Rest

Yesterday, I turned in my last final/paper for the semester.
Two semesters of grad school finished! probably, at least five more to come...
and then, this morning i woke up and thought, what homework do i need to do today?
NONE!!!!
i forgot!

sigh. so i rolled over and slept longer.
got up and enjoyed a cup of coffee with my roommate.
and now, I'm taking it easy. Running an errand for a friend. looking at bridal magazines and websites. catching up on blogs. i don't work till later and it's Saturday! And i don't have to do any homework!
deep sigh.

I'm missing Jeff. down time is hard without him. we have received a lot of good advice about surviving long distance, but still. it's just not that easy.
1. stay busy.
2. be wise about when to have important or hard conversations.
3. try to know when you will next see each other.
4. make the time you spend in person fun. (in other words, don't fight the whole weekend, or you won't want to keep making the phone calls and texts and emails.)
5. my aunt recommended this book which is full of a bazillion questions worth taking about
6. reading scripture together has also been really good.

sigh. I'm taking three classes this summer at Mars Hill. I'm looking forward to getting a little more delightfully crazy mars hill under my belt. but, i really just want to be in Colorado.

Noah & Emily are visiting this weekend to go to a marriage conference. I'm praying a lot for their time.

i need to order books for my classes and register for classes @ Denver Sem for the fall. Sweet Jamelyn read me a quote from F. Buechner's book, Telling Secrets. he was worried about time spent teaching at an old Christian college after spending much of his time in schools on the east coast. two refreshing moments came for him at the Christian school. one student asking another, hows your relationship with God? and another moment in class discussing difficult topics with students. the disagreement in the class was not handled with anger or judgement. shared opinions shared with grace. I'm a grace kid. love, mercy, kindness, gentleness. i want none of your strength, truth, judgement, wisdom if it will not be delivered with compassion and humbleness. sigh. this is not always a good thing. I've learned a lot about trying to be balanced between strength and kindness this year. maturity and character are more balanced in both areas. Where do i refuse to fight? Where do i refuse to weep?

anyways. school. I'm nervous about transferring schools. it's true. and jamelyn offered hope. MHGS offers a ton of grace with their strength, and perhaps DenSem will offer strength and kindness too. i haven't been asked how my relationship with God is in a long time. and that used to happen almost weekly. and, I'm not even sure how i would answer these days....

i want to visit J&M in Port Townsend and need someone to cover my shift at work. i need to get some work done on a check engine light that's been on for months. i would like to find a location for a wedding. and i want to read about six books. and get a pedicure. and go to a baseball game with my jeff. and....
to Rest. a noun
1. the refreshing quiet or repose of sleep
2. refreshing ease or inactivity after exertion or labor
3. relief or freedom, esp. from anything that wearies, troubles, or disturbs.
4. a period or interval of inactivity, repose, solitude, or tranquillity
5. mental or spiritual calm; tranquillity.
6. cessation or absence of motion
7. Music. an interval of silence between tones.
8. any stopping or resting place
Repose. a noun
1. the state of reposing or being at rest; rest; sleep.
2. peace; tranquillity; calm.
3. dignified calmness, as of manner; composure.
4. absence of movement, animation, etc
The Angle of Repose, also known as the angle of rest.
1. The angle between the horizontal and the plane of contact between two bodies when the upper body is just about to slide over the lower. Also known as angle of friction.
The book Angle of Repose is amazing. tough and amazing. somewhere between falling and resting. not exactly safe, but not falling. it's more than just a science thing.

I'm practicing rest. less worrying, motion and more repose.