little noises

[chestnutcurls]

aggielad mentioned this morning that today is the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux. I'm not Catholic, but Christian history always interests me, so I followed the link to learn about her. In the quotes section I found something that really jumped out at me. It's from one of her letters:

The practice of charity, as I have said, dear Mother, was not always so sweet for me, and to prove it to you I am going to recount certain little struggles which will certainly make you smile. For a long time at evening meditation, I was placed in front of a Sister who had a strange habit and I think many lights because she rarely used a book during meditation. This is what I noticed: as soon as this Sister arrived, she began making a strange little noise which resembled the noise one would make when rubbing two shells, one against the other. I was the only one to notice it because I had extremely sensitive hearing (too much so at times). Mother, it would be impossible for me to tell you how much this little noise wearied me. I had a great desire to turn my head and stare at the culprit who was very certainly unaware of her "click." This would be the only way of enlightening her. However, in the bottom of my heart I felt it was much better to suffer this out of love for God and not to cause the Sister any pain. I remained calm, therefore, and tried to unite myself to God and to forget the little noise. Everything was useless. I felt the perspiration inundate me, and I was obliged simply to make a prayer of doing it without annoyance and with peace and joy, at least in the interior of my soul. I tried to love the little noise which was so displeasing; instead of trying not to hear it (impossible), I paid close attention so as to hear it well, as though it were a delightful concert, and my prayer (which was not the Prayer of Quiet) was spent in offering this concert to Jesus.
- Saint Therese of Lisieux, from Story of a Soul

Isn't that great? I have so many "little noises" in my life that drive me nuts. Maybe what I need to do is stop trying to ignore them and start acknowledging them, to God and to myself. That's my lesson for the day. Learn to love the little noise.

Only funny line from Good Morning Miami last night [about a new clip art graphic]: "Why is the sun wearing sunglasses? I mean....he's the sun. What is he shading himself from?"

Hace frio hoy. Apparently we're skipping fall this year. I've been in Memphis most of my life, yet its bizarre weather never ceases to amaze or annoy me.

I'm sad because I have band practice tonight, so I can't go to Bible study with Evan. Next week, my "off" week, I'll be in the midst of a business conference and will probably have to go to a dinner or something. :( Also, Derek Webb is playing at First Evangelical tonight and I can't go to that either. However, he's having a concert at a local college on Friday night, so Evan and I are planning to see him then. That'll be good.



Name someone you know who fits each description very well, and give evidence to support your claim.
Charming: Ryan is pretty charming in his own way.
Joyful: One of my co-workers, Janita, manages to find humor in the most annoying tasks. She's great to work with. But sominfun probably has the most Godly joy of anyone I know.
Leader: Kathy and Em are both leader types, and my sister also likes to take charge.
Artistic: jessecho. My brother is pretty artistic, for a guy. And my mom has an artistic spirit, even if some of her efforts are a little strange. :)
Genius: Evan. The thing about him is, he's so unassuming that people probably don't realize how smart he is. The guy got a 29 on his ACT. He has an almost savant-like grasp of mechanics (did I use that word right?). I mean, he can tell at a glance what's wrong with your vehicle or your VCR. He thinks a lot about important things. He's well-read and quick-witted. To me, he even looks smart. I like him a lot. :D
Wise: My friend Casey. She's my mentor.
Hilarious: Evan again- I've never laughed so much with someone I've dated. He cracks me up constantly. Ryan and my brother are also hilarious.
Organized: jmcphers and aardwolf seem very organized to me.

If you had to choose one of those qualities listed above to describe yourself, which one applies most to you?
Probably organized. I realized while answering that that I hardly have any real-life organized friends...because they depend on me for that. :P :)

Have you had any recent (past year or so, I guess) revelations in your life that you'd like to share? A turning point or new understanding about something, perhaps?
I don't have any Big Words of Wisdom to share (yet; I'm still figuring things out), but I am feeling a lot more positive and hopeful than I was a short time ago. I also have a stronger faith in God's plan and providence.

What are three things you don't understand about the opposite sex?
Why they don't tell each other anything; why looks are so important; why they refuse to make a big deal out of their injuries/illnesses.

What are three strengths of the opposite sex that you admire and wish you were better at?
Mechanical ability; not caring so much about what people think; being able to get ready in five minutes.

What are three aspects of the opposite sex that you are glad you don't have to deal with?
Constant sexual temptation; having to keep up a macho front with other guys; being the breadwinner of the family.

What subjects do you discuss the most with your close friends?
Relationships, spiritual matters, life events, pop culture. I've also noticed lately that I talk about clothes and appearance way too much. I need to work on that. I don't want to become Elle Woods.

What changes need to take place in your life in order for you to accomplish one or more of your main goals?
Well, I only have one definite main goal right now, and the timing/changes for that aren't up to me, but to God.

Would you say you are currently (not necessarily this instant, but maybe this past month or so) experiencing a low, medium or high point in life?
High. Yaaay! Not everything is peachy, but my underlying unhappiness is gone, so I'm able to deal with it much more rationally.

If you could change an aspect of your LiveJournal entries, what would it be?
I'd like to have more spiritual, thoughtful entries. I feel like I just ramble on and act silly most of the time, when I ought to be edifying people.

Name a time/place where you remember intensely appreciated nature and God's creation (if you have).
Oh gosh, all the time. We had beautiful weather on Sunday, and I drove a lot that day, so I got to enjoy it.

What have you been surprised to learn during the past year or so?
That the only guy I've wanted for years feels the same way about me. :D "Surprised" was actually an understatement, I think. :)

What have you [maybe surprisingly] gotten over or lost interest in during the past year or so?
I'm not so into Harry Potter as I was a few months ago. I used to be on a Yahoogroup and read fanfic and stuff. Now I'm not as interested. It's partly busyness, and party the fact that Book 5 was sort of a letdown.

Think back to one year ago today. What was different in various aspects of your life (such as work, living, relationships, pets, possessions, interests, etc.) compared to today?
Let's see. Kathy and Daniel had just started dating, so I was struggling with that. MaryElaine and Royce were happily married. I was just about to get Gandalf (wow, my pre-cat days!). Evan was still solely my friend and hopeless crush. My sister still lived in Memphis. However, my living, work, and car situations are all the same.

If you could have one of those things (from last question) back to the way it was a year ago, what would it be, and why?
I'd wish MaryElaine and Royce back together again. In a heartbeat. Because that's just how things ought to be.