Have I really been gone for an entire month? Wow. Guess that's how it goes in the life of a blog. You spend time with her whenever possible, but sometimes life pulls you away. And so it goes.
A few of the things that have been on my mind lately include:
- I started reading The Diary of a Young Girl recently (better known as "The Diary of Anne Frank") and it's confirming so much of what I believe. I'm moved by how ordinary Anne made her life sound in such volatile circumstances. On one hand, she was afraid that the Gestapo would find her family and she knew what would happen if they did, and on the other hand, she went on with life while in hiding. She read books and journaled about them. She studied math and French and complained about them. She chronicled the squabbles of the two families (hers and another) who were in hiding together over such things as which linens and dishes should be used. The ordinary routines of life seemed to give her a sense of normalcy, and when it comes right down to it, that's what most of us are after—even in the most extreme of circumstances.
- I'm writing a couple of news features for a local newspaper this week. As I interviewed the subjects of the stories, I found it fascinating to listen to the ways in which God is working. In one case, a family feels called to live in a foreign country simply to be a light in a place of much darkness. They don't have any agendas. They simply want to help people. In another case, a pastor shared his heart with me about the people of Scotland. He recently returned from a trip there, and seeing God at work there has stirred his soul. Good stuff from people who are making a difference.
- The Moleskine notebook I'm currently using has plenty of room left in it, so I'm not in the hunt for a new one yet, but somebody needs to convince me not to cheat on the Moleskine brand with the new (to me) Piccadilly brand. From what I can tell, they both offer acid-free paper, they both have a similar look and feel, and Piccadilly is about half the price. Piccadilly also has fewer pages, but not enough to detract me. Has anybody tried Piccadilly notebooks? If so, what is your take? I found this review that really makes me want to give them a try.
