pieces of life

how we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives

 Ask   RSS

under the juniper tree

“You want your books in black and white and your days filled with vibrant color,” said River, moving around the juniper tree. “Why do you want what’s difficult, or impossible? This is bad, Sarai, very bad.”

Sarai’s hand swept grass tips, sitting cross-legged and watching the storm brewing in the distance. “I wonder through my days, and wonder who will share my days,” she said. “I want nothing less than my heart’s cry. Can I ignore it and do violence to the core of my being, River?”

“Stay here and work with us. We needs more hands. We have a duty to our families, not to dreams or crazy longings,” said River.

Sarai had taken a slanted path from the womb. Her father worried nightly for her future, for her purity and stability. “If you love me let me go, Daddy,” she would sing as she twirled around the living room as a 7-year-old. “I’m a bird with a pretty mouth, I’m a bird with songs to shout.”

River understood in part, but blamed her on the whole. “I have longings, too, Sarai.”

Sarai cocked her head in interest.

River hugged the tree trunk with one hand. “I’ve always wanted to just go to a deserted island by myself for a month. Or a year. Get away from all of this, y’know?”

Sarai rose, grabbed River’s hand, and led him in a dance under dark clouds. He felt a sting in his chest, not unpleasant, hot. Sarai loosened the chains squeezing his heart, wrapped tight by his father, and his father’s father. He let no one in his soul without the key of compassion, which Sarai held in her soft hands. Skies thundered. Sarai sang. River wept.

wake me up before september ends

Changing a culture is kind of a big project. Maybe too big. How about just getting a group of friends together and making stuff that you love? What’s that quote? Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.

Is it frustrating to you when you have a belief about something and then you meet people who live in direct contradiction to your belief…and they’re happy? And not just happy but flourishing? And are more of a healthy, whole person than you are with your ‘right beliefs’?

What do you do when the answers and the truth have cut their ties?

What if you stopped white-knuckling your truth-claims at your desk with your books and walked out the door with open hands and a whispered prayer to walk with you to new places. Scary places. And what if it was good?

What do you do when the answers and the truth take different sides?

What if you started trusting—with your feet and not your brain—for the first time in a long time; maybe the first time ever?

Maybe redemption is stories to tell.

Chicago!

Gonna be in Chicago all day Thursday and then maybe again next Wednesday. Do I have friends in Chicago?

And what’s up with the Willis Tower? Sears was better.

Trace Bundy and 12 year old playing U2

i don’t listen to too much christian music, but i do like brooke fraser.

i do like her.

mathematics

Let X = time spent worrying about the future. Let Y = time saved by worrying. Therefore X - Y = #stupidisasstupiddoes

trippy!

trippy!

i love this.

i love this.

a waterbed of sorts.

a waterbed of sorts.