community and the art of becoming...

sometimes i trick myself into forgetting how amazing my friends are.

probably one of my greatest strengths and weaknesses relationally is a tendency to place high expectations on my friends. i firmly believe that those who love you the most will urge you toward a higher standard and respect you enough to expect great things from you. the danger here lies in managing the inevitable conflict that arises when friends (who, in case you didn't know, are human!) disappoint you.

such has been the case in my life lately. and as a bona-fide ENFJ (emphasis on J for Judging), i can get pretty down about this...to the point where i was somewhat despairing this week that a) i will never figure out how to love people through conflict and b) certain people who are very near and dear to my heart are never going grow up and desire accountability.

oh the lies, and the sneaky Liar who wants us to believe them!

i have been proven wrong on both counts. i'll not relish the details here, but i have had a series of truly redeeming conversations with said friends in just the past few hours. i am so blessed to be learning how conflict really does breed intimacy. and that together, my sweet little community of friends is slowly sharpening one another.

thank god for community.

insomniac

i should know better than to make a run to the roasterie for a cup of coffee at 6 o'clock in the evening.

*sigh*

the good (maybe?) news is that i had work to do, which makes the wide-awake-at-2a.m.-ness a little more tolerable...that, and the fact that after a string of frustrating workdays that is a good several weeks long, i finally had a breakthrough of sorts today. good things are happening. business is taking a turn for the better. i finished the day today with my first contract in several months...the cold spell has broken and i know i have a paycheck on the horizon!

it's been so discouraging these past few weeks...working my tail off and still having things fall through, so i am so undeniably grateful for this bit of encouragement.

i'm not sure why i'm blogging this bit of semi-trivial information...i guess so you can rejoice with me :) and i guess because it's late and i'm wound up from good business and good coffee. happy wednesday, everyone!

a blog for everything...

after weeks of doug hassling me for not blogging on blogger, i thought i'd break the silence. briefly.

first of all, i've been blogging...but it's been on my myspace account. and i've been too lazy to copy it here as promised.

sorry.

secondly, i just wanted to post this site for you to peruse and discuss:

www.prayforcastro.com

pretty interesting. valid, i think. and i really like his response to the first (brave) person to comment and suggest that castro could never be saved, on account of all the bad things he's done. it all fits nicely with alot of what i've been mulling over in my mind these past few weeks and months.

let me know what you think.

two weeks in: welcome, 2007!

well, we are not even two weeks into 2007 and already this year has brought with it some interesting surprises. a fantastic green coat that i found at TJ Maxx for $40...a proposal from a dark, intriguing stranger...and a trip to the emergency room with my new roommate.

no time for stories now, but here are the morals to the stories:

1. (cheap) green coats are dead sexy.

2. apparently, green coats really are dead sexy.

3. never practice your knife tricks while home alone.

sweet sassy molassey! beloved 2007, what other delights have you up your sleeve?! what wonders do you behold?!


...in the movies, we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason, you're behaving like the best friend.
-eli wallach as arthur abbott in the holiday