stopovers and such

This is the t-shirt my friend, Dan, was wearing yesterday. He had just flown back to Canada from South Africa and had a brief stopover in Switzerland where he picked up this fine souvenir for himself and some fine dark chocolate for me (well, his mom did, but I'll give him some credit here).

A lot of my friends are in transition of some sort right now. I personally love transition and get all adrenalised at the thought of entering some new phase of life or moving somewhere or travelling or well, anything new and different makes me jump up and down (unless, of course, it is a sad situation). Things for me are more about preparation than transition right now, which is not as exciting but very necessary. I will be having quite a few people in my home this summer and to that end, I am preparing and updating and furnishing the living quarters downstairs. It is just hard work, really, and the thing that keeps me motivated is that in 3 weeks I will be sitting down there with friends and it will be done and I will be able to enjoy their company in a fine and comfortable setting, completed and readied for their enjoyment and use.

Today's thoughts:

1. Sometimes the stopovers before we get where we are going are very enjoyable and we don't want to leave, sometimes they are less than pleasant, but stopovers are just temporary. Keep your eye on where you are going.

2. Preparation is necessary in order to fully enjoy the wonderful things God brings our way, be they marriage, jobs, other relationships, positions of authority, spiritual maturing, wonderful opportunities, service to others, broadening of ones horizons, or a change in community life. Don't shortchange your preparation, even when you think it won't make a big difference. Prepare your heart and mind to meet with and be changed by God.

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Names of God

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outWORD by Matte Downey

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