Giving thanks for abundance is sweeter than abundance itself.
Should one who is absorbed with the generous one be distracted by the gift?
Thankfulness is the soul of beneficence, abundance is but the husk;
for thankfulness leads to where the beloved lives.
Abundance yields heedlessness, thankfulness brings alertness.
Hunt for bounty with a net of gratitude.
Masnavi iii
I am tremendously thankful for friends and family who have shown me kindness and given me a place to stay during the last several months--David & Michele, Jess & Dustin, Abigail & Alisa, Uncle Tim & Aunt Donna, Dennis Quaid, Michelle, Emily, Jill, Saun, Karina, Javier, Corbin, Nick, Jenny, Rachael, Shane, Katie, Tyler, Dad & Mom, Cornelius & Shauna, Katie Ann, Naomi, Marie, Doro, Megan And for friends and family I am excited to see soon--Emily, Michael, Lindsey, Haddie, Bonesaw. You are all on my heart and I pray God's blessing on you.
As I reflect on where and what brings focus to my mind's eye, I am reminded of something my father used to tell us: The person you will someday be you are now becoming. Megan and I took the chance to visit a few medical schools in Portland last weekend which inspired us to the point of break dancing and fits of laughter. Newly formulated goals:
learn to play on the piano all four parts of Lift Every Voice and Sing simultaneously
Hablar español cada día hasta que no hayan mas palabras para aprender!
Take chemistry and biology classes
A temporary home in Eugene has awarded so many good things including music practice with friends, continued Bible study (Moses just died after seeing the promised land without ever entering that land.) The nations must have been terribly wicked for God to want them wiped clear off the face of the earth, but it's hard to imagine them any more wicked than Israel, yet God forgives them again and again meanwhile destroying the most wicked of them.
Lastly, I wish to recommend the film Temple Grandin, a sensational true story about a woman with autism (played by Claire Danes) who through her marvelous resolve toward her dreams, accomplishes above and beyond what anyone ever expected. This film reminded me how valuable each and every person is and how helping a person realize her own endless potential enriches, not only that person's life, but all the lives of everyone who encounters her. "I ONLY EAT JELL-O AND YOGURT!"
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