Sorry for the silence here… I’m still alive — I haven’t died or gotten tied up and drug away by wild and nasty gnomes. Just haven’t had the energy to blog lately. Been pouring it into life, and other stuff.

Have you ever had so much to say, on so many topics, you don’t know where to begin or how to get it all out? That’s my problem lately. So much I’ve taken in and learned and experienced and now I just can’t figure out how to get it all on paper — or, rather, into my blog. It may ultimately take me many posts.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve started a new "program" (Weight Watchers — woohoo watch my weight go up and down and up again!!), fulfilled a wish I’ve had for several years and contemplated deep things of God.

Okay, so it hasn’t been the most adventure-packed of times, but it was enough to keep my mind whirling like crazy and my body aching for sleep. And now it’s given me mental/writing constipation. Too much that wants to come out all at once. Its kind of like when you don’t think through the timing as you cook a big meal and every dish is ready and must be attended to at the very same moment. Maddening.

My sister came out last weekend and both of us attended a 4-day taping of Beth Moore’s new Bible study, due out next September (’07). It was awesome — if not a little overwhelming. Those of you who’ve participated in one of her studies knows she gives a lot of information and a lot of insight in each weekly 50-minute or so session. Try taking in 6 of those in 4 days. Yikes! My head was spinning. But such good stuff! And it was fun just to get to see Beth in person, which had been a longing of mine for several years, and to see how things go in a "real time" study with her, rather than just the polished finished product on tape. Good, good stuff. Nina and I stayed up late into the night/morning talking each night about what we’d learned

I’ve been on Weight Watchers now for a week and a half. It’s going okay I think. Its a little more complicated than I thought — with all the points counting and such. But I’m getting used to it. I didn’t lose but about a pound last week due to all the late evening activity and a visit to the Cheesecake Factory on Saturday (yummmm!). Hopefully, I’ll do better this week.

Through all this, God has been speaking and moving and teaching and challenging. My oh my. I’ve learned much as we talked together and wanted to duck and pretend I didn’t hear when the challenges came. Yet I didn’t. And we are now walking through some places that are familiar, yet new. Forgiveness, Grace, Love –even when combined with dislike, all familiar, yet new every time I walk through them.

Finally, here’s a passage I’d nearly forgotten till Beth reminded us Saturday morning. It brought me hope; hope that I’d forgotten was there. Hope for not just the future, but for Today.

"See, it is I who created the blacksmith
       who fans the coals into flame
       and forges a weapon fit for its work.
       And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;

"no weapon forged against you will prevail,
       and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
       This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
       and this is their vindication from me,"
       declares the LORD. — Isaiah 54:16-17