Cymbals

"When I am talking to somebody, there are always two conversations going on.  The first is on the surface; it is about politics or music or whatever our mouths are saying.  The other is beneath the surface, on the level of the heart, and my heart is either communicating that I like the person I am talking to or I don't.  God wants both conversations to be true.  That is, we are supposed to speak truth in love.  If both conversations are not true, God is not involved in the exchange, we are on our own, and on our own, we will lead people astray.  The Bible says that if you talk to somebody with your mouth, and your heart does not love them, that you are like a person standing there smashing two cymbals together.  You are only annoying everybody around you.  I think that is very beautiful and true.

"Now, since Greg Spencer told me about truth, when I go to meet somebody, I pray that God will help me feel His love for them.  I ask God to make it so both conversations, the one from the mouth and the one from the heart, are true."
--Donald Miller, "Blue Like Jazz"

Things I am thankful for today:

1.  A fun breakfast with my hubby, his mom, and three of his aunts.
2.  A very yummy restaurant in Milwaukee - The Blue Egg (BLUE - Breakfast and Lunch in an Urban Environment; EGG - Everybody's Good Graces).
3.  Another fun, long drive with great music - I love having an ipod!
4.  Beautiful clouds.
5.  A dog that travels well.

(She orders her own fries at the drive-thru.)

(She makes sure we all get a little fresh air now and then.)

(And when she needs the fresh air?  She will stare at the window controls until Hubby opens the window...  She will stare as long as it takes...  She's THAT stubborn!)

6.  Fun conversations.
7.  Getting home in time to head into Minneapolis for the Outdoor Expo.
8.  A new coat, socks, and hat!
9.  Going to the Holiday Open House at Woodbury Lakes - christmas lights, reindeer, and Santa!
10.  Dinner at a new Tavern - yummy!