tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59658212213139527402024-03-05T00:55:39.954-08:00A Mosaic of ThoughtsThoughts on Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Godliness...Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-80283112528811244692012-02-02T00:39:00.000-08:002012-02-02T00:40:43.214-08:00Last Call!http://brightersideblog.blog.com/Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-81906329293012396782012-01-21T21:26:00.000-08:002012-01-21T21:29:24.733-08:00I did it!Well I did it. After months of empty talk, I finally created a new blog. It is my hope that I can be dedicated to writing again as a way of documenting this crazy life. You can find me at:<br /><br /><a href="http://brightersideblog.blog.com/">http://brightersideblog.blog.com/</a>Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-20385886723123485352011-06-19T22:00:00.002-07:002011-06-19T22:01:17.637-07:00Papa AHappy Father's Day, Papa A! I miss you a ton and love you even more!Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-58923986971590287012011-05-25T09:59:00.000-07:002011-05-25T10:13:01.286-07:00Missing RussiaI'm missing Russia like crazy. It could be an overall dislike for current location and/or jobless situation or maybe I'm just feeling drawn back to life overseas. Either way, something has me longing for the dirty streets and beautiful architecture of Russia. I miss my friends there, (some of) the food, and a sense that what I was doing had value. Now my time is spent filling out applications for jobs I'm 98% sure I'll never hear back on. It gets old and discouraging after a while and so perhaps it's just easier to idealize the past than be content with a frusterating present. My life is good here...it really is. I'm blessed to already know some pretty awesome people nearby and I'm looking forward to meeting more as we continue to build this new life together.<br /><br />Still, I woke up grumpy this morning and I'm searching for a way to remedy that now. It is sunny this morning for the first time in a few days and I think I might go for a walk to clear my head before getting back to some applications. I guess it's just a matter of weeding out the imperfections and frustrations of my life so that I can see how truly beautiful it already is. Some days that is easier for me to do than others. Today, I miss Russia.Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-48861360098744369162011-05-16T19:32:00.001-07:002011-05-16T19:32:33.686-07:00In with the newI'm going to start a new blog. Pretty sure of it.Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-36242861034240901262011-03-24T11:33:00.000-07:002011-03-24T11:35:06.317-07:00Here we go!4 days until Katie returns<br />7 days until my last day of work<br />23 days until our wedding<br />24 days until our honeymoon and <br />35 days until we move to California<br /><br />LIFE IS SO EXCITING RIGHT NOW!!!Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-32282270766984911602011-02-16T13:23:00.000-08:002011-03-07T15:32:54.738-08:00Oh hi thereIt appears my blog has made a liar out of me. My best intentions to write more have obviously fallen short, though I am vowing to be a bit more consistent from here on out. (You haven't heard that before, have you?!)<br /><br />With that said, I have no real thoughts to share today except two rather exciting announcements.<br /><br />1. I'm an Aunt! Little Ella Noelle was born last Friday making me an aunt to the cutest niece in the world. No seriously, she's the cutest.<br /><br />2. I'm getting married two months from today. This is big, people. Life is a changin. Get. Ready.Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-64099771176729367142010-12-20T18:22:00.000-08:002010-12-20T18:24:35.083-08:00<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GpFudDAYqxY?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GpFudDAYqxY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-67690951779820830322010-12-15T13:36:00.001-08:002010-12-15T13:40:51.951-08:00Let the writing begin!<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br />I was just looking back at blogs I had written around this time last year and it made me realize how little I've written lately. Sure, I'm not living in a different country, I don't have Russian lessons to dread or crazy postwomen yelling at me. But I do have plenty of other things to dread and I care for a 13-month that does her share of screaming. ;-) What I mean is that while life is now different, it is no less challenging or significant or beautiful and I say it deserves to be remembered. So here is to more consistent blogging. Let the writing begin!Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-38412684207214713762010-12-10T14:03:00.000-08:002010-12-10T14:04:57.729-08:00:)<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br /><br />Life is feeling better. Maybe it's because it's Christmastime. Maybe it's because it's Friday. Maybe it's because Joel is home. Maybe it's a combination of many things. I'll take what I can get and tell you without a doubt...I am blessed.Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-43191418939795511892010-12-02T17:31:00.000-08:002010-12-02T17:40:58.053-08:00Advent<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br />During this time of advent I am seeking to reflect on the meaning and hope that can be found in this season. <br /><br />The entire article can be found here: http://rejectapathy.relevantmagazine.com/god/deeper-walk/features/23640-why-advent<br /><br /><br />"...The math should move us on that. The Bible is not a collection of war chants from victors—it’s an incredibly varied collection of writings reflecting an intensely diverse amount of postures, moods and perspectives.<br /><br />A lot like how life is, actually. Sometimes you’re furious with God, other times you’re madly in love.<br /><br />The issue then, as it is now, isn’t just getting us out of Egypt—it’s getting the Egypt out of us.<br /><br />Rescuing us from sameness, dullness, flatlined routine, reminding us that however we’re feeling, whatever we’re experiencing, wherever we are in our heart—the Spirit waits to meet us there.<br /><br />And that takes us to Advent. Advent, then, is a season. Lots of people know about holidays—one day a year set apart. The church calendar is about seasons, whole periods of time we enter into with a specific cry, a particular intention, for a reason.<br /><br />Advent is about anticipating the birth of Christ. It’s about longing, desire, that which is yet to come. That which isn’t here yet. And so we wait, expectantly. Together. With an ache. Because all is not right. Something is missing.<br /><br />Why does Advent mean so much to me?<br /><br />Because cynicism is the new religion of our world. Whatever it is, this religion teaches that it isn’t as good as it seems. It will let you down. It will betray you. <br /><br />That institution? That church? That politician? That authority figure? They’ll all let you down. <br /><br />Whatever you do, don’t get your hopes up. Whatever you think it is, whatever it appears to be, it will burn you, just give it time.<br /><br />Advent confronts this corrosion of the heart with the insistence that God has not abandoned the world, hope is real and something is coming.<br /><br />Advent charges into the temple of cynicism with a whip of hope, overturning the tables of despair, driving out the priests of that jaded cult, announcing there’s a new day and it’s not like the one that came before it. <br /><br />“The not yet will be worth it,” Advent whispers in the dark.<br /><br />Old man Simeon stands in the temple, holding the Christ child, rejoicing that now he can die because what he’d been waiting for actually arrived.<br /><br />And so each December (though Advent starts the last Sunday of November this year), we enter into a season of waiting, expecting, longing. Spirit meets us in the ache.<br /><br />We ask God to enter into the deepest places of cynicism, bitterness and hardness where we have stopped believing that tomorrow can be better than today. <br /><br />We open up. We soften up. We turn our hearts in the direction of that day. That day when the baby cries His first cry and we, surrounded by shepherds and angels and everybody in between, celebrate that sound in time that brings our Spirits what we’ve been longing for."<br /><br />-Rob BellElizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-51253006472419406392010-11-29T21:36:00.000-08:002010-11-29T21:38:32.858-08:00<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pFbjE7NFmUI?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pFbjE7NFmUI?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-6798398983934178062010-11-28T18:03:00.000-08:002010-11-28T20:58:40.694-08:00Stormy Weather<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br /><br />(Written Monday, November 22, 2010)<br /><br />My street is covered in white and trees are sparkling in the moonlight. Our first winter snow has arrived. Usually I like snow- how it blankets the earth in glitter and shushes the ordinary sounds of hurried life. Snow makes life different. It slows people down. It covers the dirtiness. <br /><br />And yet, as I look out my window tonight, the snow does not appear peaceful or calm. The wind is whipping the falling flakes back in forth into a harsh fury. I am thankful tonight that I am inside-warm and sheltered from this storm. This time I am safe.<br /><br />I sometimes think about how wise God is in allowing us only to live from one moment to the next. In my nearsightedness, I often wish I could see what the future holds. And yet, when I stop and look back on my life, I think that if I knew what each day held, there are some mornings…maybe even many mornings…that I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to get out of bed. Lately, there have been days when I wished I hadn’t.<br /><br />Recently I’ve found myself caught in the middle of life storms. One after another, I feel beaten and bruised from their harshness and wearied by their relentlessness. Financial problems. Uncertainty. Layoffs. Unfulfilling jobs. Cancer. Depression. Loneliness. Car problems. Surgery. Fear. I wake up in the morning dreading the arrival of yet another storm and wondering if I have enough strength left to endure it should it arrive. <br /><br />In the midst of my pain I feel angry at God that he could allow such things to happen. Shouldn’t it be his job to protect me from harm, keep me from pain, and make me happy? But the truth is, it’s not. I serve a God who is more concerned with my wholeness than my happiness. I am struggling to see the goodness in that and to view these trials as opportunities become a little more like the person I am supposed to be.<br /><br />Lord, I am weary. Day after day I wonder when the rains will stop and peace will come. I search for you but instead of light, I find endless gray skies. Still, if these storms are here to bring about a deeper love within me, a greater capacity to trust you, or a heart that is more willing to serve others, then let it be so. But God, give me strength to continue on. I need strength. I believe you won’t let me go… but if I didn’t know any better...I’d think I’m drowning.Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-63045661109431771962010-10-31T17:16:00.000-07:002010-10-31T19:32:02.471-07:00Get Ready.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpRQyp4Gzm_yuhooiFPSRGIFWCT2HM87MmsaFsgBGFa-EV7Y25HQ1pMYMaVWKRppNImvKkNMKrvKR03e13mdly-BdC-lQAVpQOKMShA1TcUMzbtYTWrD_rOgr09SGPHOhMbED0T1WB2Q/s1600/JEEng_teaser-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpRQyp4Gzm_yuhooiFPSRGIFWCT2HM87MmsaFsgBGFa-EV7Y25HQ1pMYMaVWKRppNImvKkNMKrvKR03e13mdly-BdC-lQAVpQOKMShA1TcUMzbtYTWrD_rOgr09SGPHOhMbED0T1WB2Q/s400/JEEng_teaser-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534369229825673730" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6o9cJe0e5YtFPwJAg5hjKIOreSUXhqasa50KY1LaYcLG4rynTMPtAKD4MyvHptECdWMVSSV4qcfk0BG6yoK-iAX7sIeZabwxmRXlZ9DUvBi0TG0cPEWDtk2y7tjSV5XpuURw6vSWn2J0/s1600/JEEng_teaser-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6o9cJe0e5YtFPwJAg5hjKIOreSUXhqasa50KY1LaYcLG4rynTMPtAKD4MyvHptECdWMVSSV4qcfk0BG6yoK-iAX7sIeZabwxmRXlZ9DUvBi0TG0cPEWDtk2y7tjSV5XpuURw6vSWn2J0/s400/JEEng_teaser-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534368803744164914" /></a><br /><script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br /><br />I'm marrying this boy and I couldn't be more excited. Stay tuned.<br />Photos by the fabulous Joshua Mahar- www.joshuamahar.comElizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-56997608683445165242010-10-18T10:44:00.000-07:002010-10-18T11:12:38.106-07:00Life is Beautiful<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br /><br />Yesterday two of my dear friends tied the knot. As I was sitting at BJ and Kendra's wedding, watching them exchange their vows, I felt overwhelmed by the beauty of my life. I watched my friends commit to spend the rest of their lives learning how to love and serve each other a little more every day. Incredible. The happiness on their faces blew me away. <br /><br />I am trying (though fail as I do) to see significant beauty in each day. Some days (like yesterday) it's easy. Other days (like Mondays) it takes a little more effort. But it's there-the beauty. Lately, I've seen it in the changing leaves, in unusually light traffic, and in a baby that sleeps an extra ten minutes. I've seen it in strangers that let you cut in front of them at the grocery store, in kind text messages, in hot coffee on a crisp fall day, and in quiet, relaxing evenings.<br /><br />Truth is, the more intentional I am about believing that goodness and beauty can be found, the more evident it becomes. I find this reality to be...well...beautiful. ;-)Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-85234164002001030902010-10-09T23:22:00.000-07:002010-10-09T23:44:20.819-07:00To Be Whole<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br />There is about an eighth of a mile stretch of road that I walked every Sunday on my way to church in St. Petersburg. Well, I suppose I walked much more than that, but it is this eighth mile stretch of memory that has been haunting my thoughts lately.<br /><br />It took me upwards of forty-five minutes to get to church but the last seven minutes were by far my favorite. I had to pass through a gated section that often had uniformed guards outside of it. The guards never bothered the pedestrians passing by, but they always checked each vehicle for authorization before allowing them to pass through the metal gates. The area had little traffic and always seemed eerily quiet in comparison to the bustling streets just yards away. This street was lined with large buildings, at least one of them being a hospital and I’d always glance up at the windows in hopes of gaining clues as to where I was and what I was passing through. I used to wonder what type of hospital it was- if the patients were able to come and go as they pleased or if the guards at the gates were there to keep them in. Farther down the road was a building that always smelled sickeningly of some sort of meat. I’d look in the windows at the ladies with their hairnets and I’d make up stories in my mind reminiscent of The Jungle.<br /><br />It sounds a bit morbid, perhaps, these thoughts I would think on this eighth mile stretch of icy pavement. But I looked forward to this bit of walk every week. I liked it because it was quiet and hidden and mysterious and unknown. I liked it because it lent itself to melancholy thoughts. I felt lonely walking along this road but in the best of ways; lonely in an awareness of my utter need for God, my incompleteness without Him, and the inability of anything else to ever fully satisfy. The street made me feel small and insignificant, lonely and lost, in this huge, demanding, mysterious world. The street gave me perspective.<br /><br />I liked my weekly walk because its deep emotions usually felt contained in that eighth of a mile chunk of ice and asphalt. The melancholy would usually pass as I’d eventually focus on a life that was too busy to just be. <br /><br />Lately, though, I’ve been feeling loneliness beyond the confines of the guarded gates. I won’t claim to be alone when I say that sometimes, maybe even many times, I desperately wish something or someone else could make me feel whole. There is something to be said for an embrace that comforts the soul, food that nourishes the body, or a hobby that distracts the mind. Something that can be physically touched or felt. Each of these, in its moment, offers temporary satisfaction and then as the embrace departs, the food digests, or the hobby fades, we realize we are left in want.<br /><br />My loneliness has been disguising itself well. It has felt like fear. It has felt like anxiety. It has felt like disappointment. I feel it now, with my lamp lit and the rain against my window. But tonight, present as it may be, I am striving to feel it not as a burden, but as a gift - an invitation to stop trying to let anything else complete me and just rest in the love that has already covered me. <br /><br />Maybe it’s not such a bad thing, this loneliness. Maybe its God’s way of reminding me that while I’m off trying to fill myself with physical manifestations of comfort…he is waiting. He is patient in his loneliness for me, wanting nothing less than to empty me to the point of His fullness.<br /><br />God, please do not weary in your waiting for me. It is <strong><em>you alone </em></strong>that I want. Forgive me for my forgetfulness. Forgive me for my selfishness. Forgive me for my fear. I believe, but help my unbelief.Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-90702868885794019622010-10-05T19:50:00.000-07:002010-10-05T19:52:26.022-07:00A Few Things:<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br /><br />1. I really hate being sick.<br />2. I really love fall<br />3. BJ and Kendra are getting married SOON<br />4. I am getting married. I can hardly wait. Joel is my favorite.<br />5. I really hate being sick. Did I already say that?Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-86512965642949337452010-09-05T13:54:00.000-07:002010-09-05T14:01:07.600-07:00When it rains<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br />They say when it rains, it pours. I’ve found myself looking to the keeper of the rain and praying that these rising waters will not become deep enough to drown me. In the midst of recent storms, I’m searching for rainbows and clinging to promises. <br /><br />I sometimes mourn the fact that life is not constant; that good things change and fade and sometimes altogether disappear. I sometimes question the significance; the point in the struggle and the reason for the hurt. But it is part of the beauty, I suppose. Difficulties water our lives and remind us that while worth it, growing is not pain-free. <br /><br />Today, in this moment, I can appreciate the tension in and perhaps even the necessity of this reality. But tomorrow, oh God, should the waters rise beyond my perspective, be merciful to me. Remind me to press forward for treading water is the surest road to exhaustion. Remember your promises to us. Bring and be peace. Lord, keep us afloat. All of us.Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-82449856837178945122010-09-03T16:31:00.001-07:002010-09-03T16:31:50.876-07:00Weekend Plans<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br /><br />1. Workout at least once (dream big, right?!)<br />2. Do laundry<br />3. Spend time with family<br />4. Clean car<br />5. Journal<br />6. Buy shoes<br />7. Eat peanuts and candy corn<br />8. Have a breakdown and be done with it<br />9. Find perspectiveElizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-74337292251008874032010-08-25T18:38:00.000-07:002010-08-25T18:46:32.466-07:00Thanks, Nouwen<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br /><br />"Today, O Lord, I felt intense fear. My whole being seemed to be invaded by fear. No peace, no rest; just plain fear: fear of mental breakdown, fear of living the wrong life, fear of rejection and condemnation, and fear of you. O Lord, why is it so hard to overcome my fear? Why is it so hard to let your love banish my fear? Only when I worked with my hands for a while did it seem that the intensity of the fear decreased.<br /><br />I feel so powerless to overcome this fear. Maybe it is your way of asking me to experience some solidarity with the fearful people all over the world: those who are hungry and cold in this harsh winter, those who are threatened by unexpected guerrilla attacks, and those who are hidden in prisons, mental institutions, and hospitals. O Lord, this world is full of fear. Make my fear into a prayer for the fearful. Let that prayer lift up the hearts of others. Perhaps then my darkness can become light for others, and my inner pain a source of healing for others.<br /><br />You, O Lord, have also known fear. You have been deeply troubled: your sweat and tears were the signs of your fear. Make my fear, O Lord, part of yours, so that it will lead me not to darkness but to the light, and will give me new understanding of the hope of your cross." <br /><br />Amen.<br /><br />~Henri NouwenElizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-81696241830578786052010-08-11T10:56:00.000-07:002010-08-11T10:57:34.660-07:00<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br /><br />I'm feeling anxious today. It's not my favorite feeling.Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-74597060317992667942010-08-08T10:27:00.000-07:002010-08-08T10:28:43.810-07:00In Search OfI found this in a magazine and it rang true.<br /><br />"Went looking for self. Found others."Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-36113822942662759642010-08-05T22:36:00.000-07:002010-08-05T23:35:50.565-07:00Dear Life,<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br /><br />Dear Life,<br /><br />Some days your uncertainty is too much for me. Other days it feels like a grand adventure. Common sense tells me the middle ground is where I should strive to exist. Experience tells me the safety of the middle is actually the most dangerous place to be. Life, teach me kindly to accept the uncertainty and embrace the adventure. The road ahead is long. I pray we've only just begun.<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tQbwUpff1X8&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tQbwUpff1X8&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-29128516545448787052010-07-13T10:00:00.000-07:002010-07-13T10:08:18.633-07:00Cold Coffee<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br />I’m finding mornings to be beautiful. I never used to be a big morning person and truthfully, if the morning starts before 7:30, I’m still not. But there is something hopeful about the promise found in the damp coolness of a new day. This morning, like most other mornings, I awoke with a list of carefully planned to-dos. I find it strange that no matter how many items I cross off, the list never seems to get much shorter. Thankfully today, a quiet, cool, hopeful morning is at the top of the list.<br /><br />Last night I watched “Darfur Now” and I wondered why I had never seen it before. Obviously I’d heard about the happenings in Darfur but I guess I had never really thought to investigate them further. Someone else could figure it out. I fear this is a pattern that is too easy to fall into. Don’t want to hear about suffering or injustice? Turn off the news. Inequalities sounds like a downer? Don’t buy the newspaper. Poverty not really your thing? Good, because you’re not in poverty. It’s amazing how whole a broken world can appear if you know where to avoid looking.<br /><br />I suppose it’s not that we don’t want to help- maybe we just don’t know how. If we start talking about poverty we realize how much inequality still exists. And where there is inequality there is injustice and where there is injustice there is suffering and the solution just gets bigger and harder to imagine. The wounds of the world are rarely surface scratches that can be healed with some topical treatment and a bandaid. No, these wounds run deep and while we are all called to bring about healing, there is risk of personal injury involved. In my experience, calling rarely exists without risk.<br /><br />When I was in Russia there were many days when I longed to be sitting back in a coffee shop in the states. When I returned home, I realized why. For me, coffee shops are a sign of familiarity, security, safety and comfort. I remember many coffee dates, sitting in Starbucks talking to my friends about what I thought Russia would be like and how I hoped to get to know the culture and love and serve people every opportunity I got. My conversations were hopeful and passionate and naive. Loving and serving people are easy to talk about when you’re warm and comfortable. They're easy to talk about when you’re healthy or safe. They're easy to talk to about when you’re in good company and have a four dollar drink in your hand. It’s another story when your caffeine buzz wore off months ago and you’re cold and lonely- frustrated and unsure. There is nothing wrong with coffee shop chats, but the dreams and plans we make are only words until we live them out.<br /><br />“Darfur Now” reminded me that even though I’m tired and maybe a little confused about what it is I’m supposed to do with this life, the world continues to hurt. The pain doesn’t lessen because I think I deserve a break. Selfishly, I’m finding that to be a disappointing truth. But it’s time to turn on the news, pick up the newspapers, and open my eyes. Brokenness is not their problem-it’s our problem. It’s time to allow the sickness of the world to sink into my being so I feel urgency to think and feel and ultimately to act. God, forgive me for my apathy. Help me to know when the coffee cup is empty and I’ve rested long enough in my overstuffed chair. Give me the courage to walk through that door. Give me the wisdom to know where to go.Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5965821221313952740.post-69027884678856823492010-07-09T17:41:00.001-07:002010-07-09T18:05:50.568-07:00Motion<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B background-image %3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i342.photobucket.com/albums/o401/Thecutestblogontheblock/fawncopy.jpg %22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20 background-attachment %3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20 style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute %3B%20left%3A0px%3B%20top%3A30px%3B%20z-index%3A50%3B%20 width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A45px%3B%22%3E%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22 http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%0A%3Cimg%20src %3D%22http%3A//www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/images/tag.png%22%20border%3D%220%22/ %3E%0A%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%20"));</script><br /><br />"If you came back, you wanted to leave again; if you went away, you longed to come back. Wherever you were, you could hear the call of the homeland, like the note of the herdsman’s horn far away in the hills. You had one home out there and one over here and yet you were an alien in both places. Your true abiding place was the vision of something very far off, and your soul was like the waves, always restless, forever in motion."Elizabeth Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179523753987751064noreply@blogger.com0