Saturday, November 28, 2009

re: grateful girl .

dear friends,

in this season of thanksgiving, joy and redemption, i need to pause and say thank you. i know that i tend to get caught up in the craziness that is life, but quiet moments in prayer and reflection seem to stir an indescribable spirit of gratitude in my heart. the Lord has blessed my life in profound ways this last year, as He is constantly showing me how i must set my heart and my mind on "things above" and walk through disappointments, uncomfortable experiences, trials and heartache in order to see Him, kneel at His feet and humbly admit my weaknesses.

thank you for journeying with me in this season. i appreciate you deeply. i wrote this list as i thought about how all of my friends continue to show me Jesus.

thanks for giving :: :

your time .
your ear .
your hand .
your feet .
your heart .
your voice .
your words .
your letters .
your tales .
your lists .
your travels .
your jokes .
your run-ins .
your laughs .
your sorrows .
your smiles .
your tears .
your dreams .
your joys .
your hurts .
your fears .
your talents .
your skills .
your food .
your home .
your music .
your cat(s) .
your dog(s) .
your quirky parents .

your siblings .
your children .
your childhood .
your college years .
your present .
your past .
your weaknesses .
your troubles .
your triumphs .
your love .

thank you for sharing your Jesus, too. He's in all those things.

and thank You, Lord, for pouring out Your love on my life in such rich ways. may I see Your beauty in the everday and cultivate a grateful heart, as i see You at work in all the details. and in all my relationships.

love,
maile

"As iron sharpens iron,

so one man sharpens another."
proverbs 27:17

Sunday, November 22, 2009

chocolate cookies and swollen feet .

i know i haven't written in awhile. it's been too long since i've updated everyone on my always interesting daily happenings. so here goes... greetings, friendlies. i just got home from work and i'm cozily scrunched on the comfy gray couch isaac's friend mike is storing in our little apartment. there are a few crumbs scattered across my keyboard at the moment, barely visible evidence of the two chocolate chip cookies i practically swallowed whole upon arriving home. another long day, that's all i can say.
i feel like soaking my feet in a hot tub now. they're a little red and swollen. if my dad was here, i'd ask him to give me a foot massage. he was the only one growing up who would do that. my feet take such a beating each day. i had to work the 10-hour shift today, which means i had to get up at 5:50 a.m., get ready and then head to the bus stop downtown. mind you, i always manage to leave my apt with only a few minutes to spare before the "estimated bus departure time," which occurs more than just a couple blocks away from my starting point. today was no exception. around 6:40 a.m., i was panicking trying to find snacks for work, leggings and a decent way to wear my hair. around 6:45 a.m., i sprinted out my room, down the three flights of stairs leading to my apt entrance, and down the six or seven streets leading to my bus stop. i'm going to be completely honest now: i run red lights--literally. somehow, i rationalize that when you're on foot and no one's coming, it's different than when you're in a car. plus, i have to be on time to get to the bus or else i'll be late for work. (somehow i know this is wrong, but living in the big city i have to make these types of rule adjustments every now and then.)
anyway, back to the story. i made it just in time for the bus, which leaves at 6:51 a.m. on weekends. i'm not sure if my light brown boots are made for running, but they seem to work well. when i got off the bus at 7:40 a.m., i walked up the large hill leading to my work and across and down a few other side streets.
then i worked until 7:00 p.m. not surprisingly, the security guard who was really annoyed about driving me to the bus stop last week, of course, was the one to pick me up tonight. he's probably in his late 60s, a retired downtown seattle cop. tonight we exchanged stories as we were driving, and he told me how a guy got shot in his old area one night recently. he told me that he never forgets his "weapons" when he walks around downtown at night. he then asked how far i live from the bus stop where i get dropped off at in downtown. i told him the different streets and i could tell he felt bad. or uneasy. he then asked me if he could wait with me until the bus came, at least. (last week, he dropped me off at my bus stop after making a remark about how me not having a car "really inconveniences people.") i'm thankful that he had a change of heart.
on the bus ride home, my feet took yet another beating as i used them to prop myself up from falling, as the bus jerked back and forth between stops. at one point, everyone flew forward on the bus, because the brakes supposedly gave out and then came to. our bus driver then pulled to the side of the road and we waited for a new bus to come. when i finally made it to my stop, i was overjoyed at the thought of coming home and eating a cookie, so i just sprinted up the hills leading back to my apt. i took breaks every now and then to catch my breathe and look at the city lights. it was a beautiful, clear night, probably in the high 40s, with no breeze, which makes for a comfortable walk, or in my case, run. so, when i got home, i kicked off my boots, pulled off my leggings and gave my feet room to breathe. they work so hard each day, getting me to and from work. down hills and up hills and across side streets.
wow. i'm starting to feel so grown up in certain ways. thank You Abba that i'm less intimidated by this big city, as i'm learning to keep moving forward--one step at a time.