detox.

i've been feeling overwhelmed by technology lately. all of the facebooking, emailing, blogging, texting, etc. doesn't seem to be making my life any easier or more enjoyable; instead it's become a source of frustration. it seems like i can't go a single day without feeling ruled by technology. not only has it been a bit of a burden recently, but it has also distracted me from things that should be given much more importance in my world.

so on that note, i think i'm going to take a mini break from all things digital. john mayer instituted a challenge on his blog at the beginning of the year to do a "one week digital cleanse." i love this idea. here are his guidelines:

-cell phones can only be used to make calls, and no text messages or e-mails are allowed - if you receive a text, you must reply in voice over the phone. E-mails must be returned from a laptop or desktop computer.

-no use of Twitter or any other social networking site - this includes reading as well as posting.

-no visiting of any entertainment or gossip sites. (No need to detail which ones - you know what they are.)

so, farewell for now. maybe when i come back i'll have something new and inspiring to share with you!

matty and davy.

i'm oh so excited about new music from matty and davy. love these guys.



i also love adding a "y" to the end of many names: matty, davy, johnny. it's a sign of endearment, right?

monday, rainy monday.

it's been a wonderful monday (who knew that was possible? ha!). i've loved the rain (despite the fact that i wore a skirt and the most impractical shoes today). the warm/rainy weather lately has made me so excited about the arrival of spring!

i think i'll take a break from thinking about clinic and finding a job and deciding where to move and spend the afternoon curled up on the couch finishing Traveling Mercies (maybe i'll even start another in my never-ending stack of books) and sipping a cup of hot tea. by the way, if you haven't read Traveling Mercies, i highly recommend it. Anne Lamott is such a stunning storyteller and her raw honesty about life is so inspiring.

p.s. please sing the title of this post to the tune of "sunday, bloody sunday" by U2. in case you were wondering, almost everything makes me think of a song. i'm such a music nerd.

reckless love.

i've been reminded through several different avenues lately of the counter-intuitive and absolutely reckless love of Jesus. it's one of the most amazing things to me about the gospel. these lyrics from bethany dillon's song "you are on our side" pretty much sum it up:

You sit at the table with the wounded and the poor
You laugh and share stories with the thief and the whore
When You could just be silent and leave us here to die
Still, You sent Your Son for us
You are on our side

i mean, what kind of God would choose to spend His time with the lowest of the low in society? it's mind blowing, really. and it makes me want to love more like He does, to give to others the kind of forgiving, reckless love that He freely gives us.

assassin.

john mayer killed it last night. it was the best concert i've ever been to, hands down. there was a major snafu over the location of our seats (we weren't actually in the second row. you can imagine my devastation.), but no matter whether we had been in the front row or the last row, it was a damn good show. there really are no words to describe it. he played a good mix of old and new songs, and he covered "ain't no sunshine" and "don't stop believin'," which was hilarious. i was hoping he would play a new new song like he did at another show earlier this week (see you tube video), but he didn't. in any case, it was a brilliant show. all time favorite.



love him.

circa 1997.

i've been on a 90's kick lately, listening to some favorites from my jr. high days (gasp!). here's a few for you to enjoy:

natalie merchant:


matchbox twenty:


jamiroquai:


sarah mclachlan:


p.s. i was also a diehard mariah carey fan during this time. she was still good back in those days, right?

let's hear it for the beatitudes.

so, i've been listening to a series Rob Bell did at Mars Hill about the Beatitudes. maybe you're familiar with them?

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

i know you're probably thinking, how can you spend an entire sermon talking about "the poor in spirit" or "the peacemakers," etc? well, Rob, as usual, breaks it down in ways that i have never thought of. he explains that the Beatitudes counter what we might normally think about the gospel, and he ties them all together, not as a list of rules and expectations to follow so you can win God's favor, but a reminder from God that even if you don't have it all together, He is still on your side.

I found a Twitter version of the Beatitudes that Rob posted:

Blessed are those who don’t have it all together.

Blessed are those who have run out of strength, ideas, will power,
resolve, or energy.

Blessed are those who ache because of how severely out of whack the world is.

Blessed are those stumble, trip, and fall in the same place again and again.

Blessed are those who on a regular basis have a dark day in which
despair seems to be a step behind them wherever they go.

Blessed are you, for God is with you, God is on your side, God meets
you in that place.

The gospel is the counter-intuitive, joyous, exuberant news that Jesus
has brought the unending, limitless, stunning love of God to even us.

how refreshing to know that no matter how messed up we are, how many times we've gotten it wrong, or how far we run, God will never deny us His love. in fact, it is in our moments of pain and despair that we truly begin to experience that love and see what the gospel is really all about.

p.s. the whole time i've been writing this, i've had the song "let's hear it for the boy" from Footloose in my head, hence the title of this post. i mean, who doesn't think of that song when you think of the Beatitudes?