Searching for the Joy - 2

Ge 30:13 "And Leah said, Happy am I! and all women will give witness to my joy: and she gave him the name Asher."

Asher was the 8th son that Leah, and Rachel and their handmaids gave Jacob.
It isn’t very nice that Leah named the son Asher (which means joy) to spite her sister.
Maybe the good way to look at it is that I have many things that other people don’t have: a nice place to live, a good job, a cool car, more than enough food to eat. Today I will try to be thankful that I have them.

Searching for the Joy

Part 1
Somewhere I lost it.
I lost something precious.
I lost my joy.
I've become cynical, doubtful, and sometimes outright mean.

So I decided I had better go look for it.
In hopes that God remembers where I put it, I'm looking in His word and asking for His help.

This is the journey as it begins.
The version of the bible with the most references to joy (that I know of) is "The Bible in Basic English" with 358 references.

The first:
Ge 29:11 "And weeping for joy, Jacob gave Rachel a kiss."

Jacob fell in love with Rachel the moment he saw her, and she with him. This Thursday is my 15th anniversary to Carol. It took a bit more than the fist sight for it to happen but it has never left me. Today I will remember the joy I have in her, give her a kiss and maybe weep again for joy.

Improbable Ride Home

Friday about 6:30 pm, I was head south on 3rd Street, waiting to cross 6th ave on my bike. Half way between 6th and 7th ave there was a group of three women, late 20s early 30s, biz casual dress. One was trying to hail a cab, having passengers it passed her. She stepped out into the empty street and made big exaggerated waves to the cab next to me, but he turned onto sixth ave. So in the middle of the street with no more cabs to wave at she did a little arm waving dance. When she finished I clapped. She and her friends laughed. She then flashed me her breasts. I have no idea why. It wasn't the Red Mile and we don't have hockey play offs, it was 6:30pm, there isn't even a bar for a couple of blocks. That's all I have to say about that.

As I rode up out of Fish Creek there were some guys doing jumps beside the rode in an wild grassy area. One of the guys saw me and asks how I'm doing. I stop but just look at him. Turns out he was with a bunch of people who saw me get hit by a truck last year. So I told he I recovered ok and needed to work through some insurance stuff. I asked him what happened cause I still don't remember it and police were short on details. The guys was pulling a trailer and had extra wide mirrors and that's what hit me on the back of the head and sent me flying. After that they called 911. I thanked him for that and got his contact info.

That ride going on my list of most unique commutes, right after getting hit by the truck.

- Peace

Ambiguity

Life is ambiguous. There are loose ends. It takes maturity to live with the ambiguity and the chaos, the absurdity and the untidiness. If we refuse to live with it, we exclude something and what exclude may very be the essential and dear -- the hazards of faith, the mysteries of God.

Eugene H. Peterson, Run With the Horses.

y: for the music

From the same shop on Beale Street that had the wire sculpture in the window.

o: Big Round Sky Light

In the concourse between north and south terminals at the Atlanta air port.

J: Zimbabwe: A Tradition in Stone

On display in the Atlanta airport. On my first trib back from Atlanta, I missed my flight so I had 6 hours to kill. I happened to find a collection of sculptures on the bottom floor that connects the six concourses. Between T and A or A and B. Wonderful stuff.

- Peace

a: Elvis' pinball machine

What can I say, I like pinball.

Kung Fu Hustle

Kim took me to see Kung Fu Hustle last night, we had a great time. It's a hoot! Take Looney Tunes style humor mix it with Kung Fu choregography and special effects that make the Burly Brawl look clumsy and you'll get the general sense of the movie. Not much depth, but alot of fun.

- Peace