"Here goes nothing, Here goes everything, Gotta reach for something or you'll fall for anything, Take a breath, Take a step, What comes next God only knows, But here goes.."
Oh Bebo, you continue to speak to me. God has inspired such beautiful music through you, and I am such a grateful recipient! My first experience with you Mr. Norman was at 10 years old:
My mom decided to spend our spring break on a road trip up north visiting all the prestigious schools my brother might possibly need to apply to. That was back in the day of cassette tapes baby! Ha! It was cool to have a cassette tape in your car. That was way before the fancy pants CD player...and now ipods and satellite radio have taken over - but! This story revolves around the old school tape my brother had. A girl at summer camp gave him a tape of Bebo Norman, Ten Thousand Days. I remember begin stretched out on the van seats passing through one state after another, listening to the melodic thumps from the tires and the interstate concrete zooming by underneath us. Over and over again we sang along to "The Hammer Holds," "A page is Turned," and "Selwood Farm." We visited 10 states in 10 days that week! Tanner never did go to MIT or Princeton, or Harvard, but we sure had a blast anyway.
Since then I've over played your "Sunday" love song (that was brilliant when you incorporated God, on our day of rest, and true love... kissing! when you sang "it just feels right kissin on a sunday" AMEN haha!), and "I Will Lift My Eyes", and so many more because you sir, you have character enough to write deep, intricately phrased, meaningful lyrics regardless of a catchy tune and chorus. Thanks! This little letter to you is inspired by my day of being snowed in the house, reading, eating, and thinking. Your music has encouraged a lot of that over the 10 years I've been listening to you.
Snow.
This too, has caused me to stop, quite literally, and enjoy a day of simple living. So far today I woke up at 7, hit the snooze button multiple times, even though I was still planning on driving Eliza back to school. It took awhile but finally wrapping my robe around me, I went to assess the travel situation outdoors. I found Dad, he said it was super slick outside and I proceeded to return to my warm cozy bed. 8:30 I met with God, read some in Psalms and some in Acts. Then I fixed myself four scrambled eggs and a large glass of grape juice. Whew I was stuffed so I returned to the recliner and started reading what Elisabeth Elliot had to say about Discipline. This particular chapter was
The Discipline of Possession. Before the chapter was finished I got a nice nap in! But I do love her. Some how, I feel a special connection to her. Maybe like Julie did to Julia Childes in the movie "Julie and Julia." Elisabeth is a woman I consider to be a role model for me.
Speaking of "Julie and Julia" it makes me want to fix myself a big plate of Bruchetta! YUM. There is a scene in the movie where Julie melts a huge slab of butter in a plan, then fries to golden perfection four thick slices of bread and tops them with sauted peppers, tomatoes, basil, and fresh cheese! That, ladies and gentlemen, is a true piece of heaven. I made it one day last fall with Stu, in the kitchen at Cherokee Cove, on a slow Sunday afternoon.
Butter. One day my own house will smell of that warm comforting scent that only occurs when you cook, fry, or bake butter! oh what a smell! Mmmm
This house currently smells like pumpkin and cinnamon, with a hint of honey and...butter! Eliza just finished her second batch of Pumpkin Muffins which will be gone...probably by tomorrow morning :)
I was planning again. I still haven't figured out how much planning I can do with out over stepping the "Letting Go" boundaries, and the "Trust" boundaries too. But I know that despite
my plans, God ultimately plans my days. Elisabeth Elliot wrote:
"In the lives of Samuel, David, Jeremiah, Matthew, and Saul of Tarsus, as well as in many others in the Bible, there is evident the strong sense of being known, of being taken over, possessed, called, acted upon.... Discipline is the believer's answer to God's call. It is the recognition, not of the solution to his problems or the supply of his needs, but of mastery. God addresses us. We are responsible - that is, we must make a response." (Discipline. pg 16,17)
I know that really all I need is to be mastered by God. But I do have a plan. A directional plan. I know I want to major in English/creative writing and minor in Art. I'm really done looking at college as a means to supply life long friends and a crazy social life. Really, all I want is a degree so that more opportunities can be made available and God can use my college degree to take me places other wise closed off. I did consider just working like I've been doing the past semester, but that's rather limiting for my stage of life right now. God can take me anywhere of course, so we'll see!
So now, with my pumpkin muffins in hand, and my stretchy pants on, and my fuzzy blanket ready, I am about to watch Sleepless in Seattle. Meg Ryan is by far one of my all time favorite actresses and today seems just a completely appropriate type of day to watch it on VHS! Old school! ha!
