read this morning before the dawn's early light

an oldie but a goodie:

The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows tired or weary.
No one can measure the depths
of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will
find new strength.
They will soar high on wings
like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
                                       --Isaiah 40:28-31

Sometimes verses like this, that are so familiar that they can (for me) lose their power, just strike home in a new way.  These did that for me this morning.  The day was still long and I feel tired now that I've reached its end.  But the promise of renewed strength is a good promise.

hard times, hard times. come again no more.

so the end of last week was not the best time ever.  but the weekend was filled with good friends and good food.  and what a difference that makes! 

and now, i'm sitting here with my computer, my coffee, and one cat.  it's early on monday morning, a cool breeze is causing the curtains in the living room to billow in just the way i like, and the sun is beginning to rise.  birds and crickets are chirping and the neighborhood is starting to wake up. it's a new beginning.

thank God that we get these new starts in all kinds of doses--new days, new weeks, new months.  who needs to wait for a new year?!

this monday morning feels hopeful.  and for that i am glad.

a funny thing i heard in sunday school this morning.

from the mouth of the pastor's 5 year old daughter:  "i've got a Bible of Satan."

that. made. me. laugh.

we understood what she really meant.  but still.

isn't it strange...

how the spelling of a name makes it seem totally different from another name that sounds just like it?  i'm reading a book in which a character is named janis.  i don't even associate that with "janice" but it sounds just the same.  it's funny to me how much i associate the mental image of the name spelled out with the person.  does everyone do this?

so then i started thinking about how many folks i know have names like that and how i can't imagine if their names were spelled otherwise.  anne is not an ann.  marc is not a mark.  cheryl isn't a sheryl.  ali is not an allie.  christy is not a kristi. and caron is not a karen.  and vice versa.  you get the picture.  anyway.  random thoughts.  they abound.

Paradise Lost

i love this book.  but dealing with it at 6am, might be less than ideal...  okay, okay.  dealing with it at 6am, IS less than ideal.

better planning ahead will happen in the future...

ps.  every time i read this, i confront the issue of how Milton makes satan kind of appealing and sympathetic.  he gives such good speeches.  the power of words is really quite amazing.  i'm constantly struck by Milton's genius.  reading this does more for me in terms of sparking interest in and thought about big issues like free will, predestination, sin, salvation, grace, justice, etc. than many a theology book i've picked up.  it's pretty incredible stuff.