Tag: life

Tick tock

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And almost the clock does strike midnight!

And where am I right now? Hm, sadly the correct answer to that question is – still at work. Yes, it is Friday night. Yes, it’s been a long week. And a thousand times yes, it’s been a very long day!

But wait, if it’s midnight, why am I on livejournal writing an entry instead of driving home and collapsing on my bed? Well, I don’t have the answer to that extremely good question, unless if it’s that I’m in a weird mood, on my way to being sleep zombified. Yes, I should probably go home now.

Anyways! Had to stay late to get this pressure test done to satisfy a very important customer(oh Diamond Drilling, how I love thee), but that ended about an hour ago. But did I go home then? No, went down to reception to let the customer out to find that the night guard and cleaning girls were having a pizza party! And what’s better than late night pizza? So I eagerly jumped in on that. Sean came by a few minutes later, and then somehow we found an hour had passed while we five chatted about things ranging from the perils of marriage to the intricacies of the Glaswegian language. Oh Scotland.

Sean finally left to go home and then I finally decided I should stop being silly and come up here to dash off an email to the customer summarizing the night’s testing. So that’s done, and somehow I found myself opening up livejournal and now I’ve typed all this. Wow. I need sleep. Should I delete this and just go home? Well, the answer to the latter is a definite yes, but I think I’ll leave this here for posterity. All I can say is- despite my long day – God is good. Truly, my heart sings to the Lord!! Despite my weariness and the many worries and cares of life…I need fear not. Sing joyfully, y’all! At a few difficult points today, I just found my heart uplifted as these words came to mind –

Sing alleluia to our God!

Oh I love you all. Have a most lovely evening while I go home to my bed!

Hope deferred

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I turned on my computer preparing to write an Olympics re-cap entry(and by that, I mean – describe the past few days in which I was in London with Joel. Y’know, at the Olympics. Watching some epic marathon swimming and volleyball(women’s gold medal match, USA v. Brasil…in which USA lost. Tragic. Our ladies were good, just not good enough.) Epic weekend, none the less for sharing it with the aforementioned and ever awesome Joel), but for some reason I don’t really feel in a writing mood(despite the odd parenthetical thought above) – I feel in more of a contemplative state right now. So instead of trying to chronicle our Olympics adventures, I think I will just make my chicken and veg stir fry dinner and sit and read and pray…

A luxury of silence and
A plethora of tears,
A cacophony of raindrops
And litany of fears.

Age-cracked leather beckons to me,
Ancient words and a promise of
tea and
apples and
honeyed light
to bring me warmth
this hallowed night.

Friday Vault

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So I realize I haven’t posted a Friday morning entry in quite some time! I suppose work just may have something to do with that. Nevertheless, before I start work on this lovely Friday morning, thought I’d write a few words…

As I drove in this morning, the sunlight blazed victoriously until the road started descending towards the River Dee. As I crossed the bridge, fog rolling across the waters, I was sad for a moment to see the sunlight vanish from the skies. But I had already seen the sun burning merrily in the sky and I thought to myself that surely it would burn through the fog soon enough. And as I continued driving along the coast, my car escaped the tendrils of fog and broke into the sunlit summer morning once again. I smiled.

And now I must start work momentarily, but briefly – the Olympics are oh so awesome this year…I’m much enjoying the cornucopia of sports events every night this past week! Got to watch some great swimming last night(complete with Phelps domination of the 200 IM – 20th Olympic medal, what!) and as I was about to turn off the TV and go to bed, they mentioned they were going to show gymnastics highlights at 10. I had no idea who’d won the women’s all-around, so I groaned to myself and just decided to read a book and stay up to watch the gymnastics too! Enjoyed watching Gabby Douglas take the gold there! And so a delightful Olympics evening was had…only thing that could make it better was if I was watching it with my family.

And this was far longer than I was expecting to write. Still, only one other person in the office, but think it’s time I went to work.

Farewell all, enjoy a marvelous Friday!!!

Wreaths imperishable

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I forgot how much I like watching the Olympics! Was watching Team USA lady gymnasts dominate it up earlier today in qualifiers(gosh, our girls are good!) and now came back from church to find some good swimming races on! Sadly Team USA couldn’t hold off the valiant French, losing the 4x100m freestyle relay. Alas. Now seeing the medal ceremony for the women’s 400m freestyle…French girl won, USA second. Again. Oh well, at least I love the French national anthem!

Seeing as my two favorite events to watch are gymnastics and swimming, it’s been a pretty good Olympics watching day. And so now I sip my tea as I relax this evening and enjoy the end of a beautiful weekend! Last night Chris and Jo came over for dinner and we all three enjoyed a good roast beef dinner and talked for hours and had an exceedingly delightful evening(complete with some very nice(oh so sweet!) Hungarian wine courtesy of their recent Hungary trip).

And now I will continue to enjoy my tea and maybe write a few more words. And I will relish the goodness and blessings the most glorious Lord has bestowed upon me. Ah how silly am I for seeking fulfillment in anything other than knowing the beauty of our God!

And now boxing is on, Team GB vs. Brazil. The GB guy is a Scot! I’m not a big boxing fan, but I’ll leave it on for now. These few weeks of Olympics is definitely going to be the biggest workout my TV’s had in a while.

Have a lovely afternoon/evening(depending on your time zone – I don’t *think* I have any readers in the Far East!). Peace out.

Cross-roads

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My mug is almost dry of mocha deliciousness and my body is aching to go back up into the sunlight this gloriously bright Saturday! And yet I sit here and write, the reasons for which are murky in the recesses of my mind. But maybe it’s just been too long since I’ve properly written, or maybe it’s just because I have too many thoughts swirling around and they’re in need of release. Or maybe it’s just because I’m in a talkative mood? (Or whatever word would be more appropriate for the written word!) Perhaps my muse is just a bit over-caffeinated? Surely not. Anyways, almost half twelve here and that is quite late enough to spend here in the depths of Starbucks.

But briefly now(who am I kidding?), saw Dark Knight Rises last night with Alec and Chris and Jo…most intense. Epic. Heart-pounding(seriously, the music had my adrenaline pumping pretty much the whole movie). Did I love it? Hard to say, as it is a rather dark movie(like the previous two). But this movie ended in the light. And for that, I do think I can safely say I enjoyed it much. It contained echoes of terror, glimpses of hope. I think I can safely say it’s my favorite movie the year, thus far. Which isn’t saying much, since I think I’ve only seen three to four this year. But still.

And now that the previous paragraph(as disjointed as it was) is over, time to return to my fleet-footed thoughts. This past week at work has been both stressful and God-glorifying. Truly, if God is for me(as He most truly is!), what can mere man do to me?? This is the height of rhetorical questions. And while my future still seems but a haze to me, it is not the dim fog of fear, but merely the misty wind of the unknown. I cannot – shall not – ever doubt that my future is anything but good. Because I serve a good God. Because I serve a living God.

And truly, my thoughts wander far afield yet again. But it is good to write. My fingers have been idle too long.

A road that winds over the banks
of fog and fear and fires below,
seems to end in mists and sand and
trails off into deepest shadow.

But never doubt! Why do I cry
when I do not wander alone
or whisper unheard or even
sink deep into my bed unknown.

A road that lies over the mounts
of lies and hope and cruelest pain
shall surely not end in terror
but proceed upward, home again.

It is good to rest this gorgeous day. It is good for me to be here.

And now, up into the sunlight do I go. Have a most beautiful day, my most treasured friends!

Given Rest

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And though it is Starbucks Saturday here, I don’t want to spend too much time writing as it’s about noon and it’s time to make my way outside to a beautiful afternoon…

This morning I enjoyed a leisurely lie in(to almost 8:30!)…ah how nice it is to rest after a long, long week. What a wonderful gift sleep is! This whole past week has been quite manic at work, and though I can’t say everything’s gone well(or even moderately ok), I can say I am at peace. God will bless(and has blessed!), as always.

And last night, as tired as I was, enjoyed such a sweet night with friends! Was going to see Spiderman at Union Square, but they cancelled our showing! I think they were trying to make more room for the new Batman movie(which I would like to see eventually). Anyways, we were foiled, so James Cordiner, Jackie, Zara and I made our way back to my flat, where we enjoyed a night of tea and talking and laughter…though eventually our weariness overcame us!

So this morning I’ve enjoyed slowly waking up and delicious peppermint mocha and reading a letter from my sister…and though I almost wish my writing muse was smiling upon me, my face wishes to feel the sun upon it, so outside I go!

Farewell, my dear friends – have a most awesome Saturday!!

A Lighthouse

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Driving back from work today was quite awesome, I must admit. Brooding clouds stretched to the horizon in majesty, while the green rolling hills reached up to touch the sky. Gulls wheeled lazily across the face of the heavens, impervious to the smoky gaze of the city below. And as the worked-stone buildings of Aberdeen climbed high, the beauty of the upper reaches of the heavens towered yet higher. The grim grey clouds sneeringly masked the city, but no matter. Above, were sun and stars and glories ne’er ceasing.

And as my fingers trailed off and seemed to have written the above of their own accord, I think it is time for me to log off. After a long week at work and a tiring day, I cannot help but be thankful for the evening of rest that has been granted me! A dinner of leftover spaghetti and meatballs awaits. As do some lovely books, I believe. Peace, y’all.

A tilt of earth

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And now as my dinner is almost upon me, I wish to just write a few words to express the wonders of this weekend! It has been indeed supremely glorious and relaxing…how can I not thank my Father for what He has given me??

Yesterday I was able to sit in Starbucks and wrap my hands around my coffee mug as I struggled to wrap my mind around the eternal mercies of God…and I couldn’t help but praise Him! And then being able to talk with my family back home(oh the wonderful thing that is cellular communication!) and enjoy a restful evening of reading…

And this morning enjoyed worshiping at church with some of my dearest friends(before I go further, must mention the awesomeness that was Gilc’s song choice today…O For a Thousand Tongues, In Christ Alone, Joyful Joyful, and a really ancient and dusty-sounding translation of A Mighty Fortress…surely never to be paralleled again!) and then a most lovely afternoon spent cooking Mom’s homemade spaghetti sauce and yet more reading…before going back to church and worshiping anew!

And now I’m about to have my epic dinner of spaghetti, meatballs, garlic bread and salad while maybe watching a bit of 24(Season 7, for those interested!). Oh how I cannot fully comprehend the goodness of the Lord. I hope these faint musings echo at least a bit of what I’m feeling now…

Peace, y’all. Peace and love.

The Ultimate

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At the end of one of my favorite sequences of chapters…

Oh, the depths of the riches both of
the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable His ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who became His counselor?
Or who has first given to Him
that it might be paid back to Him again?

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
To Him be the glory forever.
Amen.

Under the Hill

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Huzzah for lovely Saturdays!! Been having a most delightful day today, I must confess! After a good morning relaxing in the depths of Starbucks, emerged to find the sun gloriously shining a midst a sea of blue. Had a good walk home talking to Laura and Dad and Mom – and then went to the store to grab some dinner fixings. I came home and decided it was just too perfect of a day not to be outside, so sat out in the garden, soaking in the sun while enjoying some quality reading time.

And now I sit in my living room, Fellowship of the Ring on the TV and a spinach salad before me…and chicken parmigiana baking in the oven. Good day? Yes. God is good.

And now why ever should my heart ever be downcast or my soul depressed? So silly am I at times!! How blessed am I! My heart will sing – of the loving-kindnesses of the Lord.

Peace be with you all. Now back to enjoying my salad…