I Spy Beauty...

A (sometimes) weekly post of beauty seen, heard or discovered

At the beginning of this year, I had every intention to get into blogging a couple of times a week. I was going to get serious with my writing. Well, I am doing that. But some other things have come up too.

While I have been struggling along making sense of this chaotic and crazy and beautiful and mean life recently, I have also started postgraduate study in Creative Writing.

I having been struggling to notice beauty. But this week I found great encouragement, strength and light in the creative work of others.

Sarah Bessey has a way with words that constantly breathes new life into me. This week her blog entitled "In which you are a beloved warrior" was timely and needed.

Parker J. Palmer wrote a guest post called "An Encouragement for Spring and the Writing Life" at OnBeing. While it is now Autumn here is Australia, I am over the metaphorical winter in my life and am expectantly holding out for some spring. 

Amy Stroup is a Indie Singer/Songwriter out of Nashville I have been following for a few years now. Her new album Tunnel (you can listen to it over on The Drop) is just what I've come to expect from Amy- diverse lyrically and musically, soulful and easy to listen to. I've also had an oldie 'Hold onto hope love', from The Other Side of Love Sessions stuck in my head.

On virginity

I have spent the last few hours researching and reading about ideas of virginity and purity for an article I am working on. And I have to say that there is some seriously disturbing stuff out there!

Having come from the evangelical Christian sub-culture and knowing its philosophy on such a subject, I still find it to hold to some of the most dangerous and damaging beliefs about sexuality. Just try watching the documentary The Virgin Daughters.

But I am still struggling to get my head around what it really means to people today in our progressive western culture.

So I need some help….

I would love for people to comment below, anonymously of course(!), about how you would define virginity and whether you think it still holds significant weight- for good or bad- in today’s culture. And if you’ve read or watched anything about the topic you think is particularly interesting mention that too.

Thanks!

I Spy Beauty...

A (sometimes) weekly post about beauty seen, heard or discovered

I am awake again in the in-between. That time in the early hours between darkness and sunrise. That blurry-eyed time when we glimpse the hope of light, but have not yet thrown off the cover of darkness fully.

I have been here a lot lately. It is a tiring place to be. Being awake in the darkness is troubling. There are moments when it feels like it might never end, like the morning might never come. When you are tired from the struggle for rest and freedom, anything can feel endless, hopeless.

And yet, the light comes every day without fail. First, gradually. Slivers of light and shadow begin to ease the weight of darkness. It is an uncomfortable tension between despair and hope. Do we dare to hope for sunrise?

The in-between is a time of questions. The darkness has stripped away much of what we knew, giving us permission to ask. It is a time of wondering and wandering in the half-light.

And then with a blaze of glory, all of sudden it seems, we are overwhelmed by the shining light of the sun and the weight lifts. A new day. A new beginning. With the light of the sun comes a lightness of spirit, the feeling that we can try again. To live and love and not be overcome.

There's a moment when
Faith caves in
There's a time when every soul is certain God is gone

But every shadow is evidence of sun
And every tomorrow holds out hope for us
For every one of us
'Sunrise' Nichole Nordeman Copyright 2007

Good morning. And thank God for the sunrise.