Interrupted By Joy

Tonight it rained....and rained.....and rained....and rained, however this did not deter my church's weekly ministry of feeding the homeless at Logan Circle in center city Philly. Every year we have a special Christmas service for the individuals we feed, passing out Christmas gift bags filled with necessities such as gloves, toothpaste, toques, combs, brushes, etc..., along with some goodies we would normally take for granted such as home baked cookies and chocolate. The rain was annoying and my heart started to complain during the 5 minute drive over to Logan's Circle after work. I was feeling weary and tired after a long week and what I had to look forward to this evening was getting soaked in my down jacket, while standing in the rain, as I helped to pass out gifts to the homeless. Standing in front of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and Paul, with huge bags filled with gifts to pass out, the realization of how dark and selfish my heart had become earlier this evening struck me. These are individuals who have no home, who are marginalized, and are seen as annoyances to society. The least of their worries is whether or not their expensive down jacket will get soaked or if their leather shoes will get ruined. To them, it's a matter of day to day survival of where they will get their next meal; for some it's battling drug and alcohol addictions; and for others, it's struggling with their own sense of reality. As I looked into the eyes of each individual I came in contact with, I saw Jesus in their eyes and what he stated in Matthew 25:

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me...I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me..."

If that didn't convict my heart, I don't know what else would have.

Darkness interrupted.

Almost Christmas

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of Christmas gatherings, shopping, and baking. Of course, in between all that, work. I had two Christmas "parties" today, one for work and another one with a few friends, which was hosted at my place. Tomorrow is my church's Christmas service at Logan's Circle in Philly with the homeless, where I'll be helping to serve hot food; thereafter is a surprise party for my friend, E-gurl, in East Falls. I am utterly spent. And my joy? It's been somewhat displaced amongst the hustle and bustle of the holidays. I've talked about being the kind of water that Jesus changes into wine, but what does that really mean during this Christmas season? I want to know what your thoughts are. My brain is literally too friend to think.

6 Weird Things About Me

Spinner tagged me and so here are 6 WEIRD facts about me.
(disclaimer: for those of you who are faint of heart, I would strongly recommend that you move onto another blog)

1. My retina detached when I was 18 years old and so the doctor performed a three hour surgery where they cut through my right eyeball to place a scleral buckle in order to attach my retina. I wore an eye-patch on that right eye for a few weeks.

2. I have a stuffed teddy bear that my dad gave me years ago which keeps me company at night when I go to sleep. His name is Teddy.

3. I love getting my ears cleaned out at the doctor's office. Not that it happens often, but I love that feeling of warm water being blasted into my ear by the syringe that my doctor uses. I just had it done last week. (I know, I know, I'm kind of demented.)

4. As a teenager, I loved eating peanut butter and pickle sandwiches. And no, I was NOT pregnant then.

5. I pretty much go commando when I go to bed - been doing it for years. (Yeah, I know...TMI)

6. On a yearly basis, I see a retina specialist who uses this instrument to check the pressure of my eyeball. With this instrument my doctor touches the surface of my eye, lightly tapping it a few times, in order to measure the eye pressure. I think it's cool every time I have it done.

With that said, I've been given instructions to tag 6 people:

Amy

Eddo

Calamity H Jane

clew

My Crazy Brother

Dickie Chick

I *Heart* The Weepies - Pt. II

Some of you might recall that I saw The Weepies in concert this past April at the World Cafe Live in Philly's university city. Well, last night I saw them at the World Cafe Live (again) and I was once again thoroughly impressed. The World Cafe Live is a three story venue which features artists from across the spectrum of contemporary music styles on its two stages. Last April The Weepies played on the main level of the World Cafe Live, however it appears that their following has grown since they performed in the lower level of the Cafe which features a bigger stage.

Deb Talen and Steven Tannen seemed so much more at ease this time, more confident. Heck, I would be if I opened for the Indigo Girls for the month of October! Their quirkiness on stage and their chemistry shows how perfectly made these two are for each other. Deb Talen's voice has this ethereal, Karen Carpenterish, sound while Steve Tannen lends his voice to some unique harmony.

So how would I describe The Weepies' sound?

A smile, that's what The Weepies would sound like if smiles made sounds with guitars and voices. They make me want to sit back with a cup of joe in hand, and dip my biscotti, as I immerse myself in The Weepies cute little musical hug.

I sooooooo *HEART* The Weepies.