1. Liz. Duuuhhh. 19 years ago on the evening of August the 20th, in 1987, at the Baptist Student Union at Eastern Kentucky University, I met a very pretty 19 year old girl. And you know, after that day, it was all over, in a good way. The other girl I had kissed earlier that week slipped my mind. The Franciscans wouldn't be getting a call from me. And 9 months and 8 days later, we were married. And we still are and I still love her.
2. Liturgy. Antony sort of gave me that one, but it's true. I find that I do love liturgy - in the work of the people way and in the particular way of worship that has been handed on to us by our spiritual forebears. I love what it forms in us and I love the actual doing of it, along with the physical aspects.
3. Louis, Fr., Merton - ha! Gotchya! I worked him in there. Had to do it. Thomas Merton's name "in religion" was Louis, first Brother Louis, then Father Louis. Monks in orders do this, when they take their vows they are given a new name as a living symbol of their new life - their consecrated life in the monastery. And they don't choose it, just as you don't choose the name your parents give you. Tom was given Louis. That's what's on his grave marker at Gethsemani. That's what they call him there if any of them talk about him - "Fr. Louis." I love what the man was open to and how he and his gained wisdom have affected me.
4. Laughing. I love laughing, being goofy, funny, inciting laughter in others, etc. I love real laughter, not that fake chuckle you might feel obligated to give in shallow conversation. I like genuine gut-laughing till you think you're going to pass out on the floor. I could do with some of that. It's ironic though, that I'm this way, and that I'm known as "funny" but that I'm probably more serious that goofy, but the funny rep keeps people from wanting to deal with your serious side. I've had that curse going on for years.
5. Logic. I know, for a creative person, you'd think not so much logic, but I'm a mid-brainer. I like relaxed, laying around, no pressure, and I also love me some things to come together logically. I like consistency. You know, A=B, B=C, therefore, A=C. That kind of thinking works in my head. I was a Philosophy minor in college and Logic was a great class. I nearly had a 100 average in the class. BUT, I've been in this spiritual life thing long enough now to know it's not all going to work out that way, according to what I might see as logically consistent. God is logical, but He is also beyond logic. How's that for A=C?
   
6. Love. "Now, you should have put that above everything else." Oh well, whatever. Liz helped me think of this one. I was like, durrrrrr, yeah. I love, love. I love Love even more. I do that capitalization thing often when talking about things the come from God or not. There is a love that is not necessarily "of God" and there is certainly Love, from God, which deserves to be recognized in some way for what it is. I don't like disharmony at ALL. I do not like conflict between people. I hate hatred.
7. Land. That's an L word for it I guess. I love mountains, trees, fields, rolling hills, green valleys, and the like. All kinds of land. I love being out in it (although I am not enough). I love the smell of it. Have you ever smelled clean, freshly turned dirt. It's a wonderful smell. You have to go into the mountains sometime and smell the leaves and fallen trees rotting into new earth, the moss, even the rocks. I think I'm gonna git me some.
8. Lings lat are leasier lan lis. There, this is too hard. I've ground it out for 2.5 days now and just finished up looking through the L's in the dictionary to find 3 more! Good Lord! So, 7 it is, holier number anyway. Peace.

Labels: liturgy, merton, personal

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