September 30, 2007

• Before Dawn
  
  It's vewwy vewwy qwiet.  I've been spending way more of my night times awake than I care to for the past five nights.
  
  But I've gotten some reading done.
  
  The Second Child - a wonderful collection of poems by Deborah Garrison
  
  Shadow Puppets - another in the Hegemon series, sub series to the Ender series, from Orson Scott Card
  
  The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - a rollicking historical first-novel by the talented Lauren Willig (who has released two more novels since this one that are now on my list.)
  
  Isn't It Romantic, 100 Love Poems by Younger American Poets, foreward by Charles Simic - this one was a re-read its still good.  some of the entries are of lesser depth and frankly I'm no sure what love has to do with many of the selections but oh well.
  
  Now I'm reading Velvet Elvis (see link below).  There's always a bit of a danger in enjoyment of a book about spiritual matters, and this one is subtitled "Repainting the Christian Faith."  What if it says something that causes me to go out and behave in ways that will later make me groan and wish I'd just taken a nap instead?  I don't ever worry with any other kind of reading material that comes into my hands, but matters of faith and practice are different. 
  
  It's not possible to agree in principle without agreeing in practice if there's to have been any point in the reading at all.   And I am very much enjoying the first few chapters of this one.  If you've kept up with my theological reading in the past, you might at first consider this on "spiritual light" compared to some.  Maybe I've entered a "spiritual light" phase of my life. 
  
  The little church that Tina introduced us to has opened it's arms to my little family and made us feel welcomed and safe.  Yesterday morning, I spent in the company of some wonderful ladies who are part of a team (They call themselves B.A.G. ladies.)  Primarily, the B.A.G. ladies are a quilting circle.  They make simple lap-sized quilts which are rolled up and placed in a bag they make from the same fabric.  The bags have several pockets and are larger than necessary for the quilt.  One outside pocket gets a stuffed animal.
  
  These bags go to the Sheriff's Department, a center for Domestic Violence, and an agency which places foster children.  Because of the chaotic nature of life for the children affected by violence and foster placement, they may find themselves wrenched from one home and taken to another with only a moment's notice.  We've been told that sometimes these bags are the only thing the child has to take from one place to the next. 
  
  Last year, this little group of women made and gave just over 100 of these bags.  This year, they hope to double that number.  Well, I have a sewing machine, the ability to do this, and the desire to be involved.  Over the past several years, we have received much kindness during some very difficult times, some of that kindness from unexpected and unasked for sources who wanted nothing from me in return but they met needs that I was at a loss to meet for myself.  There's no way to repay that kind of thing.  But we can pass it on. 
  
  That's about the level of my spiritual path right now. 
  
  
  
  
  
  

  • 8:02 am
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