Thursday, December 2, 2010

Layla in Real Life

Feeling creative, I made this collage on Monday.

It's for the cover of a sketch book I purchased recently (well, more like two months ago). Opting out of the pricer leather model, I went for cheaper cardboard cover with the idea of this collage in mind.  My hope is this sketchbook will be a journal/idea book for the new year. Before I could look ahead, I wanted to look back. 

My first entry was a timeline of 2010, highs and lows.
(Thank you Bob Green...he's the master of the timeline!)

Through it I observed 3 things about my 2010: 

1. I spent a lot of time sick this year. Drum*cough*roll... a total of 133 days sick with bronchitis, sinus colds, allergies and the likes. Makes me tired just reading that.

2. I also spent a lot of time on the road. Drumroll... a total of 143 days. That includes lots of travel for InterVarsity conferences, training, camps, staff meetings, visiting home for the holidays, an amazing summer trip with my family to New York and Hawaii and a few weeks home for the summer. 

On a staff trip recently, Tina and I realized being on InterVarsity staff means never really unpacking your toiletries bag. So true.  

3. 2010 was also a year of trying new things. I took ballet, I ran my first destination run (a half-half marathon) and a Half Marathon. I took lots of risks. I got healed. I faced some of my fears. Learned how to use my dSLR camera. Made new friends. 

I'm not sure what 2011 will be the year for, but my hope is that the rest of 2010 will be a season of soul searching, gut busting laughter, peppermint mochas, smile wrinkles, and lots and lots of giving thanks.

Ambitious, I know.


Tomorrow I'm leaving for a 3 day prayer retreat in the mountains. I'm going alone and I won't be taking my MacBook lyBook or my iPod lyPod.  But I will have my iPhone lyPhone (I've got issues) and hopefully will still be able to send a brief blog post from the mountains, though I'm disabling my internet, email and text access otherwise. I plan to spend my 48 hours of silence and solitude exploring the scenic walks, taking some artistic photos, journaling and reflecting too.


Two years ago, on sabbatical, I spent 12 days at a Priory for similar type of retreat. It near about killed me. I'm not naturally a reflective person. I don't like being alone. I don't even really like peace and quiet BUT something happened about 6 days in (I was stubborn)... I began to hear from God. It turned out to be a high point of my sabbatical.


I'm not sure what to expect this time around, but I'm entering in with about 90% wonder and only 10% fear. Two years ago it was the other way around.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Those are good percentages. For silent retreats and maybe for regular life.
That timeline thing is intriguing.
I can't believe how much sick time and travel time you had!!! Wowza.
I hope you have a heckuva toiletry bag!

Dixon said...

Have a great time up the hill Lay! Don't identify yourself as being on staff with IV; they may connect you with Litto! Blessings.

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