Leapin' for Love

Happy Leap Day, y'all!

I didn't even have to look outside to know that the weather had turned from sunny to overcast because as soon as I opened my eyes, my sinuses told me so...headache!  It seems like the only thing that can knock those headaches gone is a good meal and some serious caffeine.  So to celebrate Leap Day, I took myself out for a wonderful breakfast at IHOP.  Ain't nothin' like Harvest Grain 'n' Nut Pancakes, eggs and BACON(!!!) with steaming hot coffee!

That being said, my day has only gotten better and better.

Since I was dining alone, I took a wonderful journal with me called "Conversations" to breakfast. Hubs had recommended an article in it called The Arts as a Means of Grace. Wow! It really hit home.  It was an interview with poet Luci Shaw, and nearly every syllable she uttered was loaded with meaning for me.  I only discovered her poetry recently, and so far every poem I've read has moved me!  One of them in particular called "The Omnipresence" left my heart flowing over with love for God:

The Omnipresence

Reminders flicker at us from

odd angles, nor will he be ignored;

we sight him in unlikely places,

oaths and dates and empty tombs.

God. His print is everywhere,

stamped on the macro- and the microcosm.

Feathers, shells, stars, cells speak 

his diversity.  The multiplicity of

leaf and light says God. Wind,

sensed but unseen, breathes the old

metaphor again. Seasons are his

signature. The double helix

spells his spiral name.

Faith summons him, and doubt 

blows only the sheerest skein

of mist across his face.

Luci Shaw, 1990

As love is what this poem evoked in me, I have been lingering on love since then.  It occured to me that Leap Day is one more day this year to tell those I love, "I love you".

God, I love You! Thank You that I cannot and will never escape Your Omnipresence.

Hubs, I love you. You reflect God's love to me everyday. Thank you for being a tangible reflection of His love and grace to me. I'm learning so much about Him because of you.

Mom, Dad, and Jilly, I love you so much.  I'm looking forward to being with you during the next week.  

Ad, I love you!  Thaggs for beig by bes frenny!  (I hab a cold.)  :)

Friends and blog buddies, I love you.  You are a warm and cozy community, and I'm so grateful for the friendship and support I find with you.  Jelly Jules, if you are reading this, please know that I am especially grateful that today is one more day you get to spend with your dear mom, Maya's Granny!  I'm so glad she's doing better. 

Happy Friday

It's Friday, and I am glad the weekend is here.  My Hubs has been out of town, and I can't wait to see him in just a few hours.  

I'm looking forward to weekend cuddles, going to a movie, and watching the Oscars.  Sounds just about perfect.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Breath Prayer

The following are exerpts from the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun. I really liked what I read in it about "Breath Prayer":

Breathing is an uncounscious thing. And breath prayer reminds us that just as we can't live on one breath of air, we can't live on one breath of God. God is the oxygen of our soul, and we need to breathe him in all day long. After all, it is in him that "we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). Breath prayer reminds us that each breath we are given is God's gift and that God's Spirit is nearer to us than our own breath.

Breath prayer or "prayer of the heart" has been practiced in the church for millennia. The Eastern Orthodox Church in particular has seen breath prayer as a way of living out Paul's instruction to "pray without ceasing."

To practice breath prayer, ponder the nearness of God. Settle deeply into the truth that Christ is in you. Deeply breathe in, repeating any name of God that is dear to you. As you exhale, voice a deep desire of your heart. When you exhale, offer up the desire of your heart. The brevity of the prayer allows it to be repeated over and over throughout the day.

Examples of breath prayers are

• breathe in "Abba," breathe out "I belong to you."
• breathe in "Healer," breathe out "speak the word and I shall be healed."
• breathe in "Shepherd," breathe out "bring home my lost son."
• breathe in "Holy One," breathe out "keep me true."
• breathe in "Lord," breathe out "here I am."
• breathe in "Jesus," breathe out "have mercy on me."

"Think often of God, by day, by night, in your business and even in your diversions. He is always near you and with you; leave him not alone." -Brother Lawrence

These are a few of my favorite things...

Mrs. G over at Derfwad Manor has invented a meme in which we get to write all about our favorite things. Here are some of mine in no particular order:

-Dolly Parton (Coat of Many Colors makes me cry like a widdy-baby)
-Pomegranates
-My husband...best one in the world!
-Texas
-California
-My Fairy Godmother (I am lucky enough to have one!)
-Pepperoni and mushroom pizza from Papa John's
-Portabello fajitas
-Climbing trees
-Softball
-Foreign languages
-Zaragoza, Spain (site of the 2008 World Expo)
-Ice Cream
-Tex-Mex food
-Friends
-Family
-Christmas!
-The Sound of Music
-The Office on NBC
-YouTube
-Carol Burnett
-Blogging and blog buddies
-Fridays!

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Friday Reflection

Sometimes when Friday arrives, I feel so relieved because not much has been going on that week work-wise. The weekend is like a kind voice that says, "I'm here now, so you have a good excuse for the next two days to not be working."

Other times, my week is jam packed so full of auditions, class, rehearsals, etc, that the weekend arrives like a voice that says, "Surprise! I'm here! Chill out for a couple!"

Last week was definitely like the latter. This week was much more like the former. Last week was full of activity and momentum. This week...not so much.

Yesterday, I was up in Los Angeles for acting class. After class, I met a friend for dinner, but I had a couple hours to kill between class and dinner, so I went to the mall. In the midst of the normal activity of walking from store to store, David Hasselhoff walked right past me. As I trailed behind him (we were walking in the same direction), I heard people saying hello to him and shouting out, "David!". It was kind of surreal--and a nice reminder that celebrities are people, too. I was looking for a lesson in my celebrity sighting, and all I can figure is that it was meant to encourage me.

Some days, I feel like I'm just not doing enough. But yesterday, I realized how much I have done. I moved halfway across the country to be in this town. I have learned a solid technique for film acting over the last two years. I have a commercial agent and I'm eligible to join Screen Actors Guild (two goals that I set for myself when I moved here). I mean, seriously, David Hasselhoff shops at my mall! I'm out here! I'm doing this thing! No regrets. Pursuing my dreams. Suddenly, life looks pretty good.