Friday, April 15, 2011

jmk


happy birthday, love.
this is your birthday post.
these are the reasons (among MILLIONS)
that I am so glad to be marrying you.

YOUR SENSE OF ADVENTURE
hello.
we met in hawaii.
where you had become the staff leader for
youth with a mission
after traveling and serving with them
in Perth and India
as a result of
your traveling with IV to
Thailand.
hello.
let's go.

YOUR SENSE OF PURPOSE
yes.
you were perfectly comfortable selling
practically your life's worth of possessions
to move toward simplicity
and
you've served with IV
and invested in so many
college students' lives
that i know
your mansion in heaven
will be filled
with beautiful markers
of the souls
you encouraged to find their way there

YOUR COMMITMENT TO HILARITY
it is. unmatched.
you make me laugh
you laugh at me
you laugh by yourself
you laugh when you're not supposed to
(that's my favorite)
your humor
is
my
favorite

YOUR UNWAVERING KINDNESS
is why
we
are
still
together
i still have never met
someone as kind as you

YOUR INTEGRITY
what great
strength
it
takes
to submit oneself
in humility
toward
a best * crew
of men
striving for
righteousness
together.
i
respect
you
(chicken head)
and
can't wait
to
walk
with
you


YOUR AFFECTION

This present glory, love, once-given grace,
The sum of blessing in a sure embrace,
Must not in creeping separateness decline
But be the centre of our whole design.

We know it’s love that keeps a love secure,
And only by love of love can love endure,
For self’s a killer, reckless of the cost,
And loves of lilactime unloved are lost.

We build our altar, then, to love and keep
The holy flame alight and never sleep:
This darling love shall deepen year by year,
And dearer shall we grow who are so dear.

The magic word is sharing: every stream
Of beauty, every faith and grief and dream;
Go hand in hand in gay companionship -
In sober death no sundering of the grip.

And into love all other loveliness
That we can tease from time we shall impress
Slows dawns and lilacs, traceries of the tress,
The spring and poems, stars and ancient seas.

This splendour is upon us, high and pure
As heaven: and we swear it shall endure:
Swear fortitude for pain and faith for tears
To hold our shining barrier down the years.

***
Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.
Proverbs 16:32

***

He has shown you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

***

all my love,

jcb(k)

Friday, March 25, 2011

My Desk Lately


Something has happened.
Either I am:
(a) the beneficiary of an amazing burst of friendship-love from two dear friends across the sea as a result of a strange twist of luck from the universe and/or lottery
(b) I am finally being rewarded for being mildly to mostly average
(c) need endless amounts of encouragement as I am virtually a vat of need (this answer is right no matter what)
or
(d) God laid it on the hearts of these two ladies to speak truth, love, loveliness, and wonderful selflessness to me.

I chose all the above.

Thank you God for friends.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

For Mo & Clay

Sweet Jesus,
I want to lift up to you the Wooten family.
I cannot.imagine.how scary things must be for them.
But, I do know that Monique and Clay both have unwaveringly,
unfaltering, pursued you and your purposes for their lives.
Father, their lives have encouraged my walk with You.
And I know even now in the midst of incredible doubt and fear,
that their prayer is still for you to be glorified.
So, I am asking that You would be glorified in their lives in this season.
Father, bring healing to Clay.
Bring restoration.
Bring joy and hope when it's just scary.
Lord, let Hazel be a symbol of promise of LIFE in their world.
I know that you hold all things together, that by you all things have their substance.
I know that you hold them and sustain us.

So let this prayer be like incense before you, and may it rise to bring glory to YOUR name,
And healing for Clay.
Amen.


May my prayer like incense rise before You
The lifting of my hands as sacrifice
Oh Lord Jesus turn Your eyes upon me
For I know there is mercy in Your sight

Your statutes are my heritage forever
My heart is set on keeping Your decrees
Please still my anxious urge toward rebellion
Let Love keep my will upon its knees

[Chorus]
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You

[Verse 2]
To all creation I can see a limit
But Your commands are boundless and have none
So Your Word is my joy and meditation
From the rising to the setting of the sun

All Your ways are loving and are faithful
The road is narrow but Your burden light
Because You gladly lean to lead the humble
I shall gladly kneel to leave my pride

[Chorus]

[Selah]
To all creation I can see a limit
But Your commands are boundless and have none
So Your Word is my joy and meditation
From the rising to the setting of the sun

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
I will seek You in the morning
I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Bleach and the Day of Love

Valentine's Day.

Jordan came to pick me up after a few hours of being on my hands and knees cleaning toilets, baseboards, and sinks for the little house cleaning business I have. On my walk home, Jordan intercepts me with my car.

I open the door to him holding (in his bare hands) two chocolate-dipped strawberries in one hand, and a single flower in the seat.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" he exclaims. He's delighted.
I laugh and get in the car. The smell of bleach and PineSol and lots of other weird things fill the car immediately (I'm feeling very grubby....)

"I cleaned your car, and...." he points directly to the gas tank indicator on my dash (because he knows I'm not observant enough to take notice of the now-full tank).

Sigh.

He cleaned my car. Filled my gas tank. Brought me a flower and some chocolate-dipped strawberries.

Does the boy know me or WHAT? Ha. I mean, what else could a girl POSSIBLY want?

Sunday, January 30, 2011

dear annie across the sea

dear annie goes away

across the sea, far from me
my heart is happy for her heart
but still i hate the parting part

she goes and goes on the tips of her toes
dashing over oceans and snows
so fast goodyes and hellos

come back, anne h,
we need you - if only to bake!?
and plus also to reason me from stupid mistakes

sigh. ok, all's well with me
i'll just be waiting under the BFF tree

Saturday, January 22, 2011

lovely little things

came in the mail for me the other day.

lovely layne, a friend who became a friend through the weird fact that we are basically the same person except that she eats hamburgers and I don't.
Really. I mean, sometimes it's strange how much we think/act/are alike.

ANYWOO.

in true layne fashion, she sent me a lovely little celebratory package (ALL THE WAY FROM ACROSS AN OCEAN, I"LL ADD) for my recent engagement.

how thoughtful! how kind! how generous!
(see? I told you she was like meeeee)
Jk.

Lovely Layne. I'm glad to share so much with you.
you're cooler than I am, though. i mean, you're currently traveling ALL over the WORLD (literally) using this wonderful expression of art to glorify God and bring justice to the mistreated.
You.Are.Legit.
so.
that's why we're friends.
And i'm only a tid bit sad that you are much cooler than I am.
BUT
i will rejoice in that because YOU would rejoice in that if I were cooler than YOU.

Friday, January 7, 2011

so.


someday soon i shall marry my love and friend.


eek.