What a day

So, I did a dumb thing today. Well, tonight, actually. I was late leaving work and had 45 minutes to get somewhere that usually takes me an hour to get to. In my haste to leave, I forgot to take the parking break off. I ended up driving 25 miles (at an average speed of 60 miles/hr) with the parking break on. When I was almost to our apartment, my breaks started to go out.

Fortunately I had to make a stop by my house to pick up something I forgot. My husband was home, so I got to switch cars with him. It was the first time I'd ever been allowed to drive his new Beetle since he got it about a year ago. It was a nice drive. Now I'm wishing I could get a new car. I'd get a Matrix, though.

Well, that's the updaate on my day. Sorry there are no words of wisdom tonight. My quote books are on the other side of the room in my backpack and I'm too tired to move. I'll try and post something tomorrow in my copious spare time. Hope you all are having a great day. Me? I'm off to bed.

Sleep tight.

Icky Day

I feel icky, as you can tell from my sidebar. In searching through my quote books, I found a sentence from Moby Dick by Herman Melville that seems to fit.

"O, woe on woe! Oh, Death, shy canst thoug not sometimes be timely?"

Okay, that's a little extreme. I don't really feel like dying, but I do feel completely exhausted and...well...icky. This week has been the busiest one of my life - so it seems. I went to bed too late last night and to top it all off, I had to get up at 5 and be at the dentist by 7:00 a.m. Yep, you read that right, a dentist appointment literally first thing in the morning. She did five fillings on the right side of my mouth. It's now 8:36 at night and my mouth is still sore, my stomach is still queasy from all the gunk draining down the back of my throat for two hours. I know by the end of the weekend I'm also going to have two nasty canker sores where she gave me the novacaine.

Okay, I'm sorry if that was too much info. Fortunately it's Friday and I have the next two day off. Hope next week goes better. Thanks for stopping by to read my blog and hopefully I'll be more upbeat next post.

Time really flies

Wow, I thought it had only been a couple of days since I last posted. Instead it's been an entire week. Where has the time gone? Oh wait, it went to work, Bible Study, choir practice, and a Mary Kay holiday sale. I'm surprised I got any hits this week with my lack of updating. I'm going to have to get more commited to updating this or you all will stop coming here.

Anyway, speaking of choir practice, we are doing an excerpt from Handel's Messiah. It's the "For unto us a child is born" part. I love listening to Handel's Messiah. It's one of my favorite things about Christmas and makes me think of the following Bible verse:

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians1:6

Lately God has changed a lot about my attitude lately, especially at work. I mean I've really been humbled lately and am seeing the kids I work with in a whole new light. I'm definitely at a point where God can use me to work in the lives of the kids I work with. In other words, He has begun a good work in me and who knows where it will end.

What does all this have to do with Handel's Messiah you ask? Well, my parents met for the first time while singing with a choir in a performance of this magnificent piece of music. It causes me to wonder, what would have happened if for some reason or other Handel had never written The Messiah. Would my parents still have met? Probably, but still...

If there hadn't been The Messiah, would there be a Juli? If no Juli, who would be the one working with these kids today and how would they turn out?

The point is, The Messiah was composed, there is a me, and I can't wait to see how God perfects the work he began in me until the day of Jesus Christ.

I'm laying here on my living room floor tonight watching an old episode of Three's Company and flipping through one of my quote books. The following quote struck me as being very true, and actually rather amusing (of course I'm functioning on 5 1/2 hours of sleep, so maybe that's why it amused me).

This comes from The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas:

"'As a general rule...people ask for advice only in order not to follow it; or if they do follow it, in order to have someone to blame for giving it.'" ~Athos~

Have you also discovered this to be true?

Cheers,

Juli

Here's a Good One

In looking through my quote books tonight, I came across a quote from the book The Paradise War by Stephen R. Lawhead. (I think I've quoted this book before) It seemed to sum up the whole upcoming election for me:

"Nothing is assured...Nothing ever stays the same."

No matter who gets elected president tomorrow, there will still be changes in this country. New mayors will be elected, new councilmembers and senators will be elected. New propositions and ballot measure will pass, or fail. Either way, life as we know it will change tomorrow.

Isn't that the case every day, though? The only thing certain in life is change. We can either fear it or embrace it. If you're a control freak like me, you probably fear change. Really though, change can be good. You will experience new horizons in life and they will most likely make you a better, stronger person. In tomorrow's election, may the best people win and may we emerge as a better, stronger nation.

Cheers

My Job

It's great to be back here. My husband and I went vacationing in London and Paris the past few weeks. It was fun and relaxing, but I sure did miss blogging. Now, on with the quote for the day.

I am a librarian. More specifically I am a children's and young adult librarian. In the past few months, the majority of our regular kids have all hit puberty. Yes, 15-20 kids (or more it seems like some days)in the throes of adolescence/puberty hit our door regularly about 3:00 every day, making for a sometimes rowdy afternoon. If you were to ask me what it's like to work with kids, I'd have to sum it up with the following quote. It comes from the book Eleven by Lauren Myracle:

"Everyone says change is what makes life an adventure. That when you change, you grow, and if you don't change, you'll shrivel up and rot like an old potato.

Well Baloney. The people who get rah-rah over change are always parents and librarians, not kids. Because when kids change, it's really pretty ugly. Three times out of four it means someone's going to get her feelings hurt, or someone's going to feel stupid when the day before she felt just fine. Three times out of four it means someone's two best friends are out of the blue going to start acting silly and giggly and full of secret looks, and nothing that someone can do will make things go back to normal."

Remember those days? I certainly do. So, next time you see a kid who's going through a hard time, remember what it was like and give them that extra encouragement they need. You may not be able to make things normal again, but at least they will know there's someone out there who understands.

This is a great reminder for me as well. Wednesday is an early release day in our town and the kids will be here in about an hour and a half.

Now Here's a Profound Thought

Today's thought comes from a children's fiction book entitled Mystery at Mt. Mole by Richard W. Jennings.

"In every decision we make, there is a point of no return. Time and time again, whether we realize it or not, we cross lines beyond which it's too late to turn back."

I can think of a couple of times in my life where I've crossed a line and it was too late to turn back. Okay, maybe more than a couple. Most were good decisions, however, in some cases I could have excercised better judgement. You know, though,if I could go back and do it again, I think I'd make the same decisions. After all, those decisions shaped who I am today and I like who I am today.

Here's hoping you are not looking back on your life with any regrets either.

Juli

My Hope for You

I have a wish for you today. Or maybe it's a challenge. That might be a better way to describe it. It stems from a quote out of The Hobbit by Tolkien:

"'Farewell! O Gandalf!' said the king. 'May you ever appear where you are most needed and least expected!'"

It's always such a blessing when someone shows up in our lives and gives us a word of encouragement. I know for me, it usually comes when it is most needed and from someone whom I would not expect it to come. I know my day is always brightened and it gives me the energy and strength to continue on with what I'm doing.

Is there someone who needs a blessing from you today? Reach out to that person. Show up where you are most needed and least expected. That's my challenge to you today and hey, comment below and let me know how it went.

Cheers,

Juli

Dante's Inferno

As the title to tonight's post reveals, this quote comes from Dante's Inferno, Canto XV line 55 (I think).

"If you pursue your star, you cannot fail to reach a spendid harbor."

This reminds me of an elderly lady I used to know about 12 years ago now. Her name was Irene and she was almost like a grandma to me. I worked at a pharmacy at the time and delivered perscriptions to her. When I quit my job to attend college in another state, she gave me a special gift and told me to reach for the stars.

Sadly, she is no longer with alive. I miss her and still think about her from time to time. I took her advice, reached for the stars and followed my hearts desire, career wise. I'm in the perfect place right now. God has brough me here. With his help and Irene's advice, I have definitely reached a splendid harbor. Can't wait to see what's in store for me in the future.

Juli

Wisdom and Foolishness

I was flipping through my quote book to see what I should post here today and found too many good ones to choose from. The following quote jumped out at me first, though. It's from "The Tale of the Foolish Weaver," which is part of The Arabian Nights (adapted by Jack Zipes):

"Not every wise man is saved by his wisdom...nor is every fool lost by his folly."

To me that means that smarts aren't everything and just because one might make a silly mistake or something doesn't mean that all is lost. That's something I definitely need to remember, especially working with kids. I'm constantly reminded that I don't know everything and I'm constantly needing to practice forgiveness. I wouldn't change it for the world, however. The kids I work with are the best, even when they might be at their worst.

Hope you all are having a great day!

Juli

The Music of Life

Today's quote comes from Violin by Anne Rice:

"Songs are everywhere you look, in the rain, in the wind, in the moan of suffering, songs."

What song are you singing today? Is anyone hearing it?

Do you hear the songs of others? Are you answering?
Juli

I Came Here After All

I didn't think I'd be back to my computer today, but here I am after all. Today I got to spend the day with around 50-70 young teens (12-14 years old) in an event called Challenge Day. It was a chance for them to get to share very personal things about their lives with classmates and the adult facilitators of which I was one. I can't say much more than that because they ask us to keep the day confidential, but if you do a Google search on "Challenge Day," you can find their website and learn more about it. Anyway, I need to debrief myself, so thought I'd come here and make a post.

Today's quote isn't a quote, per se, it's the title of a chapter from the book The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas:

"All Cats are Grey in the Dark."

All cats are grey in the dark. If you put a bunch of cats in a room with no light, all you will see are grey cat-like shapes. You can't tell which ones are brown, white, orange, black, etc. They are all the same color and are no different from one another. Kids are the same way. If you look at a group of kids and don't take the time to get to know them, you are putting them in a room and leaving the light off. You can't tell which ones are doing okay, which ones just need a friendly word, and which ones are crying out for help but don't know how to make themselves heard.

I learned so much today and my heart is absolutely breaking for some of these kids. I work with some of them on a daily basis and have never learned as much about them as I did today. The question is, now that I've had the light turned on for me, what do I do with the information I have learned about these proverbial cats? How do I make the library a safe place for these young teens to come to, but still enforce the rules? How do I let them be themselves?

I encourage you today to take a look around you. Is there a group of "cats" that you have put in a dark room? If so, turn on the light. What you learn about those around you may surprise and it will definitely change your life.

Until later

Juli

No Words of Wisdom Today

I'm afraid I'll be away from my computer all day today, so there will be no random quote today. You can be sure I'll be posting one again tomorrow, though. So, please come on back tomorrow. Hope you are all having a great day. See you tomorrow.

: )

In the Words of Ann Rice

Long ago (okay, about 10 years ago) I was very into Anne Rice's books. The first I ever read was Interview with the Vampire, which is where today's quote comes from. The character Marius says:

"Civilizations rise and fall, my friend...Old gods give way to new ones."

This rings so true in this day and age as we see constant changes, even on a daily basis, to the balance of power in this world. One thing remains true and sure, however, and that is the love of God, our Heavenly Father. Even when it seems like everything is falling apart, God is always there loving us and taking care of us. I have a great deal of things I am thankful for today. So many answered prayers. I am just in awe of what an awesome Heavenly Father we have.

Hope your day is going well too.

Cheers!

Today's Random Quote

Today's random quote comes from the book Coraline by Neil Gaiman. I have to say this is a fascinating book, although it creeped me out the first time I read it. One passage really jumped out at me, so I jotted it down. Here goes:

"It is astonishing just how much of what we are can be tied to the beds we wake up in in the morning, and it is astonishing how fragile that can be."

So there's the random quote for the day. Do with it what you will and have a great day.

Cheers!

Inspiration

Recently I discovered the Hallmark channel is showing that classic t.v. show Northern Exposure. Watching it reminds me of my high school days and all the fun I had with my friends. I've been watching the show recently (thanks to TIVO) and have been particularly struck by some of the "Chris in the Morning" monologues. Hence, I was inspired to create my own little "Chris in the Morning" space. What better way to do that than by sharing, with the world, quotes I've spent years collecting from books I've read.

Don't know how often I'll get here to update, but hopefully it will be frequently. In the meantime, remember, patience is a virtue.