A post on Donald Miller's blog.

Having Right Theology Does not Mean You Know God.

Update: I left a comment on that post.

I'm tired.

One more work day to push through.
I'm doing the cafe's finances from last week today.
It was a great week financially.
We needed it.
Praise God.
It's all his.

I want to take more walks in the sun, in green places.
I want to have more fun.

Is this what abiding is?

This living, breathing organism
That I'm managing
Cafe Aroma
How am I doing this
How am I the leader of this

I'm working really hard
And really well

So much goes on every day
Such diverse things
Such important things
(And such inconsequential things)
And I'm responsible for the running of it
And I'm not really stressed about it
(Anymore
Since I've died to myself in it
My success & failure isn't wrapped up in the cafe's success & failure)
I'm just handling it
Handling all this crazy stuff
Relatively easily

There are always improvements to be made
And improvements are always being made
But progress
Has been nonstop
Since I started managing this

It's just weird for me to
Own
Embrace
Connect
My role
In this living, breathing organism
That I'm managing

Some lines that aren't necessarily directly related.

Wanted to draw attention to some posts in my blogging community:

"Untitled" by nataliemma

and

"God's Teeter-Totter" by David and Jessica.

I. Love. Community.
(And I say that bearing in mind the pain & ugliness that comes along with it.)

I love being a learner.
But I also have this strong impression that, "the seed I've received I will sow."
Someday.

I want to walk humbly.

I've recently gone a step further into losing my life to find it.
I've died to some major things in my life.
And oh, it feels good.

Also,
"in quietness & confidence shall be your strength."

That was the typical verse on those name bookmarks that people buy you from Christian bookstores.
It's almost maddening to wonder how they nailed you.
Like the description of you based on your birth year you find on the placemats at Chinese restaurants.

The dual life.

Let my arduous efforts be kept in the secret spirit places.


Let the natural then flow.  Effortlessly.

A new way of thinking about the Sabbath.

dormant

"in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation"

That strikes me as really beautiful.

Some lines about how I'm doing right now.

starting to find some balance

I forgot how much pacing aids my prayers

things got pretty dark last week

but they needed to

keith just walked in

how can one person make me so happy

This Is Much Earlier Than I've Been Getting Up As of Late: A Haiku.

At the coffee shop

proud that I have gotten here

somehow this morning

I looked.

I looked at the pictures of aborted babies.

And I read the Margaret Sanger quotes.

Thrift Stores: A Haiku.

I love how thrift stores

invoke a feeling of wealth

endless riches yours

He has reconciled you.

I've had a good sabbath day.  A nice mix of rest, ministry, & a little homemaking.

I was just reading the chunk of Colossians that we'll be covering tomorrow at church.

And being moved by it.

you were at one time strangers and enemies 

in your minds

as expressed 

through your evil deeds

but now

but now

but now

he has reconciled you

he 

has reconciled 

you

by his physical body through death

to present you 

to present you

holy, 

without blemish,

and blameless

before him

holy, 

without blemish,

and blameless

before him 

– if indeed you remain in the faith, 

established 

and firm, 

without shifting 

from the hope

the hope  

of the gospel that you heard. 

Simple things; so much power.

Man, let me just say that when I am either (a) tired or (b) dehydrated,
my whole world looks different.


And I think the enemy takes advantage of it.


The cafe's closed this week, but I have a super long list to-do list for myself for the cafe.  I really like working from home.  I get a lot done.  And it feels good to be in my home.  I ate all three meals at home today.  Pretty sure that's the first time that's happened....at least since we moved here.  It makes me think that I could keep managing the cafe if I had a baby.  I wouldn't want to work regular shifts at the cafe behind the counter, but really think I could still manage.  At least for a while.  But who knows what the future holds.

Two things that are definitely in my future are enough sleep & water.