Snow(pants) On The Ground or Meditating on Contemplation Part 2

Today as I left the office to make a loop around the infamous walking path behind us, I noticed: 'Hey! It's WARM out!' And by 'warm', of course, I mean above 30 degrees. It has been COLD here in the DC metro area!

So my initial thought is: 'man I can't wait until SPRING'. I've been looking for tickets to go back to LA and visit some friends there, I'm slowly debating pushing the sweaters to the back of the closet WHERE THEY BELONG, gosh, darn it! (though I'm not ready to take off my knitted sweater boots. I don't plan on ever taking them off. They are a perpetual hug for my feet, and I need that literal embrace of fashion in my life, people!).

But, anyways, I've got my eye the prize- SUN.

But then I thought, isn't that just like me- to say quickly: "God, get me out of this WINTER already. I'm ready for SPRING. NEW LIFE". Haven't I been saying that all year? You know it's true.

Praying the novena and Advent this year were good lessons for me in learning to enjoy the 'winter', so to speak. Or, if not enjoy (let's be real) be present in it. Present in the waiting for Spring or New Life.

I've never totally loved snow, as I've mentioned before, and there are still remnants of it everywhere. (I mean, I guess it is still January). And so I suppose I shouldn't expect new life right just yet in my spiritual life either. I understand there is a CYCLE. God's perfect plan. Me and the snow. The snow and me. Together in harmony...er, uh, but I digress.

In thinking about all of THIS ( there must be something lingering from those Dominicans who walk that path that makes me think SO. MUCH. Those brainiac Dominicans, I tell you...always thinking...) that made me remember my resolution to not just mediate, but contemplate. It is a delicate balance between planning or meditating and contemplating or enjoying the present. There has to be both.

I myself am RE-UHL good at planning, not so good at the resonating, enjoying. I get stuff DONE, remember? And that's good. It's a gift, for sure. But some of my FAVORITE moments of both hilarity and spiritual gift have been SPONTANEOUS and unplanned. The moments I've laughed the hardest, given the most thanks for, appreciated the most.

So that's an addition to my last post and really building upon everything from last year that has brought me to where I'm at in 2010.

ALSO, I'm sorry. I have to do this.

Speaking of spontaneity and hilarity...

This man (and okay, this is a stretch) I will go so far to say represents the balance between planning and spontaneity. No doubt, American Idol planned to bring him and knew it would be good for business, but I've got a feeling that this man also just kind of rolled with it- let the Spirit move him in a sense. And as I mentioned before, that openness to the moment- that can produce optimum funniness, I tell you. Genius.

Maybe I should use him as a source for a thesis this semester. No?
Peace,
Julia