OMG leather tiles

I have been on a small HGTV jag (happens every few months), and today I watched a bathroom makeover. They put 18" ceramic tiles on all the walls, then put galvanized metal sheets on the floor, and then magnetic, leather, water resistant tiles! Amazing! They also put painted bead board on the ceiling. I think the leather tiles were kind of pricey ($500 for a medium sized bathroom--but hey! no grouting or buttering.)

PS We continue with our glorious spring. The red buds are now in full bloom, the pear tree blooms are heavily mixed with bright green leaves, our crab apple tree is in bloom, with such a heavenly scent; I spend a lot of time walking outside and inhaling--it will be gone in 5 days. The dogwoods are starting to open too.

All you can pass on is what you have become

My daily meditation email, which I actually don't read daily, reminded me a bit of my bliss post. I thought such concurrence merited another post.

"All belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God" 1 Corinthians 3:22-23

All you can pass on is what you have become; that is your blessing and gift for your children, your loved ones, your neighborhood, and the next generation, “grace upon grace” (John 1:16). Divine love bestowed is repaid by love alone.

Our lives seem small and insignificant, yet one life is a significant piece of the eternal and cosmic Christ, a short moment of Incarnation that is building up the Body of God.

You belong to God’s universe because everything belongs. Every part of you belongs, and no part need be rejected or denied, but only educated, healed, forgiven, and set free in new form. . . .

Nothing is ever wasted in God’s economy. All is transformed. Grace is everywhere.

- Fr Richard Rohr

A Taste of Bliss

It was one of those perfect moments, you know, when everything takes on a tinge of the archetypal. A warm spring day coming after days of clouds and cold.

I am driving down a street cluttered with signs and cars; the radio blaring with the heavy beat of rock and roll. Seemlessly, the world transforms. The huge, faded plastic sign hanging slightly askew, advertising goods and places that no longer exist, takes on an air of romance and perfection. The smell and feel of sunshine mixes with the beat of the music; I can’t remember if I am young or old. I open the window and the air of heaven fills the car. Most of the trees are still bare, but scattered along the roadside are huge ornamental pear trees in full bloom, bright yellow forsythia, and the pink-purple tinge of red buds about to bloom. Flags advertising condos and tax preparation services wave dramatically, a man walks confidently along a busy roadside carrying dry cleaning over his shoulder, cars that are dusty and dented have every bit of beauty and perfection as do newer cars. A utility truck makes a stunning turn across a parking lot. Spring green joins the sunlight. It is a day promising everything and nothing; all is present and perfect in the moment.

Guess what March 1st is?

March 1st is the first day of your dam training! It promises to be a lovely spring day here in Knoxville, so I will be heading out for maybe a little 5K warmup. I realize that March may have sneaked up on the rest of you, so you can just do one or two miles today and slowly work up to more during the month.

March training will be unstructured, i.e. you can devise your own training schedule. However, come April I will be sending out detailed rigorous workouts. So don't loll about!

Also, you might want to start rereading this year's book: Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. I assume y'all finished it months ago, but now as you reread, you may want to make detailed notes, looking for trends and overall themes for the discussion. Please be sure to use specific examples from the book to back up your observations.

Go Dam Racers!!! (GDR) The race will be on July 16th this year.

Rebecca