on my return

Do you see, do you hear, can you feel when He's near?
You're the pearl He came to find...

I wore my pearl earrings today. The freshwater ones that I got cheap at Light Years. Any more refined or less irregular and they wouldn't be suitable to be worn with my work attire (darned ugly polo). But wear them I did. Deliberately, having listened to "Pearl" by heatherclarkband (see above quote) while getting ready for my day at work. A day, might I mention, that I would have had off if not for the millionth error in scheduling at the blessed EspressOasis at UNC Hospital. It was a bit of a crazy day at work, yes; but not nearly as bad as I had imagined. I even managed to keep my head on straight, mostly. And now I'm back. Finally, really back. Technically I got back from Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania with my extended assimilated family at about 4:30 Sunday morning. Well, got back to John and Kristi's anyway. Daniel and I slept there, the few hours of morning that were left before we had to be at church for worship setup and practice. Mae's "the Everglow" was playing in his car, and the sky was painted in the most beautiful of early morning shades. Despite our sad lack of sleep, we actually made it by 8 am. I am very proud of that fact, of having dragged myself out of a warm, comfortable bed after two and a half hours of sleep (and maybe two rather more uncomfortable hours in the car). And proud of my pseudo-brother, too, for waking to a whisper and getting ready in five minutes. Worship was good. For me, worship was really good. At some point during the second service, I hit a "pocket" when I was not only really worshipping, but really worshipping to a greater degree than I've reached in a long time. From what I could see - from my standpoint at one end of the stage - we all seemed to come at one point or another to a place of genuine worship. It felt real. And the only thing better (as far as I'm concerned) than being in such a real place is to be there in the company of good friends. And speaking of good friends, wasn't it great to see Kim and Hannah? Yes, yes it was. *sigh* So very good. Suffice it to say that lunch was amusing. I slept for a good bit of the afternoon in a chair in front of John and Kristi's television, to whatever John was flipping between. When I awoke, it was time for Kristi and me to leave for Southpoint to meet Dave and see Rent. Which I quite enjoyed. Kristi was inspired... The three of us went to Waffle House afterwards. It was great times. Got home around 12:30, got to bed a little after one, and about seven hours later my day began with driving Arielle to work as usual. And thus it was back to "as usual." Except maybe it won't be "as usual" for much longer. Somehow I'm expectant for change. I don't know what kind of change, exactly, but whatever it is, i think it's time. Things have been put in motion (as previously detailed), and more things will be put in motion, and the motion will grow until change is evident. And it's change that makes a pearl from a grain of sand....

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory,
are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
-II Corinthians 3:18