signs of fall

-The first signs of fall: it's cooler outside, and the first tree near the church has started turning golden. (See Oct. 29th post for just how colorful these trees will get.)

-A session member joking with me in the middle of a meeting as he walked by. After spending all evening with the youth group, it's hilarious that the greatest mischief comes from an adult.

-A sermon saying that we are called to lives of discomfort and challenge, and that if we don't do anything in our lives that makes us uncomfortable or nervous, we might be missing something. Starting a new job as a youth director adds a healthy portion of discomfort to my life these days (and adds a lot of joy as well).

enthusiasm, strength and sunlight

-An adorable smiley little dog who kept wagging his tail and moving towards me everytime I looked at him.

-At the coffee shop today, there was a teenager about age 13 sitting with her parents, who were arguing. They were clearly divorced, and kept arguing with each other and her about what time they were supposed to all meet up (thus ruining all of the allotted time they had together). The girl looked completely miserable, but the glimpse of grace came when we made eye contact and smiled at each other. I can't imagine what strength it took for her to smile at me under such awful circumstances.

-The sun shining through trees on me and my book, casting moving leafy shadows everywhere.

little red (raining) hood

-Opening my living room window to let the coolness and smell of rain waft in. I instinctually made a cuppa--tea and rain just go so well together.

-Pulling my little red hood on to cover my head from the rain as I move from the car to indoors.

-Having a huge amount of work to do, and yet not being stressed by any of it. I know I'll get it all done somehow.

float, share, save.

-A bright blue butterfly floating around my car as I walk up to it.

-A parking lot conversation with co-workers as we left the church that made us feel like a team, sharing the burdens of ministry.

-Sitting in the grass and catching up with Katy. She's made a committment to not buy any new clothes for one year, to set that money aside for travelling. I'm really inspired by this (because I don't need to acquire more "things" in my last year of seminary) and am going to give it a try. We're already discussing taking a trip together to Napa on a wine tour with our savings.

first and later

-Leading my first Sunday night fellowship as youth director and really enjoying it. I especially loved when one teenager turned to me after and said, "How are you doing?" After so much time trying to catch up with their lives, it's nice to have a young person catch up with mine.

-A little girl in the grocery store coming out of nowhere to pick up what I dropped. I know Presbyterians don't really believe in karma, but it was certainly interesting and amusing when, a few minutes later, a woman in front of me in the store dropped her glasses and I picked them up for her.

-The first (and last) bite of the buttery popcorn I'd been dreaming of all during class.

once upon a pizza

-Seeing Once, a wonderful film. It's set in Dublin, Ireland, so I kept telling my friend, "I've been there!" and "that's Grafton Street!" It was exciting to see a familiar place on the big screen. It was only showing at this artsy theatre in Atlanta, which was really art deco and neat. It's about two aspiring musicians, one Irish, one Czech, who find shared music and love. I was thrilled to later learn that they actually perform together in real life and are in love.

-My emailed daily lectionary being especially relevant.

-The fun of sharing large, delicious pizzas with friends. There's something about passing plates and dishing out pizza that ushers in community.

picnic, practice and plum

-The seminary community picnic. I enjoyed catching up with friends, sitting under trees and watching children play.

-The Jr. High Sunday School class telling me that they want to study other faiths, to better understand them and our own. I'm taking a class on Hinduism and Buddhism in seminary, so this sounded like a great idea to me. Robert found me the perfect curriculum that incorporates how other faiths are viewed by the media and how to best live in global community in all of our diverse practices and beliefs.

-Sleeping in my new plum-colored sheets. I sleep really well in such a dark and soft bed.

there and back again

-A warm "you're back!" as I entered Wed. night supper at church.

-A really great hug.

-Driving with my windows down last night, not out of necessity, but because it was a cool enough evening for it.

video, audio and storage

-The quirkiness, humor and love of Amelie. What an amazing movie. While I'm at it...Stardust is one of the best movies I've seen all year. (Just wanted to plug it...really, I think everyone should see it.)

-A member of my church coming up to me after the service with a gift. I opened it, and it was the box set of BBC's radio plays of Lord of the Rings on CD. I had mentioned my love of the trilogy in my last sermon there in May, and so he decided I needed it. What a wonderfully thoughtful gift! I've already listened to two of the CD's, and it's brilliant. I can hear my favorite story while cooking, eating dinner and getting ready for the coming week. It's great.

-Jessi and I miraculously fitting her new shelves (in 6 feet long boxes) from Ikea into her teeny-tiny Jetta. We were able to get the top of her convertible down and wedge them behind the seats. Cheering at our accomplishment was perhaps the most fun part of the whole encounter.

child's play

-Watching a child dangle from a tree limb with, I'll admit, some jealousy. Why does it look so natural for a child to do and so bizarre for a grown up?

-Laughing aloud from the book I'm reading.

-The orange glow of the sunset beckoning me outside with my guitar. It's becoming a bit of a ritual for me...serenading the sun to sleep. It's my favorite time of day, and I revel in being able to be outside with orange light shining on me, locusts humming above me and the cool evening breeze around me.

...and the best glimpse of all: breakfast with my fabulous and great friend, Meghan! :)

layers of life

-Being DONE with ordination exams!!

-Receiving a package in the mail from my mom. It was a rather full card-sized envelope. As I opened it, a stream of willowy fabric kept coming out. (For a minute, I felt like I was doing a magic trick.) It turned out to be a lovely funky-patterned strapless dress for layering over things. The print is really wild and fun, and completely my style. I wore it when I went to the pub with friends to celebrate the completion of ords.

-Sleeping in. I slept so well, and have enjoyed a very lazy morning of making eggs, toast and coffee and watching mindless tv. I'm looking foward to using the day to read all of the novels I've been meaning to get to.

awaken your consciousness

-After working hard on my exegesis exam all day, giving myself the grace to relax for the evening, and put it away (ok, I snuck in a little editing, but it was minor).

-The music of cooking: the crack the garlic made as I pulled a clove away from the bulb, the sizzle of onions sauteed in olive oil, the whoosh of pasta going into boiling water and the mmm I made with my first bite.

-While making coffee this morning, I looked at the coffee bag and smiled, remembering where it came from. While at a family reunion at Mo Ranch this summer, we ran out of coffee. I immediately told my dad that they sold fair-trade coffee in the gift shop. The next morning, there were two pots of coffee, one labeled "economically exploited" using the leftover Folgers they had brought, and a second labeled "fair trade" using the coffee I had requested. My dad has a great sense of humor.

flying biscuits, hiphil cohortatives and pink sunsets (how's that for random?)

-Going to Flying Biscuit with Erin as sort-of a farewell breakfast before she left for her year-long internship. I'll miss you, friend!

-Spending lots of time looking at the Song of Solomon text in Hebrew for my ordination exam. It literally gave me a headache, and was painstakingly slow work. Yet, I was grateful to engage in the struggle of translating once more, and to remember how fascinating and layered Hebrew can be.

-A lovely orange and pink sunset behind the trees outside my window.

liberating sleep and conversation

-Hearing our dean of students ask a recently married student if she had changed her name. She replied that she had stuck with the last name she was born with, because she quite liked it. He said, "Yeah, liberation!"

-A very well-deserved nap.

-A great conversation with my Aunt Karen.

whoa, i'm halfway there, WHOA, livin' on a prayer...

-It's taken me ages, but finally having the air conditioning in my car work. It was blissfully freezing on the way home.

-A feeling of relief mixed with resignation and exhaustion that comes from being halfway done with ords. I'm looking foward to Mexican food with friends to relax tonight.

-A sudden summer rainstorm.

Jesus: proclaiming peace with painted nails.

-Commiserating with Karen and Rob over our ordination exam anxiety. Rob eased my frantic cramming by saying, "If we could learn all we needed to in one week, what would be the point of seminary?" Wisely put.

-Memorizing the Brief Statement of Faith, and being surprised by how much it was a comfort and source of hope for me. I especially like the part that says: "In a fearful and broken world, the Spirit gives us the courage to pray without ceasing, to to witness among all peoples to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom and peace."

-Finding Jesus (with pink-painted nails and toes no less) in a resale shop.

Please pray for my friends and me as we take ordination exams over these next few days. Thanks. :)

soul mates

-Hanging out with the girls last night to watch Sex & the City and enjoying good wine, laughs and venting. There was a scene in the show where Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte realize that they are each other's soul mates, and I looked around and thought of how many wonderful soul mates I have.

-Erin immediately agreeing to go with me to Stone Mountain to get my car fixed.

-Nutella on toast. (I know this has been a glimpse for me before, but what can I say? Hazelnut chocolate is divine.)

cleveland rocks

Glimpses from Ohio (and the drive there):
-The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. It was amazing to see the Edge's guitar, John Lennon's guitar and other great pieces of memorabilia. It made the music come alive to me.

-A thoughtful and counter-cultural sign in Tiffin, Ohio (ignore the typo).

-Lights strung across a street in Cleveland that, combined with the rainy, cold weather, reminded me of Dublin.

-Cornfields in Ohio. I always love how rows of crops seem to dance as you drive by them.

-Seeing Ian really happy.

-An early morning sun shining through textured clouds.

presence and poetry

-Karen and I telling Rob about how depressing Becoming Jane was. His response was, "You want me to cook y'all hamburgers?" They cheered us right up.

-Inexplicably feeling God's presence as I walked home listening to locusts singing (generous use of the word) above me in tall vine-covered trees.

-Sanders Bohlke's lyrics saying, "Storms will come. And rain, it shall pass. And our hearts, they may shatter just like glass. But rest easy, 'cause our souls, they were made to last." Beautiful.

(I'm headed to Ohio for a friend's wedding this weekend, so I won't be able to post until Tuesday. Have a great weekend!)

thoughtfulness, music and journeys

-The woman at the register at the Dollar Tree complimenting a customer on how great her driver's license picture was. The customer said, "I didn't really like it," but the woman insisted, "It's a good one--you're smiling."

-A week full of live music: Rufus Wainwright, Neko Case and A Fine Frenzy one night and Jenny Owen Youngs, Sanders Bohlke and Jeremy Fisher the next. Each was unique and grace-ful in their own way, and added up to great moments of introspection, laughter and peace for me.

-During our closing worship to finish out our chaplaincy at Grady, we answered our calls outside of Grady symbolically by lighting a candle and placing it in the font. It was so powerful to see those who have become my friends answer their calls after Grady and to see all of our candles mingled together in the font.

sweets and soulful songs

-Going to hang out with Maggie, and arriving to discover she'd baked me chocolate chip cookies. What a great friend.

-The magical step in key lime pie making where I get to put one drop of green food coloring into the filling, making it turn from a pale yellow to a lovely lime green. (note: This picture was taken before I put the pie in the fridge before it was cooled, and had a tub of cool whip fall over into it. I managed to make it somewhat smooth again, but I'm not too worried. Cool whip covers a multitide of sins!)

-Hearing a song while eating dinner with friends and, after a few minutes spent agitating over who sang it, realizing that it was by Mark Geary, a great singer/songwriter I heard at Eddie's Attic over a year ago. It was a bit obscure for the restaurant to be playing, and so I was really excited to hear it. His music also spoke to me a lot when I was going through a similar time in my life, so the return of it was very welcome.

cheeky and joyful

-Seeing tinges of a pink sunrise through the blinds when I woke up this morning.

-Hearing that my Dad got a promotion, and listening to him describe his job with real joy.

-A chubby-cheeked baby making faces at me at a restaurant.

predestination and other dinner conversation.

-The view of a reddish sun through trees from my window. If I time it just right, I get a great view from my couch of its ethereal evening glow.

-Explaining predestination to Sara as I study for ordination exams and realizing that I actually remember more than I thought.

-Finally getting to have Maggie and Claire over for Sex & the City. We definitely spent more time catching up than actually watching it, and that's how it should be.

the eyes have it

-Little boys playing with sunglasses in the grocery store. The boy who proudly wore his spiderman ones upside down made me giggle.

-The just-awake white fuzziness I see when I first open my eyes in the morning.

-The smell of fresh coffee hitting me as I came into work this morning. Trey brought some amazing coffee from his recent trip to Guatemala, and it was rich, smooth and heavenly.

fall, look and call

-Delicate crape myrtle blossoms gracefully falling from trees.

-A look that contains so much depth it's staggering.

-Seeing Hairspray with Claire. It's set in the 60's, and what I expected to be a light musical turned out to be a prophetic call for equality, justice and love. It was amazing.

signs of solidarity

-Taking a No More Deaths sign to the Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers concert last night. They're from Arizona, and so Jonathan put it on the stage last time he heard them in Atlanta. I squeezed up to the front and placed it on the stage. Later in the show, Roger acknowledged the sign's return and then talked about how humanitarian aid is never a crime, and that basic human rights aren't just reserved for the red, white and the blue.

-A ridiculous little song created by the other chaplains called "Little White Coat." It made me laugh so hard.

-Chatting with a patient from Texas and realizing that there's an undefinable communication that occurs easily between Texans.

running and Rufus

-The little boy who ran after pigeons with delight and scared them off by shouting in what I think was Hindi.

-A CD propped up against my door waiting for me when I got home. It's Rufus Wainwright, and my friend Daniel made it for me because he, Lucy and I are going to hear him in Atlanta in a couple of weeks. We've had tickets for ages, and I can't wait.

-The way I always leave with tomatoes, proscuitto, Italian bread and mozzarella when I go to the Farmer's Market without a list. It makes for the most delicious combination.

mo-ments

-Navigating the winding road leading to Mo Ranch once again. After working there for two summers, I know every curve.

-The first five minutes in the Guadalupe River, letting all of my worries and stress flow downstream.

-Laughing with family as we told all of our embarassing childhood stories. Shared stories really are what make people a family.

-Sitting at the chapel on the hill, enjoying the scenery and taking a moment just to be.

-Children playing thumb war on the plane with looks of intense concentration on their faces.

-Sunflowers.

speaking of happiness

I will be in Texas for a family reunion at Mo Ranch for the next few days, so I won't be posting for a bit. Here are some from today:

-The little girl who jumped up and down at her achievement of knocking down three bowling pins.

-Seeing a patient who has never been able to speak or really move her mouth break into a full smile after a visit from her son and daughter-in-law. When I told her that they seemed really nice, she, in a barely-audible whisper, said "thank you." I was so excited to hear her speak and see her smile I wanted to do kartwheels.

-Sitting on steps under a big tree with a single lit up Atlanta building glowing in the background.

so plenty

-Helping Ruata serve communion at Grady. I think we should celebrate it often there, because it's a great way to acknowledge God's renewal of our bodies and souls, in a place where bodies and souls are often both exhausted.

-The line from Breakfast at Tiffany's where Fred (aka Paul) tells Holly he's in love with her. She replies coldly, "So what?" He then says, "So what?! So plenty!" I love that.

-A blissful hour spent with my windows open listening to the rain, drinking a cup of tea and reading Harry Potter.

dancing with the girls

-Ruata easing my fears about the spider crawling on my car window. I had to roll down the window to use my parking card, and he got rid of it for me. Then, he confessed that he was not afraid of spiders, but caterpillars. That confession made me laugh out loud.

-Opening the Book of Common Worship that my committee at Eastminster had given me and discovering that they had all written kind and encouraging notes to me in the first pages. Does that make it a yearbook for seminarians?

-Dancing and singing with Karen and Kate. It all began when someone decided to play Madonna's "Like A Prayer"...and the silliness just increased from there.

jumping, playing, dancing.

-The way Snickers jumped up and welcomed me when I went by Rob and Karen's. I wish they could dogsit forever...so that I can live vicariously.

-The way Ethiopian food makes it feel like playing with your food is not only welcomed, but expected.

-Dancing in the living room.

salutations and stratus clouds

-Nicole and I having to stop and let a herd of people taking an Atlanta tour on those wierd futuristic, one-wheeled things go by. The leader said a very formal and serious, "Please, excuse us," which just added more hilarity to the experience...as did my salute in their direction after they were gone.

-Talking about mission theology, and David Bosch in particular, and finding a copy of Transforming Mission in the sacristy library. I randomly opened it to a page, and there was my favorite quote of the whole book:
"We are all recipients of the same mercy, sharing in the same mystery. We thus approach every other faith and its adherents reverently, taking off our shoes, as the place we are approaching is holy."

-Wispy stripes of white clouds brushed against the light blue sky. Something about that sight relaxed me.

high spirited

-Praying with the mother of a patient and feeling the Spirit work in an incredibly tangible way.

-The man driving a golf cart of people to and from Grady while honking and waving at friends he passed.

-Laughing with the other chaplains about the most ridiculous things (such as super stretchy key rings, funny faces and dreams).

messages and moments

-A particularly relevant fortune cookie message.

-Seeing the mother of a patient devote just as much attention to her daughter's roomate in the hospital.

-A perfect moment on an old bridge surrounded by tall, vine-engulfed, green-glowing trees.

trivia-l joys

-Noticing that the 9A nurses have put size small gloves out for me for when I visit patients.

-Waking up from a perfect nap to see the sun streaming in through my window.

-Having Rob and Omi at trivia, when they normally can't make it these days. We almost had our entire team together again.

an inspiring hiatus

-Having a Bible passage in my head for the past two days, only to have Trey preach on it in Grady's chapel service this morning.

-Realizing (with some satisfaction) that, apart from my little workout at the Y where I watched the food network this morning, I haven't watched T.V. all week. I didn't even miss it.

-Perfectly round raindrops on green grass.

a new day

-The patient who said to me that in life we must persevere, and no matter what, stay on the path. It was so encouraging to hear.

-A thoughtful and unexpected phone call.

-The excitement of newness, that comes in the most surprising ways.

harry and tiffany

-A hilarious teenager.

-Walking out from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with friends from seminary and from CPE. I love when the different parts of my life come together.

-The relaxation that comes with the first few chords of Moon River on my Breakfast at Tiffany's record. Maybe it's my ever-so-slight Audrey Hepburn complex, but that soundtrack always puts me at ease.

generosity, wild trees and music.

-Brian and Christina's amazing generosity.

-Reading a wonderful new book called The Wild Trees by Richard Preston. My Aunt Karen recommended it to me. It's a nonfiction book about people who climb the giant redwood trees in California, and includes some fascinating informationa bout redwoods. My favorite line thus far is "The fear of heights finally left him, and was replaced by a feeling of almost indescribable wonder."

-Seeing The Fray, Eisley and Gomez in concert with Karen, Claire and Stephen. It was really great to laugh, dance and sing. Their renditions of a Shakira song and "Wonderwall" were particularly entertaining.

peace talks

-Seeing the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina.

-Using art to express my sense of call to peacemaking.

-Sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair drinking coffee with the cool morning air around me.

-A prayer for peace as a part of the 4th of July parade.

-Meeting a fascinating woman in her eighties at the intergenerational Peacemaking Conference. Her name is Ellie, and she has been standing up for women's rights, peace and racial equality all of her life.

-Getting to know the other theological student workers at the conference. I really enjoyed their company. We laughed constantly and enjoyed some stimulating discussions about theology, pacifism and life.

-Hearing "Whitney!" in a crowded room and turning to see Fiona, my Belfast site supervisor's daughter. She's working at Montreat for the summer and I haven't seen her in 2 years. I was so glad she remembered me, and enjoyed catching up and listening to the high-pitched cadence of a Northern Irish accent once again.

car talk

-Rain while the sun was still shining.

-Crying at a movie for the first time in ages. It felt great.

-Song and I talking to each other across our cars at a traffic light. We met at the movies, and continued chatting as we ended up next to each other on the way home.

(I will be at the Presbyterian Peacemaking Conference this next week, and will probably not be able to blog. Will you do me a favor? Take the time you normally spend reading my blog to pray for peace in your home, city, nation and world. I'll share glimpses from the conference when I return on Friday. Peace. Whitney)

blue, bethany and bracelet.

-Sun streaming through blue clouds.

-Seeing my good friend Bethany again. She came to town for a visit, and it was great to catch up.

-The way Karen always notices when I have something new. Last night, I wore a bracelet I bought at a Parisian-inspired store in Savannah for $5, and she said it was "really me." It's great to have such observant friends who really know me.

sunrise, sherlock and scrumptious.

-Seeing a pink and orange sunrise from the on-call room window.

-The man who passed me in his car smoking a long, dramatic pipe as he drove. It made me laugh.

-A delicious bagel with cream cheese and being greeted by name at the coffee shop.

dancing 'n the rain

-Finding out that I'm able to be off work enough to stay for all of my family reunion at Mo Ranch in Texas this summer.

-Dancing around my apartment to "Selfish Jean" by Travis. Living alone really has its perks.

-Walking through the cool rain and the warm night air to get to my car.

a first, a hug and beauty.

-The patient who said he had never seen a female chaplain before. I then expected him to be not too fond of the idea, but then he said, "That's awesome!"

-A hug from Dorothy, a woman who cleans at Grady. We've spoken several times, but yesterday we told each other our names and she said, "You're so sweet. Let me give you a hug." ...And right in the middle of the hallway, she did.

-Playing around with my camera and taking pictures of my sunflowers (still lovely) by candlelight. The pictures had a depth and color I didn't expect. I love how the fuzzyness of the stem and leaves shows. It's funny how different light (darker even) can bring out colors and shadows that are more beautiful than constant sunlight. Hmm...kind of like life, isn't it? When we go through dark times or help others through them, we discover depths of beauty we didn't notice before in us and others.

heavenly day

-Free coffee. A nice family at church gave me a gift certificate, so my hazelnut latte was free.

-Making one of my favorite pasta dishes: spinach and ricotta ravioli with sage butter and pine nuts. It was so delicious, and warmed me up after getting caught in the rain.

-The song "Heavenly Day" by Patty Griffin.

warm and cold

-Going to church and being greeted warmly by people I haven't seen in a little while. It was also really nice to just worship, and not be in charge of leading anything.

-The relief and joy I felt after giving the keynote address at Rob's camp. It was really fun and the kids seemed pretty responsive.

-The cool air of North Georgia. I had my windows down as I drove, and the recent rain and higher altitude made the air almost cold. It was delightful.

summery things

-Being on-call at the hospital last night, and not getting a single call. Not one. This means that I was able to get some sleep and work done, and more importantly, that no one passed away during the night there.

-Lovely huge summery sunflowers to brighten my apartment.

-After buying the aforementioned sunflowers, I smelled something being grilled outside of Kroger, and walked over. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta was selling hamburgers and hotdogs as a fundraiser, and I got the most delicious hot dog for $1 (I get that craving from my mother).

snail mail, shopping and smores

-A great mail day. I received a church newsletter, my Peacemaking conference info, a sunflower postcard from my Grandmother, a postcard from Karen when she was in Israel and a haircut discount coupon.

-Grocery shopping. Most people hate it, but I love it. I went to a larger than normal Kroger, and loved the different options I found there: instead of plain fresh pasta, I found organic spinach ravioli and instead of spinach, I found baby arugula.

-Sitting outside with friends to celebrate the first day of summer. The conversation was relaxing, the smores made with dark chocolate were unbelievably delicious and the glow of lightning bugs was perfect for the occasion.

would you rather, now and then

-Playing a game of "would you rather" with Nicole and Sara at lunch, and laughing hysterically several times. A little comic relief at Grady is never a bad thing.

-Having dinner with my good friend and former campus minister Kyle, because he's in town for a Columbia D.Min. course. It was great to discuss things from college and things from seminary, weaving together my past and present.

-The tiny dove Arnie has painted on the bulletin board near the word "peace."

bubbly personalities

-Sitting with a hilarious 82-year-old woman who loves Chuck Norris movies, baseball and soap operas.

-The glossy shine of rain-covered leaves.

-A million tiny bubbles that form the froth on the top of my cafetiere/french press coffee.

deep south

-The woman who, during the Sunday worship service at the hospital, spontaneously began singing old gospel hymns.

-Seeing a deep, deep love expressed as a woman mourned the loss of her 96 year old husband.

-Sleeping in my own bed, without fear of a pager going off.

turkish delight

-Treating myself with Turkish takeout: yummy chickpeas with garlic and spinach and basmati rice. It was so delicious, and I was thrilled to discover that they gave me a whole extra takeout container full of pita bread.

-Laughing with friends last night, and realizing just how badly I needed a good laugh.

-Sunlight from some phantom source dancing gently around my room when I opened my eyes after sleeping in.

silence is golden (and sometimes so is conversation)

-Finding my car keys that have been missing all week.

-Beverly's generous spirit, wisdom and joy. Our conversation lifted me up in so many ways.

-Driving home after a deafeningly-loud concert with my radio off. The only sounds were the tires on the road and the cool evening air whipping in and out of my window.

hugs, jokes and better.

-A patient spontaneously hugging me after I prayed with her.

-A little girl giggling loudly as she skipped down the sidewalk beside her mother.

-A ray of sunlight caught in the misty early morning.

-Bonding with my co-workers through sarcasm. We have similar senses of humor, and this makes such an intense job a little bit easier.

--Running into a woman in the hallway who I visited last week, and having her tell me with a big smile on her face that her sister is doing much better.

take care, breathe and love.

-The hauntingly beautiful voice of Katie Herzig at Eddie's Attic last night. I even bought her latest CD, so as to continue to be haunted by her music.

-Intentional relaxation. For me, this was making delicious blueberry pancakes for a late breakfast and then making yummy fusilli pasta with potatoes, homemade pesto and fresh green beans. It was a pleasant addition that Catherine joined me for dinner. I also decided that nothing would relax me more than bright blue flowers on my coffee table, so they came home with me from the Farmer's Market along with my potatoes, pasta, basil and green beans.

-The way Sandra closed an email: "take care, breathe and love." If I do nothing else this week, I hope I do those things.

nu(tella) and new(Strength)

-Light striking the edge of my mirror at the perfect angle to create a rainbow prism. It was the last thing I saw as I drifted off to sleep.

-Getting a personal pep rally from my friend Ian. I explained to him how my work at the hospital this past week has been the hardest thing I've ever done and that it's going to be a very stretching summer. I said that I could've chosen a much easier CPE placement, but for some reason I chose Grady, and on top of that, requested to chaplain the HIV floor. He said, "But that's what you do, Whitney. You don't jog, you rock climb. You didn't go straight from college to seminary, but instead worked in Belfast for a year. You always go for the hardest challenge." It was nice to be reminded that this is what I do, and that the Strength that helps me climb (although it's been ages) and helped me face challenges in Belfast will help me through this summer. I wonder if this is why I dreamed of rock climbing and patients all in the same night.

-A brand-spanking-new tub on Nutella. I love how the chocolate spread is perfectly swirled and smooth after I peel back the seal.

sweet dreams

-The social worker kindly calling me "sweetie" as I got called minutes after just being with a family. She said, "Sweetie, we need you down here again." Normally I don't particularly like being called sweetie, but last night, it was a guesture of comfort.

-Being outside in the afternoon and finally noticing summer. I'm normally working inside all day, and hadn't noticed how warm it's become.

-Sleeping for four hours straight in the middle of the afternoon after being on-call all night and knowing I've earned it.

precipitation, illumination and releasing frustration.

-Running through the rain.

-Sunlight turning parts of a tree golden.

-Being with such close friends that, unbidden, the stress and anxiety of my day was released.

hello?

-Laughing really hard as a woman I visited described to me the bizarre happenings in her CPE internship experience.

-A conference call with eight other people all over the U.S. that began with nine confused-sounding "Hello?"s. It took us a minute to realize that we couldn't all speak at once.

-Seeing one patient share his faith with another patient. Both men were deeply moved by the experience.

calm and clean

-Seeing Cheryl get ordained. It was a great service, and Walter Brueggemann even preached. Something he said really stuck with me, because I've been hearing it a lot. He said that we are called to be a non-anxious presence in a world marked by anxiety and fear. I think this is a lot of what I'm called to do and be at Grady.

-The smell of clean laundry.

-A big splat on my window as a large raindrop fell.

dinner and two movies

-Hearing wonderful news from home.

-Inventing a quiche simply by taking things I love (asparagus, smoked gouda and proscuitto) and putting them together. The result was delicious.

-When I went to rent a couple of movies, the one I wanted to see wasn't on the shelf. The woman at the front found me a copy that had just been turned in, plus noticed that I had a free movie credit and a dollar off credit on my account. I left with two great movies, only one of which I had to pay for at a reduced rate.

tears and laughter

Good people who read my blog:
I've started working as a chaplain in a hospital for the summer, and encounter many glimpses there, but for obvious reasons am not able to carry a camera with me and take pictures of them. So, many of my summer posts will probably be picture-less. Just letting you know!
Whitney
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-Wiping tears from a woman's eyes as she finally let out all of her frustration.

-Joking about what chaplains should wear in the hospital (liturgically colored robes for example) with the other chaplain interns. Joking is surely a sign of a good team forming.

-Talking with a patient about how, with his lovely view of the city, his hospital room was like a hotel, except you have to feel bad to get in. He loved that idea, and kept repeating, "you gotta feel bad to get in, and you gotta feel good to get out" and laughing.