For the love of words

(So, there were a few moments when I thought I’d be posting something else here today. I mean, after yesterday, I thought I’d deep-six this post that I’ve been compiling for a bit and write about yesterday, but after much consideration, decided to go with the plan. See—and I say this mostly so that Yesterday has no legal reason to say I have slandered him/her—yesterday started out pretty OK, as much as a first day back in the office after some time off can be. But somewhere in the mid-afternoon, yesterday took an abrupt turn toward bad and quite frankly sucked immensely for awhile while I dealt with coworker stresses, stresses over a situation over which I have no control at this point, and not so great news about my grandmother. But Yesterday did end well with girls’ movie night, which I had thought about not attending earlier in the evening. I’m glad I did! So, Yesterday, I’m still not happy with you, but I’ll get past it. Now, on with our regularly scheduled blog.)

I love words. I love quotes. I love retweets, song lyrics, and snippets of poetry and prose. And here are a few words and phrases I’ve been mulling over, laughing at, or simply enjoying these last few weeks.

“Everything you do is either rebellion or worship.” —Derek Webb in an interview for the magazine I edit.

“We want faith to come like magic, but the Bible says to “cling to what is good” because it feels impossible some days.” —John Acuff of the blog “Stuff Christians Like” via Twitter

“We’re ready in case a party or a prom breaks out.” —the tuxedo-wearing ESPN announcers at the Oklahoma-Gonzaga basketball game on New Year’s Eve during an awkward stop in play when Tiny Gallon broke the backboard. See video here.

“This will just add to the junk in my trunk.” —a friend of mine on NYE when I handed her back the box of Mt. Dew she had brought to my house. My response: “Umm, yeah. In a couple of different ways.”

“God is not what you imagine or what you think you understand.  If you understand you have failed.”  —Saint Augustine

“I could cater your move.” —me to my friend Mindy who moved on New Year’s Day, aka a very cold day and following NYE for which I had characteristically made too many appetizers.

“All I know is that I was blind but now I see that though I kick and scream, Love is leading me. And every step of the way his grace is making me; with every breath I breathe, he is saving me. And I believe.” —Andrew Peterson

“That doesn’t ever make my day, but thanks for playing.” —Me to a friend who offered to email a document in an outdated format so I could problem-solve.

“If grace is an ocean, we’re all drowning.” —David Crowder Band in “How He Loves”

“Still my soul be still, Do not forsake The Truth you learned in the beginning, Wait upon the Lord And hope will rise.” Keith and Kristyn Getty in “Still, my soul, be still”

“He saw you cast into a river of life you didn’t request. He saw you betrayed by those you love. He saw you with a body that gets sick and a heart that grows weak. He saw you in your own garden of gnarled trees and sleeping friends. He saw you staring into the pit of your own failures and the mouth of your own grave. He saw you in your own garden of Gethsemane and he didn’t want you to be alone … He would rather go to hell for you than to heaven without you.”— Max Lucado