year of college. Public Speaking was a course that everyone had to take. Mine was in Alfred I think? In one of the back rooms maybe - I could be totally off. I remember what the room looks like but not where it was... anyway, for one of the assignments we had to pick a poem to read. My first thought went to 'Mortality', but that meant I had to find the complete poem. I had to read something for a minute and a half and 3 stanzas were not going to do it.
Over to the library, searching for poems to read, hoping to find Mortality. Not seeing it showing up anywhere and getting discouraged. Scrounging the shelves for Poem anthologies that might have that poem in it. Finding something :)
Namely the 'World's Book of Best Loved Poems' from the early 1900s. Couldn't believe it when I looked in the index and found the complete text of 'Mortality'. The complete text which is something like 15 stanzas. I had the author, I had the full poem, and I had more than that - I had a book title and a date. Specifically, 'Mortality' by William Knox, from 'Songs of Israel' 1847.
I paired that poem with John Donne's 'Death'. and Did well on my project. And now I had a book I could refer to for that poem at any time.
And seeing as this is a 'quest' story... I'm going to finish it in another post. Have to keep you in suspense for a bit longer :)
Listening to: "Enough" from The Best of Passion
Reading: 'In The Courts of the Sun' by Brian D'Amato. Very interesting story line.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 4: The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength.
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com
no, not in my office thankfully :)
So after about a week and a half , yesterday I started seeing some birds hanging around my feeder. Strange to think that was a relief - as if I did something to offend the birds...
Since I saw them out yesterday and was going shopping with my Mom, I figured I'd buy a few more treats for them. Hung them up this morning, and lo and behold, they have already found 1 of the two new suet baskets, and 1 of the two corn feeders which are supposedly to keep the squirrels occupied and away from the feeder.
Anyway, Here's the running list:
Blue Jay on the new suet basket this morning. Now I've got two of them vying for the feeder...
Red-bellied Woodpecker. Checking out the feeder... He came back later for suet.
Black-capped Chickadee. I have two of these guys flying around each other. They found the corn before the squirrels. Still working out the best settings for my camera to pick up these fast and flighty birds. One thing - it helps if you're not shooting through a dirty window and a screen. Screen is now gone, but I have yet to try to clean the outside of my office window...
Downy Woodpecker - This one's the female. And honestly a fluke that I caught it on camera at all. Saw something unusual flying from tree to tree in the wood behind the bird feeder and just barely caught it.
White-Tailed Deer - Lots of these. I see them probably 3-4 times a week. They tend to cross our driveway more than I ever realized. Though it's not often in the past that I've been here during the day to actually witness the crossing. And sometimes they just stand there in the middle for 15 minutes or so. Definitely doesn't work as a hiding spot ;)
There are the squirrels and chipmunks as well, but no pictures of them yet.
I was reminded of this passage of scripture as I was putting this post together - Matthew 6:25-34. I'll share it as a close for this entry:
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Good things to remember :)
long title I realize... sums up what I've been dreaming pretty well. Just as a heads up - this first one gets a little gory. I try not to really lay out all the bloody details, but they are bloody as it's a warfare dream. Feel free to skip it if you'd prefer. I won't be offended. Blogging them is cathartic - it helps me put them away and focus on real life :) Two nights ago:
I'm on what appears to be a very small oil rig - it's on stilts, and has at least two levels. It's made out of wood - and wood that looks like it's been exposed to the elements for a very long time. The wood appears soft and rotten in places and the boards give when I walk over them. Every available inch of wood is covered in either hanging moss or old decaying jungle vines.
The lowest level is where we all start. There is an enclosed area with wall on all sides, and only one opening that I can tell. Outside this room there is a large deck that surrounds the center room, with partitions sectioning off parts of the deck. Some of these spaces are almost cave-like as their ceilings are low.
I am with a group of people all dressed in jungle fatigues - no helmets. We are playing a game - or at least that's what this group thinks. I apparently believe that it's more than a game, but no one is paying any heed to my warnings.
We are given weapons, with a very limited supply of ammo and told that the first wave is coming. Everyone rushes out to discover that the first wave is a human-like creature, only they are 7 feet tall with very long arms and sharp-clawed two-fingered hands. They have flesh colored skin with a bit of grey tone, but after only a few minutes everything is speckled in blood - and not just creatures - human blood abounds as well.
I am standing, watching all of this as if it's not really happening. One of my friends pulls me aside and snaps me out of it. The first wave is finished, now for the second. We have a brief respite to stock up on ammo and determine a better defensive position before the next wave hits. I already have these flares even though no one else was provided them. I follow my friend to one of the small cave-like alcoves on the first level of this makeshift jungle oil rig.
The space is only 2-3 foot high - high enough for us to site comfortably under the protective roof. We have sturdy walls on three and a half sides and only one 6 foot opening in the center of what now looks like an 8 foot wall to defend. I am in the back left corner, my friend sits to my left on the wall near the opening. There are two others in this room. I recognize one of them.
The second wave is coming. Only it's not humanoids. It's 3 foot long, 6 inch in diameter worms with a circular mouth with teeth - similar to a lamprey or a tapeworm. They are hideous. Pink-grey fleshy colored once again, and already bloodied from 'cleaning' up after the first wave.
We get out our flares which are set up like bullets in a stripper clip - all pointed up and lined next to each other. We set them up as a fence along the one opening. My friend - he isn't alarmed at the worms. It's almost as if he's done this before - which he has. It's how he knows to use the flares for this wave. This is when I begin to wonder what game I'm in.
We light the flares. The worms try to crawl over them to get to us, but the flames ignite the ooze covering there outer skins. They writhe as they die, squealing. I want the noise to stop. Those in the small room with me are dozing off.
The second wave is complete. I wonder what's in store for the third wave. I return with my friends to the central room on the first level. They are all wearing a cape-like overcoat with a purple interior and what looks to be red or gold stars. I want to know where mine is.
"You don't get one until you survive the third wave," I'm told. I look around the room for other 'recruits' like me - ones without the cape. There are none. I am the only recruit to have survived the first and second waves. I remember the group before the first wave meeting in this same room - they are all gone. I fight panic.
My friends tell me there's a weapons cache on the third level that I must access before the third wave. I start my climb to what is like a larger version of a crows nest. It reminds me of a guard shack. There I find the weapons cache. I stock up, very relieved to have a powerful gun and plenty of ammo with which to fight off the third wave.
I am back in the central area again, getting briefed on the third wave. The enemy has used humans to incubate the third wave - deforming their abdomen as if they were pregnant. The humans gestating the enemy have lost all mind control to the thing inside them, and act very much like flesh-eating zombies. The General in the central room thinks it's disgusting that they would take the test to this kind of level. I am not sure if I will survive the third wave. I am beginning to believe that this is some sort of high-level training program and for some reason I've been selected to continue in it.
So yeah. No, I haven't been reading about aliens, or playing any alien games or anything near as gruesome as what I've described. I can pick out a few things that make sense. The dream is reminiscent of a zombies level, I did some target practice at the G's this past weekend, getting the chance to fire some really nice weapons which made an appearance in the dream, and elements of it like the stress are probably coming from this huge project I'm working on... Strange regardless :) Last night:
Impressions of meeting up with my ex again - him who I haven't seen in about 10 years. Finding he's figured out where he needed to be and decided to come back for me hoping that I was still available. I am at peace when I'm with him even though I know it can't possibly be for real. He will leave me a second time. I decide to settle with what I can enjoy in the short term instead of standing up for myself. Foolish choice if I think about it rationally. But I don't because I'm dreaming.
There is another part of this dream that I can't quite piece together. it's like it's there - just floating outside my recollection. Funny thing is, I remembered it when I woke up this morning. It was only later in the morning when I recalled seeing my ex did that part of the dream disappear.
And I always have an off day when I dream about my ex. Always. So it's no wonder that today I feel like I'm in limbo. Stuck in the same routine, yet desperately longing for a change. Road trip anyone?
I would love to, but until this major project is done I can't. Maybe in the spring. My desire for change is from my desire to escape from the pressures that I face at work. Which is actually going really well. Apparently I'm worrying about it through my dreams...
So we'll see what tonight brings.
And on another note, if you made it this far I applaud you! Here's a reward: I've had a few of you ask how I got my text to wrap around my photos. First, you need to go to the settings tab and look under 'formatting'. Find the "Enable float alignment" and make sure it says 'Yes'. Next - and here's probably going to be the sticking point - you need to use blogger's 'add image' button. Once you click that little 'add image' icon you'll get a choice of how to place the image on the page. Select the one you want and voilà - text wraps around the image :)
If you're using another program to place your photos let me know which one you're using and I'll see if I can come up with a solution for you :)
And with that - I'm off to bed and most likely another intense dreaming session. 'Night!
Listening to: Nothing! Left my iPod in my purse so this has been a silent zone with the exception of the rain on the steel roof. Always did like that sound... except I have to walk back through a downpour to get to bed...hmmm....
Reading: 'The Atlantis Revelation' by Thomas Greanias. Third book in the trilogy - finished 'The Atlantis Prophecy' last night and started this one immediately. Once again good so far.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 3: Greatest of These is Love. Still working on week 3.
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com
So yeah - lots of very detailed dreams the last two nights... I'll post one and just journal the other...
I'm in an old house... and now it's a college dorm room - it changes just as I determine it's a house. My parents are moving me in, but they don't approve of the place or of the furniture. In my bedroom there is an old metal fabricated closet from the 70's that needs cleaning, so I start on it. I can see grime in the slots where the doors close and I'm working it out with a paper towel. It is gold metal with fake wood panels on the front.So yeah - much more visually intense than I'm describing here. On top of that I'm pretty sure that there are other parts I'm confusing with past dreams.
I'm in Walmart - only it's like a 'science' Walmart where there are exhibits everywhere. They've brought me in as a design consultant for interactive exhibits. I'm carrying a clipboard and jotting down notes of placement and experiment type and I'm talking with someone who is walking ahead of me. They don't seem to care what I have to say about things and I can't understand why they aren't as interested in this kind of stuff as I am.
It's really hard to describe 'waking' up in a place that doesn't exist in the real world and feeling as if you're awake, only the colors and sounds are so much more alive. Imagine listening to your favorite song on an old tape player and thinking it's great - then listening to the same song from a high def digital recording on 7.1 Surround Sound. It becomes almost like a different song - so new and yet so familiar.
This happened to me in the past week - it was incredible the difference between listening to the song in my car (which has an excellent system) and then listening to it on my high-end speaker & subwoofer in my office. It actually brought tears to my eyes it was so much more powerful. I literally had to stop what I was doing just to listen to the song. It reminds me of what 1 Corinthians says in chapter 13 verse 12:
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.Interestingly, I'm studying Love as one fruit of the Spirit this week and the verse that follows that one is "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." I've always found it interesting how the Lord uses my dreams to help me process things I'm learning. And no worries - I've never been one to elevate my fallen subconscious ramblings above what Scripture communicates. :)
Unfortunately the details of this dream are overshadowed by Tuesday night's dream. That one was a bit more disturbing and strange than this one, hence why I'm just journaling it and not posting. Sorry for those of you really interested in reading how my psyche processes things :)
Listening to: My 5 star playlist - right now that means I'm listening to "Beauty Hides in the Deep" by The Doppler Effect.
Reading: Stil working on 'Raising Atlantis' by Thomas Greanias. Good so far, and quite a few references to Christianity in a mostly positive way which is kind of surprising.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Week 3: Greatest of These is Love.
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com
I know - odd title. I've just been feeling a lot like my bird feeder lately in some ways.
A few days ago I finally hung the bird feeder I got as a housewarming gift. I'd been looking forward to it for some time, mostly because I remember watching the birds outside Grandma B's big picture window and have fond memories of those times. So in the hopes of attracting my own colorful birds I hung it where I can watch from my office window.
Now I know that it would take several days/weeks for birds to find it, but I fully expected them to find it sooner than they have. So it's day 3 and so far I've had one cautious and very loud blue jay who came close to look, but didn't actually land on the feeder.
So what does this have to do with the Holy Spirit you may be asking. Well, it's obviously going to be an imperfect analogy, but here goes...
I am the bird feeder. The seed is the Holy Spirit. I need to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to be in tune with the Lord's will and work in my life and to be used by Him to serve others - similar to how my feeder needs to be full of seed in order to 'serve' the wildlife. If it's empty, it's little more than a perch. Still functioning, but not nearly at the capacity or potential that it has. Just like me. I'm a follower of Christ - saved by grace through faith (not of works!) . Through salvation I've not only received the gift of eternal life, but the Holy Spirit as well. If I'm not filled with the Spirit I'm like an empty bird feeder. Still functioning as a believer, but lacking the power and not living up to the potential that I could be if I were filled with Him.
Again, very imperfect analogy. But aren't they pretty much all when we try to understand God with an earthly frame of reference?
So back to the 'normal' bird feeder. Have I seen any more birds? Nope. Not since that first inquisitive blue jay. That's another thing I'm learning through this - patience :)
Listening to: My 5 star playlist - right now that means I'm listening to "Formentera What (Albert Vorne) Mix".
Reading: 'Raising Atlantis' by Thomas Greanias. Archaeology, Treasure hunting, Action, lost civilizations - all the makings of a good adventure novel.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Excellent study on the Fruit of the Spirit. It's an online course that you can do anytime and well worth it!
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com
There are so many ways the Lord works in our lives...I was just reminded again of His goodness and His perfect timing, even with seemingly little things.
As most of you already know, Mark & Pam have been working on the house next door to them in an effort to get moved in. A LOT of work has been done on that house :) I was able to see the progress last weekend and marveled at the improvements.
That said, they have finished the laying down the wood flooring and have been wanting to get the floor sealed like the floor in my Dad's cabin. A nice hard coat that protects the wood. Another project popped up which delayed things for them, and my Dad's contact for the hard coat hadn't been able to provide the information we needed. Which could have been very frustrating considering we all have our own idea of the project timeline :)
This weekend things fell into place. Monday morning my Dad had all the contact info for the hard coat dealer, and I sent that to Mark. Today Mark calls me and shares that there is only one place in NY that's currently selling the hard coat they need and they're located in Elmira.
Guess where Jeremy's service call is this morning?
Elmira.
God's timing is perfect. Even for things like hard coat sealer for a wood floor :)
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com
But before I get to that... had a great time at prayer and praise last night. Always encouraging to read scripture, pray in thankfulness and about burdens, and fellowship over snacks :)
Was going to try to grab some photos of the Perseid meteor shower last night seeing as I got home after midnight. Unfortunately is was too bright with the moon and a bit too cloudy. The stars I did see were beautiful though. I'm in Ohio tonight so I may try again.
If you're reading this on facebook, it's because I'm importing my feed. Started blogging again - read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com
and now for the dream...
I'm at missions conference - sitting close to a screen where a DVD is playing that is showing the classic scenery of the west - I see Bryce Canyon on the large screen. THe colors seem muted to me. I look to my left where my father is sitting next to me. "I've been there" I said, knowing that he has too. I turn my head back to the screen and see an inset of the Missionary who put the promotional DVD together - he's preaching to a group at a facility in the mountain. I am impressed by the quality of the video.
I'm at the same facility I saw in the video. No recollection of how I got there, only that I am alone and it appears to be deserted. It's in a rocky valley high in the mountains, near or in Estes Park. I am standing in the valley with the facility on my left, a rocky steppe to my right, and some open area like a trail head in front of me where the small valley opens up. The facility is built into the side of the valley and open like a bunker or a food buffet on the valley side.
I walk up to the opening and find cold packs of all shapes and sizes in the stainless steel food bins when I lean into the opening. I wonder who left them, and why no one has come back to get them. I try to start collecting them to take back but realize I don't have a bag. I walk in through a door farther down to my left and enter the area with the ice packs. They are stil cold even though it's room temperature everywhere else. I see discarded food wrappers and pamphlets and wonder why the ministry would have left all their trash up here. I decide to call my father and ask him if I should pick this stuff up.
I pull out my cell and dial him, but the call won't go through. I'm surrounded by too much metal, so I exit the facility and try again. Someone answers, but I can't understand what they are saying.
I see people start to come up the trailhead to look at the facility as if it were an attraction on the trail. A park ranger dressed in green uniform and hat - the kind with the brim all the way around like a state trooper - is checking with every group he sees to make sure they have a map. If you don't have a map, you can't be in the area. I don't have a map.
He approaches me and asks if I have a map. I try to explain why I'm here without a map, and offer to buy one from him. That is acceptable, so I pull out my wallet and hand him my visa check card. He somehow has the card cover and not the card and is very confused - almost frightened - by it. I laugh and hand him the card I thought I had just handed him.
I get a map and lay it out on one of the rock outcroppings that has a flat surface. I ask the ranger about the trails, I'm looking for one in particular called 'Tenebrae'. All the words on the map are in Latin which doesn't surprise me. But the trail I thought was tenebrae isn't - it's another Latin term that isn't familiar. The map looks a lot older than the one I just bought from the ranger. The ink is faded and old, the text in all caps.
There are three trails on the map I'm focusing on - they are aligned like a combination of a Greek lambda and pi. One trail to the north heading east and west with a slight northwest slant. That one is tenebrae. The second and third head north-south - the far west one slants northeast, the far east slants northwest, but less than the far west trail. Both have latin names starting with 'tene'. I can make out letters in both.
I ask about hiking with the group on Tenebrae but he says it starts at 10:30 and it takes two hours to get there from here. He tries to discourage me from going as the trail guide leading that group is apparently really wordy and gets on people's nerves. I find it odd that the ranger is discouraging me from going on that path.
So then I woke up. And decide to do a word search on the terms I saw.
Tenebrae = darkness
I know this term because it was the title of a Good Friday cantata I've done with the HFC choir twice. Beautiful classically arranged cantata, focused on the somberness of Christ's death. Hence the title of 'Darkness'. Interesting that the ranger in my dream discouraged me from the path of 'darkness'.
The other two were a bit of a challenge. I went to an online Latin dictionary and just looked at the words that start with 'tene' and picked out the two most like the words in my dream. I didn't read through all the meanings first and then pick them, I just picked them based on the letter structure.
Southern trail to the west: tenenciarius = a tenant
Southern trail to the east: tenebricosus = dark
In any case the only Latin I can really claim was in the dream was tenebrae. Darkness.
And I have an idea of where this is coming from, so it's not that freaky. Still, the Latin I pulled out about 'a tenant dark' is a little disconcerting...
ok...back to reality :)
