SHEEPISH CHUCKLE . . .

Hehehehe. I don't hate the Internet or email that much anymore. Depending on the co-communicator, it can be a very very good thing. Indeed.

And always, the ensuing face-to-face conversation is much more rewarding and fulfilling and satisfying and redeeming.

Redemption is an amazing thing. It's amazing to me that someone can love me and care for me enough to tell me nothing but good things about myself. It shouldn't amaze me; it shouldn't amaze any of us when this happens. We should be doing this all the time to each other, to our friends and our family and anyone we profess to care about. But we don't, and I don't, and I don't hear it often, and so when I do, it is like my heart is being pumped full of grace and care, it simply doesn't know what to do but overflow joy.

It's awkward, though, to be told nice things about yourself. Nice, but awkward. There are people I know who are comfortable with compliments, who are knowledgeable in a good secure way about their strengths and uniqueness and competency and wonderfulness. I wish I was one of those people, but I am yet not comfortable with knowing those things that might exist in me. So to be told them, over and over again, is ... well, frankly, it shuts my brain down because those words don't compute. But I was told, I need to turn my brain on again and start computing. That's nice, too.

I face an interesting two weeks. I know that I will be covered in prayer and grace and love; and I will be covering in prayer and grace and love. And after all that, I know that things will be new, different, better, incredible. A new year, for me, always means a new beginning, in myself, in my life, in my world. We can't help it, that's just how it is, no matter how humbug we might be about it. That's just how it is. I can't wait. There are so many things I need to change, so many relationships I need to repair, so many projects I need to start, so much energy I need refreshed, so much grace I need to receive and give away, so much discipline to be implemented, so much joy to be restored. Thanks to the spurring of one, I see now that all of these things are possible.